Ahoy there mateys!  This is an omnibus of the two YA steampunk novels about Emilie.  In the first book she stows away on a vessel that goes under the sea / into the planet to the Hollow-World.  In the second novel she goes on a rescue mission on an airship to the Sky-World.  The world building is the highlight here.  I wanted more!

Both books feel like something Jules Verne would have written.  There is science and a bit of magic.  It is very steampunk and takes place in an alternate Victorian setting.  There are steamships, telescopes, a bustling scientific community, and new horizons to be explored.  There are merpeople, plant based people, and monsters.  Younger me would have adored this.

Emilie is a great character who starts out more as an observer but gains experience and becomes crucial to survival.  She is plucky and thoughtful.  It was lovely to watch her grow and carve out a life better suited to her wishes.  The only small problem was that she feels more like 12 than 16 years old.

These books are light and fluffy.  I enjoyed them but would have like a little more of everything from characterization, to descriptions, and more complex plotting.  The old-fashioned feel worked well but I couldn't help but want writing more in line with Well's adult works.  Arrr!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.