Every Sky A Grave: Book 1

The Ascendance Series #1

by Jay Posey

‘Action sequences to speed the blood’ The Times

HER WORD IS HER WEAPON

Exhilarating and original, Every Sky A Grave tells an epic tale of truth and power on the greatest canvas there is: outer space. Mankind has spread out and conquered the galaxy by mastering the fundamental language of the universe. With the right training, the right application of words, truth itself can be rearranged.
Language is literally power.

Peace reigns now. Order reigns.

For if a planet deviates too far from what the authorities plan, an agent is sent out to correct that. To quietly and with great skill, end that world.

One such agent is Elyth – a true believer.

But on a clandestine mission to stop an uprising before it can truly begin, Elyth comes to realise she hasn’t been told the whole truth herself. There’s so much she doesn’t know. How can there be people whose truth is different to that of the authorities?

Elyth’s faith in the powers that be is shaken just when she needs it most. While on her mission, a dark and unknown presence makes itself known at the edges of the galaxy – and it cannot be controlled, for nobody knows its name…

For fans of Anne Leckie and N. K. Jemisin comes an explosive and ambitious series about the power of words set far in the future, far away – but with a message about truth that hits home.

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Adult, Book Club

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 2020

About the author

Jay Posey is a professional typist with a face for radio and a voice for print. He’s the author of the Legends of the Duskwalker trilogy (novels, THREE, MORNINGSIDE FALL, and DAWNBREAKER), and the military science-fiction novel OUTRIDERS, all published by Angry Robot Books.

He's also Expert Narrative Designer at Ubisoft/Red Storm Entertainment, where he has spent over a decade contributing as a writer and game designer to top franchises like Tom Clancy’s award-winning Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six, as well as several top secret projects he's not allowed to talk about.

He blogs occasionally at jayposey.com and spends more time than he probably should hanging around Twitter as @HiJayPosey.

Reviews

[James Tivendale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an uncorrected proof copy of Every Sky a Grave in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Jay Posey and Harper Voyager.

In Every Sky a Grave we follow Elyth, an agent for the First House of the Ascendance. This female-only order regulates the galaxy and keeps peace and harmony throughout. When a planet's path deviates from what the authorities desire then an operative is sent to do a task. Their objective is to use the Deep Langauge, the greatest of all the Ascendance's technologies, to assassinate the planet. Elyth uses these words of power to bring forth the assigned planet's destruction. Upon completing her mission on Revik, she is urgently called back to base and given a crucial follow-up mission. This task, which takes Elyth to the planet of Qel, makes up the lion's share of the action that takes place in Every Sky a Grave.

Elyth is a model agent for the First House of the Ascendance. She is highly trained and experienced in stealth, reading people, manipulating situations, combat, and with the Deep Language. She is a true believer of the First House's cause. When upon Qel, her mission does not go to plan at all. When events go a bit haywire Elyth has to use analyse the strange scenarios and improvise on the assignment that isn't like any that she has completed before. There is a mysterious and powerful entity on or surrounding the planet, and that something, or maybe the planet itself, may not give in to Elyth's words of power and doom.

Every Sky a Grave, the first novel in The Ascendance Series, was my first time reading anything by Jay Posey. The intriguing premise won me over completely, I think the cover is beautiful, and the publicist presented it as science fiction for fans of Mark Lawrence. Every Sky a Grave does have a Book of the Ancestor in space vibe to it. Like Nona, Elyth is the sole third-person point of view perspective and she operates for a female-only assassin/warrior establishment. Similar to Lawrence, Posey is a skilled wordsmith who creates excellent imagery, presents quality and exciting set-pieces and makes me truly empathise with his protagonist throughout. Even if she is stubborn, headstrong and blindly dedicated to her role in First House of the Ascendance. I enjoyed following her patterns of thinking when dealing with a scenario or drama.

I had a mostly positive experience when reading Every Sky a Grave. It took me a while to get into though and some of the chapters in the first half of the novel dragged and seemed overly descriptive, including the opening segment. Throughout the second half, I didn't have this problem but it may be that whilst reading I became attuned to Posey's style, just embraced it and enjoyed the ride. The chapters tend to be between 20-35 minutes long so I always made sure that I had at least that time set aside so that I wouldn't be rushed and could relish what was being presented.

We spend a fair amount of the narrative's time in Elyth's head as she is alone but the novel also includes some fine supporting players. The Paragon of the First House is a great character who has been extremely influential in Elyth's upbringing yet my favourite character is someone who I can't really mention or describe here without potentially mentioning something that might take away from the reading experience. All I will say is that they were an absolute pleasure to read about and their interactions with Elyth were sometimes humorous, often thought-provoking, but always had me glued to the page.

Every Sky a Grave, although the first in a series, works perfectly well as a standalone. The last 25% to the ending is terrific and takes the novel from a steady 3 to a strong 4-star rating for me. What could come in the next books is exciting and there are a lot of possibilities. I believe I will check out the sequel as I am interested to see what is next for Elyth after the knowledge gained, and the revelations and events witnessed here. Every Sky is a Grave is an intriguing and entertaining read for those who wish to follow the adventure of an assassin of worlds. Even with the sections that dragged to me, I raced through the 400 or so pages in 4 days. Recommended.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elyth owns a weapon inside her mouth: she has knowledge of the language of worlds. And she can wield this language to form the destruction of planets. The galaxy is vast and humans have inhabited much of it. But Elyth, and the other agents like her, can eradicate that as and where they, and the Paragon that rules them, sees fit.

This premise had me instantly intrigued and I loved seeing Elyth in action immediately as the novel opened. Her abilities were very unique and clearly explained, which this sci-fi saga novice greatly appreciated. I would have loved to see the focus prolonged here, however, as the novel focused less on these initial aspects as attack and action began to dominate. These features that replaced them quickly proved just as engaging, however.

As worlds were navigated and new characters were introduced, much of the focus still remained largely on Elyth. I enjoyed learning about her character and seeing her feisty attitude and resilient nature as she tackled these new environs and personalities. This proved to be a novel as much as about internal as well as external navigation and I enjoyed seeing the two continue to be developed.

The initial stages of this book provided the perfect introduction to what was to come but the end portion blew all the preconceived notions that were built along the plot's trajectory out the water. It is unfair how much I want to read the next instalment, right now, and how long I know I shall have to wait for it!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Jay Posey, and the publisher, Harper Voyager, for this opportunity.

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2020/08/10/...

It felt great to be reading Jay Posey again with Every Sky A Grave, and what a high-flying, super massive, electrifyingly ambitious novel it was. It’s no exaggeration to say there’s a bit of something for everyone in here, from epic adventures in space to daring feats of survival.

In this story, we follow Elyth, an agent of the galaxy’s peace-keeping order, the First House of the Ascendance. They’re also the custodians of great power, the Deep Language which was understood to control everything. And when a planet stepped out of line? That’s when the Ascendance would step in and rectify that.

When the book starts, Elyth has just been dispatched on a secret mission to a system to quash a threat of insurgence. A true believer of the Ascendance and their creed, she carried out her task, which is to use the magic of the Deep Language to essentially cause the planet’s untimely death. Pleased with her work, Elyth’s superiors next send her to Qel, where she will put her skills of subterfuge to good use, investigating a mysterious phenomenon that shouldn’t be possible.

Unfortunately for Elyth, nothing goes as planned. Her mission is compromised from the start as her ship crashes on the planet, and our protagonist is forced to get creative and improvise. The longer she persists, however, the more she begins to realize there is a lot to the Ascendance she has never thought to question before, while the strange presence on Qel continues to perturb her.

First and foremost, I have to say I was completely blown away by the world building. Posey has pulled out all the stops when it comes to creating this universe where an all-powerful Deep Language forms the basis of everything that exists. While Every Sky A Grave is classified as science-fiction, there is a spellbinding quality to this concept that I think will make even fantasy readers feel at at home. And then there’s the sheer scope of the galaxy and the idea of a vast system of planets at your fingertips. The First House of the Ascendance, an all-female organization made up of agents like Elyth—experts in combat, stealth and manipulation—are both the arbiters and warriors of this network, bringing peace and stability throughout its reaches, no matter the cost.

And speaking of our protagonist, I was also intrigued by her evolution of her character. She’s fiercely independent and headstrong, beginning this story as a loyal agent of the Ascendance, completely devoted to her order and Paragon, its supreme matriarch. Elyth’s journey is thus an interesting one, and even when she is at her most stubborn and misguided, she remains a sympathetic lead. There’s also no denying her resourcefulness and quick thinking; this is someone who can make a quick grasp of a situation and act with urgency and confidence.

That said, I think as the story progressed, I wish we had a better understanding of the ways of the First House of the Ascendance as well as more about the Deep Language, particularly as the plot began involving more of its inner political conflicts and tensions. It grew a little confusing, causing the pace to slow considerably in certain sections in later parts of the book. It’s a shame, because I think greater clarity would have made bolstered many of Elyth’s decisions, or at the very least, given more weight to her gradual change of heart.

Still, I had a great time with Every Sky A Grave, despite some fogginess in the second half where the story suffered a bit of fraying at the ends. The world building and character development remained strong throughout, however, and overall I’m impressed with this solid opener to Jay Posey’s new Ascendance series. I look forward to the more with interest!

Audiobook Comments: I enjoyed passing the hours with the audiobook edition, narrated by Laurel Lefkow. I thought her reading gave energy and life to the prose, and her voice was also a good match for Elyth’s dialogue and inner thoughts. All in all, a good book that was easy and fun to listen to.

[rebecca | velvet opus · Rating 4 out of 5]

“From the void, all come...
To the void, all return”

I was flattered when I was auto-approved to read an eARC of Every Sky a Grave, a Sci-Fi set in outer space where language is power. Told in third person, it follows Elyth who is tasked with the assassination of a planet for the greater good of the cosmos. 

“It was the Language that had lifted the human race from the dust and granted them the stars as inheritance. There was power within its words”

This adventure had a kind of quiet excitement to it. There is a lot of exploration, both internally and in settings that felt both familiar and new: expansive forests, snowy mountains, guarded fortresses and light aircrafts. A blend of human-built machines and wild nature. 

Elyth is smart, knowledgeable, curious, adaptable and committed to the order that trained her: in the Deep Language, the life language of all things, and in the assassination of planets. Elyth is a solitary creature, due in part to circumstance, and there’s an interesting mentor-mentee relationship and found comradeship. Refreshingly, there is no romance and her found relationships were organic and true to her character. 

