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The Kingdom of the Lost #2
The Cloud Road
The second book in The Kingdom of the Lost series.
Adventure and danger follow Bily, Zluty, Redwing and the Monster as they cross a desert and journey through high stony mountains in search of a new home.
A magical new series for younger readers from the award-wining author of Little Fur.
Adventure and danger follow Bily, Zluty, Redwing and the Monster as they cross a desert and journey through high stony mountains in search of a new home.
A magical new series for younger readers from the award-wining author of Little Fur.
289 pages, Hardcover
First published April 24, 2013
5 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Isobelle Carmody
104 books1,736 followersIsobelle Carmody began the first novel of her highly acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles while she was still in high school. The series has established her at the forefront of fantasy writing in Australia.
In addition to her young-adult novels, such as the Obernewtyn Chronicles and Alyzon Whitestarr, Isobelle's published works include several middle-grade fantasies. Her still-unfinished Gateway Trilogy has been favorably compared to The Wizard of Oz and the Chronicles of Narnia. The Little Fur quartet is an eco-fantasy starring a half-elf, half-troll heroine and is fully illustrated by the author herself.
Isobelle's most recent picture book, Magic Night, is a collaboration with illustrator Declan Lee. Originally published in Australia as The Wrong Thing, the book features an ordinary housecat who stumbles upon something otherworldly. Across all her writing, Isobelle shows a talent for balancing the mundane and the fantastic.
Isobelle was the guest of honor at the 2007 Australian National Science Fiction Convention. She has received numerous honors for her writing, including multiple Aurealis Awards and Children's Book Council of Australia Awards.
She currently divides her time between her home on the Great Ocean Road in Australia and her travels abroad with her partner and daughter.
Librarian's note: Penguin Australia is publishing the Obernewtyn Chronicles in six books, and The Stone Key is book five. In the United States and Canada this series is published by Random House in eight books; this Penguin Australia book is split into two parts and published as Wavesong (Book Five) and The Stone Key (Book Six).
In addition to her young-adult novels, such as the Obernewtyn Chronicles and Alyzon Whitestarr, Isobelle's published works include several middle-grade fantasies. Her still-unfinished Gateway Trilogy has been favorably compared to The Wizard of Oz and the Chronicles of Narnia. The Little Fur quartet is an eco-fantasy starring a half-elf, half-troll heroine and is fully illustrated by the author herself.
Isobelle's most recent picture book, Magic Night, is a collaboration with illustrator Declan Lee. Originally published in Australia as The Wrong Thing, the book features an ordinary housecat who stumbles upon something otherworldly. Across all her writing, Isobelle shows a talent for balancing the mundane and the fantastic.
Isobelle was the guest of honor at the 2007 Australian National Science Fiction Convention. She has received numerous honors for her writing, including multiple Aurealis Awards and Children's Book Council of Australia Awards.
She currently divides her time between her home on the Great Ocean Road in Australia and her travels abroad with her partner and daughter.
Librarian's note: Penguin Australia is publishing the Obernewtyn Chronicles in six books, and The Stone Key is book five. In the United States and Canada this series is published by Random House in eight books; this Penguin Australia book is split into two parts and published as Wavesong (Book Five) and The Stone Key (Book Six).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 2, 2023
Very creative worldbuilding! I’m genuinely impressed and eager for more.
May 22, 2023
I haven't read 'Little Fur' and have not read the first book of 'The Kingdom of the Lost,' series, but I have read a lot of Isobelle Carmody's books.
Bily and Zluty become entwined in a journey to another land when a terrible storm destroys their home. The two brothers leave dragging a cart on wheels with the Monster sleeping inside. Redwing the bird sits on a perch and leaves to scout ahead when Bily asks it to. Zluty doesn't like the monster but will help it because Bily cares for it, tends to its wounds, and is trying to heal it.
They travel through many strange lands and Zluty explores inside a crack in the stones. Bily has always waited behind but his concern over his brother draws him down into the unknown world.
This is their first dangerous experience with a slug-like being that would devour them. They escape continuing to another terrifying encounter.
The dark mountains hold Monks who are fixing machines. Zluty is captured and new friends help rescue him and Bily finds another ally in the Blizzard.
I remember seeing 'Little Fur' and it could be in my book collection already. If so I will go back and read it. The world created by Isobelle for these two brothers is a strange place. They endure it all to stay together.
