Jack is deliriously happy when his father, the captain of the airship Bellerophon, says that Jack can go along on the ship's maiden flight as the most junior member of the crew. The Bellerophon is a huge airship, an aircraft that looks like a blimp but is about five times bigger. Thousands of spectators turn out to watch Bellerophon take off --- and Jack is on board!

Jack promised his father that he would obey orders like any other crew member, but he quickly forgets his words. He roughhouses with Gadfly, a daredevil pilot and friend of his father, and he almost falls off the Bellerophon. Jack's father saves him from that catastrophe. But then Jack disobeys again and his father can't help him. Jack had given his word that he won't climb the rigging, but he does it anyway. As a result, he falls off the airship.

Miraculously, Jack lands safely on the sails of the ship Hyperion, which is sailing the ocean below Bellerophon. In fact, miracles seem to be a natural occurence for Hyperion. Its crew calls it a miracle ship. It survived an encounter with Nemesis, a fearful, gigantic ship that roams the seas, without a crew, destroying everything in its path. Quixote, captain of the Hyperion, has vowed vengeance on the Nemesis.

As the story goes on, we see how the Bellerophon, the Hyperion, and the Nemesis all share the same destiny and come together for an exciting adventure. Along the way, Jack learns the meaning of the old saying: it's an ill wind that blows nobody good. And he learns that it's difficult to tell the difference between the people he can trust and the ones he can't. If you want to read a rousing good yarn featuring a girl pilot, a little old lady and her pet monkey stranded on a volcanic island, pirates, and blackhearted villains, this is your book.

--- Reviewed by Tamara Penny