Emilie and the Hollow World
by:
Martha Wells (author)
While running away from home for reasons that are eminently defensible, Emilie’s plans to stow away on the steamship Merry Bell and reach her cousin in the big city go awry, landing her on the wrong ship and at the beginning of a fantastic adventure.Taken under the protection of Lady Marlende,...
show more
While running away from home for reasons that are eminently defensible, Emilie’s plans to stow away on the steamship Merry Bell and reach her cousin in the big city go awry, landing her on the wrong ship and at the beginning of a fantastic adventure.Taken under the protection of Lady Marlende, Emilie learns that the crew hopes to use the aether currents and an experimental engine, and with the assistance of Lord Engal, journey to the interior of the planet in search of Marlende’s missing father.With the ship damaged on arrival, they attempt to traverse the strange lands on their quest. But when evidence points to sabotage and they encounter the treacherous Lord Ivers, along with the strange race of the sea-lands, Emilie has to make some challenging decisions and take daring action if they are ever to reach the surface world again.
show less
Format: paperback
ISBN:
9781908844491 (1908844493)
Publish date: April 2nd 2013
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Pages no: 287
Edition language: English
Series: Emilie (#1)
3.5 starsIt felt like it was written at a Middle Grade level, rather than for a YA audience. Twelve year old me would've loved it, present day me enjoyed it well enough but thought there were some issues
Martha Wells writes good engaging fantasy. It's not great literature but it is the sort of story that you can't stop reading. Emilie is clever and quick-witted without being unbelievable in this pseudo-Victorian world. Wells's has the kind of imagination I envy and she comes up with these crazy, am...
Opening: “Creeping along the docks in the dark, looking for the steamship Merry Bell, Emilie was starting to wonder if it might be better to just walk to Silk Harbor. So far, her great escape from Uncle Yeric’s tyranny hadn’t been great, or much of an escape. It’s going to be embarrassing if I don’t...
My tepid reaction to this book something to do with the slow opening exposition (despite starting with Emilie running away, once on board there's quite a bit of "tell not show" that bogs down) and a lot to do with the reading level. Though the heroine is sixteen, this book is safely written at a ju...
My full review is over here. This book started out very promising, only to do lots of little things wrong along the way and disappoint with a predictable, lukewarm ending.