Gr 5-8-Three crises get the action started quickly in this second installment of Tanner's "Icebreaker" trilogy. There's mutiny aboard the Oyster, which strands returning characters Petrel, Fin, Krill, and the captain in hostile territory controlled by a radical sect of Anti-Machinists. The friends' only chance to get back to their ship lies with Sharkey, young captain of a submersible facing troubles of his own: with dwindling resources, he must rescue the last of his people, the Sunkers, from an Anti-Machinist prison. Tanner skillfully weaves the three plotlines together in a tense narrative that not only explores the characters' often conflicting motives but keeps pages turning. Solid structure parallels key elements from the first volume and clearly lays the groundwork for the next book. The action takes place on land as well as in water, giving readers a fuller picture of the characters' stark dystopian world. As the previous book was Petrel's tale, this installment belongs to Sharkey, whose growth from false bravado to true heroism makes him a compelling central character. Suspenseful and thought provoking, this offering stresses the importance of education and knowledge as weapons against fear and tyranny. VERDICT Readers unfamiliar with the first novel may have trouble keeping track of the many characters and alternating perspectives, but fans will relish this return adventure.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This sequel to Icebreaker (2015) finds the girl Petrel, her companions the talking rats Mister Smoke and Missus Slink, the Captain (a mechanical boy with a silver face), and assorted shipmates from the icebreaker Oyster on dry land. Their mission: to bring knowledge back to the world in the wake of the devastation caused by the Luddite Devouts. While the stalwarts are away, the Oyster's chief engineer leads a mutiny, leaving them stranded. Meanwhile, 200 miles northeast, the Devouts have managed to sink the giant submersible Rampart, leaving only that rapscallion young Sharkey and his small crew of children alive aboard the smaller submersible Claw. The plot will soon bring the two ragtag groups together, but to what end? How can they overcome the more numerous and stronger Devouts, and will the Captain ever find the Singer and the Song that are destined to bring knowledge back to the downtrodden? Adventures abound in this exciting page-turner that will keep readers on the edge of their seats as they await volume three.--Cart, Michael Copyright 2016 Booklist