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Skyward #2.3
Evershore
From #1 bestselling author Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson comes the final of three Skyward series novellas, each told from the perspective of a different member of the team back on Detritus. Listen to Jorgen's story along with Cytonic.
With the government of Detritus in disarray because of Superiority treachery, and with Spensa still away on her mission in the Nowhere, Jorgen must work together with the alien Alanik to pick up the pieces. They intercept a strange transmission from the planet Evershore and its Kitsen inhabitants, who say they have some of Jorgen’s people and want to return them—but can the Kitsen be trusted? And can Jorgen learn to master his increasingly erratic cytonic powers before they spiral out of control and destroy all hope of forming an alliance against the Superiority?
With the government of Detritus in disarray because of Superiority treachery, and with Spensa still away on her mission in the Nowhere, Jorgen must work together with the alien Alanik to pick up the pieces. They intercept a strange transmission from the planet Evershore and its Kitsen inhabitants, who say they have some of Jorgen’s people and want to return them—but can the Kitsen be trusted? And can Jorgen learn to master his increasingly erratic cytonic powers before they spiral out of control and destroy all hope of forming an alliance against the Superiority?
234 pages, ebook
First published December 28, 2021
399 people are currently reading
12869 people want to read
About the author
Brandon Sanderson
469 books279k followersI’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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,658 reviews
January 4, 2022
"In order to achieve control, you must first accept that you have none."
omg the way this made me so emotional😭 we were blessed to have a jorgen pov and ill never stop thanking sanderson & patterson for gifting us this novella.
definitely my favourite novella and 2nd fav book of the series I LOVE YOU JORGEN.
and the friendship between jorgen and FM?? its so beautiful and precious i love the way they grew closer and can be there for each other🥺 all the developments in this novella were spectacular
i need book 4 asap so that i can see my two goofballs together again
___________
jorgen gets the honor of being my first book of 2022🥺
December 31, 2023
Review copy provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.
Even without Spensa, this is a return to form. Evershore is the best title in Skyward Flight omnibus.
Sunreach and ReDawn, the previous two titles in Skyward Flight, and also Cytonic are odd books for me. They were not particularly bad per se, but at the same time, they did not offer me the entertaining and page-turning experience Skyward and Starsight did. However, they are not skippable, too. I haven’t read Defiant yet, but I am sure Skyward Flight will be an essential volume of omnibus necessary for the enrichment of the concluding volume in the series: Defiant. For me, it felt like the series has been put on a halt with minimal plot progression since the end of Starsight, and it is about time the Skyward series starts to pick itself back up again. Evershore, the third, the biggest, and the final title in the Skyward Flight omnibus, did that for me.
Continuing from where ReDawn ended, Evershore is a book where Jorgen is the main character. And Jorgen’s character development throughout the small novel is incredible. It is quite a surprise that it’s only now we get to read Jorgen—call sign Jerkface—taking the central role. He has been such a prominent character since the beginning of Skyward, and out of all the available characters—with the exception of Spensa and M-Bot (okay and the slugs)—Jorgen is one of the most indispensable supporting characters in the series. After the destructive events at the end of ReDawn, seeing Jorgen doing everything he can to maintain the figure of a leader and realizing the necessity of relying on his friends was great. Duty, leadership, and trust are the key themes of Evershore. On top of these, we learned more about the Kitsen, and I finally got to feel FM as a necessary character again.
Look here. I am totally okay with FM's budding relationship. But since Sunreach, it felt like her entire personality and actions have been reduced to a typical YA heroine falling obsessively over her new lover, and she cannot seem to think about anything else. This was the same in ReDawn. And I groaned every time she appeared in the scene. In Evershore, having FM as a supporting system for Jorgen was refreshing and needed. It felt like she has a vital role in the storyline again rather than only existing to show she is head over heels for Rigs.
There were some vivid and—surprisingly—quite epic scenes near the end of Evershore. Relatively speaking, of course. But other than that and the satisfying ending, I don’t think there is anything left to say here without diving into spoilers and the details of the events. Evershore, Cytonic, and the entire Skyward Flight omnibus may not be as engaging as Skyward or Starsight. But they made sure the critical set pieces and groundwork were prepared. All that is left is for Defiant to deliver the explosive and memorable ending the Skyward series needs. I look forward to reading Defiant next month.
Picture: Skyward Flight by Charlie Bowater
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Biskit, Brad, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Ciprian, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Ellen, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Jordan, Katrina, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Sirbu, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wendy, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yosi, Yuri, Zoe.
Even without Spensa, this is a return to form. Evershore is the best title in Skyward Flight omnibus.
Sunreach and ReDawn, the previous two titles in Skyward Flight, and also Cytonic are odd books for me. They were not particularly bad per se, but at the same time, they did not offer me the entertaining and page-turning experience Skyward and Starsight did. However, they are not skippable, too. I haven’t read Defiant yet, but I am sure Skyward Flight will be an essential volume of omnibus necessary for the enrichment of the concluding volume in the series: Defiant. For me, it felt like the series has been put on a halt with minimal plot progression since the end of Starsight, and it is about time the Skyward series starts to pick itself back up again. Evershore, the third, the biggest, and the final title in the Skyward Flight omnibus, did that for me.
“I couldn’t remember what it felt like to laugh. I wondered if that meant I had already drowned.”
Continuing from where ReDawn ended, Evershore is a book where Jorgen is the main character. And Jorgen’s character development throughout the small novel is incredible. It is quite a surprise that it’s only now we get to read Jorgen—call sign Jerkface—taking the central role. He has been such a prominent character since the beginning of Skyward, and out of all the available characters—with the exception of Spensa and M-Bot (okay and the slugs)—Jorgen is one of the most indispensable supporting characters in the series. After the destructive events at the end of ReDawn, seeing Jorgen doing everything he can to maintain the figure of a leader and realizing the necessity of relying on his friends was great. Duty, leadership, and trust are the key themes of Evershore. On top of these, we learned more about the Kitsen, and I finally got to feel FM as a necessary character again.
“Some things are under your control, and others aren’t. You do the best you can with what you have to work with. And that is what sets you apart—what you do with it.”
Look here. I am totally okay with FM's budding relationship. But since Sunreach, it felt like her entire personality and actions have been reduced to a typical YA heroine falling obsessively over her new lover, and she cannot seem to think about anything else. This was the same in ReDawn. And I groaned every time she appeared in the scene. In Evershore, having FM as a supporting system for Jorgen was refreshing and needed. It felt like she has a vital role in the storyline again rather than only existing to show she is head over heels for Rigs.
“We’re all here… because we believe in what we’re doing. And we all trust you with our lives because we know that at the end of the day, Jorgen Weight is going to do the right thing. Sometimes you lose sight of that. Sometimes you get so bogged down in the rules that you lose track of what’s right for a minute. But when it comes down to the decisions you make with our lives, you do the right every time.”
There were some vivid and—surprisingly—quite epic scenes near the end of Evershore. Relatively speaking, of course. But other than that and the satisfying ending, I don’t think there is anything left to say here without diving into spoilers and the details of the events. Evershore, Cytonic, and the entire Skyward Flight omnibus may not be as engaging as Skyward or Starsight. But they made sure the critical set pieces and groundwork were prepared. All that is left is for Defiant to deliver the explosive and memorable ending the Skyward series needs. I look forward to reading Defiant next month.
Picture: Skyward Flight by Charlie Bowater
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Biskit, Brad, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Ciprian, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Ellen, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Jordan, Katrina, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Sirbu, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wendy, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yosi, Yuri, Zoe.
December 12, 2024
Alliances
A great book. A true page-turner. Great story, character development, and an all-out action-packed finale. Just a point of note this book does not need to be read before Cytonic (book 3).
This book (3.1) is from Jorgen Weight's (Jerkface) perceptive. It takes place in the Somewhere while Spensa is on her quest in the Nowhere. There is not so much crossover in this book to book 3.
From the events at the end of book 2.2, Jorgen faced a devastating loss but had no time to mourn or process his grief. He is too busy trying to say his people and follow the final orders given to him by both his commanding officer and his mother.
Now is a critical time for the people of Detritus, though they have created a shaky alliance with the people of ReDrawn (only through Skyward Fight seemingly going renegade), they have been decimated by the Superiority. Now they have a chance to make another one, but are they too beaten down?
In general, it was great seeing all the other members of Skyward Flight have developed. The novels mainly concentrated on Spensa with the others as side characters. The novellas gave me a great job of developing all these side characters. Though this novella is my favourite.
Given the name Jerkface when Spensa first met him, Jorgen is pretty much an unlikely hero. He comes from privilege, he is expected to succeed, he follows orders, does not rock the boat, and just does everything right. The kind of smug character you want to punch in the face (Spensa did that in book one). Here, his real story is told, living in the shadow of his parents, his insecurities, and having to make the hard decisions when nobody else will. After reading this Cytonic (book three), I can't wait for Defiant (book four).
A great book. A true page-turner. Great story, character development, and an all-out action-packed finale. Just a point of note this book does not need to be read before Cytonic (book 3).
This book (3.1) is from Jorgen Weight's (Jerkface) perceptive. It takes place in the Somewhere while Spensa is on her quest in the Nowhere. There is not so much crossover in this book to book 3.
From the events at the end of book 2.2, Jorgen faced a devastating loss but had no time to mourn or process his grief. He is too busy trying to say his people and follow the final orders given to him by both his commanding officer and his mother.
Now is a critical time for the people of Detritus, though they have created a shaky alliance with the people of ReDrawn (only through Skyward Fight seemingly going renegade), they have been decimated by the Superiority. Now they have a chance to make another one, but are they too beaten down?
In general, it was great seeing all the other members of Skyward Flight have developed. The novels mainly concentrated on Spensa with the others as side characters. The novellas gave me a great job of developing all these side characters. Though this novella is my favourite.
Given the name Jerkface when Spensa first met him, Jorgen is pretty much an unlikely hero. He comes from privilege, he is expected to succeed, he follows orders, does not rock the boat, and just does everything right. The kind of smug character you want to punch in the face (Spensa did that in book one). Here, his real story is told, living in the shadow of his parents, his insecurities, and having to make the hard decisions when nobody else will. After reading this Cytonic (book three), I can't wait for Defiant (book four).
April 21, 2022
4.5 Stars
The only thing about these books that I don’t like is they say "scud" every other sentence and when you’re listening to the audio, it drives you nuts.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
The only thing about these books that I don’t like is they say "scud" every other sentence and when you’re listening to the audio, it drives you nuts.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
![Profile Image for Anna [Bran. San. Stan].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1593184464i%2F98245866._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
May 4, 2022
So I‘mma make this series very simple 😂:
Book 1: Discovering Spensa has special powers.
Book 2: Discovering how to hyperjump
Book 2.1: Mastering the hyperjump
Book 2.2: Seeing someone else who has mastered their special powers
Book 3: Spensa mastering her powers
Book 3.1: Jorgen mastering his powers
Not saying this series isn’t fun, because it absolutely is!
1 Skyward: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
2 Starsight 🌟🌟🌟🌟.25
2.1 Sunreach 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
2.2 ReDawn 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
3 Cytonic 🌟🌟🌟.75
3.1 Evershore 🌟🌟🌟🌟.25
Book 1: Discovering Spensa has special powers.
Book 2: Discovering how to hyperjump
Book 2.1: Mastering the hyperjump
Book 2.2: Seeing someone else who has mastered their special powers
Book 3: Spensa mastering her powers
Book 3.1: Jorgen mastering his powers
Not saying this series isn’t fun, because it absolutely is!
1 Skyward: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
2 Starsight 🌟🌟🌟🌟.25
2.1 Sunreach 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5
2.2 ReDawn 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
3 Cytonic 🌟🌟🌟.75
3.1 Evershore 🌟🌟🌟🌟.25
May 3, 2022
Skyward ★★★★
Starsight ★★★★
Sunreach ★★★3/4
ReDawn ★★★ 1/2
Cytonic ★★★ 1/2
Evershore ★★★
Up to this point Skyward is my favorite book in the series and the Novellas did not change that. I feel I can repeat what I said in my previous reviews to describe this book because the books are getting repetitive too.
There is a focus on world-building and it is staring to get a bit tiring for me. There is more focus on the protagonist here so Jorgen does get to shine and grow in this book. But the first book had a large case of characters and it made me care about them and it was brutal at the same time. Now I feel that the remaining cast has to make it at all costs so it is like they got a plot armor and only secondary minor characters die. There is always a high stake war and somehow the characters make it through.
The Kitsen and the Slugs are very cute so I don’t mind getting to know them more. I felt the pacing in this one was a bit off in the middle which made the novella feel a bit longer than it really is. And how are the novellas not essential to the story? I feel they do really provide a lot of info that should have been part of the main series.
I am getting more and more lukewarm when it gets to this series but deep down I have some hopes for the last book and I hope it ties up things in a good way and bring some of the excitement that the first book did for me. Since it is a Sanderson series, I don’t think the wait will be too long!
Starsight ★★★★
Sunreach ★★★3/4
ReDawn ★★★ 1/2
Cytonic ★★★ 1/2
Evershore ★★★
Up to this point Skyward is my favorite book in the series and the Novellas did not change that. I feel I can repeat what I said in my previous reviews to describe this book because the books are getting repetitive too.
There is a focus on world-building and it is staring to get a bit tiring for me. There is more focus on the protagonist here so Jorgen does get to shine and grow in this book. But the first book had a large case of characters and it made me care about them and it was brutal at the same time. Now I feel that the remaining cast has to make it at all costs so it is like they got a plot armor and only secondary minor characters die. There is always a high stake war and somehow the characters make it through.
The Kitsen and the Slugs are very cute so I don’t mind getting to know them more. I felt the pacing in this one was a bit off in the middle which made the novella feel a bit longer than it really is. And how are the novellas not essential to the story? I feel they do really provide a lot of info that should have been part of the main series.
I am getting more and more lukewarm when it gets to this series but deep down I have some hopes for the last book and I hope it ties up things in a good way and bring some of the excitement that the first book did for me. Since it is a Sanderson series, I don’t think the wait will be too long!
November 12, 2023
I am so ready for Defiant now. This was a fantastic reread. I am hoping that Jorgen's PoV will also feature in the finale, he's a great character and an incredible leader. It'll be quite a waste not to have his perspective after all that development that he went through in these Skyward Flight books.
-‐------------------------
4.5 stars.
Sanderson was right when he said this was the best of the three novellas, all of I've found to be highly enjoyable and absolutely critical to the worldbuilding as well as the overarching story in the Skyward series. The collaborative effort in this novella also seemed to be smoother as I noticed the writing to be better than the previous two.
The ending of ReDawn dovetailed perfectly into a (much-needed) PoV shift to Jorgen. When I first started reading Skyward, I would have never thought that I needed his character development as much as I did until I read these novellas. His character development was definitely the best out of the three, and I've even become a huge fan of him now.
On top of that, Sanderson's ideas always make for the coolest action scenes and jaw-dropping moments. After finishing these novellas and Cytonic, I'm really looking forward to Defiant, which is shaping up to be a spectacularly epic conclusion.
-‐------------------------
4.5 stars.
Sanderson was right when he said this was the best of the three novellas, all of I've found to be highly enjoyable and absolutely critical to the worldbuilding as well as the overarching story in the Skyward series. The collaborative effort in this novella also seemed to be smoother as I noticed the writing to be better than the previous two.
The ending of ReDawn dovetailed perfectly into a (much-needed) PoV shift to Jorgen. When I first started reading Skyward, I would have never thought that I needed his character development as much as I did until I read these novellas. His character development was definitely the best out of the three, and I've even become a huge fan of him now.
On top of that, Sanderson's ideas always make for the coolest action scenes and jaw-dropping moments. After finishing these novellas and Cytonic, I'm really looking forward to Defiant, which is shaping up to be a spectacularly epic conclusion.
December 31, 2021
This novella is everything that was missing for me in book 3. Damn, Jorgen and his badass abilities! What an incredible character development. Jorgen has been through a lot protecting everyone it's about time this series to come full circle, and for Spensa to
“I didn’t mean to take control,” I [Jorgen] said. “I was only trying to hold out until you returned. I never wanted—”
One corner of Cobb’s mouth turned up. “No,” he said. “The good ones never do.”
May 3, 2022
Let me start off by thanking dearest @Lexa for once again being an amazing Buddy Reading partner despite my numerous shortcomings (please check out her amazing review for proper thoughts), not least with the massive delay in sharing what I am going to attempt to pass off as a “review” but we all know is really just me continuing to fangirl over all things BrandoSando 🤗
Serious kudos to Janci for taking up the reins and sharing these wonderful characters, allowing us to spend extra time with members of the Skyward Flight gang while they go on their own adventures with Spensa away elsewhere.
