Shatter the Sky (The Shatter the Sky Duology)
New England Book Award Finalist
“A top-notch dragon story…Both nuanced and real.” —Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“I absolutely devoured it.” —Mackenzi Lee, bestselling author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
“Perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce, Renée Ahdieh, and Cindy Pon.” —Saundra Mitchell, author of All the Things We Do in the Dark and editor of YA anthology All Out
A determined young woman sets out to rescue her kidnapped girlfriend by stealing a dragon from the corrupt emperor in this stunning fantasy debut that’s perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman.
Raised among the ruins of a conquered mountain nation, Maren dreams only of sharing a quiet life with her girlfriend Kaia—until the day Kaia is abducted by the Aurati, prophetic agents of the emperor, and forced to join their ranks. Desperate to save her, Maren hatches a plan to steal one of the emperor’s coveted dragons and storm the Aurati stronghold.
If Maren is to have any hope of succeeding, she must become an apprentice to the Aromatory—the emperor’s mysterious dragon trainer. But Maren is unprepared for the dangerous secrets she uncovers: rumors of a lost prince, a brewing rebellion, and a prophecy that threatens to shatter the empire itself. Not to mention the strange dreams she’s been having about a beast deep underground…
With time running out, can Maren survive long enough to rescue Kaia from impending death? Or could it be that Maren is destined for something greater than she could have ever imagined?
“A top-notch dragon story…Both nuanced and real.” —Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“I absolutely devoured it.” —Mackenzi Lee, bestselling author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
“Perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce, Renée Ahdieh, and Cindy Pon.” —Saundra Mitchell, author of All the Things We Do in the Dark and editor of YA anthology All Out
A determined young woman sets out to rescue her kidnapped girlfriend by stealing a dragon from the corrupt emperor in this stunning fantasy debut that’s perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman.
Raised among the ruins of a conquered mountain nation, Maren dreams only of sharing a quiet life with her girlfriend Kaia—until the day Kaia is abducted by the Aurati, prophetic agents of the emperor, and forced to join their ranks. Desperate to save her, Maren hatches a plan to steal one of the emperor’s coveted dragons and storm the Aurati stronghold.
If Maren is to have any hope of succeeding, she must become an apprentice to the Aromatory—the emperor’s mysterious dragon trainer. But Maren is unprepared for the dangerous secrets she uncovers: rumors of a lost prince, a brewing rebellion, and a prophecy that threatens to shatter the empire itself. Not to mention the strange dreams she’s been having about a beast deep underground…
With time running out, can Maren survive long enough to rescue Kaia from impending death? Or could it be that Maren is destined for something greater than she could have ever imagined?
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Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
Shatter the Sky is an incredible novel that follows one Maren, a quiet girl with no delusions of grandeur as she embarks on an adventure to save her girlfriend from the corrupted grasp of the empire. It is a fast-paced story that builds and builds upon itself as it moves forward. This knitting pattern of storytelling allows the structure of the overall story to hold to together artfully and in the way the story stacks upon itself, mirrors the journey of the character. The setting and world-building structure blends the realism into the story, taking the fantasy and wrapping it in a world of realism. The mechanics of this world are easy to understand and engage the reader, allowing the reader to fully grasp how dragons and magic fit into this world seamlessly. The added political tension adds dimension and works to keep the story grounded and captivating for the reader.
The other part of the novel that makes it so compelling is Maren. She begins as such a soft-spoken character, but her evolution, the challenges she faces, the push against her and she pushes against them and past them to continue her quest. However, her journey and character development are not her most substantial assets, but rather, her identity is. Maren is a not only a QPOC (Queer Person of Color); she is also a biracial character. While Maren faces no outright racism, she has never felt as though she properly fit in with her small village. Her journey from her mountain top allows her to not only grow as a character, but it also allows her to grow more comfortable in her skin, sending a powerful message to readers.
The inclusion and representation do not stop with the depiction and texture of her skin, hair, and eyes, but also expands to her sexuality. Wells uses Maren and the world she has built to showcase the LGBTQ community in such a beautiful way. Her sexuality is never once frowned upon, questioned or demeaned but instead treated with the acceptance and normalcy it deserves in real life.
Shatter the Sky is a thrilling story that sucks the readers in with the dragons and representation that fills the pages with enthralling believability.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
Shatter the Sky is an incredible novel that follows one Maren, a quiet girl with no delusions of grandeur as she embarks on an adventure to save her girlfriend from the corrupted grasp of the empire. It is a fast-paced story that builds and builds upon itself as it moves forward. This knitting pattern of storytelling allows the structure of the overall story to hold to together artfully and in the way the story stacks upon itself, mirrors the journey of the character. The setting and world-building structure blends the realism into the story, taking the fantasy and wrapping it in a world of realism. The mechanics of this world are easy to understand and engage the reader, allowing the reader to fully grasp how dragons and magic fit into this world seamlessly. The added political tension adds dimension and works to keep the story grounded and captivating for the reader.
The other part of the novel that makes it so compelling is Maren. She begins as such a soft-spoken character, but her evolution, the challenges she faces, the push against her and she pushes against them and past them to continue her quest. However, her journey and character development are not her most substantial assets, but rather, her identity is. Maren is a not only a QPOC (Queer Person of Color); she is also a biracial character. While Maren faces no outright racism, she has never felt as though she properly fit in with her small village. Her journey from her mountain top allows her to not only grow as a character, but it also allows her to grow more comfortable in her skin, sending a powerful message to readers.
The inclusion and representation do not stop with the depiction and texture of her skin, hair, and eyes, but also expands to her sexuality. Wells uses Maren and the world she has built to showcase the LGBTQ community in such a beautiful way. Her sexuality is never once frowned upon, questioned or demeaned but instead treated with the acceptance and normalcy it deserves in real life.
Shatter the Sky is a thrilling story that sucks the readers in with the dragons and representation that fills the pages with enthralling believability.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
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