528 pages
English language
Published Dec. 22, 2019 by Orion Publishing Group, Limited.
Defeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot. When she discovers the wreckage of an ancient ship, she realizes this dream might be possible—assuming she can repair the ship, navigate flight school, and (perhaps most importantly) persuade the strange machine to help her. Because this ship, uniquely, appears to have a soul.
Entertaining at some level, but perhaps not my kind of story. Even so, over all impressive world building that I think deserves four stars.
This was the first Brandon Sanderson book I've ever read and it was fine.
He's an excellent writer and the story was engaging. The ending left me wondering whether or not I'd read the next one.
This is a very "Hero With a Thousand Faces" story. Spensa, a young woman drawn to her destiny to become a pilot, is haunted by the shadow and mystery of her father's actions as a pilot.
As the story unfolds the perspective widens. And then, towards the end, the perspective gets wider than anyone thought possible. That's also where the book lost me: I am uncertain whether I like the world this story was building towards. There's nothing wrong with it, maybe just not my cup of tea.
