Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Delacorte Press (New York, 2018). 1st edition, 1st printing. 528 pages. $19.99.
Description
When a long-term attack against her world by the alien Krell escalates, Spensa's dream of becoming a pilot may come true, despite her deceased father being labeled a deserter.
User reviews
LibraryThing member foggidawn
Spensa has dreamed of being a fighter pilot like her father ever since she can remember. Unfortunately, her father fled from a pivotal battle and was shot down by his own squadron and branded a coward, so the likelihood of her being allowed to attend flight school, much less pilot a spacecraft,
This is a fast, gripping read. I never liked Spensa much, but in spite of that, I found myself wanting her to succeed. (And many of the secondary characters were a lot of fun.) The plotting is all you might expect from Sanderson, with twists and turns galore. Improbable points in the worldbuilding turn out to fit perfectly within the book's internal logic later on, and the book is wrapped up satisfactorily, though the promised sequel can't come soon enough. If you enjoy sci-fi, or Sanderson's other books, don't miss this one.
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seems pretty low. Spensa knows that her father was a hero, not a coward -- and she also knows that she could be the best pilot on the planet if they would just let her. Can her sheer determination to find a way or make one get her where she wants to go?This is a fast, gripping read. I never liked Spensa much, but in spite of that, I found myself wanting her to succeed. (And many of the secondary characters were a lot of fun.) The plotting is all you might expect from Sanderson, with twists and turns galore. Improbable points in the worldbuilding turn out to fit perfectly within the book's internal logic later on, and the book is wrapped up satisfactorily, though the promised sequel can't come soon enough. If you enjoy sci-fi, or Sanderson's other books, don't miss this one.
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LibraryThing member Narilka
Spensa has dreamed her whole life of becoming a fighter pilot just like her father. More than anything she wants to prove herself to be brave and strong, to do her part defending humanity against an unending alien invasion. Unfortunately her father was branded a coward when he unexpectedly deserted
Skyward is the first book in the new YA series by Brandon Sanderson. I was fortunate enough to attend one of the book tour events and got to hear Brandon describe his vision for the book. He's always loved those "boy and his dragon" type stories, yet they've been done and done by some pretty great authors already. Eventually the idea morphed into "a girl and her starship" and the story of Skyward was born. In Brandon's own words the story is like "a mashup between Top Gun and Ender's Game and How to Train Your Dragon with an old broken-down spaceship with a really weird personality." Yes, it is exactly as much fun as it sounds.
Spensa is the type of plucky heroine I enjoy from YA stories. Having grown up branded as a "coward's daughter" has definitely had it's impact on her personality. She's brash and prone to rash action in an attempt to prove herself brave. She gives some quirky speeches about "crushing her enemies" that are downright hilarious. She's charmingly socially awkward which I think will be quite relatable to many of all age groups. It was so much fun tagging along on her coming of age journey. Spensa has a great supporting cast with her teacher, flight-mates, the ship and Doomslug. I don't want to say too much other than they are quite memorable and it's interesting to watch them all go on their own character arcs to greater and lesser degrees.
The world building is excellent. It's a slow reveal throughout the story. As with many of Sanderson's works, this world feels like a real place you can go visit. Just enough background information is given and yet I was left wanting to know more as there are definitely some mysteries needing to be uncovered. The technology of the world is quite interesting and Sanderson really did his homework making it all sound plausible. The aerial combat is spectacular.
Even though this book is YA, I was fully engrossed by the story. The writing is accessible, making it a fairly quick read. No, it doesn't quite have the depth as his other "adult" books, but that's ok. The book is highly enjoyable and I can't wait to see what happens next. Thankfully it won't be too long of a wait as book two has already gone to the publisher.
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his team and was shot down. Living under her father's shadow means Spensa's future entrance into flight academy is uncertain at best.Skyward is the first book in the new YA series by Brandon Sanderson. I was fortunate enough to attend one of the book tour events and got to hear Brandon describe his vision for the book. He's always loved those "boy and his dragon" type stories, yet they've been done and done by some pretty great authors already. Eventually the idea morphed into "a girl and her starship" and the story of Skyward was born. In Brandon's own words the story is like "a mashup between Top Gun and Ender's Game and How to Train Your Dragon with an old broken-down spaceship with a really weird personality." Yes, it is exactly as much fun as it sounds.
Spensa is the type of plucky heroine I enjoy from YA stories. Having grown up branded as a "coward's daughter" has definitely had it's impact on her personality. She's brash and prone to rash action in an attempt to prove herself brave. She gives some quirky speeches about "crushing her enemies" that are downright hilarious. She's charmingly socially awkward which I think will be quite relatable to many of all age groups. It was so much fun tagging along on her coming of age journey. Spensa has a great supporting cast with her teacher, flight-mates, the ship and Doomslug. I don't want to say too much other than they are quite memorable and it's interesting to watch them all go on their own character arcs to greater and lesser degrees.
The world building is excellent. It's a slow reveal throughout the story. As with many of Sanderson's works, this world feels like a real place you can go visit. Just enough background information is given and yet I was left wanting to know more as there are definitely some mysteries needing to be uncovered. The technology of the world is quite interesting and Sanderson really did his homework making it all sound plausible. The aerial combat is spectacular.
Even though this book is YA, I was fully engrossed by the story. The writing is accessible, making it a fairly quick read. No, it doesn't quite have the depth as his other "adult" books, but that's ok. The book is highly enjoyable and I can't wait to see what happens next. Thankfully it won't be too long of a wait as book two has already gone to the publisher.
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LibraryThing member kinwolf
I always get the feeling that books tagged "Young Adult" means "Good plot, but with gaping holes that adults will spot from a miles away, oh, and quickly written"
This book is yet another confirmation of that personal definition. There are some great chapters in this book, some awesome moments too,
3 stars and half.
This book is yet another confirmation of that personal definition. There are some great chapters in this book, some awesome moments too,
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but there are also some very weak ones, especially at the beginning and at the end. Some of the greatest moments are also at the end, so it's really a rollercoaster of awe and frustration reading the last 50 pages. You go "YES!" but the next page you go "Uh, what's that, he's taking me for an idiot who can't follow a plot or what?" I won't give examples in this review to keep it spoilers free, but this book felt like most books that Brandon Sanderson wrote in only a few months, meaning he got a really good plot in his head, but delivered it way too quickly and slapped a YA tag to it. You only need to read one book of The Sormlight Archive to see what greatness he can produce... when taking his time.3 stars and half.
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LibraryThing member quondame
Lackluster account of a teen girl who needs to be 'space' fighter, gets into flight school by skin of teeth but without support of admin so she has to take care of herself. Lots of improbabilities and absurdities within a pretty contrived system, but of course she proves herself and justifies her
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existence in grand ways. Light on coupling, significant body count, but our guys are fighting drones, so that's fine. Way too long and detailed for the actual content and few whiffs of originality. Show Less
LibraryThing member kgodey
SKYWARD is the first (and so for, only) book in Brandon Sanderson’s newest YA/adult crossover series. I was worried that it wouldn’t be as good as some of his other work because I found his previous YA series (The Reckoners) a little weak, but I pre-ordered it the minute I saw it was available
The book is set on Detritus, a planet where a human fleet crash-landed a few decades ago but can’t leave because of constant attacks from mysterious aliens. It is told from the first person viewpoint of Spensa, a teenage girl who wants nothing more than to become a fighter pilot and repair the legacy of her father, who was branded a coward after he fled during a pitched space battle.
I’m a big fan of coming of age stories that involve the underdog protagonist going to an exclusive institution and excelling despite the odds. I also enjoy the “dragon rider” trope. SKYWARD is a mashup of these two sub-genres (albeit with a sentient starfighter instead of a dragon) and I loved every minute of it. All of Brandon Sanderson’s books are cinematic, but this one was even more so because there are so many great depictions of fighter pilots already in movies and TV (my imagination drew especially from Top Gun and Battlestar Galactica). It takes its time in building an immersive world but never takes its foot off the accelerator.
Spensa starts off (like most teenagers) very sure that she knows who she is and what she wants to be, but going from living a relatively safe life to being on the front lines of a war means that she doesn’t get to hold on to her illusions for very long. I really enjoyed seeing her grow and gain the skills to back up her initial bluster. I wish M Bot (her starfighter) had been developed a little more, I think the idea was to make him seem broken and somewhat naive, but he came off mostly just as juvenile. To be fair, he didn’t have a lot of page time; I assume that his character will be explored further in later books.
I was both satisfied in the end and impatient for more because SKYWARD does a great job of both telling a complete story and opening up a bunch of new questions. I’m glad that the next book (STARSIGHT) is coming out this year, even if I have to wait until fall to read it.
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anyway because he’s is one of my favorite authors and even a mediocre book from him is a lot of fun.The book is set on Detritus, a planet where a human fleet crash-landed a few decades ago but can’t leave because of constant attacks from mysterious aliens. It is told from the first person viewpoint of Spensa, a teenage girl who wants nothing more than to become a fighter pilot and repair the legacy of her father, who was branded a coward after he fled during a pitched space battle.
I’m a big fan of coming of age stories that involve the underdog protagonist going to an exclusive institution and excelling despite the odds. I also enjoy the “dragon rider” trope. SKYWARD is a mashup of these two sub-genres (albeit with a sentient starfighter instead of a dragon) and I loved every minute of it. All of Brandon Sanderson’s books are cinematic, but this one was even more so because there are so many great depictions of fighter pilots already in movies and TV (my imagination drew especially from Top Gun and Battlestar Galactica). It takes its time in building an immersive world but never takes its foot off the accelerator.
Spensa starts off (like most teenagers) very sure that she knows who she is and what she wants to be, but going from living a relatively safe life to being on the front lines of a war means that she doesn’t get to hold on to her illusions for very long. I really enjoyed seeing her grow and gain the skills to back up her initial bluster. I wish M Bot (her starfighter) had been developed a little more, I think the idea was to make him seem broken and somewhat naive, but he came off mostly just as juvenile. To be fair, he didn’t have a lot of page time; I assume that his character will be explored further in later books.
I was both satisfied in the end and impatient for more because SKYWARD does a great job of both telling a complete story and opening up a bunch of new questions. I’m glad that the next book (STARSIGHT) is coming out this year, even if I have to wait until fall to read it.
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LibraryThing member Guide2
Sci-fi YA novel which is a new avenue fro Sanderson. Not his best work, but still really enjoyable. You do need to get very close to the end before getting some of the answers that make the whole world building more believable, but I guess you always have to have confidence in this author's skill!
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LibraryThing member Herenya
A girl and her starship, on a planet where most people live safely underground and the stars are obscured by a layer of space junk. Spensa is determined become a fighter-pilot, like her father. She’s convinced that the public story about her father’s final flight isn’t true, but because of
This is hardly first story I’ve encountered about a teenage underdog attending a specialised school/training program, overcoming obstacles and ultimately making friends, but it’s such a fun trope. This take on it has a lot of things I like: Teamwork! Flying! Mystery! An AI with personality (and probably also feelings)! The twists are satisfying and some of the characters are prone to spouting oddly amusing things.
There are two areas in which this book doesn’t score as highly as the rest. Some of the training/fight sequences are too long (although I suspect that would actually appeal to some readers).
Also, while the narrative handles some of Spensa’s emotions really effectively, there are times when it needed to show, rather than tell, what she is feeling or what she’s just learnt. There was opportunity for some of her realisations to be a bit less 'insert important lesson here', for her emotions to be more nuanced and for Spensa herself -- who is in many ways straightforward and single-minded -- to be a bit more complicated.
That’s not a criticism I’ve had about Sanderson’s other books. I don’t know if Skyward’s first-person POV made it too easy to just tell the reader things, or if Sanderson has allowed protagonists in his other books more emotional ambiguity, or if my expectations are different because Skyward is Young Adult.
I still enjoyed it. I’ll read the sequel.
“So…,” I said. “You're saying that by the end of our training, you expect us to be able to use grappling hooks made of energy to smash our enemies with flaming chunks of space debris?”
“Yes.”
“That…,” I whispered, “that’s the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.”
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his reputation, she encounters opposition and discrimination when she tries to follow in his footsteps.This is hardly first story I’ve encountered about a teenage underdog attending a specialised school/training program, overcoming obstacles and ultimately making friends, but it’s such a fun trope. This take on it has a lot of things I like: Teamwork! Flying! Mystery! An AI with personality (and probably also feelings)! The twists are satisfying and some of the characters are prone to spouting oddly amusing things.
There are two areas in which this book doesn’t score as highly as the rest. Some of the training/fight sequences are too long (although I suspect that would actually appeal to some readers).
Also, while the narrative handles some of Spensa’s emotions really effectively, there are times when it needed to show, rather than tell, what she is feeling or what she’s just learnt. There was opportunity for some of her realisations to be a bit less 'insert important lesson here', for her emotions to be more nuanced and for Spensa herself -- who is in many ways straightforward and single-minded -- to be a bit more complicated.
That’s not a criticism I’ve had about Sanderson’s other books. I don’t know if Skyward’s first-person POV made it too easy to just tell the reader things, or if Sanderson has allowed protagonists in his other books more emotional ambiguity, or if my expectations are different because Skyward is Young Adult.
I still enjoyed it. I’ll read the sequel.
“So…,” I said. “You're saying that by the end of our training, you expect us to be able to use grappling hooks made of energy to smash our enemies with flaming chunks of space debris?”
“Yes.”
“That…,” I whispered, “that’s the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.”
