Brightstorm by Vashti Hardy

Disaster strikes. In the race to the South Polaris, explorer Ernest Brightstorm and crew sabotaged a competing sky-ship and were later consumed by wild beasts. Or so the surviving competitors claim. Shame befalls the Brightstorm name.

Make it stand out

A gripping beginning

But Maud and Arthur Brightstorm are skeptical. There’s no way their father would steal supplies from competitors. When a new race is announced, they set out to clear the family name and discover the truth about their father’s expedition.

And so begins the adventure into uncharted lands: frozen lakes, strange creatures, secret messages, intelligent pets, and dark forests. Maud and her engineering-mind are particularly winsome, and who doesn’t want to become a sky-ship captain like Harriet Culpepper when they grow up.

Brightstorm is a fun middle-grade adventure with a gripping first act.

WHAT TO READ NEXT

Darkwhispers by Vashti Hardy - further Brightstorm adventures

The Nightsilver Promise by Annaliese Avery

The Polar Bear Explorers Club by Alex Bell