Skyfarer

The Drifting Lands #1

by Joseph Brassey

An apprentice sorceress is dragged into a vicious quest across an endless sky in this Star Wars-inspired space fantasy

The Axiom Diamond is a mythical relic, with the power to show its bearer any truth they desire. Men have sought for it across many continents for centuries, but in vain. When trainee sorceress Aimee de Laurent's first ever portal-casting goes awry, she and her mentor are thrown into the race to find the gem, on the skyship Elysium. Opposing them are the infamous magic-wielding knights of the Eternal Order and their ruthless commander, Lord Azrael, who will destroy everything in their path...

File Under: Fantasy

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Magic, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure

299 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 5, 2017

About the author

Joseph Brassey is a freelance writer and medieval fighting instructor who lives in Tacoma, Washington.

He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, son, and two cats. In his spare time, he trains in, and teaches, medieval martial arts. He has lived on both sides of the continental United States and has worked everywhere from a local newspaper to the frameshop of a crafts store to the smoke-belching interior of a house-siding factory with questionable safety policies.

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
No one who reads Skyfarer will ever accuse Joseph Brassey of being hip; this novel is so unabashedly dorky, it reads like something dreamed by a Mountain Dew guzzling twelve-year-old hooked on Star Wars and Final Fantasy. This sword and sorcery space adventure stands apart from everything else currently out there in the SFF market, ignoring trends in favor of the author’s personal tastes. It’s highly derivative, to be sure, but uniquely so.
The story centers around Aimee, a young “portalmage” who accidently drops her starship into the middle of a warzone, where the Vader-like Lord Azrael of the Eternal Order is on a genocidal rampage to recover a mythical gem known as the Axiom Diamond. There are space battles, prophecies, mystical swords, spellcasting and pretty much everything else you might expect from this particular mash-up of genres. The novel’s pace is the definition of breakneck; Brassey doesn’t even know where to find the pause button. The individual action set pieces are exciting, though they tend to run together a bit due to the author’s unwillingness to hit the brakes.
There’s nothing in this novel I would describe as bad – even the corny, over-inflated dialogue feels appropriate for the tone and atmosphere of the novel. For all the high melodrama and pyrotechnics, the novel didn’t quite resonate with me on an emotional level the way it seemed to want to, like some of the connective tissue that grows when subtlety and nuance are employed was missing. Still an enjoyable ride, and worth reading if you can manage to channel your inner twelve-year-old.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light space fantasy book that's action-packed and inventive but feels extremely derivative.

The Drifting Lands are continents floating in an endless sky. Somehow humans live on them and can travel between them using magical skyships and sorcerers that allow travel via teleportation portals. Aimee de Laurent is a newly graduated portalmage just starting as apprentice to the legendary mage Harkon Bright aboard his skyship Elysium. An unexpected outcome of her first teleportation portal puts the Elysium and her crew in the middle of an invasion of a peaceful kingdom by the Eternal Order led by the dark knight Azrael and soon everyone is fighting for their lives.

This feels very much like Star Wars to me. I can also see parallels to Final Fantasy. It's interesting that we only get the most cursory introductions to the supposed main characters Aimee and Harkon and the crew of their skyship. Instead the focus is on the more interesting character of Azrael as he stalks through the book like a deeply-conflicted Darth Vader. That's not to say that anyone gets much character development: it's very clearly an action-packed story that requires a lot of exposition without much room for other things.

I do have to say that I'm sad to see that Michael Underwood edited this, as the editing is probably my biggest complaint about the book. There are some real clunkers delivered here and there in the text (including in the cringe-worthy opening paragraph) that really should have been sorted out in the edit stage, as well as some truly awful story-telling cliches, particularly including several "as you know Bob" scenes.

The ideas and characters are fun; the execution needed more work.

[Tammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! The mages in this story open portals for their Skyships to pass through, allowing them to travel from place to place more quickly. Aimee is an apprentice portalmage whose first portal casting goes awry, and she and the crew of her ship end up somewhere other than where they were supposed to be. They end up right in the middle of a war. While there Aimee and the rest of the crew learn about a mythical relic called the Axiom Diamond that has the power to show its bearer any truth they desire. They set out to find it before the ruthless Lord Azrael and the infamous Knights of the Eternal Order find it and use it to their advantage.

Skyfarer ended up being just about everything I was hoping it would be. It was a fast, fun read and I loved the characters. Aimee and Azrael were my favorites. There are some plot threads that were left hanging and I'm hoping there will be a sequel. I would really love to read more about this world.

Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Review also posted at Writings of a Reader

[RG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Portal mages, sword and sorcery, space knights in a sci fi space opera type setting, what else can you ask for. Probably some more originality. The plot was solid if not predictable, the dialogue was nerdy, definitely can see that the author is a massive nerd/star wars fan. I feel like the novel was written by a fanboy who knows how to create fun fantasy scifi fi but it was written with fanboys and a younger audience in mind. Aimee waa a fin character, Lord Azrael was just Kylo ren in diguise. Fun action, and plotting but character development needs a bit of work. Will be interested to see where book 2 goes.

[Beth Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe I first saw mention of this book on Twitter with a pitch line like "Final Fantasy meets Star Wars," and that is totally accurate. It's a fun, rapid-pace read with space opera-like elements; for example, the sky-faring vessels don't come across as steampunk-style airships at all, more like Firefly crafts, and they are capable of jumps from city to city. This is where the magic comes in--and wow, is there a lot of sorcery about, in all forms and uses. You have a sorceress in the model of Luke Skywalker, a kind of relatable Mary Sue sort, and your Darth Vader, who is fantastically-written and sympathetic. You even have a Death Star-like super weapon. But are this similarities bad? Nope. I found this to be an utterly cozy read because sure, I could predict some things, but there were surprises aplenty and the whole ride was a blast.

Also, I think this book has one of the best covers I've seen all year, and it's incredibly accurate in its depiction of the characters and mood of the story. Do judge the book by its cover!

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

To begin with: I loved this almost unreservedly -- great characters, fascinating world, fast-paced.

Aimee de Laurent, apprentice sorceress, is brought aboard the skyship Elysium as their portalcaster (kind of a living hyperdrive; she creates gates that allow them to travel between the many, widely-scattered floating world-fragments without having to traverse all of the space between them) and, when she casts her first portal, ends up bringing them to a fragment currently under attack by the Eternal Order, a band of militant assholes under the command of Lord Azrael, a terrifying figure in heavily-enchanted battle armor and who uses plenty of combat magic to make himself even more terrifying.

Events transpire and the Elysium's crew find themselves in a race to claim a magical artifact before the Eternal Order lays their heavily-gauntleted hands on it.


Definite elements of Star Wars, Firefly, anime, JRPGs, all mixed together in a very fun way (and it helps that these are all things that I love) and I read it in as close to one sitting as I could manage.

[Michael Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I acquired and edited this book because it is exactly my kind of fantasy - exciting, inventive, and optimistic.

It's like Final Fantasy meets Firefly, and it's going to knock people's socks off.

[Holly (The GrimDragon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Thank you to Angry Robot Books for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review!)

"The air outside the main viewport swam with ships limping across a bleeding sky. The sunset was achingly beautiful: the golden haze of true west spilled forth the last rays of day to paint the clouds the colors of blood and treasure."

First off.. that cover! Ignacio Lazcano kicking me in the face with some nostalgia right there. I love it! The whole book is pretty nostalgic, to be honest. It reminded me of Saturday morning cartoons, playing D&D with my friends, reading superhero comics late at night, riding my bike around the neighborhood pretending I was a ninja turtle (Donatello, of course) & watching Star Wars over & over (& over & over) again. It was all that rolled into one. Just a complete & utter blast to read!

Skyfarer is an obvious homage to Star Wars (I kinda sorta dig Star Wars, you guys. Just a wee bit.) Space fantasy is one of my favorite things ever & this delivers the goods! This is an energetic, fun read.. but there are also many layers. There's a crew that would fit right in on the Serenity & even a character that I couldn't help but compare to Kylo Ren. Dude is all shades of angst with quite the backstory. Let's not forget Aimee de Laurent, the rad protagonist of this story. I love my well-written female characters! I can't wait to read more about her ::fingers crossed::

Joseph Brassey takes a story that has been done many times before & makes it his own. It feels familiar, yet fresh & original. Not always the easiest thing to do! The world needs more space fantasy! More GOOD space fantasy!

Wickedly paced, a variety of characters, spaceships, sword fights, lasers, magic duels! MAGIC DUELS ON FUCKING SPACESHIPS IN SPACE! There is a lot crammed within this relatively short book. ALL THE THINGS!

This is so goddamn fun! Read it, you must.

[Hobart · Rating 5 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
I've read a few interesting mergers of SF and Fantasy this year -- some that were just that, interesting, some that were good -- a couple that were more than good. Thankfully, Brassey's Skyfarer was in that latter camp. Even in those early chapters where I was still trying to figure out the world, remember which name lined up with what character, and get a handle on the plot, I had a sense that this was going to be one of those books I talked about very positively -- and very often. That sense just only got stronger as the book went on.

I feel like could go on for pages about this book -- but won't let myself (so I can avoid the wrath of Angry Robot and you can actually get something out of reading it yourself -- which you have to go do as soon as it comes out).

