Book Review: “Skyward”
- Author : Brandon Sanderson
- Series : Skyward
- 513 pages, hardcover
- First published November 6, 2018
Black.swan.blog: It’s no big secret that I’m a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson’s books that are part of the Cosmere universe. But for some inexplicable reason, his other works have taken a back seat on my never-ending list of books to read. So I was delighted when I saw that this very book won the Instagram vote for the August reading poll.
Readingtrolls: Having really enjoyed Abercrombie’s works lately, I definitely wasn’t in the mood to read anything sweet this month. Sanderson has a well-deserved shelf in our home library. The first thing that caught my eye about Skyward was the cover of the book. Again, kudos to the team for the original cover.
About the storyline
Black.swan.blog: To reach for the stars has always been the dream of man. To fly, to discover and to conquer.
Somewhere in the future and far away in the vastness of space, an intergalactic dispute was fought, which led to a rebellion and sent the representatives of the human species into exile on an unknown planet with rather harsh conditions.
The story revolves around the life of young Spensa, whose planet is attacked daily by an alien race called Krell.
The headstrong teenager’s biggest dream is to become a pilot and join the fleet to fight the said aliens. However, since her father disgraced her, Spensa must first cope with cruel treatment by society.
Need I mention what a masterful world builder Brandon Sanderson is? Every book he has written in this regard has been on a perfect level. This book is no exception.
Reading Trolls: brilliantly written science fiction by Brandon Sanderson. A space story full of battles, aliens, advanced technology and humor.
From the first book I read by Sanderson, I was very impressed with the skill with which he builds worlds. Always dark, dangerous and unique. Again, the landscape is memorable and you won’t find a place that reminds you of another.
The story itself takes us to a planet called Detritus. In the author’s typical style, the environment in which people live is extremely unpleasant. The population is forced to live in caves deep underground because the entire planet is surrounded by the ruins of a destroyed defense system. In addition, humanity is threatened by aliens who constantly bombard their base with life-extinguishing bombs.
The story revolves around the heroine Spensa, a child who has to survive in one of the caves. Her life is full of misfortune, because she’s the child of a pilot accused of treason and shot down by his own squadron. Spensa’s only dream is to become a pilot and restore her family’s honor.
The characters in “Skyward”
Black.swan.blog: Our main character is, of course, the amazing Spensa, who I (miraculously) really liked. Never mind that she’s a bit of a bully ☺
She’s brave, incredibly stubborn, and sassy. A tempestuous character that she has built up through the uneven odds that life has dealt her. But most importantly, she’s not perfect. And that’s the kind of realistic characters I like, because they’re damn near the most dangerous, the smartest, the cleverest, the coolest, and generally the coolest.
As for the other characters, I found the faces of the stern mentor and protector, the gentle, genial friend, the annoying captain, hmmm, this is where it gets interesting 😉 and the big, bad politician who tries to exorcize Spensa’s illusion of joining the Navy.
There’s another likable character who will definitely entertain you, but I won’t give anything away about him because that would be a major spoiler.
Reading Trolls: Sanderson’s main character is pretty standard stuff. Spensa is a realistically built character and fits right into the idea of a teenager. I like that she’s smart and a fighter. Maybe she’s just an idea more reckless. As Black.swan.blog says, Spensa is a tough girl, but not her mastermind.
The secondary characters are also well constructed. Sanderson has created characters from all walks of life. I really liked the character development of the main character. At the risk of giving away a little of the intrigue, she has good reasons for her behavior and I can completely understand her.
What I find most unfortunate is the young pilot who took on the role of black sheep in the collective and then Sanderson decided to somehow redeem him. Perhaps one of the surprising twists and surprises in the imagery was needed here, or maybe he just overdid it with the initial denigration of the character.
The rating of “Skyward”
Black.swan.blog: If you’re a young science fiction fan like me, you’ll definitely enjoy this first book in the “Skyward” series.
It’s light, entertaining, and free of unnecessarily heavy scientific terminology.
It contains an air of mystery surrounding some of the events and characters that are so typical of a Sanderson book. A wonderful introduction to the world, the history, and the “magic” we find here in the form of wonders of advanced technology.
Personally, I think it’s a solid foundation for a read that will be loved by both young and older readers, even if it’s labeled “young adult”.
My rating is excellent and I’ll definitely continue with the other books in the series.
Reading Trolls: I was pretty skeptical at first, but that was because of the draggy beginning. That has always bothered me a bit about the author’s style, but it’s always worth it.
For a science fiction book, the book is very well balanced and easy to read. There are a lot of aviation terms, but that didn’t bother me and I was able to get into the rhythm of the story well.
The dialog is in the style of young adult literature and is quite humorous. Sanderson has succeeded in portraying the travails and mindset of a pubber. But don’t think that the book isn’t suitable for us more mature readers. It’s all very tight and the plot isn’t college reading.
I like that Sanderson doesn’t bother to do a purge among the characters. If anything, he has dynamically and ruthlessly removed them from the action. The intrigue surrounding Spensa’s father caught my attention, and although I expected something fishy to be going on there, my suspicions went in an entirely different direction. And the truth about the cretins… yes, it was, seriously?
I think the 5-star rating for “Skyward” by Brandon Sanderson is well deserved, and I’d like to point out that this is the first book in a series, after all.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
From Brandon Sanderson, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Reckoners series, Words of Radiance, and the internationally bestselling Mistborn series, comes the first book in an epic new series about a girl who dreams of becoming a pilot in a dangerous world at war for humanity’s future.
Spensa’s world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes of what’s left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa’s dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father’s–a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa’s chances of attending flight school at slim to none.
No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, yet fate works in mysterious ways. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars.
Praise for Skyward:
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
“Startling revelations and stakes-raising implications…Sanderson plainly had a ball with this nonstop, highflying opener, and readers will too.“–Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“With this action-packed trilogy opener, Sanderson offers up a resourceful, fearless heroine and a memorable cast…[and] as the pulse-pounding story intensifies and reveals its secrets, a cliffhanger ending sets things up for the next installment.”–Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“It is impossible to turn the pages fast enough.“–Booklist
“Sanderson delivers a cinematic adventure that explores the defining aspects of the individual versus the society…[and] fans of [his] will not be disappointed.“–SLJ
Praise for Brandon Sanderson’s Reckoners series:
#1 New York Times Bestselling Series
“Another win for Sanderson . . . he’s simply a brilliant writer. Period.”–Patrick Rothfuss, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Name of the Wind
“Action-packed.”—EW
“Compelling. . . . Sanderson uses plot twists that he teases enough for readers to pick up on to distract from the more dramatic reveals he has in store.”–AV Club
