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Skyship Academy #1
The Pearl Wars
A devastated Earth's last hope is found in Pearls: small, mysterious orbs that fall from space and are capable of supplying enough energy to power entire cities. Battling to control the Pearls are the Skyship dwellers--political dissidents who live in massive ships in the Earth's stratosphere--and the corrupt Surface government.
Jesse Fisher, a Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative, cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers an unexpected reaction, endowing each boy with remarkable--and dangerous--abilities that their respective governments would stop at nothing to possess.
Enemies thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.
Jesse Fisher, a Skyship slacker, and Cassius Stevenson, a young Surface operative, cross paths when they both venture into forbidden territory in pursuit of Pearls. Their chance encounter triggers an unexpected reaction, endowing each boy with remarkable--and dangerous--abilities that their respective governments would stop at nothing to possess.
Enemies thrust together with a common goal, Jesse and Cassius make their way to the ruins of Seattle to uncover the truth about their new powers, the past they didn't know they shared, and a shocking secret about the Pearls.
376 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2011
60 people are currently reading
5714 people want to read
About the author
Nick James
4 books167 followersI grew up in the small island town of Anacortes, Washington, where an active imagination was often a prerequisite for a good time. No shopping malls, no movie theater, etc, etc. My first brush with publishing was in third grade, where we were encouraged to not only write stories, but to publish, bind and present them. I think the teacher got more than she bargained for because I was soon amassing quite a personal library of colored-paper bound sagas.
As a kid, I was a voracious reader of comic books. Of course, they didn’t sell them anywhere in little Anacortes, so it was a thirty-mile drive “off island” to get them. At that age, it wasn’t even about the pictures. It was one hundred percent the stories. I was always attracted to the big drama and dialogue.
I started writing seriously when I entered college. Five “practice” novels later (some weirder than others) and I started querying what was to become Skyship Academy. Then I was lucky enough to find a fantastic publisher in Flux. And next comes the moment when I get to share my debut novel with readers!
As a kid, I was a voracious reader of comic books. Of course, they didn’t sell them anywhere in little Anacortes, so it was a thirty-mile drive “off island” to get them. At that age, it wasn’t even about the pictures. It was one hundred percent the stories. I was always attracted to the big drama and dialogue.
I started writing seriously when I entered college. Five “practice” novels later (some weirder than others) and I started querying what was to become Skyship Academy. Then I was lucky enough to find a fantastic publisher in Flux. And next comes the moment when I get to share my debut novel with readers!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 245 reviews
August 14, 2011
I would hope that I'd like it! :)
September 8, 2011
Originally Reviewed on The Book Smugglers: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/09/b...
REVIEW
First Impressions:
Ana: I’ve been excited about reading Skyship Academy ever since I first heard about it in the build-up to BEA last May when Thea put it on my radar because it sounded soooo good. But Holy SciFi YA Batman! I was not prepared for how much fun I would have reading it or for how cool and well developed the SciFi elements would be. Add to that a couple of great protagonists, and a HOLY CRAP A WTFPOLARBEAR type of twist at the end and ergo: this a pretty decent, fun Scifi book.
Thea: Like Ana, I was extremely enthusiastic for this novel. A post-apocalyptic Earth with an ongoing war between renegade “Shippers” and bureaucratic “Surfacers”? There’s a lot of potential there, and, for the most part, The Pearl Wars delivers. Though I feel the writing from both a plotting and characterization perspective lacked focus in the first two thirds of the novel, the ideas are so strong and compelling that I felt it was worth the effort. Plus, the big reveal in the book’s final act is definitely a good one (and yes, almost WTFPOLARBEAR status).
On the Plot:
Ana: Skyship Academy starts off with a bang with the two main protagonists facing off – and this encounter not only kicks off a weird reaction on both of them grating each with awesome and terrifying abilities but it also gets the story going as they need to find out more about these abilities, about each other and how can this possibly be connected with the way things are in the world. From that point onwards, the story is fast paced, interesting and I was glued to the pages until the – AWESOME – end. Although I could see one of the twists coming miles (and miles) ahead, I was very much not prepared for the main revelation in the end – it turned everything up to that point upside down and it opens up the story for loads of further development.
In terms of setting, I loved all elements of the world-building and I found everything to be very believable and intriguing not only in the terms of how the world came to be in the state that it is in but also how everything functions right now. I loved the separation and difference between the Skyshippers and the Surface dwellers and how it all involved complex politic, economical, scientific and social circumstances. Although I am not necessarily an expert (far, far from it) one of my favourite things about Scifi, especially futuristic Scifi is how it can be fun but also extremely insightful about the state of the world. I believe the author managed to combine both aspects really well, and never to the detriment of the other.
I was really impressed with this book – and can hardly believe it is a debut novel. I admit that I am one of those annoying readers who tends to question everything and usually has several “Wait a Minute” moments when reading. But I found myself relaxing and truly enjoying the ride – right now there is really, no greater compliment from me.
Thea: Overall, this is a fun, generally fast read with some truly awesome ideas. While I agree that the book ends on a high note and finally gets moving by its final act, I do think that The Pearl Wars suffered from a lack of focus and could have been a lot tighter for much of the novel. The book does, as Ana says, begin with a bang as Skyshipper Jesse Fisher finds himself dangling off a twelve-story building in a Fringe Surface town at the mercy of Cassius Stevenson, one of the cruel supersoldier in training types for the Unified Party (the official government for what used to be the USA). Then, something inexplicable happens when Jesse and Cassius are together and both begin to develop something akin to superpowers. Much of the novel is spent following these two separated characters as they struggle with their disparate worlds: one at a Skyship Academy (which is a secret cover story for Pearl Hunter training), and one at a Unified Training Camp (on the surface of the planet). While I loved the idea of this dichotomy of Skyshippers and those from the Unified Party, with their different ideologies but eerily similar endgame (i.e. prevailing over the other party and controlling all the Pearls), I felt that there wasn’t really enough background or detail given about these two warring camps. Early on, we learn that a mysterious woman known as Madame is in charge of the Unified camp, but other than the name Madame and a few scenes in her office, we don’t really know anything about her or her party. Or what they stand for, or really want (other than some heavy-handed “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” type of stuff at the end of the book). The same applies to the Skyshippers – we know they have their own leader, Alkine (whose name sounds a lot like Adama, teehee), and are some kind of nebulous party that broke with the official government back during the apocalyptic war, but the detail I yearned for was sadly neglected.
The overall effect is that this world is very dichotomous – very black and white, right and wrong. Towards the end of the novel when the big reveals come (and finally some of those juicy details sort of come to fruition), this simplistic divide is only exacerbated as there is the heavy-handed/not-so-thinly veiled Message about Terrorists and Homeland Security.
There’s also a frustrating lack of plot direction, initially, with too much time spent on Jesse being disinterested with his studies, sucking at something that is akin to Skyship capture the flag, and otherwise being generally incompetent. In contrast, Cassius is hyper-confident and effective, managing to deus-ex-machina his way around dusty wastelands and magically catch up to Jesse every time he seems to have escaped. That said, I did love the tension between Jesse and Cassius from a narrative perspective (Jesse’s first person versus Cassius’s third person narration), and the differences in their characters and personas – but more on that in a bit.
I know it sounds like I’m being unduly harsh with The Pearl Wars – and I don’t mean to be. The ideas in this book are superb, and there is so much potential for greatness here. I love the concept of Pearls (and the big reveal concerning them late in the book); I love the ideas behind this iteration of Earth and its destruction. I love the general plotline of this book and the direction it ultimately takes, and I am hungry for the next installment. I just wish there was a tighter focus for those exposition/buildup chapters instead of so much time wasted on pointless action that does nothing to advance the story, and perhaps a touch lighter hand, thematically, later on in the novel.
On the Characters:
Thea: I have to say that I loved the dual protagonist approach to this novel, with Jesse telling his shaky side of the story and displaying his insecurities, versus Cassius’s more assertive, aggressive third person storyline. The contrast between these characters is a sharp one, and I appreciated the very different perspectives (although the narration point of view makes it seem like Jesse is the “good guy” versus Cassius’s misguided aggression). Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of Jesse – the boy is helpless and virtually incompetent when it comes to anything (he’s basically a dude in distress, and needs bailing out at every turn by his more adroit female companions). He’s clumsy, flies under the radar at the academy, and basically has no desire to continue in his career path as a Pearl Hunter for the Skyship cause – and that’s fine. I just wish there was a little more meat to his character, perhaps some further introspection or a more distinct voice. As it is, he’s kinda the male equivalent of a Bella Swan: nondescript except for one super special thing (in this case, Jesse’s…superpower, for lack of a better word). That super special thing IS pretty cool though, and Jesse does show some mettle by the end of the book, so I do have hope for him in future installments.
Far more interesting to me were the secondary characters and supporting cast. Cassius, Jesse’s foil, is a driven young man with an axe to grind, and I loved his single-minded determination. With the developments that happen in this novel and his feelings of discovery and betrayal, Cassius’s character arc is far more interesting to me than Jesse’s and so very promising for future books in the series. There are also two badass female characters in the novel – Avery, with her own compelling twist of a story, and Eva, the most battle-hardened of the younger Academy ensemble.
Then, of course, there are the two opposed heads who don’t really get much time or depth – I’m referring to Madame, the utilitarian leader, and Captain Alkine, the Skyship commander. As I mentioned in the plot discussion above, I don’t think enough time or detail was assigned to these two characters and Madame borders on the caricaturish end (what with her wearing impeccable designer suits and certain dialogue choices) and Alkine a bit too good to be true. I do like that there is mystery around both of these adult characters, but hope they are a little less two-dimensional in the next book. Certainly, Mr. James alludes to mixed motives on both characters’ parts – I just hope that thread is fleshed out.
Ana: I too, loved the dual narration and although it took time to get used to the shift between first person/third person narratives, I believe the narrative choices suited both characters perfectly. I agree with not only Thea’s assessment of Cassius but also how he proved to be the more interesting character because of what he was going through. His new-found ability actually has a much bigger, terrible outside effect that made his arc even more compelling.
Having said that: although Cassius is the more interesting character, I completely loved Jesse. I loved the fact that there is a bit of gender reversal role here because he was a dude in distress, who was self-doubting and basically not really good at what he was supposed to be doing. I felt he was as developed as Cassius and I loved how the two are as different as to almost be direct opposites.
As for the secondary characters, I felt they were pretty well developed as well including the two girls Avery and Eva who were strong character but not only because they were kick-ass – because they had compelling back stories and distinct voices. And I actually felt the same way about the two adults as well and I LOVED Madame as a villain. I felt the allusions to both these characters’ past and the way they acted during this story were enough to convince me that Alkine is not entirely on the side of Good nor is Madame completely on the Dark Side of the Force. And that is awesome. I totally loved these characters and how they have so much potential to be even more awesome and I simply can’t wait for more.
Final Thoughts, Observations & Rating:
Ana: With a cool premise, great writing and world-building, fantastic characters and a twisterrific ending, Skyship Academy just made into my notable reads of 2011 list. And now I am simply dying for more.
Thea: The Pearl Wars is a solid, fun read, and though it starts on shaky ground, it ends with a hell of a bang. I’ll definitely be back for more.
Rating:
Ana: 8 – Excellent
Thea: 7 – Very Good
REVIEW
First Impressions:
Ana: I’ve been excited about reading Skyship Academy ever since I first heard about it in the build-up to BEA last May when Thea put it on my radar because it sounded soooo good. But Holy SciFi YA Batman! I was not prepared for how much fun I would have reading it or for how cool and well developed the SciFi elements would be. Add to that a couple of great protagonists, and a HOLY CRAP A WTFPOLARBEAR type of twist at the end and ergo: this a pretty decent, fun Scifi book.
Thea: Like Ana, I was extremely enthusiastic for this novel. A post-apocalyptic Earth with an ongoing war between renegade “Shippers” and bureaucratic “Surfacers”? There’s a lot of potential there, and, for the most part, The Pearl Wars delivers. Though I feel the writing from both a plotting and characterization perspective lacked focus in the first two thirds of the novel, the ideas are so strong and compelling that I felt it was worth the effort. Plus, the big reveal in the book’s final act is definitely a good one (and yes, almost WTFPOLARBEAR status).
On the Plot:
Ana: Skyship Academy starts off with a bang with the two main protagonists facing off – and this encounter not only kicks off a weird reaction on both of them grating each with awesome and terrifying abilities but it also gets the story going as they need to find out more about these abilities, about each other and how can this possibly be connected with the way things are in the world. From that point onwards, the story is fast paced, interesting and I was glued to the pages until the – AWESOME – end. Although I could see one of the twists coming miles (and miles) ahead, I was very much not prepared for the main revelation in the end – it turned everything up to that point upside down and it opens up the story for loads of further development.
In terms of setting, I loved all elements of the world-building and I found everything to be very believable and intriguing not only in the terms of how the world came to be in the state that it is in but also how everything functions right now. I loved the separation and difference between the Skyshippers and the Surface dwellers and how it all involved complex politic, economical, scientific and social circumstances. Although I am not necessarily an expert (far, far from it) one of my favourite things about Scifi, especially futuristic Scifi is how it can be fun but also extremely insightful about the state of the world. I believe the author managed to combine both aspects really well, and never to the detriment of the other.
I was really impressed with this book – and can hardly believe it is a debut novel. I admit that I am one of those annoying readers who tends to question everything and usually has several “Wait a Minute” moments when reading. But I found myself relaxing and truly enjoying the ride – right now there is really, no greater compliment from me.
Thea: Overall, this is a fun, generally fast read with some truly awesome ideas. While I agree that the book ends on a high note and finally gets moving by its final act, I do think that The Pearl Wars suffered from a lack of focus and could have been a lot tighter for much of the novel. The book does, as Ana says, begin with a bang as Skyshipper Jesse Fisher finds himself dangling off a twelve-story building in a Fringe Surface town at the mercy of Cassius Stevenson, one of the cruel supersoldier in training types for the Unified Party (the official government for what used to be the USA). Then, something inexplicable happens when Jesse and Cassius are together and both begin to develop something akin to superpowers. Much of the novel is spent following these two separated characters as they struggle with their disparate worlds: one at a Skyship Academy (which is a secret cover story for Pearl Hunter training), and one at a Unified Training Camp (on the surface of the planet). While I loved the idea of this dichotomy of Skyshippers and those from the Unified Party, with their different ideologies but eerily similar endgame (i.e. prevailing over the other party and controlling all the Pearls), I felt that there wasn’t really enough background or detail given about these two warring camps. Early on, we learn that a mysterious woman known as Madame is in charge of the Unified camp, but other than the name Madame and a few scenes in her office, we don’t really know anything about her or her party. Or what they stand for, or really want (other than some heavy-handed “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” type of stuff at the end of the book). The same applies to the Skyshippers – we know they have their own leader, Alkine (whose name sounds a lot like Adama, teehee), and are some kind of nebulous party that broke with the official government back during the apocalyptic war, but the detail I yearned for was sadly neglected.
The overall effect is that this world is very dichotomous – very black and white, right and wrong. Towards the end of the novel when the big reveals come (and finally some of those juicy details sort of come to fruition), this simplistic divide is only exacerbated as there is the heavy-handed/not-so-thinly veiled Message about Terrorists and Homeland Security.
There’s also a frustrating lack of plot direction, initially, with too much time spent on Jesse being disinterested with his studies, sucking at something that is akin to Skyship capture the flag, and otherwise being generally incompetent. In contrast, Cassius is hyper-confident and effective, managing to deus-ex-machina his way around dusty wastelands and magically catch up to Jesse every time he seems to have escaped. That said, I did love the tension between Jesse and Cassius from a narrative perspective (Jesse’s first person versus Cassius’s third person narration), and the differences in their characters and personas – but more on that in a bit.
I know it sounds like I’m being unduly harsh with The Pearl Wars – and I don’t mean to be. The ideas in this book are superb, and there is so much potential for greatness here. I love the concept of Pearls (and the big reveal concerning them late in the book); I love the ideas behind this iteration of Earth and its destruction. I love the general plotline of this book and the direction it ultimately takes, and I am hungry for the next installment. I just wish there was a tighter focus for those exposition/buildup chapters instead of so much time wasted on pointless action that does nothing to advance the story, and perhaps a touch lighter hand, thematically, later on in the novel.
On the Characters:
Thea: I have to say that I loved the dual protagonist approach to this novel, with Jesse telling his shaky side of the story and displaying his insecurities, versus Cassius’s more assertive, aggressive third person storyline. The contrast between these characters is a sharp one, and I appreciated the very different perspectives (although the narration point of view makes it seem like Jesse is the “good guy” versus Cassius’s misguided aggression). Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of Jesse – the boy is helpless and virtually incompetent when it comes to anything (he’s basically a dude in distress, and needs bailing out at every turn by his more adroit female companions). He’s clumsy, flies under the radar at the academy, and basically has no desire to continue in his career path as a Pearl Hunter for the Skyship cause – and that’s fine. I just wish there was a little more meat to his character, perhaps some further introspection or a more distinct voice. As it is, he’s kinda the male equivalent of a Bella Swan: nondescript except for one super special thing (in this case, Jesse’s…superpower, for lack of a better word). That super special thing IS pretty cool though, and Jesse does show some mettle by the end of the book, so I do have hope for him in future installments.
Far more interesting to me were the secondary characters and supporting cast. Cassius, Jesse’s foil, is a driven young man with an axe to grind, and I loved his single-minded determination. With the developments that happen in this novel and his feelings of discovery and betrayal, Cassius’s character arc is far more interesting to me than Jesse’s and so very promising for future books in the series. There are also two badass female characters in the novel – Avery, with her own compelling twist of a story, and Eva, the most battle-hardened of the younger Academy ensemble.
Then, of course, there are the two opposed heads who don’t really get much time or depth – I’m referring to Madame, the utilitarian leader, and Captain Alkine, the Skyship commander. As I mentioned in the plot discussion above, I don’t think enough time or detail was assigned to these two characters and Madame borders on the caricaturish end (what with her wearing impeccable designer suits and certain dialogue choices) and Alkine a bit too good to be true. I do like that there is mystery around both of these adult characters, but hope they are a little less two-dimensional in the next book. Certainly, Mr. James alludes to mixed motives on both characters’ parts – I just hope that thread is fleshed out.
Ana: I too, loved the dual narration and although it took time to get used to the shift between first person/third person narratives, I believe the narrative choices suited both characters perfectly. I agree with not only Thea’s assessment of Cassius but also how he proved to be the more interesting character because of what he was going through. His new-found ability actually has a much bigger, terrible outside effect that made his arc even more compelling.
Having said that: although Cassius is the more interesting character, I completely loved Jesse. I loved the fact that there is a bit of gender reversal role here because he was a dude in distress, who was self-doubting and basically not really good at what he was supposed to be doing. I felt he was as developed as Cassius and I loved how the two are as different as to almost be direct opposites.
As for the secondary characters, I felt they were pretty well developed as well including the two girls Avery and Eva who were strong character but not only because they were kick-ass – because they had compelling back stories and distinct voices. And I actually felt the same way about the two adults as well and I LOVED Madame as a villain. I felt the allusions to both these characters’ past and the way they acted during this story were enough to convince me that Alkine is not entirely on the side of Good nor is Madame completely on the Dark Side of the Force. And that is awesome. I totally loved these characters and how they have so much potential to be even more awesome and I simply can’t wait for more.
