Skybreaker

by Kenneth Oppel

Paper Book, 2007

Status

Available

Call number

Fic SF Oppel

Publication

New York : Eos, 2007.

Description

Matt Cruse, a student at the Airship Academy, and Kate de Vries, a young heiress, team up with a gypsy and a daring captain, to find a long-lost airship, rumored to carry a treasure beyond imagination.

Media reviews

The Times (London)

"Fasten your seatbelt for some terrific reading. Its pages go far too quickly, but that's always the trouble with stories you just can't wait to read."

— 6 more

Locus

"SKYBREAKER's climatic chapters are likely to win over even cranky types, for they're chock- of thrills and chills, pirates, monsters, gizmos, and death-defying feats, more fun than any theme-park ride or video game."

VOYA

"Thrilling. This sequel, more mystery than rousing adventure, will satisfy fans of the first book."

Kirkus Reviews

"Creative, compelling, nicely unpredicatable, and alive with nature and technology."

Quill & Quire (starred review)

"Prepare to clear your schedule: you won't be able to put down this ripping good yarn. Like its predecessor, SKYBREAKER is distinguished by stellar prose, engaging characters, and a minute attention to detail that makes even the most fantastic elements of the story totally believable; indeed,

you'll ache with disappointment that this world really doesn't exist."

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KLIATT (starred review)

The action rarely flags in this old-fashioned adventure tale. Readers, especially those who read AIRBORN, will enjoy the thrilling ride.

The Horn Book (starred review)

This sequel manages to delve into its characters even as it delivers yet another breakneck flight through the skies of its beguiling alternative world. More than enough material for heart-stopping action scenes that will please even the most jaded of readers.

User reviews

LibraryThing member xicanti

Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries attempt to salvage a famous ghost ship filled with scientific marvels and valuable treasures in the second volume of the AIRBORN series.

Kenneth Oppel shifts his focus this time around. AIRBORN was a swashbuckler with some great interpersonal stuff thrown in; SKYBREAKER

is an interpersonal tale with a healthy dose of adventure. The romance between Matt and Kate takes on a much larger role, and Oppel handles the tension between them very well. There are miscommunications and trip-ups galore. It's frustrating, but in a good way. I was always eager to read on, so desperate was I to see them overcome each new pitfall.

The science, too, continues to be an important element. SKYBREAKER introduces the reader to a new kind of airship, a whole host of clockwork inventions, and some more aerial zoology. It's interesting stuff, and it gives the book a much more steampunkish feel than AIRBORN possessed.

So it's good, entertaining stuff... but unfortunately, the fun factor doesn't quite survive the shift in focus. There's danger galore, (of both the emotional and physical sorts), but the action doesn't really pick up until the last couple of chapters. Now these were exciting! I found myself incapable of reading slowly; I sped on through to the end.

I still highly recommend the series as a whole, but be prepared for a less action-oriented read with the second one. It's still a solid read, but it's not quite so solid as the first.

(This review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina, in a slightly different form).

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23 more

LibraryThing member francescadefreitas

Hurrah, Matt and Kate go off adventuring again. Of course they find a new species, mysterious events abound, danger lurks, sky pirates chase, romantic misunderstandings complicate and all things good I expected from the first book. And the Full Cast Audio performance is a delight as usual. I can't

wait for the third book, but this is one that is so enhanced by the audio readings that I have to hold out for Full Cast Audio to work their magic again.
I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of fun!

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LibraryThing member verbafacio

This sequel to [Airborn] takes Matt and Kate on a salvage expedition looking for an almost mythical lost airship. Full of adventure, pirates, and even a little teenage romance, Skybreaker is a fast-paced and exciting read. While the end seems a little too quick and tidy, overall this is a fun and

rewarding book.

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LibraryThing member wiremonkey

Matt Cruse and Kate are back again in another rip roaring adventure that takes place thousands of feet above the earth. This time, they are on the hunt for a lost, mythical airship called the Hyperion and its cargo of gold and rare species collection. The relationship betwen Matt and Kate is

growing and Oppel does not spare them any of the awkwardness and confusion that accompanies young love. He weaves a coming of age tale into this fast paced adventure and provides intriguing, sympathetic and charmingly flawed characters. I would recommend these books to any kid aged 8 and counting who loves adventure stories.

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LibraryThing member MrsHillReads

It helped that I read this book right after I read Skybreaker..helped me keep track of things. Much as I don't usually like fantasy, I did enjoy this book very much.

