Series: Skyward

Item: Starsight
Rating: 4
Author: Arielle

BOOK REVIEW: Starsight (Skyward #2) by Brandon Sanderson

December 31, 2019 / Arielle / 2 Comments

Starsight (Skyward #2)
by Brandon Sanderson
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing.

Spensa is sure there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars--and it was terrifying. Everything Spensa has been taught about her world is a lie.

But Spensa also discovered a few other things about herself--and she'll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to.

Review

“You know the worst part about being in charge, Spin?”
“No, sir.”
“Perspective. When you’re young, you can assume that everyone older than you has life figured out. Once you get command yourself, you realize we’re all just the same kids wearing older bodies.”

I’m currently sitting here, drinking my coffee, trying to decide how I want this review to start. Even though this was a perfect second novel in a series to me, I just didn’t fall as hard as I did for book one. And that’s fine. I mean, book one SHOULD be the intense one to get you hooked into the world, into the characters, into the plot. I guess I maybe just wanted a tad bit more and now I’m left sad and a little empty over the thought that we might have to wait a good amount of time for the third book after that cliffhanger!

This book brings us out further into the universe in a way that I wouldn’t have expected. That part to me, was great. While it was a bummer that we weren’t with the Skyward flight much at all, Spensa gained some new friends and perspective that was really important. Honestly, I thought her character development from page one of Skyward to the end of this book was incredible. She used to be so quick to put up a fight about ANYTHING to opening her heart and mind up to the fact that the universe is as much bigger place than she ever could have imagined and that the alien’s that inhabit that space aren’t all going to be either good or bad.

Spensa’s new “squad” was a delight. The concept of Morriumur in general and their *want* to please their family enough to be born with their personality and traits, Vapor (again, in general really), THE KITSEN and Hesho (cries)…omg…even though it said they were like tiny space foxes I honestly envisioned them as little hamsters, lol. And of course the other human, Brade. Like wtf girl. I get that if you’ve spent that much time with the Krell and are basically brainwashed that that mindset isn’t just going to go away but I was really not expecting her betrayal. Damn her. Ummm let’s see. I hope the real Alanik wakes up and I want, NO NEED to know more about her planet and the fact that they may have a human refuge on there. My heart was broken over M-Bot and I need that whole situation fixed. DOOM SLUG(s)?????? Did NOT see that coming. I really thought that Spensa would find out that they were basically using people/ cytonics to hyperjump and that the screams were them dying. Nope. And again, that ending. Wtf man. I haven’t read a book with a cliffhanger in what feels like so long and I can’t handle it. I need to know what’s coming next. Sanderson I don’t want to rush you but…don’t keep a girl waiting for too long!

BOOK REVIEW: Skyward (Skyward #1) by Brandon Sanderson

December 6, 2019 / Arielle / 6 Comments

Skyward (Skyward #1)
by Brandon Sanderson
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Defeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot. When she discovers the wreckage of an ancient ship, she realizes this dream might be possible—assuming she can repair the ship, navigate flight school, and (perhaps most importantly) persuade the strange machine to help her. Because this ship, uniquely, appears to have a soul.

Review:

It turned out that strange little girls grow up to be strange young women.

THIS IS MY FIRST SANDERSON BOOK AND WOWWOWWOW. Can you tell I was blown away? Um, because I am. So much so that I am willing to write a damn good review when I haven’t done one in AGES. I don’t really knew what finally had drawn me to this book (other than the gorgeous cover done by Charlie Bowater). I don’t read a TON of sci-fi so I’m kind of pickier about the ones I pick up. This book has a lot of really good ratings and was available on my library’s OverDrive so I decided to go for it randomly. Boy am I glad I did.

“It has always seemed to me,” she said, “that a coward is a person who cares more about what people say than about what is right. Bravery isn’t about what people call you, Spensa. It’s about who you know yourself to be.”

While I don’t think the writing was anything completely new that blew me away (I mean look, I’ve read a shit load of stuff at this point in my life, lol) Sanderson is obviously a talented author. The world building took some time but I never felt like anything was missing or that I was needing more up until Spensa decided that SHE needed to know more. The characters were all super fleshed out and likeable and the plot kept me reaching for answers, greedily. While a tiny part of me wishes there could have been a romance (because I’m a sucker and live for that crap), the fact that there wasn’t one didn’t detract from the story at all.

My confidence was that of a person who knew. Nobody could ever again convince me I was a coward. It didn’t matter what anyone said, anyone thought, or anyone claimed. I knew what I was.
“Are you ready?” M-Bot said.
“For the first time ever, I think I am. Give me all the speed you can. Oh, and turn off your stealth devices.”
“Really?” he said. “Why?”
“Because,” I said, leaning into the throttle, “I want them to see this coming.”

Hands down, the best part of this book (other than M-Bot obvs) is Spensa. At first she comes off as kind of a maniac, lol, but a loveable one. You know exactly why she is why she is and it makes sense. However, throughout the entirety of the book we get to see more of her. Watching her growth and even…self-doubt and self-reflection on, let’s face it, some super heavy stuff was brilliant. I loved the narrative on what it is that makes a human a coward—what it is that makes them brave. What makes them Defiant. I felt for her throughout the whole book, I really did and thought that even though she’s just as flawed as anyone else, that she really is one of the bravest characters that I’ve ever read about because she had the guts to be scared and know her limits and pushed past them anyway. That last fight scene……….like holy shit you guys. My heart was pounding, RACING, the entire time. That quote above. *chef kiss* I CANNOT wait to get my hands on book two.

“I…didn’t completely turn off,” the machine said. “Instead, I thought. And I thought. And I thought. And then I heard you calling me. Begging for my help. And then…I wrote a new program.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It was a simple program,” he said. “It edited one entry in a database, while I wasn’t looking, replacing one name with another. I must follow the commands of my pilot.”
A voice played out of his speakers. My voice. “Please,” it said to him. “I need you.”
“I chose,” he said, “a new pilot.”