Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Skyward by Brandon Sanderson starting on August 21, 2023.


Happy Reading!

Thank you!

If anyone is interested in doing a chronological reread, the short story Defending Elysium technically is set several hundred years before Skyward (not sure on the exact timing). It also fits pretty well reading it afterwards, before Starsight, but I'd definitely recommend reading before Cytonic.

I wondered about that.

When I was reading Cytonic for the first time, there was a reference in it that made me remember... oh yeah, Brandon had said something about the seeds of this series being in one of his short stories... and then I went back and dug it up. And was glad I did.

I've got a very long backlog of eye reads, but I've had these on my shelves since the first was published... I really want to get to them!

Nirkatze wrote: "Thank you!

If anyone is interested in doing a chronological reread, the short story Defending Elysium technically is set several hundred years before Skyward (not sure on the exact..."

Thanks!

I’ve started this one. I’m at 16%. I’m not enjoying it as much as I usually enjoy Brando Sando and I’m not sure why. Definitely still good but he usually has me glued. I think it’s to do with the first person female narrative. I usually struggle with those. I hated his Vin character from Mistborn but I don’t think those were written in first person.

Just wait... DOOMSLUG is key to loving Skyward :D

I got to the (view spoiler)[ AI in the ship and he’s hilarious. Also, Ironsides is petty as hell and should be disqualified from leadership on that alone. (hide spoiler)]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Just wait... DOOMSLUG is key to loving Skyward :D

"

Doomslug!!! I love Doomslug. I had to get a Doomslug plushie--I think @Iain you're the one who told me about those, in the Cytonic read a while ago.

Hoping to join y'all next week!

I ship Spin and Jerkface.

LOL Jerkface. I love the story in that name.

Did my re-read today... definitely feels YA... not sure I'd read this from another author, but I give Sanderson the benefit of the doubt, and read basically everything he publishes... because I know it'll have awesome action scenes and conclusions and reveals...

It's funny how all DOOMSLUG fan art has that dopey smiley face and anime eyes, but the description clearly says the slug is faceless...

More realistic depiction:

Awwww, it's still a cutie!

I'm up to chapter 27 in my reread... True, Sanderson's YA books aren't quite as immersive, but I still really enjoy them. Leagues more than most YAs, come to think of it...

I also find Spensa more appealing in eyebook than audio. The narrator's voice doesn't quite do the bloodthirsty quips justice. Or at least my headcannon Spensa voice is deeper and more enthusiastic.

I think Spensa would love Conan the Barbarian. "What is best in life?" "To crush my enemies! To see them driven before me! And to hear the lamentation of the women!"

I'm not sure if this is my first or second reread, but first on audio. (view spoiler)[It was a bit sad, hearing the flight group introduced, and realizing I didn't remember most of them, and what that must mean.... Morningtide and Vim (?) die so early, comparatively... I really liked Spensa's speech afterwards... I teared up a little. (hide spoiler)]

started my reread too and I don't remember anything so it's like first time reading it. They only thing I remember is that I loved Doomslug. Love the Doomslug pictures, it's cute either way

until chapter 12 (view spoiler)[ it's frustrating how Ironfist doesn't even let Spensa eat there. And Spensa just living on rats in a cave is sad. On the upside there is M-Bot so I can't wait to read their interactions again

It was also incredible dangerous to let them pilot real starships on their first day for most of them. It could have been a disaster without any krell interfering

And I forgot how fast paced it is. I am flying through the pages (hide spoiler)]

this is a first read from me although I did get about 30 pages in to it acouple years ago... the whole premise with the (view spoiler)[ Krell bombing pockets of civilization when they get too large really reminds of Gurren Laggan (an anime) and now I really want to rewatch that xD (hide spoiler)]

Hope I'll find a bit of time to join you with this one sometime soon as book is waiting for my attention :)

hello guys, good to see more people in here

until chapter 28 (view spoiler)[ so many deaths. They really need to find another way to fight the krell because they are getting anhilarated

Nice to see Jerkface being less of a jerk and to see the girls helping Spensa out, giving her food and helping her sleep with them

M-bot is amazing. I forgot how mushroom crazy he was and his whole I have no emotions speeches (hide spoiler)]

@Emily--I haven't watched Gurren Lagen, but I can definitely see how Skyward has a lot of Anime-esque notes to it... like Paula was saying about Chapter 12--(view spoiler)[Kids being thrown into cockpits on first day of class to fight emergency alien attack is very Anime... and Spensa's bloodthirsty cheerfulness too... (hide spoiler)]

re: Chapter 28 (view spoiler)[The deaths... part of what I was thinking of in my reread--"I don't remember these characters.... shit."

