The Cerulean by Amy Ewing

The Cerulean (The Cerulean Duology, #1)

by Amy Ewing

From New York Times bestselling author Amy Ewing (The Jewel) comes the exciting first book in a new fantasy duology. Rich, vivid world-building and ethereal magic combine in an epic tale that's perfect for fans of Snow Like Ashes, These Broken Stars, or Magonia.

Sera Lighthaven has always felt as if she didn't quite belong among her people, the Cerulean, who live in the City Above the Sky. She is curious about everything--especially the planet that her City is magically tethered to--and can't stop questioning things. Sera has always longed for the day when the tether will finally break and the Cerulean can move to a new planet.

But when Sera is chosen as the sacrifice to break the tether, she feels betrayed by everything in which she'd been taught to trust. In order to save her City, Sera must end her own life.

But something goes wrong, and Sera survives, ending up on the planet below in a country called Kaolin. Sera has heard tales about the dangerous humans who live here, and she quickly learns that these dangers were not just stories.

Meanwhile, back in the City, all is not what it seems, and the life of every Cerulean may be in danger if Sera is not able to find a way home.

--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Reviewed by tweetybugshouse on

5 of 5 stars

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Ok, I really did enjoy this one I went into it with just the premise and the fact that it an Amy Ewing book. I love the jewel series devoured one right after the other. This one is very different. We have all female society that is ruled by a high priestess who dictates when certain events happen. She claims Mother Sun tells her when these should happen but I read plenty of these kinds of stories and their always some secret going on behind the scenes. Anyway, each family is formed of 3 mothers who each do something different. There are no males instead they have children in a birthing season and it happens within themselves. So next up we have the problem that the city cannot sustain itself anymore and needs to move on and the only way to do so is by having someone sacrificed to break tethered cord that connects their world to the planet below. Once that happens the point of view shifts to the planet below and your sort of left going but I want to know what happens back in the sky. Once we shift to the planet below point of view we learn all about this planet. We have a privileged country and the not so privileged country. We also have a society that ruled by men in one part of the planet and the women can’t do anything without men permission. We have a daughter who is mixed raced who only wants to know her mother and want to be a scientist. I saw some reviews that were really critical of this story in that the lesbian part of the story did not work for them, their racism’s in the story with the white privilege versus the dark skin, and the oppression of women. I felt that these things all worked well for the story they were explained very well and they help move along parts of the story. The layout of the two worlds was well done, the characters are established and play their roles how they been portrayed. The ending is a nail biter with a tearful scene as one of the creatures does not survive in the escape sequence. We are left with a cliff hanger for both parts of the story in the planet below and the planet above which sets you up for the next book. I not sure when that one is coming or what it will be called as it not listed yet on Goodreads. I would say this is a solid read for dystopian fantasy readers and that you should pick it up and give it a go for yourself before you decide how you feel about it.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 25 January, 2019: Finished reading
  • 25 January, 2019: Reviewed