Paul Stewart has created a completely different world by writing the 'Edge Chronicles'. It is one of my favourite books and read the whole series.
This book is focused on Rook Barkwater who, when announced, is destined to set out two the Free Glades to help save the slaves of Undertown. He sets out with to other librarians, and together, they travel in disguise through the Eastern roost which is controlled by vicious blue birds called Shrykes. There he meets Deadbolt Vulpoon, a sky pirate captain. There used to be great floating rocks that made ships buoyant so that the sky ships could fly. But they were struck by stone-sickness which makes them sink. Once hearing Vulpoons tales, Rook dreams of flying on a sky ship.
When they reach the Free Glades Rook builds his own small sky craft out of wood, varnishes it with special varnish to make it buoyant and learns to fly it. He then sets out to find out about banderbears, huge bears who look ferocious but are gentler than a new born lamb. There he finds the most famous sky captain of all, Twig. Together they rescue Twigs oldest friend, Cowlcape, from the sinister Tower of Night.
I would recommend this book to anyone aged 10-15. It is fabulously illustrated and amazingly written. It's fantastic.

Set fifty years after "Midnight Over Sanctaphrax" (book 3), it doesn't continue from book 4, the first chronologically in the series, which sounds awfully confusing, but actually isn't. The Edge is a totally different place, with the mighty sky ships unable to fly, and New Sanctaphrax barely teetering on wooden supports after the dreaded stone sickness destroys the buoyant floating rocks. The Librarian Academics have been driven underground into the sewers, where they have constructed a vast library of scientific studies, and are forced to send worthy young scholars on covert and perilous missions for training, before they complete their life's quest by studying and documenting their chosen field of nature study.

In this book we follow the trail of young Rook Barkwater, a clever young under-librarian who is destined to become a Librarian Knight, doing research on the secret gatherings of banderbears, to whom he feels an unexplainable connection. His mission is dangerous and exciting, filled with wonderfully named, described and illustrated creatures that would otherwise defy the imagination.

During his thrilling adventures, he meets Captain Twig, who was thought to have perished with his crew in book 3, and begins a whole new adventure to rescue Twig's friend Cowlquape from the prisons of the Most High Guardian of Night, the villainous scoundrel of this episode.

Just as dark as the other books, but with a lot more action and adventure, I recommend this one heartily to fans of the series, but would advise newcomers to read at least books 1 to 3 first.

Amanda Richards

The inventiveness of the plot, cliffhangers at every chapter, fantastically imagined creatures (and people!) with delicious names, and brilliantly executed drawings on every other page, combine to make an addictive page-turner that delights young and old alike. The chapters are just long/short enough to hold a child's attention (and mine!) at bedtime, without risking sleep/boredom.
The series shows no signs of running out of steam - they are destined to become world classics!
*****