The Crystal Palace Chronicles - Palace of Above the Clouds. Signed Bookshop Edition

This was my first Crystal Palace Chronicles book. And you know what, for this type of story not really being my original cup of tea, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I come from a film background, and with every novel I read, I always picture in my head how those words would look and play out in a film or television series. And genuinely this book was one of the easiest "in my head" adaptations I've read in a long time. You know, it's the mark of a great writer where the passion for the project and genuine care over characters shines through so vividly like this. Graham Whitlock genuinely cares about the authenticity of his world and how his characters are presented. Their personalities and energies are truly infectious, if at times cartoonist theatrical, but that also adds to a lot of the charm. One thing I wasn't expecting with this story was just how shocking it could be at turns, like there were genuine cliffhangers that had me on the edge of my seat in that sort of, "I've got to know what happens next!" feeling you can from a good episode of television. Characters like H.G. Wells and Gertrude (who I believe was a new character for this story) kept me going the entire time and kept me excited for the cry of adventure. Most definitely will be reading the other books in the series (which to my absolute delight feature time travel, which isn't a thing in this story).

Last year when Palace of Flames was released I felt anticipation tinged with sadness because the outstanding Crystal Palace Chronicles was coming to an end. However, Graham Whitlock has treated his Chronicles readers to one more bite of this thrilling cherry! Fusing history and mystery, Palace Above the Clouds places the Victorian Chronicles characters on another astounding adventure. Palace Above the Clouds is set between Star of Nimrod and Palace of Shadows so does not feature Joe or time travel. In this book the Victorian members of the squad are searching for a saboteur as international aeronauts compete for supremacy of the skies. This book can be enjoyed as a stand-alone adventure but I think it is better if read as part of The Crystal Palace Chronicles series. The action scenes are fast-paced and breathtaking. Lots of edge of the seat, gripping stuff! a thoroughly entertaining and suspenseful thriller. It is also extremely funny. I found myself laughing out loud numerous times. I absolutely adored Palace Above the Clouds and highly recommend it to young readers and the young at heart. Indubitably, all readers will find the tale charming, captivating and compelling, plus learn much about the ‘aviation fever’ that gripped the Crystal Palace in its heyday.