The Lightning Key - Softcover

Jon Berkeley

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1847384455 ISBN 13: 9781847384454

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK, 2010

Synopsis

Now that Miles Wednesday has discovered his link to a magical Tiger's Egg, he's suddenly at the wheel of a great voyage. Determined to recover the stolen stone and free the trapped soul within, Miles sets off with Little, a Song Angel, and the wisecracking blind explorer Baltinglass of Araby. Their destination points far across sea and desert to the home of Miles's aunt Nura, who may be their only hope in releasing the Egg's true power. But along the way, their travels are riddled with thrills and near catastrophes - from soaring across the sky in an airborne schooner to run-ins with the twisted circus ringmaster, the Great Cortado, and his bumbling sidekick, Doctor Tau-Tau. Most threatening of all is a dark Sleep Angel who's descended from the Realm to seize the Egg and forfeit Miles's life. Will Miles crack the secrets of the Egg and stand up to the Realm in the face of grave danger? And will he ever be able to bring back his father?

About this title

About the Author

Jon Berkeley was born in Dublin. He has worked as a freelance illustrator for over twenty years and has turned more recently to writing. Jon has lived and worked in Sydney, Hong Kong, London and Dublin and now lives in a small town in Catalonia with his wife, Orna, and their five children, along with five cats, one dog and a small colony of stick insects. He wrote much of THE PALACE OF LAUGHTER in his head while walking the dog. You can visit him online at www.holytrousers.com.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7–The final volume of the series hits the ground running as Miles Wednesday is robbed of the rare and powerful Tiger's Egg by the Great Cortado and his buffoonish sidekick. Accompanied by his friend Little and the blind explorer Baltinglass of Araby, Miles races the villains to the home of Nura, his mother's twin sister, who may know the secret of unlocking the Egg's power. The rousing pursuit sends the 12-year-old sailing on fantastic airships, trekking across desert sands, and even into the Realm of Angels, where he must defend himself against the Sleep Angels and the death sentence they have passed on him. The various plot threads and colorful characters from The Palace of Laughter (2006) and The Tiger's Egg (2007, both HarperCollins) are pulled together for a grand, albeit chaotic, finish. The final chapters are especially hectic, as Berkeley races to make sure all the loose ends are tied up. The journey there is a fine one, however, filled with the evocative description and engrossing narrative style that have typified the series, and the conclusion is on the whole satisfying.–Christi Esterle, Parker Library, CO
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About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1847384455
• ISBN 13: 9781847384454
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416