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the first book in the four book Skyward series. It was very good and very well written. I enjoyed it but didn't love it. I thought the story was a bit slow to start and wasn't a huge fan of the setting or main character. However, Spin did grow on me over time as she matured and started to
Spensa (call name Spin) lives on a world constantly under attack by aliens. The only hope against these attacks are the pilots that fight daily to save humanity. Spensa desperately wants to go to flight school and become a pilot, however her father was labeled a deserter and this means that Spensa and her family are pariahs to society. Spensa manages to fight her way into flight school but is slowly finding out that she doesn’t have the whole story about her father’s past.
I loved all the interesting characters and enjoyed some of the twists presented at the end of the book. The story was engaging and flowed nicely. There are lots of excellent action scenes and I also enjoyed some of the survival things in here.
I am not a huge fan of miltary books, especially when they are about flying. This isn’t a topic that’s ever really appealed to me; but Sanderson made it interesting enough and fast-paced enough that I enjoyed it.
Overall I ended up enjoying this story and I plan on continuing with the series. This book is more similar to “The Reckoners” in writing style than Sanderson's other epic fantasy series. I still enjoy the epic fantasy stories more but these sci-fi series are intriguing too.
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think more about her actions.Spensa (call name Spin) lives on a world constantly under attack by aliens. The only hope against these attacks are the pilots that fight daily to save humanity. Spensa desperately wants to go to flight school and become a pilot, however her father was labeled a deserter and this means that Spensa and her family are pariahs to society. Spensa manages to fight her way into flight school but is slowly finding out that she doesn’t have the whole story about her father’s past.
I loved all the interesting characters and enjoyed some of the twists presented at the end of the book. The story was engaging and flowed nicely. There are lots of excellent action scenes and I also enjoyed some of the survival things in here.
I am not a huge fan of miltary books, especially when they are about flying. This isn’t a topic that’s ever really appealed to me; but Sanderson made it interesting enough and fast-paced enough that I enjoyed it.
Overall I ended up enjoying this story and I plan on continuing with the series. This book is more similar to “The Reckoners” in writing style than Sanderson's other epic fantasy series. I still enjoy the epic fantasy stories more but these sci-fi series are intriguing too.
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LibraryThing member malexmave
Sanderson did it again. I don't know how he does it, but almost everything he touches turns to gold, and so did his take on SciFi. An excellent book, and I loved the narration by Suzy Jackson on the audiobook.
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Fun. All of Brandon's books are fun. This is a YA mil-SF (already an odd combination, and a departure into SF for the otherwise fantasy centred Sanderson) featuring young girl growing up in a military academy, pretty standard fare for the genre, but well executed and fast paced as ever.
Spin (her
As is disappointingly oft the case in YA books, there's some major continuity issues, most especially regarding the spaceship she and Rog start repairing. For a start it never seems to need it's powerpack recharging although Spin had to go to great lengths to get hold of one sufficiently capable. And very suddenly indeed most of it's critical functions switched on when needed. Spin herself seemed to thrive on just rat and mushrooms which is hardly fulfilling even minimum dietary requirements. Another very common problem Sanderson also encounters is making sense of 3D space battles within limited prose, here he's just tended to describe a few maneuvers, and leave it up to the reader to guess what's actually happening, it certainly doesn't feel like he has a grasp of where the ships are at any moment. The physics of the light lance are just ridiculous, and even worse is when Spin manages to throw it up a cliff.
But for all that it is fun. There's some real poignancy to realising your dreams are not always what you thought they'd be, and still trying to do your best anyway. I'll probably read the rest of the series because it's Sanderson, but he should maybe stick to what he's best at which is inventing fascinating new magic systems.
Spin (her
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pilot's callsign but used by everybody) has always wanted to be a pilot like her late father. She's never believed the official tales that he was a coward and fled from battle - the stigma that;s haunted her whole life but hasn't, quite, prevented her from getting into the space cadets. Her one wish is help save their world from the strange alien invaders who descend almost with regularity. Cadet training itself only takes a few months (which is ridiculously short even if people have already had the theory down pat), and before she knows it Spin is flying for real and it's everything she ever dreamed of. However, not unexpectedly, everything soon comes crashing down and she's left on her own resources again, but luck plays an important part in her salvaging as much honour as she can.As is disappointingly oft the case in YA books, there's some major continuity issues, most especially regarding the spaceship she and Rog start repairing. For a start it never seems to need it's powerpack recharging although Spin had to go to great lengths to get hold of one sufficiently capable. And very suddenly indeed most of it's critical functions switched on when needed. Spin herself seemed to thrive on just rat and mushrooms which is hardly fulfilling even minimum dietary requirements. Another very common problem Sanderson also encounters is making sense of 3D space battles within limited prose, here he's just tended to describe a few maneuvers, and leave it up to the reader to guess what's actually happening, it certainly doesn't feel like he has a grasp of where the ships are at any moment. The physics of the light lance are just ridiculous, and even worse is when Spin manages to throw it up a cliff.
