The Amazing Flight of Aaron William Hawk vol 2. Wings of Emifra by J. Bruno; Steampunk Fantasy Science Fiction About An Aviation School Takes Flight

 

The Amazing Flight of Aaron William Hawk vol 2. Wings of Emifra by J. Bruno; Steampunk Fantasy Science Fiction About An Aviation School Takes Flight 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Review

This review is also on Reedsy Discovery. 

Spoilers: J. Bruno's, The Amazing Flight of Aaron William Hawk vol. 2 Wings of Emifra is another in the trend of a Magical Boarding School but unlike Miss Mabel’s School For Girls by Katie Cross, The Fearghus Academy by I.O. Scheffer, The Peacebringer Series by Raymond W Wilkinson, or their most famous cousin Harry Potter, which teach different magical skills and talents, this one is more specialized. It is laser focused on one particular special skill, the gift of flight.

In the previous novel (unread by me), Aaron grieves the death of his father in a flying crash and is treated as an outcast in his seaside village. He discovers a pair of metal wings and a map to an island called Solistasia. His mentor tells them that there is a place where he can learn how to fly. Not with an airplane, he can build a pair of wings and fly with them.. Aaron takes the wings and map and heads straight for Solistasia.

In this volume, Aaron wakes up on the island and is welcomed to the School of the Skies. Aaron takes many classes taught by some really cool teachers, has some great friends, receives a bully/rival, and tries to fit in this strange place. The students study, train, and practice hoping for the day when they can show their academic excellence by flying a dangerous route to Mt. Emifra, which is a great distance from the school. The mountain is surrounded by unpredictable wind currents, enormous land masses that obstruct flight paths, and unidentified species that live on the mountain.

There are many standards that The Amazing Flight of Aaron William Hawk follows. It carries the usual tropes found in many school stories: the newcomer protagonist, the close friends, the potential love interest, the snobbish arrogant bully, the academic lessons that fit the theme, and the life lessons. The tropes exist and some of them don't do anything new here, but others provide some interesting twists and deviations from the normal procedures in these books.

One of the more interesting aspects to the book is the school’s central focus on flying. They revere Icarus from Greek Mythology who in this version survived his plunge to the earth and taught a younger generation the secrets of flight with wings. The School of the Skies teaches classes on how to construct wings. They learn how to use the wings properly, how to let gravity be their accomplice, how to avoid obstacles, and how to manage their speed and distance from the ground. It’s a fascinating curriculum unless you have aviophobia or acrophobia. But if you ever had dreams of flying with wings and without the assistance of aircraft it brings those fantasies to life. 

The teachers know their craft and how to share it with their students. Tarras, a young teacher whom Aaron meets on his first day in Solistasia, acts like a cool big brother mentor figure to the new recruits. Professor Thunderstruck is a thrill seeking aviation instructor who teaches students the basics of flying including the excitement and potential dangers that come with it. Professor Guildenstein not only teaches the students how to make their wings but how to incorporate their own personalities into them like increasing their speed, giving it a more airy design, or increasing elevation properties. Then there’s mysterious Professor Mangus, an export on wind charting whose Glamour AKA Shape Shifting ability seems out of place in an aviation school but proves to become a key talent later on. 

Aaron makes some friends including Eno who shows him the ropes and gives him and the reader much needed exposition before fading into the background,Trevin, his goofy roommate, and Alya, who like Aaron is an outsider invited to Solistasia and acts as the moral center but still can be one of the gang. She is the potential love interest and some of the book falls into a 

“Will-they-won’t-they” subplot. They are good loyal friends but there isn’t much that separates them from other similar characters in other similar stories. 

What is unique to this book is how the arrogant bully character is written. Drake Corvus at first appears as the typical rival challenging Aaron every chance that he gets. He mocks his background, his deceased father, and his mistakes. He appears jealous of his achievements and potential for success. He is a walking stereotype, almost too much like a stereotype. 