So you've got this group called the Eternal Order -- a group committed to death, destruction, power, and plunder. When it comes to numbers, they can't stand up to the civilizations around them, at least when they ally themselves against the Order. But when they (rarely, it seems) can come in with a quick strike against one people they can wreak much havoc. Which is exactly what they do here -- they come in and demand that the rulers of Port Providence hand over the Axiom Diamond, or they will wipe them out -- and it's clear that Lord Azrael, the commander, isn't being hyperbolic. The royal family responds with armed resistance, which has some measure of success, but is primarily fighting losing battles.

Into the midst of this looming genocide comes a wayward spacecraft, the Elysium. The Elysium is a small carrier with more weapons than one should expect (we're initially told this, anyway). The crew has just welcomed an apprentice mage, fresh from the academy, to complete her studies with her mentor/professor. Aimee de Laurent has been pushing herself for years to excel, to be the best -- if there's a sacrifice to be made for her studies, she's made it. All leading up to this day, where her professor, Harkon Bright has taken her as an apprentice on his exploration ship to complete her education. She joins a crew that's been together for years and is eager to find her place within them.

When the Elysium arrives in the middle of this, it doesn't take anything approaching calculus for them to figure out what this particular crew is going to do. There's The Eternal Order on one side, civilians and the remnants of the military on the other. There's a ravaged civilization on one side and the ravagers on the other. There's a group trying to prevent The Eternal Order from getting something they want and there's, well, The Eternal Order. So our band of adventurers tell the remnants of the royal family that they'll hunt down the Axiom and protect it.

This isn't exactly a revolutionary idea for a story -- but man, it doesn't matter. There's a reason everyone and their brother has tried this -- it's a good story. Especially when it's told well. And, I'm here to tell you that Joseph Brassey tells it really well. Not just because of his hybridization of SF and Fantasy, but because he can take a story that everyone's taken a shot at and make it seem fresh, he can deliver the excitement, he can deliver the emotion. There is some horrible stuff depicted -- either in the present or in flashbacks; there's some pretty tragic stuff; and yet this is a fun read -- the pacing, the tone, everything makes this feel like the adventure films and books that I grew up on. You want to read it -- not just to find out what's going to happen next, but because it's written in such a way that you just want to be reading the book, like a having a glass of iced tea on a summer's day.

The characters could uniformly use a little more fleshing out -- which isn't a weakness in the writing. Brassey pretty much points at the places where the reader will more details (especially when it comes to Aimee and Harkon), making us want more than he's giving us. What we're given, though, is enough to make you root for or against them, hope that they survive (or are subjected to painful and humiliating defeat), or simply enjoy the camaraderie. The good news is, that there's more to learn about everyone -- about their past and their present -- and how those shape their future.

You've got magic -- various schools of magic, too, each with its own understanding of what magic is and how it can be used; you've got swords and lasers (and similar kinds of weapons); you've got space ships running of magic (not just hyperspace drives that act like magic); objects and persons of prophecy; beings and intelligences that aren't explicable -- tell me why you wouldn't want to read this? Especially when you throw in epic sword fights, magic duels, and spacecraft action all written by someone who writes like a seasoned pro. Sign me up for the sequel!

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Angry Robot Books via NetGalley in exchange for this post -- thanks to both for this.

[Aubri · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book to be a walking stereotype of what people hate about fantasy novels (granted, the book was scifi-fantasy but the complaint stands). I love fantasy and have read hundreds of fantasy novels, and this...... I couldn't stand it. The language was beyond flowery and long-winded; it was incredibly grating and pulled me out of the (weak) story over and over again. The superfluous adjectives nearly killed me. I don't need you to talk about people's actions like "she drew upon her arcane magic... and sent it out with a mystical wind." Just take up poetry and be done with it.

The author was neither a good character writer nor good world builder. I already knew the outcome of our main 'villain-turned-hero' story by 1/3 of the way through the book; the plot was transparent. And I have no time in my life for a long winded story about how evil villains really are just people like us who had a rough childhood.... The world felt like a patchwork of pieces 'borrowed' from other authors' work. The characters were two-dimensional; I didn't care about any of the characters. Like, at all. The author repeatedly, throughout the entire book, chose to tell me, rather than show me, EVERYTHING. I was told how characters felt, not shown exchanges where I could infer how they felt. 'She then said the magic words.' What the hell are the magic words?!?! Don't reference them and not tell me!!! And the author's bias about each character was shown in the word choice - like 'she felt illogical relief.' I'm not stupid; I remember how she felt in the last chapter and I know that her current state of mind is different - I don't need to be explicitly told.

The author was also painfully, rage-inducingly repetitive. If this book was released in chapter increments, like in a serial publication, this might make more sense. As it stood, I wanted to scream quite frequently, but settled for nearly audible eyerolling. It was frankly insulting; the author never let me remember something on my own - it had to be spoon fed to me and rubbed in my face, as if I was too dense to remember it on my own. Like, in one chapter, a character has a flashback to childhood events. In the very beginning of the next chapter (maybe 5 minutes later), the character is experiencing something in the present and takes a pause to remember exact lines from the flashback we just read. And if I ever hear 'fear is weakness. weakness is death' one more time, I'm going to punch someone...

Needless to summarize, I couldn't stand this book and it definitely wasn't for me. I've read too many good authors to be able to endure this level of bumbling.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Amidst the current crop of harsh pessimistic sci fi books, Skyfarer drops in enthusiastically channeling Star Wars and early 1970s optimism. It was a time when aliens sent us musical symbols as we chased them to Devil's Mountain instead of bursting out of stomachs or exploding people's heads. And the future had mankind into working together and exploring strange new worlds in Enterprise class starships instead of civilization imploding into dystopia. Today, we can look back on that era with nostalgia and not just a bit of camp - and perhaps also fall in love again with a story that can so happily embrace hokey evil knights and mystical powers of good.

Story: Aimee is finally able to leave the wizard academy and apprentice to one of the best teachers/masters in the universe - Harkon Bright. As they embark on a years long exploration mission, in which she will learn to harness her portal casting abilities under Harkon's tutelage, the ship experiences a catastrophic error during her maiden portal spell - and they find themselves in the outreachs and smack in the middle of a desperate fight for survival as an island planet fends off vicious invaders. At the same time, dark knight Azrael, angel of death, follows his master's orders and destroys the island planet of New Providence, seeking an ancient relic of power. He is ruthless, highly talented, and one of the feared Eternal Order. Aimee and Azrael's paths will cross and each will have to prove themselves in order to survive.

Everything in this book is an homage to the various Star Wars films. We have a Luke Skywalker (Aimee), Kylo Ren (Azrael), Sith lord and apprentice (Esric and Azrael), Jedi masters and padawan (Harkon and Aimee), planet destroyer Death Star (Iron Hulk ship) and super weapon (Silent Scream), epic sword fight (nee lightsaber) between two masters, I am your father moments, and many, many more. Somehow, it doesn't feel too much like a Star Wars retread, mostly because we have quite a bit of Firefly in here as well with the mysterious crew of the Elysium, Harkon's ship. Fortunately, the author resists the impulse to sprinkle any Harry Potter references (other than a magical school academy) though the book does veer toward Lord of the Rings a few times.

The read is enjoyable, not overly taxing, and suitable for young teen readers as well (there are hints of terrible things being done but nothing is explicitly stated). Many scenes are reminiscent in feel, not plot, of Star Wars episode Episode VII and I would use that as a good indicator of what you will find in Skyfarer. Our heroes are very good, the villians eeeeevil, and the book non stop action throughout (there isn't a dull moment anywhere to be found).

There are some issues, of course. Obviously, you have to be in a pulp 1970s sci fi kind of mind and not take the book too seriously - just enjoy the roller coaster thrill ride. As well, there are a lot of logic holes and clunky writing/dialogue; e.g., this passage: "You're awfully quiet," Azrael murmured, addressing Aimee directly. "What, no threats? No promises of punishment?" Aimee folded her arms across her chest and met his gaze. "I don't talk to genocidal monsters." Uhhh Aimee, you just did talk to him. Other issues include Aimee being a unique snowflake who magically outthinks all the adults and always comes up with the perfect solution - whether taking over the Elysium when her master is injured or figuring out how to do the impossible with her spells (every.single.time). It's yet another story where everyone will follow or be amazed by our speshul girl as she overcomes all obstacles.

So in all, this is a great book for Star Wars fans, especially those who hate reading long winded or overly technical sci fi. Skyfarer could have been written 40 years ago and probably would have been made into a blockbuster movie beloved by all even today. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[SplatterGeist Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally have no words to describe this novel. I don’t want to say that it was great, because it was epic. I don’t want to say it was an interesting read, it was captivating. Damn, I don’t even want to say that Joseph Brassey is a brilliant science fiction and fantasy author – he is the author.

To say that this novel has Star Wars-like elements to it, or at least some feeling to it, would be like saying George R.R Martin writes like a high-schooler who had never written a sentence before: you know there’s not a chance in hell anyone would believe it. Brassey writes with a flair I have been yearning to encounter in a story, he hits those sweet spots in your imagination that keep those satisfactory vibes going. His prose, in the field Skyfarer was written in, is purely original and uncontested – at least in all my years of reading books. It is, without a doubt in my mind, a dazzling claim to place Brassey right there among the greats: Isaac Asimov, Alastair Reynolds, Brandon Sanderson, William C. Dietz, Steven Erikson, Ray Bradbury…I can honestly do this all day but you get the point: the guy wrote a story that blew my mind.

