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mdpenguin's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The plot of this was good, with lots of interesting twists and turns. Although it completes well enough to stand on it's own, it sets up the intrigue for the rest of the series well. The world built for this novel was also pretty good. What didn't work for me, though, were the characters that lived in that world and carried that plot forward. I didn't particularly like them, though I didn't dislike them. That isn't nearly as big of a deal as the fact that they just didn't fit the story. Detan is a buffoon and it's really not believable that he's managed to stay free long enough to get to this point much less pull off some of the stuff he does. Tibs barely has a character and he's as smart or foolish as the plot requires at the moment. Ripka wasn't bad, but she wasn't interesting enough to carry the story and, again, she was just pulled along by the plot. Pelkaia honestly just wasn't believable to me. I'm not really sure that I believe in Thratia, either; she could have been really awesome but she was just a meh villain and I'm not sure that some of her behavior makes sense. The whole thing felt like there was a really great storyboard created for the plot and then characters were just kind of wedged in to make it play out. I think that someone who favors more plot-driven books might continue on with the series, but I need a lot more out of the characters to make me want to go on, even if my interest is piqued by the ending.
rebellkatten's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.5
Great start but really lost everything in the middle, both pacing and story. I didn't really got a feel for Detan, or the others, they were a bit cardboard. The world building felt really solid though.
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
3.0
Airships, a likable rogue, a doppelganger with a grudge, an oppressive regime: this book had the makings of a page-turning adventure. But, for me, it grew less compelling the further I read. Detan, the rogue, remained likable, and I was fond of his friendship with Tibs, but I remained stubbornly less engaged with the other point-of-view characters. The plot twisted and turned, but I was uncaptivated.
"Steal the Sky" is the first volume in a trilogy and I have no plans to read the other two volumes. I note that I recently read -- and preferred -- the author's more recent science-fiction trilogy, the Protectorate Trilogy (first book "Velocity Weapon").
Three out of five lighter-than-air stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
"Steal the Sky" is the first volume in a trilogy and I have no plans to read the other two volumes. I note that I recently read -- and preferred -- the author's more recent science-fiction trilogy, the Protectorate Trilogy (first book "Velocity Weapon").
Three out of five lighter-than-air stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
mxsallybend's review against another edition
3.0
With a promise of fantasy con artists, a desert oasis, an exiled commodore, a murderous doppel, and a stolen airship, I knew I had to give Steal the Sky a read. It sounded like a lot of fun, and that was exactly what I wanted to kick off the new year. I am pleased to say that Megan E. O'Keefe delivers on that fun, and does so with a great degree of characterization and world building than I expected.
The city of Asana, it is one of the more imaginative places I've come across in fantasy. Here is a port town situated in the middle of an inhospitable, inaccessible desert oasis. Cut off from the rest of the world by the sands of the Scorched Earth, it's also separated from the selium mines by the volcanic glass of the Black Wash. It's a place ripe for intrigue, and its role in the politics of the world is almost diametrically opposed to its role in the economy. What's more, O'Keefe makes smart use of it, especially in exploring how people wrest luxury from barren despair.
At the core of the story is a mysterious element known as selium, around which the entire novel revolves. It's an ambitious MacGuffin, and I worried at times that O'Keefe was spreading it too thin, but it works. Dangerously volatile, magical, and lighter-than-air, selium is mined from the volcanic caves and caverns around the desert oasis of Aransa. It's the commerce around which the city runs; it fuels the steampunk airships; it drives the scandalous life of Detan Honding; and it forms the basis of magic (with doppels using it to reshape their faces and cast illusions).
Unfortunately, as cool as that magic is, it's also the weakest part of the plot. I liked Pelkaia, and appreciated the way her revenge schemes wove themselves into the story, but there was no real suspense to her illusions. Time and time again a character would step into a scene, do something completely against their nature, and instead of making you wonder what was going on, I just shrugged it off as another of her impersonations. There was potential there, to be sure, but it felt like O'Keefe wasn't quite sure how to play her.
That issue aside, the other characters are fantastic. Detan and Tibs are a fun pair of crooks to follow, more good-natured scoundrels than villains. In fact, it is Detan's sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek narration that makes the story to entertaining. Watch Captain Ripka Leshe was a more than worthy foil (and reluctant accomplice) to their schemes, ex-Commodore Thratia Ganal is the kind of villain who just seems to get a little darker and a little more violent with each new revelation. Even the secondary characters are memorable, so much so that you start looking forward to how and where they'll slip back into the tale.
If you're a fan of old-school sword-and-sorcery, enjoy rooting for the Han Solos and Malcolm Reynolds of the world, and appreciate the mix of witty dialogue and slow-burning adventure, Steal the Sky is well worth a read.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
The city of Asana, it is one of the more imaginative places I've come across in fantasy. Here is a port town situated in the middle of an inhospitable, inaccessible desert oasis. Cut off from the rest of the world by the sands of the Scorched Earth, it's also separated from the selium mines by the volcanic glass of the Black Wash. It's a place ripe for intrigue, and its role in the politics of the world is almost diametrically opposed to its role in the economy. What's more, O'Keefe makes smart use of it, especially in exploring how people wrest luxury from barren despair.