Bily and Zluty become entwined in a journey to another land when a terrible storm destroys their home. The two brothers leave dragging a cart on wheels with the Monster sleeping inside. Redwing the bird sits on a perch and leaves to scout ahead when Bily asks it to. Zluty doesn't like the monster but will help it because Bily cares for it, tends to its wounds, and is trying to heal it.
They travel through many strange lands and Zluty explores inside a crack in the stones. Bily has always waited behind but his concern over his brother draws him down into the unknown world.
This is their first dangerous experience with a slug-like being that would devour them. They escape continuing to another terrifying encounter.
The dark mountains hold Monks who are fixing machines. Zluty is captured and new friends help rescue him and Bily finds another ally in the Blizzard.
I remember seeing 'Little Fur' and it could be in my book collection already. If so I will go back and read it. The world created by Isobelle for these two brothers is a strange place. They endure it all to stay together.
November 19, 2020
I needed to know how the story continues. Luckily, my local library has all three audiobooks in this series available.
Zluty and Bili find themselves in new adventures, and scary ones for that. And there are still questions kept open about the world and what happened and who is who and what is what.
Fantastic world building again and then there is the work on language and representation in language and it is so very well done.
Zluty and Bili find themselves in new adventures, and scary ones for that. And there are still questions kept open about the world and what happened and who is who and what is what.
Fantastic world building again and then there is the work on language and representation in language and it is so very well done.
September 19, 2023
4.5 stars
Totally fascinated by this series - so original and beautifully written and illustrated.
Bily and Zluty and their relationship is heart warming.
The mountain diggers are hilarious; I just love the way their conversation is written. Now we must do running very fastly . . .
So intrigued to find out what on earth is going on with all the various groups of characters in this captivating story.
Totally fascinated by this series - so original and beautifully written and illustrated.
Bily and Zluty and their relationship is heart warming.
The mountain diggers are hilarious; I just love the way their conversation is written. Now we must do running very fastly . . .
So intrigued to find out what on earth is going on with all the various groups of characters in this captivating story.
July 26, 2017
Another brilliant outing for Bily and Zloty. Brilliant, descriptive text and wonderful characters. Only negative was the builders' odd way of speaking meant I had to re-read their sentences and parse them mentally as I went but that's pretty minor. Looking forward to the final instalment as I really don't know what's going on here and what will happen!
July 23, 2017
Another captivating adventure with Bily and Zluty. Bily grows in courage and strength. More details about the diggers. Great set up for the next in the series.
January 13, 2014
This review was written by Nalini Haynes for Dark Matter Zine. This and more reviews, interviews etc are on Dark Matter Zine, an online magazine. http://www.darkmatterzine.com.
Cloud Road is part two of the Kingdom of the Lost by Isobelle Carmody. This is a gorgeous little hardcover book aimed at younger readers, complete with pen and ink drawings scattered throughout.
Bily and Zluty are brothers who’ve lost their home after a storm. They set out to find the Vale of Bell Flowers with Redwing, an intelligent bird, and Monster, a cat-like creature who was injured in the storm. Travelling west through the desert pulling their wagon behind them, they face challenges like finding water and not getting eaten in the process. They make friends on their journey while learning more about their world, but their own origins remain a mystery.
This gentle story holds sufficient action and suspense to keep the young reader engaged but not overwhelmed. There is danger but it’s not excessive (depending on the child of course). Themes include survival during and after a crisis (for example earthquake or bushfire); loss and homelessness; destruction of animals and habitat for ‘progress.’ Cloud Road could be a launching point for classroom discussions and further exploration, engaging children whose lives may be enriched or even saved with good teaching.
The language is deceptively simple, conveying complex world-building and inter-species communication difficulties. Some of the latter provides humour: I can imagine reading this to a class in early primary school who would be delighted at being ‘in the know’, engaging with this story as with a pantomime.
Cloud Road is a delightful read for parents to share with their children and a must-have for the SF fan to train their progeny up in the way that they should go. This story will engage children at the right stage to read independently; many children given this novel will continue to reread and treasure it. I envisage the current generation of children sharing Cloud Road with their children because the story is timeless.
Writers learning the craft should read Cloud Road as a study in voice. All the characters are alien on this nameless planet, with striking speech patterns. Their language is consistent within their species alongside subtle differences for individual characters. The two point of view characters, Bily and Zluty, influence the narrative voice. This voice carries a slightly alien intonation although feeling more human than the dialogue AND YET the language used is deceptively simple. Recently I read another novel where the protagonists’ foreign speech patterns were carried wholesale into the narrative voice; this I found jarring. Carmody’s narrative voice flows, sweeping the reader along. I think she succeeds because the grammar is good, the language is simple and yet the slight alien ‘accent’ – a hint of word patterns conveying images of a foreign world – continually reminds the reader we’re in an alien world.
Ok, rave over.
I can’t help it – I’ve been studying voice, register, tone etcetera at university, then I read THIS. Cloud Road should be a core text, used for discussion in class.
Who do I have to mug to get a hardcover copy of volume one, the Red Wind?
Cloud Road is part two of the Kingdom of the Lost by Isobelle Carmody. This is a gorgeous little hardcover book aimed at younger readers, complete with pen and ink drawings scattered throughout.
Bily and Zluty are brothers who’ve lost their home after a storm. They set out to find the Vale of Bell Flowers with Redwing, an intelligent bird, and Monster, a cat-like creature who was injured in the storm. Travelling west through the desert pulling their wagon behind them, they face challenges like finding water and not getting eaten in the process. They make friends on their journey while learning more about their world, but their own origins remain a mystery.
This gentle story holds sufficient action and suspense to keep the young reader engaged but not overwhelmed. There is danger but it’s not excessive (depending on the child of course). Themes include survival during and after a crisis (for example earthquake or bushfire); loss and homelessness; destruction of animals and habitat for ‘progress.’ Cloud Road could be a launching point for classroom discussions and further exploration, engaging children whose lives may be enriched or even saved with good teaching.
The language is deceptively simple, conveying complex world-building and inter-species communication difficulties. Some of the latter provides humour: I can imagine reading this to a class in early primary school who would be delighted at being ‘in the know’, engaging with this story as with a pantomime.
Cloud Road is a delightful read for parents to share with their children and a must-have for the SF fan to train their progeny up in the way that they should go. This story will engage children at the right stage to read independently; many children given this novel will continue to reread and treasure it. I envisage the current generation of children sharing Cloud Road with their children because the story is timeless.
Writers learning the craft should read Cloud Road as a study in voice. All the characters are alien on this nameless planet, with striking speech patterns. Their language is consistent within their species alongside subtle differences for individual characters. The two point of view characters, Bily and Zluty, influence the narrative voice. This voice carries a slightly alien intonation although feeling more human than the dialogue AND YET the language used is deceptively simple. Recently I read another novel where the protagonists’ foreign speech patterns were carried wholesale into the narrative voice; this I found jarring. Carmody’s narrative voice flows, sweeping the reader along. I think she succeeds because the grammar is good, the language is simple and yet the slight alien ‘accent’ – a hint of word patterns conveying images of a foreign world – continually reminds the reader we’re in an alien world.
Ok, rave over.
I can’t help it – I’ve been studying voice, register, tone etcetera at university, then I read THIS. Cloud Road should be a core text, used for discussion in class.
Who do I have to mug to get a hardcover copy of volume one, the Red Wind?
July 2, 2013
Zluty and Bily had to leave their peaceful lives on the plains and strike out into new lands. They are guided by Redwing and the Monster, an unlikely friend that Bily made in the last book. The Cloud Road takes the brothers through the barren desert, where they meet struggle to survive without water and food, and then to the fabled mountains, where they find friends when they least expect it.
As much as I had enjoyed the lush descriptions of the barren plains that were home to the bothers, and the dark Northern Forest, I love the way Carmody brought the hot, dry desert and the bitterly cold mountains to life in this book. The magical scenery is set from the very first line -- "Frozen ripples and waves of sand stretched to the horizon in all directions, separated by misshapen pools of violet shadow" -- and unfolds vividly from there.
Zluty found out that he had a tendency to underestimate his brother in the last book, and The Cloud Road sees him begin to appreciate Bily's brand of courage a lot more. Bily, on the other hand, continually surprises himself, and he finds that the world has a lot to offer him if he can overcome his fear of change. I think that the character development that has been packed into this short novel is amazing!
The illustrations in the book are again superb, detailing all the new things they come across. The brothers don't know what a blizzard is, nor what mountains look like, and don't understand the metal scraps that litter the landscape they inhibit. But through the images, readers will be able to glean some interesting information about the strange world the brothers live in.
Another incredible tale by Isobelle Carmody, The Cloud Road will be enjoyed by readers of all ages. I love the amazing things that Bily and Zluty got up to in this book, and am looking forward to the release of the next book, The Velvet City.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .
As much as I had enjoyed the lush descriptions of the barren plains that were home to the bothers, and the dark Northern Forest, I love the way Carmody brought the hot, dry desert and the bitterly cold mountains to life in this book. The magical scenery is set from the very first line -- "Frozen ripples and waves of sand stretched to the horizon in all directions, separated by misshapen pools of violet shadow" -- and unfolds vividly from there.
Zluty found out that he had a tendency to underestimate his brother in the last book, and The Cloud Road sees him begin to appreciate Bily's brand of courage a lot more. Bily, on the other hand, continually surprises himself, and he finds that the world has a lot to offer him if he can overcome his fear of change. I think that the character development that has been packed into this short novel is amazing!
The illustrations in the book are again superb, detailing all the new things they come across. The brothers don't know what a blizzard is, nor what mountains look like, and don't understand the metal scraps that litter the landscape they inhibit. But through the images, readers will be able to glean some interesting information about the strange world the brothers live in.
Another incredible tale by Isobelle Carmody, The Cloud Road will be enjoyed by readers of all ages. I love the amazing things that Bily and Zluty got up to in this book, and am looking forward to the release of the next book, The Velvet City.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic .
June 16, 2013
Divine. I loved this story and the accompanying illustrations. It offers the younger reader such gentle wisdom. My favourite quotes from the book include Bily's delight in travelling for the first time: "But how could he have known what it would be like to lie under the vast sky, blue as the egg of a fire lizard in the daytime, or black, with the enormous white moon shining down surrounded by glimmering stars. How could he have guessed how his heart would thrill at the occasional slash of brightness when one of the great boulders that sometimes fell, passed burning overhead. How could he have imagined the loveliness of seeing Zluty smiling at him from the other side of the campfire as a shower of sparks whorled upwards?" I love too Zluty's maturity when he acknowledges "I think I can talk to the diggers better now because I think of them differently...When I was at the cottage, I thought of diggers as simple creatures without many words. Maybe that's how the cottage diggers were, but maybe that is only what I thought, and thinking it stopped me seeing anything else."
June 29, 2016
Thank you to Penguin Books Australia for this review copy!
I hadn't remembered a whole lot of the smaller details that made up the first book in this series when I read The Cloud Road, and that meant I was quite confused for a time, but even without that confusion I think this would have been quite a disappointing read for me. There were things that didn't seem to fit, and it really dragged along for me, so that even by the end I couldn't really amend my feelings, or feel excited at the prospect of the final book.
I hadn't remembered a whole lot of the smaller details that made up the first book in this series when I read The Cloud Road, and that meant I was quite confused for a time, but even without that confusion I think this would have been quite a disappointing read for me. There were things that didn't seem to fit, and it really dragged along for me, so that even by the end I couldn't really amend my feelings, or feel excited at the prospect of the final book.
May 17, 2013
I loved this just as much as The Red Wind. Another exciting adventure for Bily and Zluty. Bily and Zluty are loveable, kind characters that help out each other and have an endearing relationship and fascination with their environment and other characters they meet along the way. Engaging and beautifully written.
June 18, 2015
Much more disciplined writing than the Obernewtyn series (which is understandable given that Carmody was in high school when she began Obernewtyn). Very convincingly "other-worldly". This book is gently paced until quite near the end.
I'm more interested in reading the next in this series than the next Obernewtyn which, if it's like the others, will be in need of ruthless editing.
I'm more interested in reading the next in this series than the next Obernewtyn which, if it's like the others, will be in need of ruthless editing.
April 5, 2014
Lyn is a judge for the Aurealis Awards. Any reviews or ratings offered by Lyn do not represent the opinions of the Aurealis Awards Panel or Committee.
I shall be rating this work once the awards are announced.
I shall be rating this work once the awards are announced.
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February 2, 2015Childish.
June 13, 2015
I listened to this as audio book - beautifully read by the author.
December 24, 2017
Another strange and beautiful part of this story.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews