Sky Raiders

Sky Raiders
(Five Kingdoms #1)
Brandon Mull

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 9781442497009
Publisher: Aladdin
Date of publication: March 11, 2014
Age: Grades 4 - 8
Genre: Fantasy

Themes: courage, friendship, adventure, magic, dreams, parallel universe

Cole Randolph did not expect the haunted house to be this terrifying: his friends have just been kidnapped. After sending for help he decides to follow them, only to find himself falling through a portal to another world. The Outskirts is a land of five kingdoms, somewhere between dreams and reality. Instantly captured to be a slave, Cole must find a way to save his old friends, help his new ones, and escape back home before he is forgotten. But once in the Outskirts, it is very hard to get out.

This novel is instantly intriguing because of the amount of pure imagination poured into this book. The kingdom Cole is in, Sambria, is ruled by Shapers, with some who can literally create anything they imagine—like giant pond of milk with floating cookies. Honestly, the adventure in this book is fascinating because of it. That being said, it can feel a bit much. Mull has a lot to explain to start off this five-book series. There are some rather unbelievable twists to make things work. But...it's not unbelievable because everything seems possible, you know? So it actually works. I actually really enjoyed this book.

Besides the story, the characters are actually pretty well-developed and deep for a (younger) middle-grade book. Cole is fantastic—just the right amount of fear and indecision mixed in with his courage. Those he meets along the way are just as varied and fascinating. So I would recommend it. Especially if you like Mull's other books.

Find it at your library or on Amazon