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![Steal the Sky [Dramatized Adaptation] by Megan E. O'Keefe](https://cdn.thestorygraph.com/dpb255twz8h46upq4fh4ajagkvxt)
3.45 AVERAGE
3.45 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
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:
Complicated
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really loved this steampunk fantasy romp. Excited to get I to the next book in the series.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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:
Complicated
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.
medium-paced
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.
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).
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.
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.