To Read, Perchance to Dream: Book Review: Shiewo: A Fantasy Flight to Adventure by Ciye Cho

The universe of Orberana is a place of great wonder and peril, a dizzying landscape filled with clouds that can talk, clockwork beings that mark their own time, and painted animals that awake in the night.

Shiewo Morose is the captain of a flying ship powered by music. She is also a determined young woman on a mission: a quest to find the Wishing Fish that created Orberana.

Sailing above the clouds, Shiewo and her crew (Erduu the bamboo, Theo the cloud, Livingston the goldfish, and Felix the painter) are headed for worlds of crazed clockwork bureaucrats, tyrannic kings, and tornado children--worlds that will test not only the crew's bravery... but their very understanding of adventure.

Theirs is the odyssey of a lifetime...

Shiewo is one of the most creative books I've read in a long time. This is not your typical fantasy, don't look for dwarves or elves. I promise, you won't miss them. What you get is pure whimsy. A ship run by a cranky goldfish, powered by music. Talking clouds and bamboo, a clock kingdom, you'll even visit the place where clouds are made. Ciye Cho, the author, shows innovative genius in the world he has built.

The characters are unique and quite distinctive. My favorites were Theo the cloud and Livingston the goldfish. Theo is just a child cloud and he radiates innocence and good will wherever he goes. Livingston is the polar opposite, he's a grumpy old guy who loves to complain. I actually liked the title character, Shiewo the captain, least of all. I know she's meant to be mysterious for now, but I'd prefer her to have a bit more personality.

For me, the story clogged up a little at the clock kingdom. It was supposed to be fast paced and exciting, but there was a little too much of it.

Overall, this is an enchanting book by a first time author. It's written for young adults, but I think even adults will enjoy it. I think this is meant to be a series, so make sure you don't miss the first one.

*Disclaimer: I was given this book by the author for review, I was not required to write a positive review.