Brassey’s characters are rich, admirable, and memorable. A simple concept taken by the writer soon turns into something immensely enjoyable and fun. His dynamic and in-depth world-building is stunning, take the movie Treasure Island and splash those vibrant tones of colour and detail into the ships, the landscape, the skies, and it immediately becomes obvious Brassey takes pride in what he does. You have all the ingredients for a great story: a misplaced antagonist blinded by a veil of lies and make-belief, forced to carry out the bidding of his dark master, haunted by visions of a past he doens’t recognize. A young and naïve protagnist is thrust into a situation she can’t avoid and learns through her mistakes and an innate ability she has to nurture, that she has a part in this fight after all – much to everyone else’s disbelief.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come!

[Matthew Marchitto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skyfarer is absolutely shameless fantasy fun. It's got magic, airships, massive ether cannons, floating islands, and that's just the start.

This book has LOTS of action in it. Airship battles abound, and magic gets flung all over the place. One thing I liked was how there's a simple structure to the magic. There are some basic principles that set boundaries to what magic can do and how it can be cast while still being loose enough to allow for leeway. This makes it believable that sorcerers like Aimee and Harkon can have a variety of spells suited to a host of situations, but also ensures that they never feel like a get out of jail free card. Some of the most awesome moments are when Aimee is shown accomplishing the extraordinary, bending the boundaries of her magic's limits.

The Eternal Order is great in a love-to-hate-them kind of way. They are pure evil, seeing everything and everyone as a resource to be exploited. Lord Azrael is our POV into the Order's machinations, and at first I thought this was just letting us get to see what the baddies are up to, but Azrael's arc takes a direction that genuinely surprised me.

Overall I really loved this book. If you dig stuff like Final Fantasy, people sword fighting next to magical laser cannons, or super high fantasy in general, then I definitely recommend you read Skyfarer.

[Jennifer (bunnyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wrote a silly review for this elsewhere, and I’m posting it here too because frankly, I just don’t feel like writing another. But, I also wanted to add that I really enjoyed how this book didn’t pretend to be anything else but a big fantasy space romp, with overblown characters and a silly plot, that fifteen-year old me would have loved the hell out of (and apparently still loves). I will be back for the sequel. I hope there is one.


First quarter, I was giving this story five stars just because it was so damned fun and Aimee and her enthusiasm about the next step of her life was so refreshing!

And then we did the first portal jump where she screwed up and almost killed everybody and I was like Hell Yeah! This is so fun. (not that I wanted everyone to die, mind you)

Then we met mopey bag guy who kind of feels like what Kylo Ren feels like in my head, you can’t help but feel a bit bad for him, he feels confused and used and this close to being pushed over to the good side, if he just had the right motivation.

Then shit happens and we get more Aimee who is starting to feel this close to too perfect but who cares because this is freakin’ fun and the magic/tech mix really is working for me.

Then more shit happens and we have a fun little treasure quest that sort of felt like that part in Indiana Jones where you’re screwed if you choose the wrong thing. And I am loving this even more because man, Indiana Jones, is my favorite thing ever and Aimee is Indiana right now!

Then something happened and this turned into the mopey bad guys redemption story, when I thought it was about the coolest girl ever…. a little sad about that, but after an adjustment I was ok with it- a little mopier myself but still, it was a hell of a lot of fun.

Seriously though, I wont spoil the rest of the story, I will just say if you are looking for unabashedly over the top, fun as hell book in the vein of Star Wars, this one is for you.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intriguing fantasy story in which the crew of the Serenity face off against Kylo Ren. OK, it's not exactly those characters, but there are enough parallels that that's how I've pitched this book to friends and family, to great success.

Just look at that cover! In this case, it's OK to judge the book by that, because the cover promises so much, and the book delivers.

The pacing of the story was another factor that really impressed me. Several times while reading it, I felt we were getting close to wrapping up the story, only for it to widen and deepen and get better!

I'm definitely looking forward to more from Joseph Brassey, particularly the sequel to SKYFARER. I'll be pre-ordering THE DRAGON ROAD as soon as it's available.

[Stephanie Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I would like this book because I do not usually read sci-fi. I do think this is a good book. It has just enough sci-fi to not be over my head, but it is blended with magic. The premesis is to retrieve a hidden powerful object before the Eternal Order gets it. The Eternal Order is evil and sadistic and if they get the Axiom Diamond it will show them any truth they want. A portal mage and his apprentice have to help get to it and save an entire kingdom. I do want to read the 2nd one called Dragon Road.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I needed this week. Being stuck at home with a bored toddler all day due to COVID-19, trying to release my own book, and being unable to indulge in any fun substances due to being eight months pregnant, I really needed something fun and easy-to-read to de-stress.

Granted, it has a few problems, but nothing that took away from my enjoyment of the book.

I flew through this novel – the prose is succinct, quick-paced, and compelling. I loved the combination of magic + tech. It had a slight steampunk feel but I wouldn’t classify this novel was such. The magic-building was great, but the rest of the world-building fell a little flat.

The main character, Aimee, is likeable, as she is a privileged rich girl who has realized her immense proficiency in her art and decided to make her own way in the world. I was worried that she would be annoying, but I really liked her. It was a nice break from the “rich-girl” trope we often see.

I loved the villain, Azrael. His arc in the novel goes 100% where you expected it to. But I think this is a pro rather than a con to the novel. We know from his second chapter that he’s not as “evil” as his brethren, and part of the enjoyment of reading the book is hoping he’ll overcome his situation and be redeemed. The novel went in a direction I preferred, as unsurprising as the result was – I was rooting for Azrael the entire time. Possibly because he and Aimee have a real “Rey and Kylo” vibe going on (yes, I was a Relyo shipper).

The other characters really suffered in terms of characterization. I kept mixing up most of the crew’s names until near the end of the story, as they aren’t given a lot of space to grow personality. There are no scenes of “downtime” with the characters to flesh them out and get to know them. I really hope the second book takes a bit more time to develop them.

I would classify the novel as “light” fantasy. There are dark aspects to it (abuse, trauma, war, violence), but disturbing aspects aren’t told in detail. In terms of complexity, it’s no Malazan to Joe Abercrombie, but that’s what I wanted!

Overall, I really enjoyed it and will buy the second one. It’s fun!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quest filled with interesting characters. While I found the world building familiar (islands floating in the sky) the story fit the place. There is a lot of sword fighting in the story. The characters are capable of many kinds of magic. The good guys are good but one of the bad guys is not what he seems. This is the first book in a new series and while the plot points are solved here there is a lot that can still happen. I look forward to new adventures with this crew.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just really want that fantasy but still somehow sci-fi, action movie style book. This is a book for those times. It was just a flat out fun read.
I also loved the world/setting and magic concepts, simple but well built for the length of this novel. I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Tai · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT. Cannot wait for book 3

[Kakashi Hatake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. Loved the last few chapters especially.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review first appeared on Wayward Kitsune.

Finally, I was able to mine a gem in Netgalley. Despite some minor issues, Skyfare didn’t disappoint from beginning to end. The story goes like this: An apprentice sorceress, Aimee de Laurent, just finished school and had a taste of what the real world is by becoming a portal mage for a spaceship named Elysium. As she was learning the ropes, Aimee and the rest of Elysium’s crew crossed paths with an evil, powerful and ruthless mage knight, Lord Azrael, who is on a quest to find the Axiom Diamond by any means possible.

Wow! This was a highly entertaining read. I loved that despite being a standalone (for now, maybe?) and the average number of its pages, Skyfarer managed to paint a world set in the galaxy that is believable and rich in folklore. And the way the author melded science and magic together without confusing me is quiet amazing. Another thing that made me appreciate this book more is that the main characters were full of flaws, each chained to his/her own struggles. Aimee, the overachiever student, is constantly hungry to prove herself so you can just imagine how devastated she is when her first display of magic outside of school went awry. On another hand, Lord Azrael, the angel of death of the Eternal Order has only one objective in mind and has no qualms on getting his hands bloodied. And yet, every time he kills and wreaks havoc, a part of him screams in pain and agony.

The storyline maybe predictable but I enjoyed how it was executed. There’s a perfect balance of action, adventure, suspense, and drama that I just can’t put the book down. I missed this kind of storytelling, straight up science fiction with no frills and nonsensical turns and twists. At the moment, I am still unsure whether I should pray for a sequel or thank the book gods for giving me the opportunity to read a standalone that is blissfully satisfying.

[ShingetsuMoon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Content Warning: child abuse, torture, and emotional manipulation

I initially did not finish this book but then went back to give it another chance and see if it improved. While I didn't hate it I can't really say I would recommend it either.

The premise of the world and how magic is used is interesting. The mix of technology and scattered kingdoms is interesting. However I never felt like I really got to know any of the characters. Aimee is clearly a special individual with a great grasp on casting but I felt like I never really knew much about her other then that. Her master is hiding secrets you learn a bit about but not enough to be of interest on their own or in connection to the story. Not to mention seeing Aimee thrown into a situation with little knowledge of what she was getting into and little recourse but to shrug and go with it bothered me. Her master didn't feel wise and mysterious to me, he just felt secretive and irresponsible.

Azrael was interesting but only to a point as it seems his character arc only revolves around how he's been tortured and abused. Everything about him and his personality felt based on that to me with little to give him depth outside of that. And while traumatic events are understandable in character backstories I don't like it when it feels like that's the primary basis for their growth as a person. Azrael has clearly been abused both as an adult and as a child. Verbally, physically, and likely sexually as well as indicated by certain story points and one where he intervenes swiftly after realizing a young boy has been abused. That was what caused me to stop abruptly the first time.

