Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Published on: November 6, 2018 by Delacorte Press
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 that of her father's—a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa the daughter of a coward, her chances of attending Flight School 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.
I came across Skyward while browsing my local bookstore. The awesome cover art drew my eye first. After I read the synopsis, I knew I had to have this book. Skyward is a sci-fi novel set in the far future. The remains of humanity have been stuck on a planet called Detritus for decades. They’ve been at war with an alien species that they call the Krell. Their threat led the people of Detritus to live in deep underground caverns. To fight the Krell—and hopefully escape the planet—the people created the Defiant Defense Force. Pilots who fly for the DDF are like heroes, as everyone else holds them in high regard.
The protagonist of Skyward is seventeen-year-old Spensa Nightshade. Her greatest desire has long been to become a pilot for the DDF. Spensa’s chances of attending Flight School are slim, though. Her father was a pilot who got killed after deserting his team during a crucial battle. Over nine years have passed, and Spensa is still despised for being the daughter of a coward. Spensa is not one to give up, though. And an accidental discovery in a hidden cavern strengthens her resolve.
Spensa and her best friend Rodge (nicknamed “Rigmarole”) take the pilot’s admission test together. A big obstacle is Admiral Judy Ivans "Ironsides", chief of the DDF. She won’t allow Spensa into Flight School, no matter her test score. Fortunately, a family friend vouches for Spensa when he sees how much she wants to become a pilot. He’s Captain Cobb “Mongrel,” Spensa’s father’s old wingmate now turned flight instructor.
With four months of flight class ahead of her, Spensa (callsign “Spin”) is eager to show her worth. She makes a few new friends, as well as a sort-of rival in the form of Jorgen. He’s a rich guy with extensive flight training. The flight lessons are cool, and I found it fun to learn about spaceship tech. Spensa also gets to know her flightmates, despite circumstances that make it tough. The cadets at Cobb’s class are easy to tell apart due to their unique personalities and their skills. I liked Kimmalyn (callsign “Quirk”) in particular. She’s an interesting, optimistic girl who may become Spensa’s best girl-friend.
Spensa’s passion and difficult life made her into quite a character. She’s forward and spirited, having grown up listening to stories of old heroes from her Gran-Gran. At various points in the book, I thought Spensa sounded rather like Thor. Here are a few of her quotes:
“When you are broken and mourning your fall from grace, I will consume your shadow in my own, and laugh at your misery.”
“We'll fight so well, the Krell will raise lamentations to the sky like smoke above a pyre, crying in desperation at our advent!”
“The most wonderful sound ever is the lamentations of my enemies, screaming my name toward the heavens with ragged, dying voices.”
Spensa makes several comments like that, most often in battle. It doesn’t escape the notice of her flightmates, who conclude that Spensa is weird. She has a lot of bravado, which is why she reminded me of Thor. They both love war. Spensa wanted to be a pilot so she could see the sky, but she also looked forward to fighting the Krell. Spensa’s also keen to prove herself and clear her family’s name. About her name, I think it’s cool. “Spensa” sounds like a female version of “Spencer”. The latter appears male to me, so I don’t like it for women. I liked “Spensa” very much, enough that I might name a daughter that if I ever have one. Spensa Nightshade isn’t a bad character to name a person after. Though I’m not crazy enough to name anyone “Nightshade.”
Now, the battles. There were a lot throughout the book, and each one was awesome. The stakes were high pretty much every time, so the fights with the Krell were engrossing. There are deaths (it is a war, after all), and hints of a romance but no more than that. Skyward has enough thrills and fictional tech that a full love subplot would have detracted from the story anyway.
In the end, Skyward was an amazing book. I haven’t read many space operas or novels about pilots, so reading about the exploits of Skyward Flight was lots of fun. Spensa was likable, as was her first pilot friend, Kimmalyn. Although Captain Cobb was your average hardened-and-weary ex-warrior, he wasn’t boring. And the discovery that Spensa makes...it’s amazing, so I’m not spoiling it.
My rating: ★★★★★
5 stars - Absolutely must-read. It's outstanding!!!
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