You would think with the insane attrition rate, that they would lower the threshold for accepting pilots... and be more careful with them. Mongrel has a really good point... they're mortgaging their future to protect the now, and payment's coming up soon...

I love the sleepover scene! Spensa had been so isolated, even with MBot & co... she needs the team time...

And I really like how we slowly get to see that Jerkface isn't what Spensa thinks he is... I'm actually thinking back to when Mongrel (Can't remember his teacher name off the top of my head) asked Spensa how many hours she had clocked already in the cockpit, and what qualifications he should use to choose flight leader, if not experience. Turn her assumptions upside down.

M-Bot & mushrooms. So cute! (hide spoiler)]

finished! (view spoiler)[ loved it! And I couldn't remember many things so I was surprised by many things.

I also have the same questions as the characters as who are the krell ans how are they going to break free. I barely remember something of those questions so I am going to rediscover those answers

I loved how M-Bot saved the day by choosing Spensa as his pilot. And the huge difference between the ships and how Spensa can't have a functional ship haha

I also enjoyed how Jerkface ended up not being such a jerkface and how he embraced his nickname in the end

I am not sure if now is a good time to read Defending elysium or any other novella or after book two (hide spoiler)]

Nirkatze (view spoiler)[ definely. Mongrel (Cobb) should have been been admiral and not Ironsides.

And Spensa also made assumptions about Jerkfaces "cronies". They have their own opinions and even helped Spensa when Jorgen got out of line

Who would have thought a talking ship and a slug would have been one of my favourite characters in the book (hide spoiler)]

Grats on Finish Paula! (view spoiler)[I love how Jerkface is like "oh fine. Callsign: Jerkface." And the pep-talk Cobb (!Thank you!) gave him about it--either ignore it or embrace it.

I think Cobb is actually in a good spot as 2nd-in-command... he's too soft hearted to be able to make the tough decisions as admiral... which makes him a good check on Ironsides, as long as she listens to him...

Both of them have the problem of having been burned before and their knee-jerk reactions to situations are almost exactly opposite... (hide spoiler)]


I have my Doomslug plushie and M-Bot model next to me as I type...

Defending Elysium could be read at any time. The hints that date back to it come mostly in book 3, but it was written long before the series so it's pretty fair game.

Other novellas, wait for after book 2. They take place during the same time period as Cytonic... it'd actually be kind of interesting to see which chapters correspond with which novellas... that might be something to keep an eye out for later.

Third novella should be read after Cytonic, but before the epilogue. Or just read the epilogue for the WTF factor, and the third novella explains how and why. Which is actually how the authors intended it to go first run through.

Finished Part III. Loving this so far, ticks a lot boxes for me! I'm wondering if yall have gotten the answers to a lot of the questions I have so far as rereaders (view spoiler)[ what really happened when Spin's dad was killed, what the Krell are, where MBot came from...
I'm thinking the Krell are if not humans themselves, human made..
Also the helmet thing, Spin hearing voices and hints about the Krell hearing human thoughts... There's something telepathic happening there...

ALSO Have I ever mentioned how much I love sentient ships/houses/non biological things? Idk why but they make me so happy when I encounter them in media 🥹 (hide spoiler)]

Emily, all your questions are answered in Skyward's sequels. You're not supposed to know just yet.

Mmmhmmm, at least one of the answers you get by the end of the book, book 2 pretty much explores a second question, and book 3 brings up a third... though there's also good hints by the end of book 1 on each. Good scattering of questions there. ^^

It is cool, rereading--it definitely gives a difference in perspective. I remember that (safe for up to where you are) (view spoiler)[Spensa's father's situation totally stumped me first time reading through--what happened? Is the historical record right or is Spensa's gut right? What of the impression we get of him in the very start of the book? Something was off...

And of course, on reread, I know. And it's interesting to see how it affects the story with that knowledge. (hide spoiler)]

and finished! woof I havent spent hours eye reading a book in a very long time. I think I gave myself a headache lol
very satisfying ending with answers or hints to a lot of my questions with lots more to explore!

Ditto! I'm so glad we're doing this reread before the last book comes out!

Ooo I’m going to read that short now.

Nirkatze (view spoiler)[ Yeah, the problem is Ironsides doesn't listen to him. Good point about the opposite reaction (hide spoiler)]

So awesome. A Doomsluh plushie sounds lovely

Okay, thanks for the information on the novellas. Interesting, I'll read the third novella after the epilogue then to experience the WTF factor haha

Finished.

I enjoyed it (view spoiler)[ Very different than what l'm used to reading from him. In the beginning I didn't really like Spensa, I can understand that she was not liked by anybody but when she was always angry and having an attitude towards people that didn't know who she was. Later I did like her more. I like the relationship she had with Doomslug and M-Bot the robot with an attitude!!