Taking this novella to Evershore was such a treat getting to spend so much time with the Kitsen and watch our Flight learn to politic in vastly different environments…I don’t want to give anything away but if you loved Hesho’s crew + interactions in Starsight. Deffo tune in for a planet of awesome furry friends and a wealth of information shared in delightful ways! 🙃
Jorgen’s story is probably the most powerful of the novellas, not only because of the fall out of the ending of ReDawn (Novella2) which rips things wide open in so many ways. His emotional journey in processing everything that is happening around and to him is so interesting for one who has always cleaved to rules & regulations. Seeing the contrast in how he deals with everything vs Spitfire Spensa and how each leans on the influence of the other in guiding their decision making creates such lovely interconnectivity with the “main series” as well as that seriously sweet interaction between J & a certain DS in the Nowhere 🤩
Not to mention the roles of the supporting characters and how they all shine in their own right is so dang touching and heartwarming! No matter the age nor how long they have known each other the way they each step up to rally and help in every way is amazing. For a “short” book/novella so much happens and as always this far into Sandoland there is really not a lot I can say without spoilers – but if Pew Pew Pew fight sequences and massive planet shaking decision-making speaks to you…please pick this series up and come back to chat with me in spoiler tagged comments cos boy is there a lot to chew on as we wait for the final(?) book in the series!
Between this ending and the ending of Cytonic, I lowkey wish we could have gotten Jorgen’s PoV of the ghostly return that would have pushed the rating up for this…what can I say I’m just a greedy bish 😅
Serious kudos to Janci for taking up the reins and sharing these wonderful characters, allowing us to spend extra time with members of the Skyward Flight gang while they go on their own adventures with Spensa away elsewhere.
Taking this novella to Evershore was such a treat getting to spend so much time with the Kitsen and watch our Flight learn to politic in vastly different environments…I don’t want to give anything away but if you loved Hesho’s crew + interactions in Starsight. Deffo tune in for a planet of awesome furry friends and a wealth of information shared in delightful ways! 🙃
Jorgen’s story is probably the most powerful of the novellas, not only because of the fall out of the ending of ReDawn (Novella2) which rips things wide open in so many ways. His emotional journey in processing everything that is happening around and to him is so interesting for one who has always cleaved to rules & regulations. Seeing the contrast in how he deals with everything vs Spitfire Spensa and how each leans on the influence of the other in guiding their decision making creates such lovely interconnectivity with the “main series” as well as that seriously sweet interaction between J & a certain DS in the Nowhere 🤩
Not to mention the roles of the supporting characters and how they all shine in their own right is so dang touching and heartwarming! No matter the age nor how long they have known each other the way they each step up to rally and help in every way is amazing. For a “short” book/novella so much happens and as always this far into Sandoland there is really not a lot I can say without spoilers – but if Pew Pew Pew fight sequences and massive planet shaking decision-making speaks to you…please pick this series up and come back to chat with me in spoiler tagged comments cos boy is there a lot to chew on as we wait for the final(?) book in the series!
Between this ending and the ending of Cytonic, I lowkey wish we could have gotten Jorgen’s PoV of the ghostly return that would have pushed the rating up for this…what can I say I’m just a greedy bish 😅
January 15, 2024
crying, distressed, sobbing my eyes out, why doesn't the next book come out yet????
please my heart was not ready for jorgen being jorgen in this book like- someone get this man a therapist.
also the kitsen were actually the most adorable things like imagine tiny alien hamsters intent on killing you ❤️❤️❤️❤️
like doesn't your heart just melt??
i'm becoming the world's biggest FM stan tbh 💪 i'm so happy with her character development- she used to be such a side character and now she's super important to everything diplomatically and otherwise. and don't even get me started on Rig-😭 i love them sm
also the group cast in these books is so impressive to me. the "background characters" are all so unique and lovable that i don't even view them as background characters at this point. i'm not even sure i can pick a favorite of them because they're just. so. AMAZING.
overall, i think this was the best Skyward installment since the first book, it just was so good, ESPECIALLY thinking about everything happening at the same time as Cytonic. everyone's character arcs were just amazing. i'm proud of these characters like they're my CHILDREN.
janci patterson and brandon sanderson really have me in their grasp at this point. i'm not even upset just give me more skyward content i beg you 🥺💗
****
This Jorgen novella is basically everything I have ever wanted from the Skyward series. I CAN'T WAIT AAHHHHH!!!!!
^^ actual footage of me and this novella when I FINALLY get to read it
please my heart was not ready for jorgen being jorgen in this book like- someone get this man a therapist.
also the kitsen were actually the most adorable things like imagine tiny alien hamsters intent on killing you ❤️❤️❤️❤️
like doesn't your heart just melt??
i'm becoming the world's biggest FM stan tbh 💪 i'm so happy with her character development- she used to be such a side character and now she's super important to everything diplomatically and otherwise. and don't even get me started on Rig-😭 i love them sm
also the group cast in these books is so impressive to me. the "background characters" are all so unique and lovable that i don't even view them as background characters at this point. i'm not even sure i can pick a favorite of them because they're just. so. AMAZING.
overall, i think this was the best Skyward installment since the first book, it just was so good, ESPECIALLY thinking about everything happening at the same time as Cytonic. everyone's character arcs were just amazing. i'm proud of these characters like they're my CHILDREN.
janci patterson and brandon sanderson really have me in their grasp at this point. i'm not even upset just give me more skyward content i beg you 🥺💗
****
This Jorgen novella is basically everything I have ever wanted from the Skyward series. I CAN'T WAIT AAHHHHH!!!!!
^^ actual footage of me and this novella when I FINALLY get to read it
January 13, 2023
I loved this novella. Jorgen is now one of my favourite characters in this series. He’s had so much to go through in this book and I loved how he dealt with everything. Can’t wait for Defiant!
November 12, 2023
Evershore is without doubt the pick of the crop when it comes to the Skyward novellas. And a novella this might be, but there is no skimping on any aspect and we get excellent world building that includes some really cool reveals, lots of character development and some really badass moments in this much needed story from Jorgen's POV. Seriously, this story is packed to the brim!
If you are reading the Skyward series, then these are a must.
If you are reading the Skyward series, then these are a must.
November 24, 2023
*** 4.69 ***
Every one of the three novellas has been a pleasurable treat! A wonderful insight into the lives of Spensa's friends, who have been left behind, trying to survive and protect their people, while struggling with their own inadequate abilities to keep themselves together... Under the most dire of circumstances, The Skyward Flight and its new allies find what they need within themselves and each other, in their stand against The Supremacy and the survival of the human Kitsen species... (Who are absolutely adorable 🥰)! I am not going to give away any of the plot, but I will wholeheartedly recommend this series with all of its main books and novellas, to all!!! Absolutely worth it 😊👍❤️!
Every one of the three novellas has been a pleasurable treat! A wonderful insight into the lives of Spensa's friends, who have been left behind, trying to survive and protect their people, while struggling with their own inadequate abilities to keep themselves together... Under the most dire of circumstances, The Skyward Flight and its new allies find what they need within themselves and each other, in their stand against The Supremacy and the survival of the human Kitsen species... (Who are absolutely adorable 🥰)! I am not going to give away any of the plot, but I will wholeheartedly recommend this series with all of its main books and novellas, to all!!! Absolutely worth it 😊👍❤️!
August 31, 2024
I tried to give you the story you needed, Gran-Gran said. I told you to imagine yourself flying among the stars.
I remembered Gran-Gran's story, about how disobeying orders could be the right thing to do. Wait until you hear what I've done, I said.
I can see it, she said. I tried to give you the story you needed, but perhaps you've found your own story after all.
Evershore is the third installment to the novellas belonging to the Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson. All three show the story of the Skyward Flight happening between book two (Starsight) and book three (Cytonic). But in comparison to the previous two novellas, Evershore is a little bit different. Sunreach and ReDawn are both told from a perspective different than Spensa's, but aren't heavily focused on their MC's. Evershore is full of action, humour, amazing characters and great worldbuilding like the previous books, but the focus is heavily put on its MC's - Jorgen's - struggles with his inner problems and issues regarding the situation of humanity and their allies in the war against the Superiority.
I didn't have anything inspiring to say. I wasn't even sure how I was staying on my feet.
I had to, though. They were all looking to me. Or at me. I couldn't really tell.
I wasn't going to fall apart. Not here, not where my entire flight could see.
Jorgen Weight, the flightleader of Skyward Flight, is in trouble. His inner world, never really being in the greatest shape, had grumbled to ashes after the events of ReDawn. When the greatest tragedy hit, you either fall down or get up and move on. Jorgen decided to lock his feelings in a tight box and to focus everything that he had on the situation of DDF and Detritus. And that situation is sticky. With half of Nation Assembly's being mercilessly killed and with Admiral Cobb missing, it's up to Jorgen to take control over DDF and, well, the ongoing war. Jorgen is now the only still available cytonic - and he isn't either trained nor looking promising with his abilities, like Spensa or Alanik are. The Superiority had escaped, but they can come back at any moment. DDF needs new alliances or they will be crushed like ants. There is plenty things to do, and there are plenty people who might help, but Jorgen feels like the heavy amount on responsibility is put only on him. He tries his best, but still feels like a failure. Does everything in his power to protect his friends, his allies and his people, and blames himself every time something goes wrong, no matter if it's his fault or not. Goes on full power from the very start, ignoring his inner struggles to focus on bigger problems, but how long can one man run without losing his strength or his mind, or worse, not just fall down, but to crush and burn?
