It had been a while since I picked up a fast-paced, high-energy science fiction series. I read Skyward a couple of years back and fully intended to jump straight into Starsight shortly after, but as always, life kept getting in the way. I finally managed to pick it up and finished reading it in a couple of weeks just now. While the books are by no means perfect, I enjoyed them a lot. Here are my thoughts on both.
Skyward
I really enjoyed this one. There is little character development but it’s done well. The plot doesn’t evolve a lot through the book. But the characters, environment, and the events are so vivid, the fights feel so real, that the rest doesn’t matter.
There’s not much reflection but the book is highly entertaining and I feel good to read a book like this after a long time. It is a fantastic entry point into the world, focusing on Spensa’s journey and her desire to fly among the stars despite the odds stacked against her.
Starsight
I found this second installment just as enjoyable as the first, if not more so.
What really elevated Starsight for me was the character development. While the first book felt a bit lighter on this front, this sequel delivers a much more reasonable and satisfying arc for the characters, making the entire reading experience feel more well-rounded and complete.
Brandon Sanderson’s storytelling remains incredibly vivid, maintaining that same high-energy entertainment factor that I loved in Skyward. My only minor critique is that in a few rare places, the descriptions and pacing felt a bit rushed or slightly inconsistent. However, these moments are far and few between.
Overall, it is a fantastic, highly entertaining continuation of the series that builds beautifully on the groundwork of the first book.
Final Thoughts
Since I read a lot of non-fiction, my reading is naturally slower by the very nature of the subject matter. Returning to fiction is always a fun change of pace; well-written, fast-paced books like these enable me to read huge chunks in single sittings and finish whole books in just a couple of days. Non-fiction rarely caters to that kind of speed, so it was highly satisfying to zip through these stories so quickly.
If you are looking for a fun, fast-paced science fiction read with great action, vivid world-building, and characters that grow on you, the Skyward series is easy to recommend. I have already started Cytonic, the third book, and should be done with it very soon!