And interesting premise can't make up for the books other faults.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the description of the book as 'Final Fantasy meets Star Wars', and I enjoyed it for this genre mash-up. But something interesting happened during the reading through. I saw a twist come a mile away when the first foreshadowing seed was sewn, and this twist proved to be true. But what was odd wasn't that the twist was particularly well hidden or surprising, but the way it was revealed and woven into the book was both satisfying and moving. It wasn't just the author trying to show how clever he is but served the characters and themes of redemption. It made the book more satisfying than I expected.

[Quinn Jeor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, this is a 2.5 for me, but I erred on the side of being friendly. I read this book immediately after reading my favorite author, so it felt like going from a 5-Star restaurant to eating at Chili’s. Not bad, but certainly not great. I think that also factored into the low rating. It also seemed like a thinly veiled Star Wars fan fic. Don’t go into this book with any great expectations. The characters aren’t really developed to a point that I like, and the ending was pretty predictable, but it might be worth a quick read if you don’t have any other books waiting to be read.

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much tell-not-show so the beginning became a huge and boring infodump. Passed a point it was fun but predictable.

[Francesco Lanza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fast, action filled book! I never really read much high fantasy, not even when I was a kid, and even then, it really was stuff like Eddings and Brooks who were all about banter, exposition, self-loathing, traveling, sporadical fights and drama, not... You know action-fighting-action, big explosions, "oh no, we have 24 hours or the world will be destroyed!" stuff, and so on.

This book is structured like a comic, like a screenplay. Except, it's not one of those neurotic, endlessly careening Japanese manga about special powers that get more exposition than the main character gets developement. This is what Japanese comics would look like if written by a relatively young american, the generation that grew up with FF7 and got dumped by Ramona Flowers, but never got bitter about it. This is not a book about systems, this is a book about flying ships, mages hurling spells by screaming and gesturing, superpowered villains that get invariably smashed by plucky young heroes and constant emergencies, and is quick and effective all along the way. This is a book about nice people standing up for the weak, doing the right thing the roguish way, without being pricks and eskewing most kinds of high horses.

Character wise, and given this is a plot-driven action fantasy, there's some surprising stuff going on, here. I'm all about the characters, you know, so this is where I'm going for this book-opinion. Let's harp about our protagonist: Aimee, our main character, is in all aspects just a kid. She's 19, she's an apprentice at her (sorcerous) trade. The author is pretty magical in this: she's never for a moment a mary sue, and she feels just as important for both world and plot as her non-POV companions.

I take a moment for a quick aside to underline how important this is. I read entirely too much fiction written by roleplayers and what they always get wrong is EXACTLY what Brassey gets right, and what they SHOULD get right since they roleplay: even if it is your POV character, even if it is your protagonist, even if your whole fucking plot pivots around him or her, the reader must be fooled to think that it is not so. If you are a roleplayer-writer, you should pick up this more easily, not LESS. Listen, you egotistical fuck, your party is made up of people, not paper sheets. Your secondary characters should act like they were people too, not like a backdrop for your mary-sue proxy of yourself.

Let's get back on track on another fantastic subject. Aimee NEVER gets the usual "You're just a brat" treatment. This is great: she's just considered from the get-go to be on the adult side of the "young-adult" spectrum, and this is quite uncommon, and refreshing. It's not stated up-front, it's subtextual, but Aimee thrives from being treated like this, for being considered an adult with agency in a crisis. I'm not a kid anymore, but I can really imagine this would make me feel great if I was young enough to relate, and no, it is not necessary for this to be "earned" at 19. At the same time our MC never loses her wide-eyed wonder for the world, and while being pestered by the same confidence issues we all had at 20, she has a healthy, gritty take on them. She gets wounded, but she doesn't shrug it off like it were nothing, she just tries to do her best the next time she's called to decide: this is nice, it's a take on a positive character that for once feels earned.

It's not perfect. One of the main issues I had with this book is that the author, being really driven to make an impression about how strong this woman is, falls in the same pattern of her grinding her teeth thinking about what happened to brace herself for the next fight. About the third time, it felt like a recap episode, and we all know we skip those. That's one of the reasons the book is four stars and not five for me. Also, I can't really say that in this book we see much of her personality, only the bare bones of her wit and moral compass being tempered in the forge of conflict, but I think she's got some nice foundations for more complex character building for the next installment.

I'm not really into analyzing all of Skyfarer as accurately, I just selected the stand-out element that hit me the most. You can inflate fractally to the rest of this little book, which means that overall this is a great little novel. I'm really happy this is a series, and eager to read how it goes on.

[Kogiopsis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Call this more of a 2.5. Read as part of my ongoing shelf audit; this one's not a keeper.

Okay. Here's the thing. This book is exactly how Kylo Ren/Ben Solo's redemption arc should have been written, if Disney/Lucasfilm had planned the Star Wars sequel trilogy in advance instead of flying a multi-million-dollar franchise by the seat of their pants. The character development and reveals are good, the arc makes sense, it all works.

One problem for me, personally, is that I just freaking hate Kylo Ren. If I'd read this before watching 'Rise of Skywalker', this might not have been a stumbling block, but I couldn't unsee the parallels and thus couldn't stop thinking about something that massively pissed me off. So there's that, and that's not Joseph Brassey's fault. Which is why I have to rate this three stars, and not two out of sheer emotional reaction.

Setting the Star Wars parallels aside, though, this still didn't... quite strike me. The swordfighting sequences are good, as is the action in general, but that's kind of it. The setting (floating continents in the sky) is interesting, but not really used or explored. The magic has a cool scientific structure, but wasn't really a focus of the narrative. There's a McGuffin, and a quest, but the quest itself also wasn't particularly motivating to the plot; the good guys want to get the McGuffin to keep it away from the bad guys, but there's little sense of what it can do, why it would be dangerous in the wrong hands, or how it might be instrumental for good in the right hands.

And speaking of things that don't motivate the plot... Aimee. I didn't care for Aimee, and that was uncomfortable for me, because usually I'm an easy sell on badass female characters! But despite being half of the POVs, Aimee simply did not feel like a very important character in this story. She doesn't really face challenges or grow; even when she fails, it doesn't seem to impact her confidence or lead to self-reflection (and in fact, each time she 'fails', it either wasn't her fault or has no bad outcome). Her sheltered upbringing and naivete could be a weakness, except that when she's called out it by other characters, the narrative treats her as if she is justified - e.g., when Silas points out that she's not entitled to know all of his order's secrets, the last word still goes to Aimee, and no self-reflection occurs. She starts the story powerful, clever, confident, and excited for adventure, and she ends exactly the same way.

The only way in which she grows is in her attitude towards Azrael. Because, ultimately, this book is about him, and no one else. His actions push the plot forward; the crew of the Elysium are reacting to him at all times, trying to stay ahead, never given the chance to take initiative. Multiple special magical objects respond to him as they do to no one else. His choices determine how the story ends, and his final battle is much more detailed and complex than Aimee's even though he's fighting a fellow human and she's fighting some sort of eldritch nightmare. He grows, and changes, and experiences complex emotions and doubt, and no one else really does. I honestly think that if the entire book had been from his perspective, it would have been more compelling, because everyone else sort of feels like a distraction.

Ultimately, not for me. That said, I do think it's fucked up that Angry Robot hasn't put the third book out. If an author is contracted to deliver three books in a series, the publisher should be similarly bound to publish them!

[Daniel Shellenbarger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skyfarer is sort of like a cross between Firefly (small crew of likeable rogues against the universe) and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (I'd say why, but that would be a pretty massive spoiler) set on a world that feels like it came out of a JRPG (I mean, come on, we've got magical airships and floating islands everywhere, that's so JRPG, though I don't mean that as a dig, I've always found that idea fascinating). The story mostly follows Aimee de Laurent, a young woman from a noble family who has just graduated from mage school and been accepted into an apprenticeship as a portal mage, a very important job since the world of Skyfarer consists of numberless floating continents and islands stretched across a very large sky, and to maintain trade and communication between these lands across the vast distances of empty skies, airships use portal mages to cross these distances instantaneously, pretty much like your basic space warp (yes, technically, this is NOT set in space but it's so much like a space opera in tone and concept that it felt wrong not to call it one). Anyway, the Elysium, Aimee's new home is a ship with a reputation, a notorious commander, and far more guns than you'd expect on something it's size. Sure enough, they've hardly left port when they find themselves smack in the middle of a war zone and in the path of an Eternal Order fleet under the command of the young and powerful magical knight Azrael. The Order is mysterious and powerful organization known for its cruelty and uncanny powers and when the Elysium crosses the Order's path, the Order is out to acquire a mystical macguffin known as the Axiom, an artifact that can reveal any truth, and when the Order's demands to access the Axiom were rebuffed by the Kingdom that was its resting place, the Order made sudden and brutal war. With the Kingdom's forces battered and scattered, the Elysium is practically the only thing standing between the Order and its objective.

Frankly, I didn't have any problems with Skyfarer, it was fine, the writing wasn't mind-blowing, the characters weren't captivating, the scenario wasn't terribly original, but it was entertaining and it mostly worked, but I couldn't help but feel that it was all a bit... derivative. Not bad, mind you, just it's the kind of book that you read and every other page you think, "where have I run into this before?" and that can be an issue, but while it may have kept me from absolutely loving this book, I still enjoyed it and after I finished it, I immediately checked out the sequel, but at the same time I've had a hard time choosing between 3 and 4 stars as I don't want to say that I thought it was mediocre, but I didn't really enjoy it as much as most books I give 4/5 stars, so I'll say the reality is that this is a solid 7/10 star book, not amazing, but still entertaining for what it is.