There are moments where Drake shows vulnerability like crying when he is alone, quietly analyzing Aaron’s movements, and showing concern for his plight, usually covering it up with a sarcastic remark. In one moment, he actually saves Aaron’s life when he is in a tight spot. It shows more depth to his character, leads to an interesting reveal about his origins, and answers questions about his arrival at the School.

There is a long section where Aaron is left on his own and explores many darker issues from his past, most of which were probably elaborated upon in the previous book so don’t make any sense if you haven’t read it. It also puts the book into another territory which started out as a school story but became a fight for survival in a fantasy landscape. 

This section has some interesting aspects to it particularly the arrival of Emberly, a witty saucy fairy who occasionally saves Aaron’s life while bantering with him making his attractions clear. There are also some interesting cliffhanger suspense like when Aaron faces an opponent who knows more about him than she should. But it all seems to belong to another type of book than the one that we were given so far. It flirts with Fantasy while the academic aspects flirt with Steampunk Science Fiction. 

Despite the complexities of the survival subplot, The Amazing Flight of Aaron William Hawk is an excellent YA novel that really takes flight. 

The Adventures of Ruby Pi and The Aviation Girls: A Brief History of Flight, Nine Challenging YA Stories by Tom Durwood; Rupa and Her Fellow Geniuses Take to The Friendly Skies in Third Installment

 

The Adventures of Ruby Pi and The Aviation Girls: A Brief History of Flight, Nine Challenging YA Stories by Tom Durwood; Rupa and Her Fellow Geniuses Take to The Friendly Skies in Third Installment

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: If you are interested, please reviews of the previous volumes, The Adventures of Ruby Pi and The Geometry Girls and The Adventures of Ruby Pi and The Math Girls.

Rupashana Lal Pyradhakrishnan AKA Ruby Pi is back and she brought more geniuses with her. In this third installment in Tom Durwood’s The Adventures of Ruby Pi series, the girl geniuses who conquered the Geometry and Mathematical world now take to the skies. In The Adventures of Ruby Pi and The Aviation Girls, Readers are given nine stories in which characters explore flight in its many forms: through birds, kites, balloons, airplanes, rockets, and spaceships.

Durwood appeals to his strengths by giving good characterization, plot, and setting to help his young Readers understand the mathematical, scientific, and historical themes and concepts introduced in each story. He fits the role of an educator who makes learning fun. 

The best stories in this volume are: 

“The First Manned Flight”- In 1820, Germany, Anke had to use her recent invention of a battle kite to rescue her older sister, Romy, when she was kidnapped by a lecherous nobleman.

In his attempts to drill an educational lesson into his young Reader’s heads, Durwood never loses sight of telling a good story and here he gives an interesting protagonist. Anke is a multifaceted character. She is argumentative with her siblings during their daily routine but fiercely protective of them when it matters the most. She is lazy and slovenly but also industrious during her scientific pursuits. She is arrogant, dedicated, obsessive, curious, intuitive and brilliant, all of the things that make a good scientist and inventor and fortunately for Romy, a good rescuer.  

We get a glimpse of the scientific process as Anke uses trial and error to build her flying machine, calculate its trajectory, and use it to attack the fortress and rescue her sister. 

“Gia Finds a Love”-In WWII, Gia Tomasso a young Italian-American mathematician is called into service to partake in a secret mission to study the trajectory of Japanese fighter planes before they attack Aleutian villages in the Arctic. 

Gia is a sharp, memorable protagonist with immense brain power which she uses in her personal and professional life. She takes charge of the family finances to save them from bankruptcy and her only request before she takes part in this assignment is that her family’s debts are cleared so they now own their apartment building and business. 

The way that Gia takes part in the war effort is very strategic and analytical. She studies the photographs of Edweard Muybridge and is inspired to have step by step photographs taken of the Japanese aircraft. She and Tayra, an Aleutian hunter, fly to various locations to leave tree-mounted motion detector cameras. Then she studies the photographs to find the plane’s weaknesses. It’s a smart plan that ultimately pays off when her information is right on the money.

