This was less of a revenge story as I had expected, and more of an animal-trainer story. This was a pleasant surprise, as you don't find many of those in the fantasy genre. I loved the character development, the action sequences, and the world-building and felt that the pace was perfect for the length of the novella. The story was exciting, the creatures were fascinating, and Ester was an altogether excellent protagonist, so this was a fantastic read.

This story starts off with a young girl who wants to grow up to help kill the monster that destroyed her young life. Ester’s mother and younger brother were eaten by a fearsome manticore. There is only one predator that can kill these beasts that terrorize the kingdom and those are the magnificent rocs. After the tragedy, all Ester desires is to be put forward to become a ruhker, a trainer and handler of the mighty rocs. The story follows Ester through her years as an apprentice ruhker and then a hunter of manticores. She develops friendships with fellow ruhkers, but she feels her true calling is killing the monsters that haunt her and the people of her country, and therefore, her roc Zahra is Ester’s main focus, her pride. This story caught me by surprise with how much I liked it; there is not much dialogue - it is mainly exposition, but I was swept up in Ester’s story, into a world where massive wild and dangerous birds are captured and trained to hunt deadly, human-hunting beasts.

5/5 stars.

I was OBSESSED with the first book of the Green Bone Saga (Jade City) and jumped for joy upon being approved for this ARC. Ecstatic, I tell you. Hopping along the house, shouting to the rooftop, disrupting my husband from his crossword and my dog from her slumber.

As an author, Lee brings it. She builds her worlds in an interesting way, crafts stories that leave you begging for more, and I never hesitate to recommend.

Thank you (THANK YOU!) to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the ARC.

I wanted to love this because I’ve been on a Fonda Lee binge, but this has been my least favorite of her books mostly because I think it could have been a full length novel. It takes awhile to get in to, and by the time you do, it’s over. The ending was also a little brutal, which wasn’t what I was in the mood for at the moment.

I love fonda lee, I think this is well written and achieves what it sets out to do, however I didn’t love it. It just wasn’t what I expected and I found that the story dragged for me because I couldn’t get invested. Not the book’s fault necessarily, just didn’t click for me. I think this will be perfect for people who enjoy animal companions in fantasy as I think it has an interesting take on the trope.

This novella was a treat, and I’m ashamed to say my first read by Fonda Lee. What can I say? I just have less time for fantasy bricks then I used to, as much as I love them. This novella though was perfect. Lee used the length and format with precision, neither wasting a single word nor leaving anything wanting. This is a story about obsession and love and it was deeply a satisfying read.

A well executed story that was perfectly suited for the novella length. I was told it would end in tears but I chose not to believe it, yet still had the audacity to be sheocked when it did. It was beautifully written with a constant sense of foreboding. At the heart this is an exploration of friendship especially when it is toxic. I loved it and are looking forward to more of her short fiction. If you weren't the biggest fan of the Greenbone saga like me, don't fret you're still in for a good time.

Thank you to NetGalley & Tor Books for the ARC of Untethered Sky.

I’m of the belief that it takes great skill and talent to create a well rounded fantasy story that is as short in length as this Novella. Being that it is a stand alone and it does not rely on the readers background knowledge of the world and characters makes it all the more impressive. Did I want more, of course! Was I left dissatisfied, absolutely not.

Not only did Lee introduce me to a world in which two creatures I had no understanding of are central, but she introduced me to characters who I came to care for greatly. Lee somehow created multiple conflicts with enough simplicity not to overwhelm the story and just enough complexity to give it impact.

Finally I am such a sucker for a story about holding the wild close to your heart but being unable to fully tame it. This was that. This novella perfectly illustrates that sometimes loving is worth the inevitable heartbreak.

5 stars

It's a novella about people who train giant birds of prey, known as Rocs, to hunt down the monstrous manticores--beasts with a body of a lion, tail of a scorpion, and head of a man. We follow Ester, a girl who lost her family due to a manticore attack and found a life's purpose to become a ruhker, the people who train and hunt with the Rocs.

It's a short book that cuts to the important area's of Ester's journey of deciding to become a ruhker and then training and hunting with one. I am a bird person so the premise certainly drew me in. I do wish it focused a little bit more on Ester's developing relationship with her Roc, Zahra-- something more like the movie How to Train Your Dragon. It has a little bit of that, don't get me wrong, but as an animal lover I wanted more. Instead it has a nice balance between training with Zahra, developing Ester's relationships with other important characters, and centering the story around an actual plot. Again, it's all done in about 160 pages, so a well-balanced, quick read that sets out to tell a story and accomplishes just that. With what has been established, I don't know if there's really more to explore, but I would try and read more if the author felt so inclined. I love giant birds of prey!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a free eARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

An introspective short story that explores not only a well-made high fantasy setting, but also loss, grief, and found family.

This was a good little novella. I was saddened by the ends that Ester and Darius met with their Rocs, which is a feat for a book this short. Often with novellas, it’s hard for me to connect to the characters in such a short time, but this was not the case for this one. Really good story!

Ester’s mother and brother were killed by a manticore when she was young, spurring her on to become a ruhker. Ruhker’s train and handle the only animals that can kill manticores, giant birds called rocs.

