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asteroula_t's review against another edition
2.0
I am not sure about this book. It is original with a brand new world and interesting creatures, but the premise is not something new. The writing is good, even though in the beginning I got a bit confused about the characters and their connections but you just have to be patient. Unfortunately, there is a love triangle and this is my least favorite trope, so the moment I realised it's there, I was a bit sceptical about the rest of the story. The love story is not the main thing but it is important.
I just think that I was biased and I didn't enjoy the book as much.
I received an Arc via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.
I just think that I was biased and I didn't enjoy the book as much.
I received an Arc via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.
wendy327's review against another edition
3.0
I received a free copy from Tor Teen through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Leonodai, winged-lion shapeshifters, have lived in relative peace as they train elite warriors to protect the Heliana, a land that floats in the clouds above the world of humans. Along with three other races of magical creatures, the Leonodai aim to distance themselves from humans and maintain their place in a world that has grown increasingly perilous. But when Leonodai children start to fall ill, warriors are sent on a mission to the human world, the only place that holds the flower needed for the cure. With a great deal to lose, including all the magic of the Leonodai, warriors Callen, Ox, Rowan, and Shirene race against time to save their people.
There are some really great aspects to The Endless Skies. First, the world building is intriguing as you have a floating city and five magical races, including one that is extinct. As a reader, I very much enjoyed the different viewpoints of the Heliana, especially ones from the air as these provided a rough layout of the city. This leads to one of the other features that was fascinating, specifically the magic system. The Leonodai’s magic to turn from a humanoid form to a winged-lion form was a new way to look at shapeshifters and magical lore.
However, there were some aspects of this novel that didn’t work quite as well. First, it seemed as though there were too many viewpoints. Shannon Price uses three: Rowan, Callen, and Shirene. Though Shirene does offer the opportunity to update the reader on the progression of the disease throughout the novel, her point of view felt extraneous. Additionally, when a young adult novel sets up two characters to contribute their point of view, it seems likely that there will be a love connection between them. This proved to be true with Rowan and Callen. As a reader, I was frustrated by Ox, who was not a point of view character, but seemed to create an unnecessary love triangle. Positives of the love triangle in The Endless Skies did include the fact that it was a subplot and both Callen and Ox were generous and decent.
The ending also felt a bit too neat and tied up. However, I sense this is because Price could have continued developing a complex and interesting world. It’s rare given that too many young adult books are made into unnecessary series but The Endless Skies is a rare exception that could have benefited from more space to explore the history of this world and the magic system.
Overall, I do recommend The Endless Skies despite its flaws. I think this is an interesting world that will continue to push the young adult genre to be better and more original in its conception of magic systems.
The Leonodai, winged-lion shapeshifters, have lived in relative peace as they train elite warriors to protect the Heliana, a land that floats in the clouds above the world of humans. Along with three other races of magical creatures, the Leonodai aim to distance themselves from humans and maintain their place in a world that has grown increasingly perilous. But when Leonodai children start to fall ill, warriors are sent on a mission to the human world, the only place that holds the flower needed for the cure. With a great deal to lose, including all the magic of the Leonodai, warriors Callen, Ox, Rowan, and Shirene race against time to save their people.
There are some really great aspects to The Endless Skies. First, the world building is intriguing as you have a floating city and five magical races, including one that is extinct. As a reader, I very much enjoyed the different viewpoints of the Heliana, especially ones from the air as these provided a rough layout of the city. This leads to one of the other features that was fascinating, specifically the magic system. The Leonodai’s magic to turn from a humanoid form to a winged-lion form was a new way to look at shapeshifters and magical lore.
However, there were some aspects of this novel that didn’t work quite as well. First, it seemed as though there were too many viewpoints. Shannon Price uses three: Rowan, Callen, and Shirene. Though Shirene does offer the opportunity to update the reader on the progression of the disease throughout the novel, her point of view felt extraneous. Additionally, when a young adult novel sets up two characters to contribute their point of view, it seems likely that there will be a love connection between them. This proved to be true with Rowan and Callen. As a reader, I was frustrated by Ox, who was not a point of view character, but seemed to create an unnecessary love triangle. Positives of the love triangle in The Endless Skies did include the fact that it was a subplot and both Callen and Ox were generous and decent.
The ending also felt a bit too neat and tied up. However, I sense this is because Price could have continued developing a complex and interesting world. It’s rare given that too many young adult books are made into unnecessary series but The Endless Skies is a rare exception that could have benefited from more space to explore the history of this world and the magic system.
Overall, I do recommend The Endless Skies despite its flaws. I think this is an interesting world that will continue to push the young adult genre to be better and more original in its conception of magic systems.
katrinaisabella's review
4.0
**A big thank you NetGalley and Tor Teen for providing this ARC**
Overall this was not a bad read, I was able to finish it within one sitting and I did really enjoy it. The cover and synopsis really draw you in, giving you some high expectations of how the book is going to be. Endless Skies has a unique magic system and focuses a lot on details that really help bring the world to life.