Final Thoughts, Observations & Rating:
Ana: With a cool premise, great writing and world-building, fantastic characters and a twisterrific ending, Skyship Academy just made into my notable reads of 2011 list. And now I am simply dying for more.
Thea: The Pearl Wars is a solid, fun read, and though it starts on shaky ground, it ends with a hell of a bang. I’ll definitely be back for more.
Rating:
Ana: 8 – Excellent
Thea: 7 – Very Good
August 15, 2019
I grew up on astronomy, Star Wars, Disney Channel, and action/adventure stories. So, this should be right up my alley, right?
Unfortunately, it wasn't. A passable story, marred by subpar writing, excessive profanity, occasional sexual references, and despicable characters. For once, I'm glad that I don't have the rest of the series on hand.
Unfortunately, it wasn't. A passable story, marred by subpar writing, excessive profanity, occasional sexual references, and despicable characters. For once, I'm glad that I don't have the rest of the series on hand.
July 19, 2019
This series opener has a strong beginning and an intriguing concept and setting that really kept me turning the pages, but none of the characters really stood out all that much. There's a lot of potential for this to be great but it never quite made it there for me. If you're for a lesser known YA sci-fi dystopia though you may want to give this a shot.
September 8, 2011
2.5 stars. I have to admit that I didn't enjoy this much although I liked the setting and the idea. Partly to blame is my inability to like any member of the cast. The last third of the book was only a frantic rush from page to page in an effort to get it over. I felt like I was too far in to let it go and mark it as unfinished. But it was more like taking care of a chore than having a good time with a great story. Uhhg. I am so spent that even my review sounds like spontaneous combustion. Sorry, Surface dwellers and Fringers. This girl needs to power up.
January 23, 2014
I obviously didn’t know what I was going into when I picked up this book. The plot was very interesting and fun. The pearls … were a pleasant surprise. Skyship is packed with science fiction and dystopia so for those of you who enjoy either genre or both, you should read this book. Skyship‘s world has gone arid and hot. Cities are kept alive under domes powered by pearls that fall from the sky from space. Two factions are almost point and center here, fighting over these pearls. Jesse is a thrown in the middle of the feud only to discover he has a bigger role to play than he has ever expected.
Honestly, I’m straddling on how I feel about this book. Maybe I’m in a sour mood, but I don’t feel angry. Just restless. I really wanted to really really like – love – this book. I couldn’t. Do not get me wrong. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it (see verdict). It was entertaining. It was fun. The plot was different, refreshing from other YA novels and other science fiction novels. I think it came down to the characters.
Jesse, our protaganist and narrators at certain times (the story alternates between first person, when Jesse is talking, and third person, when exploring Cassius’ perspective), wasn’t completely likable for me, but luckily I liked him enough. He comes off as a defenseless, an almost spineless guy, in the beginning, which I don’t mind… but somewhere in the middle of the book, he just switches personality and becomes headstrong and commanding. Nothing wrong with that, but why the change. What made him change? It wasn’t too clear. I can make assumptions but they aren’t too concrete. (I still don’t really empathize or care for him).
Cassius, the other main guy in the story, is strong (in the self-seeing kind of way). Yet, he harms people almost without a second thought. There’s nothing wrong with this, only, the first time he does harming in a big way, he kind of pushed any feeling aside and preceeded to chase after Jesse. Later, he saves a man’s life (who only came into harm’s way because of him)… because he cared. Basically there were no emotional point A to point B to explain these changes in behavior.
That’s it. Had to sit down and start writing this review to pinpoint out what bothered me. The characters are given light backstory, our main guys that is, and the other characters are just secondary characters. One moment the secondaries are them and the other moment they’re not (vague, I know, but I don’t want to spoil anything). Why? Why the sudden change in attitude? Never was given a reason. There’s no emotional attachment from characters in this story. We almost get it with Avery, almost recieve a reason of some sort, but then the story thread slips and her character’s personality loosens (I made the assumption of love for her reasons why she did the things she did). We get an array of people in the story, but they are given roles and not a life (hopefully you get my metaphor).
But I did like the story. I thought the plot was interesting and intriguing. There were moments where the story was slowed, but it quickly paced up again. I really enjoyed the plot. Don’t know if I can say it enough. When I realized the book was nearing its end, I wanted to read more. I wanted to find out what happens next, but the books ends kind of abruptly. So there’s a second book.
Anyway, the writing is vernacular. Prose is simple and plain. Nothing wrong with that either. James does well in creating his world. I believed the world they lived in and saw and felt its decay (not entirely right word…. morphing? terraforming?)… change from what we know (that’s better… I see I’m in a mood to talk in parenthesis tonight). I didn’t question the world. There were places and names that I knew and yet they were different in my mind because I knew they were different – I accepted the world that was given. It’s frustrating for a book to describe a place and your mind fights with it because it doesn’t match your memory or mind’s visual lenses and understanding. For me, James made his world and my brain cohesive.
Overall, I enjoyed the book becuase of its plot. It’s what drove me to read this book. The interaction between characters were somewhat stiff and expected, but again the interesting storyline made up for it. Hopefully, James does not fail his story’s concept.
Verdict: Not one I would buy, but one to definately read. I’ll be on the lookout for book two.
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Honestly, I’m straddling on how I feel about this book. Maybe I’m in a sour mood, but I don’t feel angry. Just restless. I really wanted to really really like – love – this book. I couldn’t. Do not get me wrong. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it (see verdict). It was entertaining. It was fun. The plot was different, refreshing from other YA novels and other science fiction novels. I think it came down to the characters.
Jesse, our protaganist and narrators at certain times (the story alternates between first person, when Jesse is talking, and third person, when exploring Cassius’ perspective), wasn’t completely likable for me, but luckily I liked him enough. He comes off as a defenseless, an almost spineless guy, in the beginning, which I don’t mind… but somewhere in the middle of the book, he just switches personality and becomes headstrong and commanding. Nothing wrong with that, but why the change. What made him change? It wasn’t too clear. I can make assumptions but they aren’t too concrete. (I still don’t really empathize or care for him).
Cassius, the other main guy in the story, is strong (in the self-seeing kind of way). Yet, he harms people almost without a second thought. There’s nothing wrong with this, only, the first time he does harming in a big way, he kind of pushed any feeling aside and preceeded to chase after Jesse. Later, he saves a man’s life (who only came into harm’s way because of him)… because he cared. Basically there were no emotional point A to point B to explain these changes in behavior.
That’s it. Had to sit down and start writing this review to pinpoint out what bothered me. The characters are given light backstory, our main guys that is, and the other characters are just secondary characters. One moment the secondaries are them and the other moment they’re not (vague, I know, but I don’t want to spoil anything). Why? Why the sudden change in attitude? Never was given a reason. There’s no emotional attachment from characters in this story. We almost get it with Avery, almost recieve a reason of some sort, but then the story thread slips and her character’s personality loosens (I made the assumption of love for her reasons why she did the things she did). We get an array of people in the story, but they are given roles and not a life (hopefully you get my metaphor).
But I did like the story. I thought the plot was interesting and intriguing. There were moments where the story was slowed, but it quickly paced up again. I really enjoyed the plot. Don’t know if I can say it enough. When I realized the book was nearing its end, I wanted to read more. I wanted to find out what happens next, but the books ends kind of abruptly. So there’s a second book.
Anyway, the writing is vernacular. Prose is simple and plain. Nothing wrong with that either. James does well in creating his world. I believed the world they lived in and saw and felt its decay (not entirely right word…. morphing? terraforming?)… change from what we know (that’s better… I see I’m in a mood to talk in parenthesis tonight). I didn’t question the world. There were places and names that I knew and yet they were different in my mind because I knew they were different – I accepted the world that was given. It’s frustrating for a book to describe a place and your mind fights with it because it doesn’t match your memory or mind’s visual lenses and understanding. For me, James made his world and my brain cohesive.
Overall, I enjoyed the book becuase of its plot. It’s what drove me to read this book. The interaction between characters were somewhat stiff and expected, but again the interesting storyline made up for it. Hopefully, James does not fail his story’s concept.
Verdict: Not one I would buy, but one to definately read. I’ll be on the lookout for book two.
Visit my book review blog at youngadultbookguide.wordpress.com
May 3, 2022
This alternates between first-person chapters from Jesse's POV and third-person chapters focused on Cassius. There's a lot to the world-building, and I'm probably forgetting large chunks of it, but basically this is set on a devastated Earth that's horrifically hot and kind of toxic. There are two main political factions: the Skyship dwellers who live in massive ships in the Earth's stratosphere, and the corrupt Surface government that controls the "Chosen Cities," oases protected from the results of the chemical bombings that made so much of the rest of the planet nearly unlivable. Both groups are after one thing: Pearls, mysterious little orbs that fall from space and can power entire cities or ships.
Jesse is a young Skyshipper on what should have been a simple Surface mission to retrieve a Pearl. Instead, he accidentally crosses paths with Cassius, a young Pearl hunter for the Surface government. The encounter changes both of their lives, awakening powers that neither one of them understands.
I got this for free years ago, at a conference where the poor publisher rep kept having to explain to people passing by his table that this was sci-fi and not steampunk. To be fair, neither the title nor the cover communicated that very clearly. "Skyship" still seems more steampunk than sci-fi to me.
While I enjoyed several of the revelations near the end of this book, overall this was kind of dull and weighed down by its world-building. I felt like I was swimming in a sea of info about this world, and unfortunately it was hard to bring myself to care.