“Some truths cannot be heard… no matter how clearly they are stated”

I adored the descriptive writing; from Elyth’s smoked gray-blue infiltration attire to an entire scene that simply involves pouring and drinking tea. I would happily read an entire book by Jay Posey about two women drinking tea together. There’s a lot of contemplation in this book, as well as earth-moving action and daring escapes. 

I consumed Every Sky a Grave in two sittings. It’s a fantastic Sci-Fi adventure woven with the power of words and how, in an ever-changing universe, we must trust our instincts in order to survive. 

Thank you to the publisher, Harper Collins, for an ARC via Netgalley!

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Every Sky A Grace” is the first book in an amazing brand-new science fiction series. The main character, through whose eyes we see the story unfold, is Elyth, an Advocate of the Voice, a sworn member of First House. Elyth has powers beyond comprehension and can follow threadlines to a planet’s core and kill a planet. The First House deals with mystical powers known as “ Deep Language” which allows the users to talk to planets, to nature, to the cosmos. They are a women’s order, like the Bene Gesserits of Dune and are scornfully referred to “gray witches.” They are a secret order and the First House (like a Chapterhouse) shares power precariously balanced with the Hezra, which is the technology arm of civilization, the nobles, and the space fleet.

There’s a lot of background and worldbuilding and not all of it us explained. In this novel, the spaceships and rockets take a backseat to the mysticism and magic that the Advocates of the First House, particularly Elyth, can wield.

The storyline in fact begins with Elyth on a mission to destroy a world that has been corrupted. And, it’s never fully clear how she does this but she calls forth with her “Deep Language” the roots and the fault lines. It’s quite a shocking thing to do.

The formality with which the First House is Run is remarkable and feels almost like a religious order. But, most of the story does not take place on the Vaunt or in the capitals of Herza. Rather, the political battles are played out through proxies in the hinterlands. And when Elyth is sent on a secret mission to Qel, a mission never fully explained to her, she is essentially on her own trekking through wilderness and with no natural allies.

This is a well-written story that combines interplanetary adventure with mysticism and ideas about chaos and entropy. Focusing on a single point of view rather than multiple points of view as many authors now do enhanced the readability of this book and gave us someone to root for. All in all, this book was a pleasant surprise and you leave it wondering where the story goes from here.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

e-ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Every Sky a Grave is the first installment in the epic sci-fi series that not only telling a story of an amazing woman's fantastic journey that is full of action and danger but also a story about her finding her true self and purpose in the world.

It was the Language that united them. It was the Language that had lifted the human race from the dust and granted them the stars as inheritance. There was power within its words.

The idea of words hold such an unthinkable amount of power is what drew me into this book. As someone who loves learning and knowing something new about languages, that is a plus for me. I rarely read fantasy or sci-fi books which the source of power is the language. I was truly intrigued by the concept and accepted the publisher's offer right away to read the e-ARC.

Let me tell you, Every Sky a Grave did not disappoint. I love sci-fi but I won't deny the fact that sometimes the genre scares me because some sci-fi books can be quite heavy for me. Fortunately, that is not the case with this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it from the moment I read the first page. The words were beautifully written, they carved these stunning outer space and foreign planets in my head. I definitely loved the way Jay Posey described the planets and the world growing on them. I know it won't go well with the story since the FMC was on a secret mission, but I'd like it if Elyth engaged deeper with the people so that I could know more about their culture and life on the planet.

“The Hezra,” she said, holding up her right hand, “and the First House.” She held up her left. “These are the two hands with which the Grand Council rules. Justice, mercy; law, culture; knowledge, wisdom. An eye turned outward to the horizon; another turned inward to the soul. The authority and the power of the Ascendance. Stability rests not in either side of these pairings alone, but rather in the active mediation between them. History instructs us that it is the judgment of the Grand Council, balanced between this House and our siblings within the Hezra, that has brought such peace and prosperity to our vast citizenry.”

Aside from the world-building, this book also has some kind of political issues going on that I didn't really care about and understand. The story itself didn't confuse me but the game of power was confusing. I'm about to write what I got after reading the book, please correct me if I'm wrong. I think the world is called the Ascendance and inside it was the Grand Council and below it was the First House and the Hezra. I gathered there was some tension regarding power and influence over the Grand Council between the First House and the Hezra. The main problem of the story lies heavily in that matter. I don't want to spoil anything so I'm going to stop there.

It was rather hard for me to grasp my head and fully understand the hierarchy and everything about it in this book. If you're hesitant to read this book after reading my rant or the quote above, don't worry, you can still enjoy the story without having to be an expert on the political matters. I do hope there will be more explanation about those stuff in the sequel because it'd feel so much better if I really know what's going on.

“Why is it,” he began, “that when people of a world go wrong, it is the planet that pays the ultimate penalty?”

What impressed me is that even though this book has that confusing hierarchy, at least for me, this book also has such beautiful quotes and a raw view about the world that contains only the truth. I found some of them are relevant in our world, in this lifetime. Elyth, our FMC, saw these details about the world that were amazing yet so natural. I loved how she can connect deeply with the planets she visited. I know it's part of the job but she still felt everything even after the missions are cleared. You really need to read the book to understand what I'm trying to say because I doubt my words will stir your feelings half as good as the whole story will do to you.

