Customer Reviews

Starcross: A Stirring Adventure of Spies, Time Travel and Curious Hats

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
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They say science fiction for kids doesn't sell. They say a lot of things, but this particular belief is pretty widespread. Space may be the final frontier, but as far as kidlit publishers go, literary reaches for the outer limits aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Still, there is some sci-fi that simply must turn a profit. Take Philip Reeve, for example. This is the guy who conjured up the YA Hungry City Chronicles. Who single-handedly found a way to combine gross colonization and space travel in the seemingly effortless children's title, Larklight. You simply cannot look me in the eye and tell me that an author as talented as Mr. Reeve isn't going to get at least a couple fans here and there. And if sci-fi doesn't sell then why on earth are we lucky enough to see the sequel to Larklight on our bookstore shelves? Yes, "Starcross" is here and fans of the intergalactic adventures of Myrtle, Art, and Jack Havock are bound to be pleased as we see them tackle their toughest enemies yet: The Moob.

When last we saw our heroes, siblings Myrtle and Art were living peaceably once again in their house (which happens to be a bit of highly dangerous alien handiwork, though that's neither here nor there), Larklight. Peaceably might be a bit of a stretch, actually. At the moment decorators have descended on the old home and no one is getting any rest. After a mysterious invitation arrives inviting the family to the beautiful and otherworldly grand hotel Starcross, the family picks up and leaves only to find things very mysterious indeed. Their old friend Jack Havock is there in disguise, paying close attention to the lady guest Miss Beauregard (and you can imagine how happy that makes Myrtle). Guests appear to have disappeared from the surroundings, and then there are the black top hats. Not merely elegant headgear, the hats turn out to be horrid alien creatures from the far future called Moobs. With plans for universal domination, they intend to open a portal to the future and allow more of their kind through so as to take over and dominate the world around them. It'll take some pretty fancy footwork for our heroes to overcome this mind-controlling threat and save the day once more.

You know you're in safe hands when you find the term "Amanuensis" on the very first page. Those of you who were fans of "Larklight" will find much to love in this story as well. Favorite characters return (though they have a nasty tendency to either get their minds chewed on or their bodies turned into trees), and villains outdo themselves in sheer nefariousness (not a word, I know). As per usual, Mr. Reeve is juggling a series of different genres. The Victorian boys adventure novel. Science fiction. Penny dreadfuls. To this mix you may now add "drawing room mystery". The secret of Starcross plays out like a humdinger of a game of Clue (though you might want to remove the top hat from your game of Monopoly and add it to the list of murder weapons for this particular game).

Anglophilia is a must with this kind of story, however. Reeve isn't afraid to include out-of-date Britishisms that may serve up a giggle or two for American audiences. For example, I know what the term "horny-handed sons of toil" means, but no one should be too surprised if a reader here or there misinterprets. The book is so unapologetically English that Reeve has even managed to find a way to sneak railroads into intergalactic space travel. And let me tell you, that is no mean feat though it makes for an odd read when you're a Yank. I mean, by dint of our own history, we are inclined to sympathize with a French villain's motives and plans. Plus the idea of a world in which the Yanks were never able to get out from under the yoke of Mother England may be a pleasant fantasy for Brits living and breathing today, but even the least nationalistic American amongst us has to chafe a little at the thought.

Still, it truly is the author's language that sucks you in. Not only does he create consistently amusing and diverting new worlds, but he also has the verbal skills to back them up. So it is that you hear about the planet Vestibule, "which is hollow, and inhabited by people who live upside down upon its inner surface, and Abnegation, which was woven out of brown string by Presbyterians." Heck, the bawdy music-hall song titles are worth the price of admission alone. Songs like, "Dearest Margaret, You Are Danish and Your Dog's Not Very Well" and "My Grandfather's Sqallaxian Bogusoid Was too Tall for the Shelf." I hate it when my review decomposes into me simply repeating a book's clever sentences, but Reeve has that effect. A reviewer simply cannot resist statements like, "my army consisted of me, two elderly gentlemen who were not feeling quite the ticket, a grumpy goblin, two anemones, a large crab and a blue lizard of the gentler sex." Perhaps I'm a loon, but I find sentences of that sort simply irresistible.

