Stormchaser (Edge Chronicles 2)

Product Description
Step to the Edge and enter a thrilling new fantasy series filled with amazing characters and unimaginable adventures and see for yourself what lies beyond!

Since his childhood in the Deepwoods, young Twig has always longed to soar above the forest canopy and explore the sky. Now a lowly crew-member on his father’s sky pirate ship, the Stormchaser, his dream seems fulfilled. But a much higher destiny awaits Twig as plots and treacheries from many years ago bring the lofty city of Sanctaphrax – home of the Edgeworld’s most learned academics – to the point of disaster.
For the city is built on a giant rock, floating high in the sky, its future balance dependent on stormphrax – a valuable yet extremely volatile substance obtained only from the heart of a Great Storm at the very instant it unleashes its most intense power. And only a ship such as the Stormchaser could risk entering the Storm…

Cindy L. Carolan – Children’s Literature
Will young Twig and his pirate crewmates upon the sky ship Stormchaser be successful in their mission to collect the stormphrax (solid lightening)? Find out in this second book in ‘The Edge Chronicles’ series, continuing Twig’s truly thrilling adventures! The cast of characters is wonderfully amusing, frightening and disgusting all at the same time, including the creatures Hammelhorn, Banderbear, Woodtrolls, Flatheads, Nightwaifs, Caterbird, and Prowelgrins. Story-wise, it is witty and substantive enough on its own, but combined with graphic artist Chris Riddell’s drawings, it will embrace the reader and keep them completely engrossed in the numerous twists and turns the plot takes. The drawings are spare, pen sketches, yet the emotive power of his pen is difficult to communicate with mere words! Luckily for readers, at least every other or every third page is adorned with one of them. The very first one, depicting ‘The Edge’ is enough to keep the first time reader hooked until they have been introduced to each and every place name. Highly recommended. 2004, David Fickling Books, Ages 9 to 12.

School Library Journal
Gr 5-8-Twig is back in the second book (David Fickling Books, 2004) in The Edge Chronicles series by British author Paul Stewart. In the first book, Beyond the Deepwoods (David Fickling Books, 2004), Twig discovered that he was the son of the famous sky pirate, Cloud Wolf. Now Twig is onboard the Stormchaser, Cloud Wolf’s renowned sky ship, and he is aiming to impress his stern father. Of course, things go terribly wrong. Twig accidentally dumps the cargo and Cloud Wolf refuses to take him on the next trip. Twig manages to stowaway only to find he has become a bargaining chip for ruthless enemies of his father. Throughout the book, Twig bungles his way into and out of trouble, meeting unusual and truly weird characters along the way. The most interesting character is the Stone Pilot, who befriends Twig and, to Twig’s astonishment, turns out to be a girl. Narrator John Lee does a fine job of distinguishing each character and the story is nicely paced. The book’s illustrations by Chris Riddell are brilliant and provide the humor for the story. Without them, Stormchaser is very dark indeed-complete with a masochist and a toe-stealing serial killer. Make sure the book is available to listeners. This fantasy is filled with outlandish characters and terrifying creatures, and fans of the series will be enthralled.-Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.