My Review's here -https://www.amazon.com/review/R1W1IUXJN0L51K/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1338118498 ( )

In a world where a toxic Dust covers everything, even the light in the sky, people recall a time when the stars were magic. Mallie was born long after that time, but she still hopes for something better than the life she has of cleaning up after rich people in the valley before trudging up the mountain and hoping that her younger brother isn't called into duty as a mine worker yet. But when a mystery flyer starts showing up looking for brave young men, Mallie wonders if she can't somehow also discover the 'untold' riches promised....

This was a compelling read; although fantasy is not usually my go-to genre, this one had just the right amount of magic and action/adventure mixed with world building. It's the kind of book that me as an elementary and middle school-age child would have loved and I enjoyed it now as well. Generally speaking, the chapters are fairly short and end with a bit of a cliff hanger, making the reader want to keep going on.

The characters were interesting as well, if a little one-note. (For instance, Honor is consistently terrible with no redeeming qualities while Mallie pretty much always does the right thing.) Still, you feel for them, especially Mallie, and find yourself rooting for right to win the day. The Starbirds (mythical winged horses) sound amazing and are characters in their own right, even if they don't speak.

Mallie is born with one arm ending at the elbow and wears a "Popsnap" (prosthetic arm) throughout the book. However, she makes it clear early and often that she can do anything that other children can do and doesn't like getting pity. There were times that I forgot about her situation because it was so not an issue. However, it was nice to see a presentation of disability done so well and not be the biggest thing in the protagonist's life.

On the flip side of that, there is a character who I think is a little person (and not a child, although it was slightly unclear). Either way, this character was *constantly* described as small, tiny, etc. Like, repeatedly, down to every minor detail ... 'she picked it up in her little hand,' 'she stood with her tiny hat,' etc. (Those are not direct quotes but the general idea.)

The story ends just a tad too neatly; I was less than thrilled that Mallie's father is suddenly not mute but just needed to believe that losing his voice was a lie because that felt a little ridiculous. But it's nice to have a story that ends happily, especially for children.

One thing that struck me as odd is that there were some very glaring typos in the text. For instance a double "like like", a "slack" instead of "sack", and missing punctuation. There were at least half a dozen instances of this; I am surprised that these were not caught in the editing process. It seemed rather sloppy for a big publisher like Scholastic.

Overall, however, this was a compelling read that I can see children really enjoying, especially if they like fantasy or magical realism. A smidge of mystery and some lyrical prose don't hurt either! ( )

Fun upper elementary school book (3rd grade & up) with lots of suspense, adventure, magic, danger & flying horses. ( )

Brothers--Fiction. Parents--Fiction. Families--Fiction. Forced labor--Fiction. Mines--Fiction. Flying horses--Fiction.