Status
Available
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Publication
David Fickling Books (2004), Hardcover, 368 pages
Description
Twig, a young sky pirate captain, is the only one who can save the floating city of Sanctaphrax from the Mother Storm.
User reviews
LibraryThing member numbert
My Personal favorite of the series (excluding Clash of the Sky Gallions which I am half way through). In this book Twig comes out of the horrers of the Twiglight woods a very new person haveing seen his own father and his fellow crewmates torn to shreds by Sneed Toetaker and various other things.
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However one member did servive, The misterious hooded Stone Pilot,. Tother Twig and the Stone Pilot form a new crew and sail the skys in search of the Caterbird. Show Less
LibraryThing member snapplechick
Such a good book! I'm totally captured by the amazing story of Twig and the Edge! I can't wait to read the rest of them!!
LibraryThing member Phr33k
In the beginning of the story, Twig, a young sky pirate captain, sails in his ship directly into a massive storm to save his father. The ship is wrecked by the storm, and Twig finds himself in the eye of the storm, a place of relative calm. He meets his father, Cloud Wolf, there, who warns him that
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the Mother Storm is imminent. Every seven thousand years it moves through the Deepwoods, and rejuvenates the waters of Riverise, the river from which all life comes. However, this time there is an obstacle, the floating city of Sanctaphrax, home to thousands of scholars who study the weather. Cloud Wolf warns his son that if the Mother Storm hit Sanctaphrax, it would waste all its energy destroying the city, and all life on the Edge would perish. Twig is told to cut the Anchor Chain which ensures the city doesn't fly away. The eye of the storm implodes, and Twig and his crew are thrown out into Open Sky. Twig lands in the Stone Gardens, amongst the White Ravens, who inform the Most High Academe of Sanctaphrax that a "Shooting Star" has landed. The Professor hurries too the Stone Gardens, only to find that the "Shooting Star" is, in fact, his friend Twig. Twig has no memory at all, and is nursed by the Most High Academe, who gives him the post of Sub-professor of Light. In the meantime a Junior sub-acolyte of Sanctaphrax, named Cowlquape, loses his father when a piece of Twig's ship crashes down on the Undertown Leaguesmens's Chamber Meeting. Cowlquape sees his future clearly: the Leagues would take all his fathers money, he would be kicked out of Sanctaphrax, etc., etc. One day, however, he sees Twig about to commit suicide and saves his life. Twig seems to snap out of a trance, and appoints Cowlquape as his apprentice. Cowlquape runs into the school menace, Vox, one day, and is spared a beating by the appearance of Twig. Twig informs Cowlquape that he is leaving Sanctaphrax to search for his crew, in the hope that one of them will know what he cannot remember. Cowlquape decides to join him. They travel too Undertown to search for his missing crew. He finds three members there: Tarp Hammelhorn, Bogwitt, and Wingnut Sleet (half of whose face was melted during his decent to the Edge). Thanks to his connection with the Most High Academe he is able to send them to the safety of Sanctaphrax. Twig hears a voice in his head, that guides him towards a sky ship setting out towards the Great Shryke Market (most famous as a slave market). The captain of the ship takes good care of his two passengers and ensures that they get the best of everything. Cowlquape, however, is suspicious of his cargo, and informs Twig that he suspects the ship carries slaves. Initially Twig doesn't agree, but one day Twig decides to take a look inside the hold. Instead of finding Hammelhorns, Twig instead finds that Cowlquape was right. That night, Twig and Cowlquape are given a sleeping draught. Twig and Cowlquape pretend to drink it, and commandeer the ship when they are meant to be asleep. They free the slaves and hand over the ship to the crew. While freeing the slaves he finds another member of his crew, the Oakelf, Spooler. Spooler, like all other Oakelfs, has the gift of sensing emotions and also has learned a lot about the Market from the other slaves. In the end Twig reluctantly decides to keep Spooler around, instead of sending him back to Sanctaphrax. Twig, Spooler and Cowlquape enter an auction for a Waterwaif, who they suspect could be Woodfish, a member of Twig's crew. However, when Twig wins the bidding, it turns out that the Waterwaif is not, in fact, the one he seeks. The Undertowner who tried to outbid Twig attacks him, but the freed Waterwaif takes the man’s dagger instead. The Undertowner is arrested by Shrykes and made a slave. The dying Waterwaif (who, like the rest of his species, can read minds) tells Show Less
LibraryThing member sylvatica
(For the whole series): I blasted through all of these the first time I read them. Stewart and Riddell created an amazing world, where rocks float and there are a bunch of different humanoid beings running around, each with their own outlook on life and way of living. You can read them in published
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order or reorganize them into internal chronological order, as some of the characters turn out to be the grandparents of other characters. Either way, a good rollicking read with characters you might actually care about. The pen-and-ink illustrations top it off – interesting, complex, and perfect for the story. Show Less
Subjects
Language
Physical description
368 p.; 8.02 inches
ISBN
0385750722 / 9780385750721
Local notes
Far over the Edge, the Mother Storm is brewing—a storm more terrifying than any seen in the lifetime of any Edgelander. Sweeping in from the open sky, it must strike the source of the Edgewater
River to bring new energy to the land. But in its way is Sanctaphrax, a magnificent city built on a floating rock and tethered to the land by a massive chain. Only one person can save the Edgelands from certain disaster: Twig, the young sky pirate captain who dared to sail over the Edge—and returned with his memory shattered and his crew flung far and wide. But to recover his memory and take action, Twig must first find his lost crew. And this means a journey back into the Deepwoods, and beyond.
River to bring new energy to the land. But in its way is Sanctaphrax, a magnificent city built on a floating rock and tethered to the land by a massive chain. Only one person can save the Edgelands from certain disaster: Twig, the young sky pirate captain who dared to sail over the Edge—and returned with his memory shattered and his crew flung far and wide. But to recover his memory and take action, Twig must first find his lost crew. And this means a journey back into the Deepwoods, and beyond.