Mothstorm

December 1, 2008
Gr 5-8-As the Mumby family gathers to celebrate Christmas at Larklight, their Earth-orbiting home, a dire message arrives alerting them of a "Great Danger" threatening the universe. The family sets off across the solar system to Georgium Sidus (aka Uranus) to find out what is wrong. So begins Art and Myrtle Mumby's latest space adventure. The danger turns out to be the Mothmaker, a malevolent Shaper or creator of planetary systems. It is determined to conquer the worlds, including Earth, created by another Shaper, Mrs. Mumby, and enslave the creatures, including humans, created by her. A series of exciting and entertaining episodes involving various characters and imaginative creatures leads up to a final confrontation between the Mothmaker and Art, Myrtle, and their companions at Balmoral Castle. While the story is told primarily from the point of view of Art, who is prone to use inflated language, Myrtle's diary entries are inserted throughout and include amusing commentary. The unlikely, somewhat awkward romance between the prim and proper Myrtle and Jack Havock is back on, much to Art's chagrin. "Mothmaker" is a clever blending of genres including science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, and adventure with a liberal dash of British humor and style. One might describe it as a cross between science fiction, action movie, soap opera, and situation comedy. In sum, it's simply a jolly good read."Jennifer D. Montgomery, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2009
In Reeve's third space-opera satire set in a Victorian Britain that has colonized space, the universe is once more under siege, this time from blue lizard-creatures riding gigantic space moths. Enterprising young lad Art and his (increasingly less proper) sister Myrtle share the narrative duties as off they trek, braving peril, brainwashing, and flare-propelled pulpits, to once again save the day. Reeve explores the mythology of the series a bit more here, delving into Mrs. Mumby's past as a Shaper (creator of a solar system) to anchor the introduction of another Shaper, this one a near-unstoppable villain. The anti-colonial satire continues to advance, taking particular aim at sexism and reaching new levels of poignancy (and uneasy relevance) with Jack's discovery that not only is the government responsible for his family being turned into trees but it's had -- and withheld -- the cure for years. Several new characters also burst onto the page, including Charity Cruet, a reverend's daughter with "as much pluck as any chap" in whom Art finds a kindred spirit. And of course, there's plenty of madcap wit, from Yuletide shenanigans ("the Pudding has gone Rogue!") to Art's indignant footnoting of this installment's romantic episodes. Throughout, Wyatt's sharply defined spot art enhances the strangeness, humor, and dynamism of Reeve's singular universe.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2009
In Reeve's third space-opera satire set in a Victorian Britain that has colonized space, the universe is once more under siege. Enterprising young lad Art and his (less proper) sister Myrtle share the narrative duties as they brave peril, brainwashing, and flare-propelled pulpits. Wyatt's sharply defined spot art enhances the strangeness, humor, and dynamism of Reeve's singular universe.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)