Published by Random House Children's Books on October 8, 2019
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 544
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Goodreads
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Reckoners series, Words of Radiance, and the Mistborn trilogy 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.
And don't miss the thrilling sequel, Starsight!
"[A] nonstop, highflying opener." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"With this action-packed trilogy opener, Sanderson offers up a resourceful, fearless heroine and a memorable cast." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Sanderson delivers a cinematic adventure that explores the defining aspects of the individual versus the society. . . . Fans of Sanderson will not be disappointed." --SLJ
"It is impossible to turn the pages fast enough." --Booklist
Top notch world creation made this plotline easy to sink into. Skyward follows Spensa, a young girl that lives on the planet of Detritus. She and the remaining humans are descendants of the crew that originally crashed on the planet escaping the Krell, a hostile alien race. The battle continues throughout the decades with the Krell regularly attacking and trying to wipe out the last human settlements. The daughter of an alleged coward, Spensa strives to become a pilot like her father despite continuous obstacles orchestrated by Ironsides, a leader that served with her father during the mission when he allegedly fled the battle.
I spent at least the first 25 percent of the book cringing whenever Spensa spoke to someone. Loud, boisterous and with a chip on her shoulder, it felt like Spensa’s grandstanding was closer to what I would expect out of a 13-year-old boy than a teenaged girl. I know this was Sanderson’s way of showing Spensa’s distress regarding the death of her father and growing up weighed down by the label of “coward’s daughter” and it served as an easy marker to measure growth as the story continues on but it was very difficult for me to sit through. Eventually, Spensa started to show some character growth and I was able to appreciate her character more. I admired her determination even with the bureaucratic red tape that stood in the way of her achieving her dream of becoming a pilot.
The bevy of secondary characters truly made this story a five star read for me, especially as Spensa dispensed with the bravado and began interacting with her flightmates and forging friendships. M-Bot is without a doubt my favorite character. His dialogue often reminded me of Mordin from Mass Effect and had me giggling and texting quotes to my husband.
Cobb is a close second. Most of the secondary characters were colorful and engaging almost in a way that you expect from the main character. Sanderson truly has a talent for creating relatable characters.
I highly recommend Skyward for basically everyone. It would be a great choice if you are thinking about reading some science fiction for the first time but don’t want to be overwhelmed with techy jargon. The young adult aspect helped water down the tech nonsense to a palatable form. It was a wonderful surprise to love this book as much as I did. I had plenty of rage moments, and I honestly thought about sending a scathing letter to Sanderson after a particular moment but that just shows how invested I became in the world he created. I am anxiously waiting for the next book in the series to get some answers about the Krell and history of humanity.
