This book is being offered as a bookray following the author talk with Vashti at The Virtual Uncon of April 16th - 18th 2021.

The order for this book is:-
eponine38, USA in the mail
Bookgirrl, Canada
mcsar, Canada
Azuki USA
Poodlesister UK

Received today - thanks! Looks like a fun and quick read; I'll get to it ASAP. :-)

This was such a fun read! Arthur and Maudie are bright, likeable twins and I was immediately immersed in their world. There were some great plot twists and, as in all adventure stories, the eternal battle between good and evil.

The young characters are great role models for the target audience of the book (9-12 years), from Arty and his iron arm, to Maudie the blossoming engineer, to Harriet Culpepper, expedition leader who always looks on the bright side and finds a workable solution to whatever problem she faces. Wonderfully inspiring! I enjoyed the book as much as the author talk with Ms. Hardy.

"Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will. You can be comfortable or courageous - never both at once."

"How exciting - books are the greatest gift."

"Control is an illusion. We never know what life will throw at us. You are the master of your destiny..."

On its way to Bookgirrl. USPS.com Label #LZ286191543US. (Should be trackable at least until it leaves the US.)

Hooray! Brightstorm has landed (about 90kms NW of Toronto). I will get through it shortly and it will head off to mcsar in Richmond, BC.

I haven't read a kid's book for ages. I wondered if I'd be engaged, and I sure was! One thing that struck me; the inner thoughts of Arthur are all over the pages, while Maudie's are left unwritten. (i.e. ...."it felt as though his heart had split - p. 11, "...the sound made Arthur want to scream" - p. 14 and on and on). Meanwhile, Maud's eyes may widen, or she'll grip Arthur's hand - but her inner feelings are mostly unwritten. Not a criticism, just an observation.
The book has a strong steam-punk streak - you have Ms. Vane and her bodice, Arthur's mechanical arm, Maud's toolkit; gadgets and machines.
Sometimes, you get a wee bit of the dreary Victorian world of Dickens (Poacher reminded me of Mr. Bumble and the Beggins of the Sowerberrys - all from "Oliver Twist"). There's even a bit of Harry Potter with the Brightstorms' companion bird.
Overall, a very enjoyable book. I'm guessing this book would appeal to 9 - 13 year olds. (And many adults!) With all the bright visuals and strong characters, you can't help but think it would make a great kid's movie.
Off to mcsar in Richmond, BC.

Thank you for sharing the book. This arrived in the middle of a terrible heat wave and might just be the kind of read to take my mind off the sweltering heat.

Brilliant. I was pulled into the story quickly. A fun engaging adventure and I'd love the follow the twins onto their next adventure.

This fun book is continuing its adventure to Miami. Have a good time there!

Hi this book has arrived for a few days, sorry I didn't get to journal it till now.

Seeing this book brings back fond memories of the Virtual BC Con. Thanks again MissMarkey for putting together such a great event, I most certainly enjoyed the weekend connecting with my BCer friends, as well as discovering new authors, like this book's author, Vashti Hardy.

I am currently participating in the Olympics Readathon, so I was hoping that this book can somehow fit into one of the prompts. Thankfully it does, with disability representation. (the other ones are books featuring sports, with fire-related cover, book related to Greece, to Japan, and book cover with all five colors of the rings.)

Will get started on it asap.

I very much enjoyed this book and can't stop reading one page after the next. While the adventure is written mostly for young readers, it is still enjoyable by adults. It has nice messages about family and love, and I am so happy to read the last pages to see that the twins' story will continue on in another book.

Thanks MissMarkey for sharing this book. I'll pack this to mail on to Poodlesister. Such a shame I couldn't meet her in person to pass this on.

This book looks great and just right for me right now. It arrived in a fat envelope with three other books and lots of very interesting and fun looking snacks and treats! The day before my birthday too so it’s started my celebrations off.

A great adventure! I was gripped after the first chapter.

Going to my teacher friend for her school