Skyward cover art

Skyward

The First Skyward Novel

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Skyward

By: Brandon Sanderson
Narrated by: Sophie Aldred
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £18.89

Buy Now for £18.89

About this listen

 THE INTERNATIONAL PHENOMENON BEHIND THE COSMERE

****

'We must not cower in the dark because we're afraid of the spark within us. The answer is not to put out the spark, but to learn to control it'

Spensa's world has been under attack for hundreds of years. An alien race called the Krell leads onslaught after onslaught from the sky in a never-ending campaign to destroy humankind. Humanity's only defense is to take to their ships and fight the enemy in the skies. Pilots have become the heroes of what's left of the human race.

Spensa has always dreamed of being one of them; of soaring above Earth and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's - a pilot who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, placing Spensa's chances of attending flight school somewhere between slim and none.

No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, but she is still determined to fly. And the Krell just made that a possibility. They've doubled their fleet, making Spensa's world twice as dangerous . . . but their desperation to survive might just take her skyward . . .

****

SANDERSON IS AN EXCELLENT STORYTELLER:

'Thrills and snappy dialouge'
DAILY MAIL

'Episodic and fast-paced with surprises around every turn'
SCI FI NOW

'I loved this book. What else is there to say?'
PATRICK ROTHFUSS

'Epic in every sense'
GUARDIAN©2018 Dragonsteel Entertainment LLC Adventure Epic Fantasy Science Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Fiction Aviation

Continue the series
Sunreach cover art
Sunreach By: Brandon Sanderson, and others
ReDawn cover art
ReDawn By: Brandon Sanderson, and others
Evershore cover art
Evershore By: Brandon Sanderson, and others

Critic reviews

another brisk YA fantasy from Sanderson - inventive, action-stuffed and surprising until the end
Secrets intensify this ripping yarn, which is crammed with peril, thrills and snappy dialogue
Skyward is an adventure and a half that you won't want to miss. Even hardcore Cosmere fans will enjoy the special mix of fantasy and sci-fi that unfolds as you watch Spensa learn what it means to be truly brave.
Steelheart is the literature equivalent of a blockbuster; episodic and fast-paced with surprises around every turn.
Full of action
All the main characteristics of a Sanderson novel from a writer at the top of his game.
With this action-packed trilogy opener, Sanderson offers up a resourceful, fearless heroine and a memorable cast-including a strangely humorous, mushroom-obsessed robot-set against the backdrop of a desperate conflict. As the pulse-pounding story intensifies and reveals its secrets, a cliffhanger ending sets things up for the next instalment.
as always, Brandon Sanderson creates a unique and interesting universe we get to explore alongside the protagonist...a fun, action packed ride for those of us who remain a child at heart.
The world of The Reckoners is suddenly presented in all its glory. It's an incredibly vibrant setting that showcases the entire breadth of Sanderson's talent. Expect to finish this one in single sitting.
This deeply entertaining first episode in a series is for fans of aerial warfare stories in which the characters are as well-devised as the machines.
Startling revelations and stakes-raising implications ... Sanderson plainly had a ball with this nonstop, highflying opener, and readers will too
The stories are complex, fascinating, and filled to the brim with three-dimensional characters
Firefight is a visual, almost cinematic novel
Firefight is a rollercoaster ride of action, entertainment, and humour
Firefight is filled with a spine-tingling adventure and heart-racing action that promises to satisfy fans both new and old
A terrifically tall tale, packaging the superhero action into compelling, punchy chapters that keep you reading. It's a fast, feisty read with characters that are skillfully drawn, assassinations, gunfights, physics bending motorcycle chases and a world you can't wait to hear more about.
All stars
Most relevant
I enjoyed this once it got going. Spensa is, at the start, tooth-grindingly annoying at times, and given her upbringing as the daughter of the Coward of Alta, I found it surprising she still clung to certain naive ideals. But this does get going quite quickly, and it’s then enormous fun. MBot and his adaptive sub-routines are just wonderful, and if the supporting characters are maybe a touch thin, the circumstances of the plot make that understandable. Mostly written from Spensa’s point of view, but with a few short sections from just one other character.

My old-adult inner-realist raised her head at times with the occasional, "yes but how/why/what/..." but I battered her into submission and just got on with enjoying the story. The final section is exciting and tightly written.

Narrated well with a plethora of “Old-Earth” accents, including MBot who seems to be Scottish. I’ll be downloading book 2.

Written for YA but fun for OAs as well

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I read / listened to this book first (using the Kindle and audible feature) and found it engaging and funny. The characters were good, and although it was clearly aimed at the younger listener, it was very entertaining to listen to.

My 12 and 14 year olds then listened to it and thought it was the best book that they have listened to / read. They are both looking forward to the next in the series.

For me I need more Mistborn novels but this is a great series too.

Excellent for Adult and Teenagers alike

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Kind of a Sanderson take on The Last Starfighter, this is a tale of a girl getting her dream of becoming a star fighter pilot, only to find there is more to both her and the world than she thought.
Interesting take on the genre and for me very enjoyable.
Narrator was excellent, just the right mix for this book, a number of different voices well executed.

Another enjoyable Sanderson tale

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This took a little time to really grip me, but when it did I was well and truly hooked. Looks like it's set up for a follow on.

Interesting twist

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I am so far a fan of Brandon Sanderson. Starting with Elantris which I thought incredibly clever (and have read and listened too multiple times.) Leading me to the mistborn trilogy and now this!

I loved this, so different, not a magic based system but a really good social commentary and excellent psychological understanding of the human condition as flaws. And honestly just a really scudding good story, It was really really enjoyable.

As to the performance:- perfect! What more to say! When you can forget it’s read and live it, the performer did a great Job. Will definitely look at other books Narrated by Sophie Aldred.

Really Enjoyable

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews