The Cloud Hunters

A beautifully imagined adventure set in a world where islands float in the sky

Hunting the skies is not for the faint-hearted. In a world where water is scarce and deadly jellyfish swim through the sky, mollycoddled teenager Christien dreams of excitement and danger. When he meets the exotic and alluring Jenine and her family of Cloud Hunters, he becomes determined to fulfil that dream...

In a richly imaginative tale, perfect for both boys and girls as they launch themselves into the world of fiction as independent readers, Alex Shearer creates a Dahl-esque fantasy that roams through realms of magic, wonder and adventure. For it takes some nerve and courage to journey on into the empty blue, your own water supplies getting lower, and with not a wisp of a cloud in sight. But on you go, sailing on the solar wind. Maybe a breeze blows up, too; so you open the wind sails to catch the uplift and speed on into the void. You pass islands, some above you, some beneath. Some are close enough for you to be in their shadow; others are far below, in regions to which you never venture. There are different, hotter lands down there, with different kinds of people in them. If you went on descending, you would eventually come to islands so blis­teringly hot that nothing human lives there, just plants and reptiles and the sky-fish of the deep, with skin like cooked leather. Or so people say. Only, if nothing human can live down there, how would anything human know?

Perhaps, as you sail on, a shoal of sky-fish passes. If you throw a line over the side, baited with a juicy insect or two, you can catch a meal; if you throw a net over, you'll catch a feast.

Or maybe a sky-jelly will come into view, drifting on the air, almost transparent, a great bulbous mass of pulsating veins. Its tendrils trail underneath it, stretching down for hundreds of metres. As long as it's not one of the poisonous varieties, you can haul it in and cook it. Sky-jellies are mostly water. They may not sound too appetising, but you'll devour them when you're hungry and thirsty enough. Alex Shearer was born in Wick, in the far north of Scotland. His father was a blacksmith and his mother was a secretary. He enjoyed writing from an early age, and sold his first television script about thirty years ago. He went on to write several TV series, stage plays, radio plays and comedy scripts. Moving into writing for children, his novels BOOTLEG and THE GREATEST STORE IN THE WORLD were adapted for television by the BBC, and his 2003 novel THE SPEED OF THE DARK was shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. He lives in Somerset and is married with two grown-up children. A beautifully imagined adventure set in a world where islands float in the sky A rich and thoughtful fantasy A brand new world from an established author with formidable experience Alex's previous titles have been critically acclaimed, shortlisted for major awards, and BOOTLEG was made into a BBC drama Quest adventure that covers themes of climate change and segregated society makes this a current and moving read Educational resource packs available, bringing the world of the Cloud Hunters to life Perfect for fans of Julie Bertagna Part Gulliver's Travels, part Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, part Pilgrim's Progress, this is thoroughly original and full of ideas ... thought-provoking, involving, and exciting, and a true romance. With its well-drawn characters and vividly-realised world, The Cloud Hunters will appeal to fans of science fiction and fantasy. Yet though at base an adventure story, the book is often pleasingly slow and meditative, dwelling on the texture of the world and exploring the issues of coming-of-age, belonging, memory and loss with an unexpected complexity and sensitivity. A creative and fascinating idea, well-written with interesting characters and scenery. A thrilling and thought provoking adventure fantasy set in a world without water