Besides Gia, the story is rich with other characters. There’s Tayra, who not only guides Gia but uses his hunting skills to save her life and becomes a love interest. Her handler, Sheila and colleague, Tessa show courage and sacrifice in times of great conflict. Above all there’s Daichi Yamada, a Japanese pilot who is on the offensive. He is someone who doesn’t have any extreme devotion to the Emperor (in fact he disagrees with him most of the time) and bears no animosity to the other countries, but he knows that he must serve his country. Daichi is also devoted to his girlfriend and keeps her picture in his cockpit for luck. It’s refreshing to take time in a WWII story to develop both sides of the conflict and see human beings instead of propagandistic stereotypes.

“A Corpse in the Moon Colony Saraswati”- One of the more intriguing aspects of this book is that Durwood is moving out of his comfort zone and exploring other subgenres in his work. The first story, “Flight of Birds” is a mythological tale with no humans that is told from the point of view of birds. The story, “A Corpse in Moon Colony Saraswati” leaves the Historical Fiction past and journeys into the future. It is a Science Fiction short story set in the year 2076 on a lunar colony.

Teen botanists, Mahi Jaat and Saanvi Yadav and their journalist friend, Dhruv  Masal discover a dead body while on routine assignment studying the produce, grain, and orchards in the Botanical Gardens. They receive permission to investigate the body, which is identified as a Russian security officer. The investigation leads them to discover some secrets and conspiracies involving those around them.

There are some memorable descriptions of the Moon colony itself and the details that such a place would have including the topography, industry, technology, population, sociopolitics, education and other facets. Durwood put as much thought into a fictional location as he did to his real ones. He also explores Mahi and Saanvi’s interests in magnetic flight, showing that even in outer space, there are always new theories to test, new inventions to try, and  new discoveries to make. 

Mostly, this is a top notch murder mystery where Mahi and Saanvi use their scientific minds and Dhruv’s communication skills to find the various clues and answers to their investigation. They are intelligent and clear headed enough to find a solution and dedicated to the pursuit of justice to reveal the truth.  

“Ruby and the London, Paris Air Race”- Of course, where would this series be without its eponymous protagonist, engineer, botanist, inventor, mathematician, scientist, genius, amateur detective, know-it-all, Rupa Lal Pyradhakrishnan? This time she is recruited by Lloyd’s of London to do risk assessment at the famed London, Paris Air Race. 

Her detailed notes on aircraft such as the Voisin, the Zeppelin, and the Wright Military are fascinating. She observes each airplane and provides a lot of fascinating information about the aircraft that was available in the 1900’s. Also to think that this was a few short years after the Wright Brothers took their first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina shows how quickly the idea of airplanes took and how engineers and pilots adapted and changed their original concept to fit their needs. 

Rupa also receives another assignment at the Race, one of espionage and suspense. While the race shows a positive side of progress this investigation gives us a darker more negative side. It reminds us that this time was also one of feuding countries whose simmering hatred for one another would soon explode into two World Wars. It also reminds us that those fascinating beautiful airplanes that were once technological marvels would later be used as weapons that would increase with every subsequent war. 

“The Price of Flight”- Rupa isn’t the only character to return in this volume. Another returnee is Isoke, the 18th century Beninese architect from the story, “Isoke and the Architect.” The previous story showed her ascendancy as she was recruited by Queen Nala to create and oversee the construction of water pumps. It ended with triumph for Isoke and a fine patronage from and friendship with the Queen. 

Now, Isoke’s status is diminished. She has been cast out from her village and forced to live in exile. She cares for an injured falcon and faces her own personal insecurities and inner strength. 

Isoke’s relationship with the falcon is beautiful as she tenderly nurses it and teaches it to fly. She also gains the courage and insight that she needs to return one day  to the village and fight for her position. 

Each story comes with notes and commentary from Durwood and other academics that lend their knowledge and expertise to the subjects. We learn more about the concepts that are written and where they fit in with a technology that will always be able to take off. 