But for all that it is fun. There's some real poignancy to realising your dreams are not always what you thought they'd be, and still trying to do your best anyway. I'll probably read the rest of the series because it's Sanderson, but he should maybe stick to what he's best at which is inventing fascinating new magic systems.
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LibraryThing member JennyNau10
Spensa I'm starfighter pilot is right up there with Katniss and Tris as a girl-power hero as far as I'm concerned. I liked her and her family. Especially her Gran-Gran:
"People need stories, child. They bring us hope, and that hope is real. If that's the case, what does it matter whether people in
In this story, there was a battle between humans and aliens. The humans eventually landed on this planet and settled in small segregated groups. Anytime they built anything that advanced humanity, the Krell (alien race) would destroy it.
The Krell sounded very familiar to me. I knew I had heard the term before and google me that the word Krell is in Star Wars, Star Trek, and the Marvel Universe. If I ever write SciFi- I pledge to call the aliens something else. Other than that one name, I thought the World Building was terrific.
Anyhow, Spensa dreams of being a pilot and has to work twice as hard to achieve that goal, as most candidates because her Father died under mysterious circumstances as a pilot. Hardly anyone knows what happened back then until Spensa starts flying herself around in an AI-powered starship!
The author describes this plot as How to Train Your Dragon meets Top Gun and Enders Game. I think that's an accurate description, and if that kind of book suits you- you'll want to pick this up along with the sequel: Starsight on November 26, 2019.
"People need stories, child. They bring us hope, and that hope is real. If that's the case, what does it matter whether people in
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them lived?"In this story, there was a battle between humans and aliens. The humans eventually landed on this planet and settled in small segregated groups. Anytime they built anything that advanced humanity, the Krell (alien race) would destroy it.
The Krell sounded very familiar to me. I knew I had heard the term before and google me that the word Krell is in Star Wars, Star Trek, and the Marvel Universe. If I ever write SciFi- I pledge to call the aliens something else. Other than that one name, I thought the World Building was terrific.
Anyhow, Spensa dreams of being a pilot and has to work twice as hard to achieve that goal, as most candidates because her Father died under mysterious circumstances as a pilot. Hardly anyone knows what happened back then until Spensa starts flying herself around in an AI-powered starship!
The author describes this plot as How to Train Your Dragon meets Top Gun and Enders Game. I think that's an accurate description, and if that kind of book suits you- you'll want to pick this up along with the sequel: Starsight on November 26, 2019.
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LibraryThing member bookwren
A fun, mostly fast read: a bit slow in the middle, but the ending made it worthwhile. Lots of character growth.
LibraryThing member SChant
Acceptable YA girl from the wrong side of the tracks makes good story. Too many space battles, could have been shorter.
LibraryThing member yvonnekins
My immediate reaction to this is that I never thought I'd be so invested in the relationship between a girl and her spaceship, and yet here I am.
This is a hard one to rate for me because the end of the book is probably a 5-star rating, but the first 300-400 pages were solidly at a 3-star. I'm going
My main issue throughout this book was the writing style. I'm not a fan of first-person point-of-view in general, and though there are some exceptions to that rule this was not one of them. I had a hard time feeling fully immersed in the story for a good chunk of the book because of that style. It was also a very simplistic style in terms of diction and syntax and things were very face-value. I understand with YA that's to be expected, but it did negatively affect my enjoyment regardless.
Spin is such a great main character. She's genuinely flawed: she's naive, she's hot-headed and impulsive, she's stubborn, she's rude. I loved her for that. She's not necessarily a likable main character, but she is relatable in that she has flaws and she struggles with those flaws... but she also grows, and without her flaws that growth wouldn't exist. I loved the character progression, I loved her flaws, I just really appreciated all of that.
Unfortunately, all of the side characters felt one-dimensional to me. I love M-Bot. The others I don't really care for. (view spoiler) I'm hoping that Jorgen, Rig, and some of the others will be more fleshed out in the next book which I need in my hands right now immediately.
The pacing of this book is what I've come to expect of Sanderson. It starts off pretty good, then it sort of hits a part in the middle where it's not quite dragging but I'm not wholly invested, and then the ending slaps me in the face but in a good way. I liked the plot, and the mystery element really kept me reading through the parts I had trouble immersing myself in the story. I think that this is a good start to a series, and I enjoyed it and will be continuing. That all being said, I understand the people who rated this 5-stars as much as those who were underwhelmed by it and gave it 3-stars, which is a weird spot to be in.