I was shocked when I came to the undeniable conclusion that my favorite character, despite my best intentions, was the bespectacled Myrtle. Myrtle is a difficult character to love sometimes. She insists on deviating as little from the norm as possible, but simply thrives when she's no longer limited to the standard Victorian ethics she so admires. You can't help but be amused when she's forced to spend most of this book in a remarkably useful set of bathing gear. And man, when I saw that two-faced Jack Havock drooling over the lovely Miss Beauregard all I wanted was for Myrtle to walk over and remove the French woman's curls, hair by hair if necessary. How dare that hussy distract the attention of our glasses-wearing heroine? And by the way, reading "Starcross" I started wondering why girls are allowed to wear glasses in science fiction more than any other genre. There's this series. There's A Wrinkle in Time. There's The Girl With the Silver Eyes. Wherefore this trend, I wonder?

The only real problem that comes with reviewing a book of this sort in its Advanced Readers Copy form is that I haven't seen all of David Wyatt's lovely pictures. I remember that when I reviewed Larklight it was with shock and amazement that months later I learned of the multitude of pictures that appeared in the final product. Wyatt only puts hints of images in the ARCs of this book, so I cannot tell you whether or not they are as lovely as the first. I am sure that they will be, though. You can't help but enjoy pictures where everyone and everything is doffing silk top hats left and right.

If you're foolish enough to have not yet read Larklight, citing such piss poor reasons as "I don't do sci-fi" or "Space scares me", overcome your personal weaknesses and give the book a shot. After that, "Starcross" is bound to please one and all. Now I feel like there's something I've forgotten to mention in this review... what was it... what was it... AHA! The opinion of children! After all, this book is supposedly written for them. Well, I can attest for a fact that you won't find any children's reviews of Larklight on Amazon.com. What are we to take from that? This is one of those books that's going to hit a very specific segment of the population. It's not for the unwashed masses one and all. It's for a kid here and a kid there who will find themselves sucked into Reeve's world and never want to let go. Here's looking forward to the next book in the series!

I've decided the word I'm looking for in order to describe this book is "droll." One thing I loved about Larklight, and which carries on into Starcross, is Philip Reeve's fresh take on genres such as science fiction and fantasy that everyone else seems to be grinding repetitively into the ground. Who else would have thought of giant cities rolling around devouring smaller cities (see Reeve's Hungry Cities Chronicles), let alone this heartily old-style British lark of an adventure set in a friendlier version of outer space?

Art Mumby and his sometimes irritating sister are back, this time facing French spies, alien invaders disguised as top hats, and complications relating to time travel (i.e., being devoured by giant sand clams). It's all very giddy--in addition to droll--and I occasionally lost even my highly elastic suspension of disbelief, mostly with regards to the Moobs. So I'll admit I liked Larklight a little better than the sequel. Still, Starcross is simply a lot of fun, especially when you consider what else is being written these days--a great many darkly epic or apocalytic tomes. Why not laugh with a book for a change?

The role of Myrtle's bathing suit is just one of the nutsy, appealing details in Starcross. Starcross also gives us vital information about what really motivates a goblin, the drawbacks of having a mother who's essentially a goddess, and how to keep a Moob from taking over your brain. Set sail (or rail) into space with Art Mumby for a rollicking good read!

When I got the book, it had three or four stickers on it - one Amazon sticker, and the other three from its library book history. I rubbed the stickers with Goo-Gone and scratched at them determinedly with my fingernails, and after five minutes the book looked as good as a new copy. The top-left corner was folded down about a millimeter, but otherwise it is in perfect condition.

A note to anyone using an adhesive remover like Goo-Gone - don't let it get at the edge of the front or back cover! I did by accident, and the glossy front page is peeling back from the hard-paper backing along a centimeter of the edge. While wholly unnoticeable, it is still a mistake I wish I had not made.

This book was the first thing I ever got used from Amazon, and even in Very Good quality it was a fraction of a new book's price. I would recommend this book to any fan of young adult fiction, fantasy, or Philip Reeve's works.

I loved all of this series. I am an adult (chronologically), and I enjoyed the humor and I liked the way the author kept the voice of a ten year old "Victorian era" boy. Very clever.

I didn't find this quite as good as the first novel in the series, LARKLIGHT, perhaps because space pirate turned spy Jack Havock isn't around and effective for much of the action. On the other hand the God-like mother of the Mumby clan takes center stage, whereas she was rarely seen in the first book.

The Mumbys and their friends again fight off an invasion of the solar system, this time by horrible black, amorphous mind-parasites called Moobs, who have accidentally been brought back to our day (1851) from the distant future, and with a bit of human aid are out to Take Over. There is a lot of time traveling in the story, and a great deal of fun in the form of sly asides and references that younger readers will not catch, but that literate adults in the audience will savor.

The illustrations by David Wyatt were extremely good in the first book, but here they rise to even greater heights, and it's difficult to imagine the book's adventures without their help and elaboration.

I look forward to reading the next volume in the series, in which I believe the Mumbys encounter an invasion of the solar system by giant moths.

This was another great book set in the Larklight universe. You wouldn't have to read the first book to have fun with this one; but the first book does provide some background that would make this story have a bit more meaning at parts.

We are back to a Victorian Age where the British Empire has conquered the secrets of space travel. Art and his family have been invited to stay a premier ocean side resort called Starcross. Starcross is a bit different in that the ocean is only there 12 hours a day. Also there is a hat in Art's closet that really wants him to put it on. And what it up with the shadows creeping around that say "Moob"? Art, his sister Myrtle, his mother, and Jack Havoc are in for some crazy adventures when Starcross ends up not being what it appears to be. It will be up to them to (again) save the world from complete destruction.

This was another wonderful book. If you liked the first one you will love this one. The characters are wonderful, the book is hilarious and written with a somewhat sarcastic sense of humor. The drawings sprinkled throughout add a lot to the story and make this book even more of a pleasure to read. The writing style is perfect, the action non-stop, and the world Reeve has created will amuse and impress. Art's mother was a wonderful character and I was pleased to see her so much in this book.

This book didn't disappoint and I am really looking forward to reading the third book "Mothstorm". Fans of Douglas Adam's "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" or Joseph Delaney's "The Last Apprentice" should really check this series out. I think people of all ages will get a kick out of these books; they are also very appropriate for younger children.

Art Mumby and his sister Myrtle live in an alternate universe in 19th century space in a house that orbits the planet Earth. Workmen disrupt their family life while undertaking extensive remodeling and repairs, so when their mother receives an invitation to an asteroid belt resort hotel named Starcross, their father urges them to take a vacation while he stays behind to supervise the carpenters. Art also hopes that this will distract Myrtle from her tiresome heartsick longing for Jack Havock, the dashing young space pirate the Mumbys met in their previous adventure, chronicled in LARKLIGHT.

The asteroid belt is between Mars and Jupiter. Millions of Earth humans, Martians and other beings live on them. In fact, the Starcross asteroid once was a part of Mars that had broken off millions of years before. When the Mumby trio arrives at Starcross, they are disoriented by its appearance. It looks like an old abandoned building at first glance, but as they approach they see it is a large, lovely hotel overlooking a white sand basin. The hotel is run by Mr. Titfer, along with a wide array of automated robots. Art and Myrtle wonder where the ocean is; the invitation specifically mentioned "sea bathing," and Myrtle brought the latest in bathing costumes. When Mr. Titfer informs them that the tide has been out for one-hundred million years but comes in every 12 hours or so, their question is simply answered with a riddle.

While Myrtle and Mother sleep, Art explores his room. In his closet he finds a hatbox. Somehow, Art knows that Mr. Titfer's hats are the best ones in the universe (this is odd because, until he saw a train station advertisement for Titfer's Top-Notch Toppers as they traveled to Starcross, he had no idea Mr. Titfer had anything to do with hats). Art feels an irresistible urge to wear the hat, but as he gets ready to place it on his head, he is distracted by a voice saying "Moob!" As he tries to find whoever uttered that word, Art realizes that the ocean has come in.

Things grow more mysterious when the Mumbys go down to breakfast, for one of the guests is someone they know well...in disguise. While swimming, Myrtle and Mother discover two people who have been changed into Venusian Changeling Trees. Meanwhile, guests are talking about hats and dreaming about them. When Mother and Art are chloroformed into unconsciousness, a wild, time-traveling adventure ensues across prehistoric Mars.

This is a rollicking, jolly good adventure filled with bizarre characters, including knitting goblins. Although young readers might be put off a bit by the old-fashioned style and the plentiful (silly) footnotes, patient booklovers will be rewarded with an imaginative romp. The book is beautiful, with its heavy pages and ornate black and white illustrations. It's also hilarious (as when Myrtle takes over the tale only under the condition that "Mr. Wyatt" NOT illustrate her in her night clothes. When the page is turned, there she is, nightgown and all, with the caption "Myrtle in her night attire.")

STARCROSS could be read as a stand-alone, but why would anyone choose to miss out on the first book, LARKLIGHT, yet another delightful read?

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

The sequel to Larklight does not disappoint. Art and Myrtle are off on another delightful journey through space. The author's creative Victorian-era space traveling story has an imaginative plot. I especially love the collaboration between the author and illustrator. This series is loved by my family.

Art Mumby and his sister Myrtle live in an alternate universe in 19th century space in a house that orbits the planet Earth. Workmen disrupt their family life while undertaking extensive remodeling and repairs, so when their mother receives an invitation to an asteroid belt resort hotel named Starcross, their father urges them to take a vacation while he stays behind to supervise the carpenters. Art also hopes that this will distract Myrtle from her tiresome heartsick longing for Jack Havock, the dashing young space pirate the Mumbys met in their previous adventure, chronicled in LARKLIGHT.

The asteroid belt is between Mars and Jupiter. Millions of Earth humans, Martians and other beings live on them. In fact, the Starcross asteroid once was a part of Mars that had broken off millions of years before. When the Mumby trio arrives at Starcross, they are disoriented by its appearance. It looks like an old abandoned building at first glance, but as they approach they see it is a large, lovely hotel overlooking a white sand basin. The hotel is run by Mr. Titfer, along with a wide array of automated robots. Art and Myrtle wonder where the ocean is; the invitation specifically mentioned "sea bathing," and Myrtle brought the latest in bathing costumes. When Mr. Titfer informs them that the tide has been out for one-hundred million years but comes in every 12 hours or so, their question is simply answered with a riddle.

While Myrtle and Mother sleep, Art explores his room. In his closet he finds a hatbox. Somehow, Art knows that Mr. Titfer's hats are the best ones in the universe (this is odd because, until he saw a train station advertisement for Titfer's Top-Notch Toppers as they traveled to Starcross, he had no idea Mr. Titfer had anything to do with hats). Art feels an irresistible urge to wear the hat, but as he gets ready to place it on his head, he is distracted by a voice saying "Moob!" As he tries to find whoever uttered that word, Art realizes that the ocean has come in.

Things grow more mysterious when the Mumbys go down to breakfast, for one of the guests is someone they know well...in disguise. While swimming, Myrtle and Mother discover two people who have been changed into Venusian Changeling Trees. Meanwhile, guests are talking about hats and dreaming about them. When Mother and Art are chloroformed into unconsciousness, a wild, time-traveling adventure ensues across prehistoric Mars.

This is a rollicking, jolly good adventure filled with bizarre characters, including knitting goblins. Although young readers might be put off a bit by the old-fashioned style and the plentiful (silly) footnotes, patient booklovers will be rewarded with an imaginative romp. The book is beautiful, with its heavy pages and ornate black and white illustrations. It's also hilarious (as when Myrtle takes over the tale only under the condition that "Mr. Wyatt" NOT illustrate her in her night clothes. When the page is turned, there she is, nightgown and all, with the caption "Myrtle in her night attire.")

STARCROSS could be read as a stand-alone, but why would anyone choose to miss out on the first book, LARKLIGHT, yet another delightful read?

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

I so enjoy the world of the Mumbys! This is a wonderful sequel to Larklight!
It was so much fun visiting with returning characters, again! And we encounter both new and returning villains as well.
I thought the plot, characters, style of writing (which is excellent and delightful!) were all consistent with that of Larklight, and I didn't feel that the author "cheated" with any of the characters to fill the second book with plot.
The plot was exciting and intriguing again. And while I didn't feel it was *quite* as detailed and smooth as in Larklight, I still thought it was very well done.
My only other *complaint* (and it isn't really even a complaint) is that I would have liked more with some of the characters from the first book. I think the first book had a little more endearing-ness because all the characters were being initially introduced, as was the world as a whole. But, that said, what we did have with the characters was delightful.
If you liked Larklight I really think it's worth it to read Starcross!
4 stars compared to Larklight, but 5 stars compared to most other books as a whole.