"I didn't want to leave them," I said. "If Alanik hadn't pulled me out, I would have died there."
FM closed her eyes. "Thank the stars for Alanik then."
I couldn't say the next part. I couldn't bring myself to form the words, especially not to FM. Maybe it could have been easier if I had died there.
Jorgen's mind is a truly dark place in Evershore. He's trying his best to put his feelings aside - his grief aside - to focus on the ongoing war, but it's obvious to everyone that he's struggling immensely. Jorgen's mindset isn't just the 'everything is more important than me' type. There is also a big inner demon in him that questions everything he's doing. He is not good enough. Not strong enough. Not smart enough. He feels foolish and painfully incompetent for the job he took upon himself. He thinks he doesn't have the stomach to do what needs to be done. He feels unworthy of the position he is in and downgrades himself in every possible situation. He thinks that he acts brave, that he knows what he is doing, but that's actually is just an act and he's afraid of failure. He's convinced that he's all alone with the responsibility. There is no Spensa to help. There is no Cobb, no Gran-Gran, no mother and no father. Just Jorgen Weight and his struggles.
Jorgen, Alanik said again, are you okay?
I'm fine, I said and I cringed, glad FM couldn't hear me.
You aren't fine, she said. You can't be fine.
For me, who's an introvert with anxiety that constantly overthinks everything and is constantly struggling with himself, Jorgen is very relatable. I'm also acting brave in every situation, trying my best every day, but I'm always questioning my decisions and constantly overthink if I did the right thing and if I should apologize for my actions. Do I deserve to be where I am? Am I doing things right? Even if something happens that I'm clearly not to blame, I feel guilty and putting myself through hell for the smallest of things. Everyone else and everything else feels more important than me and my struggles. It's a painfully wrong mindset, because there are always people to turn to, but it feels like you're alone with your struggles. This is what Jorgen needed to learn in Evershore - to open himself to his feelings, to his friends, and to share his burdens and his responsibility with them.
"we know that on the end of the day Jorgen Weight will do the right thing. Sometimes you lose sight of that. Sometimes you get so bogged down in the rules that you lose track of what's right for a minute. But when it comes down to the decisions you make with our lives, you do the right thing every time."
I scudding love Jorgen's and FM's relationship in this book. It's not like I haven't appreciated it before, I did, it was always important to me, but their relationship is a highlight of the book for me. It wasn't a big part of the story, but their scenes were extremely meaningful to Jorgen's character development. It was even more important now after the conflict between them that happened in ReDawn. The atmosphere between them was already extremely heavy and became even heavier after the tragedy that struck Detritus. FM, despite Jorgen ignoring her most of the time, never stopped trying to talk to him and to bring him to stop for a minute, to take a breath and, most importantly, to talk about his feelings that he had buried deep inside himself (bless FM, truly). When their talk scene finally happened, it was such a big relief for me (and for them as well). I needed for them to reconcile, to open up and to become the powerful duo that their team, and their planet, needed. Now, with the events of the end of the book, they are even more important to their planet and I'm super excited to see them in action!
Spensa flies among the stars, Gran-Gran said. But you build things up from the ground. She is a warrior, and you are a defender.
I like the way Gran-Gran described Jorgen and Spensa. I think it's the best description not only of their characters, but their relationship as well. We don't see much of them together in Evershore since Spensa spends time being stuck in nowhere, but there are a couple of scenes with them that warms my heart. They love each other SO MUCH, missing one another SO MUCH, and I'm so sad that they couldn't be there for one another when they needed each other the most. I need them together in Defiant otherwise I will throw hands!
Anyways, there is a final book to read (if you don't count the last novella). I'm both upset and excited about it. I'm upset, because it's the last book, and I'm excited, because I want to see how things will play out. With Defiant Spensa is coming back as an MC. After reading three novellas with the POV's of different people, I missed her presence deeply. Now everyone will be reunited and the final battle will happen. Will we get a happy ending? Will I give another five stars? I surely hope so, but we will see! ;)
Skyward series - my rating:
1. Skyward: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
2. Starsight: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
2.1 Sunreach: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
2.2. ReDawn: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
2.3 Evershore: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
3. Cytonic: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
4. Defiant: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
I remembered Gran-Gran's story, about how disobeying orders could be the right thing to do. Wait until you hear what I've done, I said.
I can see it, she said. I tried to give you the story you needed, but perhaps you've found your own story after all.
Evershore is the third installment to the novellas belonging to the Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson. All three show the story of the Skyward Flight happening between book two (Starsight) and book three (Cytonic). But in comparison to the previous two novellas, Evershore is a little bit different. Sunreach and ReDawn are both told from a perspective different than Spensa's, but aren't heavily focused on their MC's. Evershore is full of action, humour, amazing characters and great worldbuilding like the previous books, but the focus is heavily put on its MC's - Jorgen's - struggles with his inner problems and issues regarding the situation of humanity and their allies in the war against the Superiority.
I didn't have anything inspiring to say. I wasn't even sure how I was staying on my feet.
I had to, though. They were all looking to me. Or at me. I couldn't really tell.
I wasn't going to fall apart. Not here, not where my entire flight could see.
Jorgen Weight, the flightleader of Skyward Flight, is in trouble. His inner world, never really being in the greatest shape, had grumbled to ashes after the events of ReDawn. When the greatest tragedy hit, you either fall down or get up and move on. Jorgen decided to lock his feelings in a tight box and to focus everything that he had on the situation of DDF and Detritus. And that situation is sticky. With half of Nation Assembly's being mercilessly killed and with Admiral Cobb missing, it's up to Jorgen to take control over DDF and, well, the ongoing war. Jorgen is now the only still available cytonic - and he isn't either trained nor looking promising with his abilities, like Spensa or Alanik are. The Superiority had escaped, but they can come back at any moment. DDF needs new alliances or they will be crushed like ants. There is plenty things to do, and there are plenty people who might help, but Jorgen feels like the heavy amount on responsibility is put only on him. He tries his best, but still feels like a failure. Does everything in his power to protect his friends, his allies and his people, and blames himself every time something goes wrong, no matter if it's his fault or not. Goes on full power from the very start, ignoring his inner struggles to focus on bigger problems, but how long can one man run without losing his strength or his mind, or worse, not just fall down, but to crush and burn?
"I didn't want to leave them," I said. "If Alanik hadn't pulled me out, I would have died there."
FM closed her eyes. "Thank the stars for Alanik then."
I couldn't say the next part. I couldn't bring myself to form the words, especially not to FM. Maybe it could have been easier if I had died there.
Jorgen's mind is a truly dark place in Evershore. He's trying his best to put his feelings aside - his grief aside - to focus on the ongoing war, but it's obvious to everyone that he's struggling immensely. Jorgen's mindset isn't just the 'everything is more important than me' type. There is also a big inner demon in him that questions everything he's doing. He is not good enough. Not strong enough. Not smart enough. He feels foolish and painfully incompetent for the job he took upon himself. He thinks he doesn't have the stomach to do what needs to be done. He feels unworthy of the position he is in and downgrades himself in every possible situation. He thinks that he acts brave, that he knows what he is doing, but that's actually is just an act and he's afraid of failure. He's convinced that he's all alone with the responsibility. There is no Spensa to help. There is no Cobb, no Gran-Gran, no mother and no father. Just Jorgen Weight and his struggles.
Jorgen, Alanik said again, are you okay?
I'm fine, I said and I cringed, glad FM couldn't hear me.
You aren't fine, she said. You can't be fine.
For me, who's an introvert with anxiety that constantly overthinks everything and is constantly struggling with himself, Jorgen is very relatable. I'm also acting brave in every situation, trying my best every day, but I'm always questioning my decisions and constantly overthink if I did the right thing and if I should apologize for my actions. Do I deserve to be where I am? Am I doing things right? Even if something happens that I'm clearly not to blame, I feel guilty and putting myself through hell for the smallest of things. Everyone else and everything else feels more important than me and my struggles. It's a painfully wrong mindset, because there are always people to turn to, but it feels like you're alone with your struggles. This is what Jorgen needed to learn in Evershore - to open himself to his feelings, to his friends, and to share his burdens and his responsibility with them.
"we know that on the end of the day Jorgen Weight will do the right thing. Sometimes you lose sight of that. Sometimes you get so bogged down in the rules that you lose track of what's right for a minute. But when it comes down to the decisions you make with our lives, you do the right thing every time."
I scudding love Jorgen's and FM's relationship in this book. It's not like I haven't appreciated it before, I did, it was always important to me, but their relationship is a highlight of the book for me. It wasn't a big part of the story, but their scenes were extremely meaningful to Jorgen's character development. It was even more important now after the conflict between them that happened in ReDawn. The atmosphere between them was already extremely heavy and became even heavier after the tragedy that struck Detritus. FM, despite Jorgen ignoring her most of the time, never stopped trying to talk to him and to bring him to stop for a minute, to take a breath and, most importantly, to talk about his feelings that he had buried deep inside himself (bless FM, truly). When their talk scene finally happened, it was such a big relief for me (and for them as well). I needed for them to reconcile, to open up and to become the powerful duo that their team, and their planet, needed. Now, with the events of the end of the book, they are even more important to their planet and I'm super excited to see them in action!
Spensa flies among the stars, Gran-Gran said. But you build things up from the ground. She is a warrior, and you are a defender.
I like the way Gran-Gran described Jorgen and Spensa. I think it's the best description not only of their characters, but their relationship as well. We don't see much of them together in Evershore since Spensa spends time being stuck in nowhere, but there are a couple of scenes with them that warms my heart. They love each other SO MUCH, missing one another SO MUCH, and I'm so sad that they couldn't be there for one another when they needed each other the most. I need them together in Defiant otherwise I will throw hands!
Anyways, there is a final book to read (if you don't count the last novella). I'm both upset and excited about it. I'm upset, because it's the last book, and I'm excited, because I want to see how things will play out. With Defiant Spensa is coming back as an MC. After reading three novellas with the POV's of different people, I missed her presence deeply. Now everyone will be reunited and the final battle will happen. Will we get a happy ending? Will I give another five stars? I surely hope so, but we will see! ;)
Skyward series - my rating:
1. Skyward: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
2. Starsight: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
2.1 Sunreach: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
2.2. ReDawn: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
2.3 Evershore: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
3. Cytonic: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
4. Defiant: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
January 22, 2022
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
4.5 hearts
Evershore is the third novella in the Skyward series and even though it is listed as 3.1 all the events in it happen before book 3 chronologically so I would read it then. Jorgen, call sign Jerkface, has so many new challenges ahead of him. With the disappearance of Cob he is on a rescue mission to save one of the only Detritus leaders left.
The Kitsen are a species of small foxlike creatures. They are considered lesser by the Superiority, meaning they aren't an official part of the collective. The humans need allies and the Kitsen just might be able to help them in more ways than one since they seem to have a few humans that belong to Detritus.
This was a really well done novella. Jorgen is dealing with a lot since the last novella and he is trying to focus on the now so he doesn't really have to deal with the ramifications from ReDawn. Spensa is still missing and who knows where in the nowhere she really is and if she can make it back. Jorgen is left with all the responsibilities of the people of Detritus and he has just figured out that the special cytonic power he has had his whole life is much bigger than he ever could have imagined. With the help of a Kitsen master, he will go through a type of Jedi training to master some of its powers.
Novellas can add a lot of depth to a series. There is a lot going on in this world and since Cytonic focused solely on Spensa I'm glad the three novella really fill in the gaps from different PoVs on what is happening while she is in the Nowhere. I think these are must reads for the series.
Narration:
Suzy Jackson is really phenomenal in this series. She does such a great job portraying all of the characters and I love her interpretation of the story. I would listen to almost anything she was narrating. I was able to listen to this at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
https://soundcloud.com/audiolibrary-a...
4.5 hearts
Evershore is the third novella in the Skyward series and even though it is listed as 3.1 all the events in it happen before book 3 chronologically so I would read it then. Jorgen, call sign Jerkface, has so many new challenges ahead of him. With the disappearance of Cob he is on a rescue mission to save one of the only Detritus leaders left.
The Kitsen are a species of small foxlike creatures. They are considered lesser by the Superiority, meaning they aren't an official part of the collective. The humans need allies and the Kitsen just might be able to help them in more ways than one since they seem to have a few humans that belong to Detritus.
This was a really well done novella. Jorgen is dealing with a lot since the last novella and he is trying to focus on the now so he doesn't really have to deal with the ramifications from ReDawn. Spensa is still missing and who knows where in the nowhere she really is and if she can make it back. Jorgen is left with all the responsibilities of the people of Detritus and he has just figured out that the special cytonic power he has had his whole life is much bigger than he ever could have imagined. With the help of a Kitsen master, he will go through a type of Jedi training to master some of its powers.
Novellas can add a lot of depth to a series. There is a lot going on in this world and since Cytonic focused solely on Spensa I'm glad the three novella really fill in the gaps from different PoVs on what is happening while she is in the Nowhere. I think these are must reads for the series.
If Spensa were listening to this, she would embellish on it. I laughed.
“Is something funny?”
“No,” I said. “Just imagining the ocean running red with the blood of my enemies.”
Juno sounded startled. “Is that some kind of…cytonic premonition?”
“Nope,” I said. “A memory of my girlfriend. Never mind. Go on.”
Narration:
Suzy Jackson is really phenomenal in this series. She does such a great job portraying all of the characters and I love her interpretation of the story. I would listen to almost anything she was narrating. I was able to listen to this at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
https://soundcloud.com/audiolibrary-a...
January 4, 2024
alright well my life feels like it’s breaking in two
January 15, 2024
*** I have a YouTube channel now! Check it out here. ***
4 stars
**Although this is a spoiler free review (spoilers are hidden), there may be spoilers for previous books in series (scroll down)**
Evershore is the final novella published in the interim between Starsight and Defiant. This time the narration is from Jorgen's point of view. After his parents died and after Cobb disappeared Jorgen finds him self in a position where he is unsure of what comes next. However, he knows that he must reinstate Cobb as the head of the DDF before all hell breaks loose. When he and Alanik discover that their leader may be on the kitsen planet, they travel there immediately. Unfortunately, getting the Admiral back is not as easy as it first appeared; and as always the Superiority is on their heels.
Surprisingly this novella was even more action packed than the previous one. In fact it is very similar to ReDawn except it is better in almost every way. First off, again we have a lot of battles except the battles in this novella are more exciting and impactful because there is a lot more at stake that emotionally matters to the reader. Jorgen is very clearly undergoing a mental breakdown through the entirety of this novella, so when the final battle comes around you really want him to succeed. The authors also make sure that we care about the kitsen planet through giving Jorgen a kitsen helper called Juno and through him we are able to get closer to the tragedy that is going on for the inhabitants of the planet. I must say, surprisingly, there may have been a tiny bit too much action for me to the extent that it distracted from the other plot points.
Another thing that I want to mention is the return of a technique that I really enjoy being utilised in this series. Obviously there are characters travelling to different planets with very unique cultural backgrounds. It makes sense that these characters don't see or describe the things they are experiencing in the same way that another character would. I expected more of this to happen in ReDawn but I was glad some of it happened at all just because Alanik has such a different background. In this novella the flight crew is exposed to an ocean and birds and sand: all things that they are really used to. For example, this is how Jorgen first described seeing birds flying:
Moreover in this final novella the fact that we have so many alien species interacting is finally used to its full extent. Specifically I'm talking about the way language barriers are explored. Some of it is simply for comedic relief. But it works. It works because this is a very real thing that also occurs on Earth between different languages. For example look at this joke that is made:
What's more this actually comes up in a vital part in one of the final battles. And the fact that a communication error between because of a language barrier helped solve the conflict in this book felt to me like a commentary on how language shapes perception. Specifically, how thinking about things in different languages in someway affects how you perceive the things that are happening. Didn't really expect this but I'm really glad it was put in here.
The character work was also exceptional, at least compared to the other novellas. FM was finally given that political spotlight that I really missed in her novella. In fact, going forward, I'll be excited to see how this affects her communication and characterisation in the final book. And then I had to talk about Jorgen himself. The way he deals with the loss of his parents with the help of FM and how he deals with this extra responsibility that is placed on him and he never asked for was beautiful to watch. I think this novella may have elevated him to be a favourite character of mine in the series. Also I just have to remark on what happens at the end without spoiling it of course. The ending did a fantastic job of explaining the WTF moment that I had at the end of book 3. Moreover, it made me smile so much; it was the most adorable, wholesome thing I have ever read and I loved it.
All in all, this novella hope to clear up some questions I had at the end of Cytonic. I liked how it tackled both character elements but also managed to sneak in a very interesting plot. The balancing was definitely an issue for me especially with the more out there elements of the action, however, all in all, this did not detract from my enjoyment of the novella. I can't wait for book 4.
