Blightfall

Riftwake #1

by Brandon Sanderson, Janci Patterson

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson comes the first book in a new, high-flying trilogy featuring the legendary Skyward Flight as they undertake a deadly intergalactic mission to explore a mysterious alien world.

After decades of war against alien oppressors, the humans of the Defiant Defense Force are finally free. Yet for Arturo Mendez, leader of Skyward Flight, freedom isn’t what he thought it would be.

His first postwar assignment seems simple: The DDF has found evidence of other settlements of humans who were isolated during their long war against the aliens, and Arturo and his flight of pilots are to escort a team of diplomats as they attempt to make contact. It’s an easy mission—get in, guard the diplomats, and get out.

But no element of this mission turns out to be simple. Blightfall is inhospitable, surrounded by mysterious debris and covered in giant, invasive forests that have swallowed most of the planet. Upon arrival, Arturo’s team is attacked, and it quickly becomes clear that this human settlement isn’t what it appears to be.

Now trapped in an unfamiliar world and unsure who to trust, Arturo and his team must find allies and uncover long-buried secrets if they hope to escape and return home.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Dystopia, Space, Science Fiction Fantasy

496 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 2026

About the author

I’m Brandon Sanderson, and I write stories of the fantastic: fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers.

The release of Wind and Truth in December 2024—the fifth and final book in the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series—marks a significant milestone for me. This series is my love letter to the epic fantasy genre, and it’s the type of story I always dreamed epic fantasy could be. Now is a great time to get into the Stormlight Archive since the first arc, which begins with Way of Kings, is complete.

During our crowdfunding campaign for the leatherbound edition of Words of Radiance, I announced a fifth Secret Project called Isles of the Emberdark, which came out in the summer of 2025. Coming December 2025 is Tailored Realities, my non-Cosmere short story collection featuring the new novella Moment Zero.

Defiant, the fourth and final volume of the series that started with Skyward in 2018, came out in November 2023, capping an already book-filled year that saw the releases of all four Secret Projects: Tress of the Emerald Sea, The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, and The Sunlit Man. These four books were all initially offered to backers of the #1 Kickstarter campaign of all time.

November 2022 saw the release of The Lost Metal, the seventh volume in the Mistborn saga, and the final volume of the Mistborn Era Two featuring Wax & Wayne. Now that the first arc of the Stormlight Archive is wrapped up, I’ve started writing the third era of Mistborn in 2025.

Most readers have noticed that my adult fantasy novels are in a connected universe called the Cosmere. This includes The Stormlight Archive, both Mistborn series, Elantris, Warbreaker, four of the five Secret Projects, and various novellas, including The Emperor’s Soul, which won a Hugo Award in 2013. In November 2016 all of the existing Cosmere short fiction was released in one volume called Arcanum Unbounded. If you’ve read all of my adult fantasy novels and want to see some behind-the-scenes information, that collection is a must-read.

I also have three YA series: The Rithmatist (currently at one book), The Reckoners (a trilogy beginning with Steelheart), and Skyward. For young readers I also have my humorous series Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, which had its final book, Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, released in 2022. Many of my adult readers enjoy all of those books as well, and many of my YA readers enjoy my adult books, usually starting with Mistborn.

Additionally, I have a few other novellas that are more on the thriller/sci-fi side. These include the three stories in Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds, as well as Perfect State and Snapshot. These two novellas are also featured in 2025’s Tailored Realities. There’s a lot of material to go around!

Good starting places are Mistborn (a.k.a. The Final Empire), Skyward, Steelheart, The Emperor’s Soul, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians. If you’re already a fan of big fat fantasies, you can jump right into The Way of Kings.

I was also honored to be able to complete the final three volumes of The Wheel of Time, beginning with The Gathering Storm, using Robert Jordan’s notes.

Sample chapters from all of my books are available at brandonsanderson.com—and check out the rest of my site for chapter-by-chapter annotations, deleted scenes, and more.

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Delacorte for the pre-release copy of Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson's Blightfall, book one in the new Skyward sequel series Riftwake.

This is my second BrandoSando collab book this year, and boy was this one a winner (especially compared to the other *sad face*).

I had a hard time even realizing it was mostly written by someone OTHER than Sanderson, because they worked so closely together on the previous three Skyward side tales.

I had a blast with this one. Arturo and Sadie were fun POV characters, and the remaining cast really rounded out nicely. My favorite was Suki, the kitsen xenoanthropologist who was intrigued by and trying to document every little detail. And of course, I adored the slugs. The taynix always steal the show for me, but even more so because in this book they had their own little interlude chapters!

Can't wait for more in this world, as this one set up the next phase of Skyward universe so well.

Five stars, highly recommend (but please read the first series beforehand, or you'll be massively spoiled).

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginative and Immersive

Brightfall delivers exactly what Sanderson fans come for: a vivid world, clever magic, and characters who feel like they’re carrying the weight of something bigger than themselves. The story moves with a confident rhythm; steady enough to follow easily, but punctuated with those sharp, satisfying turns Sanderson is known for.

I especially enjoyed the worldbuilding. It’s layered without ever becoming overwhelming, and the lore feels lived‑in rather than decorative. The characters are engaging and are genuinely memorable.

Some sections feel a bit more predictable than others. Still, the execution is strong enough that even the expected moments are enjoyable, and the payoff is worth the journey.

Overall, Brightfall is a highly enjoyable fantasy adventure—immersive, imaginative, and absolutely worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Press for this ARC copy. This is my review.

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that’s what a collaboration is supposed to be like: fast-paced, immersive, fun, and well-written.

This novel is set about a month after the events in Defiant, the final book of the Skyward series. Now that the war is won, everyone takes on new roles, getting used to drastic changes in their lives, which were defined by survival prior to this new age of peace.

This book follows Arturo, a minor member of team Skyward Flight in the Skyward novels, who then had a larger role in the novellas, and Sadie, a new character and fellow fighter pilot. You would think that Arturo and Sadie would emerge as a couple since they are both viewpoint characters, but Arturo is actually in love with Alanik, the alien protagonist in the Skyward novella ReDawn, who I love dearly. (Seriously, all those novellas were wonderful.) Sadie actually has a love interest as well, which I find very refreshing and also adorable. Just know that romance is not central to the plot.

Arturo, Sadie, and a few others are now tasked with accompanying diplomats from their planet, Detritus, to the eponymous Blightfall, a strange and unknown planet. Their mission is to make contact with the other human colony there and to investigate a mysterious inhibitor field that prevents communication. This mission to Blightfall is supposed to be a peaceful one, but of course things don’t go as planned and instead go horribly wrong…

Because communication is inhibited somehow, it’s safe to assume that these humans on Blightfall have not heard of their liberation from the so-called Superiority, an empire made up of many different species and planets. In previous books they used to oppress, exploit, and eliminate humans, who were considered an inferior, primitive, aggressive, and dangerous species and thus lived in preserves, essentially being held prisoners. With the defeat of the Superiority, lives have changed drastically and efforts of communication with other human preserves are being made, as is the case in this novel.

I had high hopes for Blightfall to begin with because I enjoyed Patterson’s work on the Skyward novellas and was not disappointed. It has that same mix of fast-paced action, humor, friendship, and space battles that makes the Skyward series so addictive.

Overall, Blightfall is a really enjoyable novel and a great addition to the Skyward universe. It doesn’t replace the original series, but it adds more depth to the Cytoverse. If you enjoyed Skyward, I’m sure you’ll love Blightfall as well.

On that note: While it is theoretically possibly to read this without prior knowledge of the Skyward series, I wouldn’t recommend it. You‘d be missing out on a great story and the learning curve would be very steep. So please go read the Skyward novels and novellas and then come back here. I‘m settling in to wait for the sequel in 2027!

[BookishKB]

🚀🌌 Blightfall 🌌🚀

📖 Bookish Thoughts

A full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨ What to Expect
• YA Science Fantasy
• Space Adventure
• Military Squad
• First Contact
• Found Family
• Survival Mission
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: September 1, 2026
Thank you to Delacorte Press, Random House Children's Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Patrick Casebeer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Random House and Net Galley for this ARC!

On a routine peace mission to make allies with a previously uncontacted human planet, this team that includes humans, aliens and….slugs? runs into trouble and has to figure out how to survive and get home.

This is a fun, quick paced read that has great action, world building and humor in all the right places. Sanderson fans, and Patterson fans, will enjoy this one. I found it to be an amazing start to a new series. One that I’m looking forward to continuing to read, and hopefully the story keeps getting better!

[jaycee ann ✞ (spiderman's version)]

╰┈➤ Pre-Release
I’m actually so so so excited for this 🤩 The Skyward series is one of my favorites ever, and I’m so interested to see what this series holds.

[J.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blightfall was a fun return to a world I already enjoyed. I liked that it gave us a different set of problems while still building on things that were introduced in the last book/series.

One of my favorite details is the bureaucracy around intergalactic travel and kind of the dynamics in the new galactic government as a hold . The idea that you still have to put in a request to travel through time and space is just funny to me 😂. It also works really well with how this world treats even the slugs as citizens. I also liked getting more of Bob as the intermediary between the higher powers and the humans. It helped make some of the new rules of the paradigm make sense

The character dynamics were fun too. I liked that we get POVs from Arturo and Sadie whose backstories you kind of heard as side characters but are fun main characters. There are relationships and friendships that continue to grow along with some new romances. I can see some readers maybe not caring for how much attention is given to those relationships, but I think it helped build out the characters

There are enough reveals throughout to keep things moving. I liked being back in this universe without it feeling like the exact same story again. The pacing was pretty solid overall. There are some stretches where we are in one setting so if you are used to more action from the other books, it’s a change of pace. I think the lore and world building made those parts worthwhile though

Overall, I had a good time with this book, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the series goes next!

4/5 ⭐️!!

Thank you to Janci Patterson, Brandon Sanderson, Random House Children’s Books, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for the eARC!

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Half the team is dead before page seventy. That is not a spoiler so much as a statement of intent: Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson opens with a routine escort mission to a peaceful, unarmed human colony and then removes the diplomats, the scouts and the transport pilot in a single ambush, leaving four young pilots hiding in a forest with no way to call home. Everything after that is improvisation by people who are not remotely qualified for it, and the book is cheerfully honest about that.

A note on the byline before anything else. This is Janci Patterson's book. Sanderson built the Cytoverse and signs off on it, and his name is what sells the hardcover, but the prose, the structure and the voice here are Patterson's, and her acknowledgments are unusually candid about what it took: a deadline missed by four months, an opening rewritten several times, and an editorial letter that finally showed her how to make it work.

Where Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson Sits

Riftwake is a new series, and this is book one of it, but it is a spin-off rather than a fresh start. It follows the four Skyward novels and the Skyward Flight novellas that Patterson co-wrote, and it picks up roughly a month after the war ends.

The cast is inherited. Arturo Mendez, previously a supporting pilot, is now flightleader and one of two narrators. Jorgen Weight, eighteen, is somehow the admiral. Nedd lost an arm in the last weeks of the war and can no longer fly, which he has not accepted. The alien pilots Alanik and Gilaf are permanent flight members. The second narrator, Sadie Chay, is seventeen and the least experienced pilot on the team, which is the entire point of her.

What Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson Add

The planet is the invention Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson and Patterson bring to the table, and it is a good one. Blightfall is tidally locked to a red dwarf, so one face is in permanent late-afternoon light. There is no night, which means the city of Epiphany simply never closes: everyone works shifts, the pubs never shut, and a visitor who asks what time things close marks herself out as a stranger immediately. It is the sharpest piece of worldbuilding in the book because it is entirely a consequence of the astronomy.

The continent is covered by an invasive forest brought by human prospectors centuries ago, and some of those trees are animals. Scions walk on their branches, have eyes the size of dinner plates, and are captured, pruned into draft animals, or driven into an arena to be fought by gladiators for points. Win enough points and you ascend to Elysium through a gate full of smoke. Nobody has ever come back from Elysium.

What works

What Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson and Patterson does best is almost always small, specific and off to one side of the plot.

The interludes. Five short chapters are narrated by the taynix, the cytonic slugs who power hyperdrives. They are written in flat declarative sentences with slug priorities, and they are the best thing in the book by a wide margin. They are also load-bearing: what a slug called Bob accomplishes by patient friendliness is what actually wins the last battle.
Sadie. She talks too much, and her flightleader nearly leaves her behind for it. The arc that follows is not that she learns to be quiet. It is that talking turns out to be the mission's most valuable skill and nobody else on the team has it.
Nedd. His prosthetic shakes loose twice in combat, he cannot dogfight, and the book never hands him a technological fix. What it gives him instead is a conversation on a log about his dead brothers that is the most affecting page here.
Epiphany. Cobblestones and camera drones, goats in the street and a leaderboard on a jumbotron, three alphabets carved over the gate. Patterson resists the theme-park version of a lost colony.
The antagonist's logic. When the reveal lands, it is genuinely good: an intelligence that was asked to save something, calculated the optimal answer, delivered it, and cannot understand why nobody has thanked her. The refrain she keeps returning to is the coldest note in the novel.
Where it gives ground

Five things hold Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson and Patterson back from the book its best chapters promise.

The opening is brutal for newcomers. Chapter one deploys taynix, cytonics, hyperjumps, delvers, the nowhere, inhibitors, the Superiority, Detritus and about ten named characters inside fifteen pages. Patterson says in her acknowledgments that this problem cost her four months. It is better than it was. It is still a wall.
The spy caper sags. The middle third is four people who are bad at espionage being bad at espionage, and the book makes the joke about it five or six times. It is funny twice.
The romances eat the runway. A running bit about the ethics of dating across species is charming and spread across three chapters, one of which sits immediately before the climax.
The dogfights repeat. Light-lance pivot, shields down, someone gets shot out of the sky, request a hyperjump, wait for permission. Four times.
The villain arrives late. She is a voice on a radio for three hundred pages and a character for about thirty.
Do you need the earlier books?

Partly, and more than the marketing implies. The plot of Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson and Patterson stands alone, and a patient newcomer will follow it. What will not land is the emotional freight: Nedd's grief for brothers you never met, Arturo's discomfort at inheriting command from Jorgen, the weight of a species that has just stopped fighting for the first time in a century. Read Skyward at minimum. Read all four plus Skyward Flight and this book becomes considerably better.

Content notes for Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson

Named characters die on the page in the opening act, and their bodies are described. Gladiatorial blood sport against sapient creatures, staged for a cheering crowd, with the ethics raised repeatedly and never resolved. Sapient creatures tortured to be used as weapon components. Cryogenic imprisonment against consent. Limb loss, chronic pain and prosthetic use. Survivor guilt and intrusive auditory flashbacks. Genocide on a planetary scale, discussed in numbers. One kiss, no sexual content.

Read it if / Skip it if

Read it if you have read Skyward and want more of that world at a slightly older, slightly grimmer pitch; if a five-million-strong frozen army is the kind of cliffhanger you enjoy; if you would read an entire book narrated by a slug.

Skip it if you want a self-contained story, because almost nothing here resolves; if you are new to the Cytoverse and unwilling to do homework; if military science fiction with four extended dogfights sounds like three too many.

Worth Your Shelf

Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson is a first act wearing a novel's clothes. The portal locks, the army stays frozen, the colony is barely liberated, and the discovery the book has been building toward arrives on page 347 and is then left sitting there. Judged as a complete story it is unsatisfying, and readers who want endings should wait for the series to fill out. Judged as what it actually is, an opening move, it does the job with real charm, and it does something more interesting than that too. In a book about armies, gladiators and a planet-sized atrocity, the creature who solves the problem does it by going around asking everyone whether they would like to be friends. Patterson knows exactly what she is doing with that. It is the argument the whole series appears to be making, delivered by something the length of a forearm that cannot pronounce most of the words.

[Katie]

I am hoping Janci grows Riftwake with her audience. I felt like mental health was not treated authentically in Evershore and Defiant. If you're going to portray characters like Jorgen with massive PTSD, grief, and emotional instability, then you can't have them "fail upwards" or consistently avoid death (because the enemy is very accommodating and incompetent) in combat situations and during war; that’s like having your cake and eating it too. It's one thing to try and create a realistic portrayal of these PTSD mental loops, but if you never follow through in a truthful way, it starts to look like a caricature.

The failing upwards in Evershore was ridiculous too - Jorgen is shut down and in his own head, grieving and suffering from massive PTSD - being extremely reckless in combat, trying his new mind blades without shields in his cockpit, etc. - only to become vice-admiral and become temporary leader of Detritus. Like what? Odds of survival = 0% in reality.

I am also hoping this series lays off the navel-gazing. Evershore was extremely guilty of this. There are at least four chapters where Jorgen is mostly just in his head - like multiple 20 minute chapters via audiobook - and then two more chapters almost entirely dedicated to "therapy speak" sessions between characters, as if the goal of the book were simply to spread the message of mental health. The enemy was very accommodating while one of them was happening too. Evershore didn't actually get going until Chapter 16 (out of 21 Chapters). I cannot read an entire novel written like that.

Because of this, I am definitely holding out on Blightfall until I can ask people what is actually in the book. This is a sci-fi series; it should be about ideas, solving problems in new ways, and action. I just hope the balance is right this time because I feel like the series went off the rails in Evershore. And then when you read Defiant, you realize no character development happened because Jorgen was still suffering PTSD, grief and leadership pressures. I just don't think this series handled mental health and emotional character arcs well (not that it was a requirement - not every novel/series needs it, but if you're going to do it, do it well).

[Cande]

Skyward was the series that got me to read again after not reading for ~6 years. It's just that good! It got me totally hooked, and reading became one of my main hobbies again.

Sooo excited for this next series! Can't wait to go back into this world that gave me back my love for reading 😊

[Kent Fairbourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Advance Readers Copy (Netgalley)

I loved the Skyward series and was a little skeptical of what else could be added to it. I was wrong. This book pulled me in right from the start. All in all a great adventure for some of the beloved Skyward characters, getting to know some more than the past books allowed and a few great new characters as well.

I really enjoyed this book and think Janci Patterson did an incredible job!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! 🥰

“I just think that even though there’s a lot of darkness and destruction, there’s a lot of hope and beauty too.” 🙌🏻

Wow, what a GREAT start to this trilogy! Young adult books can be hit or miss for me, but this was a fun, fast paced adventure enjoyable for teen readers and above. I love Sanderson's work, so I’ll read anything with his name on it, and teaming up with Petterson makes them the perfect duo for this story.

I absolutely adored the two main characters. They have distinct personalities, which made switching between their perspectives such a fun experience. The world building was fantastic, and the twists and turns kept me constantly surprised. My favorite part, though? The slugs. Bob and Naga for life! The interludes put the BIGGEST smile on my face, and Cosmere fans will be thrilled to spot a few fun Easter eggs. 👀

The romance was so sweet, plus getting two distinct romantic subplots was a great touch. I also appreciated how the story explored cultural differences that persist into the future, making the world feel grounded and relatable. On top of all that, the action scenes had my heart racing! 🚀Everything about this novel was fantastic, and I can’t wait for the rest of the Riftwake series. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I feel honored to have received an advance copy. Thank you again for the opportunity to review this wonderful book! ❤️

[Stevie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5? 4.75? idk it could be 5 stars actually.. regardless i’m rounding up!

this was scudding delightful! nedd and sadie seriously rival fm and rig for being my favorite couple in this series. they’re SO awkward LOL but so so cute i just love them!

i do feel like the book had troubl finding its footing at first. i didn’t feel super engaged with the story until like 30-40% in. but then i finally got hooked and i couldn’t put it down!

one of my worries (and i think one that other skyward fans share) was that this would change spensa’s ending. like she had such a perfect conclusion at the end of defiant. and i can completely say her ending and resolution all feel completely intact still! this story is very seperate from her and just develops other characters we didn’t get to see enough of during the main series.

i know i already said how much i love nedd and sadie but i need to reiterate how much i adore just sadie now! prior to this book i kinda.. didn’t like her.. but turns out she’s actually incredibly relatable to me and i love her!!

if you loved the main skyward flight series, there’s no reason you won’t love blightfall! give the mysterious medieval times in space book a chance! you won’t regret it!

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to preread the next installment in the Skyward universe.

I liked that this new series seems to expand on a lot of unanswered questions about the history in this universe. It is also interesting to see more of the aftermath from the previous series as well. As with the novellas, we are viewing it from some of the secondary characters from the main series.

That said, while I enjoyed the plot, I feel that it got sidetracked a little too often with teenage melodrama that I could have used a little less of.

Overall, I give it a 3.5 rounded up.

Also, did I spy a potential Cosmere crossover?

[lindsay ☆彡 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. i've never read anything by Sanderson before, even though he's on my list of authors to dive into, so i haven't read the Skyward series. but i found this easy to get into! Sanderson and Patterson had me at hyperslugs, ngl. this was a fast paced, action packed sci-fi story that i couldn't put down once i got fully into it around 30%. even though i haven't read the Skyward series, i didn't find myself entirely lost and i'm putting that series on my TBR because i was so captivated by this world. definitely recommend if you're a big sci-fi fan.

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Ashley Wendt · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 50%

I loved the Skyward series and was so excited to return to this world with Blightfall. While I didn’t love Patterson’s writing in the Skyward novellas, I was still hopeful going into this one.

And…as I feared…the writing was too juvenile and clunky for me. The repetition of facts, the info dumps, the constant telling instead of showing got old really fast. I felt like I was being spoon-feed everything.

I was still willing to keep pushing through for the sake of the Skyward world, but the way current political issues and viewpoints kept getting injected into the story was cringey and eye-rolling. It didn’t feel subtle, organic, or necessary. I don’t mind books having themes or political ideas…fantasy and sci-fi have always done that…but this felt like taking Sanderson’s world and characters and twisting them around current talking points instead of letting the story and characters unravel naturally.

This was such a disappointment.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's Books and Delacorte Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sadie Steffens · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a big fan of Brandon Sanderson's adult fiction, I was excited to receive an ARC of this YA novel set in the Cytoverse.

While the writing style has a different, more accessible feel than his sprawling adult epics, it still delivers the same fast-paced, highly enjoyable fantasy I've come to expect. The worldbuilding is fantastic, and I loved the teleporting, cuddle-loving slugs!

I am also excited to finally find a Sanderson book that is appropriate for my 9-year-old son. He loves a good fantasy, but Sanderson's other works are still a bit too mature for him. I will have to investigate the rest of the books set in the Cytoverse while I await the next installment of the trilogy.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

[Brenda (jadore_2read) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow. Not only was I chosen by the book gods… but what an epic journey back into the Skyward universe.
Janci Patterson and Brandon Sanderson delivered on the continuation of the series.
You can definitely read this without the initial series but it does help with background information. I love the illustrations in between characters. Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy. Out September 1st.

[Abbey · Rating 2 out of 5]

To read masterpieces like Mistborn and then this.. it doesn’t feel like the same author. I love that he writes diverse stories, but this felt extremely juvenile and the characters had zero depth. Also- the amount of “scud” and “stars” was absolutely insufferable.

[Leah Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love that this is an add on to the Skyward series. Love getting more from the side characters. Also shows how even though their big battles are won there are still problems. Love getting the POV of the slugs. Need more stories.

[Vincent Villegas Rangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️

[Sam Reads Books *Just the Highlights* · Rating 4 out of 5]

2026: 4.0

[Stress Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blightfall ARC Review 


⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (4.25)


📘 If you thought the Skyward universe had finished telling its stories, Blightfall has a few surprises waiting for you. Returning to the Cytoverse after the events of Skyward Flight, Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson launch the Riftwake trilogy with a story that trades some of the previous series' familiar battlefields for an eerie, isolated planet, a diplomatic mission gone catastrophically wrong, and a whole lot of things that are decidedly not what they seem. At its best, Blightfall is exactly the kind of YA science-fiction adventure that makes you want to turn pages faster: strange planet, impossible situation, lovable crew, alien slugs, dangerous technology, interpersonal chaos, and just enough mystery to keep asking, "Okay, but what is actually happening here?" 


Blightfall succeeds because it understands what makes the Skyward universe so enjoyable: the spectacle gets you in the door, but the characters make you stay. The space battles, strange planet, invasive forests, alien technology, and increasingly bizarre mysteries provide the adventure, but the real emotional backbone is Skyward Flight itself—their loyalty, humor, ridiculousness, and willingness to put themselves in danger for one another.


For me, it wasn't a perfect book. Some plot developments are predictable, the prose is intentionally straightforward rather than especially distinctive, and the romance occasionally gets more attention than the situation warrants. I read the first book in the Skyward series years ago, but haven't read more yet (just haven't made the time). I feel like I'd have enjoyed this more if I'd read the whole series, or at least read Skyward more recently. 


For the most part, those shortcomings are outweighed by the book's infectious momentum, imaginative setting, lovable ensemble, and surprisingly thoughtful examination of what happens after the great war is won. The humor won't be everyone's cup of tea, but because it fits the character's personalities, it did for me. Think, your mom type jokes. 


As the first book in Riftwake, it's particularly successful: it feels sufficiently fresh to justify another trilogy while retaining the emotional DNA that made Skyward work in the first place. And for readers who have grown attached to these characters, I imagine getting to watch Arturo step into leadership while Sadie finally gets room to shine is arguably the greatest reward.


Bottom line: Blightfall is a fast, funny, heartfelt YA space adventure with a creepy-cool planet, lovable found family, adorable teleporting slugs, plenty of action, and just enough mystery to make the next book feel very, very far away. 🚀🌌


📓 Synopsis 

After humanity's war with the alien Superiority finally ends, Arturo Mendez and the pilots of Skyward Flight are sent on what should be a straightforward diplomatic mission to the isolated human colony of Blightfall. Instead, their arrival turns into a fight for survival on a hostile planet covered in enormous invasive forests, forcing the team to uncover what happened to the colony—and figure out whom they can trust. Blightfall is the first book in the new Riftwake trilogy and releases September 1, 2026.


Literary Equation 

🚀 Skyward Flight found family + 🌌 alien planet mystery + 🌲 hostile jungle survival + 🛸 space opera action + 🤖 dangerous technology + 😂 chaotic YA banter + 💕 sweet romance + 🔎 postwar secrets = a fast-paced, high-stakes sci-fi adventure where the real superpower is trusting your crew.


🫵🏼 You'll probably love this if you want:

🚀 Starships, pilots, alien planets & space battles

👽 Strange alien cultures and mysteries

👥 A large, diverse ensemble/found-family dynamic

😂 Action balanced with banter and lighter humor

💕 A relatively light romantic subplot

🔎 "Something is very wrong here" mysteries

📚 YA sci-fi that is accessible rather than technically dense


Blightfall is especially well suited to readers who love YA space opera, military sci-fi, found-family crews, alien worlds, high-energy action, mystery, humor, and ensemble casts. It should be particularly appealing to anyone who already enjoyed Sanderson's Skyward books, since this is a spinoff centered on the Skyward Flight characters. Particularly those who love a quick pace, aerial combat, humor, diverse cast, and relationship drama.


🚫 You may not enjoy this is you want:

• Hard, scientifically rigorous science fiction

• Extremely dark/grim military sci-fi

• Slow, contemplative literary SF

• A story completely independent of previous Skyward material

• Romance to be the primary focus


Thank you to Brandon Sanderson, Janci Patterson, @randomhousekids, @delacorte and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this gifted eARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely given.


📖 Plot 4

The basic setup is wonderfully effective: after the war against the Superiority, Skyward Flight is sent to make contact with an isolated human settlement on Blightfall. What should be a relatively straightforward diplomatic assignment becomes a survival situation almost immediately, leaving Arturo, Sadie, and the rest of the team stranded on a hostile world where they don't understand the rules, don't know whom to trust, and can't simply call home for help.

The strongest part of the plotting is the escalation. The story keeps introducing another complication—failed communication, dangerous surroundings, political/cultural complications, technology problems, combat, and mysteries about the planet—without allowing the characters much time to catch their breath.

That said, the plot isn't always as unpredictable as its setup promises. Some developments are telegraphed, and a few mysteries resolve in fairly expected ways. 



📜 Themes, Metaphors, & Deeper Meaning 4

Underneath the space battles and teleporting slugs, Blightfall is interested in some surprisingly weighty questions.

One of the most important is what happens after a war ends. Winning doesn't magically erase the fear, prejudice, habits, trauma, or social structures created by years of conflict. The characters are now living in a world where "the war is over" is supposed to mean everything is better—but they're discovering that peace requires an entirely different set of skills.


There's also a strong exploration of prejudice and isolation: what happens when groups have been separated long enough to develop radically different understandings of history, culture, and one another?


The book also examines leadership and self-doubt, particularly through Arturo, who has to learn that being responsible for people doesn't mean being completely certain all the time.


Thematically, the book's most interesting tension is between control and trust. Characters repeatedly have to decide whether to obey established systems, question authority, communicate with people who don't think like them, or trust their own judgment.

The themes aren't especially subtle, though. Blightfall is much more interested in making its ideas accessible to YA readers than in presenting philosophical ambiguity.

➕ Loved

Postwar themes

Prejudice and cultural misunderstanding

Leadership and responsibility

Hopefulness

The emphasis on cooperation rather than simply defeating an enemy

➖ Didn't Love 

Some themes are spelled out rather than allowed to emerge organically

The philosophical questions aren't explored as deeply as they could be.



✍🏼 Prose & Dialogue 4

The prose is clean, accessible, fast-moving, and distinctly YA-friendly. It isn't trying to be lush or literary; Sanderson and Patterson want you to understand what's happening quickly and then get back to the action.

The dual first-person narration from Arturo and Sadie works well, with Sadie's exuberance providing a particularly fun contrast to Arturo's more cautious leadership perspective. 


The dialogue is probably where the book has the most personality. There's plenty of banter, teasing, awkwardness, and comedic timing, and the humor keeps the story from becoming too heavy.


The downside is that some dialogue can feel very deliberately YA. If you dislike characters constantly joking in dangerous situations, or if you prefer more naturalistic dialogue, this may occasionally grate.


➕ Loved 

Easy readability

Banter

Humor

Sadie's voice

The adorable taynix interludes


➖ Didn't Love 

Some jokes feel repetitive

Occasional YA-style awkwardness

The POV voices aren't always distinct enough



⏳ Pacing 4.5

Fast. Very fast.

The biggest momentum drivers are:

🚀 A mission that goes wrong almost immediately

🌲 The increasingly dangerous environment of Blightfall

🕵️ The mystery surrounding the planet and its inhabitants

🛸 The inability to simply return home

⚔️ Frequent action sequences and aerial combat

🤖 Dangerous/rogue technology

👥 Interpersonal conflicts within the team

💕 Romantic tension

❓ The constant question of whom the characters can trust

The book rarely lets the characters settle comfortably into one problem before giving them another.


The main pacing weakness is that the romantic/interpersonal material occasionally competes with the central mystery. 


➕ Loved 

• Very difficult to put down

• Constant escalation

• Action sequences

• Mystery/revelations

• Shorter-feeling chapters


➖ Didn't Love 

• Some twists are predictable

• Romance occasionally interrupts the momentum

• The story can feel like it is throwing one more thing at the characters rather than allowing certain developments to breathe



🗺️ Worldbuilding 4.5

Blightfall itself is fantastic. The planet has a wonderfully unsettling identity: giant invasive forests have overtaken much of the world, mysterious debris surrounds the planet, and the human settlement operates according to rules that the protagonists don't understand.

The contrast between familiar humanity and an increasingly unfamiliar environment is particularly effective. The characters aren't simply exploring an alien planet—they're discovering a human society that has become alien to them.


The illustrations/schematic-style material between sections is also a nice touch, adding a visual dimension to the setting.

And, naturally, the taynix remain one of the great triumphs of the Cytoverse. They're simultaneously useful pieces of technology, characters in their own right, and essentially adorable teleporting space puppies.


➕ Loved 

• Blightfall's eerie environment

• The invasive forests

• The isolated human settlement

• Alien cultures

• Taynix

• Visual schematics


➖ Didn't Love 

• I wanted significantly more exploration of the planet (maybe this is to come?)

• The broader universe can feel like background if you're coming to it specifically for hard sci-fi worldbuilding



🛸 Sci-Fi Tech 4.5

This isn't hard science fiction. It's science fantasy wearing a space-opera uniform, and that's perfectly appropriate for the Cytoverse.

The technology is imaginative and, more importantly, story-functional. The taynix-based FTL system is especially clever because it isn't just a cool piece of lore—it directly determines what the characters can and cannot do. Taking away their easy access to that technology creates a genuine survival problem.


The technology also tends to have understandable rules, which makes the action easier to follow. You're not drowning in pages of technical exposition; instead, you learn how things work because the characters desperately need them to work.

The rogue-AI elements add another interesting layer, while the spacecraft and aerial combat keep the science-fiction components active rather than decorative.


➕ Loved 

• Taynix/FTL mechanics

• Creative alien technology

• Spacecraft

• Dogfights (not involving actual dogs, for those unaware ☺️)

• Technology directly affecting the plot


➖ Didn't Love 

• Hard-SF readers may find the science hand-wavy

• Some technological solutions can feel conveniently designed for the adventure



🧭 Strength as Series Starter 4.5

Very strong. One of Blightfall's biggest accomplishments is that it has to do two contradictory things: reward readers who already know Skyward while giving newcomers enough information to understand Riftwake.

It largely succeeds, but I personally think it works best for Skyward readers. Particularly earlier on. 


The story takes established characters and gives them a new situation, a new planet, new mysteries, and new interpersonal dynamics, meaning this doesn't simply feel like Skyward 5. It has its own identity.


At the same time, longtime readers get considerably more emotional mileage out of the returning characters and their relationships.


Most importantly, it ends with enough unresolved material and forward momentum to make the next installment feel necessary rather than tacked on.


➕ Loved 

• Strong new-trilogy setup

• Familiar characters without simply repeating the old story

• Accessible to newcomers

• Plenty of unanswered questions

• Makes readers curious about the next book


➖ Didn't Love 

• Existing Skyward readers will inevitably get more out of it

• Some readers may find the setup less emotionally powerful without prior Cytoverse knowledge.



🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Found Family 4.5

This is one of the book's biggest strengths.

Skyward Flight genuinely feels like a team that has become a family, rather than a collection of characters who happen to be assigned to the same squad. They tease one another, annoy one another, protect one another, and understand each other's strengths and weaknesses. The danger works because the reader has a reason to care about whether these people make it out together.

The newer focus on Arturo and Sadie also gives the established ensemble room to develop in ways the earlier books didn't always have space for. 


➕ Loved 

• The ensemble chemistry

• The sense of loyalty between the pilots

• Familiar Skyward characters getting more attention

• Sadie's personality

• The genuinely adorable taynix


➖ Didn't Love 

• Some characters can feel more archetypal than deeply developed

• Readers unfamiliar with Skyward may not feel the same emotional attachment to the returning cast

• A few interpersonal conflicts can feel somewhat YA-formulaic


👥 Character Development 4

Arturo gets the most interesting developmental material. His central struggle isn't simply "Can I defeat the enemy?" It's "Can I lead these people when I don't feel like I know what I'm doing?" That makes his arc a natural progression from the earlier Skyward stories while giving him a new problem appropriate to the postwar setting.


Sadie is arguably even more immediately compelling. Her tendency to speak her mind—which can initially be perceived as annoying or reckless—becomes one of her greatest strengths. Her communication skills and willingness to say what others won't become genuinely useful.


The ensemble receives smaller moments of development, but this is still primarily Arturo-and-Sadie's book, with the rest of Skyward Flight functioning more as an ensemble around them.


➕ Loved 

• Arturo's leadership arc

• Sadie's growth

• More depth for previously supporting characters

• Character flaws actually affecting decisions

Ensemble chemistry


➖ Didn't Love 

• Not every character gets equal development

• Some growth is fairly straightforward

• Readers looking for deeply complex psychological characterization may find it lightweight


🩷 Romance 3.75

The romance is cute, clean, and secondary, rather than being the engine of the story.

There are several romantic threads, but the most anticipated element for longtime Skyward readers is Arturo's feelings for Alanik. The romantic development provides some emotional softness amid all the danger, and the relationships generally feel sweet rather than melodramatic.


The problem is that the romance sometimes receives more narrative attention than the circumstances seem to warrant. When characters are stranded on a dangerous planet and trying to solve an enormous mystery, extended flirting can occasionally feel like the story has temporarily forgotten the urgency of its own situation.


Still, the romance is intentionally YA-appropriate and restrained. There is some payoff, but it's chaste.


➕ Loved 

• Sweet rather than spicy

• Arturo/Alanik chemistry

• Cute awkwardness

• Romantic payoff for longtime readers

• Relationships adding emotional stakes


➖ Didn't Love 

• Romance sometimes feels overemphasized

• Some flirting can feel repetitive

• Readers wanting romance to be a major plotline may find it underdeveloped, while readers who don't care about romance may find it distracting


42.25/10=4.225

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Journal Details
Book: Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson & Janci Patterson
Format: eBook ARC (496 pages)
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

Quick Take
I expected to enjoy returning to the Skyward universe; I didn't expect the Riftwake crew to completely steal my heart.

Full Review
Blightfall doesn't sprint from the starting line; it prepares for a marathon. The opening assembles its crew and outlines the mission ahead without leaving me impatient for the journey to begin. It felt like watching a runner lace their shoes, fill their hydration pack, grab their supplies, and make sure everything was in place before setting off.

Once the story finds its stride, it maintains it remarkably well. There are plenty of bursts of action, particularly as the story progresses, and I was just as invested during the quieter stretches. Some of my favorite moments involved watching characters encounter cultures, customs, and ordinary things that were completely unfamiliar to them, leaving me trying to identify what they were describing before they figured it out themselves.

I adored this entire crew, but Sadie became someone I couldn't help rooting for. She's bubbly, awkward, prone to filling silence at exactly the wrong moment, and desperately wants to prove that she belongs. What I loved most was how her arc distinguishes between recognizing where growth is needed and believing you must completely change who you are.

Some traits Sadie worries make her a liability can also make her invaluable in the right circumstances. Her personality isn't something the story simply asks her to suppress; instead, she learns when to rein herself in and when to trust the strengths she already possesses. Watching her gradually find her place within the team left me ridiculously proud of her.

Part of what makes this crew click so naturally is how their contrasting personalities slot together. Seriousness plays against sarcasm, enthusiasm against restraint, and cultural differences create moments that can be funny, awkward, or genuinely meaningful. More importantly, those contrasts aren't simply there for humor or conflict; they shape how the characters communicate, solve problems, and respond when they're thrown into unfamiliar situations.

I loved watching the relationships unfold alongside the larger adventure. They develop without taking over the story, while cultural differences are often explored through people simply trying to understand one another rather than through lengthy explanations. Those moments gave the characters room to become people I cared about beyond what they could contribute to the mission.

And then there are the taynix, who continue to give me the emotional equivalent of intergalactic dogs in the absolute best way possible. Communication may work differently, but their affection doesn't need translation. Their excitement, cuddling, attachment, and little behavioral cues made their relationships with the other characters feel immediately recognizable even when full sentences weren't part of the equation.

I especially enjoyed the POV choices surrounding them. Arturo and Sadie's perspectives are told in first person, while the occasional taynix chapters shift into third person. That little bit of narrative distance lets us experience their perspective without making their thoughts feel like human cognition stuffed inside an alien body, preserving some of what makes them feel so distinctly nonhuman.

Having already spent time in the Skyward universe added another layer of enjoyment for me, but Blightfall never survived solely on familiarity. The Riftwake crew established an identity of its own surprisingly quickly, and by the end I had become every bit as attached to these characters as I was to the ones who originally made me love this universe. If anything, this book reminded me just how much I missed being here and made me want to return to the parts of Skyward I haven't finished yet.

The worldbuilding is layered without weighing down nearly 500 pages with information dumps. New details emerge through the characters' experiences rather than stopping everything so the universe can explain itself, and even the calmer discoveries feel like forward movement. By the time the larger pieces began clicking into place, I could see how much room this series still has to grow without feeling as though this first installment existed merely to set up whatever comes next.

That preparation from the beginning pays off. The steady marathon pace begins accelerating until the final stretch feels much closer to a sprint, but the ending still gives the characters and their immediate journey enough room to land. It resolves enough for Blightfall to feel satisfying as its own installment while leaving questions that made me immediately want to know what its sequel, Songrise, will bring.

After 496 pages, I crossed the finish line without feeling exhausted by the distance. I looked back at the crew I'd spent the journey with and realized my problem was much simpler: I wasn't ready for the race to be over.

Would Recommend If...
You enjoy character-driven sci-fi where a crew becomes just as crucial as the adventure, worldbuilding emerges through discovery, and smaller character moments can hold your attention just as easily as the action.

Features & Vibes
🌌 Layered worldbuilding
😂 Humor amid chaos
🧩 Contrasting personalities
🏃 Steadily escalating pace
🐌 Taynix companionship

Advance Copy Acknowledgment
Thank you to Delacorte Press, Random House Children's Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this adventure before publication. I especially loved how this story expanded a universe I already adored while giving its new crew every opportunity to build an identity entirely their own.

[Mike P]

The Skyward Saga is one of Sanderson's better works, with Janci Paterson proving to be a very talented author in her supporting role.

Go to the Coppermind Wiki to get a summary ... per Sanderson this is Book #1 of at least a 3-book series. Blightfall is due out in early 2026, while he indicates Book #2 Songrise may be out later in 2026.

Note on Janci Paterson ... she also writes as part of Cara Witter .. The 5-Lands Saga

Book Just arrived today and am looking forward to renewing my acquaintance with the Skyward Gang.

[charlotte ☆]

I actually ADORE this series ah ah ah ah im so excited for 2026

re-reading RIGHT NOW AHHHHHHHHHH

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fast-paced YA space adventure with snails, romance, and plenty of hijinks. I couldn’t wait to see what Sanderson would do with a YA novel, and I had so much fun. I’ve never encountered a snail assisting on space missions before, and somehow, it works.

Speaking of snails, can we talk about the interludes. Bob and Naga’s inner monologues were humorous but also very insightful. Having more information on their species and the unique communication. Since they weren’t able to fully converse with the other characters getting insight to how they think brought another layer to the world. The amount of constant cuddling was amazing.

Also, speaking of snails, I have to point out the Easter egg at the beginning involving Hoid. I read the name and thought, “It couldn’t be…” Hoid is one of my favorite characters from the Stormlight Archive, so I was absolutely delighted to see him referenced as part of Old Earth. He really does pop up where you least expect him, doesn’t he?

Okay, enough about the snails. Let’s get into it.

One thing I really enjoyed was the romance. We have two couples on opposite ends of the spectrum. Arturo and Alanik are both more literal and analytical, but they come from completely different worlds: a human and an alien. Society doesn’t want them together, and almost everyone around them seems intimidated by them. Their awkward banter is adorable and gives us a chance to see a softer side of the flight leader. I especially enjoyed the cultural differences, such as trying to figure out what something as simple as holding hands actually means. Those little details helped establish the world in a way that felt natural rather than forced.

Then we have Sadie and Ned, who are almost the complete opposite of Arturo and Alanik. I admit I enjoyed them the most. Sadie was incredibly relatable, and I was initially surprised that she would become one of the main POV characters based on how she was introduced. I’m very glad she did. She brought a lot of humor to the story, and it was even better she awkwardly pointed it out. I loved the way she and Ned interacted. Their dialogue was sweet and one of my favorite parts of the book.

The worldbuilding was also well done. It wasn’t quite as complicated as figuring out “lashing” in the Stormlight Archive (sorry, I had to mention it again), but there were still plenty of layers to how everything worked. There were definitely moments when I had to stop and think, “Wait, what?” but there was enough context and subtle repetition to help everything fall into place.

The one area where I occasionally struggled was during the action sequences. With so much terminology being introduced at once, I sometimes had difficulty tracking exactly what was happening during the fights. That said, I was still having fun that I was perfectly content to buckle in and enjoy the ride.

One thing I love about science fiction is the perspective it gives us on our own world. There’s something fascinating about living in the present and imagining how people in the future might look back at it. I loved seeing things we take for granted now become old world delicacies, ruins, or remnants of another time. Even something as familiar as pizza becomes a delicacy. Especially when we have fox/squirrel like creatures serving them on a hover disk.

I can absolutely see myself becoming obsessed with this series. Especially as a YA novel, I could easily imagine my younger self falling in love with it. It has so many elements that make for a memorable series: found family, humor, young love, political intrigue, adventure, and even a post-apocalyptic edge.

I enjoyed this collaboration a lot. I’m not as familiar with Patterson’s work, but after reading this, I’d definitely be interested in exploring more of her books. The combination of their styles worked wonderfully, and the result was a genuinely fun adventure.

As a longtime fan of Brandon Sanderson, getting the opportunity to read this ARC was especially exciting for me. I requested it with my fingers crossed and was absolutely thrilled when I was accepted. I went into it with high expectations, and I’m happy to say that I had an absolute blast reading it.

-Midnight Margins

[Amanda Durham]

Thank you, Net Galley, for this ARC!

First thing I would like to say is this is a Brandon Sanderson co-authored book, and it is a Young Adult story. Now Why did I feel like I needed to clarify that? Well because people forget that YA stories are written differently than adult stories not just the content but also how it is written.

First, I will start with my feelings on this book. I will say one of my favorite book series is Skyward I will also say one of my favorite authors is Brandon Sanderson. I loved Blightfall. I think they did a great job with a follow up to the Skyward series. I will say I wished there was a little more explanation on why Spensa wasn't on this mission, more than just she has her own mission. It felt more last minute, "Oh, I should explain where she is". Outside that I completely loved this story. I was laughing throughout so much of it. I really showed those relationships of a YA story that we love. It also shows the world that Brandon Sanderson is the king of creating.

So, the co-authored book part. I read all of the Skyward books including the novels and I love all of them. I will say you can tell which ones had Brandon Sanderson's hand in it and which had Janci Patterson's. Now do I say that as a negative. NO! They are different authors and writing differently. I do like Brandon Sanderson's "slightly" better. (very small margin) There are things that I love that Brandson Sanderson does and there are things I think Janci Patterson does better. Like understanding and explaining how girls can be just as awkward as boys and the ways they differ from each other. I think she made me really relate to Sadie and Alanik. Where in Skyward you miss some of that with Spensa and FM specifically come to mind. All in all, I love them both as authors and I loved this world they have created together.

Next thing is this book is a Young Adult. Brandon Sanderson has said he writes young adult not for an age range, but he feels that the Young Adult genre is more about the characters coming of age story and secondly about the reader. So, in Skyward it was all about Spensa coming to learn that her father wasn't a traitor but also, it was her story of growing through all the hate she got from other people at a young age and dealing with it hopefully in a healthy way. In Blightfall you have many coming of age stories. You have Arturo who is learning what it is like to be the one in charge but at the same time learning what true relationship feelings are. You also have Sadie feeling awkward in her own self and feeling she needs something about herself to stand out to be accepted, but does she? No, she needs to be herself. Herself is the best her she can be. That is what Young Adult is all about.

For the people that hate on this full series because it is not Stormlight or Mistborn. It isn't your write, but this has its own amazing world. Is Spensa, Sadie, or Alanik Shallon or Vin. No, because they are late teens. They don't have the depth to them because they are older teenagers. Give them that space to be that. Also, if you love chasing Easter Eggs from the Cosmere. You might find one in this book. I loved finding it and giggling to myself as I read it just because it made me happy.

Thank you, Janci Patterson and Brandon Sanderson, for bringing back some of my favorite characters. I thought I this world was done and it made me sad because I love this world and characters, so I was so excited to jump into this book the minute I found out it was coming.

[Dotti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blightfall is the first in Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson’s new science fiction trilogy set in the world of his acclaimed Skyward series. Our story follows the perspectives of two characters: Arturo, the lead captain of a pilot team figuring out what life looks like now that the war has ended, and Sadie, a pilot in his flight team trying to make a good impression. The two are chosen, along with a team of humans and aliens alike, to approach a human settlement in the furthest reaches of the galaxy. When they get there, however, the settlement isn’t as undefended as it seemed, and Arturo, Sadie and their friends must evade, infiltrate and escape the world where they have been trapped.

This book is a continuation of Sanderson’s Skywards series, which I (unfortunately) have never read. However, I do feel like this book did an excellent job of establishing the world. Sometimes, spin off series assume a lot of background knowledge, which thankfully Sanderson and Patterson did not; I felt equipped to read the book, follow the worldbuilding and the characters, without needing any information from the previous series from outside of the text itself. I’m sure that there would have been lots of little Easter egg moments I would have gleaned enjoyment from that probably went over my head, but I didn’t feel like I missed out by reading the book before the others.

I do have questions about how this book is being marketed; this book is being distributed as a young adult novel, which I do not think is an accurate depiction. The characters do not have large questions about their identity, autonomy, or belonging; the characters are not minors; and the struggles they face are much more focused on surviving an alien world than discovering meaning. There are two romance subplots (each of our characters becomes romantically involved with a side character), and neither is explicit. It felt more like New Adult, with young adults centered as our main characters, but without the explicit content I don’t know that it would be grouped with that either. I think this book is YA in the way that Mistborn is considered YA, but also, I think Mistborn has more of those identity questions that are core to the young adult experience. I guess I’m saying I don’t know where to group this book in the publishing world, but I didn’t feel like it was a young adult novel as I was reading it.

I really enjoyed myself when reading this book. The battle sequences were clear and not overwhelming, the espionage sequences were engaging, and the overall mystery was interesting. The romance was a small subplot, and I wish it was a little more developed. The romance was the part of the story that felt the most young adult, because the characters seemed very inexperienced and young for their ages specifically around dating. I don’t know if these characters were more developed in their previous books, but it felt like their chemistry was already established off-page.

Altogether, this would be a fun read if you like science fiction without a huge learning curve, fun characters, and a small romantic subplot. I enjoyed myself and am interested in reading more of these stories in the future.

Thank you to Brandon Sanderson, Janci Patterson, RandomHouse Children’s Books, and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy.

[Chrissy ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blightfall is a fun introduction to a new story and cast of characters within the Skyward universe. It follows two different perspectives: Arturo, a young Flightleader trying to prove himself while keeping his team safe, and Sadie, a spunky teenage girl who has absolutely no problem speaking her mind, even when everything around her is falling apart.

I enjoyed watching Arturo navigate the pressure of command. He has to keep his composure and make difficult decisions for his team while internally, he is very much freaking out about their increasingly dire situation… and trying to keep his cool around his very obvious alien crush. Watching him balance the weight of leadership with all of the very normal feelings of being a young person was a lot of fun.

Sadie was another standout for me. She has such a great teenage voice, and I loved watching her grow more confident in herself and learn when to speak up and, perhaps more importantly, how to find the right words when her team needs her. She can have a crush, have a job, and be thrown into an intergalactic crisis all at once, and somehow it still feels grounded.

I also really appreciated the gentle conversation around gender. The way the team explores the possibility of someone being non-binary felt incredibly natural and non-judgmental. It never felt like the story was trying to make a big statement or teach the reader a lesson. It was simply a part of the characters and their relationships, and I thought it fit beautifully into the story. We need more of this in our fiction.

The story is packed with action, great battles, suspense, and plenty of humor. I especially enjoyed the scenes involving the Scions, and there were moments where the tension really pulled me in, both with the mission and the romance. And that twist with the Nowhere?! I loved it. I also have to give a little shoutout to the Hoid cameo because I love that Sanderson managed to sneak him in there.

I also think this is a great YA read. I appreciated the use of words like homophone and hyperbole in a way that felt natural and easy to understand. It could be a fun way for younger readers to learn or refresh their understanding of those terms without feeling like they’re being taught a lesson.

My biggest issue was the pacing. Some sections felt like they dragged, while others moved a little too quickly, so the overall flow felt uneven at times. But despite that, I thought this was a really fun introduction to a new cast of characters and a new story.

If you enjoy YA sci-fi, action, teenage romance, humor, and a little bit of Sanderson weirdness, this is definitely worth a read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC early and provide an honest review.