Skyward
Ratings599
Average rating4.4
Really cool concept for a graphic novel. Gorgeously illustrated. Will definitely check out other volumes.
Overview: A good old fashioned adventure story with good morals, action sequences and teamwork. Suitable for adults from ages 10ish to 2000.
On 1st Reading: An SF adventure that is seriously hard to put down. This book focuses on the struggles of one character yet feels like it is laying the groundwork for a much more epic adventure. I am glad it took me a while to get round to reading this book because I so want to get my hands on the sequel when it comes out later this month.
On 2nd Reading: OK this is fun. That's pretty much all I need to say, but really Mr Sanderson packs it with an intriguing mystery, likable characters (especially M-Bot!) great humour (mushrooms!) and a way of writing action sequences that pull you right in. A really good read.
On 3rd Reading Still good :-)
Sanderson but simplified and Sci Fi
Initial impressions of Sanderson's first foray into Sci Fi were that it felt quite simplistic and most certainly written for a younger audience. However, this played into a very positive aspect as it allowed the book to be read quickly and flow smoothly.
This book has arguably my favourite character in any book, ever. I've never read dialogue and had to stifle an audible laugh. The character brought constant joy and really shows Sanderson's personality.
Finally, the story constantly gives you little snippets to keep you reading and the finale is fantastic, if not a little rushed. I really felt like this could be a phenomenal 2.5hr movie. It would make a phenomenal Sci Fi version of Hunger Games - powerful female lead, “chosen one” vibes, a great political intrigue and the same audience. Definitely read!
That. Freaking. Ending.
Are you serious??
I need the next book. NOW. I need answers and I don't want to wait to have the complete series.
For Stormlight fans: this YA, soft sci-fi book reminded me heavily—in the best ways possible—of the Shattered Plains scenes from The Way of Kings, except with Starfighters instead of ladders and shards, Krell instead of Parshmen, Acclivity rings instead of gemhearts, and Spensa instead of Kaladin. Further comparisons could spoil the story, for example... M-Bot is Syl, and Spensa's growing magical bond with M-Bot unlocks some important superpowers for the sequel..
It was also reminiscent of Ender's Game and Armada but, in many ways, more fun and gripping than either.
This book really takes you along for the journey in such a way that you, as the reader, feel that you have grown with the main character Spensa. By the time the book was done, I felt wiser, like I had been through all the same growth that Spensa had except in just the few days it took me to read this book. I loved that I really couldn't quite guess where the book was going. Hints were dropped, but they were so expertly weaved within the story that I really didn't see the twists coming. I can't wait to read the next book!
“I shall hunt your firstborn children and laugh with glee as I tell them of your death in terrible detail, with many unpleasant adjectives. “
4 stars because the beginning had too much arguing going on between teammates and as realistic as that was, I always like it better when characters get along and have each other's back. (Nyxia book 1 did the same thing and then we got better team interactions in book 2 which was 5 stars).
Parts 4 and 5 were really good and gave me more heart-to-heart between the team.
- Favorite character: M-bot! Broken-down AI's are always the best!
- Least favorite: Ironsides (pffffffft!) How petty can you be towards a teenager?
- Initially-didn't-like-but-grew-on-me: Jerkface :D
- Too pure for this world: Kimmalyn!
- Favorite piece of tech: Spin's lightline
This was a very engaging book from start to finish. The characters weren't cliched and did things in a very human manner. Spensa was very well written and showed more emotions than expected in the beginning. Also, I laughed out loud every time she stood on a chair to gain height advantage over the person she was arguing with 😂
The whole intrigue surrounding the aliens, the defect and M-Bot was nicely done. M-Bot alone took this book from 50 to 100!
So M-Bot was like Nightblood (from [b:Warbreaker|7969594|Warbreaker (Warbreaker, #1)|Brandon Sanderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1414766180s/7969594.jpg|1257385]) but in a sci-fi setting and more sass and craziness.
Actual rating: As much stars as the freaking galaxy has!
Please, just read it.
Thank you.
2023 Update:
This book is absolutely fantastic! I am not even a sci-fi nerd and I still loved it so much.
With the final book coming up soon, I'm curious about how it will end.
Original Review:
Without a doubt my favorite Sci-Fi to date. Brandon Sanderson is just a gifted author. For an author who has so far written dystopian/crime/high fantasy, to come up with such an amazing science fiction is just unbelievable.
If he were to write contemporary/chick-lit tomorrow, I know I would read it and love it.
Cannot wait for the next book.
I very much wanted to like this story. The artwork is well done, and the narrative is inviting and interesting. But, I could not get past the impossibilities behind the science. That might just be me. If they would have addressed any of the science things: oceans, oxygen, plants, animals, anything it would have been a better story for me.
Review originally posted on A Reading Brit
In love with this. Truly, completely in love with it. My favourite read of the year so far. I was super excited to start the next one, more than willing to go out and buy it directly after finishing the first. When I discovered it wasn't out yet, I was devastated. I didn't realise that Skyward was so recently published, so just assumed the next one would be out, and wasn't emotionally prepared for it not to be.
The Characters
Spensa – Our glorious main character. She's got great depth, with details of her life revealed expertly by Sanderson. Everything she says and does has a clear motivation and her backstory perfectly suits who she is and what she does throughout. Despite the fact this is a sci-fi, where nothing should really be relatable, I could totally understand why she acted the way she did and why she was angry at the world. I felt really sorry and angry for her at first and then ended up cheering her on as the story progressed. At one point, I actually physically punched the air in celebration because apparently this book really got to me.
Cobb – Cobb is the best instructor going. He's different to the rest of the instructors and seemed to genuinely care for his cadets. His backstory, again, was expertly woven in and, as the reader, we can understand why he does what he does.
M-Bot – I don't know where to start with this. Honestly, you've got read this to understand M-Bot, who he is and why he's so freaking fabulous.
Jorgen – His arc here from jerkface (Spensa's words, not mine) to a loveable character is great. It doesn't happen overnight (well, I read the book overnight!), and I went from hating him to rooting for him.
I won't mention anymore characters, but they were all so fantastic, unique and worthy that I could easily mention every single character, where normally I'd only feature the main few. I mean, I feel like I need to mention Doomslug, at least. If you read Skyward, you'll know what I mean.
The World
The world! Where do I even start? The world this takes place on is Detritus, which is a fantastic name for this planet. The descriptions we get throughout this novel makes it sound like a hard, but rewarding place to live. The sci-fi elements aren't heavy at all, there's no difficult scientific sounding descriptions, so I'd say this would be a decent novel to start with if you're interested in sci-fi but don't want anything too heavy. The world felt so real as I was reading it. I could truly imagine the falling debris and the hell that could follow them.
Overall, I'd say Brandon Sanderson is going to be a new favourite for me. In the time between finishing Skyward and finishing this review I've also read Mistborn, which I also really enjoyed (you may except a review at some point!).
Would I read it again? Yeah, I'll read this before the next one comes out. I can also see this being a comfort read for me. You know, one of those books you go back to if you're in a slump or if you want something good to read.
Will I be picking up the next in the series? Hell yes!
Would I recommend it? 100% absolutely without a shadow of a doubt yes.
Is it going on my favourites shelf? See above! My love for this book is way more than I ever expected it to be. I need more people to read it so I can shout about it with them!
Review of this book on my YouTube channel! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJENhmKnUjg
I wasn't feeling this until about half-way through, but that's par for the course with me and Sanderson. Definitely in the middle ground for YA - teen goes to school and in the process overcomes past demons and grows up, but without the requisite romance which was SO REFRESHING. I will definitely be comfortable with my almost-teen reader reading this one.
This was a frustrating read due to a stupid main character who has trouble controlling her mouth and her temper. She's also a judgmental little hypocrite, too – constantly whining about how people judge her and call her a coward just because of her father, and then she goes and does the EXACT SAME THING to pretty much EVERYONE she meets.
Wow! Sanderson NEVER disappoints me and he has another fantastic book in his first foray into a much more science fiction-based story. Finishing this book reminds me again why he is one of my all-time favourite authors. I laughed, I cried and I cared...especially for his main character Spensa, callsign Spin. She was a delightful character who grows, changes and proves to herself (without the help of a romantic interest I might add) who she is and what she stands for, even if it was different from what she expected. I found the message inspiring and the trials she faced, her doubts and fears and her growth in the realization that ‘fantasy' and reality are two very different things, to be a journey I enjoyed following her on. I loved how much I related to her and how much she inspired me when she pushed through it all.
The world building was spot on and interesting, the other characters were memorable, even if they weren't as fleshed out as Spensa was and I just need to mention the fact that Sanderson is the only author I know who could make a space slug ‘cute'...Doomslug was a delightful character, even if all she did was copy others and sit around a lot and ‘trill'.
As always with Brandon Sanderson books, I highly recommend Skyward whether you are a fan of his books or not, this one is a worthy addition, a new adventure I think all will enjoy...do yourself a favour and give it a go!
Sanderson y Ciencia Ficción.
¿Qué puede salir mal?
Nada.
Entretenimiento a raudales, en un universo bien planteado, sin fisuras. Primera entrega de lo que promete ser una gran saga.
Muy recomendable para cualquiera que quiera pasar un buen rato con una lectura accesible, entretenida y Sandersoniana (niano-niano).
Executive Summary: After a bit of a slow start, I liked this a lot more than I expected to. I guess I'm not quite done with Brandon Sanderson's non-Cosmere stuff after all. 4.5 Stars.
Audiobook: I don't believe I've listened to a book by Suzy Jackson before, but she does a good job. Her normal reading voice is a good fit for the main character and she does a few other voices as well making audio a good option here. I particularly liked her voice for Kimelynn.
Full Review
So after Mr. Sanderson's Reckoner series, I swore off his non-cosmere books for good. My tastes and Mr. Sanderson's work was starting to diverge apparently. When this was announced as a YA sci-fi series, I said: “Nope, not for me.” I didn't even add it to my to-read pile in case I changed my mind later.
Fast forward oh, 6 weeks after it was released and I bought it. So obviously I have really great willpower!
The reality was that I was looking for something light and fun to listen to for my Christmas week driving (14+ hours round trip plus a bunch in between visiting friends and family) and this seemed to fit that bill. Even if I didn't like it very much, there was very little chance of it bringing down my holiday spirits.
Early on I was pretty so-so on the book. I didn't regret buying it, but I was thinking I might have been right to avoid it. Once the main story got going however I started to change my mind. For one thing the dumb humor that drove me nuts in the Reckoners books wasn't here.
There are jokes. Most of them aren't great, but they weren't purposely bad and annoying. Humor isn't Mr. Sanderson's strong suit. In my opinion his best humor often comes when he's not trying too hard.
So as always the world building is fantastic. Since it's sci-fi there is no magic system. However this is far from hard sci-fi so you could almost count his space ship technology as a sort of magic and in that regard I really enjoyed it.
I thought the characters were all pretty good too. I particularly enjoyed Kimelynn. She's my favorite. Spensa was far more likeable than David from the Reckoners series.
I'm interested in the bigger picture of what's going on with humanity. We get some insights near the end of the book, but mostly I had more questions than answers.
So now I'll be picking book 2 up on release day. Maybe Mr. Sanderson and I aren't drifting apart as I thought. I guess I just didn't like his Reckoners books that much.
Took some time to get into this book but it was pretty good. Not my favorite Sanderson work. I know a lot of his stuff is technically Young Adult but this one really felt like it.
This book is substantial to me. Not only is a favorite of mine, but it's my daughter's namesake.
The protagonist is one that is stubbornly determined to do what's right and prove herself. Even though she's been constantly on the defensive, she is unyielding. Spensa is one of the greatest heroines I've had the pleasure of reading.
Skyward is the story I pass down to my tenacious little girl. When you put your mind to something, you'll claim the stars. I love you, Spensa.
____
1st Read: Physical (2018)Re-read: ebook (2023)
I was hesitant to read this book, but it's a definite rebound for Sanderson after Oathbringer. There was a story, there was a plot, there were decent characters, action, literary flow–all things that Oathbringer was lacking.
Now that Sanderson can write a book and it will automatically reach the NYT bestseller list, he continues to shift his writing more towards the casual side, even satirizing flowery writing in FM's character. I don't like this, but it certainly works for YA. It seems like Sanderson has just decided to work with what prose he has, instead of struggling over every word. It works, but there's a notable drop in writing quality from his early-period works.
The ending was...meh. There is a big deus ex machina and the book ended quite a bit before I'd expected it to, to be honest. It felt vaguely like a rehash of the ending of Calamity. It was fine–I've just read at least five better Sanderson avalanches before.
The interactions between Spensa and M-bot were probably the highlight of the book. I've never thought of Brandon Sanderson as a character-driven author, but this book was indisputably character-driven. It's hard to write a flight-school book and keep the reader's attention after five similar battles, but Sanderson managed to do it.
I wouldn't recommend this book unless you're a fast reader and are looking for a binge read, but it was a fun waste of time at three in the morning.
I don't know how to rate this book! It was fun, and I devoured it. But I think I expect more from Sanderson. The first 75% felt too long whilst the last 25% felt too rushed. Despite that, it was fun, with great ideas as is typical of Sanderson. It reminded me of Armada in some ways, but I think I preferred Armada to this.
Worth a read but not world changing.
I really enjoyed this book.
I wasn't feeling the first 10% or so AT ALL– In fact, I almost put it down. It felt way too “YA” for me, with none of the things I love so much about Sanderson– great worldbuilding, magic system, plot, ... But then somehow I couldn't stop reading and it was 5 am. Oops.
So: yes, it's very much a YA book, but it's also the Sanderson you know and love. Definitely recommend it!