Skyward

Book Title: Skyward

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Series: Skyward #1

Date Started: January 3rd 2019

Date Completed: January 11th 2019

Genres: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action

Quality Rating: Four Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

Final Rating: Five stars

Review:

◆ Thanks to NetGalley and Gollancz for this ebook for review ◆

So I have a bit of thing with sci-fi novels. For some reason, I just can't seem to get into them - and I say that as someone who was raised on and loves sci-fi tv and film. But, if anyone could write one that I could get into, it would be Brandon Sanderson. And he did not disappoint.

Skyward started off kind of strangely. We're thrown into this community of people trapped underground while being ambushed by aliens in the skies, but the community feels so... well, stilted. It's conservative to the point of doubting its realism since everyone seems to settle into it so neatly - which, especially in recent years, is a strange thing to imagine. The idea of a 'coward', held up by pretty much everyone, is incredibly one-dimensional, and the class system is so secure that you wonder how people don't question it. The fundamental concepts and ideas are very familiar and scarily relevant to modern readers, but it was taken a bit too stiffly. Of course, because it's exaggerated so much, it's there for a purpose, and Sanderson builds it up neatly enough that when he breaks the rules later his point is very clear. Which did pay off, undoubtedly. But going through the arc of the characters rising above their ignorance/fear/whatever you want to call it was hard to swallow to begin with because everyone was so self-assured in their very-obviously-backwards society.

What I really liked was that it took the Father's Legacy storyline in a new direction. I will admit that narratives that focus around a character coming to terms with what a parent (usually the father) did before their time make me automatically sceptical because aren't we all tired of pre-determined fates set out for us by our parents? But, while Spensa's initial kick into her ambition was helped along by her father, she is undoubtedly driven by her own passion and motivation, and the story doesn't obsess over her desire to clear her family name.

The use of classism really helped this too because, while not being derived from her relationship to her father, the prejudices the academy have towards her are influenced by her class status as well; you wouldn't find them having as much of a go at the daughter of a coward who was far richer. In general, I think the politics between individuals of different statuses was nicely done, and it's not all to do with money. Cowardice, wealth, piloting prowess all determined the assumptions that were made about people (and not just Spensa) and made the world that much richer. It is, first and foremost, about fighting aliens, and that was great. It doesn't have to be solely about these other complex concepts to feature and explore them.

Spensa - or Spin - is the beating heart of this novel. But she was sometimes a bit much. Following the same sort of trend as the storyline, she starts off way too exaggerated - or aggressive, I suppose. (While I appreciate the character Sanderson was aiming for in Spin, I think the balance of femininity while still being able to show those more 'masculine' qualities was a bit unbalanced). But, also following the story trend, by the end of the book she was really solid because we got to see her whole arc. It helped that she had several things to overcome; her goal to be a pilot, but also how she managed friends, her relationship with the academy and all the different dynamics that came with it. Kudos to the variety of characters and dynamics in this book, because it really kept everything interesting.

I really damn enjoyed Skyward, I didn't want to put it down. I read it in a really busy period (here's to writing dissertations) and it made me want to carve out time just to sit down with it. If you want the comparisons, it's like Ender Game meets Star Wars IV with a modern kick. I can't wait to read the next one.