The Orb and the Airship by Jenelle Schmidt

Author

The Orb and the Airship

A rogue airship captain. An ambitious youth. A clash of powers beyond their imagination. With scholarships to a prestigious military school, Grayden and Wynn are thirsty for adventure. But the night before they leave, they discover the mysterious Dalmir and his arcane orb in the forsaken tower outside of town. The old man, who seems to have a wealth of knowledge of what came before and yet so little of the now, insists on accompanying them as they travel to the academy. Meanwhile, all pirate Captain Marik wants is to keep to the skies, take his due, and care for his crew. Then a straightforward pillaging mission on a ship of fresh academy students leads to betrayal from one of his own and an unlikely friendship forged by necessity. Yet this new alliance stirs up ancient foes and a conflict too terrible to ignore. Despite Grayden's inexperience and Marik's skepticism, working together with Dalmir is their only option. The fate of the world depends on it. A clean steampunk fantasy adventure filled with steadfast friendship, brotherhood, twisty politics, and epic airship battles.

Reviews

Schmidt (King’s Warrior) launches the young adult Turrim Archive series with this jubilant steampunk adventure with genuine characters in a vividly realized world. Young orchard farmer Grayden Ormond is proud to have received a scholarship to attend the Academy that trains the nation’s future soldiers. On the evening of a town festival held in his and fellow student Wynn Drexel’s honor, the boys dare each other to climb a mysterious tower on the edge of town. Inside, Grayden discovers an old man, Dalmir, who guards a mysterious glowing glass orb. Dalmir claims the orb encapsulates a dangerous prisoner who may escape, because the normally blue orb is now cracked with blazing orange and red. He needs to journey with the young men to the Academy to consult its Library. Traveling by airship, the three are attacked by the pirate Captain Marik and his ragtag crew aboard the airship Valduen Hawk.

Schmidt excels at developing atmospheric situations, and fashioning a vast history and politics of this volatile world on the brink of war. Fresh off a heist stealing fuel cells for airships, Marik is devastated that one of his crew turns traitor, working for the Western nation’s evil warlord Ar’Molon Uun. Ar’Molon Uun’s dastardly plan involves kidnapping Wynn and fellow student Beren, the son of a Council member and the military leader, with an eye toward assassination and war. In a shocking move, Dalmir commandeers Marik’s airship with his powerful magic staff and demands Marik rescue the boys and deliver them all to the Academy.

Schmidt offers an action-packed caravan robbery and spectacular airship battles but still takes time developing the characters’ personalities and essential elements like the anxiety of leaving home for the first time, camaraderie between impromptu new friends, and the impact of revelations of hurtful secrets and memories from their past. Young readers will enjoy the simple text and leisurely pace because the journey is often as important as the destination.

Takeaway: Dazzling steampunk adventures with a practical wizard and an evil warlord.

Comparable Titles: Maria Dahvana Headley’s Magonia series, Kenneth Oppel.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

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