Reviewed by Lynn Crow for TeensReadToo.com

When eleven-year-old Art Mumby finds out that a visitor is arriving at his run-down home, Larklight, which floats in space beyond the moon, he hardly expects to be thrust into a frightening adventure of pirates, plates, and a millenium-long conflict upon which the fate of the solar system rests. He tells the story of this adventure in LARKLIGHT (occasionally giving his older sister, Myrtle, a chance to narrate via her diary), and the story is nothing if not fantastic.

Philip Reeve (author of the HUNGRY CITY CHRONICLES) has created another fascinating world in LARKLIGHT. Art lives in the Victorian society of the 1800's--or rather, what Victorian society would have looked like if they'd developed space travel, and astronomy worked according to early speculations about aether (an air-like substance in space that people can move and breathe in), and interplanetary beings (Venus, Mars, and the moons of Jupiter are all home to a variety of life forms). Reeve cuts no corners, painting the cities and citizens of the solar system in dazzling detail. The setting is a gorgeous mix of fantasy and science fiction, and fans of both genres will find much to enjoy.

If the world wasn't exciting enough on its own, the adventure is of the edge-of-your-seat variety. Art and Myrtle tumble from one tense situation to another with alarming frequency. Most chapters end on cliffhangers, so be prepared to have trouble finding a place to pause. Reeve throws in enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing right until the end, and both Art and Myrtle get the chance to play hero.

Art, as the main character, is not yet a teen himself, so teens may find his narration a little immature for their liking. If they're willing to give him a chance, though, they will discover that LARKLIGHT is a fast-paced, imaginative journey well worth taking. ( )

A truly fun read. This story has a little bit of everything. Readers of all ages will enjoy this book. Larklight is a wonderful adventure story with great characters and interesting twists and turns in their lives. I enjoyed that the story is told from Art's perspective with bits of diary entries from Myrtle. ( )

It's average overall, but i suppose unique in that it's steampunk for kids. ( )

Art Mumby and his sister Myrtle live with their father in Larklight, a house that travels on an orbit outside the moon. The house is quite large and in some ways falling apart. Things are peaceful (if you don't mind Myrtle's piano playing), until a ship full of spiders invades their house and set them on course to encounter space pirates and many other exciting adventures.

The setting is an alternate history of Victorian England (and far beyond), and Phillip Reeve uses the charm and stylings of that age to infuse the story with humor. I really enjoyed this one. This is just the kind of Steampunk that I like to look for. I like rousing, jaunty adventure a la Jules Verne, and this story fits the bill. This is a well plotted young adult novel with interesting characters and well wrought art work throughout. A good fun read. ( )

Unusual space tale involving England in the 1800's and their colonies in outer space. Instead of colonizing the world, they are colonizing other worlds. The reader suspends what they know about science and history to enter an alternate universe and a space adventure involving alien life forms bent on taking over the universe. ( )

Great illustrations. Loved the footnotes. Fun and entertaining. ( )

http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/200... ( )

In an alternate Victorian England, young Arthur and his sister Myrtle, residents of Larklight, a floating house in one of Her Majesty's outer space territories, uncover a spidery plot to destroy the solar system. ( )

Fan-bloody-tastic. This could not have been more up my street if Philip Reeve had sat beside me and asked what to write. A great page turner which I devoured. If you like cod-victoriana mixed with the creatures and ships of a Flash Gordon serial then this is for you. ( )

This book is an all out adventure/scifi book. I liked it for it's made up creatures. Theres fur, tails, tentacles, paws, squishy feet, big wings, and the sort. I didn't really get it a first because its written to sound like they live a long time ago but they also live in space sooooo, yeah. ( )

Larklight is a huge rambling house that floats in orbit beyond the moon. Art and Myrtle Mumby escape in a lifeboat when Larklight is invaded by a ship fulled with giant spiders lead by Mr Webster. They encounter space potter moths, space pirates and other terrifying events before their adventure ends. ( )

Continuing a recent trend in children’s literature, Philip Reeve’s Larklight boasts fantastical adventures with Victorian sensibilities, charming illustrations, and a compact format that will please the eye when shelved with the many sequels surely to follow. Indeed, between the gorgeous packaging and lots of malevolent spiders, it’s tempting to think of this book as Spiderwick in Space (even if The Spiderwick Chronicles are not actually about spiders).

Space and Victorian sensibilities? It sounds odd but works nicely, and helps distinguish Larklight from other recent series. Art Mumby and his exceedingly proper sister Myrtle live with their eccentric father in Larklight, a ramshackle Victorian house orbiting the earth in the mid-1800s. When the house is attacked by mysterious spiders, Art and Myrtle escape only to be marooned on the moon, captured by flesh-eating moths, rescued by boy-pirate Jack Havock, and chased yet again by the spiders, who want something they believe the children to possess. Art and Myrtle take turns relating their adventures, in Myrtle’s case via a journal she keeps while separated from her brother.

Larklight is clever and well-written, so it is perhaps harsh to point out that its fluff and nonsense is a wee bit forgettable. ( )

I was recommended this book by a friend. I wasn't as excited over it as she was, but the characters are quite loveable and the plot was unique. The narrator was funny and illistrations interesting. And the fact that they are pirates? Makes it even better. I am very excited for the rest of the books!

A "Boys Own Adventure" in Space! Arthur Mumby and his sister Myrtle live with their father in Larklight, a Victorian house that is also a spaceship. When terrifying alien space-spiders attack, Arthur and Myrtle escape, join space pirate Jack Havock and his crew, and must battle through death-defying adventures to save their father and The Universe Itself!

Art and his sister Myrtle live with their father in an odd old house on the far side of the moon. An expected visitor turns out to have unexpected intentions, and Art and Myrtle flee for their lives, crashlanding on the moon where they are picked up by Jack Havock and his band of pirates. Intergalactic adventure follows, involving robots, spiders, diverse aliens and the siblings' long-missing mother. Written in the rather ornate style of Victorian adventure books, Larklight is quite different from Reeve's Hungry City Chronicles. ( )

An enjoyable story in an attractive package. The 'Victorians in space' idea is nicely executed but, as with 'Mortal engines', I think Reeve doesn't quite achieve his potential. He crams a lot of events into the story, which may amuse younger readers but can leave you feeling a bit 'so what'. ( )