Sadly this book is a case of a good idea losing its way in the execution. Fantasy depends on meticulous, evocative, logical world-building, and Cloudland, Alkazia and their inhabitants are as misty as the clouds themselves. Surprisingly, given that the author is a prize-winning poet, the writing is overloaded with similes and tells the reader too much about how sad, lonely and fearful Lucy is, rather than showing her. Additionally, the narrative is difficult to hold in the mind. The plot is straightforward – Lucy and Daniel must defeat Kazia with the help of fire and the sky creatures – but the storytelling is confusing. The events are not woven into the fabric of the plot. Too often, episodes are linked only by (too many) adverbs of time, such as ‘suddenly’, ‘soon’, ‘then’, ‘all at once’. Lucy’s occasional thoughts and memories of home appear superficial rather than embedded in the thematic underpinning of the story, so that the ending leaves the reader wondering about the point of the tale. Stronger world-building, convincing characters, clearer plot structure and narrative purpose were needed to make this fantasy appealing and plausible.