Quirky Cat
Skyward Flight is the entire short story collection for well, Skyward Flight. They are three novellas written by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson, and the fit within the larger world and series. They are: Sunreach, ReDawn, and Evershore.
Sunreach
Rating: 4 kitties
FM and her squad have been through a lot in the past few months. They've lost teammates. They've picked up the fight that has been going on for generations. Then Spensa disappeared on a dangerous mission, and nobody quite knows where she is.
They know that the Galactic Superiority won't leave them alone. Humans are considered too dangerous for that. So FM, Jorgen, and the rest are going to have to find a way to defend their planet. Perhaps the slugs Jorgen found can be of some use?
“But I still wondered: if we didn't matter as individuals, then what were we saving the group for?”
First, can I just say that I love the idea of this novella series focusing on a different character for each story? There are so many characters in this series, and many of them deserve more 'screen time' than they've gotten.
Hence, my delight at getting to read from FM's perspective in Sunreach. As I mentioned above, this novella takes place almost immediately following the events of Starsight. I know I can't be the only one curious to see what's happening with Spensa, right?
Unfortunately, her team don't exactly have any answers. What they do have is an ongoing war, and a small army of adorable and semi-intelligent slugs. So, that's something...right? But seriously, this novella was actually a lot of fun to read.
“I feel like I should tell you," Jorgen said over the radio, "that I now have a slug on each shoulder and three on my lap, all seeming vaguely uncomfortable that I'm touching them. I blame you, FM.”
Sunreach showed the many sides of the war that's happening back home. Both out in space – and on the surface. Not all of the remaining humans want to follow along with the same plan. Sounds about right, doesn't it?
I loved the added politics and concerns. I feel like all of that will quickly become relevant, so I'm glad that I didn't skip on the novellas (why would I?). Also, if you've been dying to learn more about the slugs (guilty!), then you've gotta read this book! It's worth it, I promise.
Next up is ReDawn, another novella in the series. At the time of writing this review (I'm behind,I know), ReDawn is already out and available to read. It follows a surprising perspective – Alanik. Following ReDawn will be Cytonic! Woo!
ReDawn
Rating: 4 kitties
ReDawn is set following the adventures of Starsight and Sunreach (the first novella in the series). If you've been curious about what has been happening to the other characters in the series, then these are a must-read!
Alanik risked everything when she left her home planet – with the intention of using the pilot opportunity to steal a warp drive for her people. Instead, she crashed on the last world inhabited by humans.
Naturally, she wasn't too pleased about being kept in a coma for quite some time. Now she's active once again, and that means she's back to fighting for her people. If only they were willing to do the same.
"Don't trust their lies. Don't trust their false peace."
Guys, I don't know why – but I was SO surprised to hear that we'd be getting a novella from Alanik's perspective! Not that I'm complaining. ReDawn is a fantastic read, especially if you're hoping to learn a bit more about the other alien races in the universe.
Alanik's world is...fascinating. I could read full novels about her world and still not get enough of it. Just the hints we've seen have grabbed my curiosity, and it isn't going to be letting go anytime soon!
I also adored seeing other characters make an appearance in this novella, though I won't spoil it by talking about which characters (though I imagine active readers of the series would probably be able to guess?).
Overall, this was a fun and dramatic addition to the series. I'm going to be really curious to see how much of an impact this plot has on the main storyline. I'm also more interested than ever about what is happening to Spensa.
Next up is Cytonic, which is set to drop on November 23rd. So we're almost there! The next novella will be following the events of that book, and I'm super curious for news on that front.
Evershore
Rating: 5 kitties
Jorgen, aka Jerkface, is used to being in charge and making tough decisions. He's been doing it for his flight this whole time. Yet he's never had to deal with so many life-or-death situations before. Nor did any of his training prepare him for interacting with alien races and politics. Yet here we are.
As far as Jorgen can understand, Spensa is still out on her mission (and/or lost somewhere in time and space), leaving him home to deal with everything else going on. Everything else happens to include Alanik, a distress call, and the search for Spensa's grandmother, plus his commanding officer (Cobb).
"In order to achieve control, you must first accept that you have none."
Guys, I have been counting down the days for the release of Evershore! The thing I love the most about these novellas is they help make the wait between novels more bearable. Granted, I now have little else to ease the anxiety until Defiant unless you count the novella bundle, which I very may well read again. Why not, right?
Okay, there's another thing I adore about these novellas; each one offers a different perspective. And now it is finally Jorgen's turn. I think we've all been waiting to see how he would handle well EVERYTHING that has been happening lately.
On that note, wow. I did not think that they could manage to up the ante further, but they did! This novella brought into context some things that happened at the end of Cytonic, finally answering a few questions that I had.
Speaking of, technically, the events of Evershore happen somewhere before the end of Cytonic, but the recommended reading order puts Cytonic before Evershore. Hope I explained that okay. The point is, it all makes more sense in this order.
I love that the three novellas tie together quite nicely, especially the last two. We got to see different cultures and their battles against the same foe in those. In Evershore's case, that means it is finally (finally) time to meet the Kitsen. Yes, please! I won't spoil how that goes, but I will say that it went far beyond my wildest dreams and hopes. Which is saying something, mind you.
Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks