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bookstosoothethesoul's review against another edition
3.5
Okay I loved the world in this book! First of all, it's a world where dragons aren't just human pets, they have immense power and actually exploit humans. It just felt so realistic to what dragons would most likely do if they had that power (rather than just existing to serve human purposes). I loved how morally grey the dragons were. That was a major plus of the world. Second of all, I loved how queernormative the world was! It was so fun to see trans and poly characters accepted as a natural part of the world. I will say I felt like the story took a bit to get started. For a heist novel there was a lot of deliberating and very little action for the first half of the story. Once it got going (and once I switched to audio) I had a much better time. The audio really helped me feel more connected to the characters and feel the tension more which I greatly appreciated. I definitely recommend reading this book that way.
Thanks to Tor for the ARC!
Thanks to Tor for the ARC!
librarianlouise's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Romance đ? Dragonsđ? HeistđĽˇ?
I was signing on the dotted line!
ALSO, look at that cover! I was ready and so elated to be selected for this ARC copy of The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons.
Anahrod, managing to survive against the odds, is out on a quest. She was a great MFC with so much character & depth that she really came to life for me and I was very invested in her.
Unfortunately, I did not feel the same attachment to her companions, and the relationships between them left me feeling a little... flat? Particularly with Ris, I just didn't see how we got there. I felt I was being told that the romance was happening rather than being shown it and feeling it.
Also, I am a bit of fated mates girly (and I was ready and excited for a fated three after reading other reviews), but I just felt I was missing that all encompassing, us-against-the-world mentality.
However, the gender fluidity / queerness in this book was elegantly and naturally delivered. Well done Lyons.
The badassery of the dragons in this book is no joke, and for me, the dragon supremacy and the world that Lyons immerses us in is truly unique and masterfully done. The attention to detail in all the different cities made the vast world building in this book fully enveloping; so vibrant and distinctive.
The pacing was a little slow and meandering at times, however, it didn't feel tedious or wasteful, but instead had the tension piquing or added a whimsical air.
Did I enjoy this book? Honestly, yes. But, I do feel I was missing that character attachment to make me love it. If I could have just felt for them a little more deeply then this book could have been a perfect match for me.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC đ¸
I was signing on the dotted line!
ALSO, look at that cover! I was ready and so elated to be selected for this ARC copy of The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons.
Anahrod, managing to survive against the odds, is out on a quest. She was a great MFC with so much character & depth that she really came to life for me and I was very invested in her.
Unfortunately, I did not feel the same attachment to her companions, and the relationships between them left me feeling a little... flat? Particularly with Ris, I just didn't see how we got there. I felt I was being told that the romance was happening rather than being shown it and feeling it.
Also, I am a bit of fated mates girly (and I was ready and excited for a fated three after reading other reviews), but I just felt I was missing that all encompassing, us-against-the-world mentality.
However, the gender fluidity / queerness in this book was elegantly and naturally delivered. Well done Lyons.
The badassery of the dragons in this book is no joke, and for me, the dragon supremacy and the world that Lyons immerses us in is truly unique and masterfully done. The attention to detail in all the different cities made the vast world building in this book fully enveloping; so vibrant and distinctive.
The pacing was a little slow and meandering at times, however, it didn't feel tedious or wasteful, but instead had the tension piquing or added a whimsical air.
Did I enjoy this book? Honestly, yes. But, I do feel I was missing that character attachment to make me love it. If I could have just felt for them a little more deeply then this book could have been a perfect match for me.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC đ¸
danreadsitall's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I read a lot of (primarily) fantasy books. Of course I enjoy dragons. But would I be so inclined if many of them were jerks? Say, society only really existing because they allow it, we do come up with clever things. So when I was able to get my paws on "The Sky on Fire" by Jenn Lyons (out July 9th, 2024) who made some nutty dragons in her series, A Chorus of Dragons, I was as pleased as a wyrm in its lair. Did get audio as well so I didn't have to stop reading once I started.
Anahrod has a problem. That problem being her past has crashed into her current life. When a meeting goes absolutely sideways and she ends up being absconded with by a crew from the sky cities (did I mention they are down in the jungles) to carry out a plan based on her (alleged) crimes, and require her (alleged) knowledge to do so. See, she was tossed out/executed years ago, but didn't exactly die. Now they need her to steal from the hoard of a dragon. One who is kind of in charge of all the other dragons. And is incredibly magically competent. And is the one who had Anahrod executed (didn't take though).
Narrated by Lauren Fortgang, always a pleasure. Fantastic vocalizing of banter. Why does spice on audio always start when I'm in the grocery store???
Reasons to read:
-Big dragons doing stuff with crazy powers, just fire breathing is boring
-Banter
-Overbite
-BPPT confirmed!
-Sometimes folks just need a good stabbing
-Did magic grammar save the day?
-The characters are fantastic
Cons:
-No dholes, but I already knew they weren't in the story before I started
Anahrod has a problem. That problem being her past has crashed into her current life. When a meeting goes absolutely sideways and she ends up being absconded with by a crew from the sky cities (did I mention they are down in the jungles) to carry out a plan based on her (alleged) crimes, and require her (alleged) knowledge to do so. See, she was tossed out/executed years ago, but didn't exactly die. Now they need her to steal from the hoard of a dragon. One who is kind of in charge of all the other dragons. And is incredibly magically competent. And is the one who had Anahrod executed (didn't take though).
Narrated by Lauren Fortgang, always a pleasure. Fantastic vocalizing of banter. Why does spice on audio always start when I'm in the grocery store???
Reasons to read:
-Big dragons doing stuff with crazy powers, just fire breathing is boring
-Banter
-Overbite
-BPPT confirmed!
-Sometimes folks just need a good stabbing
-Did magic grammar save the day?
-The characters are fantastic
Cons:
-No dholes, but I already knew they weren't in the story before I started
fadingapple's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
Thanks so much to NetGalley for the Audio ARC!
To start with the audiobook/narrator quality - top notch, loved it! Production value was great, the narrator hit the tone perfectly, and it was really fun to listen to.
As for the book itself, WOW I loved it. This was what I wanted from Fourth Wing and felt similar to what I got from the Fireborne trilogy....amazing dragons (with and without riders), fantastic ensemble cast, a heist, magic, a true love triangle (goes all 3 ways)....seriously, it has it all. The fights were epic and easy to follow, the banter was great, the flirting was SPICY (especially the scene on the airship....), the magic and lore were interesting, and to bring it all together it was really well written.
I don't want to give too much away but this hits all the best parts of a heist book and has amazing dragons too. This was perfectly up my alley and if you enjoy Eragon, Fireborne, Fourth Wing, The Founders Trilogy....I think you'll love this one too!
To start with the audiobook/narrator quality - top notch, loved it! Production value was great, the narrator hit the tone perfectly, and it was really fun to listen to.
As for the book itself, WOW I loved it. This was what I wanted from Fourth Wing and felt similar to what I got from the Fireborne trilogy....amazing dragons (with and without riders), fantastic ensemble cast, a heist, magic, a true love triangle (goes all 3 ways)....seriously, it has it all. The fights were epic and easy to follow, the banter was great, the flirting was SPICY (especially the scene on the airship....), the magic and lore were interesting, and to bring it all together it was really well written.
I don't want to give too much away but this hits all the best parts of a heist book and has amazing dragons too. This was perfectly up my alley and if you enjoy Eragon, Fireborne, Fourth Wing, The Founders Trilogy....I think you'll love this one too!
mattisonsbooknook's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
** Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with an advanced reader's copy in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own**
I am a huge fan of this author and I love her Chorus of Dragons series. This is a very different book than that series. This is a heist novel, that takes up the majority of the story. If you do not like heists you will not like this story. I appreciated the queer representation that this author has in all of her stories and this one is no different. My favourite part was the dragons! The dragons can possess their riders and talk through them and talk to them telepathically. I still love this authors Ruin of Kings books more as they are favourites but I enjoyed this new world and that its a standalone...I think. I will continue to read anything this author writes.
I am a huge fan of this author and I love her Chorus of Dragons series. This is a very different book than that series. This is a heist novel, that takes up the majority of the story. If you do not like heists you will not like this story. I appreciated the queer representation that this author has in all of her stories and this one is no different. My favourite part was the dragons! The dragons can possess their riders and talk through them and talk to them telepathically. I still love this authors Ruin of Kings books more as they are favourites but I enjoyed this new world and that its a standalone...I think. I will continue to read anything this author writes.
chiaseedreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bloggingwithdragons's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Sky on Fire is a supremely fun book centering around heists, dragons, and magic with fantastic world-building. In a year when books can barely hold my attention, I was immediately hooked on The Sky on Fire and never wanted to put the book down.
For me, the standout of The Sky on Fire was definitely the world-building. The world is divided into high and lows, with the rich and powerful living high up in the mountains, where dragons like to live, and the poor and otherwise undesirable living down on the hellishly hot and lawless jungles of what is called The Deep. The Deep is where people go to disappear and that's no exception for our protagonist, Anahrod, who hides there from a world filled with dragons who want her dead.
