Besides the plot being engaging, it is also creative, well thought out and each point lends more meaning to the story by contributing to the underlying growth of Matt Cruse. Throw predators and pirates into the mix and the plot becomes very engaging. Between his airship and Kate, Matt is never bored. It was the same ship his father had worked on before he died and Matt has made it his home in the sky, a place where he feels closest to his father. The second thread is the Aurora and its crew fighting pirates and recovering from shipwreck.

In the first thread, Matt is drawn into helping Kate, a rich, driven, self-proclaimed scientist and zoologist, search an island for evidence of a new species. There are two main plot threads running through the book and together they somehow make for a great adventure. Captain Walker is the steady hand that guides Matt, and Chef Vlad is the comedy with his peculiarities and quick temper. Both are richly built, vibrant characters that are wonderful additions to the story. Other notable and interesting characters that stand out in the book are the Aurora’s captain, Captain Walker, and the ship’s cook, Chef Vlad. They complement each other nicely and Kate adds a lot more interest, conflict, and adventure to the story. If Matt were calm wind, then Kate would be thunder and lightning. Despite her flaws, she is also smart, helpful, resourceful, and courageous in the face of danger. At one point, Kate drugs her chaperone with sleeping medication so that she can get off the ship to explore the island.

Kate is fearless, bold, determined, opinionated, and so single-minded that she fails to consider those around her and can walk all over people to get what she wants. Kate is accompanied by a ridiculous chaperone that she is constantly disobeying by pursuing “unwomanly” things such as discovering a new species. Kate de Vries is the leading lady of the story. Through it all though, Matt seeks to do right-or at least make the best decision he can when people like Kate force him on a different course. Matt struggles with jealousy and a sense of unfairness when his promotion from cabin boy to sail maker is given away to the owner’s son. His dealings with Kate create conflict and consternation because she is bold and completely different from him. For so long, he has felt that he has been chasing an image of his father while aboard his airship and through the book we see him go through the process of coming to a place of rest and peace about the loss. A lesser thread in the book is Matt working through the death of his father. Matt Cruse is a responsible young man who takes his job seriously, consistently takes initiative to help out or learn more aboard ship, holds great respect for his captain, and is overall good-natured.

Matt cruse airborn