None of the characters really grabbed me. Jesse was the "ordinary" protagonist who found himself caught up in a situation where everyone around him seemed to know more about what was going on than he did. Cassius was the talented and loyal protege of the villainess (and obviously being used by her). Cassius interested me more than Jesse, but neither one of them was particularly compelling.
There were several revelations near the end that were huge and completely unexpected. It seemed like the sort of information that would completely alter this world, so I was confused why no one seemed to be worried about the obvious implications of it. Was I misunderstanding how this world worked? It's possible - like I said, the world-building was more than a bit much for me. Or maybe I understood just fine, and the author just didn't want to deal with any of it until the beginning of the next book. Having your characters realize that their entire way of life is somehow going to have to change overnight would be a pretty big deal.
You'd think revelations this huge would make me excited to read the next book, but for some reason I can't work up any enthusiasm. I wouldn't say this was a bad book, but it wasn't for me. I'll be stopping here.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Jesse is a young Skyshipper on what should have been a simple Surface mission to retrieve a Pearl. Instead, he accidentally crosses paths with Cassius, a young Pearl hunter for the Surface government. The encounter changes both of their lives, awakening powers that neither one of them understands.
I got this for free years ago, at a conference where the poor publisher rep kept having to explain to people passing by his table that this was sci-fi and not steampunk. To be fair, neither the title nor the cover communicated that very clearly. "Skyship" still seems more steampunk than sci-fi to me.
While I enjoyed several of the revelations near the end of this book, overall this was kind of dull and weighed down by its world-building. I felt like I was swimming in a sea of info about this world, and unfortunately it was hard to bring myself to care.
None of the characters really grabbed me. Jesse was the "ordinary" protagonist who found himself caught up in a situation where everyone around him seemed to know more about what was going on than he did. Cassius was the talented and loyal protege of the villainess (and obviously being used by her). Cassius interested me more than Jesse, but neither one of them was particularly compelling.
There were several revelations near the end that were huge and completely unexpected. It seemed like the sort of information that would completely alter this world, so I was confused why no one seemed to be worried about the obvious implications of it. Was I misunderstanding how this world worked? It's possible - like I said, the world-building was more than a bit much for me. Or maybe I understood just fine, and the author just didn't want to deal with any of it until the beginning of the next book. Having your characters realize that their entire way of life is somehow going to have to change overnight would be a pretty big deal.
You'd think revelations this huge would make me excited to read the next book, but for some reason I can't work up any enthusiasm. I wouldn't say this was a bad book, but it wasn't for me. I'll be stopping here.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
June 5, 2013
3.5 stars.
This will be brief....
Characters weren't the best but I didn't want to kill them and these days, that's a feat in itself. I loved Cassius more than anyone else. He was my broken, kinda-on-the-wrong-side, bad ass boy.
I'm sorry you had to see that....But I need more of him and more backstory and more development and MOAR!!!!! The potential for this boy...
Jesse was okay, I guess. *shrug* The whole Jesse/Avery thing actually kinda made me edgy. I mean, he's 15 and she's 18? 3 years and girl older isn't bad (just ask my grandparents) but, I don't know, it always strikes me as really weird when they're still in their teens.
I saw one of the twists coming from a ways off and I was so proud of myself. Little did I realize that I was so focused on the one twist, I COMPLETELY ignored the other one. Yes, the other one that I should have seen coming *slaps myself* but I was quite pleased by. Very excited to see where that goes!
So, yeah, I'll be back for more. Definitely.
This will be brief....
Characters weren't the best but I didn't want to kill them and these days, that's a feat in itself. I loved Cassius more than anyone else. He was my broken, kinda-on-the-wrong-side, bad ass boy.
I'm sorry you had to see that....But I need more of him and more backstory and more development and MOAR!!!!! The potential for this boy...
Jesse was okay, I guess. *shrug* The whole Jesse/Avery thing actually kinda made me edgy. I mean, he's 15 and she's 18? 3 years and girl older isn't bad (just ask my grandparents) but, I don't know, it always strikes me as really weird when they're still in their teens.
I saw one of the twists coming from a ways off and I was so proud of myself. Little did I realize that I was so focused on the one twist, I COMPLETELY ignored the other one. Yes, the other one that I should have seen coming *slaps myself* but I was quite pleased by. Very excited to see where that goes!
So, yeah, I'll be back for more. Definitely.
May 2, 2012
I think the mistake was reading this after two Michael Grant books. I was constantly comparing them. Very bad idea when you're actually trying to like a book.
September 29, 2013
First Look: I'm not sure what exactly drew me to this book. The goggles and the word "skyship" screamed steampunk, though this book isn't even steampunk. (Up close, the goggles look fakey anyway.) Still, I decided to give it a shot.
Setting: I don't understand why the Unified Party and the Skyship people are at odds with each other. It seems that all dystopian novels have to have two battling factions. Pro tip: it is possible to write a dystopian novel without this aspect. Patrick Ness uses this wonderfully in The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men , but in both these cases, it works. Those novels take time to explore the conflicts, rather than just having conflict for the sake of it. They use the warring factions to ask difficult questions of readers: When you only have two choices, who do you fight for? A tyrant or a terrorist? Also, who do you save: the lives of many, or the life of the one person you can't live without? I wouldn't have minded the two factions aspect in The Pearl Wars, except that there was very little worldbuilding, and it felt thrown in just to give something to plot around. Enough information was laid down to establish that these were warring factions, but we weren't ever given a reason why they were fighting. Or a reason to care.
Characters: I have mixed feelings about both main characters, Jesse and Cassisus. Jesse had potential to be a character that felt real, with much for readers to connect with. He had that, to some extent, but for me, his constant complaining prevented me from ever getting close to him, as a character. He spends most of the first half of the book feeling sorry for himself because he's the worst trainee Skyship has. But he never did anything about it. If he really wanted to stop being the worst and stop being picked on for it, why didn't he work harder? Talk to his teachers and get extra help? Train for the paintball-type game on his own?
Cassius was more interesting, for me. I'm not sure why, exactly. This could be just my imagination, but I think he got less point of view chapters in the second half of the book, and Jesse's point of view took over the story. Again, I could just be making this up, but it seemed like his storyline dropped out as soon as he crossed paths with Jesse. I wish I could've gotten to know Cassius better--he seemed like an interesting character, and probably will develop throughout the rest of the trilogy.
Plot: The beginning was exciting. Then it slowed down for 150 pages or so. It finally picked back up, but by that time, it was too late to save this book from a three-star rating. There was a snippet of action at the beginning, and it caught my attention, but then it turned into a long segment of Jesse's complaining, eavesdropping, and other less-exciting things. Why is it that whenever a character randomly eavesdrops on a conversation just for the sake of it, that conversation always just so happens to be about him? The plot picked back up at the end, in terms of things actually happening, but I wish it wouldn't have taken so long to get there.
Uniqueness: The aspect of the Pearls was unique. Other than that, this book contained many too-familiar tropes of standard-issue dystopian novels.
Writing: The thing that annoyed me was the awkward point of view switches. Jesse's point of view chapters were written in first person, present tense. Cassius' were in third person, past tense. This meant that, at the beginning of every chapter, it took me a few paragraphs to readjust to the switch. It didn't make sense to me--why make one person's point of view one way, and the other character's point of view different? It wasn't consistent. And anyway, present tense tends to get on my nerves. Other than that, I had no other major issues with the writing.
Likes: Nothing not already mentioned above.
Not-so-great: Same.
Overall: This was an okay book. The setting wasn't explained fully. Jesse spent too much time complaining, but other than that, he and Cassius were decent main characters. The plot was exciting at the beginning, slowed down for too long, then picked back up at the very end. The switches every chapter or so between first person present and third person past tense were annoying. Overall, though, it was a decent book. It's more on the high side of three stars, for me, but not quite enough for me to bump up the rating.
Similar Books: The dystopian setting and dual point of view remind me of Proxy and Legend. It also has a little bit of an Airborn vibe to it.
Setting: I don't understand why the Unified Party and the Skyship people are at odds with each other. It seems that all dystopian novels have to have two battling factions. Pro tip: it is possible to write a dystopian novel without this aspect. Patrick Ness uses this wonderfully in The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men , but in both these cases, it works. Those novels take time to explore the conflicts, rather than just having conflict for the sake of it. They use the warring factions to ask difficult questions of readers: When you only have two choices, who do you fight for? A tyrant or a terrorist? Also, who do you save: the lives of many, or the life of the one person you can't live without? I wouldn't have minded the two factions aspect in The Pearl Wars, except that there was very little worldbuilding, and it felt thrown in just to give something to plot around. Enough information was laid down to establish that these were warring factions, but we weren't ever given a reason why they were fighting. Or a reason to care.
Characters: I have mixed feelings about both main characters, Jesse and Cassisus. Jesse had potential to be a character that felt real, with much for readers to connect with. He had that, to some extent, but for me, his constant complaining prevented me from ever getting close to him, as a character. He spends most of the first half of the book feeling sorry for himself because he's the worst trainee Skyship has. But he never did anything about it. If he really wanted to stop being the worst and stop being picked on for it, why didn't he work harder? Talk to his teachers and get extra help? Train for the paintball-type game on his own?
Cassius was more interesting, for me. I'm not sure why, exactly. This could be just my imagination, but I think he got less point of view chapters in the second half of the book, and Jesse's point of view took over the story. Again, I could just be making this up, but it seemed like his storyline dropped out as soon as he crossed paths with Jesse. I wish I could've gotten to know Cassius better--he seemed like an interesting character, and probably will develop throughout the rest of the trilogy.
