Kali may love the kingdom she is to inherit, a kingdom on
floating continents high above a monster-ridden earth, but
she despises the restrictions her role brings. She must do
as her father says, marry for political alliance and not
love, and burn herself out in service for her people and the
Phoenix, the great monster they worship. Everything changes
when Kali falls off the floating continent of her home, and
she lands on an earth unlike anything she imagined. In her
efforts to get home, she will find friends, romance, and
dark truths about her home she never thought possible.
Amanda Sun's HEIR TO THE SKY is a gorgeous book, holding all
the beautiful descriptions readers of her previous series
will recognize, and new readers will love. The rich world
building brings everything to life, especially the vivid
descriptions of all the different monsters/creatures. It has
a similar feel to that of a Studio Ghibli film. Though the
story starts off somewhat predictably, the plot soon weaves
twists and mysteries that add good layers.
My favorite part is the balance of action and adventure with
Kali's emotional journey as she learns to fight for herself
and make her own choices. Her early scenes show someone with
great passion and spirit but very constricted by her
surroundings to fully grow. Her time on the earth below
allows her to develop remarkably and learn to make decisions
about her life for herself.
Along the way, the secondary characters are distinctive and
fun, especially Griffin's sister. I kept wanting to get to
know them all even more and hear their own stories. Griffin
himself, her love interest, is a little flat, but he brings
sweetness to the story. His most swoon-worthy feature is by
far his respect for Kali and his support of what she wants.
With beautiful descriptions and heart-pounding adventure,
HEIR TO THE SKY is a quick and enjoyable read, perfect for
fans of Studio Ghibli films and Lauren DeStefano's
Internment Chronicles series.
As heir to a kingdom of floating continents, Kali has spent
her life bound by limits: by her duties as a member of the
royal family, by a forced betrothal to the son of a
nobleman, and by the edge of the only world she's ever
known—a small island hovering above a monster-ridden earth,
long since uninhabited by humans. She is the Eternal Flame
of Hope for what's left of mankind, the wick and the wax
burning in service for her people, and for their revered
Phoenix, whose magic keeps them aloft.
When Kali falls off the edge of her kingdom and miraculously
survives, she is shocked to discover there are still humans
on the earth. Determined to get home, Kali entrusts a rugged
monster-hunter named Griffin to guide her across a world
overrun by chimera, storm dragons, basilisks and other
terrifying creatures. But the more time she spends on earth,
the more dark truths she begins to uncover about her home in
the sky, and the more resolute she is to start burning for
herself.