LibraryThing member abbylibrarian

Another rip-roaring adventure story set high in the skies by the author of Airborn. This is a highly satisfying sequel, just as action packed as the first book. The characters, new and old, are well developed and believable. It could stand alone, but why you would deny yourself the joy of reading

Airborn, I'm sure I don't know.

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LibraryThing member DF1A_ChristieR

Forty years ago, the airship Hyperion vanished with untold riches in its hold. Now, accompanied by heiress Kate de Vries and a mysterious gypsy, Matt Cruse is determined to recover the ship and its treasures. But 20,000 feet above the Earth's surface, pursued by those who have hunted the Hyperion

since its disappearance, and surrounded by deadly high-altitude life forms, Matt and his companions soon find themselves fighting not only for the Hyperion—but for their very lives. It was just as good as the first book.

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LibraryThing member kayceel

This was interesting - I wouldn't read it, and would prefer a regular audiobook (I find full-cast audio incredibly annoying), but I did enjoy it.

Matt Cruse is back, now enrolled in the Airship Academy. When the ship he's interning on comes in contact with the legendary ship, the Hyperion, Matt

becomes a target for pirates intent on stripping the Hyperion of its alleged treasure. However, since matt is the only crew member alive who remembers the coordinates of the Hyperion, he decides to find the Hyperion himself, with Kate, a gypsy and a rogue airship pilot.

Skybreaker is fast-paced and exciting, with a little bit of romance thrown in. Recommended.

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LibraryThing member MrFClass

This is a very exciting sequal to Airborn. This book is about a boy who goes treasue hunting on an airship with some of his friends from the first book. Once again he runs into pirates who all so want the treasure. The ship with the treasure is extreamly high and dangerous. It is very exciting at

all parts

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LibraryThing member caro488

Oppel, Kenneth, Skybreaker, Sequel to Airborn - Matt Cruse n Kate de Vries search for the lost airship in a world where the skies are populated with strange beasts.

LibraryThing member Awesomeness1

OH man. I devoured this book is a few hours depsite its rather large size. I was so absorbed and the pages (get ready for a pun) flew by.

This book continues Matt Cruses saga. When it starts, he is serving as an intern on the airship Flotsam. The Flotsam gets blown off course and as it rises to

heights untraveled, it discovers a 40-yr-old mystery: the location of the Hyperion, a ghost ship legended to have riches upon riches on board. Because of some complications, the Flotsam must end it's journey, but that doens't mean the journey ends for Matt Cruse. With the Hyperion's coordinates and thoughts of riches in mind, Matt Cruse along with the heiress Kate de Vries and a mysterious gypsy named Nadira, set out on a perilous journey.

I think this book maybe even better than Airborn. It was filled with the same swashbuckling action and ripping good adventure, and the romance between a certain cabin boy and young heiress grew even tenser. Now there was even a love-quadrangle of sorts with some other new characters thrown it. I think the character development was considerably better this time around, and we finally got some emotion from Mr. Cruse.

There is just something about these books I adore. They are fun and thrilling, and there is nothing about them that makes me groan in dismay. I think that why these books get five-stars. I'm sure they could be better, but there is nothing about them that I dislike. And the visuals are awesome. I've said it once and I'll say it again: these books would be GREAT movies.

If you any reluctant male readers, recommened these books to them. They appeal to a wide audience. Easy enough for middle school readers, but older readers will love them too. Both boys and girls.

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LibraryThing member yarmando

Not quite as good as Airborn, but an entertaining sequel, with as much imagination and wonder as the earlier book.

Matt and Kate, together with a self-made adventurer and a gypsy girl, go off to salvage the legendary lost ship of half-mad, wealthy inventor and naturalist. More pirates and strange,

dangerous, undiscovered creatures of the sky.

Matt's girl problems and class consciousness bog the book down a bit, but they are nevertheless important themes and do lend this rollicking adventure story some intellectual heft.

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LibraryThing member librarybearz

The sequel to Airborn is even more exciting than the first book. The action is nonstop, there's a hint of romance and a lot of cliff-hanger moments. Loved it.

LibraryThing member SavvyEscapades

I know the myth is that generally series lag with the second installment (unless they really, REALLY rock, like Terminator 2), but that is not the case here. The premise is very straightforward: find the treasure. The obstacles are fairly obvious if you’ve read the first ten pages of this book

and the last Matt Cruse installment. I know these sound like bad things, but they’re not. Oppel takes a classic story, but because he is a master at weaving in details, the twists continue to be unexpected, but not surprising. I know, I know— Savs, you’re making no sense. Well, cut me a little slack— the first week back at law school is killing me.
When I was a little theater student at USC, I had the wonderful opportunity to study for a semester under Gates McFadden (also known to Trekkies as Dr. Beverly Crusher). And she repeatedly told us that our choices as actors should be unexpected, but not surprising. This means no going back against cannon. No “it was all just a dream” (unless you do it very, very well, which few people do). No. If a gun is on the table in act one, the audience had better at least think it’s going to go off in act three. Oppel has that down to an art. Just as in Airborn, by the end of the story all of the disparate details and elements come together for one roller-coaster climax. I approve.
Side note about Kate: I was ok with Kate in the first book. And then Nadira, the “mysterious gypsy” showed up in this book. I like her a lot better. She’s nicer to Matt, she’s brave, she isn’t as whiny and childish… but of course Matt is in love with the pretty, rich, mean girl. I hope Oppel has fleshed out the love triangle between the three of these characters in the third book. But that’s mostly just because I want to know more about Nadira— we were promised that she was mysterious and that she was hiding something, but I don’t think the “what” was ever actually stated. Or even alluded to. Sigh.
Rating: 4 ½ stars, rounded up to 5 because of my strong feelings towards the series as a whole

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LibraryThing member Pie02468

A very good book. Must like fanstay

LibraryThing member austin123ring123

this book is a great book and has great clifhanger moments. I enjoyed this book and i think others will to.this book has many parts that give you chills and some that can make tears.

LibraryThing member willi.nicholson

As Matt Cruse trains for the Air Academy aboard the "Floatsom", he catches sight of the "Hyperion", the first sighting of the abandoned ship in forty years! No stranger to adventure, Matt, his friend Kate de Vries, the pilot, Hal, sail off to find the "Hyperion", which is rumoured to be full of

treasure. Before Matt takes off, though, he is attacked by pirates seeking the same treasure. Once Matt sets off to find the "Hyperion"" , he finds that the pirates have been following via a tracking device. As more unfolds and the plot thickens, things become apparent that you wouldn't have geussed before.

This was an exellent book, not just because of its great plot, but also the satisfaction it gives you when you finish. It's as if Kenneth Oppel was Matt Cruse, and he was only the middle man, conveying the information between Matt and the book.

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LibraryThing member MelissaKlatt

Summary: The story of a boy named Matt Cruse who happens to find the location of a private airship called the Hyperion, created by an extremely famous and wealthy inventor some fifty years ago. Matt and his friend Kate go on an adventure with the coordinates of the Hyperion in hand to find it in

person. They undergo many obstacles including aliens that they find in space and high altitude conditions that make finally reaching the Hyperion the most dangerous trip of their lives.

Personal reflection: I did not like this book as much because I do not enjoy science fantasy, but I thought it was interesting for the most part. I think this book would be good for the classroom because it shows values of fearlessness and determination. I also like the idea that they are looking for the Hyperion and it leads the reader to pain a picture of their own hyperion.

Class use: Text set for science fiction, Read aloud and have students discuss why the book is titled "Skybreaker" and did Matt know for sure there would be the hyperion with the evidence he had? Character discussion

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LibraryThing member knotbox

I remember it was a laugh and some fun. The intrigue was good, and the ending very, very satisfying. The action and adventure were good enough too. I really liked the main character, he was fun to hang around with.

LibraryThing member MikeDI

well written but not as good as the first book of the series.

LibraryThing member TKMartinez

Adventure novels in the tradition of Treasure Island and Jules Verne, but with a modern sense of storytelling. These take place in a world where airplanes were never invented, and dirigible airships rule the skies. Grades 6th-8th. Again, my son Haley ate these up. Rick Riordan

LibraryThing member champak259

A very intreguing book. Caught my eye from the start with the cover. After I read the blurb, I was already diving into the book. A fast paced book which is my type. In my opinion, it is defintly worth reading

LibraryThing member rexton

If you like alternate worlds where airships were a success, and if you like good characters and adventures, this book is for you.

LibraryThing member Treebeard_404

This was even better than its predecessor. The characters remain engaging, but the plot relied on far fewer coincidences. [Audiobook note: This is a multi-reader cast recording, instead of the usual single reader. The cast do a great job.]

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