Stormchaser (novel)

Stormchaser is a children's fantasy novel by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, first published in 1999. It is the second volume of The Edge Chronicles and of the Twig Saga trilogy; within the stories' own chronology it is the fifth novel, following the Quint Saga trilogy that was published later.

Plot summary

Set two years after Beyond the Deepwoods, the protagonist, Twig, is a full member of his father, Cloud Wolf's, sky ship the Stormchaser. When a disastrous encounter with a league ship forces the crew to dispose of their precious cargo of logs, Cloud Wolf has no option but to return to Undertown and arrange a way to repay his debts to mother horsefeather, a greedy selfish shryke who pad for the repairing of the storm chaser after it became infested with woodbugs. Meanwhile, in the floating city of Sanctaphrax, stormphrax and phraxdust supplies are running low, threatening to leave the floating city able to break free of its chains and fly into open sky. also if phraxdust supplies run out, the already dirty water in undertown would become polluted and undrinkable. Against the wishes of the Most High Academe Vilnix Pompolnius, a deal is struck between Cloud Wolf, Mother Horsefeather and the Professor of Light (cloud wolf's former mentor in the prestigious knights academy) to erase Cloud Wolf's debts if he successfully chases the great storm predicted and retrieves some of the sacred substance stormphrax. without this stormphrax, both sanctaphrax and undertown would not survive.

Though Cloud Wolf forbids Twig to set sail with the rest of the crew on this dangerous voyage, he is willingly smuggled onboard the Stormchaser by the mutinous quartermaster Slyvo Spleethe and his accomplice Mugbutt. On approaching the Great Storm, Spleethe and Mugbutt are killed by the result of a failed mutiny and the Stormchaser becomes badly damaged. cloud wolf is injured while fighting sylo spleethe. The crew abandon ship into the Twilight Woods below, except for the captain Cloud Wolf. On landing Twig reunites the crew and prepares to take over his father's mission.

Although Twig tries to maintain his crew's sanity in the mystical twilight woods, Tem Barkwater and Stope Boltjaw are overcome by the disorientating golden mists of the twilight woods and are lost to its madness. other members of the crew are also badly injured but the extent of their injuries are not to be revealed until they enter the mire, and the immortal effects of the twilight woods wear off. Twig and the remaining crew make it to the Mire, where they are lured in by the treacherous guide Screed Toe-taker, an ancient Knight Academic driven mad by the Twilight Woods himself in his quest to retrieve atormphrax. Hubble's injuries were internal and proved to be fatal as he collapsed during the long journey across he mire. Spiker is killed by screed toe-taker. As screed attacks the stone pilot, he is confronted and killed by Twig. on returning to the ship a chest of sacred stormphrax is discovered. Each small speck of stormphrax had been filed from the toenails of screeds unfortunate victims. The Professor of light's injuries from landing in the twilight woods also proved to be fatal as he died moments after, but not before revealing the secret of safe production of phraxdust. Twig discovers that the Stone Pilot is an unturned Termagent Trog named Maugin (he has a special affection for unturned trogs, due to his experiences in the previous book), who helps Twig to rebuild Screed's old ship, the "windcutter." During this time, the two form a bond, which is revealed in a later book to be a romantic interest.

With a plentiful supply of stormphrax they rebuild the ship and its flight rock with plans to return to Sanctaphrax and overthrow Vilnix Pompolnius. with the help of the professor of darkness they deposit the stormphrax in the treasury, saving the city from breaking its moorings and flying into open sky. The secret of safe phraxdust production is revealed to undertowners one and all and the rivalry over phraxdust ends. The story concludes with Twig getting a ship of his own, the "edgedancer" and also a new crew of his own. Led by the caterbird (introduced in book one), they travel over the edge into open sky, farther than any sky ship has ever ventured before to save his father captain Cloud Wolf.

• Twig Verginix
• Quintinius Verginix
• Vilnix Pompolnius
• Maugin
• Slyvo Spleethe
• Screed Toe-taker (Screedius Tollinix)
• Mother Horsefeather
• Tem Barkwater
• Hubble the Banderbear
• Stope Boltjaw
• Mugbutt
• Spiker
• Goom

See also

• Animals of the Edge Chronicles