The Shard of Lafayette: A Tale of Magic in The Great War (The Drops of Glass Book 1) by Kenneth A Baldwin; Magic Combines With Historical Warfare

 Drops of Glass: A Tale of Magic in The Great War (The Shards of Lafayette Book 1)  by Kenneth A Baldwin; Magic Combines With Historical Warfare 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

This book can be obtained through Voracious Readers Only.

Spoilers: Kenneth A. Baldwin’s  novel, Shards of Lafayette: Drops of Glass mixes 20th Century History with Fantasy by creating an Alternate Universe in which the deciding factors in World War I are not stronger weapons, aerial battles, mustard gas, the breakdown of relations between countries, or even a global pandemic. Instead it is magic, yes magical forces that attack indiscriminately with no allegiance to any flag or country and gain an upper hand towards their human mortal adversaries. 

Marcus Dewar is an American pilot with a less than stellar kill count, In fact he hasn’t killed anyone in the air or anywhere else. Instead, he sheepishly returns to get his plane fixed by his mechanic/girlfriend, Jane Turner and face derision and bullying from his fellow pilots. His most recent air battle was odd to say the least. His gun jammed as he tried to fight a mysterious blue aircraft. He and Jane are called into a secret meeting with various pilots, captains, and mechanics from Britain, France, the U.S., and Germany. This attack that Marcus witnessed was not the first of its kind. Many pilots had the same story: They faced unmarked blue planes that came from nowhere and after shooting the pilot seemed to disappear into nowhere. The pilots’ guns jammed, the plane crashed, and the pilots died. As said before, these mysterious planes attack anyone in the air and appear not to belong to any specific government. They also attack pilots of different levels of experience. In fact, one of the pilots that was shot down by these mysterious pilots was Manfred Von Richtoven, AKA The Red Baron. Even more sinister, certain objects left behind by the pilots are infused by a powerful magical psychic energy that defies all explanation. This secret mission relies on Marcus, who was an eyewitness to the events, and Jane, who comes from a magical family, to investigate into dangerous circumstances to find what this aircraft is and where it comes from. 

Shard of Lafayette is a brilliant piece that captures the history of WWI and the fantastic elements of a magical power that is untapped and misunderstood by those who bear witness to it. The book is full of wartime imagery and soldier mentality. These once beautiful countrysides and the skies above are filled with trenches, landmines, smoke, gas, and the numerous corpses. It takes a long time for these countries to recover and, as we know from history, some never do, leading to future problems that will be reignited about 20 years down the line. 

Marcus and Jane go on a dangerous mission into Belgium to locate the Blue Planes and to learn more information. They are unable to tell whether the people that they talk to are friend or enemy until proper code phrases and signals are recognized. One thing is clear: the villagers are on their guard, frightened, tense, and under a great deal of stress because of the war that is literally at their front door and they have had to adapt to survive. 

Even Marcus and Jane are transformed by their proximity to the war, Marcus is under the impression that because he hasn’t killed anyone, that he is a failure. Jane however knows the truth: Marcus hasn’t killed anyone because he doesn’t want to. He talks a good game about the glory of war and patriotism, but when it comes down to it he is too moral and ethical to be up there. However what Jane sees as honor, Marcus sees as a coward. Even though she is against killing,and mostly signed up because of the opportunity that she as a woman would get and to keep Marcus safe, Jane also understands Marcus’ desire to be a hero. In his mind, a hero has to shed blood.

Marcus and Jane’s mindsets are substantially altered throughout the course of the book when Marcus is in the pilot seat and Jane has to act as a gunner. For the first time, she understands the soldier mentality of kill or be killed. When Marcus sees what his strong willed once peaceful girlfriend was forced to become, he looks at that propaganda and heroification in a less positive light. The war doesn’t make soldiers heroes. It just makes them killers. 

The human element of Shard of Lafayette is powerful, but just as powerful is the presence of magic, particularly the Blue Planes and their enigmatic Pilots.

They come on like a force of nature that can’t be controlled or contained. In a world that is made up of dividing loyalties and borders, the fact that these beings kill anyone is alien to those who experience it. Their flight strategies are all over the place and purposely mirror the human pilots  almost mocking them with their own tactics. If they can’t be defined or identified, then they can’t be understood or stopped. 