--------------------------
Books in Series:
#1 Skyward: ★★★★★
#2 Starsight: ★★★★.5
#2.1 Sunreach: ★★★.5
#2.2 ReDawn: ★★★★
#3 Cytonic: ★★★★.5
#3.1 Evershore: ★★★★
#4 Defiant: ★★★.25
4 stars
**Although this is a spoiler free review (spoilers are hidden), there may be spoilers for previous books in series (scroll down)**
Evershore is the final novella published in the interim between Starsight and Defiant. This time the narration is from Jorgen's point of view. After his parents died and after Cobb disappeared Jorgen finds him self in a position where he is unsure of what comes next. However, he knows that he must reinstate Cobb as the head of the DDF before all hell breaks loose. When he and Alanik discover that their leader may be on the kitsen planet, they travel there immediately. Unfortunately, getting the Admiral back is not as easy as it first appeared; and as always the Superiority is on their heels.
Surprisingly this novella was even more action packed than the previous one. In fact it is very similar to ReDawn except it is better in almost every way. First off, again we have a lot of battles except the battles in this novella are more exciting and impactful because there is a lot more at stake that emotionally matters to the reader. Jorgen is very clearly undergoing a mental breakdown through the entirety of this novella, so when the final battle comes around you really want him to succeed. The authors also make sure that we care about the kitsen planet through giving Jorgen a kitsen helper called Juno and through him we are able to get closer to the tragedy that is going on for the inhabitants of the planet. I must say, surprisingly, there may have been a tiny bit too much action for me to the extent that it distracted from the other plot points.
Another thing that I want to mention is the return of a technique that I really enjoy being utilised in this series. Obviously there are characters travelling to different planets with very unique cultural backgrounds. It makes sense that these characters don't see or describe the things they are experiencing in the same way that another character would. I expected more of this to happen in ReDawn but I was glad some of it happened at all just because Alanik has such a different background. In this novella the flight crew is exposed to an ocean and birds and sand: all things that they are really used to. For example, this is how Jorgen first described seeing birds flying:
“Stars. I’d seen pictures of birds, but watching them glide over the water like so many starfighters…”
Moreover in this final novella the fact that we have so many alien species interacting is finally used to its full extent. Specifically I'm talking about the way language barriers are explored. Some of it is simply for comedic relief. But it works. It works because this is a very real thing that also occurs on Earth between different languages. For example look at this joke that is made:
“'We believe you,' Nedd said. 'We’re just incredulous.'
'That word literally means ‘unable to believe,’ ' Alanik said. 'Is there a translation error, or are you making fun of me?'
'Neither,' FM said. 'They’re just idiots.'”
What's more this actually comes up in a vital part in one of the final battles. And the fact that a communication error between because of a language barrier helped solve the conflict in this book felt to me like a commentary on how language shapes perception. Specifically, how thinking about things in different languages in someway affects how you perceive the things that are happening. Didn't really expect this but I'm really glad it was put in here.
The character work was also exceptional, at least compared to the other novellas. FM was finally given that political spotlight that I really missed in her novella. In fact, going forward, I'll be excited to see how this affects her communication and characterisation in the final book. And then I had to talk about Jorgen himself. The way he deals with the loss of his parents with the help of FM and how he deals with this extra responsibility that is placed on him and he never asked for was beautiful to watch. I think this novella may have elevated him to be a favourite character of mine in the series. Also I just have to remark on what happens at the end without spoiling it of course. The ending did a fantastic job of explaining the WTF moment that I had at the end of book 3. Moreover, it made me smile so much; it was the most adorable, wholesome thing I have ever read and I loved it.
All in all, this novella hope to clear up some questions I had at the end of Cytonic. I liked how it tackled both character elements but also managed to sneak in a very interesting plot. The balancing was definitely an issue for me especially with the more out there elements of the action, however, all in all, this did not detract from my enjoyment of the novella. I can't wait for book 4.
--------------------------
Books in Series:
#1 Skyward: ★★★★★
#2 Starsight: ★★★★.5
#2.1 Sunreach: ★★★.5
#2.2 ReDawn: ★★★★
#3 Cytonic: ★★★★.5
#3.1 Evershore: ★★★★
#4 Defiant: ★★★.25
March 29, 2024
3.5 Silver Stars
with Golden Sparks
I liked having more Jorgen in this book. that was the reason I picked it up in the first place. but if this one was kind of shorter & mixed with Cytonic (book 3), I might enjoy them both more. (or just the general novellas were inside the main books, because as much as I figured, they are important. & this one was actually interesting. but I missed Spensa here. & I liked to have seen more of Jorgen & his POV in the main books)
compared to the main books, the pace was slower & it had lesser excitement for a long while (I guess this book was more character-driven, focusing on Jorgen's journey & his thoughts & feelings & how to deal with them all (which is important, but sometimes this side of plot felt like a loop), along with what was happening in the plot. 50-50) & I'm not a fan of meetings & talkings & discussions in general; again, important, but gimme some action! (which it did at the end of the book)
-
Plot: ★★★/5
Characters: ★★★(★)/5
Written style: ★★★★/5
World building: ★★★/5
Idea: ★★★★/5
with Golden Sparks
I liked having more Jorgen in this book. that was the reason I picked it up in the first place. but if this one was kind of shorter & mixed with Cytonic (book 3), I might enjoy them both more. (or just the general novellas were inside the main books, because as much as I figured, they are important. & this one was actually interesting. but I missed Spensa here. & I liked to have seen more of Jorgen & his POV in the main books)
compared to the main books, the pace was slower & it had lesser excitement for a long while (I guess this book was more character-driven, focusing on Jorgen's journey & his thoughts & feelings & how to deal with them all (which is important, but sometimes this side of plot felt like a loop), along with what was happening in the plot. 50-50) & I'm not a fan of meetings & talkings & discussions in general; again, important, but gimme some action! (which it did at the end of the book)
-
Plot: ★★★/5
Characters: ★★★(★)/5
Written style: ★★★★/5
World building: ★★★/5
Idea: ★★★★/5
February 23, 2022
buddy read with Heather
What is it saying about the books, or me, if I liked the novellas more than Cytonic, and maybe Starsight?
The third novella is told from Jorgen’s point of view, as he fights for his people and forges new alliances while also finding more about his cytonic abilities.
I loved reading these novellas because they let us learn more about the original crew, their relationships, and how they grow. One of the things that I liked the most was following Jorgen's friendship with FM.
What is it saying about the books, or me, if I liked the novellas more than Cytonic, and maybe Starsight?
The third novella is told from Jorgen’s point of view, as he fights for his people and forges new alliances while also finding more about his cytonic abilities.
I loved reading these novellas because they let us learn more about the original crew, their relationships, and how they grow. One of the things that I liked the most was following Jorgen's friendship with FM.
December 28, 2021
Evershore
⭐️���️⭐️⭐️
I’m happy for Jorgen but what I really want is for the romance to be more part of the initial plot and not pushed to the side, which I know isn’t the point but the romance in this series is the only reason I’m still reading .
⭐️���️⭐️⭐️
I’m happy for Jorgen but what I really want is for the romance to be more part of the initial plot and not pushed to the side, which I know isn’t the point but the romance in this series is the only reason I’m still reading .
January 3, 2022
I really enjoyed this and I can't wait for the next books in the series 😍 (but I didn't love it quite as much as the others)
RTC.
RTC.
January 29, 2024
This novella (really a novel by non-Sanderson standards) goes between Cytonic and Defiant and is not a standalone.
This is from Jorgen’s POV as he leads Skyward Flight in defending Evershore, the Kitsen homeworld, from the Superiority. I believe Brandon outlined the story and Janci wrote it. She has done a good job on these.
There are awkward diplomatic situations and plenty of space battles. The slugs are so dang cute (“Boom!”); I wish there were more of them.
Language: Mild
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Space battles, low gore
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
This is from Jorgen’s POV as he leads Skyward Flight in defending Evershore, the Kitsen homeworld, from the Superiority. I believe Brandon outlined the story and Janci wrote it. She has done a good job on these.
There are awkward diplomatic situations and plenty of space battles. The slugs are so dang cute (“Boom!”); I wish there were more of them.
Language: Mild
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Space battles, low gore
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
January 7, 2022
First book to finish in 2022!! woohooo
Starsight and Cytonic were a bit disappointing for me BUT j really enjoy the Cytoverse Novellas!! they are so much fun and i love to met Spensa’s Skyward team… esp Jorgen
Love to get to know more of Jorgen’s power here and love how Sanderson always can write mental healthness issue in his book in very relateable way
Starsight and Cytonic were a bit disappointing for me BUT j really enjoy the Cytoverse Novellas!! they are so much fun and i love to met Spensa’s Skyward team… esp Jorgen
Love to get to know more of Jorgen’s power here and love how Sanderson always can write mental healthness issue in his book in very relateable way
April 20, 2022
Also hier ist SO viel passiert!! WOW! Ich freue mich schon jetzt auf Defiant, das wird sooooooo wild. 😍
February 18, 2023
Words cannot describe how much I love Jorgen, but I could still write an entire essay on how great of a character he is if I wanted to.
