Red Skies Falling by Alex London

Red Skies Falling (The Skybound Saga, #2)

by Alex London

In this thrilling sequel to Black Wings Beating, twins Kylee and Brysen are separated by the expanse of Uztar, but are preparing for the same war - or so they think.

Kylee is ensconsed in the Sky Castle, training with Mem Uku to master the Hollow Tongue and the Ghost Eagle. But political intrigue abounds and court drama seems to seep through the castle's stones like blood from a broken feather. Meanwhile, Brysen is still in the Six Villages, preparing for an attack by the Kartami. The Villages have become Uztar's first line of defense, and refugees are flooding in from the plains. But their arrival lays bare the villagers darkest instincts. As Brysen navigates the growing turmoil, he must also grapple with a newfound gift, a burgeoning crush on a mysterious boy, and a shocking betrayal.

Reviewed by lessthelonely on

4 of 5 stars

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This is another book I got myself for Christmas - more like, I got my mom to offer it to me, which was a brilliant move on my part since she actually said Yes, for once. There's nothing like buying books with money that doesn't make your wallet lighter. Not going to lie, it was well deserved after a few months of reading book after book with my Kindle.

Reading in paper is fun, what can I say? And it's good to finally stop being afraid of sequels, as this is the 2nd sequel I read in my life. OK, I read All For The Game but not going to lie, that book doesn't count. I read Black Wings Beating last year and it was quite a surprise. Let's be real, I wasn't expecting a good fantasy book from a man. I've been hearing a lot of things about books like Infinity Son by Adam Silvera or even Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson, which I did enjoy a lot.

But this is high fantasy. It's make-or-break on its premise alone and I was, to be completely honest, expecting a fall from grace after a decent Book 1. Sagging middle syndrome, as it's called. It's hard to say if this is what actually happened, since this book is great at making you want more and more. But I wouldn't say this book is all that good in delivering a plot that's always moving. The author certainly makes some characters drop dead to give you a sense of dread, but then I've seen this trilogy being called the Game of Thrones of YA and I'm like... Maybe don't make those comparisons.

First of all, this book isn't really close to what Game of Thrones has managed to do in the books that are out - this coming from someone who only watched the TV Show and gave up on S08E05, which I'm sure we're all fine with -, but secondly, being compared to Game of Thrones isn't a good thing anymore, which is great. Not going to lie, I was tired of the hype.

For a book 2, this is above passable. I'd say it doesn't deliver as well in the action front, but I was kind of intrigued by the choice of frequently changing the POV between Kylee and Brysen, which I'm pretty sure a lot of people have started finding a lot less insufferable with this book.

The romance in this book is also delightful. Obviously, Kylee is still asexual arromantic, from what I can tell, but Brysen and Jowyn got time to shine and actually reach healthy romance. It was extremely fun and I'd say it was the best part of the book outside of the final pages, where shit actually starts happening and Brysen goes all Luís de Camões - if you don't understand what I'm talking about just by reading it, don't go look it up.

In the end, I'm intrigued to know where Mr. London is going to take this in the final book. Also, the cover artist for these books needs a raise.

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  • 8 January, 2022: Reviewed