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The Keeper's Records of Revolution #2
Golden Flight
Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26Win a free print copy of this book!
20 days and 19:35:39
20 copies available
U.S. only
Concluding S. K. Ali's powerful duology, The Keeper's Records of Revolution, Golden Flight returns to a divided world with war on the horizon.
How difficult is it to crash the party of the decade? Literally crash it?
The Golden Flight happens once every ten years — a gala to honor elites fallen in service of Upper Earth’s brutal hold on earth’s remaining populace and dwindling resources.
It’s a party where cunning new technology gets unveiled to masked revelers thirsty for fresh entertainment.
It’s also a party Raisa and Nayf plan to infiltrate to bring Upper Earth down for good.
Even with a known traitor, and a mysterious, ruthless avenger in their midst, pulling off a dangerous mission in enemy territory feels entirely possible with record-keeper Khalda at the helm. To crack into Upper Earth, simply find strategic details hidden in the records.
However, they soon discover the toll of running a crew with competing, secretive the lines between friend and foe begin to blur to violent ends.
But on an oil rig at the edge of the world, the sun rises and shines on a team member no one knows about.
Will she bring the seed of hope or be the source of ultimate chaos?
Just who is she — and why does she know how to end the world?
How difficult is it to crash the party of the decade? Literally crash it?
The Golden Flight happens once every ten years — a gala to honor elites fallen in service of Upper Earth’s brutal hold on earth’s remaining populace and dwindling resources.
It’s a party where cunning new technology gets unveiled to masked revelers thirsty for fresh entertainment.
It’s also a party Raisa and Nayf plan to infiltrate to bring Upper Earth down for good.
Even with a known traitor, and a mysterious, ruthless avenger in their midst, pulling off a dangerous mission in enemy territory feels entirely possible with record-keeper Khalda at the helm. To crack into Upper Earth, simply find strategic details hidden in the records.
However, they soon discover the toll of running a crew with competing, secretive the lines between friend and foe begin to blur to violent ends.
But on an oil rig at the edge of the world, the sun rises and shines on a team member no one knows about.
Will she bring the seed of hope or be the source of ultimate chaos?
Just who is she — and why does she know how to end the world?
528 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 1, 2026
About the author
S.K. Ali
16 books2,867 followersS. K. Ali writes the characters she never saw growing up into the stories she never saw growing up. Find her on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/skalibooks/ , on twitter at https://twitter.com/SajidahWrites , on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@skalibooks , and on her website at https://skalibooks.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 3, 2026
🗐 ᯓ ✈︎ 4 stars ˙⋆✮
sigh. this was such a roller-coaster.
rtccc!
PRE READ:
Thank you to S.K. Ali herself for giving me an eARC for Golden Flight!! 🥳💗
I am so excited to get back in this world oh my days andddddd the most fun part is that I’m buddy reading this with @Yusra since she got the ARC as wellllll 🙌🏽🙌🏽
IM SO HYPEDDDDDD GSHEHUEBSUSBSJSH I NEED TO SEE THIS ENDINGGGGGG
sigh. this was such a roller-coaster.
rtccc!
PRE READ:
Thank you to S.K. Ali herself for giving me an eARC for Golden Flight!! 🥳💗
I am so excited to get back in this world oh my days andddddd the most fun part is that I’m buddy reading this with @Yusra since she got the ARC as wellllll 🙌🏽🙌🏽
IM SO HYPEDDDDDD GSHEHUEBSUSBSJSH I NEED TO SEE THIS ENDINGGGGGG
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
S.K. Ali has strung beautiful metaphors together to produce this masterpiece. This deserves more hype. It completes the prequel with perfection. I love her bravery for choosing to resist in her own way. I understand why this book isn't given a bigger push. I haven't seen another book that talks of oppression, occupation and the like in such a way. I thought of Palestine throughout the book, and yet, the struggle of Palestinians is worse.
This book ended in such a wholesome manner, and I loved every bit of it. I'm so happy how this turned out because it healed me so much. The first book broke me, and this book mended me. The plot twists were absolutely insane. Oh, how I've grown to love certain characters. I literally loathed some of them in the first book. This is one of those books I'll always remember. Thank you for writing this.
Note for muslim readers - this is not meant to be an outright muslim representation, but since there are hints of islamic teachings, i have to mention a few things. there is an idea of khurooj being alright. i don't know what the author is trying to say since they are all used metaphorically. i hope she's not implying what i think she is implying because it could be a problem islamically. maybe, it's a mistake on her part. if she was implying khurooj against a muslim ruler is fine, then it would be a mistake. i don't have enough knowledge about this to elaborate further. and please don't let fiction to influence your islamic beliefs and enjoy this book in a fictional sense.
pre-read
i got the arc!! thank you so much SK Ali!🥹💗 you just made my day. what an eid gift!
"This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to current global structures isn't coincidental, though."
this is exactly what i'm here for
This book ended in such a wholesome manner, and I loved every bit of it. I'm so happy how this turned out because it healed me so much. The first book broke me, and this book mended me. The plot twists were absolutely insane. Oh, how I've grown to love certain characters. I literally loathed some of them in the first book. This is one of those books I'll always remember. Thank you for writing this.
Note for muslim readers - this is not meant to be an outright muslim representation, but since there are hints of islamic teachings, i have to mention a few things. there is an idea of khurooj being alright. i don't know what the author is trying to say since they are all used metaphorically. i hope she's not implying what i think she is implying because it could be a problem islamically. maybe, it's a mistake on her part. if she was implying khurooj against a muslim ruler is fine, then it would be a mistake. i don't have enough knowledge about this to elaborate further. and please don't let fiction to influence your islamic beliefs and enjoy this book in a fictional sense.
pre-read
i got the arc!! thank you so much SK Ali!🥹💗 you just made my day. what an eid gift!
"This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to current global structures isn't coincidental, though."
this is exactly what i'm here for
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was extremely excited for this book because Fledgling was genuinely my favorite book of 2025. It completely blew me away. Even though it was only one book, it managed to do so much at once, and it did all of it really well. So going into this one, my expectations were insanely high. I had been waiting for this book for months, this was one of my most anticipated reads. The second I got the ARC, I read it immediately.
But from the very beginning, I noticed that something was missing, and I still can’t exactly pinpoint every reason why. It’s just really strange.
The first thing I noticed was how different the writing style felt compared to the first book. There’s an overwhelming amount of dialogue happening constantly. Not that I dislike dialogue-heavy books, but here it felt like there was barely any descriptive language balancing it out. Because of that, a lot of scenes lacked atmosphere and depth. Especially considering how much is happening plot-wise (that’s debatable), I needed more immersion, i guess?
The second thing is that I’m still not exactly sure whether this series is supposed to be YA or not. I went into the first book thinking it wasn’t, but this sequel leans much more heavily into YA tropes, and NOT in a good way. There are so many cliché moments, whether in the romantic relationships or just in general character interactions. Everything feels toned down… the action scenes, the dystopian elements, the brutality of the world itself. I think what made the first book so compelling to me was how layered it felt. It talked about oppression, occupation, slavery, it was all nuanced and genuinely soul crushing, but in this book, it felt like everything was just watered down.
And I think part of that comes from the mission-focused plotline. See, this is supposed to be THE mission of the decade, to finally and for good bring down this regime, but for the dear life of me I couldn’t take it seriously. The writing doesn’t handle it seriously, the characters don’t handle it seriously, and overall it’s all toned down… again.
As for the characters, I honestly wasn’t a big fan of most of them in this book. The one character I genuinely found interesting was One One Eight. Her storyline had so much potential, and I liked seeing how her role developed and contributed to the story overall. But even then, I wanted more. I needed things to be more dramatic… more unhinged! That’s what I expect from stories like this.
Let me take a deep breathe before talking about the horrible trio of Musaid, Khalda, and the Stray.
Im not someone who loathes characters, i absolutely can tolerate any character… but wow the amount of times i had to stop reading and practice breathing while reading their chapters is INSANE.
Being inside their heads was torture.
Khalda especially disappointed me because in the first book, I found her fascinating due to the whole “last Record Keeper alive” aspect of her character. That lore was crazy, and we barely see any of it in this book.
The Stray was interesting before we actually met him. The idea of him intrigued me more than his actual presence in the story, and over time he started to lose appeal for me. Though I will say I liked parts of how his storyline concluded in the end.
Musaid, however… I genuinely hated him. I don’t even know what good thing to say about him. He feels like a 15-year-old guy who joined a deadly mission for fun, and the constant food comments became unbearably annoying. Like, we are literally on a life-threatening mission and somehow food is still the main thing on your mind every five seconds? Dude, it’s not even quirky anymore, it’s just so unfunny.
I still really like Nayf and Raisa, mainly because I loved them in the first book, but even in this book there’s something missing in their characters. Again, it all comes back to how much more three-dimensional the first book felt. Nothing there felt black and white. Everything had layers. In this book, those layers feel missing.
And I’m saying this as someone who can turn a single sentence into an entire cinematic scene in my head. That’s usually how vividly I experience books. But here I kept finding myself unable to fully visualize things because the writing just wasn’t giving me enough.
The plot itself honestly only started picking up around the 70% mark, which is disappointing. The first 70% genuinely could have been an email. There were so many sections that felt unnecessary or repetitive, especially considering we weren’t even moving through that many locations. Most of the story takes place across maybe two, three, or four settings max.
Overall, this book had so much potential, but it never fully lived up to it for me. I expected way more from this dystopian world. The first book handled those themes with depth and intensity, it was DRAMATIC, and I loved that.
I might expand my review more in the future, but these are my post-read thoughts. I’m genuinely heartbroken.
Thank you to the author for the arc.
-
pre-read: I’ll be a different person once i finish this book, be ready.
-
mar/14 - I just requested it on netgalley. I’m PRAYING to get the arc, it’s that bad .
jan/16 - BURY ME WITH THIS DUOLOGY.
But from the very beginning, I noticed that something was missing, and I still can’t exactly pinpoint every reason why. It’s just really strange.
The first thing I noticed was how different the writing style felt compared to the first book. There’s an overwhelming amount of dialogue happening constantly. Not that I dislike dialogue-heavy books, but here it felt like there was barely any descriptive language balancing it out. Because of that, a lot of scenes lacked atmosphere and depth. Especially considering how much is happening plot-wise (that’s debatable), I needed more immersion, i guess?
The second thing is that I’m still not exactly sure whether this series is supposed to be YA or not. I went into the first book thinking it wasn’t, but this sequel leans much more heavily into YA tropes, and NOT in a good way. There are so many cliché moments, whether in the romantic relationships or just in general character interactions. Everything feels toned down… the action scenes, the dystopian elements, the brutality of the world itself. I think what made the first book so compelling to me was how layered it felt. It talked about oppression, occupation, slavery, it was all nuanced and genuinely soul crushing, but in this book, it felt like everything was just watered down.
And I think part of that comes from the mission-focused plotline. See, this is supposed to be THE mission of the decade, to finally and for good bring down this regime, but for the dear life of me I couldn’t take it seriously. The writing doesn’t handle it seriously, the characters don’t handle it seriously, and overall it’s all toned down… again.
As for the characters, I honestly wasn’t a big fan of most of them in this book. The one character I genuinely found interesting was One One Eight. Her storyline had so much potential, and I liked seeing how her role developed and contributed to the story overall. But even then, I wanted more. I needed things to be more dramatic… more unhinged! That’s what I expect from stories like this.
Let me take a deep breathe before talking about the horrible trio of Musaid, Khalda, and the Stray.
Im not someone who loathes characters, i absolutely can tolerate any character… but wow the amount of times i had to stop reading and practice breathing while reading their chapters is INSANE.
Being inside their heads was torture.
Khalda especially disappointed me because in the first book, I found her fascinating due to the whole “last Record Keeper alive” aspect of her character. That lore was crazy, and we barely see any of it in this book.
The Stray was interesting before we actually met him. The idea of him intrigued me more than his actual presence in the story, and over time he started to lose appeal for me. Though I will say I liked parts of how his storyline concluded in the end.
Musaid, however… I genuinely hated him. I don’t even know what good thing to say about him. He feels like a 15-year-old guy who joined a deadly mission for fun, and the constant food comments became unbearably annoying. Like, we are literally on a life-threatening mission and somehow food is still the main thing on your mind every five seconds? Dude, it’s not even quirky anymore, it’s just so unfunny.
I still really like Nayf and Raisa, mainly because I loved them in the first book, but even in this book there’s something missing in their characters. Again, it all comes back to how much more three-dimensional the first book felt. Nothing there felt black and white. Everything had layers. In this book, those layers feel missing.
And I’m saying this as someone who can turn a single sentence into an entire cinematic scene in my head. That’s usually how vividly I experience books. But here I kept finding myself unable to fully visualize things because the writing just wasn’t giving me enough.
The plot itself honestly only started picking up around the 70% mark, which is disappointing. The first 70% genuinely could have been an email. There were so many sections that felt unnecessary or repetitive, especially considering we weren’t even moving through that many locations. Most of the story takes place across maybe two, three, or four settings max.
Overall, this book had so much potential, but it never fully lived up to it for me. I expected way more from this dystopian world. The first book handled those themes with depth and intensity, it was DRAMATIC, and I loved that.
I might expand my review more in the future, but these are my post-read thoughts. I’m genuinely heartbroken.
Thank you to the author for the arc.
-
pre-read: I’ll be a different person once i finish this book, be ready.
-
mar/14 - I just requested it on netgalley. I’m PRAYING to get the arc, it’s that bad .
jan/16 - BURY ME WITH THIS DUOLOGY.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Actual Rating 4.5
Thanks to S.K. Ali and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’ll read whatever S.K. Ali writes. After Fledgling broke my heart with that cliffhanger, I was desperately waiting for The Golden Flight, with some hope in my heart.
Fledgling focused on building the story, world, and characters layer by layer. No doubt, the world-building was complex and took time to get into. Golden Flight has the upper hand in that regard and gets to run with the characters and story. Although character development and relationships were not entirely what I had built in my head for more than a year. I don’t wanna spoil much, but I didn’t like how the characters were shaped by the story and the established hierarchy. It took me a while to be okay with it. On the positive side, the whole crew came together to pull a “heist” in enemy territory. It has to be the most realistic heist that a group of young people can pull.
The character growth genuinely wrecked me. I was so angry and in denial for half of the book. One character I could not stand in Fledgling, I mean, really, really did not like, completely flipped it around. I didn’t see it coming, and I still think that the character got away with all of their past actions a little too easily. And another character who was my favorite grew perfectly, with dignity, and didn’t get bitter or lose hope in life.
This book also made me think in the way that uncomfortable books do. The food, the resources, the way people in Lower Earth survive on scraps while Upper Earth throws a gala to celebrate itself. I thought of the real world the entire time.
I felt the pacing could have been better. The first half felt slow, and a lot happened in the second half. Some of the interactions between certain characters made me smile, and I wish there were more of them.
The ending, though, was realistic and bittersweet. The book was definitely dystopian/fantasy, but so, so close to reality. I understand it is a hard and a bit uncomfortable read, but this duology deserved so much more attention than it got.
Thanks to S.K. Ali and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’ll read whatever S.K. Ali writes. After Fledgling broke my heart with that cliffhanger, I was desperately waiting for The Golden Flight, with some hope in my heart.
Fledgling focused on building the story, world, and characters layer by layer. No doubt, the world-building was complex and took time to get into. Golden Flight has the upper hand in that regard and gets to run with the characters and story. Although character development and relationships were not entirely what I had built in my head for more than a year. I don’t wanna spoil much, but I didn’t like how the characters were shaped by the story and the established hierarchy. It took me a while to be okay with it. On the positive side, the whole crew came together to pull a “heist” in enemy territory. It has to be the most realistic heist that a group of young people can pull.
The character growth genuinely wrecked me. I was so angry and in denial for half of the book. One character I could not stand in Fledgling, I mean, really, really did not like, completely flipped it around. I didn’t see it coming, and I still think that the character got away with all of their past actions a little too easily. And another character who was my favorite grew perfectly, with dignity, and didn’t get bitter or lose hope in life.
This book also made me think in the way that uncomfortable books do. The food, the resources, the way people in Lower Earth survive on scraps while Upper Earth throws a gala to celebrate itself. I thought of the real world the entire time.
I felt the pacing could have been better. The first half felt slow, and a lot happened in the second half. Some of the interactions between certain characters made me smile, and I wish there were more of them.
The ending, though, was realistic and bittersweet. The book was definitely dystopian/fantasy, but so, so close to reality. I understand it is a hard and a bit uncomfortable read, but this duology deserved so much more attention than it got.
Currently Reading
March 23, 2026Thank you to the author for sending me a digital arc, all opinions are my own
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The book started off really well, I was hooked immediately and didn't want to stop reading. However, only after the first 5-10 chapters, it started going downhill. The characters were suddenly so annoying, I wanted to personally slap every single one of them. Instead of focusing on the greater goal, they all were immersed in their own personal issues and grudges against each other, which was something I really didn't expect from some of them so I must admit I was really disappointed.
And fine, their behaviour may have been a part of the plot, so it can be ignored. But at the same time, the storyline slowed down and the chapters were suddenly so long, reading became a chore. thats one of the reasons it took me so long to finish it. It was as if the characters were doing nothing useful and just repeating the same things in every chapter, and it got so annoying, especially because I had been so excited for the book, and my expectations had grown even more because of the starting of the book.
Anywayy, after forcing myself to get through the middle, the book finally started picking up again and oh my God, it got sooo gooddd, I couldnt put it down. It was a buddyread and I'd forget about that and accidentally read more than I was supposed to lol (Sorryy PNY).
The ending was phenomenal and just, the best thing ever. So besides the pace in the middle of the book, everything was great. I loved the plot line and the entire base of the story, it was well executed for the most part and Im so happy I didn't give up in the middle lol.
ARC received from Netgalley and the author.
Buddyread with Yusra ❤️
And fine, their behaviour may have been a part of the plot, so it can be ignored. But at the same time, the storyline slowed down and the chapters were suddenly so long, reading became a chore. thats one of the reasons it took me so long to finish it. It was as if the characters were doing nothing useful and just repeating the same things in every chapter, and it got so annoying, especially because I had been so excited for the book, and my expectations had grown even more because of the starting of the book.
Anywayy, after forcing myself to get through the middle, the book finally started picking up again and oh my God, it got sooo gooddd, I couldnt put it down. It was a buddyread and I'd forget about that and accidentally read more than I was supposed to lol (Sorryy PNY).
The ending was phenomenal and just, the best thing ever. So besides the pace in the middle of the book, everything was great. I loved the plot line and the entire base of the story, it was well executed for the most part and Im so happy I didn't give up in the middle lol.
ARC received from Netgalley and the author.
Buddyread with Yusra ❤️
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Fledgling was a huge highlight of 2024 for me, so I was keen to pick up this sequel. I'm pleased to report that Golden Flight is an absolutely stunning conclusion to the duology! It has a rollercoaster ride of a plot, an immersive world, an endearing ensemble cast, and an elaborate plan to take down the evil regime that gave me serious Six of Crows vibes.
This is a story about what it takes to make change happen. It can’t be achieved by just one person, or one generation. It takes several different groups of people all working together, from all different areas of society, and this book sees it culminate in one epic showdown. I loved that the characters had different ideas for how to take down the government, which sometimes helped them and sometimes turned them against each other, and there was plenty of double-crossing and triple-crossing to keep me on my toes!
The book deals with urgent themes such as oppression and resistance, the importance of record-keeping and truth-telling, and technology as a tool for control. However, it manages to balance a clever and nuanced exploration of these things with tropey YA fun that will delight fans of 2010s YA dystopia. The romances are SO adorable, and the Golden Flight ball is a perfect setting for kicking butt in a glittery weaponized ballgown!
Overall, the Fledgling duology is a must-read for any fan of YA dystopia. You’ll find plenty of familiar vibes here, but also a twist on the genre as you’ve never seen it before!
Thanks to the author and publisher for the ebook ARC.
This is a story about what it takes to make change happen. It can’t be achieved by just one person, or one generation. It takes several different groups of people all working together, from all different areas of society, and this book sees it culminate in one epic showdown. I loved that the characters had different ideas for how to take down the government, which sometimes helped them and sometimes turned them against each other, and there was plenty of double-crossing and triple-crossing to keep me on my toes!
The book deals with urgent themes such as oppression and resistance, the importance of record-keeping and truth-telling, and technology as a tool for control. However, it manages to balance a clever and nuanced exploration of these things with tropey YA fun that will delight fans of 2010s YA dystopia. The romances are SO adorable, and the Golden Flight ball is a perfect setting for kicking butt in a glittery weaponized ballgown!
Overall, the Fledgling duology is a must-read for any fan of YA dystopia. You’ll find plenty of familiar vibes here, but also a twist on the genre as you’ve never seen it before!
Thanks to the author and publisher for the ebook ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating :: 4.5 🌟
Source :: ARC from author's invite for Netgalley.
Thoughts ::
First of all, I want to say I love the covers of both books so so much. The colors, the masks, the capes, I am in love. I will buy these books just because of the covers alone. They are so so pretty 🔥
This is a perfect duology. The world building was amazing in book 1. And book 2 is the perfect conclusion 👌. Raisa and Nayf join forces with more people, make a team, plan together to go to a gala in Upper Earth, where all hell will break loose.
All the characters have amazing growth. One of the character have redemption arc. You can see the change from anger to satisfaction. It was very satisfying to see. That character I didn't like at the start, but their growth, their understanding to see other's perspective, to forgive others was very good to see.
One of the character was like a glue who held all others together for their mission. I absolutely love her growth from shy to confidence.
This story will remind you so much of the real world, especially the food in poor countries. The author has pictured it so accurately, it will always stay in my heart. I feel even more for these people who can't have proper food and have to survive on rubbery packet foods. I relate so much with Musaid.
Love the twist in Chapter 27 and 29. Chapter 27's twist, I had a feeling it was coming, but still I got goosebumps and happy tears.
Source :: ARC from author's invite for Netgalley.
Thoughts ::
First of all, I want to say I love the covers of both books so so much. The colors, the masks, the capes, I am in love. I will buy these books just because of the covers alone. They are so so pretty 🔥
This is a perfect duology. The world building was amazing in book 1. And book 2 is the perfect conclusion 👌. Raisa and Nayf join forces with more people, make a team, plan together to go to a gala in Upper Earth, where all hell will break loose.
All the characters have amazing growth. One of the character have redemption arc. You can see the change from anger to satisfaction. It was very satisfying to see. That character I didn't like at the start, but their growth, their understanding to see other's perspective, to forgive others was very good to see.
One of the character was like a glue who held all others together for their mission. I absolutely love her growth from shy to confidence.
This story will remind you so much of the real world, especially the food in poor countries. The author has pictured it so accurately, it will always stay in my heart. I feel even more for these people who can't have proper food and have to survive on rubbery packet foods. I relate so much with Musaid.
Love the twist in Chapter 27 and 29. Chapter 27's twist, I had a feeling it was coming, but still I got goosebumps and happy tears.
July 9, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✨sequel to Fledgling
✨sci-fi/POC
✨parallel 🍉
✨duo join forces for justice
✨plot twists
✨redemption
I really enjoyed book 1- the characters, the world building, the internal dialogue. I was rooting for justice, for hope, for humanity… and while book 2 does deliver that. It seems at times the story was a bit slow and the characters were a bit surface level. But the ending really brought it all together. I truly enjoyed this.
✨sequel to Fledgling
✨sci-fi/POC
✨parallel 🍉
✨duo join forces for justice
✨plot twists
✨redemption
I really enjoyed book 1- the characters, the world building, the internal dialogue. I was rooting for justice, for hope, for humanity… and while book 2 does deliver that. It seems at times the story was a bit slow and the characters were a bit surface level. But the ending really brought it all together. I truly enjoyed this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The best sequel I could have asked for. This series deserves so much more hype than it gets. If you guys want a dystopian done right, mark your calendars for this! Full review closer to the release date.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews