Thursday 3 July 2014

Cloud Riders by Nick Cook

22066464
"I stared at the coiled vapour revolving around the trunk of the twister, a crazy sculpture come to life. Chunks of earth and trees spiralled around the spout. The destruction echoed through my heart and a single thought filled my head... Beautiful."
Three Hares Publishing 2014
328 pages in paperback
Summary from Three Hares Publishing
Dom lives with his mom in Tornado Alley, where twisters used to be a way of life. After a year long drought, the family diner is about to go bust and Dom feels trapped, torn between supporting his mother and the urge to escape. Even his relationship with best friend, Jules, is beginning to prickle with feelings he doesn’t want. When the first twister in months appears from nowhere and an airship emerges from the spout, Dom’s world is turned upside down. Its pilots are explorers who make Dom an offer beyond his imagination. But the pilots are hiding a terrible secret. Can Dom uncover the truth and make the right decision before everything he cares for is destroyed?
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A first glance at Jennie Rawling’s bold and dramatic cover intrigues – with its swirling background and curious airship. You expect action and, with a title like that, you know extreme weather is in there somewhere.
But it opens with a much more familiar drama: bullies on the school bus.
This appealing mix of Dom’s personal life with exciting large-scale events carries on throughout Nick Cook’s debut novel. There are plenty of dangerous exploits alongside changing relationships with family, friends – and girls. Or rather better, striking and self-determined young women.
It’s ideal for readers who like their sky-borne adventure stories to gleam with a little steam-punk polish, and appreciate the odd waft of romance. There are strange gadgets, thrilling escapes, and more than a little ‘borrowing’ of classical mythology. Told from the perspective of our likeable hero, there are many difficult choices he must make that will challenge both his emotions and his skills. 
Be warned - if you fall for this eclectic story of personal growth set in a huge conflict amongst worlds – you’ll want to follow Dom’s adventures in ‘Breaking Storm’. (I should also mention there will be a third volume!)

1 comment:

  1. Sounds totally thrilling. Great to see Cloud Riders out there.

    ReplyDelete

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