Skyward (The Skyward Series)Paperback

Claim. The. Stars. Man, that was fun.

I have only read a small portion of Sanderson's non-Cosmere work (Legion, Steelheart), but this is by far the best of them. I feel that I'm not alone in being reluctant to dive in to some of his other work (mostly this is just because of how much I love the Cosmere) but I want anyone reading this review to know that this is a must read for Sanderson fans. It stands head and shoulders above what I've come to expect from a non-Cosmere Brandon Sanderson novel.

Skyward is the story of Spensa Nightshade, a human with lineage that traces back all the way to Old Earth. She is not alone however. All the residents of the United Defiant Caverns claim this heritage. 80 years ago, their space cruiser crash-landed on the planet Detritus; a harsh planet, made even harsher by the alien Krell that patrol its skies. Most citizens spend their lives underground, avoiding the Krell threat while the bravest among them take to the skies and combat that threat directly, the Defiant pilots. Spensa's father is one such pilot; but when he does the unthinkable, turning coward and fleeing during the Battle for Alta base, Spensa and the rest of her family are branded as cowards themselves. This is the story of Spenda's redemption. Her mission: to claim the stars, and clear her father's name.

Skyward has that oh so touchy and hard to define label firmly attached to it. You know the one. YA. Hours have been spent attempting to nail down exactly what is and isn't young adult fiction; what does and doesn't deserve that distinction. I'm not going to try to define it one way or the other, but I will say this; do not let something like a two-letter label steer you away from trying this book. Is the protagonist a teen? Yup. Is the plot straightforward? Yeah, it is. But it's damn good, and it's a hell of a lot of fun. And make no mistake; Detritus is a dangerous place. The pilots of Alta base are put in real danger; and not everyone makes it out alive..

Reading this now, after the verbose and intensely philosophical Steven Erikson, was perfect. It was an excellent read to just wind down with, letting Brandon weave me through the plot at will. Not to mention the fact that I could barely put it down. Reader's familiar with his other work will find a lot that's familiar here (right down to the characters using their own goofy swear word - 'scud' in this case). Tight plotting, excellent pace, an interesting world, and breadcrumbs everywhere that hint at mysteries to come. I also think Brandon has improved his character dialogue, noticeably so, which is nice to see. Skyward actually made me feel very similar to the way I felt when I read the first Mistborn book. I felt there was a perfect balance between giving me a good story now and also setting up for future installments; it felt like the beginning of something much bigger, something that will grow. I believe Brandon has promised two more books, possibly a third; and with the sequel due out in around a year, I'm already eager for more.

Not much more to say other than recommending it to anyone looking for a fun read. Skyward strikes a good balance between my two favorite genres, meeting in the middle at what is most commonly referred to as science fantasy. I've heard it described as Top Gun meets How To Train Your Dragon (you'll see why when you read it), and that's pretty accurate, as long as you acknowledge that it's gone through the Sanderbot protocol. The man has done it again. Can't wait for Starsight.

'"Sometimes, the answers we need don't match the questions we're asking." He looked up at me. "And sometimes, the coward makes fools of wiser men."'

Wonderful character and plot development. I cared about the characters and was easily able to suspend disbelief with regard to the plot.

I am currently most of the way through this extremely well written and conceived young adult science fiction novel by Brandon Sanderson. He is an author new to me but whose other books I will definitely check out. I’m finding it to be a real page-turner, primarily because I care so much about the protagonist, a young girl called Spin, who is on the brink of womanhood. I think it would be fare to compare this novel to Star Wars, in that it is about a remnant of human civilization that is fighting heavy odds to survive against what appears to be an evil, and in this case mysterious alien enemy called the Krell, that is seeking to destroy it. The now young woman, Spin, can be compared to Luke Skywalker, except that she’s struggling, against powerful forces that have labeled her as a coward, to become the pilot of a star fighter craft in the struggle against the Krell, and to prove that that her father who was a crack pilot was not a coward.

An important theme in this novel is how the word “Coward” is used as a weapon to manipulate, abuse and dehumanize. How often, for example, are integrity and/or good sense confused with cowardice? I have long found the word “Coward” to be no more than another epithet that is used by those who feel strong or are connected to power to manipulate and/or diminish those whom they wish to label as worthless. The use of the word is verbal spit that is designed to humiliate and degrade. It is a word that is devoid of understanding, empathy, compassion or even humane, munch less well considered, analysis.

Coward is used by the peers of young people to manipulate them into playing chicken on railroad tracks, or take addictive drugs, or compromise themselves in any of a thousand ways. It is used to coerce young men and women into signing up to become fighters in wars that are too often immoral and lead to tragic and/or devastating destruction of life.

Coward is a word used by politicians, crime bosses and corporate CEO’s alike to manipulate men and women of weak moral fabric or poor judgment to become complicit in undertakings that are immoral and/or illegal.

It is used as well as an insult. Politicians use it improperly to describe the misguided and perhaps brainwashed actions of terrorists who blow themselves up in order to create chaos and a sense of helplessness against perceived enemies. The purpose of such use is to stop us from thinking about social and political realities that lead people to a willingness to uselessly sacrifice their lives.

This “name calling epithet”, Coward, is used again and again in the novel to, it seems, urge the reader to think more deeply about what this word means and to realize how abusive, confusing and manipulative an epithet it is, equally for the one who calls another “Coward” and for the one that is the target of this hateful name calling.

The years I spent living among Mennonites who are committed by their faith to non-violence taught me that it is at least as often the case that those who join into the cause of violent conflict do so because of fear of condemnation by their peers, and that the motives for choosing violence or non-violence are as complex as are human beings. On the other hand it is virtually always the case that neither the political or religious establishment wishes their adherents to think so deeply as to realize that no person is purely a coward, no person is purely a hero and no person is purely a saint. But is anyone purely evil? I must confess that there are movements and individuals throughout history that give me cause to wonder.