This is a hard one to rate for me because the end of the book is probably a 5-star rating, but the first 300-400 pages were solidly at a 3-star. I'm going
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to go with a 4-star to split the difference. Sanderson endings really just do something to my rating system where I'm so sure nothing will happen that will make the book more than what I've been reading it as, and often endings will make me knock a star off, but Sanderson always does the opposite, and damn this ending.My main issue throughout this book was the writing style. I'm not a fan of first-person point-of-view in general, and though there are some exceptions to that rule this was not one of them. I had a hard time feeling fully immersed in the story for a good chunk of the book because of that style. It was also a very simplistic style in terms of diction and syntax and things were very face-value. I understand with YA that's to be expected, but it did negatively affect my enjoyment regardless.
Spin is such a great main character. She's genuinely flawed: she's naive, she's hot-headed and impulsive, she's stubborn, she's rude. I loved her for that. She's not necessarily a likable main character, but she is relatable in that she has flaws and she struggles with those flaws... but she also grows, and without her flaws that growth wouldn't exist. I loved the character progression, I loved her flaws, I just really appreciated all of that.
Unfortunately, all of the side characters felt one-dimensional to me. I love M-Bot. The others I don't really care for. (view spoiler) I'm hoping that Jorgen, Rig, and some of the others will be more fleshed out in the next book which I need in my hands right now immediately.
The pacing of this book is what I've come to expect of Sanderson. It starts off pretty good, then it sort of hits a part in the middle where it's not quite dragging but I'm not wholly invested, and then the ending slaps me in the face but in a good way. I liked the plot, and the mystery element really kept me reading through the parts I had trouble immersing myself in the story. I think that this is a good start to a series, and I enjoyed it and will be continuing. That all being said, I understand the people who rated this 5-stars as much as those who were underwhelmed by it and gave it 3-stars, which is a weird spot to be in.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
a story of a world under constant alien attack and one girl's effort to overcome her father's supposed betrayal. Meanwhile humanity on this world is diminishing and the death of everyone is on the cards But not everything is as it seems and maybe it will be one girl, Spensa, who will uncover the
I enjoyed it enough to recommend my husband tried it.
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truth.I enjoyed it enough to recommend my husband tried it.
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LibraryThing member elam11
This is the first book in a while that I read in basically one sitting (and a physical book, no less!).
On the one hand, nothing crazy-innovative here in terms of plot or even characters, though I enjoyed Spensa's dramatic bloodlust declarations! Also, and I'm very picky about this, it felt like
Other small detriments: it was still pretty easy to spot who had plot armor on, despite other character deaths. The plot felt slight uneven in-world, the the crew being sortied several times while going through a very brief training period.Honestly the plot was a bit predictable, including the save at the end.
On the other hand, it was still a great read! Spensa goes through some good character development that felt earned. She feels authentic throughout. There's no romantic plot tumor(s). Funny parts were funny. And as I said, I plowed through this book, reading past my bedtime. Every time you do that, an author gets their jollies.
On the one hand, nothing crazy-innovative here in terms of plot or even characters, though I enjoyed Spensa's dramatic bloodlust declarations! Also, and I'm very picky about this, it felt like
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the teenage fighter pilots were somewhat justified by plot revelations as opposed to the usual "this book is marketed at teens, therefore teens are the most competent heroes in the world" schlock. Other small detriments: it was still pretty easy to spot who had plot armor on, despite other character deaths. The plot felt slight uneven in-world, the the crew being sortied several times while going through a very brief training period.
On the other hand, it was still a great read! Spensa goes through some good character development that felt earned. She feels authentic throughout. There's no romantic plot tumor(s). Funny parts were funny. And as I said, I plowed through this book, reading past my bedtime. Every time you do that, an author gets their jollies.
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LibraryThing member rakerman
In a way this is a very odd story of an extreme outsider. I don't know how well it would work just reading it to yourself. I liked the flight dynamics (the different ways the ships could maneuver). I also liked the sense of a society trapped into endless battles. I appreciated the author's choice
Unabridged audiobook read by Suzy Jackson:
I enjoyed the audiobook, Suzy Jackson has a strong voice for Spensa ("Spin") and does good voices for the other characters, including her classmates. She does a particularly good job with the crazy-sane AI.
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to have things get worse and worse.Unabridged audiobook read by Suzy Jackson:
I enjoyed the audiobook, Suzy Jackson has a strong voice for Spensa ("Spin") and does good voices for the other characters, including her classmates. She does a particularly good job with the crazy-sane AI.
