Brightstorm by Vashti Hardy

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…

Steampunk explorers

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. Engineer Maud is 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.

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