Skyfire by Jess E. Owens

The Summer King Chronicles #2

by Jess E. Owen

Shard is a gryfon in exile from the pride of the Silver Isles. After learning of the injustices wrought by the Red King he once served loyally, Shard now seeks to fulfil the promise of the legendary Summer King, who is destined to bring peace and balance when he appears.

Shard's quest will take him across the sea to the homeland of the gryfons who conquered the Silver Isles, into a web of new allies and new enemies, winged and wingless alike. There he will learn of the fierce enmity that drove the Red King and his pride from their homeland, and the deadly grudge stretching back two generations that, if left unfinished, could destroy them all.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Dragons, Animals, Animal Fiction, Middle Grade

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Jess is a professional author and artist. For years she was an Equity Stage Manager in the theatre, but left that life to focus on writing. She is a member and past president of the Authors of the Flathead, an organization of “writers helping writers,” and is a proud member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Jess has been creating works of fantasy art and fiction for over a decade. She lives with her husband in the mountains of northwest Montana, which offer daily inspiration for creating worlds of wise, wild creatures, magic, and adventure. Jess can be contacted directly at, www.jessowen.com

Reviews

[Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Curious for the continuation as I was, I'm not disappointed.
The already rich lore of the first book unveils further and doing so, apparently far from spent, hints that more is coming.
Plot progression, characters and their interactions are solid, and not shying away at giving some good slaps.
Shard's struggle to find his way, the curse at being a chosen one, all of that is gripping.
On my way to finish the series in a row now, I should think...

[K.M. Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh goodness, this was such a good book! Where do I begin?

I completely loved the first book, Song of the Summer King. I honestly couldn't see how the next book could top it. I mean, gryfons running around an Iceland analogue, learning to speak to other animals and dealing with pride politics? It was great.

Then along comes Skyfire and blows book 1 out of the water. Shard's pride is going to heck as the king is getting crazier and crazier, so Shard flies to the mainland, looking for help. He winds up embroiled in the caste system of a vast tribe of gryfons. He's trying to piece together the reason the Aesir fled the mainland, so he talks to eagles and wolves and lions ... and yep, there's dragons. IT'S AWESOME.

Also Shard finds a love interest. Hee hee!

The ending had me nearly in tears, but I honestly can't decide if it's a happy ending or a sad one. Bittersweet, I think. And it sets up for a WHALE of a book 3!

Well-written, well-paced, refreshing setting, completely believable characters--it all comes together in Skyfire.

I read an ARC of this book, but I wasn't paid for this review in any way.

[J.F.R. Coates · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously can not recall a flaw in this utterly brilliant book.
Shard and his cast of supporting characters are entrancing, and the plot sublime. I'm really looking forward to the remainder of this series.

[Loretta Marchize · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as the first book! I'm not bothering with details, because the specs are mostly the same (plot is good, characters are mostly the same, the only thing that's different is the romance)
(not a big spoiler, only spoiler if you haven't read the first book)
Romance: 5/5
I loved it! Shard FINALLY falls in love! And I love what the author did with it. (also Stigr, but that's another story)
I just loved his romance! and how he didn't get his way! And how it was all okay because that's how real life works!!!!
Anyways... a great book!

Note: one of my vacation books

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this ARC as a Kickstarter backer.

There are only two authors who can make you believe in gryphons: one is Mercedes Lackey, the other is Jess E. Owen. When I first picked up Song of the Summer King last summer, I never thought I'd be on book two, let alone pining for book three. Thus is the power of great storytelling.

Skyfire continues the saga of gryphon (gryfon) prince-in-exile, Rashard son-of-Baldr. Living in exile with his maternal uncle Stigr, Shard seeks a way of ending the tyrant king Sverin's reign. After receiving a vision at the top of a snow-covered mountain, Shard sets off across the ocean, towards the ancestral land of the Aesir conquerors. Once there, Shard discovers that the reason for the Aesir leaving is far more complecated than he initially believed.

On the Silver Isles, the gryphons under Sverin's rule grow increasingly hungry as the king demands wolf pelts in exchange for food. Once, the only rules of the Red Kings were to not fish from the sea or fly at night; now females cannot walk alone, nor can anyone live within ten leaps of the sea.

It is hard not to fall under Owen's spell. The words do not merely leap off the page, they rise up and immerse you in the world she has created. You smell the woods and the sands of the Dawn Spire, feel the biting cold and the hot, rancid breath of dragons. This is the type of storytelling that leaves you yearning for more and feeling saddened that you have to wait for the next installment. This is a world that you can go back and explore, even if it's in your own mind and not on the page. These are characters that stay with you; a world that feels and smells real. And I was honored to be on that journey.

The wait for book three begins. :)

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Owen is 2/2 in these Chronicles so far. 5 stars are rare from me, and books 1&2 BOTH received them. This is an excellent anthropomorphic book. I could be friends with these animals! As with the first book, you are entirely drawn in and invested in what is happening in this world. With two five stars, I'm getting a little nervous about the remaining two books in the series. Can she keep this up? Too many times I've been all in, only to be burned by the ending. For now, I'm cautiously optimistic ...

Religious note, for those who care:
Dreamwalking is common in this book. Literally losing oneself (forgetting your identity, but that's way more significant than it sounds) happens several times. Reincarnation is assumed (at least for some creatures). And, as in the first book the deities are the sun and the moon. Some of this is more concerning than other parts. If you have young children you think would be interested in reading this, read it first. And, as always, I recommend discussing any book your children reads with them - what's good, what's concerning, what would you do, etc. :)

Even with these concerns for a younger audience, on the whole, the story is excellent. I can't wait to read Shard of Sun!

[ShingetsuMoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this was a good book! Shard is in exile from his pride (who doesn't know he's alive) and the journey is only just beginning. Shard may be the "Summer King" that all creatures know of and have songs about, but what does this actually involve? Shard may be prince, destined to be king, but what is he supposed to DO?

This is the question that grips Shard throughout the book. He struggles to interpret the signs he see's while striving to figure out why the Aesir came to his home in the first place. What were they running from? What is it that makes them so afraid of flying at night?

This book explains what happened to Per The Red and what made him flee across the ocean. You also see Sverin's role as a tyrant grow deeper and deeper.

Still while this book clears up a lot of information it still leaves you hungry for more. This journey is hardly over and I can't wait to see what happens next!

[Dominique Goodall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book in return for an honest review.

Skyfire is the amazing sequel to Song of the Summer King, heading back into Shard's life as he takes control of his own fate and choices. Heading away from the Silver Isles he finds new friends, new trials and new heartbreak. Will he find out what happens in the rest of the song? Back in the Silver Isles, things are hard - winter is coming, with all the huntress' in kit and getting to the point of being unable to hunt...and their King is forcing the males to hunt the wolves that have vanished from their view...until the wolves, Ahanu in particular, decided to take things in their own paws and contact Kjorn to try and get him on their side. With a love interest looming and dragons to defeat...what will Shard do?

[R.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely amazing book. A perfect sequel to the first book, which is just as amazing. It increased the first book tenfold and explodes the world into something completely incredible.

What I really love about this book is the different perspectives we see in it. It's nice to see things through characters other than Shard, and it's just as nice to see how damaged everyone is one way or the other because of the events of the first book. We get to see the damage, but we also get to see them heal. It's awesome.

And it did something that no other book has ever done in my waking memory... it made me cry in the best way possible.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just as good as the first. I've really gotten hooked on this series and can't wait for the next one. As with the first, it took me a couple chapters to get back into the story but then I couldn't put it down.

The story again is fairly archetypal in some ways, but there were once again some things that I didn't see coming. In this book, Shard really grows and begins to find himself and come into his own.

Again, I recommend this series to any and all! It's just a really well written series.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this second book of the Summer King, Shard the gryfon follows a vision from the islands of his birth to the mainland, hoping to discover exactly what drove the conquering Aenir to leave their home. He meets new gryfon clans and new species, and eventually finds out the horrible truth - a truth which will bring danger to Shard and his new allies. Meanwhile, back in the Silver Isles, ruler Sverin becomes ever more violent and paranoid, and things look bad for Shard's loved ones. A meaty instalment in the Summer King saga - looking forward to more.

[Gillian Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tremendous sequel to a great beginning. This story built upon the previous and grew in so many ways - in the worldbuildling, the story world, characters, and stakes. I loved that Ms. Owen wasn't afraid to make terrible things happen. It felt more real that way - life certainly isn't a bed of roses. All in all, Skyfire left me longing for book three. Will definitely be purchasing that one when it becomes available.

[Lindsay Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC received as a kickstarter backer.

This is one of the best books I have read all year. I could not put it down. This book certainly raises the bar, for both self-publishing, and for YA fantasy. I couldn't recommend a better series.

[DogEarredNDusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first!

[Sarah Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly amazing ^^
One of the best Gryfon books available!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is difficult to describe how good these books are.

[Genevie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dynamite follow up to Song of the Summer King. I cannot wait for the next one.

[Thistle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think a writer's first book is sometimes special, it's their baby. They take their time writing it, they spend years working on it, it gets so much attention. If it takes off, then they write a second one, but it doesn't get anywhere near as much attention because they need to get it out in a timely matter (and in some cases, shortcuts can be taken because they can ride on the first book's coattails).

I think that's what happened with this book. The first book had just a couple editing issues in the entire book. This one had more than a couple per chapter. The first book hooked me so hard, this one couldn't hold my attention at all.

I picked up the first book because of this line in someone else's review:

The gryphons feel like REAL animals. They don't have magical powers. They aren't impossibly built and they are limited by the strength of their bodies and minds.

And what helped me decide to DNF this one was this line in another's review:

I felt one of the defining characteristics of the series is that these are intelligent animals in realistic, believable settings. This book sort of did away with that.

This book felt nothing like the first one. The story was so heavy-handed and at the same time draggingly slow.

Plot: It picked up right where book one left off, with Shard trying to make the best of the situation he was left in. (I don't want to go into spoilery details, since the first book is worth reading.) But the "bad guy" got comically bad (where previously he was bad for believable reasons), and the magic which had been really nice and subtle in the first book was now in-your-face a big huge thing.

I forced myself to read to 20%. Reviews say the story takes off after the first quarter, but having to read through a quarter of a book for things to take off is a really big ask, plus that doesn't address the lower editing quality and writing/character issues. I gave up on it and the rest of the series.

[Aelvana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shard can't afford to linger on the islands he's known all his life. The Aesir came from over the sea, and knowing the reason for that long quest might provide the way for him to break through Sverin's ever more despotic rule. But he also has the destiny of the Summer King to wrestle with. No one can tell him any more than the old song, a song known by many different species. If Shard is to be a king, how? If he is destined to unite the pride, how can he do it without perpetuating the cycle of war?

It's a rare series whose second book is better than the first, but this is one of them. Shard's tale interweaves with the story of those he left behind, and, surprisingly, neither one drags. Shard's growing happiness contrasts against the growing misery of the rest, but both of them have incredible challenges that seem insurmountable.

I liked getting to know a new set of gryfons. Shard has a chance to see how a pride might look when it isn't isolated and pushing hard for its own survival. There's still dysfunction, but overall it's a much healthier place. I particularly liked Asvander. He's a little more than he appears, but it's also true Shard's own emotions cause him to misjudge him.

Also fun was seeing Shard interact with both eagles and lions. The various races all have their own flavor of legend, and although they seem to have an almost universal dislike of gryfons, there's a lot of commonalities too.

Overall this continues to be an engaging fantasy with strong characters, hard choices, and plenty of surprises. I rate this book Highly Recommended.

See my reviews and more at https://offtheshelfreviews.wordpress....

[Elizabeth R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so much enjoying this YA fantasy series about gryfons (and wolves, and various other animals). I would have loved to have found it when I was in grade school through junior high (like many of you I was an early reader). The plotting is spot on ... while I do have some trouble keeping track of the many characters, I am pretty sure that's due more to my short reading stints which were all too often late at night. Owen describes characters and landscapes in fine detail, which younger me especially would have savored. Her worldbuilding is thoughtful, the various peoples and places interconnected. The story pacing is restrained, no rushing -- and the main characters make their share of blunders, large & small. There is a gentleness & a nobility of spirit underlying the narrative, which feels familiar and right, and so gracefully done that the "message" (if any) never overwhelms the narrative, which has been the demise of too many otherwise fine novels & series.

There are too many typos though, many of which seem to be of the sort you get while editing -- a word missing when a phrase is cut/moved, say -- or spellcheck fails. Would be great if these could be fixed and the e-books, at least, updated, maybe POD books too? Leaving as five stars though because imo this series should be in every school & public library.

[CypressFox · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Which fades last, the birdsong or the day?
Not even the sky could tell,
Whether last stills the sun or the jay."

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫/5

We are getting to the big stuff now!

Preemptively docking half a star for very specific problems I have with later parts of this series that start developing now. That being said, it's not even that prevalent in this book and I may change my review to show that if I decide it's not quite as I remember later on.

One GREAT thing this book starts up is the perspective from the older generation of the Silver Isles! It was my favorite part seven years ago and that has remained unchanged. Sigrun and Ragna continue to be the best characters in the series 💗

Along with this, seeing Sverin's unavoidable descent into madness was just as intense the second time. I had to hold myself back from making "The Vanir never die" my quote for the book.

If anything, it becomes very obvious that the Silver Isles plotlines will always be my favorite. They are so gut-wrenching and heartbreaking and real, the realest part of the series to me. When the rest of my memories faded, the plight of the Vanir remained.

Oh, and Shard's plotline was good too I suppose.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much more than I enjoyed the first book in the trilogy. The plot really took off, following Shard the gryfon across the ocean to the homeland of his wingbrother’s family. In this expansive land filled with Named creatures both familiar and unfamiliar, Shard grows into a more mature and confident leader. He also discovers the reason he’s been named the Summer King, a reason that will find its culmination in book 3.

[Xiaoluobo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great. Some real intrigue is going on here, and some impactful character growth. I would say the beginning majority of the book is good, but the last 25% or so is phenomenal. Very gripping.

The magical elements which where toyed with in the first book are now much more important, at times completely driving the plot forward, which I'm not sure I like; I felt one of the defining characteristics of the series is that these are intelligent animals in realistic, believable settings. This book sort of did away with that.

I liked it even more than the first one and will continue the series.

[Reanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It does everything a true sequel should do, and it managed to make me cry twice because of various deaths and scenes. A book has not managed to move me, or get that attached to minor characters for a very long time, and its won a place in my heart as a result as one of my upcoming favourite series. Be prepared with tissues in the last 12 chapters of this book. Especially the last

Jess, you are a writing god. May our Wingbrother rest peaceful in The Sunlit Land

[Alexander Draganov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very unhappy with the sequel. Slow moving and unpleasant to read. The social justice message, even about fictional bird species, is overwhelming in too much. Unpleasant to read how the author "breaks" a particular character which I liked. Checked the sequels and saw that it becomes worse, much worse. It seems that I am no longer to read contemporary US authors.

[C Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

God everything about this series is so wonderful. The cover art is spectacular. The characters are well rounded. The plot actually makes you want to know more about the world. How is this not a more popular series? The single best independent published book I've ever read. Cannot wait for the next one.

[marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old land and new friends

This book held my attention from beginning to end. I loved how it described and introduced character's and setting. Showed the meaning of friendship and how to pay attention to alliance's and loom out for enemies.

[Red · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great sequel! I particularly liked some of the new worldbuilding and character development (Caj and Kjorn). Einarr was probably my favourite though.
Some of the decisions shard made were rather frustrating at times but it made sense for his character. Can't wait to read the next one!

[Jellybean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shard's world continues to deepen. As he gathers more friends, more dangers reveal themselves. And while he tries his best to become the Summer King, other stories burst to life, each as important as his own.

Tense, bright, and rich, these books continue to rise higher.

[Thomas Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!