By Marc J. Gregson
Peachtree Teen, 2024. 403 pages. Young Adult
Exiled to live as a Low, 16-year-old Conrad refuses to become heir to his murderous uncle. But Meritocracy is a harsh and unforgiving rule on the floating island of Holmstead, and when his ailing mother is killed by monstrous gorgantauns, Conrad cuts a deal to save the only family he has left. To rescue his sister from his uncle's clutches, Conrad must enter the Selection of the Twelve Trades. Hunter, the deadliest of all the Trades, gains a fresh recruit with Conrad. Now he must endure vigorous training, manipulative peers, and the Gauntlet--a brutal final test that yields riches and status to whichever skyship crew kills the most gorgantauns. Forced to serve in the lowest of stations and unseen by all, Conrad overhears whispers of rebellion in the dark. Conrad had never known anything existed below the toxic black clouds of the Skylands... until now.
This book has been on my to-read list for a while because of it’s multiple positive professional reviews, but by the time I’d started it I had entirely forgotten the premise so I went into this book not knowing what it was about. There was a lot of backstory in the beginning so it took a little while for me to get into it… but as soon as the action started I was sucked in. It was suspenseful, action-packed, fast-paced, had witty characters, the world was fascinating, and overall was just a fantastic read and hard for me to put down. If you like YA sci-fi/fantasy that really packs a punch and keeps you turning pages, I can’t recommend this one enough.
If you liked Sky’s End, you might also like:
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