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

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. Books for Keeps 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. Booktrust A creative and fascinating idea, well-written with interesting characters and scenery. The Guardian Online A thrilling and thought provoking adventure fantasy set in a world without water -- Julia Eccleshare Lovereading4kids

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.