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LibraryThing member aarondesk
Great book. Like so many Sanderson books it has a riveting plot, memorable characters, and a cool premise. It was nice to see Sanderson branch out into sci-fi.
LibraryThing member avanders
Perfection.
Review based on audio book at 1.5x speed.
Review based on audio book at 1.5x speed.
LibraryThing member CharlotteBurt
I can see what all the hype is about now. A really good story with a flawed hero you can root for. Good world-building. And even a slightly insane AI character to boot. I really enjoyed it, and can't wait to get my hands on the second book.
LibraryThing member Merlucito
I'm glad I don't have to wait for the second book. I'll just pick it up right now! I really liked this book!
What I liked:
- The characters
They all were really great to follow. I enjoyed their distinct personalities, their personal stories (of the ones we got to see) and the dynamic and friendship(my poor little boy died too son but I liked him anyway) and Jorgen, but my favorite has to be M-Bot. My god, what a machine lol
Spensa was a great protagonist! A little over the top sometimes, but I understand where she's coming from so it didn't bother me much.
- The world
Well, is Sanderson after all, isn't it? The world building is fantastic. Very intriguing and vivid. I'm always fascinated by sci-fi worlds and this one is just so intriguing that I can't wait to read more about it.
- The stakes
I love my book to have dead, blood and destruction. That's the kind of reader and writer that I am. So, feeling the fear of these kids not coming back from battle, every time they go into the sky was just... perfect. I couldn't ask for more.
What I didn't like:
- The ending
For some reason it felt really abrupt. I don't know. It was like it needed more pages, another chapter maybe. It seemed... rushed. Also I kind of figured out the situation with the Krell, what was going on. That doesn't make it bad, of course, but I don't know I just expected a little more... and yes, I know is YA but still (?
Aaaaaand that's it. I hope I can read the second soon.
What I liked:
- The characters
They all were really great to follow. I enjoyed their distinct personalities, their personal stories (of the ones we got to see) and the dynamic and friendship
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between them. Quirk won my heart almost immediately, as well as Bim Spensa was a great protagonist! A little over the top sometimes, but I understand where she's coming from so it didn't bother me much.
- The world
Well, is Sanderson after all, isn't it? The world building is fantastic. Very intriguing and vivid. I'm always fascinated by sci-fi worlds and this one is just so intriguing that I can't wait to read more about it.
- The stakes
I love my book to have dead, blood and destruction. That's the kind of reader and writer that I am. So, feeling the fear of these kids not coming back from battle, every time they go into the sky was just... perfect. I couldn't ask for more.
What I didn't like:
- The ending
For some reason it felt really abrupt. I don't know. It was like it needed more pages, another chapter maybe. It seemed... rushed. Also I kind of figured out the situation with the Krell, what was going on. That doesn't make it bad, of course, but I don't know I just expected a little more... and yes, I know is YA but still (?
Aaaaaand that's it. I hope I can read the second soon.
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LibraryThing member Belana
What a great space opera! I hadn't read any science fiction for a while, but listening to this book makes me wonder why I strayed into other genres.
The narration is perfect, and i now bought the sequel with the same narrator, although another version with a British accent (which I generally
in this book, we have great characters, and they don't prove to be what they seem at first impression.
the character development is very good, and the story gripped me right from the start.
The narration is perfect, and i now bought the sequel with the same narrator, although another version with a British accent (which I generally
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prefer) is available. However, that narrator sounds way too old for the voice of the heroine. in this book, we have great characters, and they don't prove to be what they seem at first impression.
the character development is very good, and the story gripped me right from the start.
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LibraryThing member madcurrin
Good fun. A bit of Top Gun, a bit of Battlestar Galactica, a bit of Knight Rider - undemanding and derivative in a good way, with interesting universe-building to keep it fresh.
LibraryThing member yonitdm
I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters and the world building were incredible. I'm really excited to read the next one and see how the story continues to unfold there's so much here. The author could go back in time and write about how the world got to be how it is now. He can go
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forward following characters. He could take a short jump back to just the previous generation. I'm hoping he delves in and lets us know all the questions we have have answers. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tatoosh
Skyward is a brilliant story that signals Brandon Sanderson may one day deserve serious consideration for enshrinement in the science fiction hall of fame. Aspiring writers will find excellent examples of character development, world-building, and action scenes that are integrated into the plot and
Spensa is the outcast daughter of a disgraced fighter pilot widely despised for his cowardice during an epic battle for the survival of the human race. Essential to her identity is the belief that her father was not a coward but the victim of vicious political slander. Her only goal is to gain entry to pilot school, become a world-renowned fighter pilot, expose the true story and redeem her father’s name and the family’s reputation. Opposing Spensa is Admiral Judy Ironsides, leader of the planet’s military forces. Ironsides was the flight leader during the fateful battle in which Spensa’s father was shot down by his wingman because he turned and ran from the enemy. Admiral Ironside is convinced a genetic anomaly caused his behavior, and Spensa has the same defect. Ironside will go to any length to stop Spensa from completing pilot training.
This classic tale of good attempting to overcome evil in a quest for redemption is gripping because of Sanderson’s mastery of the craft of storytelling. Spensa learns that her father was not the innocent victim of slander, she presumed. She comes to question her courage and the meaning of cowardice and to fear that she may have the same defect her father possessed. At her nadir, her beliefs, self-concept, and goals have all been stripped from her. She is left with little more than her belligerent personality, the realization that she may be a coward, and the fear that she has a defect that will lead to disaster for herself and humankind.
I won’t say much about the world-building to avoid spoilers, but it is important to note that the world Sanderson constructed is an essential element of the story.
Sanderson’s seamless integration of information into the story is masterful. For example, the fights between the human fighters and the alien Krell occur amid debris falling from the sky. At first, this seems like an implausible detail added to make the battle scenes more alien. Yet mid-story, we learn that this detail is essential to the world Sanderson constructed. Less talented writers might have provided a boring information dump early in the story to justify its inclusion. Waiting to insert an explanation of the debris into the ongoing flow of the story allowed the plot to move forward while providing a compelling solution to a nagging mystery that was allowed to remain unsolved until the optimal moment. Time and again, Sanderson parcels out information about the world and the characters in a way that enhances the story.
This is the first of three story in Sanderson’s Skyward series. Sequels are often disappointing after an excellent first novel. I will be disappointed if that is the case, but the sequels should be worth reading even if they fall short of this masterful beginning.
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advance the story. Others will enjoy a riveting tale in which things are seldom as they first seem.Spensa is the outcast daughter of a disgraced fighter pilot widely despised for his cowardice during an epic battle for the survival of the human race. Essential to her identity is the belief that her father was not a coward but the victim of vicious political slander. Her only goal is to gain entry to pilot school, become a world-renowned fighter pilot, expose the true story and redeem her father’s name and the family’s reputation. Opposing Spensa is Admiral Judy Ironsides, leader of the planet’s military forces. Ironsides was the flight leader during the fateful battle in which Spensa’s father was shot down by his wingman because he turned and ran from the enemy. Admiral Ironside is convinced a genetic anomaly caused his behavior, and Spensa has the same defect. Ironside will go to any length to stop Spensa from completing pilot training.
This classic tale of good attempting to overcome evil in a quest for redemption is gripping because of Sanderson’s mastery of the craft of storytelling. Spensa learns that her father was not the innocent victim of slander, she presumed. She comes to question her courage and the meaning of cowardice and to fear that she may have the same defect her father possessed. At her nadir, her beliefs, self-concept, and goals have all been stripped from her. She is left with little more than her belligerent personality, the realization that she may be a coward, and the fear that she has a defect that will lead to disaster for herself and humankind.
I won’t say much about the world-building to avoid spoilers, but it is important to note that the world Sanderson constructed is an essential element of the story.
Sanderson’s seamless integration of information into the story is masterful. For example, the fights between the human fighters and the alien Krell occur amid debris falling from the sky. At first, this seems like an implausible detail added to make the battle scenes more alien. Yet mid-story, we learn that this detail is essential to the world Sanderson constructed. Less talented writers might have provided a boring information dump early in the story to justify its inclusion. Waiting to insert an explanation of the debris into the ongoing flow of the story allowed the plot to move forward while providing a compelling solution to a nagging mystery that was allowed to remain unsolved until the optimal moment. Time and again, Sanderson parcels out information about the world and the characters in a way that enhances the story.
This is the first of three story in Sanderson’s Skyward series. Sequels are often disappointing after an excellent first novel. I will be disappointed if that is the case, but the sequels should be worth reading even if they fall short of this masterful beginning.
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Awards
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2021)
Iowa Teen Award (Nominee — 2021)
South Dakota Teen Choice Book Awards (Nominee — 2021)
Association for Mormon Letters Award (Finalist — Young Adult Novel — 2018)
Truman Readers Award (Nominee — 2021)
Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists (Selection — 2019)
Evergreen Teen Book Award (Nominee — Middle School — 2021)
Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers (Honor Book — 2021)
Sakura Medal (Middle School — 2020)
Tome Society It List (2021)
Idaho Battle of the Books (2024)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2018-11-06
Physical description
528 p.; 6.44 inches
ISBN
9780399555770