The Other Side of the Sky by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner

The Other Side of the Sky (The Other Side of the Sky, #1)

by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Two worlds, two hearts and a choice that will shape their fate forever.

Janus is a world divided: above the surface float the gleaming sky-cities held aloft by massive, technologically advanced engines. In the shadows beneath is an older, darker world, full of flooded byways and ancient temples governed by magic and faith.

When Prince North of Ciel falls from the sky in a terrible glider malfunction, one person sees his fiery descent like a falling star: Nimh, a goddess incarnate, searching for a way to save her struggling people. His fall fulfils an ancient prophecy in the world Below, and the two strike up a wary alliance – Nimh, so that she can fulfil her destiny and save her people, and North so that he can return to the other side of the sky and take his place as heir to the throne.

As North struggles to believe in the superstition and spellcraft rampant on the world’s surface, Nimh discovers a terrifying truth about the prophecy binding them together: that North’s fall may foretell the end of both worlds. With renegade magicians and fanatic cultists out for Nimh’s blood, and the ever-looming question of whether North’s fall was accident or betrayal, the two must stay alive long enough to seek the truth about both their worlds. Forbidden by divine law to touch, but bound together by fate and the increasingly strong pull of their own hearts, they forge a path together toward the fate of the world: to save it, or to end it.

Reviewed by littleread1 on

4 of 5 stars

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Kaufman and Spooner make magic AGAIN. This book combines fantasy and sci-fi and I couldn't be happier. 

I've had a really hard time sitting down to read this year because *waves hands around at 2020* of all this, but that wasn't a problem with The Other Side of the Sky. The problem was me staying up way too late several nights in a row and being tired at work the next day. Man, that was an excellent problem. The way they take 2 characters from very different worlds and have them interact and learn and survive was frustrating at times because of how real it was. The disbelief and confusion and misunderstandings were so relatable and frustrating that it made me want to reach into the book and shake the characters until they saw sense. I wouldn't have wanted them to be any other way though, since this is exactly what made them feel so real. And what made the pay-off soooo worth it. 

"I'm still here with you," I murmur. The words are soft, but they're enough to make her focus on my face again. "I'm real. And you've taught me to believe, Nimh. In things I can't see or touch. But more than anything, I believe in you. And I'm real."

I had a feeling I knew where this story would end, and I was partially right, but knowing something is so different from seeing it executed so perfectly on the page that it makes your heart explode. 

I definitely connected more with North, because his position is significantly more relatable: coming from a society based on science, but not knowing exactly how everything works, being dropped into a society where everything works by magic and living gods. I would have a difficult time adjusting to that and not questioning everything too. But Nimh is pretty much what you expect from someone raised to be a humble god personified, and would be the kind of person I would follow. 

She's like a torch in the darkness, pushing away the fears and horrors of the night.

And we can't forget the bindle cat! Showing up and leaving at his own whims, it is good to know cats in this world do not allow stupid humans to boss them around. 

I am usually a character-driven reader, and these characters are awesome, but the world is just AMAZING. So complex and beautifully described that I felt like I was there. (This was enhanced when I went outside, because the river-sea is just as humid as Florida in the summer apparently.) Overall, if you loved Kaufman and Spooner's [b:These Broken Stars|13138635|These Broken Stars (Starbound, #1)|Amie Kaufman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1383578978l/13138635._SY75_.jpg|18315607] (Which is just, gah, SO GOOD), then this is right up your alley. 

Now, if someone can get me some magic or device that could send the sequel back in time into my greedy little hands, I would be very grateful. 

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 28 August, 2020: Finished reading
  • 28 August, 2020: Reviewed