Midnight Over Sanctaphrax

September 1, 2004
Midnight Over Sanctaphrax: The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell is the third title in the series. Here, Twig, the teenage sky pirate from the earlier titles, and his crew of elves, goblins and other creatures find Twig's father after braving a weather vortex. They are then entrusted with a quest that will save the lands of the Edge. Of the series' launch title, Beyond the Deepwoods, PW said: "The narrative will cast a spell over readers from the beginning with its utterly odd, off-kilter sense of logic and a vocabulary that is equal parts Dr. Seuss and Lewis Carroll." .

October 1, 2004
Gr 5-9 -The young sky-pirate Captain Twig has been sent on a quest by his father Cloud Wolf. To save his world, he must sever the Anchor Chain of the floating city Sanctaphrax-home to academics and alchemists-before the Mother Storm arrives to reseed Riverrise with her rain. Unfortunately, Twig's memory of his father's instructions is gone, and his crew is scattered. Accompanied by Cowlquape, a Sanctaphrax apprentice, he scours the lands below for his crew and clues to the memories he has lost. Midnight is peopled with complex characters like woodelves, who can read minds; and wigwigs, fuzzy, Tribblelike creatures that happen to be carnivorous. Riddell's illustrations perfectly complement Stewart's text, but could mistakenly lead those perusing the book to assume it is for younger readers. It is not. Violence occurs, and characters die, some deservedly, others not. Stewart tackles issues of slavery and class structure while still maintaining a good adventure story with a very Hobbit -like feel to it. Readers unfamiliar with the series will have no trouble following this story, but expect a demand for Beyond the Deepwoods and Stormchaser (both Random, 2004).-Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2004
Gr. 4-6. Twig, the young sky pilot first introduced in " Beyond the Deepwoods" [BKL Jl 04]steers his ship into a storm, through a treacherous weather vortex and beyond, where he finds his father and discovers what he must do to save his world, the Edge. In the violent aftermath of this meeting, his ship is blown apart, and his crew is blasted away like shooting stars. Twig loses not only the ship but also his memory of how to save his homeland. On a quest to find his crew, he befriends a sympathetic young scholar who joins him on his journey. Though at some points the book requires a monumental suspension of disbelief and a hearty appetite for words such as " gasped" and " juddered," the action-oriented plot and fantastic world of this third volume in Chronicles of Edge will delight fans and entice new readers. Riddell again contributes skillful ink drawings.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2005
Twig, a young sky pirate captain, must untether the anchor chain holding the floating city of Sanctaphrax in place before its destroyed by an approaching storm. Unfortunately, Twig loses both his ship and his memory before he can perform this task. The overlong book contains too many scenes and outlandish characters, though the writing and detailed, somewhat grotesque, illustrations are evocative.

(Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)