Review: Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Science-Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 510
Series: Skyward #1
Release Date: Novenber 6, 2018
Publisher: Delacorte Press

This is Sanderson’s second foray into YA, and while I liked the Reckoners series as well, this one is definitely off to a better start.

The book is set on the planet Detritus, where humans arrived several decades ago fleeing the Krell. The Krell now live in space above the planet. And the only things standing been them and the ending of humans civilization on Detritus are the fields of debris surrounding the planet and the pilots of the Defiant Defence Force.

Spensa, our 17-year-old protagonist, has wanted to be a pilot her whole life. A dream she’s determined to achieve even after she was branded the daughter of a coward because her father deserted his team and was killed for it. She wants to prove herself, but mostly, she wants to see the stars. And she’s a great protagonist. She’s not without her flaws, but she’s smart, determined, and willing to learn from her mistakes. She also has a flair for drama, which makes her entertaining. She has a great character arc in the book, but I’ll get to that later.

Other than Spensa, we have several side characters. A lot, actually. Some of them we got to know quite well, others we’re still learning about. The most notable of them, for me, were Cobb and Jorgen. Cobb is Spensa’s flight instructor, and Jorgen is a member of Spensa’s flight. Both are layered characters that I really liked.

Also, there’s M-Bot. But I’m gonna avoid saying too much about him. Let’s just say he’s fantastic and hilarious, and I love him.

The story follows Spensa through her months at the flight academy. And during that time, we not only learn about the world but also about how many gaps there are in the information the DDF has about the enemy. We also see the toll that war takes on a person and how fucked up the beliefs of this society are.

The latter two have the most to do with Spensa’s development as a character. The war part should be self-explanatory, and Sanderson does a fantastic job of showing us how not-glorious it is.

Now, the beliefs… This is the book that finally made me hate the word ‘coward.’ I never liked it before. It’s either used poorly or feels inauthentic. Here, cowardice and bravery are explored in depth. Spensa’s entire life has been spent in a society where a coward is the worst thing a person could be. Being dead is better than being a coward. And the word has taken on a meaning beyond anything even remotely logical, where valuing life, yours or someone else’s, has become a sign of cowardice. And it’s all wrapped up in military bullshit that’s both frustrating and so interesting; one of my favourite parts of the novel.

Overall, this was a brilliant read. It was fast-paced, exciting, had great characters, themes and story, and a world that we’ve only scratched the surface of. I highly recommend it.