Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advance copy of this audiobook!

I loved this book. The atmosphere was everything I wanted it to be. I loved the plot and storyline in the book. I loved the characters in this story. It gave me all the feels I was looking for when I started reading this. I highly recommend this author. I loved the writing. I will be looking for other works in the future from this author.

A terrific fantasy novel that not only offers a unique setting but a world we rarely hear anything about in fantasy novel: sky pirates.

This sums up so much of this novel. It makes subtle changes that really set it apart from the usual fantasy fare. One of the biggest changes that might seem small on the surface but has a huge impact is the fact that the main character is married. This offers a glimpse of the harsh reality of happily ever after and gives us a fresh spin on the strong female character.

The story moves along at a great pace for lovers of quick-paced fantasy reads (it might be a little too fast for those who enjoy a slow burn).

Overall, a very enjoyable book, and I am looking to the other books in the trilogy.

Not bad! I really enjoyed this story but. I don’t think it was for me. The writing style was very well done but this is not my style

By sea and sky is a fantasy tale with well constructed magical worlds incorporating human and non human characters.
I found the battles between pirates and military personnel very unique and entertaining. I’m not usually one for non human characters with human traits but I loved the relationship between Fon and the pakka.
I would have loved to see more growth in interpersonal relationships between the pirates. And I felt there were too many characters and new ideas as I followed the story. However, it was a good read.

4.25 stars.

By Sea and Sky is an enjoyable read that has some amazing characters that you are rooting for.  The story follows a group of pirates who have to save some of their own as well as chasing a new weapon.

Zala is a great lead character, and I loved reading about her.  She is well written and was leaping off the page from the beginning.  I also enjoyed reading from the point of view of the rest of the cast, however Zala was easily my favourite.

In terms of plotting, I think this is where the story falls a little.  It is an action packed start, but since we have no real connection with the characters, I think some of the tension is lost - we are meant to be rooting for these characters without any real reason other than they are the main characters.  However, this is not the case once we get to know them a bit better and so the action scenes have a lot more oomph and tension later in the story.  Although I was gripped for 98% of the book, there are places in the middle where it loses its way and get a bit bogged down.  Although I fell out of the story in these parts, I was still drawn straight back in.

One final comment is the world building - whilst a great mix of modern technology with older elements (swords instead of guns, airships and pirate ships) I do think that some of the explanation was lacking and this may create issues in later instalments as to the characters and what can be achieved in the world.  That being said it is still a brilliant read.

A great cast of characters and an intriguing plot makes for a brilliant and exhilarating story.  Of course we have the cliff hanger at the end which means I will most likely be getting the sequel (although this is a trilogy!)  

Many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for sending me a copy of the audiobook in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.

Zala wasn’t skilled with a sword. She wasn’t blessed with magic. But she knew the Sapphire Seas well. Plundering and raiding was an art of its own, and she got by on her wits..
inspired by the West Indies and pirate-lifestyles, and it shows throughout with a diverse cast of characters very different from the likes of Pirates of the Carribbean etc. What I enjoyed most in this book was the authenticity to the pirating roots of the plot, and yet our main characters have been forced into a life of piracy to try and make ends meet.
The magic of this world is quite varied with people who are turning to stone and winged beings all part of the world. It's got a lot more hinted at too, and my guess is as the series continues we'd learn even more about this.
Overall I enjoyed this book and it was a very fun adventure. It is definitely one of the more pirate-focused fantasy books I've read and I liked the way it explores the lifestyle I found the action-scenes to be rather well handeled. However, as I didn't really care for the participants in them, I found them hardly holding my attention.

I just can’t seem to put into words exactly how I felt about this book because I’m still reeling from the events.  Cant seem to put it down enjoyed evey single bit of this book. Narration is good.

I had some issues with the Netgalley Shelf app and was unable to complete this audiobook. However, the portion I was able to listen to has definitely peaked my interest in the story, and I will be seeking out the book in a different format so I can complete it.
The narration was fun, and I enjoyed how action-packed the story was from the jump, while also layering characterisation. I was intrigued to see where the story lead, and was disappointed I could not complete it as intended. I am looking forward to reading it in the future though.
I would recommend the audiobook for those who enjoy them, or for those looking to try them for the first time.

• By sea and sky (by Antione Bandele)

I'm sorry, but this wasn't for me. 
Sky pirates do sound awesome, that was the reason I got into the book, but the action sequences were difficult to follow and the plot in between was kind of boring. It seemed like the whole point was Zala trying to rescue Jilani and also steal something from the other guys (kind of even couldn't remember them, you can understand how forgettable this book can be)

Zala wanted to be a leader but she's not good at persuading people to follow her especially when her temper gets the better of her (often).

Karim also wants to be a leader and is even better at it, he just struggles with his laziness (kind of reminds me of Shikamaru Nara from Naruto). They had parallels, I would have loved more backstory so that I could relate to them, connect to them before diving in fighting with them.

The ending was kind of a bummer, nothing is resolved (which builds up for the next book but this book alone discourages me to even go for the next book).

this had potential, but it lacked world building and the characters felt a bit one dimensional (no dilemma, no confusion, no character development)

I received this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

• Character development- 2☆
• Story Plot- 3.5☆
• Side characters- 2☆
• Flow of the story- 2☆
• Overall - 2☆

This really may be a matter of personal preference, but this book had far too much action and not enough plot/character development for my tastes. In my mind, it was kind of the equivalent of one of those action packed movies that has so many explosions you eventually become unaffected by them. The battle sequences were so long, that rather than finding them thrilling, I just wanted to move on with the story. I was thoroughly unsatisfied with the backstories for Karim and Zala, and therefore had difficulty connecting with them as characters. The past is referenced often, but not in much detail, so the picture of how we got to this place of conflict is unclear. In short, I liked the concept of this book far more than the execution.

I listened to this book in audiobook format and I thought the performer did a good job even though I wasn’t really feeling the storyline.

Overall rating: 
2/3 
After losing her husband in a raid, Zala is determined to save him. This pirate fantasy novel with East African, West Indies, and Arabian influences had A LOT of potential, but I did not feel like it delivered. The author creates an intriguing fantasy world packed with people of different cultures, races, and species (?), but there is no world building. The reader is just thrown into a fully conceptualized world, presumably with its own history and rules, with no explanation. There’s also magic, but it’s uncertain who has magic and why they possess it. It’s messy and confusing, especially when different species suddenly appear and can fly or are cats. The plot is good, but I found the characters to be flat and I wasn’t invested in their successes or failures. There were too many characters to follow and not enough back story that came with them. There are too many fight sequences back to back, and I get desensitized to them about half way through the book. There is apparently a prequel that will be released, but I do not see myself seeking it out. Overall, the premise of this book seemed promising, with its unique influences and piracy, but I would not recommend it to a friend. 
Narration rating: 
5/5 
The narration is incredible. The accents are beautifully done. If you’re going to read, audiobook is the way to go.

I loved the premise of this book - an ownvoices Caribbean inspired pirate fantasy - but unfortunately it didn’t live up to expectations. I was honestly just bored: the characters didn’t give me any reason to root for them, the romance was lacklustre (I was so keen for a story about a married couple, only for them to act like they barely knew each other and then get separated for plot reasons), and the world-building felt a bit like throwing a bunch of ideas at the wall and seeing what stuck (there were lots of different fantasy races, but I didn’t get why any of them mattered). Even the plot didn’t work for me since I didn’t get why the pirates hated the empire so much (beyond all empires being evil).

I will however note that the audiobook narrator was excellent and had fantastic voices for all of the different characters, as well as a generally smooth reading voice.

I really enjoyed just sitting back and listening to Zala and Karim's tale. And I liked that the story immediately opens with some action. I immediately felt like I was on the ship in the middle of battle. In the audio version it's easy to picture what's happening because you hear the crowd yelling and swords clashing. Pirate novels usually aren't my things but this was very entertaining. The world building was pretty strong. There's a lot of African/Caribbean mythology that's weaved in effortlessly.

I thought this book was fairly mediocre when it comes to fantasy. I don’t like when a synopsis basically tells you what is going to happen 50% of the book. So that took away from a lot of the intrigue for me. 

I will say that the book was fast paced because of the action and build-up. However, some parts were strangely difficult to follow for me. 

I gave this book about 3 stars. I didn’t hate it, but I’m not sure if I need to continue the series. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving us this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel. The world building is very thorough and detailed, and while I respect that the author chose not to overdose the reader with lengthy and boring explanations of that world, as if the novel were a travel guide, there were moments that I was confused by it, and at times the fantasy world was so strongly developed it actually took away from the story and seemed a bit shallow and cumbersome. The characters were clear, often like-able, and, most importantly, I cared about them enough to root for them. There is a strong African and Barbary Coast influence on this particular pirate tale which I found welcome and fresh. There is plenty of action, and most of it well paced. The plot of the missing husband in the description doesn't take place until halfway through the novel, though, which was what drew me to this story in the first place, so I felt disappointed. As I listened to the audio, the narrator did an admirable job of creating fantasy accents without turning characters into caricatures, and the emotion he put into dialogue was well balanced with his more neutral tone with the prose.
3.5/5
Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC.

I received this audiobook for free from Netgalley in exchange for a review.. Thank you to the Publishers and NetGalley.

The narrator was amusing. He sounded like quite a few different Phil LaMarr characters.

The book was ok. I enjoyed it well enough. I got through it quickly. It was fast paced in a way due to the action although I couldn't always follow along with what was happening. 

I don't mind the main two characters. They are not meant to be sympathetic for the most part and I am okay with that. They are pirates after all. I more so was worried for the people around them since they often made destructive decisions.

I think the main issue for me with this book is that I am indifferent to it. I think thats because not much happened. I listened to the end where the author says that he had too much to put in one book but I'm not sure I agree with that. The blurb states that She is on a mission to rescue her husband  and become a sky pirate. The first chapter was set up like he was about to be captured but he wasn't. And he doesn't get taken till halfway through the book. It kind of makes the pacing odd and I think they should try to rewrite that blurb and add in that the is a second perspective. Which other readers might be interested in.

I  am open to finishing this trilogy but I can;t say I will be on the lookout. 
I am giving it 3 stars for the world-building and all the fight scenes.

Dnf.

I received the audiobook on NetGalley for review. However, I’ve since learned I cannot listen to fantasy audiobooks.

I enjoyed what I managed to read but do find it very hard to follow along to new worlds via audio.

Will be looking out for a physical version of this at a later date.

I thought this book was ok. I had some problems with the pacing, in that the synopsis told you a lot of what was going to happen all the way up to 50% of the book. So that took away from a lot of the intrigue for me. 

I like that we get 2 perspectives and neither of our main characters are particularly good or bad. You’re want to root for both of them at the same time. 

I gave this book about 2.5 stars. I didn’t hate it, but I’m not sure if I need to continue the series.

*received audiobook for netgalley for honest review* Actually liked this more than i thought i was! wasnt sure i was going to like this but looking forward to the rest of the trilogy

I ended up DNF'ing this title around 15% through. I absolutely hated the narration and the story wasn't interesting enough to keep me going. I would consider giving this book a second try but it would have to be the ebook or physical book. I have considered trying to continue with the audiobook but I find myself dreading it to the point where I'd just rather not read/listen.