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Unknown Sky
In the middle of a routine flight to Anchorage, the unthinkable happens.
North American Airways Flight 164 is ordered by an unidentified agency to divert into Jackson Hole, Wyoming, minutes ahead of a nuclear first strike against the United States.
Captain Cole Shepherd carries the grief of a lost daughter, the wreckage of a failed marriage, and the lives of 187 passengers as he attempts to land his Airbus A321XLR on a runway too short and on borrowed time.
An aurora burns bright against the shadow of the Tetons, an unnatural byproduct of the first strike. Two passengers, a doctor with a classified case and the armed government escort at her side, seem to be the reason he was given the warning at all.
It took a nuclear strike to remind Cole Shepherd he still had something to lose.
Now he has to decide who to trust, and how far he'll go to stop what comes next.
Perfect for fans of Brad Thor, Mark Greaney, and Ben Coes, Unknown Sky is the debut technothriller from a U.S. Navy veteran and Airbus captain who flies the exact aircraft you'll read in the book.
North American Airways Flight 164 is ordered by an unidentified agency to divert into Jackson Hole, Wyoming, minutes ahead of a nuclear first strike against the United States.
Captain Cole Shepherd carries the grief of a lost daughter, the wreckage of a failed marriage, and the lives of 187 passengers as he attempts to land his Airbus A321XLR on a runway too short and on borrowed time.
An aurora burns bright against the shadow of the Tetons, an unnatural byproduct of the first strike. Two passengers, a doctor with a classified case and the armed government escort at her side, seem to be the reason he was given the warning at all.
It took a nuclear strike to remind Cole Shepherd he still had something to lose.
Now he has to decide who to trust, and how far he'll go to stop what comes next.
Perfect for fans of Brad Thor, Mark Greaney, and Ben Coes, Unknown Sky is the debut technothriller from a U.S. Navy veteran and Airbus captain who flies the exact aircraft you'll read in the book.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2026
About the author
Kyle J. Holland
1 book4 followersKyle is a U.S. Navy veteran who now flies the Airbus A320 family for a major U.S. carrier.
Unknown Sky, his debut, is the first novel in the Cole Shepherd series. It began as a simple question on a long overnight flight to Anchorage: what would a crew actually do if the world ended somewhere between top of climb and top of descent?
Before the airlines, Kyle served in the U.S. Navy, an experience that shaped Cole Shepherd's former life as a submarine XO and gives the novel's operational detail the weight of things actually witnessed rather than researched. Readers who care whether the fuel numbers close, the checklist flows are right, and the airport diagrams match the real thing will find Kyle takes that as seriously as they do.
Unknown Sky is ultimately a book about a man who needed the end of the world to remember why he wanted to be in it.
Kyle lives in Arkansas with his family. Book 2 is underway, picking up in the deep winter of a town at capacity and reaching its breaking point.
Unknown Sky, his debut, is the first novel in the Cole Shepherd series. It began as a simple question on a long overnight flight to Anchorage: what would a crew actually do if the world ended somewhere between top of climb and top of descent?
Before the airlines, Kyle served in the U.S. Navy, an experience that shaped Cole Shepherd's former life as a submarine XO and gives the novel's operational detail the weight of things actually witnessed rather than researched. Readers who care whether the fuel numbers close, the checklist flows are right, and the airport diagrams match the real thing will find Kyle takes that as seriously as they do.
Unknown Sky is ultimately a book about a man who needed the end of the world to remember why he wanted to be in it.
Kyle lives in Arkansas with his family. Book 2 is underway, picking up in the deep winter of a town at capacity and reaching its breaking point.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 22, 2026
An Interesting Technothriller...
Unknown Sky is a unique and interesting technothriller/airline thriller that pulls from multiple genres to create a very interesting read to say the least. The blend of AI, very in depth details of the aircraft and flight mechanics, and a clock ticking towards an apocalyptic nuclear exchange keeps the reader engaged. The ending is also far, far different than I expected, A very pleasant surprise! Overall, 4.5/5 stars! Highly recommended for readers of airline thrillers, technothrillers, AI thrillers, and well constructed and thought provoking thrillers in general!
Unknown Sky is a unique and interesting technothriller/airline thriller that pulls from multiple genres to create a very interesting read to say the least. The blend of AI, very in depth details of the aircraft and flight mechanics, and a clock ticking towards an apocalyptic nuclear exchange keeps the reader engaged. The ending is also far, far different than I expected, A very pleasant surprise! Overall, 4.5/5 stars! Highly recommended for readers of airline thrillers, technothrillers, AI thrillers, and well constructed and thought provoking thrillers in general!
September 19, 2026
Really enjoyed this book! The last half I could not put down. Only docked it a star because the jargon wasn’t explained for those of us mere civilians. :) But I could still follow. The plot was really great, and I enjoyed the characters. Looking forward to the sequel!
September 7, 2026
mayday mayday we’re out off nuclear peanuts
We live in a world ever changing from ideological and technological change that all have the power to destroy humanity but it’s still us who must decide to end not a concept or faceless organization that end it…US
We live in a world ever changing from ideological and technological change that all have the power to destroy humanity but it’s still us who must decide to end not a concept or faceless organization that end it…US
August 24, 2026
excellent faced paced story.
I couldn’t stop reading once I started. Very believable story. I am looking forward to the next book. I highly recommend this book.
I couldn’t stop reading once I started. Very believable story. I am looking forward to the next book. I highly recommend this book.
October 7, 2026
wow!
I loved the beginning of this book. The technical details of flying an airplane are amazing. The tension builds to a spectacular landing. The storyline continues strong until the final bit where the author rushes to end it all with a bit of confusion. I really recommend this author continue writing and strengthening his writing skills. Your characters need deepening and more complex interactions.
I loved the beginning of this book. The technical details of flying an airplane are amazing. The tension builds to a spectacular landing. The storyline continues strong until the final bit where the author rushes to end it all with a bit of confusion. I really recommend this author continue writing and strengthening his writing skills. Your characters need deepening and more complex interactions.
October 12, 2026
Please shoot the football
This might have made a good Twilight Zone back in the 50s. Glad I wasn’t a passenger on the jet piloted by this troubled soul who has a death wish. Maybe the pilot should shoot the creator of this doomsday suitcase. The pair will never survive the next storm anyway.
This might have made a good Twilight Zone back in the 50s. Glad I wasn’t a passenger on the jet piloted by this troubled soul who has a death wish. Maybe the pilot should shoot the creator of this doomsday suitcase. The pair will never survive the next storm anyway.
September 12, 2026
A gripping, high-stakes technothriller! Unknown Sky delivers nonstop tension, aviation suspense, and a terrifying nuclear threat. Cole Shepherd’s struggle to protect his passengers while uncovering who to trust makes this a thrilling read.
September 28, 2026
The book is full of technical information that I found took away from the actual story so I began to skim then and enjoyed the story.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews