A review by acouplereadss
Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

Never have I care so much about a relationship between a fictional character and her terrifying bird. In under 200 pages I was completely attached and hoping I’d magically find more pages to flip through.

In Esther’s world manticores roam and tear apart villages and families. When the monster kills her mother and baby brother, Esther is determined to kill the monsters who tore her family apart. She decides to join the King’s Royal Mews to train giant rocs that are the only things able to hunt down manticores. Esther becomes a ruhker and bonds with Zahra, a fledgling roc. This dangerous yet intimate relationship will test Esther’s determination, patience and love.

I’ll always repeat how much character development matters to me. Untethered Sky had some incredible character growth and change. I loved the tumultuous relationship between Esther and Zahra. The ending was perfect, with the world building set up in such a fluid way. I really want more from this world.

I will need to look at Lee’s backlog! Thank you @tordotcompub for this beauty, 5✨!