Plot: The beginning was exciting. Then it slowed down for 150 pages or so. It finally picked back up, but by that time, it was too late to save this book from a three-star rating. There was a snippet of action at the beginning, and it caught my attention, but then it turned into a long segment of Jesse's complaining, eavesdropping, and other less-exciting things. Why is it that whenever a character randomly eavesdrops on a conversation just for the sake of it, that conversation always just so happens to be about him? The plot picked back up at the end, in terms of things actually happening, but I wish it wouldn't have taken so long to get there.
Uniqueness: The aspect of the Pearls was unique. Other than that, this book contained many too-familiar tropes of standard-issue dystopian novels.
Writing: The thing that annoyed me was the awkward point of view switches. Jesse's point of view chapters were written in first person, present tense. Cassius' were in third person, past tense. This meant that, at the beginning of every chapter, it took me a few paragraphs to readjust to the switch. It didn't make sense to me--why make one person's point of view one way, and the other character's point of view different? It wasn't consistent. And anyway, present tense tends to get on my nerves. Other than that, I had no other major issues with the writing.
Likes: Nothing not already mentioned above.
Not-so-great: Same.
Overall: This was an okay book. The setting wasn't explained fully. Jesse spent too much time complaining, but other than that, he and Cassius were decent main characters. The plot was exciting at the beginning, slowed down for too long, then picked back up at the very end. The switches every chapter or so between first person present and third person past tense were annoying. Overall, though, it was a decent book. It's more on the high side of three stars, for me, but not quite enough for me to bump up the rating.
Similar Books: The dystopian setting and dual point of view remind me of Proxy and Legend. It also has a little bit of an Airborn vibe to it.
November 24, 2024
3.5-4 stars… I really loved this book when I read it as a preteen (when it first came out!) but never got around to reading the next book. Every once in a while I thought about this book and revisiting it to finish the series, and finally got around to it.
I understand why I loved this book as a kid— two people mysteriously connected in a sci-fi dystopian world! It was right up my alley. If you are in the mood for a light easy sci-fi read, I recommend this book.
That said, revisiting The Pearl Wars as an adult, I was a bit put off by the mildly patriarchal or even misogynistic moments, like when it seems that the only two Shipper girls we know have feelings for Jesse, or his moments of taking charge that are seen as proof of his “manning up” to his friends. I also hoped for Jesse to “find himself” a bit more by the end. It seemed like he was much the same person he was at the beginning of the book, just with more knowledge of his past and what he can do. I remember being more fond of Cassius as a kid, and I see why now. I felt that his character was better fleshed out, and had stronger motivations (in his allegiance to the Unified Party). I also felt that Jesse’s romance with Avery didn’t feel earned— as a reader I did not FEEL the connection between the two, I simply knew that Jesse had feelings for her (and it was never clear how strong).
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of this genre and is looking for a book where they can find the atmosphere and action of a light sci-fi book (by that I mean without extensive exposition), and is not so much looking for characters that they can deeply relate to. I likely will continue on to finish the series!
I understand why I loved this book as a kid— two people mysteriously connected in a sci-fi dystopian world! It was right up my alley. If you are in the mood for a light easy sci-fi read, I recommend this book.
That said, revisiting The Pearl Wars as an adult, I was a bit put off by the mildly patriarchal or even misogynistic moments, like when it seems that the only two Shipper girls we know have feelings for Jesse, or his moments of taking charge that are seen as proof of his “manning up” to his friends. I also hoped for Jesse to “find himself” a bit more by the end. It seemed like he was much the same person he was at the beginning of the book, just with more knowledge of his past and what he can do. I remember being more fond of Cassius as a kid, and I see why now. I felt that his character was better fleshed out, and had stronger motivations (in his allegiance to the Unified Party). I also felt that Jesse’s romance with Avery didn’t feel earned— as a reader I did not FEEL the connection between the two, I simply knew that Jesse had feelings for her (and it was never clear how strong).
Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of this genre and is looking for a book where they can find the atmosphere and action of a light sci-fi book (by that I mean without extensive exposition), and is not so much looking for characters that they can deeply relate to. I likely will continue on to finish the series!
July 21, 2017
This story is a science fiction dystopia. It features a corrupt earth government, Skyships of rebels, and aliens. In this future when the United States has been devastated by something and retaliated by nuking any perceived enemies, surface dwellers are divided into fringers and the residents of some protected cities. These cities are powered by pearls that fall from the sky and have enough energy to keep the cities going.
The main characters are Jesse Fisher who has been raised on one of the skyships and is supposed to be training as one of the agents who are spies and soldiers. He's more interested in going to one of the other cities as soon as he turns eighteen. The other main character is Cassius Stevenson who has been raised on Earth under the control of the mysterious Madame who goal is to bring down the skyships.
The boys first meet on earth in one of the abandoned cities when both are looking for a fallen pearl. When they touch each other something strange happens to each of them. Jesse develops the ability to call the pearls to him and to cause them to explode. Cassius gains the ability to explode spewing fire all around him. Cassius has no control over this ability but Madame says that she has the cure if only he goes to skyship academy and brings her Jesse.
Jesse has plans of his own and wants to get to Seattle to find out about his mysterious past. This story is filled with action as both boys find themselves on Earth and making their way to Seattle. This is the first book in a series. I'll be reading more to find out more about Jesse and Cassius.
The main characters are Jesse Fisher who has been raised on one of the skyships and is supposed to be training as one of the agents who are spies and soldiers. He's more interested in going to one of the other cities as soon as he turns eighteen. The other main character is Cassius Stevenson who has been raised on Earth under the control of the mysterious Madame who goal is to bring down the skyships.
The boys first meet on earth in one of the abandoned cities when both are looking for a fallen pearl. When they touch each other something strange happens to each of them. Jesse develops the ability to call the pearls to him and to cause them to explode. Cassius gains the ability to explode spewing fire all around him. Cassius has no control over this ability but Madame says that she has the cure if only he goes to skyship academy and brings her Jesse.
Jesse has plans of his own and wants to get to Seattle to find out about his mysterious past. This story is filled with action as both boys find themselves on Earth and making their way to Seattle. This is the first book in a series. I'll be reading more to find out more about Jesse and Cassius.
August 13, 2024
This is a fast-paced, easy to read dystopian book. I love the adventure and the concept of the story line. It's a very imaginative plot concerning the pearls, which is cool. I am familiar with the Washington area since I grew up there, so the landscapes were fun to read about, seeing them from an imaginative, futuristic point of view. There's no swearing or sex scenes. There is a mild crush happening, but there's no explicit anything. Nice and clean. But fair warning, it does end on a cliff-hanger, so if you're enjoying the book, have the next one ready to read! I can't wait to see how this story continues in the following books of the series!
June 1, 2015
Some spoilers follow:
I almost certainly would have rated this higher had I not made the mistake of reading Skyship Academy: Crimson Rising first, not realising it was the second in a series. Thus, the twists and surprises that I would have encountered on a cold first-read just weren't there. I already knew so much of what was going to happen from the second book.
The year is 2095.
The world is a mess. Society is divided. The privileged live in the Chosen Cities where atmosphere, temperature and living conditions are controlled by Pearl energy - a power source that drops out of the sky in balls of green glow fire. Those less fortunate - or criminals expelled from the Chosen Cities - live outside in the seared wastelands of the Fringes.
Up in the sky are the Skyshippers - those who are separated from the Unified Party which controls the Chosen Cities - taking control of the great sky cities just prior to their launch.
The Tribunal of the Skyshippers doesn't trust the Unified Party - not after they nuked entire countries in retaliation for a terrorist attack. The attack - the Scarlet Bombings - razed many of the major cities of the USA but no one ever claimed responsibility.
Jesse Fisher has grown up on a skyship. He's been trained at Skyship Academy to retrieve Pearls. His first training mission - supposedly a doddle in the park to retrieve a Pearl in a deserted Fringe town - goes seriously awry when he meets up with teen Pearlhound, Cassius Stevenson.
Cassius has been trained to kill. Brought up in the Lodge by the mysterious and ruthless Madame, he is totally loyal to her. She treats him as her son. He thinks he's the only one singled out for special treatment, but he's about to find out otherwise. In his devotion he wants to do anything to please her. And knowing she likes nothing better than Pearls, he borrows a transport without permission and goes out to a Fringe town to retrieve a Pearl. Before it falls into the hands of Skyshippers.
In the Fringe town - Syracuse - he and Jesse meet. Jesse is, not to put too fine a point on it - a loser. His combat skills are limited to hiding really well. (And that's not just in his own estimation.)
So when he and Cassius confront each other on a rooftop, it's no contest. Killer Cassius wins without effort and forces Jesse into a fall off the rooftop. Jesse falls twelve storeys. But not without first momentarily grasping Cassius' hand and feeling something strange happen.
Strange enough to enable him to survive the fall without a scratch. Strange enough to cause Cassius to become a source of spontaneous combustion.
Yep, Cassius can explode - burn down everything around him including his own clothes - and come out with the skin of a newborn babe. The first time it happens he burns down his own room. The second time it happens he's on a crowded train on its way to Spokane, hunting Jesse.
Madame insists after the first incident that Jesse is the cure to the devastating problem. But she won't say why. Or how she knows.
She concocts a plan to get Cassius onto the Skyship Academy. He's got instructions to kidnap Jesse and bring him back to the Lodge. Cassius doesn't like the plan. He's anxious about the pills to control his spontaneous combustion. And he feels he's not being told essential details.
Jesse, back at the Academy, is sure there are things he is not being told. He discovers that two of his closest friends - including the girl he's been in love with for three years - have been spying on him.
For opposite sides.
Why would anybody be interested in a dorky, uncoordinated, always-getting-beaten-up-and-rescued-by-girls loser like Jesse Fisher?
Because, it transpires, he was found as a three year old wandering by himself - alone and unscathed - inside a city totally destroyed by the radiation of the Scarlet Bombings. No one else survived the razing of Seattle, no one else within a massive radius was immune to the fallout, but Jesse was at ground zero unharmed. Ever since, people have been watching him secretly to see if there's something about him that's unusual.
Fleeing Cassius' attack and attempted kidnapping, Jesse sets out for Seattle. On the way he discovers two unpleasant truths: one, he can call Pearls to him and break them open; two, Pearls aren't really energy sources - they are transport vehicles for people from the stars.
This means that the Unified Party have been killing alien people to power their cities.
In Seattle, with Madame and her stormtroopers threatening to kill his friends unless he cooperates, he learns another unpleasant truth.
This time it's about Cassius.
I almost certainly would have rated this higher had I not made the mistake of reading Skyship Academy: Crimson Rising first, not realising it was the second in a series. Thus, the twists and surprises that I would have encountered on a cold first-read just weren't there. I already knew so much of what was going to happen from the second book.
The year is 2095.
The world is a mess. Society is divided. The privileged live in the Chosen Cities where atmosphere, temperature and living conditions are controlled by Pearl energy - a power source that drops out of the sky in balls of green glow fire. Those less fortunate - or criminals expelled from the Chosen Cities - live outside in the seared wastelands of the Fringes.
Up in the sky are the Skyshippers - those who are separated from the Unified Party which controls the Chosen Cities - taking control of the great sky cities just prior to their launch.
The Tribunal of the Skyshippers doesn't trust the Unified Party - not after they nuked entire countries in retaliation for a terrorist attack. The attack - the Scarlet Bombings - razed many of the major cities of the USA but no one ever claimed responsibility.
Jesse Fisher has grown up on a skyship. He's been trained at Skyship Academy to retrieve Pearls. His first training mission - supposedly a doddle in the park to retrieve a Pearl in a deserted Fringe town - goes seriously awry when he meets up with teen Pearlhound, Cassius Stevenson.
Cassius has been trained to kill. Brought up in the Lodge by the mysterious and ruthless Madame, he is totally loyal to her. She treats him as her son. He thinks he's the only one singled out for special treatment, but he's about to find out otherwise. In his devotion he wants to do anything to please her. And knowing she likes nothing better than Pearls, he borrows a transport without permission and goes out to a Fringe town to retrieve a Pearl. Before it falls into the hands of Skyshippers.
In the Fringe town - Syracuse - he and Jesse meet. Jesse is, not to put too fine a point on it - a loser. His combat skills are limited to hiding really well. (And that's not just in his own estimation.)
So when he and Cassius confront each other on a rooftop, it's no contest. Killer Cassius wins without effort and forces Jesse into a fall off the rooftop. Jesse falls twelve storeys. But not without first momentarily grasping Cassius' hand and feeling something strange happen.
Strange enough to enable him to survive the fall without a scratch. Strange enough to cause Cassius to become a source of spontaneous combustion.
Yep, Cassius can explode - burn down everything around him including his own clothes - and come out with the skin of a newborn babe. The first time it happens he burns down his own room. The second time it happens he's on a crowded train on its way to Spokane, hunting Jesse.
Madame insists after the first incident that Jesse is the cure to the devastating problem. But she won't say why. Or how she knows.
She concocts a plan to get Cassius onto the Skyship Academy. He's got instructions to kidnap Jesse and bring him back to the Lodge. Cassius doesn't like the plan. He's anxious about the pills to control his spontaneous combustion. And he feels he's not being told essential details.
Jesse, back at the Academy, is sure there are things he is not being told. He discovers that two of his closest friends - including the girl he's been in love with for three years - have been spying on him.
For opposite sides.
Why would anybody be interested in a dorky, uncoordinated, always-getting-beaten-up-and-rescued-by-girls loser like Jesse Fisher?
Because, it transpires, he was found as a three year old wandering by himself - alone and unscathed - inside a city totally destroyed by the radiation of the Scarlet Bombings. No one else survived the razing of Seattle, no one else within a massive radius was immune to the fallout, but Jesse was at ground zero unharmed. Ever since, people have been watching him secretly to see if there's something about him that's unusual.
Fleeing Cassius' attack and attempted kidnapping, Jesse sets out for Seattle. On the way he discovers two unpleasant truths: one, he can call Pearls to him and break them open; two, Pearls aren't really energy sources - they are transport vehicles for people from the stars.
This means that the Unified Party have been killing alien people to power their cities.
In Seattle, with Madame and her stormtroopers threatening to kill his friends unless he cooperates, he learns another unpleasant truth.
This time it's about Cassius.
April 6, 2018
This was such a fast paced and easy to read book. It gripped me from page one, the characters are awesome and have distinct voices and I just really enjoyed this whole book.
This book is on the cusp between an exciting MG adventure and a coming of age YA where the characters are struggling to understand which side of the flight they want to be on. I basically read the whole thing in one sitting because it was that engrossing. I'd recommend it for fans of The Mortal Engines series by Philip Reeves as it was the same kind of tone: breakneck-speed but without sacrificing the world building or characters.
This book is on the cusp between an exciting MG adventure and a coming of age YA where the characters are struggling to understand which side of the flight they want to be on. I basically read the whole thing in one sitting because it was that engrossing. I'd recommend it for fans of The Mortal Engines series by Philip Reeves as it was the same kind of tone: breakneck-speed but without sacrificing the world building or characters.
August 15, 2014
The twists in this teen sci-fi/dystopian thriller, were a little expected and not hardly thrilling. The world building didn't make sense and the plot had much in common with a strainer.
The book is written between two characters, Jesse Fisher and Cassius Stevenson. Jesse lives aboard Skyship Academy, a school for turning children into soldiers. Cassius lives at the Lodge...another school for turning children into soldiers, only...um eviler...? Both of them are orphans, but where Jesse is a complete screw-up at all the warfare challenges Cassius is a born killer. The two meet on a rooftop, where Cassius attempts to murder Jesse by throwing him off the roof. However, a mysterious reaction between the two causes Jesse to be thrown from the roof, yet remain unharmed and leaves Cassius as a walking fire-bomb.
The revelation that Cassius and Jesse were actually brothers was not surprising, but the even bigger reveal at the end of the book, while being fairly ridiculous, could also be guessed from the minute Jesse popped his first pearl...(that doesn't sound right.)
On that note, Pearls. So, one day mysterious objects started falling from the sky. Anything in the way of the falling object was destroyed by the powerful energy that radiated from it. However, once these strange orbs landed, within seconds they are safe to touch. Makes sense. Humans in this dystopian world have run out of resources...except for wind, hydro, solar...Okay so mainly they are out of fossil fuels. But still the world basically self destructs. Luckily the way to harvest energy from the mysterious 'pearls' was discovered and the world of consumerism was saved.
The two factions of the novel, the Skyshippers and the Unified Pary, were both once part of the US. However, due to retaliation to a terrorist attack the Skyshippers parted from what became the Unified Party, disagreeing with the mass bombing of basically the rest of the world (sans like Canada, the UK and Australia it seems.) So now the two factions are both battling for control over the pearls, the *cough* only energy source. Meanwhile, most of the U.S. is a barren landscape populated by "Fringers" or poor people who can't afford to live in the "Chosen Cities" (gated communities) of the United Party.
The book follows the two as they try to discover what's happening in their bodies, Cassius burns down part of his school and Jesse has funny dreams (that's fair). They keep meeting, then being parted, only finally coming to the realization that not only are they brothers, but also aliens at the very end of the book, which left very little room for character development, esp. for Cassius, who even after he discovers he's an alien, his alien 'rents may still be out there, and he and his brother must work together in order to ...um...pop the pods and free their alien brothers and sisters, he's still like, "I should kill you."
The reader of the audiobook sadly did not impress either, though that might have been due to the quality of the material given to him. Still, I got so sick of hearing him mutter, "Hey" every time a male character greeted anyone. It was awful.
The book is written between two characters, Jesse Fisher and Cassius Stevenson. Jesse lives aboard Skyship Academy, a school for turning children into soldiers. Cassius lives at the Lodge...another school for turning children into soldiers, only...um eviler...? Both of them are orphans, but where Jesse is a complete screw-up at all the warfare challenges Cassius is a born killer. The two meet on a rooftop, where Cassius attempts to murder Jesse by throwing him off the roof. However, a mysterious reaction between the two causes Jesse to be thrown from the roof, yet remain unharmed and leaves Cassius as a walking fire-bomb.
The revelation that Cassius and Jesse were actually brothers was not surprising, but the even bigger reveal at the end of the book, while being fairly ridiculous, could also be guessed from the minute Jesse popped his first pearl...(that doesn't sound right.)
On that note, Pearls. So, one day mysterious objects started falling from the sky. Anything in the way of the falling object was destroyed by the powerful energy that radiated from it. However, once these strange orbs landed, within seconds they are safe to touch. Makes sense. Humans in this dystopian world have run out of resources...except for wind, hydro, solar...Okay so mainly they are out of fossil fuels. But still the world basically self destructs. Luckily the way to harvest energy from the mysterious 'pearls' was discovered and the world of consumerism was saved.
The two factions of the novel, the Skyshippers and the Unified Pary, were both once part of the US. However, due to retaliation to a terrorist attack the Skyshippers parted from what became the Unified Party, disagreeing with the mass bombing of basically the rest of the world (sans like Canada, the UK and Australia it seems.) So now the two factions are both battling for control over the pearls, the *cough* only energy source. Meanwhile, most of the U.S. is a barren landscape populated by "Fringers" or poor people who can't afford to live in the "Chosen Cities" (gated communities) of the United Party.
The book follows the two as they try to discover what's happening in their bodies, Cassius burns down part of his school and Jesse has funny dreams (that's fair). They keep meeting, then being parted, only finally coming to the realization that not only are they brothers, but also aliens at the very end of the book, which left very little room for character development, esp. for Cassius, who even after he discovers he's an alien, his alien 'rents may still be out there, and he and his brother must work together in order to ...um...pop the pods and free their alien brothers and sisters, he's still like, "I should kill you."
The reader of the audiobook sadly did not impress either, though that might have been due to the quality of the material given to him. Still, I got so sick of hearing him mutter, "Hey" every time a male character greeted anyone. It was awful.
August 18, 2011
I feel I should probably warn you in advance that this is a super long review with lots and lots of love!
Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars was a book I had heard about briefly before BEA. I picked up a copy, thinking it looked pretty cool. Then I found out James Dashner had blurbed it, so that definitely put it on my radar. What I happened to find was one of those super rare gems of a book that are absolutely brilliant. Oh my golly, this book is absolutely, freaking fantabulous and I loved it so so much.
This book was super well written - one of the best written books I've read in months. Then it was told in alternating chapters between the two main characters for the majority of the book, which was super cool.
The premise of The Pearl Wars was really unique. I loved that it was unlike anything I had ever read, and then still every time I would think something was set in stone it was time for some new cool plot curve. The Pearl Wars kept my attention for the entire book – I literally sat for 3 hours and didn’t put it down until I finished. I didn’t want to.
The one thing I wish I had known was just a little more background about Madame and the government. She knew so much and sent Cassius on this mission, I just constantly wanted to know more and the waiting drove me nuts! I still would love to know more, and I hope that more of those answers are revealed in book 2.
The characters were really quite marvelous. I absolutely loved Avery. I thought she was super spunky and had so much confidence. I wasn’t Jesse’s biggest fan at first, but he was a character that really grew on me as the book went on. That really went for Cassius as well.
This book really didn't have any romance, which was super lovely. I take that back, I guess it did, a little. But it was a super underlying plot element and really didn't like take over the plot. It was so refreshing. There really need to be more books like this.
I cannot wait for the next book – this book was nicely tied up, but now there are so many questions I have and I am so giddy to find out where the story will go. It has been quite awhile since I’ve read a super fabulous science fiction-y read.
The Pearl Wars was a marvelous debut. It was super brilliant and comes with a super snazzy looking cover. With its original premise and fantastic cast of characters, The Pearl Wars will be a book you will not want to miss.
Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars was a book I had heard about briefly before BEA. I picked up a copy, thinking it looked pretty cool. Then I found out James Dashner had blurbed it, so that definitely put it on my radar. What I happened to find was one of those super rare gems of a book that are absolutely brilliant. Oh my golly, this book is absolutely, freaking fantabulous and I loved it so so much.
This book was super well written - one of the best written books I've read in months. Then it was told in alternating chapters between the two main characters for the majority of the book, which was super cool.
The premise of The Pearl Wars was really unique. I loved that it was unlike anything I had ever read, and then still every time I would think something was set in stone it was time for some new cool plot curve. The Pearl Wars kept my attention for the entire book – I literally sat for 3 hours and didn’t put it down until I finished. I didn’t want to.
The one thing I wish I had known was just a little more background about Madame and the government. She knew so much and sent Cassius on this mission, I just constantly wanted to know more and the waiting drove me nuts! I still would love to know more, and I hope that more of those answers are revealed in book 2.
The characters were really quite marvelous. I absolutely loved Avery. I thought she was super spunky and had so much confidence. I wasn’t Jesse’s biggest fan at first, but he was a character that really grew on me as the book went on. That really went for Cassius as well.
This book really didn't have any romance, which was super lovely. I take that back, I guess it did, a little. But it was a super underlying plot element and really didn't like take over the plot. It was so refreshing. There really need to be more books like this.
I cannot wait for the next book – this book was nicely tied up, but now there are so many questions I have and I am so giddy to find out where the story will go. It has been quite awhile since I’ve read a super fabulous science fiction-y read.
The Pearl Wars was a marvelous debut. It was super brilliant and comes with a super snazzy looking cover. With its original premise and fantastic cast of characters, The Pearl Wars will be a book you will not want to miss.
September 6, 2011
What do you get when you mix a little sci-fi with a smidge dystopian, and top it all off with some incredible world-building? You get Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars, that’s what. And it is one phenomenally written and executed book, with plenty of action and a plot that only thickens.
Nick James has created this vast world that is still our Earth, but so different. The three different factions – Skyship, the Unified Party, and the Fringers – have these politics that govern them and it’s complicated, but James explains it in ways that make it interesting and easy to get. His descriptions of air ships, the broiling Surface, and the Chosen Cities are vivid. The reader will be right there, alongside Jesse or Cassius.
That brings me to the main character: Jesse Fisher. How can the reader not love Jesse? He’s this uncoordinated, scrawny kid with a lot to live up to. Without any family, he always feels alone. He knows he’s not going to be the best Pearl agent – or even a decent one at that – but he strives to do well, despite it all.
Cassius, like Jesse, is alone; but unlike Jesse, Cassius succeeds in everything he does. The two boys are on opposite sides of an imposing war, fighting to find the Pearls that power most of their planet. Their struggle to discover who they are, in the wake of bristling new powers, drives the story. Secondary characters like Avery, Alkine, Madame, and Jesse’s teammates Eva and Skandar all add some extra depth to the story.
The Pearl Wars is a rare gem of a book that will keep readers on the edge of their seat and blow their minds with the startling conclusion. There was very little that I saw coming in this book and the one thing I did see coming, was miniscule in comparison to the bigger picture. I’m insisting that you read this one yourself. The world-building is astonishingly well-thought out, the characters are fully developed, and everything about the Pearls left me in shock. Nick James is an author to watch and now that I’ve started this series, I know I’ll be unable to ever put it down. I need the next one now!
Nick James has created this vast world that is still our Earth, but so different. The three different factions – Skyship, the Unified Party, and the Fringers – have these politics that govern them and it’s complicated, but James explains it in ways that make it interesting and easy to get. His descriptions of air ships, the broiling Surface, and the Chosen Cities are vivid. The reader will be right there, alongside Jesse or Cassius.
That brings me to the main character: Jesse Fisher. How can the reader not love Jesse? He’s this uncoordinated, scrawny kid with a lot to live up to. Without any family, he always feels alone. He knows he’s not going to be the best Pearl agent – or even a decent one at that – but he strives to do well, despite it all.
Cassius, like Jesse, is alone; but unlike Jesse, Cassius succeeds in everything he does. The two boys are on opposite sides of an imposing war, fighting to find the Pearls that power most of their planet. Their struggle to discover who they are, in the wake of bristling new powers, drives the story. Secondary characters like Avery, Alkine, Madame, and Jesse’s teammates Eva and Skandar all add some extra depth to the story.
The Pearl Wars is a rare gem of a book that will keep readers on the edge of their seat and blow their minds with the startling conclusion. There was very little that I saw coming in this book and the one thing I did see coming, was miniscule in comparison to the bigger picture. I’m insisting that you read this one yourself. The world-building is astonishingly well-thought out, the characters are fully developed, and everything about the Pearls left me in shock. Nick James is an author to watch and now that I’ve started this series, I know I’ll be unable to ever put it down. I need the next one now!
December 4, 2011
First Impression:
I had seen this book around and when I got a copy, I decided to read it as soon as I could because I had heard so much buzz about it. Part of the reason is because it seems like such a different read. The plot was intriguing and that cover definitely pulls you in.
While Reading:
Two boys meet while each tries to retrieve a Pearl, these objects that fall from the sky and provide energy for ships and cities. Jesse is from Skyship, while Cassius is from the Surface. When they meet, a spark changes them dangerously. Cassius goes back and burns his room to ashes without meaning to. Jesse too has a reaction that scares him. The two are enemies but there is something that draws them together. Something about the Pearls.
The Pearl Wars is the first of what I imagine will be one awesome series. There are a million questions at the beginning of the book and by the end there are few answers. It's a science fiction action adventure where two boys must come to terms with their past and figure out what their future is together. I loved the political aspect of the book as well, why these two factions separated themselves between the Surface and the Sky. The characters were intriguing and the plot moved quickly so that the book was a fast, entertaining read.
Verdict:
I'll definitely be looking forward to the next in the series. A great book for fans of action adventure with science fiction elements.
I had seen this book around and when I got a copy, I decided to read it as soon as I could because I had heard so much buzz about it. Part of the reason is because it seems like such a different read. The plot was intriguing and that cover definitely pulls you in.
While Reading:
Two boys meet while each tries to retrieve a Pearl, these objects that fall from the sky and provide energy for ships and cities. Jesse is from Skyship, while Cassius is from the Surface. When they meet, a spark changes them dangerously. Cassius goes back and burns his room to ashes without meaning to. Jesse too has a reaction that scares him. The two are enemies but there is something that draws them together. Something about the Pearls.
The Pearl Wars is the first of what I imagine will be one awesome series. There are a million questions at the beginning of the book and by the end there are few answers. It's a science fiction action adventure where two boys must come to terms with their past and figure out what their future is together. I loved the political aspect of the book as well, why these two factions separated themselves between the Surface and the Sky. The characters were intriguing and the plot moved quickly so that the book was a fast, entertaining read.
Verdict:
I'll definitely be looking forward to the next in the series. A great book for fans of action adventure with science fiction elements.
April 28, 2013
TL;DR version: The story got interesting (eventually), but the bland characters leave this novel a little lifeless.Skyship Academy tells its story from two points of view: first-person narrator Jesse, a bottom-rung student at the titular academy; and a third-person limited narrator detailing the events as seen by Cassius, an agent of the academy's biggest enemy, the Unified Party.