Talking about feelings, Elyth and eth ammuin's interactions never failed to make me laugh and brought joy into my boring life. IMO, they are the highlight of this book. I loved their chemistry, they were perfect as partners. Sadly, it took me a while to get there because the first half of this book felt very slow. It's like I'm riding a rollercoaster and the highest point of the road is just in front of my eyes but the ride takes a painfully slow time to go forward and so I'm left with this weird feelings: I know the climax is going to be good but I got bored waiting for it to happen but I don't want to stop reading because I know something big is going to happen.

“We are radiant beings, you know,” he said quietly. “Truly radiant. The heat from our bodies is visible to millions of forms of life across the galaxy. But, by some cruel twist, we can’t see it. And we live with our heads down and eyes fixed on such inconsequential things. It’s easy to forget that we glow.”

Thankfully, I finally reached that highest point and it was spectacular. That specific moment near the end was mind-blowing, my mind was shooting all these epic and badass images and I could only say wow. Every Sky a Grave ended in an intriguing note that made me craving for more. I'm genuinely curious about what's going to happen in the sequel but I wish there would be more magic and action.

RECOMMENDATION: Every Sky a Grave is perfect for you who love sci-fi books or TV series, currently looking for a fantastic and epic new release, a fan of Mark Lawrence, Star Wars, Interstellar, Anna Leckie, and The Power.

The quotes in this review were taken from an e-ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can read this and other of my reviews at Discover Elysian

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[Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac) · Rating 2 out of 5]

lots and lots of potential, and lots and lots of problems. problems such as:

- the main magic/sci-fi concept wasn't explained in ANY depth. there could have been so many interesting ways to take this, and i was convinced it was going to be a simulation, especially eth branneth lanneth or whatever the hell his name was (as you can see, i was very engaged with the story and characters) said that the Deep Language was like an interface. i know that whole trope has been done a lot, but i'm a big fan of it, and i'd rather an arguably overused trope was used instead of a wishy-washy barely-there explanation.

- why is the First House female-only? i think any sort of gender order things are incredibly lazy (we've moved on from Robert Jordan, guys) but if you're going to do it, have a reason. is it because society is sexist? is it because the author is sexist? is it because [insert very convoluted reason here]? but we don't get a reason. AGAIN.



the characters were... fine? nothing special, but not exactly bad either (even if some of the 'banter' was uh, not good). the plot itself was... also fine? there wasn't really any Big Revelations or anything, but i was at least somewhat entertained for most of the book.

just... the worldbuilding, man. where is it? WHERE IS IT?? this nearly got 3 stars because, like i said, i kind of had a fun time, but the FUCKING WORLDBUILDING. in sci-fi and fantasy, worldbuilding is so important, and we got NOTHING.

so, yeah, my first read of 2022 was very underwhelming. that's definitely not a bad omen or anything.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Netgalley. As usual, the review is honest.

Every Sky a Grave was my first time reading anything by Jay Posey. The fact that language is power in this world won me over. The cover is beautiful, and the publicist said it's perfect for fans of Mark Lawrence. (Although I must admit that I don't really see the similarities, apart from maybe the prose.)

Posey is a skilled writer. In fact, the prose is what I liked most about this book. At times, it was like reading poetry.

The world building is intricate and creative and reminded me of the epic scope of Alastair Reynold's House of Sun.

The protagonist is a smart, knowledgeable and curious woman. She's intelligent and I quickly found myself rooting for her. She's fiercely independent, loyal at first but grows into her own as the plot progresses.

Unfortunately, I thought the middle dragged somewhat, and I struggled coming back to this book.

The ending, however, is strong and I'm definitely interested in reading the sequel.

This is an intriguing science fiction novel for fans of Alastair Reynolds who don't mind a slow middle.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a vast space-faring human civilization called the Ascendancy an order of powerful and highly trained women have the power to kill planets that fall out of line with Ascendancy orthodoxy. Elyth is one of these "gray witches" and has just come off of a mission where she killed a planet only to have her recovery time cut short to investigate strange events on the planet of Qel. What she finds there threatens her life, her faith in her order and ultimately, the entire planet.

I think I'll put this one down as a clever idea, but poorly executed. It's like Dune's Bene Gesserit sisters had the power of the world-killing necromancers from Harrow the Ninth, and we get the story of one of those. Unfortunately I felt that there were several major issues with it:

• Why is the Deep Language? How is it secret? Can anyone learn it? How was it discovered? Where did the heresy that Elyth is investigating on Qel come from? The lack of fleshing out some fundamental aspects of the world-building was just very frustrating.

• The First House, Elyth's order and the custodians of the hidden Deep Language that allows reality to be manipulated, is all female. Why? This is never explained or justified.

• Why is Elyth such a good soldier of the First House right up until she arrives at Qel? There's very little about the place to distinguish it from earlier places that she's been other than some armed resistance to her presence and an individual with power over the Deep Language that sort of opposes her. Why hasn't she questioned her role and that of her house before this?

[Chinyere Ezie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very worthwhile read. One of the new sci fi novelists whose voice I’ve enjoyed most in recent years.

[keikii Eats Books]

To read more reviews, check out my blog keikii eats books!

Quote:

“Indeed,” the Paragon replied, “our House cannot exist without the Deep Language. That, however, is not true in reverse. The Deep Language exists of its own accord; it is there, in the very fabric of the universe. We merely discovered it. Our ability to speak it, however, could be considered something of a technology. And the truth of its concepts undergirds the Ascendance’s greatest of all technologies.”

Review:
I had such a difficult time reading this book that I was glad when it finally ended. It had some really interesting ideas. Which is why I picked it up in the first place. I like the idea of using Language as a control mechanism. I like the idea of Language being corruptible.

I just did not care for the execution. It started off incredibly poorly. The first seven percent of the book was a fight scene that just. would. not. end. And I have no idea who she was fighting or why she was fighting. Now, I don't mind fight scenes; they're not my favourite thing, but I can get into them. But I have to know who the character is and why they are fighting in the first place. I have to be invested. This book dropped me almost immediately into that fight scene. And I may not remember who or why she was fighting because it took me two weeks and two separate attempts to get through this. I would read a paragraph and have no ability to retain it because I had no emotional investment, and it was just 'a boring fight scene'. I personally feel like the first 10% should do everything it can to get you invested in the character and story, and this book did not do that.

And then the fight ended at the end of chapter one. And chapter two immediately started another.

I cried. No lie, actual tears were shed.

But, I powered through. And even after that I didn't like what I saw. The main character crash landed on a planet, leaving a burning pile of spaceship behind, after she was shot down. She didn't know who was after her or why. And I was like "oh no, is the whole book going to be her trying to escape capture and surviving in the wilderness? No, she just gave herself up to the first guys that showed up, after trailing them for a while.

And then she escapes them and crash lands in the wilderness again? Why does it repeat itself?

And the worldbuilding feels like it only works on the most superficial of levels. I had so many questions and for the most part, none of them were answered. And each question spawned a dozen more. I'll admit that a few of my questions might have been answered in the parts I skimmed - and I skimmed them because I could just not make my brain care even a little bit about what they were doing or saying. I tried my hardest to read every bit of worldbuilding there was. But there were a lot of info dumps (most of them in clumsy ways, sorry).

Even the ending was unfortunately lackluster. I feel like my mind was supposed to be blown by the events that happened in the end of the book. It wasn't. It was entirely predictable. And honestly? A little boring. Every Sky a Grave was just not worth the read for me. I will not be continuing this series.

ARC received from the publisher on Netgalley. This did not affect my review.

ARC received from the publisher on Netgalley. This did not affect my review.

[Maarten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts out strong with some original ideas and good scene descriptions, but ultimately falls short. The Language is just magic (like, literally spells), the mechanics are vague and wishy-washy, and the universe and the 'intrigue' happening within it are utterly unconvincing.

[Interplanetary Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews at https://theworldsofsff.com

3.5*

I was sent an invite by the publisher, via NetGalley, to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

Every Sky a Grave has a very interesting premise to it. There is a language. The Deep Language, which possesses the power to destroy worlds, among many other things… but that gives you an idea of its power!

Humanity is spread throughout the universe. Cultures and technology on each planet vary, but the Order rules. If a planet deviates from what is expected and corrective measures do not work, a planet is marked to be destroyed, by an agent of the First House of the Ascendance.

Elyth, our protagonist, is a one such agent: a model agent; the best. We are first introduced to her on the planet Revik, where she infiltrates what is essentially a base and begins the process of assassinating the planet. She does this by communicating with it, speaking the Deep Language, telling the planet to die. Once this process is started there is no going back.

Upon completing her mission, she is urgently called back to begin her recovery period, which is very important. However, this period is cut short when she is sent to Qel on a secret unsanctioned mission. It is on Qel, where most of the story takes place.
I must admit, I was a bit on and off with Every Sky a Grave. There were parts where I was pulled in and others where the pacing felt off. The story became entirely too slow. I think it was around 10% into the book before a meaningful conversion took place. The mission on Revik felt too long for me. I felt it was over described and longer than it needed to be. There were several other sections in the book where I had the same feeling.

That said, there are also some excellent sections. The power of the Deep Language becomes increasingly interesting, especially as we get deeper in the book. Elyth is forced to challenge her thoughts regarding the Order and First House of the Ascendance. Challenge her beliefs. There are also a couple of good side characters, though only one felt truly fleshed out, though I know there is much more to come from him. I won’t spoil who this person is, but he and Elyth end up travelling together and it is he who challenges her perception of the world.

I was heading towards giving this book a 3* rating, but the last 25% was much improved in pace and direction. The growth and development of Elyth in this period was interesting and I loved the ending, which is why I gave it 3.5*.

Most of the way through the book I thought I wouldn’t read the follow up. However, as the ending is strong, and I really grew to like Elyth and another character, I’m certainly interested in book 2. I hope it’s as good as the last quarter of Every Sky a Grave.

On a final note, I was invited to read Every Sky a Grave because I’d previously been accepted for an ARC by Mark Lawrence: A Girl and the Stars. I don’t see any similarity in story or writing style, so I don’t buy into this being a book for fans of Mark Lawrence. A Girl and the Stars was a 5* book for me, and I’ve read several other books by Mark, though I haven’t ready any of his Impossible Times trilogy, so maybe the similarity lies there? If you enjoy Sci-fi, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this. There are some interesting concepts.

[Katie Grainger · Rating 2 out of 5]

For whatever reason I just couldn't get into Every Sky a Grave, I found it a real struggle which is a shame because it was a really good concept and the writing was detailed and interesting.

The book centres on Elyth who is a member of a group of women who can use words as a weapon, to make things happen or destroy planets. When a threat is detected on the planet Qel, Elyth is sent by the mysterious Paragon to investigate and destroy the planet if necessary.

I honestly can't pinpoint my problem with this novel. I just wasn't hooked which is a shame because the world building was complicated and intriguing. I think I just found Elyth a little black and white, she interacts with her own thoughts more than other characters and I wonder if that is where the problem came for me?

I think this is a very readable book and I am sure other Sci-fi fiction fans will enjoy it, it just wasn't for me!

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 / 5 ✪

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A planetary assassin from an all-women sect that wields a forgotten tongue as a weapon, Elyth was taught that her actions save lives and protect the universe from conflict and evil. Her order, the House of Ascendance, have been taught the Deep Language since they were young. Combined with the Herza—soldiers that wield advanced technology—they make up the two arms of the Ascendance, which rule the galaxy as a whole. Over millennia they have honed it to root and strife and dissidence from within, protecting the Ascendance from threats.

Elyth is a true believer, one that will do everything in her power to serve the Empire’s vision, even if it means giving her life in the process. Fresh from a successful mission to quell a planet on the verge of sedition, Elyth is sent to Qel, a world possibly infected by the Markovian Strain—a corrupted version of the Language, thought to have been wiped out.

See, there’s a reason why only women are trusted to learn the Deep Language. Years prior, a man named Varen Fedic began using the Language for evil, attempting to dominate the Empire for his personal rule. Though it started on Markov, the strain soon boiled over to other worlds, and the corruption spread. Together, the Herza and House were able to defeat and destroy the Strain, but its legacy of terror remains.

And so Elyth is sent to Qel to investigate.

Unfortunately, nothing goes to plan. When her ship crash-lands on Qel, Elyth is hunted like prey, barely able to get a sense of the world she has come to investigate. But that which she does only builds her disquiet. For whatever is happening on Qel is truly strange and mysterious, but despite all the warnings she received regarding the corruption of the Strain, Elyth begins to suspect what the House taught her—while certainly its truth—perhaps wasn’t the full story.

As with many other reviewers I’ve seen, I was quickly impressed by the world-building. From the very first chapter (which gives a taste of both the Language and the Ascendancy), I had no trouble imagining and detailing the adventure unfolding. Posey does an excellent job building up the world (or worlds), the hierarchy of its empire, and the ancient—yet still enigmatic—Deep Language. While I was prepared for it to be just another attempt at blunt words-of-power magic, it somehow manages to convey something more, an intricacy that’s intertwined with the foundations of the universe. What follows is a curious blend of space opera scifi and sorcerous fantasy that I enjoyed on two levels, and think will appeal to fans of either genre.

Unfortunately, the world-building is not without its flaws. While early on we are treated to a decent history lesson on the foundations of the world, throughout the text there are references that made me think that the author was holding out on me. While the Markovian Strain plays a huge part in the story, the history of the Ascendancy itself felt lacking—as it was hard to tell just how old or noble they really were. Though it’s not absolutely necessary to the events on Qel, I really feel it would’ve been helpful to compare the evilness of the Strain to something. Being told something is evil isn’t always enough; it’s often important to relate how or why it’s bad. While it…. urrrgghh. Okay. While the world-building was excellent, it often felt as though the history of the Ascendancy as it related to the story was lacking. Or incomplete. Does that make sense? It didn’t contract from the story, but felt like it was missing out on an opportunity to really bolster it.

Elyth is a strong lead, and her character development—while not the best ever—was quite something. A true believer from the outset, it’s interesting to watch her evolution as she discovers that while she was told the danger of the Strain, perhaps it wasn’t the whole truth. She’s a loyal and stubborn servant, but also an inquisitive and independent one. While she does whatever she can to fit her discoveries within the lines of what she believes, she never discounts anything out of hand, despite what it means for those beliefs. And so her evolution is interesting—whether it be progression or regression, even sometimes both.

I had little issue getting into Every Sky a Grave, but a slight problem in the middle. Action, stealth and tension war with philosophy as to which controls the pacing, but neither wins out. As such, the pacing was a bit odd at times, making it easy for me too rattle off fifty pages, only to take me a half hour to get through a dozen. While I never struggled to read this, it’s not exactly an action-packed thriller. There are periods of action, yes, but it’s all balanced with stealth, mystery, philosophy, and more. That wasn’t an issue for me, though it might be for you.

Though the conclusion wowed me (there was even a certain LOTR moment that brought chills), the lead-in to it was hit and miss. There were some unlikely events, some great ones, and even one that was a head-scratcher. All in all, however, it was a great adventure.

TL;DR

Every Sky a Grave combines in-depth world-building with strong dialogue and fascinating character progression to tell a tense, gripping story that somehow manages to incorporate both fantasy and science fiction, while committing to neither genre. The mysterious Deep Language is a unique magic-system, while its space-opera roots are evident in the world and its characters. With a strong female lead and an interesting story you should have little trouble getting into the read, though its second half struggles to decide between philosophy, action, and stealth—which really makes the pacing odd. At times I tore through pages, while others I had to read and reread sections to make sure I understood them. Despite this I thoroughly enjoyed Every Sky a Grave and look forward to the continuation of this new series, Posey’s best start since Three!

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Sky a Grave is the first book in the "Ascendance Series" by Jay Posey.
In this one, the Ascendance is tasked with using a sort of magic known as the "Deep Language" to manipulate people and their surroundings, even planets. Another faction known as the Hezra controls the technology, and together they are responsible for controlling and protecting mankind's far-flung empire in space. There are those in the Hezra, however, who want to know the "Deep Language" and thus no longer need the Ascendance. The Ascendance keeps the knowledge of the "Deep Language" safe from the Hezra and others for fear of its misuse. In this setting Elyth, an Advocate for the Ascendance is sent on a mission to the planet Qel. Something is amiss there and her job is to determine what it is before it can threaten mankind. She will soon find herself embroiled in political moves by both the Ascendance and the Hezra as well as several other unknown characters.
Every Sky a Grave is an interesting and entertaining read.

[Rowena Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t quite sure what I was expecting when I started this book, especially as I don’t read much Sci-Fi something which I am working to rectify, but Every Sky A Grave grabbed me from the start. Perhaps, because it is a wonderful blend of Sci-Fi and mysticism, exploring the power of language, of words, and the potential for them to be corrupted.

That has to be one of my favourite parts of the book. As a reader and writer, language always has power, and in this book that is taken and made into something more, where the power is something more.

‘It was the language that lifted the human race from the dust… there was power within its words.’

The idea of people being able to talk to planets, and to even use this ‘Deep Language’ – the language of all things – to kill a planet, is fascinating and not something I’ve encountered before.
The idea that a planet can be undone through its own fault-lines and core, and the power of language, is quite humbling and I really hope that we will learn more about this in future books, as while well done it never felt as though it was fully explained, although I enjoyed the element of mystery.

There is a lot of worldbuilding in this book, and not all of it is explained. To an extent, the more Sci-Fi aspects such as the spaceships, take a backseat to the rest of the story, which gave the story a very refreshing feeling. We learn more about the First House – the order that uses the ‘Deep Language’ – a secret order, which counterbalances the technological arms of society, and the wilderness that Elyth finds herself travelling through. However, we are given enough to enjoy the wider ‘world(s)’, and it leaves room for exploration in the future books. While also giving us landscapes that are familiar but also different and new, and with a wide variety, and I for one look forward to seeing this developed further, particularly in this beautiful prose.

I found Elyth to be an interesting character, we got to see her develop throughout the narrative, and while she carried the story and was the ‘heroine’, she wasn’t perfect, and her mistakes and decisions that we might not agree with her made her very human, and easy to relate to and care about. Her relationships with the other characters, especially those that are found through the course of her journey were well done and multi-faceted and felt very much a natural part of who she was and the circumstances she found herself in.

It is beautifully written, and the imagery that is invoked catches the imagination and doesn’t let go, leaving you wanting to spend more time reading about this world. Although I will say, there are a few places where it is a little too description heavy, to the point where the pace slowed a little too much. However, for the most part, I found it an excellent blend of description and contemplation, as well as action and exploration, that kept my attention throughout.

This wasn’t quite what I expected, but I loved ‘Every Sky a Grave’ and I will definitely be waiting for the next book and checking out other works by the author in the meantime. I would recommend to anyone looking for something new and refreshing, and who loves beautiful, descriptive writing.

[Katelynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

The opening was really strong and grabbed my attention, but then things just slowly trended downwards after that. And by the time I realized I didn't really care and was bored, I was too far into the book not to finish it.

The writing felt very amateur-ish. Clunky and repetitive. Also, despite Elyth being frantically on the move trying to avoid capture for basically the entire book, things progressed at a crawl. It's like solidly 200 pages of her camping in the wilderness and hiking from one location to the other. But each new spot isn't fundamentally different from the last and not really important either.

There's also not really any other characters in the whole book. A few make some glancing appearances, and one ends up playing a bigger role in the last third, but otherwise it's just Elyth. And she doesn't carry the story that well on her own.

Then there's the worldbuilding. Or, I suppose, lack of it. The whole idea with Language is really interesting, and again, the opening did a great job of grabbing my attention. But it never is explained in any real satisfactory way? So much so that when Elyth is introduced to a different way to do things, a shift in understanding of how to use this power, it doesn't really make any sense. Because the rules of the initial system were so poorly explained and laid out, it's unclear why this new potential is so radical.

The same with the ultimate resolution in the epilogue. It's supposed to be a big deal, but we don't actually have enough information to get why that is--other than we're told it's so, thus it must be true.

Overall, some interesting sci-fantasy ideas lost in poor writing and pacing. I bought this completely on a whim, knowing nothing about it because the title caught my attention. I'm not sorry to have tried this little experiment, but I wouldn't recommend this and I don't think I'll read anything else by Posey.

[RG · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first smaller setup story really intrigued me. As did the return of the protagonist to her central world. We have great world building, intriguing characters and some interesting political scheming and dynamics between different societies.

From here it changes direction and becomes a completely different story. A new world with its own mystery, Qel is introduced and Elyth must unravel some questions about the world and herself. I felt like it just dragged. Plot wise not alot happened until the last 10-15 % of the novel. Tbh there wasnt a big plot at all.

The world building and the language magic system was unique and I wish that was explored much more. Characters werent that engaging but something kept me reading.

Had potential but never really got there

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. It’a not good enough to like, but not bad enough to hate. It’s not interesting, but doesn’t evoke enough of an emotional response to be called “boring.” Every time I tried to read it I woke up feeling well rested, so that’s a point in it’s favor.

