Title: Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs
Author: Victoria Williamson
Publication date: 24 October 2024
Publisher: Tiny Tree Publishing
Genre: Older Readers Junior Fiction/ Mid-grade
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy from Tiny Tree Publishing and the Write Reads. I was in no way influenced in this review by the bag of bugs that fell into my hand with the PR box. No sirree did not scream like a child.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217402251-skyfleet
Storygraph:
https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/b4187899-258e-4ea2-8e83-9cad557dd26a
Amazon: https://a.co/d/7OiVBIY (Canada) https://a.co/d/abVrfJ6 (USA)
https://amzn.eu/d/2BKDkj5 (UK)
Synopsis
When the skies turn deadly, a young heroine must rise from the ashes…
Twelve-year-old Amberley Jain has faced incredible challenges since the crash that took her parents and paralysed her legs. Now, with her best friend Ricardo Lopez about to be sent away and a swarm of mutated insects closing in on the Skyfleet base, the stakes have never been higher. Something monstrous is driving the mutabugs north from the contaminated meteor site known as the Cauldron, and the only plane capable of stopping it – the Firehawk – lies in pieces in the hangar.
Determined to honour her parents’ legacy, Amberley hatches a daring plan. With Ricardo’s help, they stow away on a supply train, trading his most treasured possession for the parts needed to repair the Firehawk. After secret test flights, the legendary jet is ready for action. Now, Amberley and Ricardo must confront the deadly swarm and save their home, discovering their inner strength and the true meaning of friendship along the way.
Review
I love getting books through the post. Its one of my favourite things about being a book blogger. I get to have a shiny new copy to devour and snuggle up with. Sometimes– but not often for me– there will also be a PR box with a few book-related items. Maybe it will be a badge, some stickers or a candle. Nothing too over the top but it’s always lovely to have.
While I wasn’t expecting anything additional when I agreed to read Skyfleet, when I opened up the package there were a few extra bits that made me do a happy face.
Firstly there was a flying glider aeroplane, like the ones we had as kids, there were a few plant seeds (not mutated) and an “emergency kit” containing plasters, tea light and a mini compass.
Adorable.
Then I felt something in the bottom of the bag and tipped it up into my hand.
I despise worms at the best of times and maggots are my kryptonite. I can put out spiders, and deal with snakes, bees, flies and frogs but even watching maggots and worms on TV turns my stomach. So imagine expecting sweets or stickers and getting a handful of slimy larvae.
I screamed like a little girl.
After this initial trauma, however, it took me very little time to actually read the book because I am a fan of Victoria Williamson and her writing. I’ve read War of the Wind, Nora’s Ark and The Feast of Ashes and love how she deals with difficult topics with a steady hand and compassion.
Skyfleet was no different.
Amberley lives on a terraformed world in a small community. There have been communication issues with Earth ever since a giant radioactive meteor crashed onto the planet, causing insects to mutate into terrifying forms of themselves.
Think of enormous flying cockroaches, flies with bullet-proof shells and ants the size of small cars.
Luckily there are several ships with the capacity to defend the community from these mutabugs. Well, there used to be one more but Amberley was in the accident that cost her parents their lives and Amberley her legs. Now confined to a wheelchair, all she can do is wait and watch with her best friend, Ricardo, as something even more deadly begins to emerge from the radioactive crater.
In this apocalyptic story, Amberley is dealing with survivors’ guilt, grief over her parents’ death, as well as the frustration of being seen as less due to her disability. Ricardo, similarly, has to deal with the impact of his blindness and dependence on one fragile piece of technology for his “vision”.
Both children lean on each other to cope with their loss and their need to feel like they can be more than their disability and they have an amazing relationship, sacrificing treasured items and standing by each other even when it seems hard.
I am a sucker for great ride-or-die friendships within books and Victoria Williamson made this one epic. I adore Ricardo. The plot raced along and made it a quick read and the illustrations and snippets of schematics as well as the radio calls from the station to Earth made for great visuals within the book.
I thought it was suitable for ages 8 upwards, definitely one to recommend to boys reading for the adventure and stealth ship. I don’t know if there will be any more but I would enjoy reading more in this world.
But next time without the heart attack.
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