This book is a fantastic standalone with strong female warrior leads and a love triangle that I wasn't too much invested in but it was okay. The 3 pov's could have easily been 2 as I feel like one was more an info dump that could have been just a fly on a wall in 3rd person this and the ending is what made this book more of a 3.5 than a 4 for me.
*****Spoiler warning*****:
The ending really threw me as I felt that the death of one of the main pov's was unnecessary to the plot, it really did just feel like an info dump pov that wasn't needed anymore so was killed off. I really enjoyed this pov as its the one you start with at the beginning and really drew me into the story. This pov hinted at so much more that I would have loved of seen in this story.
Overall this was not a bad read, I was able to finish it within one sitting and I did really enjoy it. The cover and synopsis really draw you in, giving you some high expectations of how the book is going to be. Endless Skies has a unique magic system and focuses a lot on details that really help bring the world to life.
This book is a fantastic standalone with strong female warrior leads and a love triangle that I wasn't too much invested in but it was okay. The 3 pov's could have easily been 2 as I feel like one was more an info dump that could have been just a fly on a wall in 3rd person this and the ending is what made this book more of a 3.5 than a 4 for me.
*****Spoiler warning*****:
The ending really threw me as I felt that the death of one of the main pov's was unnecessary to the plot, it really did just feel like an info dump pov that wasn't needed anymore so was killed off. I really enjoyed this pov as its the one you start with at the beginning and really drew me into the story. This pov hinted at so much more that I would have loved of seen in this story.
mrosamo's review
4.0
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Typically fantasy isn’t the type of book that I will tend to read but wow am I glad I read this! It’s action packed with twists and turns. Hope is such a central theme in this book, and after the year we’ve had I think this is the perfect book to pick up and read.
Typically fantasy isn’t the type of book that I will tend to read but wow am I glad I read this! It’s action packed with twists and turns. Hope is such a central theme in this book, and after the year we’ve had I think this is the perfect book to pick up and read.
micolreads's review
3.0
This is the perfect example of a book that could have been so much better if the author didn't rush trough the last 100 pages.
Everything important in the book is compressed in a few chapters and you don't really have time to comprehend that you are already finishing it.
-Rowan. What an annoying, almost useless character. Did I mention she is the main character who is supposed to save the kingdom?
-Callen. Better shut up or I'll just insult him.
-Ox. If only he had more space.
-And lastly: Shirene. Literally the only character I cared about, the one with potential, but so wasted.
This book is badly organized. The style is good and the world building is interesting.
--> Read this if you are looking for a fast read, with no attachment to the characters and a plot that just combust at half the book.
Everything important in the book is compressed in a few chapters and you don't really have time to comprehend that you are already finishing it.
-Rowan. What an annoying, almost useless character. Did I mention she is the main character who is supposed to save the kingdom?
-Callen. Better shut up or I'll just insult him.
-Ox. If only he had more space.
-And lastly: Shirene. Literally the only character I cared about, the one with potential, but so wasted.
This book is badly organized. The style is good and the world building is interesting.
--> Read this if you are looking for a fast read, with no attachment to the characters and a plot that just combust at half the book.
timitra's review
4.0
I enjoyed The Endless Skies quite a bit. There’s action, adventure, a splash of romance and so much more. I thought the world building was awesome. It was unique and intriguing. This was my first book by this author and I definitely recommend it. I’d read more of this author’s work.
Copy provided by publisher through Net Galley
Copy provided by publisher through Net Galley
jdalton's review
4.0
Thank you Netgalley and Tor Teen for an advanced copy of this book.
If you’re into fantasy meets modern humanity, this book is for you. The Leonodai are a shapeshifting race on the brink of war with the humans.
When their prince falls ill, as well as other children among them, and the humans won’t help them with a cure, they go into battle and searching for their own cure to save their prince and themselves but find that their own skies have been infiltrated by flying machines the humans have invented.
The book was very entertaining and I loved the reactions to modern amenities we are used to today like trains and planes. Plus there’s lots of action and kick butt women who you cheer for!
If you’re into fantasy meets modern humanity, this book is for you. The Leonodai are a shapeshifting race on the brink of war with the humans.
When their prince falls ill, as well as other children among them, and the humans won’t help them with a cure, they go into battle and searching for their own cure to save their prince and themselves but find that their own skies have been infiltrated by flying machines the humans have invented.
The book was very entertaining and I loved the reactions to modern amenities we are used to today like trains and planes. Plus there’s lots of action and kick butt women who you cheer for!
helenace13's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The story is good, but sometimes feels underdeveloped and rash. I feel like certain aspects of the book can be developed even further to make it even more enticing and complete. There were also more language mistakes than I would have liked.
acozybooknerd's review
4.0
This was a good fun fast paced read!
Lion shifters with wings? Yes please!
I really did enjoy this world, I felt it was built well and unique story set up. I loved the fast pace plot we were given and it was well done!
I do wish we had another book to this series! I think it would have really benifited! I can’t wait to read another one of her books!
Lion shifters with wings? Yes please!
I really did enjoy this world, I felt it was built well and unique story set up. I loved the fast pace plot we were given and it was well done!
I do wish we had another book to this series! I think it would have really benifited! I can’t wait to read another one of her books!