What is particularly sinister is that throughout the course of this book, the Blue Pilots are a mystery. No one, even the Reader, fully learns who or what they are. Theories are presented but just as quickly dismissed. A Blue Pilot is apprehended but purposely leaves little solid information about its identity or even its species. They come in, attack, and leave without any corroborating clues. The few clues they do leave like a pair of goggles and a scarf with magical energy leave more riddles than answers. 

In fact, the means of attack and the warfare setting suggests that something even more sinister is afoot, something that the Reader is all too familiar with even if the characters are not. The Blue Planes and their Pilots are treated almost like highly intelligent evolved species that cause great damage to various armies, and aren’t above harming civilians or whole villages to pursue their goals: whatever those goals are. It sounds almost like weapons from more recent wars than WWI doesn’t it? Like nuclear bombs, drone airstrikes, massive military vehicles, or smart bombs, maybe even AI that is programmed specifically to fight? 

The Blue Planes could be a metaphor for weapons, warfare, and energy that humans don’t understand yet want to possess. They produce a power that can control, dominate, and destroy. It wouldn’t surprise me if in later volumes that the enemy armies get over their fear of these Blue Planes and try to recruit and control them to strike against their enemies. The Blue Planes and Pilots could be a metaphor for war itself by killing indiscriminately and

does not care who is on whose side. Everyone eventually ends up dead. 

Shard of Lafayette is an Action/Adventure that delivers excitement and suspense, a Fantasy that brings interesting possibilities, but also presents a meditation on the real meaning of war,  violence, power, and death and what can be gained and especially lost by them.

Deliveries by Paul Smyth; Over Long But Adventurous Flight Plan

Deliveries by Paul Smyth; Over Long But Adventurous Flight Plan

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: Paul Smyth’s Deliveries  is a suspense thriller that can get long and tedious but once it gets going, can be pretty suspenseful and thrilling.

Cargo pilot Paul Jackson accepts an assignment to deliver some cargo to his friend, resort owner, Jack Ward. With his co-pilot, Dave McMurray, Paul takes his Cessna 185F to the air in what should be a typical delivery flight. Unfortunately, inclement weather and a dwindling fuel line make the flight anything but typical. Worse, Paul displays some symptoms of poor health while he is in the air. Some news from Paul’s wife, Diane, makes the situation clearer: Paul should not be flying. He is ill and is currently on what is supposed to be his last flight. However, if they don’t land the plane soon, it really will be their last flight. 

The plot summary makes the book sound more exciting than it really is. For a novel about flying, the book ironically takes a while to get off the ground. Each plot point takes forever to develop before it actually does.

Paul exhibits a few warning symptoms in the air. Then ten chapters later, Diane gets a phone call about a changed appointment. She panics over it for several more pages before she learns what his condition is and what the ramifications are for him while flying. Then she tells his colleagues many, many pages later. It doesn’t build suspense or emotional conflict so much as the characters just repeat the same conversation about Paul’s condition and that he shouldn’t be in the air, etc. After a while the feeling is like, “We got it the first time. Can we move on now?”

Once it finally does, there are genuine moments of suspense. Paul and Dave are hanging on for dear life in the air and the turbulent weather adds to the overall effect of feeling trapped in a large cylinder in high altitude. It takes a long time for a crash or a landing to occur to the point where the suspense can either be gripping or repetitive. Oddly enough in this case it does both. It's repeated often but the Reader is at the edge of their seat while simultaneously rolling their eyes.

The stress by the people on the ground is also keenly felt. In an almost cathartic moment, Diane lets Paul's colleagues have it because of her worry and frustration. Her characterization is not particularly compelling and at times, she comes across as shrill and whiny. However, in this incident, she isn't wrong in her accusations and her outburst is completely justifiable.

Deliveries is like one of those long layover flights. It takes awhile to get you where you need to go, but once it actually gets moving you may like parts of the journey.