April 3, 2023
5 Stars baby
Every repeat after me: "Thank you Janci!!"
Full review to come but oh my goodness
Brandon Sanderson is out to ruin my life part 39
Pre-release review:
Everyone say thank you to Janci for begging to do a Jorgen novella because he was not initially on the list of characters for her to choose, but she persisted
Every repeat after me: "Thank you Janci!!"
Full review to come but oh my goodness
Brandon Sanderson is out to ruin my life part 39
Pre-release review:
Everyone say thank you to Janci for begging to do a Jorgen novella because he was not initially on the list of characters for her to choose, but she persisted
March 29, 2022
4.5 stars.
Out of all the novellas in this series this one, Jorgen's one, has been the one to interest me the most from the beginning. Jorgen Weight was a character that won my heart slowly but by the end of Skyward, when I checked, I had fallen in love with him and come to admire his leadership.
So, naturally, getting to go into his thought process, cut to the quick of his feelings and motivations, his internal struggles, was more than a treat.
Considering everything that has been happening, in these novellas most of all, that burning need to know more of him only grew. And Evershore was a most satisfactory and fulfilling read.
Emotional and political. A thrilling race against odds and oneself. And the culmination of three stories told slowly - FM, Alanik, and Jorgen's - as it furthers the world and transforms everything beyond recognition in the most logical move ever. Well, it is jam-packed with a bit of everything you could look for.
After the ending of the previous novella and the tidbits from Cytonic I was very nervous and a tad anxious to see everything that was about to take place. I had theories and worries and all of it was bettered and surpassed with ease.
The direction that the story takes is one that kept me entertained with all its intricacies.
Politics mixed with good humor and good friends is everything I want in life. Especially with a good helping of action that can never be missing from the story.
Seeing Jorgen navigate through all of it, with his strong moral compass and his love for rules, was an enticing flavor palette. It made me value him more at the same time that I could see things from a different light.
All of the mysteries that are explored and the half-cut threads are connected only because he has gone through this journey.
The parallels that were brought up between what Spensa was going through at the same time were incredibly fun to spot but even more interesting to compare. Especially considering the relationship between the both of them.
Even if the situations shared their parallels the way that they handled them differently, personality-wise, made such great differences that they are not simply repeating what is going on elsewhere. It is very much poetic.
His personal journey was what really stole the show for me.
From all the pressures of his upbringing and all the stresses of the present seeing him trying to understand just who he is and how to balance it all, how to give it meaning, and how to go on was a surprisingly heavy and complicated path.
The way that his journey and FM's intersected was surprising, as I never quite considered them similar before, but I quite liked how it ties it all up together and becomes a cohesive story. Not only with her but with Alanik's as well. Giving us a full picture only when this installment has closed.
One thing is certain, and that is that this is the most enjoyable and lighthearted, even when heavy, of the novellas.
I laughed so much through it all and I had a smile at the end.
The new cast, with its wildly different personalities made for a very picturesque and entertaining bunch. I fell in love with them all and want them to be part of much more content soon.
Juno with his calmness and books and Goro with his extraness and passion stole the show and endeared themselves to me in very different ways.
Not to say that our delightful Skyward Flight wasn't as lovely and fun as ever, because they were.
By the end, I was sincerely wishing the novella was longer.
Even though it made me feel a thousand different emotions and stress out I would not change a single second of it. Especially not the parts that mention Spensa because Jorgen thinking of her was absolutely adorable.
It was a needed addition to the series and it made me love all these "side characters" more, as if that was even necessary, and just want to expend forever with them.
__________________
And so it ends this year's journey with the Skyward series.
This was an awesome tie-in for the main book and so much fun! Jorgen's POV did not disappoint one bit and just made me love his character more and more.
RTC.
__________________
I'm so exciting to finally see this last part of the story, at least for the moment. And whom better to share it with than my lovely Aoife. I'm sure we're gonna create the most bizarre theories.
After everything that has happened in these last couple of installments in the story, I'm sure those theories are going to be wild and painful.
I'm most certainly not ready to embark in this new adventure. I'm not ready for the pain and the suffering sure to come with it. And yet, the prospect of seeing more of Jorgen is irresistible.
So let's begin it.
“We’re all here, because we believe in what we’re doing. And we all trust you with our lives because we know that at the end of the day, Jorgen Weight is going to do the right thing. Sometimes you lose sight of that. Sometimes you get so bogged down in the rules that you lose track of what’s right for a minute. But when it comes down to the decisions you make with our lives, you do the right thing every time.”
Out of all the novellas in this series this one, Jorgen's one, has been the one to interest me the most from the beginning. Jorgen Weight was a character that won my heart slowly but by the end of Skyward, when I checked, I had fallen in love with him and come to admire his leadership.
So, naturally, getting to go into his thought process, cut to the quick of his feelings and motivations, his internal struggles, was more than a treat.
Considering everything that has been happening, in these novellas most of all, that burning need to know more of him only grew. And Evershore was a most satisfactory and fulfilling read.
Emotional and political. A thrilling race against odds and oneself. And the culmination of three stories told slowly - FM, Alanik, and Jorgen's - as it furthers the world and transforms everything beyond recognition in the most logical move ever. Well, it is jam-packed with a bit of everything you could look for.
“I’d tried my best, done everything I knew how to do. But if I hadn’t, I would probably still be standing here, my whole life laid out before me, predetermined just like my uniform.”
After the ending of the previous novella and the tidbits from Cytonic I was very nervous and a tad anxious to see everything that was about to take place. I had theories and worries and all of it was bettered and surpassed with ease.
The direction that the story takes is one that kept me entertained with all its intricacies.
Politics mixed with good humor and good friends is everything I want in life. Especially with a good helping of action that can never be missing from the story.
Seeing Jorgen navigate through all of it, with his strong moral compass and his love for rules, was an enticing flavor palette. It made me value him more at the same time that I could see things from a different light.
All of the mysteries that are explored and the half-cut threads are connected only because he has gone through this journey.
The parallels that were brought up between what Spensa was going through at the same time were incredibly fun to spot but even more interesting to compare. Especially considering the relationship between the both of them.
Even if the situations shared their parallels the way that they handled them differently, personality-wise, made such great differences that they are not simply repeating what is going on elsewhere. It is very much poetic.
“I tried to give you the story you needed, but perhaps you’ve found your own story after all. Spensa flies among the stars. But you build things up from the ground. She is a warrior, and you are a defender. It’s a different kind of story.”
His personal journey was what really stole the show for me.
From all the pressures of his upbringing and all the stresses of the present seeing him trying to understand just who he is and how to balance it all, how to give it meaning, and how to go on was a surprisingly heavy and complicated path.
The way that his journey and FM's intersected was surprising, as I never quite considered them similar before, but I quite liked how it ties it all up together and becomes a cohesive story. Not only with her but with Alanik's as well. Giving us a full picture only when this installment has closed.
“We were in this together, and in that we had hope.”
One thing is certain, and that is that this is the most enjoyable and lighthearted, even when heavy, of the novellas.
I laughed so much through it all and I had a smile at the end.
The new cast, with its wildly different personalities made for a very picturesque and entertaining bunch. I fell in love with them all and want them to be part of much more content soon.
Juno with his calmness and books and Goro with his extraness and passion stole the show and endeared themselves to me in very different ways.
Not to say that our delightful Skyward Flight wasn't as lovely and fun as ever, because they were.
“In my time in the Defiant Defense Force, I’d felt lost and inadequate. I’d felt undermined and humiliated in front of both my flightmates and my superiors. I’d made calls no human being should ever have to make, had been both right and wrong about them, and had to live with both. I’d stayed in control through it all, because that was what I had been raised to do.”
By the end, I was sincerely wishing the novella was longer.
Even though it made me feel a thousand different emotions and stress out I would not change a single second of it. Especially not the parts that mention Spensa because Jorgen thinking of her was absolutely adorable.
It was a needed addition to the series and it made me love all these "side characters" more, as if that was even necessary, and just want to expend forever with them.
“I usually thought of Spensa as the one who pulled off impossible tasks, but apparently she wasn’t the only one.”
__________________
And so it ends this year's journey with the Skyward series.
This was an awesome tie-in for the main book and so much fun! Jorgen's POV did not disappoint one bit and just made me love his character more and more.
RTC.
__________________
I'm so exciting to finally see this last part of the story, at least for the moment. And whom better to share it with than my lovely Aoife. I'm sure we're gonna create the most bizarre theories.
After everything that has happened in these last couple of installments in the story, I'm sure those theories are going to be wild and painful.
I'm most certainly not ready to embark in this new adventure. I'm not ready for the pain and the suffering sure to come with it. And yet, the prospect of seeing more of Jorgen is irresistible.
