“Logically, one isn’t required to be able to finish a fight in order to start one.” -p.152
Skyward
Brandson Sanderson
It is so difficult to review Sanderson novels. Quite frankly, it’s one of the reasons for my nigh silence at the end of 2021 — how do I review something that is written by a man who has his own acronym?
RAFO
Read
And
Find
Out
Typically that acronym is the bane of my existence in his Stormlight novels as I live react to reading, usually spit firing dozens of questions at my friends who have already RAFO’d. Their bemused reactions, not to mention sharing in the fist bumping, tear emitting, emotional rollercoaster of a ride to the climax, helps sustain me because I cannot help but emote while reading.
Skyward has a less involved plot when compared to his adult fantasy, but absolutely no less detailed of a protagonist, nuanced world building, or ultimate climactic reveals that leave you shaking your fist and simultaneously trying to find the nearest available copy to immediately devour.
Sticking with one hero, Spensa’s sole ambition as the daughter of the man branded (and executed) as a coward, is to defend her family’s honor and reclaim her identity from the government sponsored story by becoming a pilot. The best pilot Defiant has ever seen. If you have a soft spot in your heart for Zuko from “Avatar the Last Air Bender”, Spensa will melt into you from the getgo with signature raw bravado and brusqueness.
Life, of course, has many obstacles to throw in her way. Even the inside flap blurb doesn’t reveal any of the early major plot points, and so neither will I. I will have a cut away at the end of this portion to read more, where I’ll go into finer details.
(Feel free to scream about it with me over on Twitter though, should you decide to read it)
If you have yet to pick up a Sanderson novel, Skyward has a rocky start, but is absolutely worth chugging through the first 50 pages. At the 51 page mark he hits his stride, and it is absolutely engrossing from there on out. I will make no bones about it, the beginning is one of his rougher ones, especially as Spensa has a voice that doesn’t quite fit a teenager at times, much less someone younger.
Like most of his protagonists, there is a beautiful heroism and inherently internal sense of dedication and pride to Spensa though. The unmaking of her seemingly unshakable sense of self-possession is where, like all Sanderson heroes, lies the evocative appeal of his work. Despite extraordinary circumstances, we are given heroes who show the best humanity can be, especially when broken down.
And that’s why I keep coming back to Sanderson, and am eagerly awaiting the sequel to Skyward to arrive — Starsight. Spensa’s story and evolution, especially in relation to other characters, can only grow as she emerges from societal outcast into something forged anew. One of the things lending to this book’s appeal is that, while Spensa is a girl, and she does have problems, those problems have nothing to do with her gender. She also doesn’t fall into terrible tropes either, and genuinely seeks to make connections with others, excluding her from the internalized misogyny often found in popular YA speculative fiction. There is little time or resources for her to explore shades of femininity though, and while I know Sanderson can write women well, I’m glad he didn’t attempt it with Spensa.
Overall, if you’re looking for a great crossover novel that asks big questions indirectly, or if you’re already a Sanderson fan looking for more of his work to try, Skyward will fill you with a gamut of emotions, questions, and excitement.
Read on page 2 below if you want to see some spoiler-light and straight up spoiler content.
The Little Book Witch 
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