Tag: military

Young adult science fiction isn’t really a go-to genre and audience I reach for. However, Brandon Sanderson can basically do no wrong in my eyes. After reading several of his books, I branched out and picked up his Skyward series despite not being the intended audience. You know what? It didn’t matter an inch! I loved the first and titular books of the series (which you can read more about here…). 

Naturally, continuing with the series was an obvious choice. That brings us to the second instalment in the series, Starsight. It’s quite a different setting compared to the first book, but that worked pretty well for me. I enjoyed seeing the storyline advance from the introductory plot line of Skyward. Want to find out more? Then read on below!

Starsight – Brandon Sanderson  

Genre: YA science fiction

Pages: 461

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co. 

Publication Date: 26 Nov 2019

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Goodreads – Starsight

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.

My Thoughts

Plot 

Starsight is a very fast-paced book, especially for adult readers. 

The wider world in which Spensa’s home planet of Detritus is expanded on immensely in this second book of the series. At the time, not everyone loved the change of focus. However, in my immediate thoughts after finishing this book, I shared my love for how Brandon Sanderson isn’t afraid to break his own moulds and improve his storylines. Talking about this book after finishing the rest of the series allows for hindsight, and the shift now makes a lot of sense. The rest of the series follows suit, and gets bigger and better the further we explore this world! 

If there is any testament to how fast-paced this book is, it’s the speed I read it. I finished the whole book in less than a week; the second half of this book (which is about 200 pages!) got demolished in one sitting. And if I may say, the broader context of reading this book was that I’d picked up some trickier reads just before it. I wasn’t reading quickly until Starsight turned my slump around. 

Characters 

Spensa is a sassy, angsty, and headstrong teenage girl. Well, find me one that isn’t, but that wouldn’t make for an interesting story. 

Enter Spensa—a girl who grew up believing her father a hero, only to have her recollection of who he was dashed. A girl who dreamed of following in his footsteps, but finding out he wasn’t the man she idolised. Just about the worst nightmare combination you can cook up for an already turbulent individual, no? 

I listened to the audiobook of Skyward, but read Starsight traditionally. I enjoyed the book in paperback format, and characters still popped for me even without the characterisations of the narrator. Still, I did miss M-Bot’s Scottish accent just a little! It’s not what you expect for that kind of character, but it is a hilarious aspect of the narrative. 

Starsight is an interesting book in that it introduces a broad spectrum of characters. The set list does a lot for broadening your perspective on the world established in Skyward. It’s done gradually throughout the book so as not to be overwhelming. 

Setting 

Where Skyward was limited to the setting of Detritus, Starsight takes us… well, skyward. No longer bound, Spensa undertakes a daring mission to find out more about herself— who she is, and about her home. It’s ironic the circumstances she does this in, but no spoilers here! 

The setting of this book does wonders for the rest of the series. Skyward has quite a sheltered setting by comparison, but it’s fundamental to understand before getting to the events of this second book. 

Brandon Sanderson is a great writer, and his worlds are detailed and interesting to learn about. If the plot wasn’t interesting enough, trust me, the world the book is set in is. 

Narrative Style 

With such a fast-paced narrative, you need an easy-to-read style to allow the action to flow. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the intended audience of the book and the popularity/success of Sanderson, that he hit the nail on the head. 

I devoured this book, and that’s a compliment considering the page count. It’s just shy of 500 pages, so not exactly short. However, I binge-read the second half of the book to figure out what was going to happen! The flow and style of the writing made that even easier to achieve. 

Summary 

Starsight is a fun sequel to Sanderson’s young adult science fiction series. Spensa is a relatable, young, angsty teen who is determined to live up to the reputation of her father. Starsight takes us beyond the horizons and skylines of Slyward, and it’s an exciting, fun-fuelled adventure! 

Have you read Starsight or any other books by Brandon Sanderson? 

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Whilst I have the time to catch up on some outstanding book reviews, I’m making the most of the situation and sharing some of my favourites. Today, I share my thoughts on the first book in Brandon Sanderson’s YA sci-fi series, Skyward.

I have a lot of great things to say about this book! At the time of publishing this review, I’ve read three out of the four books currently on the market. I’ll be looking to pick up the next in the series, Defiant, very soon!

Skyward – Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Science-fiction

Pages: 513

Audience: Young Adult

Publisher: Gollancz

Publication Date: 06 Nov 2018

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Goodreads –  Skyward

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.

My Thoughts

Plot

Skyward has an interesting plot that sucks you in from the synopsis. In truth though, there is far more to explore underneath the surface.

The narrative in which we explore through Spensa’s viewpoint is far more complex than meets the eye. The world history, Spensa’s upbringing and the discovery of a mysterious ship only start us off on this detailed, action-packed narrative. Although we pick up events from Spensa’s discovery onwards, in reality the set up of what happens in this book begins far earlier, and we unravel this history throughout the present day narrative.

As a military sci-fi, fans of combat will have plenty to enjoy in this book. We graduate alongside Spensa through training into live fighting. The drama and suspense keeps us on our toes as we never quite trust that the characters we grow to love throughout the book are safe. They’re not…

Setting

Science fiction fans will not be disappointed with the rich descriptions and detail in Skyward. Both in terms of the physical setting and the political environment Spensa grows up in, there is plenty to explore.

Skyward excels in its ability to stand out in the science fiction genre without too much techno-babble and jargon. As a book aimed at young readers, it’s especially important that Sanderson got this right… and indeed he did! I enjoy science fiction, although I wouldn’t say I have the brains for too much techy speak. I was able to follow everything with ease.

What makes this book extra special is that over time, we come to realise that the world and plot introduced throughout the first 400-450 pages is just a small speck in the galaxy. Skyward paves the way for the epic series it is, and sets the scene for the remaining books excellently!

Characters

The book is predominantly told from the perspective of a teenager who has grown up in the shadow of her father. His name is tarred for turning against his fleet in the midst of battle. Many try to discount Spensa and prevent her from training to fly out of fear that she will do the same thing as her father.

And in fairness, Spensa is a loose cannon. She is impulsive and independent, which are not traits conducive to an environment where teamwork is essential. Spensa has a lot to learn over the course of the book, about herself, but also about the perceptions that have tarnished her name throughout her childhood.

Whilst the book does well in sharing a detailed plot with rich descriptions, character development is also very prevalent in this narrative. I would say the book has a reasonable 50-50 split of both of these elements. Whether you prefer an action driven narrative or a character driven narrative, there is ample of each.

Narrative Style

With a young adult audience in mind, the narrative needs to be easy to read and approachable for a younger audience. Brendan Sanderson does this very well. This makes both the book and genre approachable to new or less developed readers and would serve as a great introduction to the genre.

At over 500 pages, there is plenty of storyline here to sink our teeth into. It has its fair share of twists and unexpected events. These are entwined into the narrative seamlessly and are shocking but not so complex but they cannot be understood either.

Summary

If you are looking for a new sci-fi series to start reading without complex jargon, and with a strong female protagonist, Skyward is one I would highly recommend. As of this post, I have gone on to read further two books in the series, with the fourth book recently out and making it to my reading list soon!

Brandon Sanderson is an author I will go back to time and again regardless of genre. If you are a fan of his fantasy books, don’t let the change of genre put you off giving this a try. He is a fantastic writer and being able to lend himself to different storylines, and indeed genre.

Have you read the Skyward or any other books by Brandon Sanderson that you would love to recommend to my readers?

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