So let's begin it.
November 14, 2022
Buddy read with Snezana
Evershore is the third novella in the Skyward series. Though you can skip it, it's essential to read it because the events in this novella added a lot to the series.
I mentioned in my review of Starsight and Cytonic that the books were written in just Spensa’s POV, which made it hard for the reader to know what is happening in Detritus. This novella covered that.
The events in this novella happened after ReDawn. This book is written from the POV of Jorgen Wright. He's one of my favourite characters in the series, and I'm glad to read his book finally.
Jorgen is a Cytonic, but his powers are very different from that of Spensa and Alanik. I love how the book showed his character development and his getting used to his powers.
The only drawback is that some part of this book was rushed, especially the last battle. It was a bit confusing, I blinked, and it was over. I just wished it was longer.
Evershore is the third novella in the Skyward series. Though you can skip it, it's essential to read it because the events in this novella added a lot to the series.
I mentioned in my review of Starsight and Cytonic that the books were written in just Spensa’s POV, which made it hard for the reader to know what is happening in Detritus. This novella covered that.
The events in this novella happened after ReDawn. This book is written from the POV of Jorgen Wright. He's one of my favourite characters in the series, and I'm glad to read his book finally.
Jorgen is a Cytonic, but his powers are very different from that of Spensa and Alanik. I love how the book showed his character development and his getting used to his powers.
The only drawback is that some part of this book was rushed, especially the last battle. It was a bit confusing, I blinked, and it was over. I just wished it was longer.
January 30, 2022
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2022/01/30/...
Everything I had felt was lacking in Cytonic, like the heart-pounding scenes of ship-to-ship combat or the easy conversations and camaraderie between the pilot characters, etc. managed to all find their way into Evershore, apparently. While in the main series, Spensa is working to free herself from the extradimensional limbo known as the Nowhere, her friends back at Detritus have been having a hell of a time with their own problems in this third and final volume of the Skyward novella spinoff trilogy.
This time, we follow Jorgen as he attempts to pick up the pieces following the disaster and chaos resulting from Superiority treachery. With no time to grieve everyone that he has lost, he is thrust reluctantly into a position to lead his team on another mission to intercept a strange signal from the planet Evershore, where they also hope to rescue two of their own.
Upon their arrival, the squad make contact with the world’s diminutive inhabitants, a race of small foxlike creatures called the Kitsen. Outside of the collective, the Kitsen nonetheless understand the threat of the Superiority and what it would mean for them if the enemy continues its relentless conquest across the galaxy. Still, would that be enough for the Kitsen to agree to an alliance? Within their ranks, there are factions that want to work with Jorgen and his team, while others are not so convinced of the humans’ trustworthiness.
For Jorgen fans, Evershore will be a treat. After the events of the previous novella ReDawn, that we would be getting an in depth look into the life of the DDF pilot known as “Jerkface” seemed like a foregone conclusion. His POV and development is needed now more than ever, as the series reaches its climax and end, requiring a strong lead character to bring it all together. Jorgen has always been a powerful presence in the main series, even if he isn’t the most interesting, but I have to say he impressed the hell out of me in Evershore. It took a long journey to get here, one full of struggle and strife, but I think the character has finally come into his own, and I am grateful that these novellas got to let us see that.
We also had a very action-oriented story. I don’t typically expect much out of novellas that take place outside of a main series, as in my experience a lot of them end up being throwaway side stories that are entirely optional—and unfortunately, most of the time that is also reflected in the effort put in. These novellas, however, are a rare exception. After finishing ReDawn, I decided to change my verdict about these books from a “maybe” to a “must-read” if you’re invested in the Skyward series. You’ll still be fine reading the main novels without them, but there is so much taking place in these novellas, it would be a shame not to learn more about what’s happening in the background or what Spensa’s friends might be up to while she’s off gallivanting in the Nowhere—especially since we’re seeing so much action here. These books also go into a lot more detail about Cytonics and their powers, which is another reason to pick them up if you want the full picture.
I also think Janci Patterson found a good rhythm with Evershore. It’s still apparent to me that she was responsible for much of the writing for these books, with Brandon Sanderson taking on more of a background role, but she’s done a superb job nailing the most important elements, such as the vividness of the world-building and the imaginative prose required to bring some of these new worlds and aliens to life. The character of Jorgen was also well handled, the internal conflict within him explored without getting too contrived or angsty. Patterson seemed to take well to writing about him, and we got the usual fantastic banter between him and his fellow squad mates as they rallied around him to help achieve their goals.
All in all, I have to say this was a great trilogy of novellas, and Evershore was probably the best of the three books, both in the way the story arc culminated and also in the depth of the emotions and conflicts where were at the heart of it.
Audiobook Comments: I do love Suzy Jackson’s narration and she’s excellent as Spensa in the main series, though I probably would have used another narrator here, as each of these novellas follow a different character and someone else for Jorgen might have felt more immersive. On the other hand, I can also understand why they would have wanted to keep the reader consistent, and a voice talent like Suzy Jackson is an asset to all the Skyward books.
Everything I had felt was lacking in Cytonic, like the heart-pounding scenes of ship-to-ship combat or the easy conversations and camaraderie between the pilot characters, etc. managed to all find their way into Evershore, apparently. While in the main series, Spensa is working to free herself from the extradimensional limbo known as the Nowhere, her friends back at Detritus have been having a hell of a time with their own problems in this third and final volume of the Skyward novella spinoff trilogy.
This time, we follow Jorgen as he attempts to pick up the pieces following the disaster and chaos resulting from Superiority treachery. With no time to grieve everyone that he has lost, he is thrust reluctantly into a position to lead his team on another mission to intercept a strange signal from the planet Evershore, where they also hope to rescue two of their own.
Upon their arrival, the squad make contact with the world’s diminutive inhabitants, a race of small foxlike creatures called the Kitsen. Outside of the collective, the Kitsen nonetheless understand the threat of the Superiority and what it would mean for them if the enemy continues its relentless conquest across the galaxy. Still, would that be enough for the Kitsen to agree to an alliance? Within their ranks, there are factions that want to work with Jorgen and his team, while others are not so convinced of the humans’ trustworthiness.
For Jorgen fans, Evershore will be a treat. After the events of the previous novella ReDawn, that we would be getting an in depth look into the life of the DDF pilot known as “Jerkface” seemed like a foregone conclusion. His POV and development is needed now more than ever, as the series reaches its climax and end, requiring a strong lead character to bring it all together. Jorgen has always been a powerful presence in the main series, even if he isn’t the most interesting, but I have to say he impressed the hell out of me in Evershore. It took a long journey to get here, one full of struggle and strife, but I think the character has finally come into his own, and I am grateful that these novellas got to let us see that.
We also had a very action-oriented story. I don’t typically expect much out of novellas that take place outside of a main series, as in my experience a lot of them end up being throwaway side stories that are entirely optional—and unfortunately, most of the time that is also reflected in the effort put in. These novellas, however, are a rare exception. After finishing ReDawn, I decided to change my verdict about these books from a “maybe” to a “must-read” if you’re invested in the Skyward series. You’ll still be fine reading the main novels without them, but there is so much taking place in these novellas, it would be a shame not to learn more about what’s happening in the background or what Spensa’s friends might be up to while she’s off gallivanting in the Nowhere—especially since we’re seeing so much action here. These books also go into a lot more detail about Cytonics and their powers, which is another reason to pick them up if you want the full picture.
I also think Janci Patterson found a good rhythm with Evershore. It’s still apparent to me that she was responsible for much of the writing for these books, with Brandon Sanderson taking on more of a background role, but she’s done a superb job nailing the most important elements, such as the vividness of the world-building and the imaginative prose required to bring some of these new worlds and aliens to life. The character of Jorgen was also well handled, the internal conflict within him explored without getting too contrived or angsty. Patterson seemed to take well to writing about him, and we got the usual fantastic banter between him and his fellow squad mates as they rallied around him to help achieve their goals.
All in all, I have to say this was a great trilogy of novellas, and Evershore was probably the best of the three books, both in the way the story arc culminated and also in the depth of the emotions and conflicts where were at the heart of it.
Audiobook Comments: I do love Suzy Jackson’s narration and she’s excellent as Spensa in the main series, though I probably would have used another narrator here, as each of these novellas follow a different character and someone else for Jorgen might have felt more immersive. On the other hand, I can also understand why they would have wanted to keep the reader consistent, and a voice talent like Suzy Jackson is an asset to all the Skyward books.
May 18, 2023
I loved jorgen before but also I guess we didn’t really know much about him and I genuinely wasn’t sure if he was good enough for my spensa but in the wise words of Dr. Taylor Alison Swift: And that’s how it works, that’s how you get the girl 🤭🤭
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