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Above the Black #3
Downfall: A YA Epic of Skyship War, Monster Battles, and Rebellion
The riveting fantasy adventure from New York Times bestselling author Marc J Gregson comes to an explosive conclusion in Book Three of the Above the Black fantasy trilogy.
Mayhem has erupted in the Skylands. Uncle’s iron-fisted grip has eroded peaceful governance, and the Meritocracy hovers on the brink of civil war. Disowned once again, teenage hero Conrad is sent to invade the Below’s colonies—a perilous mission with almost no chance of survival, where Conrad is left for dead.
Rescued by an old enemy and escaping capture by sky pirates, Conrad finds shelter on a faraway island in the Eastern Airs. Under the guise of a new identity, Conrad undergoes training from the King’s enemies and takes to the dueling pits where he competes for the status to challenge Uncle once and for all. Can a dead prince rise again, or will Conrad succumb to the brutal horrors of his world? To rally support and overthrow a despot, Conrad will have to prove the Meritocracy won’t be trading one feckless tyrant for another.
Take a seat for the bloodiest of showdowns in the final installment of the Above the Black fantasy trilogy. Marc J Gregson’s action-adventure revels in gory monster battles, fierce duels, empathetic characters, and a morally gray dystopia that is strikingly imaginative.
Mayhem has erupted in the Skylands. Uncle’s iron-fisted grip has eroded peaceful governance, and the Meritocracy hovers on the brink of civil war. Disowned once again, teenage hero Conrad is sent to invade the Below’s colonies—a perilous mission with almost no chance of survival, where Conrad is left for dead.
Rescued by an old enemy and escaping capture by sky pirates, Conrad finds shelter on a faraway island in the Eastern Airs. Under the guise of a new identity, Conrad undergoes training from the King’s enemies and takes to the dueling pits where he competes for the status to challenge Uncle once and for all. Can a dead prince rise again, or will Conrad succumb to the brutal horrors of his world? To rally support and overthrow a despot, Conrad will have to prove the Meritocracy won’t be trading one feckless tyrant for another.
Take a seat for the bloodiest of showdowns in the final installment of the Above the Black fantasy trilogy. Marc J Gregson’s action-adventure revels in gory monster battles, fierce duels, empathetic characters, and a morally gray dystopia that is strikingly imaginative.
528 pages, Hardcover
Published March 17, 2026
About the author
Marc J. Gregson
6 books533 followersMarc J Gregson is a New York Times bestselling author. He attended the University of Utah, where he received his bachelor of arts in English teaching. Marc’s pursuit of learning has led him into the classroom, where he teaches middle school English. He believes in the power of words and that stories can unite people from all origins. Above the Black is his first fantasy trilogy for teens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
June 13, 2026
4,5⭐️
Dice el autor en su nota final:
Mientras escribo esto, me imagino a un lector encontrando "El límite del cielo" en el estante de alguna librería y sintiéndose tan enganchado como para leerse del tirón toda la serie en una semana.
Pues ese ha sido mi caso. Los tres de un tirón a dos días por libro. Y sí, señor Gregson, durante esa semana me he unido a la tripulación del Gladian y me he quedado despierta hasta tarde para leer un capítulo más. Menudo enganche. Solo por eso merece las 5⭐️ que le dejo en el ranking oficial. No es una saga perfecta. Ni la mejor diseñada ni lo mejor que he leído en fantasía, pero esos seis días de enganche, de no poder parar de leer no tienen precio.
Dicho esto vamos al lío.
Cuando empecé esta tercera y última entrega, la cosa no iba para cinco estrellas. Los capítulos (pocos), que transcurren en el Abismo, a pesar del ritmo vertiginoso y de la acción que no da tregua, me resultaron repetitivos. Siempre el mismo patrón, mucho túnel deshabitado y muchos bichos a cuál más peligroso y a cuál más raro. Sin embargo cuando nuestros protagonistas llegan por fin a una zona habitada, la novela remonta y de qué manera. A partir de ahí fue un no parar.
A destacar la manera en que Conrad utiliza la Meritocracia y se prepara para el duelo final, el reencuentro con Mole, las múltiples peripecias y por supuesto esa relación tan especial que tiene la tripulación del Gladian, que hace que quieras estar allí con ellos.
El desenlace me ha gustado mucho, el antes, el durante (de infarto), y el después.
Y poco más que añadir. No es la mejor saga de fantasía que he leído, pero
cuesta decir adiós a estos personajes. Recomendable.
Dice el autor en su nota final:
Mientras escribo esto, me imagino a un lector encontrando "El límite del cielo" en el estante de alguna librería y sintiéndose tan enganchado como para leerse del tirón toda la serie en una semana.
Pues ese ha sido mi caso. Los tres de un tirón a dos días por libro. Y sí, señor Gregson, durante esa semana me he unido a la tripulación del Gladian y me he quedado despierta hasta tarde para leer un capítulo más. Menudo enganche. Solo por eso merece las 5⭐️ que le dejo en el ranking oficial. No es una saga perfecta. Ni la mejor diseñada ni lo mejor que he leído en fantasía, pero esos seis días de enganche, de no poder parar de leer no tienen precio.
Dicho esto vamos al lío.
Cuando empecé esta tercera y última entrega, la cosa no iba para cinco estrellas. Los capítulos (pocos), que transcurren en el Abismo, a pesar del ritmo vertiginoso y de la acción que no da tregua, me resultaron repetitivos. Siempre el mismo patrón, mucho túnel deshabitado y muchos bichos a cuál más peligroso y a cuál más raro. Sin embargo cuando nuestros protagonistas llegan por fin a una zona habitada, la novela remonta y de qué manera. A partir de ahí fue un no parar.
A destacar la manera en que Conrad utiliza la Meritocracia y se prepara para el duelo final, el reencuentro con Mole, las múltiples peripecias y por supuesto esa relación tan especial que tiene la tripulación del Gladian, que hace que quieras estar allí con ellos.
El desenlace me ha gustado mucho, el antes, el durante (de infarto), y el después.
Y poco más que añadir. No es la mejor saga de fantasía que he leído, pero
cuesta decir adiós a estos personajes. Recomendable.
May 10, 2026
Estoy bastante decepcionado con esta saga. El primer libro fue un diez, el segundo culebreó pero pintaba a un final potente. Este libro me han parecido 600 páginas de dar vueltas para llegar a la imagen de la portada (que pasa en las últimas 20 páginas) con un final más predecible que las herramientas que va a elegir Mickey Mouse.
Sobre el worldbuilding, se quedó en nada. ¿Por qué la guerra con los lantianos? ¿Como diseñaron las serpientes metálicas gigantes? ¿Por qué son de metal? Ni puta idea bro, pero mira como nos damos de hostias y matamos a un personaje irrelevante que te presenté hace un capitulo por décima vez.
El constante matar a todo el mundo ha hecho que muertes importantes (de personajes que odiamos durante 3 libros) se hagan irrelevantes. Me da coraje porque la saga pintaba espectacular, pero el cierre se me ha quedado muy muy flojo, venga a dar vueltas sin más.
Le pongo un 6,5 porque escribir una trilogía y cerrarla siempre tiene mérito y porque es un libro que se lee solo, y para quien busque entretenerse sin pretensiones y sin darle más vueltas está genial. Pero vaya, creo que esta saga, para lo que ha sido, podría haberse quedado en una bilogía.
Sobre el worldbuilding, se quedó en nada. ¿Por qué la guerra con los lantianos? ¿Como diseñaron las serpientes metálicas gigantes? ¿Por qué son de metal? Ni puta idea bro, pero mira como nos damos de hostias y matamos a un personaje irrelevante que te presenté hace un capitulo por décima vez.
El constante matar a todo el mundo ha hecho que muertes importantes (de personajes que odiamos durante 3 libros) se hagan irrelevantes. Me da coraje porque la saga pintaba espectacular, pero el cierre se me ha quedado muy muy flojo, venga a dar vueltas sin más.
Le pongo un 6,5 porque escribir una trilogía y cerrarla siempre tiene mérito y porque es un libro que se lee solo, y para quien busque entretenerse sin pretensiones y sin darle más vueltas está genial. Pero vaya, creo que esta saga, para lo que ha sido, podría haberse quedado en una bilogía.
May 28, 2026
1.5/5
There's still a lot of over dramatic and cringey dialogue in this, but it could be worse. Pacing still needs a lot of work. Conrad and Bryce are still not swoon-worthy but it wasn't infuriating. It'll be impressive to read a book that's under 500 pages from Gregson and I really hope it happens as he's quot teaching. It'll be really exciting to see how his writing matures.
Maybe it deserves a second chance, but I won't be rereading the series for a very, very, very long time. Too many new books. Too little time. Maybe just watch the movie(s).
There's still a lot of over dramatic and cringey dialogue in this, but it could be worse. Pacing still needs a lot of work. Conrad and Bryce are still not swoon-worthy but it wasn't infuriating. It'll be impressive to read a book that's under 500 pages from Gregson and I really hope it happens as he's quot teaching. It'll be really exciting to see how his writing matures.
Maybe it deserves a second chance, but I won't be rereading the series for a very, very, very long time. Too many new books. Too little time. Maybe just watch the movie(s).
May 11, 2026
Como trilogia es bastante recomendable para ser la primera trilogia del autor, como libro es bastante meh a mi parecer donde te plantea el final de la historia en el que rellena la mitad del libro para poder llegar a ese final predecible y cerrandolo de la misma manera, aun asi esta bastante bien escrito y el libro se lee en 3 dias.
November 25, 2025
Be better than the world intends.
I started the Sky's End trilogy at the suggestion of my boss this year and it has become an instant recommendation in my middle school classroom.
I finished the second book sometime this Fall, and panicked when I learned that the conclusion wasn't out yet. Through the power of Edelweiss, I was able to get an advance reader copy, and I burned through the book on my break.
The book scratched that itch of war that Red Rising offered and continued to leave me on brilliant cliffhanger endings that I continue to read longer after the "okay just one more chapter."
It ended in the best way, adding new mythos to the world and challenges that Conrad had to face. Definitely will be a staple of my classroom library full of excitement and adventure.
I started the Sky's End trilogy at the suggestion of my boss this year and it has become an instant recommendation in my middle school classroom.
I finished the second book sometime this Fall, and panicked when I learned that the conclusion wasn't out yet. Through the power of Edelweiss, I was able to get an advance reader copy, and I burned through the book on my break.
The book scratched that itch of war that Red Rising offered and continued to leave me on brilliant cliffhanger endings that I continue to read longer after the "okay just one more chapter."
It ended in the best way, adding new mythos to the world and challenges that Conrad had to face. Definitely will be a staple of my classroom library full of excitement and adventure.
May 11, 2026
Es el ABC de los libros de fantasía. No hace nada especialmente innovador o memorable, pero es cierto que engancha y que te mantiene pegado a él.
March 20, 2026
From the very moment Sky’s End and Among Serpents cover art caught my eye at my local Barnes & Nobles … was the moment I knew I was going to fall in love with the series.
The Above The Black Trilogy will always and forever have a place in my heart. I will never forget the adventurous tale of Conrad of Elise, Ella of Elise and their friends. This tale truly makes you feel wholesome and apart of a family that’s taken their losses, grief and turned it into passion, motivation and love. A story not just about vengeance but finding yourself in times of darkness and in the tiniest times of love shared amongst those who you cherish most.
Truly is a funny and enjoyable fast paced trilogy. There is plenty character development and diversity throughout the stories and enough details of world building to give your mind the most pleasant visual experience. I do wish to read more of Conrad and his companions but this story has a well deserved ending!
Marc J Gregson you are very well appreciated and I look forward to reading more of your work in the future.
Rise you cusses! Rise!
The Above The Black Trilogy will always and forever have a place in my heart. I will never forget the adventurous tale of Conrad of Elise, Ella of Elise and their friends. This tale truly makes you feel wholesome and apart of a family that’s taken their losses, grief and turned it into passion, motivation and love. A story not just about vengeance but finding yourself in times of darkness and in the tiniest times of love shared amongst those who you cherish most.
Truly is a funny and enjoyable fast paced trilogy. There is plenty character development and diversity throughout the stories and enough details of world building to give your mind the most pleasant visual experience. I do wish to read more of Conrad and his companions but this story has a well deserved ending!
Marc J Gregson you are very well appreciated and I look forward to reading more of your work in the future.
Rise you cusses! Rise!
December 5, 2024
Beta reader review.
Gregson concludes his trilogy beautifully! Continued world expansion, new threats and challenges. The characters you love and love to hate all come to a conclusion you will thoroughly enjoy! The roller coaster you have been riding through the other two books keeps going with all the thrills, pumping the adrenaline until the end! You will not want the series to end, but will love how it does.
Gregson concludes his trilogy beautifully! Continued world expansion, new threats and challenges. The characters you love and love to hate all come to a conclusion you will thoroughly enjoy! The roller coaster you have been riding through the other two books keeps going with all the thrills, pumping the adrenaline until the end! You will not want the series to end, but will love how it does.
April 12, 2026
This is the third book in the young adult Above the Black trilogy, and brings everything to a pretty satisfying end. As I predicted in my review of the second book, Among Serpents, the new and nastier villain is the protagonist Conrad's uncle Ulrich, the self-proclaimed "King of the Skylands" (even though he gained his position through treachery and mass murder). Ulrich schemes against and manipulates everyone around him, and is not above sending his nephew to what will likely be his death in the monster-ridden Below.
We learn quite a bit more about this secondary world in this concluding volume, especially about the Below and its inhabitants the Lantians. In fact, that is my main issue with this book--there is so much necessary plot and background to be revealed that the first third of the book feels overstuffed. There is seemingly endless running and hiding and fighting, and the characters (and reader) scarcely get a chance to breathe. It's not till the middle section of the book that the pacing thankfully slows down, as Conrad lets everyone believe he is dead, takes on a new identity, and begins the preparations to challenge his uncle. He has to become a far better duellist than he's ever been, and he also has to prepare himself to take on the mantle of leadership--because if he defeats his uncle, he will be the new King of the Skylands.
This volume explores Conrad's dilemma, and how he will use what has been given to him by both his mother and father, the seemingly opposing traits of compassion and ruthlessness respectively, and his melding the two. At the story's climax, he does defeat his uncle, but the author acknowledges that the work won't end there. Conrad has to basically rebuild the world, undo the damage the Skylands has done to the Below, and balance many opposing factions. The situation is fragile and precarious, but the book ends with a reason to believe that Conrad will pull it off.
Taken together, these books boast well-thought-out worldbuilding and a satisfying story. They're nothing like most YA fantasies out there, to be sure. I'm happy to have read all three of them, and I think others will be too.
We learn quite a bit more about this secondary world in this concluding volume, especially about the Below and its inhabitants the Lantians. In fact, that is my main issue with this book--there is so much necessary plot and background to be revealed that the first third of the book feels overstuffed. There is seemingly endless running and hiding and fighting, and the characters (and reader) scarcely get a chance to breathe. It's not till the middle section of the book that the pacing thankfully slows down, as Conrad lets everyone believe he is dead, takes on a new identity, and begins the preparations to challenge his uncle. He has to become a far better duellist than he's ever been, and he also has to prepare himself to take on the mantle of leadership--because if he defeats his uncle, he will be the new King of the Skylands.
This volume explores Conrad's dilemma, and how he will use what has been given to him by both his mother and father, the seemingly opposing traits of compassion and ruthlessness respectively, and his melding the two. At the story's climax, he does defeat his uncle, but the author acknowledges that the work won't end there. Conrad has to basically rebuild the world, undo the damage the Skylands has done to the Below, and balance many opposing factions. The situation is fragile and precarious, but the book ends with a reason to believe that Conrad will pull it off.
Taken together, these books boast well-thought-out worldbuilding and a satisfying story. They're nothing like most YA fantasies out there, to be sure. I'm happy to have read all three of them, and I think others will be too.
March 29, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧
🗣Excellent
Finishing this series brings a happy, warm spot to my heart. Especially with Conrad and Ella acknowledging their Mother and Father at the end.
Excellent story. I never had the feeling that things were dragging in just for page count. The relationships were all so solid, and the sense of found family only gets stronger in each book.
These are marketed as YA, but they're written so they'll appeal to young adults through not-so-young adults. Highly recommend the whole trilogy.
I look forward to the Sky's End movie AND to any other books Gregson writes!
Together, we will rise.
🎧
🗣Excellent
Finishing this series brings a happy, warm spot to my heart. Especially with Conrad and Ella acknowledging their Mother and Father at the end.
Excellent story. I never had the feeling that things were dragging in just for page count. The relationships were all so solid, and the sense of found family only gets stronger in each book.
These are marketed as YA, but they're written so they'll appeal to young adults through not-so-young adults. Highly recommend the whole trilogy.
I look forward to the Sky's End movie AND to any other books Gregson writes!
Together, we will rise.
June 11, 2026
4.5/5
A lot happened and I'll probably be thinking about it piece by piece for a couple days but I'm sad either way because it's finished 😭 I thoroughly enjoyed this series - and this final book?? I wasn't disappointed.
A lot happened and I'll probably be thinking about it piece by piece for a couple days but I'm sad either way because it's finished 😭 I thoroughly enjoyed this series - and this final book?? I wasn't disappointed.
May 12, 2026
3.75 stars. This series is awesome. A fantastic YA fantasy series with a unique world and memorable characters.
The first third of the final book suffered a little with feeling repetitive. Running and hiding from various monsters over and over, but it gave us a chance to see an ~unlocked location~. Once a certain event happens, the trajectory of the book really unfolds, the pacing is much better, and you’re hooked.
The first third of the final book suffered a little with feeling repetitive. Running and hiding from various monsters over and over, but it gave us a chance to see an ~unlocked location~. Once a certain event happens, the trajectory of the book really unfolds, the pacing is much better, and you’re hooked.
May 18, 2026
The first half of the book in Below dragged for me. I felt like it wasn't needed. Second half of the book was awesome amd everything I had hoped the end would be. I wish the final battle had been a little more surprising, and I wish there was an epilouge the spoke to the reconstruction efforts. I am hoping this will be a spin off series like Red Rising had!
March 28, 2026
Absolutely loved this book and series. It was always so hard to have to put the book down because I just wanted to keep reading more. If you want a good sci-fi series, Above the Black is such a good one.
March 29, 2026
My favourite YA series since the hunger games.
Perfectly delivers a fresh adventure with harsher challenges than ever. The ending …. GAAAHH
*chef’s kiss*
Pain shapes us, and may even become our strength.
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
I’m gonna go re-read book 1 again
Perfectly delivers a fresh adventure with harsher challenges than ever. The ending …. GAAAHH
*chef’s kiss*
Pain shapes us, and may even become our strength.
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
I’m gonna go re-read book 1 again
April 2, 2026
5 ⭐
This was the best book of the three and it's bittersweet because this was also the finale. I loved every second of the journey even if some word choices still bother me but hey, the action and the story were so good I could handle that !
This was the best book of the three and it's bittersweet because this was also the finale. I loved every second of the journey even if some word choices still bother me but hey, the action and the story were so good I could handle that !
June 23, 2026
4/5 Stars.
Oh. My. Gosh.
This book blew me away. Well, the ending did. The ending broke me and crushed me and I need more. But there isn't more.
This book was really good except the middle. The middle kept adding problems that Conrad kept solving easily. I almost DNFED it.
Other than the middle, it was really good. Great job Marc.
Oh. My. Gosh.
This book blew me away. Well, the ending did. The ending broke me and crushed me and I need more. But there isn't more.
This book was really good except the middle. The middle kept adding problems that Conrad kept solving easily. I almost DNFED it.
Other than the middle, it was really good. Great job Marc.
June 26, 2026
What a trilogy and what a finale. As someone who got introduced to this series on TikTok as a book inspired by Attack On Titan (the anime), I was excited by the prospect of reading! My expectation was that it would be a 1 for 1 copy with not much room for novelty. Boy was I wrong. What a sprawling world, what great character development and absolute joy to read. If attack on titan was a dark dystopian world that offered hope on a string that was out of reach, then this book is a dystopian world that keeps hope in your heart throughout the whole thing. I have cheered, cried and rode along the winds with Conrad and his crew in this series and I will recommend this to everyone I speak to - what a series!
April 8, 2026
A marvelous conclusion to a unique story!
June 2, 2026
Bro if you see this this is a 10 star book great conclusion and one of the best trilogy's ever!!!!!!!
August 7, 2026
Mentally satisfying ending but felt too happy. The stakes weren’t high enough for me - Conrad experiences so much loss throughout the series that by the end the reader is desensitized to all the death. Definitely the best of the 3 books - had me feeling real things.
April 13, 2026
I had high hopes for this one since I absolutely LOVED the first two. It fell a bit flat in my opinion and Conrad made some choices that left me going 🤨 It’s non-stop action and a page turner for sure, but a little bit of a let down of an ending.
July 25, 2026
Y con esta lectura, acabo la trilogía de Más Allá de la Oscuridad.
En este libro, Conrad es desterrado al abismo y busca la forma de ascender para vengarse de quién lo desterró, su propio tío, que se lo ha arrebatado todo.
Curiosamente, la parte que más me ha gustado es el nudo, cuando suele ser la parte introductoria o la parte final.
En general, lo considero un libro demasiado juvenil todo y las escenas de acción y sangre que hay. Se quedan muchas cosas sin explicar, hay saltos de escenario demasiado grandes, hay cosas que no quedan claras porqué suceden...
No quiero tampoco ser muy quisquilloso porque es muy buena saga y este muy buen libro, pero sí que es verdad que si vas buscando una obra maestra que recuerdes toda tu vida, este no es tu libro.
Es interesante la dualidad del protagonista que viene dada por sus padres, la piedad y compasión de su madre, la determinación y el poder de su padre. El ha nacido para gobernar, en dónde la meritocracia lo es absolutamente todo.
Las escenas de acción están muy bien escritas, incluso mejor escritas que algunas escritas por grandes autores, y sinceramente, me parece un pecado que no se profundice más en las vidas del elenco de protagonistas. Faltan páginas.
Por último, dar las gracias al autor por ofrecer al público su obra y por supuesto, recomendarla si aquello que buscas es una lectura sencilla, facil de entender y ligera, con mucha acción y sobretodo, potencial para entretener.
En este libro, Conrad es desterrado al abismo y busca la forma de ascender para vengarse de quién lo desterró, su propio tío, que se lo ha arrebatado todo.
Curiosamente, la parte que más me ha gustado es el nudo, cuando suele ser la parte introductoria o la parte final.
En general, lo considero un libro demasiado juvenil todo y las escenas de acción y sangre que hay. Se quedan muchas cosas sin explicar, hay saltos de escenario demasiado grandes, hay cosas que no quedan claras porqué suceden...
No quiero tampoco ser muy quisquilloso porque es muy buena saga y este muy buen libro, pero sí que es verdad que si vas buscando una obra maestra que recuerdes toda tu vida, este no es tu libro.
Es interesante la dualidad del protagonista que viene dada por sus padres, la piedad y compasión de su madre, la determinación y el poder de su padre. El ha nacido para gobernar, en dónde la meritocracia lo es absolutamente todo.
Las escenas de acción están muy bien escritas, incluso mejor escritas que algunas escritas por grandes autores, y sinceramente, me parece un pecado que no se profundice más en las vidas del elenco de protagonistas. Faltan páginas.
Por último, dar las gracias al autor por ofrecer al público su obra y por supuesto, recomendarla si aquello que buscas es una lectura sencilla, facil de entender y ligera, con mucha acción y sobretodo, potencial para entretener.
July 9, 2024
07/08/1996
10pm mountain time, scratching my head because I need all three books out so I can read them. Talking to my wife and realizing this will be my first trilogy I’ve read that all books are not out and I haven’t watched the show first, I’m getting the real reading experience and it’s driving me crazy. Well, have a good night. 2025 hurry up!!!!
10pm mountain time, scratching my head because I need all three books out so I can read them. Talking to my wife and realizing this will be my first trilogy I’ve read that all books are not out and I haven’t watched the show first, I’m getting the real reading experience and it’s driving me crazy. Well, have a good night. 2025 hurry up!!!!
April 28, 2026
This series started so dry and it took me a while to get started but it was worth the read, even tho this was a great ending I wish it wasn't over.
August 6, 2026
I have mixed feelings about the Above the Black series. On the one hand, Gregson writes compelling characters, and the prose is well consstructed. The characterization is one of the series’ strengths, and the writing is solidly YA in terms of style, accessibility, and character development. On the other hand, while I appreciated those strengths, I never found myself deeply invested in the story. I had no trouble putting the books down when I needed to, and that became more noticeable as the series progressed and the plot relied increasingly on convenient resolutions.
I didn’t feel that the content matches the YA label. The violence is frequently graphic and gruesome, and there is far more language than I would expect from a YA novel. Personally, I wouldn’t want my own kids reading it if I had any. The writing and characterization feel YA, but the content often feels aimed at an older audience.
One small observation as someone from Utah: The swearing and graphic violence read to me as though the author was trying to not sound Mormon. This is something we see at times in local arts circles. Some of us feel that some Utah artists sometimes seem to feel pressure to demonstrate that they are willing to do things the majority religion doesn’t—swear, present graphic violence, or otherwise be “edgy.” Whether that was intentional here or not, parts of this series read to me as though it was trying to distance itself from that cultural background.
The worldbuilding is imaginative, but some of the creature names felt more silly than intimidating, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. They were also sometimes difficult to pronounce. For example, “gorgantaun” is clearly a play on “gargantuan,” but it’s harder to say. The books also refer to normal animals alongside the strangely named creatures, which made it difficult to tell whether both were intended to exist in the ecosystem or whether it was simply an oversight.
The editing was unfortunately inconsistent. As an editor, I noticed odd contractions (names often looked like possessives when the contraction was actually including “is”), missing periods, and other copyediting errors, especially in the final book. There are also inconsistent editing choices within the same paragraph, which took me out of the story. This isn’t necessarily something I would attribute entirely to the author, and it’s not something I expected from a major publisher.
My biggest issue was with the plot: The main character learns lessons by the end of book 1 that he immediately has to re-learn at the start of book 2, and major antagonists are eventually dispatched with uncomfortably quick, convenient solutions that verge on deus ex machina. This was especially noticeable in the third book, where some solutions felt engineered to move the character from plot point A to plot point B rather than arising naturally from the story. Solutions would sometimes happen very suddenly, without enough explanation or setup to make them feel believable. Meanwhile, comparatively minor villains with confusing motivations receive much more page time and prove harder to defeat—until they, too, receive sudden and anticlimactic ends. The protagonist survives an awful lot through sheer luck, which gradually reduced the tension because it felt like there would always be another convenient escape.
The characters themselves are enjoyable, but they often seem too juvenile for their circumstances. They are essentially modern kids going to war, but the experience doesn’t seem to affect them or age them in the way you would expect. There is very little psychological growth or hardening despite the situations they experience.
Overall, there is a lot of talent here. Gregson creates engaging characters, writes consistently at a YA level, and has a creative premise. I just wish the editing had been tighter, the plot relied less on convenient resolutions, and the tone had been more consistent with the series’ YA marketing. Ultimately, this feels like a series without a clear audience. I couldn't recommend it to teens because of the content, and I think many adult readers would find it too juvenile.
I didn’t feel that the content matches the YA label. The violence is frequently graphic and gruesome, and there is far more language than I would expect from a YA novel. Personally, I wouldn’t want my own kids reading it if I had any. The writing and characterization feel YA, but the content often feels aimed at an older audience.
One small observation as someone from Utah: The swearing and graphic violence read to me as though the author was trying to not sound Mormon. This is something we see at times in local arts circles. Some of us feel that some Utah artists sometimes seem to feel pressure to demonstrate that they are willing to do things the majority religion doesn’t—swear, present graphic violence, or otherwise be “edgy.” Whether that was intentional here or not, parts of this series read to me as though it was trying to distance itself from that cultural background.
The worldbuilding is imaginative, but some of the creature names felt more silly than intimidating, which occasionally pulled me out of the story. They were also sometimes difficult to pronounce. For example, “gorgantaun” is clearly a play on “gargantuan,” but it’s harder to say. The books also refer to normal animals alongside the strangely named creatures, which made it difficult to tell whether both were intended to exist in the ecosystem or whether it was simply an oversight.
The editing was unfortunately inconsistent. As an editor, I noticed odd contractions (names often looked like possessives when the contraction was actually including “is”), missing periods, and other copyediting errors, especially in the final book. There are also inconsistent editing choices within the same paragraph, which took me out of the story. This isn’t necessarily something I would attribute entirely to the author, and it’s not something I expected from a major publisher.
My biggest issue was with the plot: The main character learns lessons by the end of book 1 that he immediately has to re-learn at the start of book 2, and major antagonists are eventually dispatched with uncomfortably quick, convenient solutions that verge on deus ex machina. This was especially noticeable in the third book, where some solutions felt engineered to move the character from plot point A to plot point B rather than arising naturally from the story. Solutions would sometimes happen very suddenly, without enough explanation or setup to make them feel believable. Meanwhile, comparatively minor villains with confusing motivations receive much more page time and prove harder to defeat—until they, too, receive sudden and anticlimactic ends. The protagonist survives an awful lot through sheer luck, which gradually reduced the tension because it felt like there would always be another convenient escape.
The characters themselves are enjoyable, but they often seem too juvenile for their circumstances. They are essentially modern kids going to war, but the experience doesn’t seem to affect them or age them in the way you would expect. There is very little psychological growth or hardening despite the situations they experience.
Overall, there is a lot of talent here. Gregson creates engaging characters, writes consistently at a YA level, and has a creative premise. I just wish the editing had been tighter, the plot relied less on convenient resolutions, and the tone had been more consistent with the series’ YA marketing. Ultimately, this feels like a series without a clear audience. I couldn't recommend it to teens because of the content, and I think many adult readers would find it too juvenile.
June 1, 2026
Downfall book three in Above the Black series by Marc. J. Gregson is the literary equivalent of being shoved off an airship while someone screams, “GOOD LUCK” as explosions happen behind you.
This book does NOT believe in peace. Or emotional stability. Or letting Conrad sit down for five minutes.
Marc J. Gregson really looked at this trilogy and said, “What if the horrors continued… aggressively?” and honestly? Respect.
Conrad spends this entire book exhausted, hunted, traumatized, morally conflicted, and one bad day away from becoming an actual menace to society. Every chapter feels like watching a teenager carry the weight of an entire collapsing world while running on approximately three hours of sleep and pure survival instinct.
And somehow it works SO WELL.
The pacing is absolutely feral. The second you think everyone might finally catch a break, BOOM: political betrayal. Giant monsters. Arena violence. Emotional devastation. Airship warfare. More trauma. Nobody in this series gets to heal before the next disaster crashes through a wall.
The worldbuilding remains wildly cinematic. Floating cities, dangerous creatures, brutal class systems, rebellion plots — it all feels massive and vivid without losing the emotional core. Everything feels like it’s on the edge of collapse at all times, which makes every choice feel huge.
And the MONSTERS.
Marc J. Gregson writes creatures like he’s personally terrified of them. Every monster encounter feels stressful in the most “oh no, this is going horribly wrong immediately” kind of way. These are not casual fantasy beasts. These are “someone is about to need emotional recovery” monsters.
But underneath all the chaos, this book is really about fear. Fear of becoming cruel. Fear of losing yourself. Fear of failing the people you love. Conrad’s internal struggle carries this finale hard because he never feels invincible — he feels human, angry, terrified, and desperate to remain true to the kind person his mama raised him to be.
Also, the found family dynamics in this series continue to hurt my feelings professionally.
Everyone is loyal to each other in that deeply unhealthy “we would absolutely die for one another without hesitation” fantasy way, and I ate it up.
The action scenes are huge. The emotional damage is larger. The ending? Absolutely catastrophic for my mental stability.
This trilogy honestly feels perfect for readers who love:
brutal YA fantasy
morally gray characters
giant flying creatures
political rebellion
found family chaos
nonstop action
emotional suffering with vibes
Downfall is loud, relentless, emotional, and somehow still hopeful underneath all the destruction. A finale that feels like surviving a war and immediately needing therapy afterward.
This book does NOT believe in peace. Or emotional stability. Or letting Conrad sit down for five minutes.
Marc J. Gregson really looked at this trilogy and said, “What if the horrors continued… aggressively?” and honestly? Respect.
Conrad spends this entire book exhausted, hunted, traumatized, morally conflicted, and one bad day away from becoming an actual menace to society. Every chapter feels like watching a teenager carry the weight of an entire collapsing world while running on approximately three hours of sleep and pure survival instinct.
And somehow it works SO WELL.
The pacing is absolutely feral. The second you think everyone might finally catch a break, BOOM: political betrayal. Giant monsters. Arena violence. Emotional devastation. Airship warfare. More trauma. Nobody in this series gets to heal before the next disaster crashes through a wall.
The worldbuilding remains wildly cinematic. Floating cities, dangerous creatures, brutal class systems, rebellion plots — it all feels massive and vivid without losing the emotional core. Everything feels like it’s on the edge of collapse at all times, which makes every choice feel huge.
And the MONSTERS.
Marc J. Gregson writes creatures like he’s personally terrified of them. Every monster encounter feels stressful in the most “oh no, this is going horribly wrong immediately” kind of way. These are not casual fantasy beasts. These are “someone is about to need emotional recovery” monsters.
But underneath all the chaos, this book is really about fear. Fear of becoming cruel. Fear of losing yourself. Fear of failing the people you love. Conrad’s internal struggle carries this finale hard because he never feels invincible — he feels human, angry, terrified, and desperate to remain true to the kind person his mama raised him to be.
Also, the found family dynamics in this series continue to hurt my feelings professionally.
Everyone is loyal to each other in that deeply unhealthy “we would absolutely die for one another without hesitation” fantasy way, and I ate it up.
The action scenes are huge. The emotional damage is larger. The ending? Absolutely catastrophic for my mental stability.
This trilogy honestly feels perfect for readers who love:
brutal YA fantasy
morally gray characters
giant flying creatures
political rebellion
found family chaos
nonstop action
emotional suffering with vibes
Downfall is loud, relentless, emotional, and somehow still hopeful underneath all the destruction. A finale that feels like surviving a war and immediately needing therapy afterward.
June 15, 2026
Okay generally what a great trilogy. I have been reading these books since my junior year of high school and I was super satisfied by the end. This book perfectly finishes the series in a way that is intense, climactic, uncertain, and satisfying. So many conflicts are resolved in this book, such as the relationships between all of Conrad's friends and him becoming finalized, the tension between Conrad and Bryce finally ending with them confessing the love each other, Conrad and Ella finally learning to be better siblings, Sebastian getting the karma that he deserved, and of course, King Urlich getting his ass kicked at the end of the book.
Marc Gregson also makes it so every side character’s arc is completed at the end of the book, either through their death, returning for the finale, or what happened after the victory. Like he takes the time to mention three innocent girls that we drag along on the adventure in the below are safe and sound by the end of the book, that's good attention to detail right there. I also really like how even this late into the series, there are still huge twists that do end up making sense such as the Atwood family ruling over the Pirates, and the murder of all the Lantian council members. And even the small detail of the metal hand on King Urlich on the cover of the book, the cause for that metal hand happens midway in.
I also love how the setting of the story is completely different from the other two. The first book takes place in the normal Skylands, the second book takes place in the outer Skylines, and the final book takes place in the below, and when we do return to the Skylands, the characters are super isolated. Getting to see what the Lantians, who we thought in the beginning were the enemies of the series, had to deal with was truly heartbreaking. Especially due to the fact that we see the below in a devastating state, worse than what was described from Bryce in the previous books. I honestly hope we get to see possibly a bit more of what the below is like, possibly through short stories, comics or maybe even a TV series if it goes that far.
If I had to give a little bit of criticism though I would say that sometimes there's a bit of awkward swearing, and seeing as this is a YA fantasy novel there is a bit of cringy dialogue, but it doesn't get overbearing.
Just like the other two novels I think this trilogy as a whole can be enjoyed by anyone from as young as 14 to adults. The whole series was well worth using my time, and I can't wait to read Marc Gregson’s other projects upon release.
Marc Gregson also makes it so every side character’s arc is completed at the end of the book, either through their death, returning for the finale, or what happened after the victory. Like he takes the time to mention three innocent girls that we drag along on the adventure in the below are safe and sound by the end of the book, that's good attention to detail right there. I also really like how even this late into the series, there are still huge twists that do end up making sense such as the Atwood family ruling over the Pirates, and the murder of all the Lantian council members. And even the small detail of the metal hand on King Urlich on the cover of the book, the cause for that metal hand happens midway in.
I also love how the setting of the story is completely different from the other two. The first book takes place in the normal Skylands, the second book takes place in the outer Skylines, and the final book takes place in the below, and when we do return to the Skylands, the characters are super isolated. Getting to see what the Lantians, who we thought in the beginning were the enemies of the series, had to deal with was truly heartbreaking. Especially due to the fact that we see the below in a devastating state, worse than what was described from Bryce in the previous books. I honestly hope we get to see possibly a bit more of what the below is like, possibly through short stories, comics or maybe even a TV series if it goes that far.
If I had to give a little bit of criticism though I would say that sometimes there's a bit of awkward swearing, and seeing as this is a YA fantasy novel there is a bit of cringy dialogue, but it doesn't get overbearing.
Just like the other two novels I think this trilogy as a whole can be enjoyed by anyone from as young as 14 to adults. The whole series was well worth using my time, and I can't wait to read Marc Gregson’s other projects upon release.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2026
5/5. For the intended audience, I think this series is an easy recommendation.
Continuing from where the previous left off, MJG excels at situational placement of Conrad. Each chapter in this book you retrieve a little more essence of his true character (in the descriptive sense). The "starting from nothing" arc is always a classic one. Rooting for the underdog, seeing how their skills and perseverance can lead them to heights never before seen. It is a classic inspiring theme and I think MJG did a great job with it in this book. Conrad In these moments, it can be a hindrance, but for others it can be an even stronger motivating factor.
The growth of Conrad when he
Continuing from where the previous left off, MJG excels at situational placement of Conrad. Each chapter in this book you retrieve a little more essence of his true character (in the descriptive sense). The "starting from nothing" arc is always a classic one. Rooting for the underdog, seeing how their skills and perseverance can lead them to heights never before seen. It is a classic inspiring theme and I think MJG did a great job with it in this book. Conrad In these moments, it can be a hindrance, but for others it can be an even stronger motivating factor.
The growth of Conrad when he
May 12, 2026
J’attendais énormément de ce tome 3 et, je n’ai pas été déçue. Cette conclusion qui clôt parfaitement la trilogie, tout en restant totalement fidèle à ce qui faisait la force des deux premiers tomes : une ambiance sombre, lourde, parfois presque étouffante, où l’espoir semble toujours pouvoir disparaître d’un instant à l’autre.
Dans ce dernier tome, la guerre atteint un point de non-retour. Tout devient plus violent, plus désespéré, et on sent vraiment que les personnages arrivent au bout de ce qu’ils peuvent supporter. Conrad, surtout, m’a énormément touchée. Depuis le début de la saga, il porte énormément sur ses épaules, mais ici il finit par couler sous le poids de ses responsabilités. Il doute, il s’épuise, il se perd parfois complètement… et c’est justement ce qui le rend aussi humain. On le voit lutter constamment entre son devoir envers la Couronne, ce qu’on attend de lui, et ce qu’il veut réellement devenir.
J’ai aussi beaucoup aimé le fait qu’il ne s’en sorte pas seul. Ses proches jouent un rôle essentiel, même si les relations sont loin d’être simples dans ce tome. Certaines amitiés et certains liens vont être mis à rude épreuve, il y a des tensions, des blessures, des choix difficiles… mais c’est aussi ce qui rend les personnages si crédibles et attachants. Malgré toute la noirceur du récit, il reste cette idée qu’on peut encore trouver un peu de lumière grâce aux autres.
Et puis il y a toujours cet univers… Les îles du Ciel, le Dessous, les nuages toxiques, les batailles aériennes : tout garde cette atmosphère unique et immersive qui fait l’identité de la saga. On sent que l’auteur maîtrise complètement son monde et sait exactement où il veut nous emmener.
Ce que j’ai particulièrement apprécié, c’est que la fin ne donne pas l’impression d’être expédiée. Au contraire, tout trouve naturellement sa place. Les thèmes abordés depuis le début prennent vraiment tout leur sens ici, et la conclusion est à la fois dure, émouvante et satisfaisante (ça pour être satisfaisante elle l’est vraiment. Ahah et j’étais tellement contente sur un point bien précis)
Instagram : @la_parenthese_litteraire
Dans ce dernier tome, la guerre atteint un point de non-retour. Tout devient plus violent, plus désespéré, et on sent vraiment que les personnages arrivent au bout de ce qu’ils peuvent supporter. Conrad, surtout, m’a énormément touchée. Depuis le début de la saga, il porte énormément sur ses épaules, mais ici il finit par couler sous le poids de ses responsabilités. Il doute, il s’épuise, il se perd parfois complètement… et c’est justement ce qui le rend aussi humain. On le voit lutter constamment entre son devoir envers la Couronne, ce qu’on attend de lui, et ce qu’il veut réellement devenir.
J’ai aussi beaucoup aimé le fait qu’il ne s’en sorte pas seul. Ses proches jouent un rôle essentiel, même si les relations sont loin d’être simples dans ce tome. Certaines amitiés et certains liens vont être mis à rude épreuve, il y a des tensions, des blessures, des choix difficiles… mais c’est aussi ce qui rend les personnages si crédibles et attachants. Malgré toute la noirceur du récit, il reste cette idée qu’on peut encore trouver un peu de lumière grâce aux autres.
Et puis il y a toujours cet univers… Les îles du Ciel, le Dessous, les nuages toxiques, les batailles aériennes : tout garde cette atmosphère unique et immersive qui fait l’identité de la saga. On sent que l’auteur maîtrise complètement son monde et sait exactement où il veut nous emmener.
Ce que j’ai particulièrement apprécié, c’est que la fin ne donne pas l’impression d’être expédiée. Au contraire, tout trouve naturellement sa place. Les thèmes abordés depuis le début prennent vraiment tout leur sens ici, et la conclusion est à la fois dure, émouvante et satisfaisante (ça pour être satisfaisante elle l’est vraiment. Ahah et j’étais tellement contente sur un point bien précis)
Instagram : @la_parenthese_litteraire
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