Author: Alex London
Publication Date: 1 September 2020
Publisher: FSG Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 480
Reading Method: Digital ARC
Synopsis:
The war on the ground has ended, but the war with the sky has just begun. After the Siege of the Six Villages, the ghost eagles have trapped Uztaris on both sides of the conflict. The villagers and Kartami alike hide in caves, huddled in terror as they await nightly attacks. Kylee aims to plunge her arrows into each and every ghost eagle; in her mind, killing the birds is the only way to unshackle the city’s chains. But Brysen has other plans.
While the humans fly familiar circles around each other, the ghost eagles create schemes far greater and more terrible than either Kylee or Brysen could have imagined. In the final installment of the Skybound Saga, the tug-of-war between love and power begins to fray, threatening bonds of siblinghood and humanity alike.
Review:
This was the conclusion to the Skybound trilogy and I feel it did a nice job of wrapping everything up.
Like the previous books, it’s told from Brysen and Kylee’s perspectives, with random perspectives at the end of each section. I find myself enjoying Kylee’s sections more than Brysen’s, though I will say Brysen has grown on me quite a bit.
Some things I loved: the fact that it’s a queer fantasy trilogy about birds. There is so much representation in this book and I am here for it! Brysen and Jowyn’s relationship is so supportive. I love their dynamic together. Jowyn is likely the reason that Brysen grew on me. I loved that throughout it all, Kylee stays true to herself. I love Grazim – Kylee’s surly, ambitious friend.
Things I didn’t love: the ending. It was great in the sense that we had resolution for our characters but it felt anti-climatic. And I’m not a fan of the writing style. There are so many good quotes that make you laugh or pause to appreciate how beautiful they are. But I feel like the book could have been so much shorter without all the unnecessary descriptive text. Of course, that’s a personal preference.
Overall, I enjoyed the time spent on this journey and would recommend giving it a try!
You can purchase a copy of Gold Wings Rising here