At the core of the story is a mysterious element known as selium, around which the entire novel revolves. It's an ambitious MacGuffin, and I worried at times that O'Keefe was spreading it too thin, but it works. Dangerously volatile, magical, and lighter-than-air, selium is mined from the volcanic caves and caverns around the desert oasis of Aransa. It's the commerce around which the city runs; it fuels the steampunk airships; it drives the scandalous life of Detan Honding; and it forms the basis of magic (with doppels using it to reshape their faces and cast illusions).
Unfortunately, as cool as that magic is, it's also the weakest part of the plot. I liked Pelkaia, and appreciated the way her revenge schemes wove themselves into the story, but there was no real suspense to her illusions. Time and time again a character would step into a scene, do something completely against their nature, and instead of making you wonder what was going on, I just shrugged it off as another of her impersonations. There was potential there, to be sure, but it felt like O'Keefe wasn't quite sure how to play her.
That issue aside, the other characters are fantastic. Detan and Tibs are a fun pair of crooks to follow, more good-natured scoundrels than villains. In fact, it is Detan's sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek narration that makes the story to entertaining. Watch Captain Ripka Leshe was a more than worthy foil (and reluctant accomplice) to their schemes, ex-Commodore Thratia Ganal is the kind of villain who just seems to get a little darker and a little more violent with each new revelation. Even the secondary characters are memorable, so much so that you start looking forward to how and where they'll slip back into the tale.
If you're a fan of old-school sword-and-sorcery, enjoy rooting for the Han Solos and Malcolm Reynolds of the world, and appreciate the mix of witty dialogue and slow-burning adventure, Steal the Sky is well worth a read.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.
sarag1701's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic characters but I tend to feel like I'm missing something with the world-building. It's almost as if there should be more information given to the reader. But that doesn't deter me from reading more about the infamous Detan Honding and his partner-in-crime Tibs.
branch_c's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely some interesting world building here, and a setting, plot and cast of characters that reminded me a bit of Chris Wooding's Ketty Jay books. I didn't find the execution, however, to be as polished as those.
Although the characters were well developed, I never really sympathized with them. Ripka was probably the best, even compared to Detan - the rest I found either unmemorable or unlikable. The introduction of the fairly interesting character of Aella at almost the last minute was strange, although I suppose she's to play a bigger part in the sequel. And an even stranger choice to have a character who is only referred to as "New Chum" for the entire book. I kept waiting for this to be significant somehow, that when his real name is revealed it turns out to be somehow meaningful. But no.
The writing I found a bit clumsy in many places. The attempts at poetic, evocative prose ended up drawing attention to the text itself rather than heightening the atmosphere and drawing me into the story. The sequences of violent action seemed to be trying too hard to be darkly dramatic. The injections of humor, on the other hand, were a glimpse of brilliance that the book could have used more of; I especially liked the continual referral to Detan and Tibal's flyer by its new name toward the end of the book. The ending itself was chaotic, which is usually not a bad thing, but in this case I found it muddled and strangely less than compelling.
I hate to downplay the achievement of having written this book, since it was a valiant effort by O'Keefe, who clearly has the talent to be a great storyteller. But for me, it was less enjoyable than I'd hoped.
Although the characters were well developed, I never really sympathized with them. Ripka was probably the best, even compared to Detan - the rest I found either unmemorable or unlikable. The introduction of the fairly interesting character of Aella at almost the last minute was strange, although I suppose she's to play a bigger part in the sequel. And an even stranger choice to have a character who is only referred to as "New Chum" for the entire book. I kept waiting for this to be significant somehow, that when his real name is revealed it turns out to be somehow meaningful. But no.
The writing I found a bit clumsy in many places. The attempts at poetic, evocative prose ended up drawing attention to the text itself rather than heightening the atmosphere and drawing me into the story. The sequences of violent action seemed to be trying too hard to be darkly dramatic. The injections of humor, on the other hand, were a glimpse of brilliance that the book could have used more of; I especially liked the continual referral to Detan and Tibal's flyer by its new name toward the end of the book. The ending itself was chaotic, which is usually not a bad thing, but in this case I found it muddled and strangely less than compelling.
I hate to downplay the achievement of having written this book, since it was a valiant effort by O'Keefe, who clearly has the talent to be a great storyteller. But for me, it was less enjoyable than I'd hoped.
alwroteabook's review against another edition
5.0
In a fit of whimsy, I hereby announce I will give everyone five stars, but the reviews may not reflect it.
I listened to the audio of this but found myself drifting off a lot as I listened. This is very likely a "me thing", as I did enjoy the bits I focused on. I find with audiobooks that a lot of worldbuilding tends to set my mind thinking about other things (usually work). Maybe someday I'll give the print a try, it definitely was entertaining in when I was switched on.
I listened to the audio of this but found myself drifting off a lot as I listened. This is very likely a "me thing", as I did enjoy the bits I focused on. I find with audiobooks that a lot of worldbuilding tends to set my mind thinking about other things (usually work). Maybe someday I'll give the print a try, it definitely was entertaining in when I was switched on.
alwroteabook's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I listened to the audio of this but found myself drifting off a lot as I listened. This is very likely a "me thing", as I did enjoy the bits I focused on. I find with audiobooks that a lot of worldbuilding tends to set my mind thinking about other things (usually work). Maybe someday I'll give the print a try, it definitely was entertaining in when I was switched on.
cup_of_oolong's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kyandesu's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5