[Bookhater Hivemind · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hiking hiking for Jesus. Except I wish I hadn't. I liked the part where it ended hiking hiking
hiking hiking yoga? and hiking.

[John Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but it is not going to appeal to everyone. I will try to explain why this is so you can judge if this is a book for you or not.

The plot is based around a phenomenon called "Deep Language". This is a vaguely defined scientific magic that allows practitioners to connect to the fundamental level of reality and alter it by using words. For example you can render a planet uninhabitable by using the Deep Language to trigger planet wide volcanism. In the time honoured tradition of such books the Deep Language is never explained, just hinted at, which leaves the user to fill in the details with their imagination. I love those approach to writing but many find it annoying, and if that's you then step away from the book now.

Assuming you are still with me, the plot is a little formulaic. We have a plucky young female practitioner (Elyth) of the Deep Language meeting a wise old male sage (eth ammuin) and learning that there is far more to the Deep Language than she thought. There are also some rather slow sections where the conversations between Elyth and eth ammuin go on for several pages in a deep and mystical fashion. There are lots of action sequences, fights and chases, but to be honest these can go on a bit as well.

But I loved the worldbuilding and I loved the idea of the Deep Language, and that made the book for me hence the four star rating. If you aren't so keen on the deep and mystical in SF novels you might find it less to your taste.

[Ashli Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

“truth cares very little whether or not we accept it.”
“I have a fondness for broken things, ever since I realised I was one.”
I put off reading this for so long and i have no idea why because I genuinely loved it. a female assassin that destroys worlds, but at the same time is a complex character with deep emotions and thinking processes? It was amazing. I love that the main character was a woman but she still had depth, so many female characters are written poorly and only care about love/have no thinking, but this wasn’t the case here. she was an amazing character and I really enjoyed reading about her.
the chapters (in my opinion) were kinda long and I did find some of them hard to get through because of the length, but the context of them was amazing so it wasn’t really a deal breaker for me???
the world building was AMAZING! It was genuinely one of those books that I couldn’t stop thinking about, even after I had put it down and taken a break from it- I always found myself wondering and getting excited to get back to it.
honestly, it was a great read and super interesting with amazing characters and a steady interesting plot- deffo recommend if you are after a good sci-fi read!

[Haley The Caffeinated Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

Has a heavy Star Wars vibe and to tell you the truth after about 20% of it, I almost wanted to put it down to go ahead and play Knights of the Old Republic, but, that's a compliment. I don't get enough Scifi books that can give me that sort of atmosphere without feeling like a pale copy.

It was soothing and yet pressed on at an intense pace once Elyth lands on Qel.

Elyth's Deep Language is The Force and the First House has a bit of a Jedi likeness but with its own twists and with its own major differences, though it does stand within a triangle of power between Hezra and the Council as the Jedi did. This just shows the more political side to the First House than the Jedi have ever claimed to be.

I was sad about the burden placed on Elyth but she is one BAMF and takes every single hit like a pro and in the end shows a good deal of character development. She makes new connections, finds out different ways that The Deep Language can work. She also learns the possible value in the rehabilitation of a planet versus its destruction.

I really look forward to book two and how Elyth's path evolves.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jameson · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the author who brought us Legends of the Duskwalker and and Outriders brings us an all new adventure with some epic scale science fiction, and really finding our own path as the main focus of the main character Elyth. Part action/adventure, part space opera, and part coming of age story, Jay Posey’s writing does an excellent job of enveloping the reader providing vivid visual description, that sometime becomes a little wordy, but overall I recommend libraries purchase this title for their collections. The story is told from the point of view of Elyth, the main character and her developing her own sense of self within a space-opera level of universe-building, and leaves the series open for wonderful opportunities for the character. Science fiction fans will enjoy the intricacies of the storyline, and general readers will find a refreshing story with almost limitless possibilities. The use of language as the a focal point of the story was an aspect I really enjoyed.

[Scott - Book Invasion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never really looked into a detailed synopsis of this book before reading it. I purely went in just by the awesome title and cover, and it was lableled as 'scifi' so i went with it.
It definetely wasn't what I was expecting. It felt more like a Fantasy read that had slick garnished of Scifi. Though rather than being repelled from that I was compelled to keep reading and was intriguied to the story. This was a bit of a slow burn survivalist on-the-run kind of rescue story. Though boiling it down to only one or 2 tropes would be doing the book injustice. It contains layers of characters and twists of mistrust and betrayal. Throughout the book there's no assurances of trust or allegiance.

All in all I will give book 2 a shot as now I'm very curious to follow Elyth and her new adventures.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Skilfully dodged most of the cliched stereotypical tics that appeared ominously on the horizon and almost every character could be viewed as moral/amoral/immoral at various points of the story.
Satisfying compact read.

[Dezideriu Szabo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stars for the great ideas and the impressive world building structure. Two stars for not exploiting them to the maximum and using more than 60% of the pages to describe the main character running through forests and mountains. So, three and a half... let it be four.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! I read it on October 7, 2021. But despite just finishing it, I'm not sure how it ended!

Laurel Lefkow did a really good job performing this story. I thoroughly enjoyed her narration.

[Andras Szalai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good fantasy sci-fi hybrid, esp. for a first novel. But it is losing a star because the cover makes zero mention of it not being standalone.