Book Review: Skyfleet - March of the Mutabugs by Victoria Williamson

When the skies turn deadly, a young heroine must rise from the ashes.

Twelve-year-old Amberley Jain has faced incredible challenges since the crash that took her parents and paralysed her legs. Now, with her best friend Ricardo Lopez about to be sent away and a swarm of mutated insects closing in on the Skyfleet base, the stakes have never been higher. Something monstrous is driving the mutabugs north from the contaminated meteor site known as the Cauldron, and the only plane capable of stopping it - the Firehawk - lies in pieces in the hangar.

Determined to honour her parents’ legacy, Amberley hatches a daring plan. With Ricardo’s help, they stow away on a supply train, trading his most treasured possession for the parts needed to repair the Firehawk. After secret test flights, the legendary jet is ready for action. Now, Amberley and Ricardo must confront the deadly swarm and save their home, discovering their inner strength and the true meaning of friendship along the way.

GENRE: Middle Grade Sci-Fi

PURCHASE LINK: Amazon

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops.

Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.

Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organisation working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

Review

I'm always excited for a new Victoria Williamson book because I'm sure it'll be something different, and this time we have a scifi story! I also like the setup of Victoria's middle grade books where there's a female protagonist and a male friend/supporting character who they might not always get along with but also doesn't hate them or anything. I think that's nice for kids to see.

The story is pretty straightforward for this one, but I really loved these aspects of the book:

• The central characters with disabilities. Amberley is in a wheelchair, Ricardo is visually impaired, yet they emerge as heroes — even if the adults discount them at first, both because of their age and their perceived limitations.
• The epigraphs in the form of transmissions, journal entries and other forms of communication. I love non-traditional prose, so seeing them used more was great.
• The illustrations by James Brown of the different planes, alongside the information and specs. I was never that kid, but I'm sure plenty will enjoy them.

If you have young readers in your life or know of some who could use a bit of reading encouragement, this could be the book for them. It will also make a great gift for the holidays!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Other books by Victoria Williamson:

• Norah's Ark (Contemporary Middle Grade / Drama)
• The Whistlers in the Dark (Historical Middle Grade / Fantasy)
• Feast of Ashes (Young Adult Dystopian)
• War of the Wind (Eco-Thriller)
• Red Runs the Witch's Thread (Historical Fiction / Folk Horror)
• The Haunting Scent of Poppies (Historical Fiction / Horror)

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Hi! I'm Marie, a Filipino SFFH author and book reviewer currently based in the UK. I’m the co-author of The Prophecies of Ragnarok, a Norse myth new adult urban fantasy trilogy, and I also have several short stories published in anthologies and literary journals.

You can find more info about me and my books, and also subscribe to my newsletter for more content, here. And if you like what I do, please also consider supporting me on Ko-fi! 🩷 https://ko-fi.com/mariesinadjan

If you fancy a short read, I have a cozy reimagining of the Norse myths about Hel, but it's just under 70 pages and can be read in one sitting. ✨ Plus there's a swag kit coming soon! Includes a "membership card," a bookmark, a sticker, an origami dog, and an exclusive 500-word story 🫶🏼

All things end, and all must die.

But death is not always the end.

When Geiravor Lokisdottir was stripped of her name and cast out of Asgard, torn from her family and the life she had known, she thought she’d lost it all. But in the shadows of Niflheim she discovers the path to her destiny, and what it truly means to be queen.

This is a prequel short story to THE PROPHECIES OF RAGNAROK trilogy by Meri Benson and Marie Sinadjan, and a retelling of the myths involving Hel, the Norse goddess of death and the queen of the underworld.