Ever since playing Skyrim for the first time, a game where an evil dragon, Alduin, seeks to take over the world, I have always wondered what it would be like to exist in a world ruled entirely by dragons. What kind of decisions would they make? How would they view humans? What would their ruling system or class divisions look like? The Sky on Fire gives an incredibly intriguing version of that world. In this world, humans are considered lesser than dragons, largely in part due to religious reasons, and humans with magic potential are forced to attempt to become a dragonrider in a pact that usually looks a lot like lifelong enslavement for the human.
âTo become a dragonrider was to be all but a slave, perpetually locked in obedience to a single master, from whom one could never be parted. Not in the human's lifetime, anyway."
I really enjoyed this more nuanced portrayal of dragons, which I fear are usually depicted as wise and benevolent or malicious and greedy with no in between. The Sky on Fire imagines a world where dragons have different breaths, religions, and attitudes on humans. It was nice to see dragons depicted as actual characters over mythological beings that merely offer human characters something. I especially loved that each dragon has his or her own designated item that theyâand they aloneâcan hoard. That's the kind of unique quirk that I love about Jenn Lyons's works. It also adds another interesting challenge to the already daunting premise of stealing from a dragon's hoard.
Even with all of the layered world-building, The Sky on Fire is definitely a plot driven book. As someone who typically lives and breathes for character development, you'd think I would consider that a negative, but I was so enthralled by the world and the fast paced events that I wasn't bothered by the characters not being the most developed. Characters have one or two defining traits, mostly from much-loved archetypes, and there's just not a whole lot of actual depth to go around. The idea of all of these characters are great, but their execution is notâsimply too much of the writing relies on the reader recognizing these familiar types of character and knowing what that trope typically entails to know the idea of the character.
Even though the character building in The Sky on Fire as a whole is not ideal, I really enjoyed seeing multiple female characters at the forefront of a heist novel. So often books featuring heists are always run by men, with maybe one female character involved as a love interest or as a side character who is clearly not a love interest and has a quirky ability, like hacking. This is not at all the case in The Sky on Fire, which features three female characters involved in the planning and carrying out of the heist itself, and the ultimate final say on the plan goes to a female character.
Despite my joy at having all of these female characters wearing the pants of this operation, I felt like I had whiplash from a lot of, "but actually" moments concerning the plot and the heist itself. There were constant surprises, quick changes, and last minute discoveries, which kept things incredibly exciting. However, the characters were always able to pivot in order to meet new challenges with little to no panic, no matter how dire the situation. Their reactions and ability to meet any possible catastrophic situation or knowledge bombs being dropped felt quite unbelievable to me.
I also struggled to get on board with the romance of the novel. Anahrod has insta-lust for the sexy female dragonrider, Ris, but still has a thing for her ex, self-proclaimed king Sicaryon. As someone who really love a slow burn romance and the build up of characters realizing and later acting on their feelings, I was disappointed with how the romance played out. Instead of Anharod picking between the two characters, these three characters are all coincidentally mutually attracted to one another and have no problems sharing one another with each other, without so much as having even one single serious conversation about pesky things like feelings, expectations, or boundaries. While it's nice to not always have to read a love triangle and the jealousy and other complications that come with it, I honestly think this novel could have benefited from some of the tension and conflict that results from a love triangle.
"She groaned and rubbed a finger into her eye. Why make a single bad decision, she supposed, when could make two at the same time. Much more efficient. Ris and Sicaryon both. Why not?"
The romantic relationship between the three characters just felt way too random and easy, even if the author threw in what felt like obviously contrived moments of Anahrod telling herself that she shouldn't get involved with either Sicaryon or Ris. And with all of the characters rather underdeveloped, I was rather indifferent to who ended up with whom and the constant "will-they-won't-they," when it was very obvious that they were all going to act on their urges. It just didn't work as well for me as the throuple relationship between Khirin, Janel and Tareath in Lyon's other series, A Chorus of Dragons. This could be because there just isn't as much time in a standalone novel compared to a series to do the same amount of setup to make this type of relationship feel natural.
Regardless of the parts of the novel that didnât work as well for me, such as the character building and romance, I really enjoyed The Sky on Fire due to its unique portrayal of dragons, interesting world-building, and fast-paced story with lots of surprises. I would wholeheartedly recommend The Sky on Fire to people who are looking for a more light-hearted and fun fantasy read that doesn't take itself too seriously. I think fans of Rachel Aaronâs The Legend of Eli Monpress and James Loganâs The Silverblood Promise would enjoy this novel as well.
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behindpaperbacks's review
adventurous
funny
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? Yes
4.25
mybookwitchreviews's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0