Red Skies Falling (Skybound #2) by Alex London - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: Red Skies Falling (Skybound #2)
Author: Alex London
Release Date: September 3, 2019

Black Wings Beating REVIEW

Synopsis: In this thrilling sequel to Black Wings Beating, twins Kylee and Brysen are separated by the expanse of Uztar, but are preparing for the same war – or so they think.

Kylee is ensconsed in the Sky Castle, training with Mem Uku to master the Hollow Tongue and the Ghost Eagle. But political intrigue abounds and court drama seems to seep through the castle's stones like blood from a broken feather. Meanwhile, Brysen is still in the Six Villages, preparing for an attack by the Kartami. The Villages have become Uztar's first line of defense, and refugees are flooding in from the plains. But their arrival lays bare the villagers darkest instincts. As Brysen navigates the growing turmoil, he must also grapple with a newfound gift, a burgeoning crush on a mysterious boy, and a shocking betrayal.

The two will meet again on the battlefield, fighting the same war from different sides―or so they think. The Ghost Eagle has its own plans.

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Review: I absolutely LOVED Black Wings Beating! This sequel takes those characters into darker places. War is even closer to both Kylee and Brysen. I feel like this book really takes the complexity of war times and expands on them. Moral grayness is abound. Conflicting priorities and viewpoints drive the action in this book. The amazing world Alex London created is expanded on even more. Everything in this culture is related to birds and I love it. The tiny avian allusions made me smile every single time.

This book took a lot longer for me to read. 2019 was a reading slump for me when it comes to prose (non-graphic) books. I think this book has middle-of-a-trilogy difficulties. Everything has been established and we just get to learn more about the details of things. Kylee and Brysen's stories feel more separate in this book, but they do have connections. It felt like more big action things happened, but there still were some huge thrilling moments. I think my views of this are due mostly to me reading it slowly over a long period of time.

I give this book a 5/5. If you liked Black Wings Beating then you MUST read this book! And if you haven't read Black Wings Beating, you are completely missing out. Just the fact that a YA Fantasy trilogy with queer leads like this exists is so exciting for me!


--PAUL