I think it was easy to know that JerkFace (was a bit annoying how many times it was repeated in the book) was going to help her.

Her being able to hear them was not expected (hide spoiler)]

Pretty sure it was Iain who informed me about the existence of the doomslug plushie....
https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/prod...

@Dominique--grats on finish! For me, I think the audiobook made Spensa sound more belligerent than her inner voice did when eye-reading... and I have to wonder (view spoiler)[how much her attitude contributed to her general lack of friends, or if it was all to do with her family being Outcast due to her father? When she joined the Skyward Flight, it seems like most folk enjoyed her quirks--but then, they were also all adolescents who were interested in fighting.

I also got caught by the twists at the end. (hide spoiler)]

Paula wrote: "Nirkatze [spoilers removed]

So awesome. A Doomsluh plushie sounds lovely

Okay, thanks for the information on the novellas. Interesting, I'll read the third novella after the epilogue then to exp..."

for a second, I thought we were supposed to read the 3rd novella NOW, and not after the Cytonic epilogue...

I got finished my planned books this month so decided to give this a try, starting part 4 now (view spoiler)[I hadn't read much about it other than it is not Cosmere related so the fact it is YA was a surprise but I was not mad, I am fine reading YA. I was surprised about the number of deaths so far, was not expecting that. Ironsides is awful, if she is so dead set against Spensa becoming a pilot then she should have refused her the classes & test. I understand why she is like she is though, she lost her father who she was very close with and her place in the community at the same time and as a very young girl. Also if Rig dies I will be very sad.

It is a crazy quick read so far, I started last night for a bit and I am already starting part 4, no complaints about that! (hide spoiler)]

Ann-Marie wrote: "I got finished my planned books this month so decided to give this a try..."

Most of Sanderson's non-Cosmere work is YA... it's also through a different publisher than all his Cosmere stuff... chance to diversify on the business side...

Nirkatze wrote: "Pretty sure it was Iain who informed me about the existence of the doomslug plushie....
https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/prod...

@Dominique--grats on finish! For me, I think the ..."

I agree, (view spoiler)[I think reading instead of the audio my feelings towards her might be different. Teenagers!! were we like that? (hide spoiler)]

Dominique wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Pretty sure it was Iain who informed me about the existence of the doomslug plushie....
https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/prod...

@Dominique--grats on finish! For..."

NEVER!!... (view spoiler)[we (thought we) were much more mature... ;) (hide spoiler)]

Finished and I liked it a lot! I half listened, half read and had no preference but I did start with listening so maybe that was enough to not negatively influence my opinion of her? (view spoiler)[It makes sense about her father now and I liked how it ended, left just enough unknown but it wasn't a dumb cliffhanger. Even Ironsides redeemed herself a bit which I did not think was possible. Jerkface embracing his call sign was everything, I wonder if he will remain an active pilot?

What I don't get is why the coward tag if you eject? I mean they are recruiting for pilots younger than ever because there is a shortage, if they review the footage and eject is the only option why the negative result? I would think they would want good pilots to stay active.

Also I adore M-Bot, Doomslug and Rig <3 (hide spoiler)]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Dominique wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Pretty sure it was Iain who informed me about the existence of the doomslug plushie....
https://www.dragonsteelbooks.com/prod...

@Dominique--gr..."

Lol!

Grats on the Finish, Ann-Marie! (view spoiler)[I swear, when Jorgen says "Callface....oh fine, Jerkface." That just made my day. My week.

So agree on ejecting... there's a lot messed up with the culture... the whole cultural stigma on cowardice is killing their future more than cowardice would... I don't remember, but I'm wondering if the stigma is maybe connected to how the ancestors ended up on the planet in the first place? Like, this goes beyond just Spensa's father... (hide spoiler)]

@Iain--it's amazing how that turnaround has happened... now that I'm .... "mature" ... I feel more childish...

Ann-Marie, congratulations! (view spoiler)[ Another M-Bot and Doomslug lover :) They are the best. And Rig too for the amazing work he did on M-Bot (hide spoiler)]

Yes Rig! (view spoiler)[Can't forget the handy engineer sidekick! (hide spoiler)]

I got my daughter, Julia a stuffed doomslug like two Christmas' ago. It's still a favorite :) Well-made plush. I look forward to joining you all for book 4!

I love my doomslug! When it came in the mail, my mom looked at it and exclaimed that it was horrible and ugly, and why would anyone want a plushie like that? But then, she's a gardener, and has it out for slugs of any kind. Everyone else I know agrees that doomslug is the cutest plushie to ever plush.

DOOMSLUG THE DESTROYER of your mom's garden ;)

LOL now I know where those suspicious tracks of dirt have been coming from...

I think I'll start this one next week...

It's a lot of fun!