The novel sets up the conflict between these two as a political one against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic United States. Combined with pretty flat and uninteresting characters (Jesse and Cassius themselves, as well as the avatars of each side, Captain Alkine for the academy and "Madame" for the Unified Party, lack any real subtlety), the political fight is pretty uninteresting.
Things finally pick up with the big reveal towards the end, which moves the story more directly into science fiction...but you have to slog through a lot of fairly un-engaging material to get there.
If I catch the second book on sale somewhere I may pick it up because I AM a little interested in where the story goes from here. I would tentatively recommend the same to others...maybe without reading this first book beforehand, since I'm sure book 2 will provide sufficient explanation and hopefully dive directly into the more interesting story.
November 17, 2015
3.7 stars.
This book started off great for me. For quite a while I would have given it five stars. The voice is strong, the main character is likable and easy to relate to. Some of the secondary characters are interesting, although many of them weren't as fleshed-out as they could have been. I thought the concept was original and the story world well thought-out.
It began to slip for me during the last 1/4 of the book. A little too much info-dumping at the end, with Madame explaining her plan and then Alkine explaining his actions. Also, some of the ending confrontation felt a bit contrived--like the author thought the book had to have a big action scene with guns blazing--I'd have appreciated less theatrics and more character at that point. Also, I never really felt the Jesse-Avery connection. Cassius was interesting and I did very much appreciate how things turned out with him at the end--no spoilers!
I did enjoy the book enough to want to keep going with the series.
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book 1
book 2
This book started off great for me. For quite a while I would have given it five stars. The voice is strong, the main character is likable and easy to relate to. Some of the secondary characters are interesting, although many of them weren't as fleshed-out as they could have been. I thought the concept was original and the story world well thought-out.
It began to slip for me during the last 1/4 of the book. A little too much info-dumping at the end, with Madame explaining her plan and then Alkine explaining his actions. Also, some of the ending confrontation felt a bit contrived--like the author thought the book had to have a big action scene with guns blazing--I'd have appreciated less theatrics and more character at that point. Also, I never really felt the Jesse-Avery connection. Cassius was interesting and I did very much appreciate how things turned out with him at the end--no spoilers!
I did enjoy the book enough to want to keep going with the series.
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My YA fantasy series:
book 1
book 2
June 11, 2012
In the year 2095, the Earth is a parched, blazing hot planet. In order to survive, people are gathered in a few Chosen Cities, surrounded by Bio-Nets to protect and cool them. Power for the cities comes from Pearls -- warm globes of light that fall from space occasionally. Without them, the cities would die, so the search for Pearls is ongoing. Because the Surface Cities are so desperately crowded, political dissidents have established homes in the Skyships -- massive ships in the Earth's stratosphere, and they compete with the Surface dwellers for the Pearls.
This story alternates POV between two 15-year-olds -- Jesse Fisher from a Skyship and Cassius Stevenson from the Surface. Each has some unusual abilities, and when they get together, they trigger some unusual reactions.
I love the concept of this book. So many good ideas! But even with some extensive explanation, the complicated politics were difficult to follow. The Unified Party, the Separatist Movement, the Hernandez Treaty, the Commonwealth, the International Skyline, the Skyship Academy, the Scarlet Bombings, Fringers, Shippers, and the Chronic Energy Crisis Commission. Since I didn't get the politics, and kept reading anyway, I wonder if some of the explanations of politics could have been simplified or eliminated.
Teen post-apocalyptic and sci-fi lovers would enjoy this book.
This story alternates POV between two 15-year-olds -- Jesse Fisher from a Skyship and Cassius Stevenson from the Surface. Each has some unusual abilities, and when they get together, they trigger some unusual reactions.
I love the concept of this book. So many good ideas! But even with some extensive explanation, the complicated politics were difficult to follow. The Unified Party, the Separatist Movement, the Hernandez Treaty, the Commonwealth, the International Skyline, the Skyship Academy, the Scarlet Bombings, Fringers, Shippers, and the Chronic Energy Crisis Commission. Since I didn't get the politics, and kept reading anyway, I wonder if some of the explanations of politics could have been simplified or eliminated.
Teen post-apocalyptic and sci-fi lovers would enjoy this book.
March 20, 2013
2.5 maybe.
Earth is mostly ruined; the few cities left standing on the surface and the skyships in the air depend on mysterious and powerful pearls that fall from the sky. Two boys, Jesse and Cassius, on opposing sides of the political divide, clash over the pearls and eventually find out more is going on than they realize... and that they have a special connection to the pearls.
While I liked the idea for this book, it didn't really work so well for me. The story is told in simple language and distractingly shifts perspectives from first person present tense to third person past tense. I never really connected with any of the characters (Jesse's kinda wimpy, Cassius is just angry and violent for no good reason) and honestly didn't see much to distinguish one secondary character from another. Worst of all everything was moved along by external and often random events instead of having the characters make choices that mattered.
Definitely action packed and pretty obviously aimed at YA boys. For that audience it may be exciting enough. With all the YA books out there aimed at girls, I suppose it was refreshing to read from a male perspective, but since I'm not in that demographic it wasn't a huge hit with me. I prefer more plot, world-building and character development, even in my YA books. Will probably pass on the rest of the series.
Earth is mostly ruined; the few cities left standing on the surface and the skyships in the air depend on mysterious and powerful pearls that fall from the sky. Two boys, Jesse and Cassius, on opposing sides of the political divide, clash over the pearls and eventually find out more is going on than they realize... and that they have a special connection to the pearls.
While I liked the idea for this book, it didn't really work so well for me. The story is told in simple language and distractingly shifts perspectives from first person present tense to third person past tense. I never really connected with any of the characters (Jesse's kinda wimpy, Cassius is just angry and violent for no good reason) and honestly didn't see much to distinguish one secondary character from another. Worst of all everything was moved along by external and often random events instead of having the characters make choices that mattered.
Definitely action packed and pretty obviously aimed at YA boys. For that audience it may be exciting enough. With all the YA books out there aimed at girls, I suppose it was refreshing to read from a male perspective, but since I'm not in that demographic it wasn't a huge hit with me. I prefer more plot, world-building and character development, even in my YA books. Will probably pass on the rest of the series.
July 31, 2012
DO NOT READ THE BACK OF THE BOOK before reading the book! IT IS ONE HUGE SPOILER. I just read it after finishing the book and am very glad I didn't, since it allowed the story to unfold naturally, without anything being given away. That being said, READ THE BOOK! IT'S AMAZING!
I got this book from the library because I won its sequel in the First Reads Giveaway, and have made the experience that it's usually a good idea to read number 1 first.
This book is amazing. The plot is very well developed, and information is revealed at a good pace. The characters are very interesting and I could not put the book down.
The story goes a lot deeper than one might assume at the beginning, and now I cannot wait to read the next volume. Unfortunately it hasn't arrived yet, so it'll have to wait.
I got this book from the library because I won its sequel in the First Reads Giveaway, and have made the experience that it's usually a good idea to read number 1 first.
This book is amazing. The plot is very well developed, and information is revealed at a good pace. The characters are very interesting and I could not put the book down.
The story goes a lot deeper than one might assume at the beginning, and now I cannot wait to read the next volume. Unfortunately it hasn't arrived yet, so it'll have to wait.
September 10, 2016
The Pearl Wars was an amazing book that was filled with action and some romance with a hint of comedy. There were some pieces of the book I felt were dull or slow but the book in a whole made up for it. Even though there were the dull parts, I still found the book entertaining and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved how there is a little bit of everything for everyone in the book. A little bit of romance, a lot of action, and a little bit of comedy. The crazy thing about the book is the ending. It is an unexpected and intriguing ending that makes you not want to stop reading and immediately go to the next book in the series. When I first started to read the book I thought I wouldn't like it, but I’m glad I read it.
July 16, 2012
I tried to read this on Evan's urging, but couldn't stand the goofy, high-bravado, flat, hipster dialog. Barf. (Later, I was scolded by a knowledgable and trustworthy YA bookseller, who explained that it was *supposed* to be campy -- duh, mom!) Anyway, Evan *loved loved loved* this book. Chewed it right up. Get the impression that it is action-packed, creative, and highly entertaining. He eagerly awaits the sequel, coming out in September. He would give it five stars, I'd give it two. I'm compromising at three since 3.5 isn't an option. . . .
July 8, 2016
3.25 stars. I am a sucker for stories set in schools/academies/universities and their requisite tropes. Who can resist one set on skyships?? The mystery behind the real identities of the two main boys and the world-building was solid, but the boys themselves left a little wanting. Jesse, in particular, really annoyed me with his waffling, slacking and general awkwardness. The twist at the end was creative, hence the extra .25 star.
March 6, 2020
I liked this book! My favourite part of it was how there was a lot of action and battles and how it took place many years in the future.
It started off over a battle for a pearl Jesse from the Skyship Academy and Cassius of the land people. The pearls are everything to these people for the pearls can powers cities and the pearls are there earths last hope (everyone wants the pearls). I would recommend this book from people in grade 6-9.
It started off over a battle for a pearl Jesse from the Skyship Academy and Cassius of the land people. The pearls are everything to these people for the pearls can powers cities and the pearls are there earths last hope (everyone wants the pearls). I would recommend this book from people in grade 6-9.
December 3, 2012
This book a mix of sci-fi and post-apocalyptic. I really like the whole ability thing, it was so fun.
I will definitely pick up the next book!
I will definitely pick up the next book!
December 12, 2013
I read this one for a 40p challenge I didn't think it would be that good, but it was all right.
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