Ester learns to guide but never control her monster of a roc, This short novel shows how animals and humans are reliant on one another but still so different. The characters are endearing and the adventures they go on are exciting.

*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*

I absolutely loved this story, and the descriptions of everything. The descriptions of Zahra's coloring let me picture it almost perfectly, and I loved how well described everyone was. I did wish there was a bit more plot, especially given the build up of the rocs and manticores, but really enjoyed the story nonetheless. I also really liked the friendship (relationship?) between Darius and Ester, and how they worked so well together with their rocs. The ending was very bittersweet, but felt fitting. I want more of this world, and to know what Nasmin got up to afterwards. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who needs something not too plot heavy but insanely good to read after a bad day.

Fonda Lee hits another home run in this heartwarming tale of camaraderie, vengeance, ambition and ultimately friendship. After a manticore kills Ester’s brother and mom, Ester heads to the royal mews to become the master and hunting partner of a Roc (a large, raptor like bird). Rocs are the natural enemies of manticores, which have began terrorizing the countryside in increasing numbers, snagging the attention of the realm’s King and Crown Prince. Ester is paired with a fledgling Roc named Zara who becomes her soul focus. Properly bonding with a Roc requires the complete sacrifice of all else. There’s just one catch, can an apex predator ever really love you back?

Throughout her journey with Zara, Ester befriends Darius and Nasmin, two equally ambitious Rocers with agendas all their own. As the three’s paths diverge, and outside pressures complicate the realm’s political landscape their relationships hit turbulence and the three face very different obstacles, testing their loyalty and ambition. This is an intriguing, quaint morality tale underscoring the costs of vengeance, and what love can and cannot overcome. Refreshingly, Untethered Sky focuses on the common folk of the realm, rather than the grandstanding heroes and change makers. Overall, a beautiful tale I would recommend to all fantasy lovers.

My highly anticipated book this year! Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Manticores are bear-sized animals with long tails and lion-like heads, and their favorite prey is humans. The only animal capable of killing these monsters is the roc (a giant bird).
It's difficult to form a bond with and train a roc, but Ester is determined to become a rukher. It’s her life now—to look after her roc, Zahra, and train it to be the best hunter.

Ester's admiration for her roc grows stronger each day, and she worries that Zahra may abandon her one day.
Ester is a kind character, she accepts her losses with sadness yet understanding. She grows fond of her friends. Rather than feeling jealous, she admires her friends’ success as rukhers. She had a traumatizing childhood after a manticore killed her mother and brother. She's already lost her family she can’t allow the monster to take her friends as well.

I immensely enjoyed this novella. I’m not a huge fan of novellas, as I prefer extensive worldbuilding. However, this book was rewarding. It brought warmth to my heart, was very well written, and the main character was realistic and lovable.

Highly recommended for animal lovers, particularly bird lovers.

Fonda Lee is one of my favorite authors and I will jump at the chance to read anything by her. This new novella is a departure for her. It takes place in a sort of ancient Greek feeling world. The main character, Ester, is given her first roc to bond with. It's hoped that bird and woman will form a relationship and that Ester will eventually be able to fly Zahra the roc on monster killing missions. In this world, rocs are not big enough to ride but are still gigantic enough to be able to hunt and kill wolves, lions, or the ultimate hunt: the manticore.

Lee has clearly done her research into how hunting birds are bonded with their handlers. I fell in love with Zahra just as thoroughly as Ester did. It's made clear that, just like raptors in our world, rocs are in a reciprocal relationship with their handlers and they can always make the decision to leave. Whenever you fly a bird you have to be ready to say goodbye. You're always vulnerable to heartbreak.

The world is one I'd love to visit again. All the characters were richly drawn and human. And I'll always love any book in which there's a such a close and special relationship with an animal. I knew I was putting my heart on the line with this one, too. No regrets.

I’m a sucker for books about birds – so when a favorite author of mine pens a novella about giant hunting birds – I jump on board. In Untethered Sky, Fonda Lee’s words bring life to the majesty and power of the rocs, legendary birds of prey who keep the countryside clear of the monstrous manticores.

Because of its short length, the story doesn’t have room to be overly complex, but Lee has managed to make a simple story poignant and affecting. She made me care deeply for these beautiful winged beasts and the bond they share with their keepers. I’d absolutely sign up for more stories set in this world.

This is the perfect fantasy quick-read and escapism shortcut.

Untethered Sky is quite a departure from the epic urban fantasy and gritty Green Bone Saga, but leave it to Fonda Lee to dive into "traditional" fantasy territory and write the perfectly balanced standalone novella with just the right amount of depth, worldbuilding, well-rounded characters, and action; complete with her trademark emotionally painful story arc.

With beautiful prose and an immersive writing style, Fonda Lee delves into the intricacies of a relationship between a giant bird of prey (known mythically as Roc) trained to serve a kingdom in the fight against a bigger monster, the manticore, and its human partner, Ester, whose life mission is to avenge her family's tragic fate.

This is the first animal-focused fantasy book I've read, and I was surprised by how quickly this world pulled me in. Even if you think big murder birds are not your thing, it's easy to care for the story as the human component is as strong as the back and forth between predator and prey, beast and trainer: the storyline also focuses on the forging and downfall of friendships and alliances, and the built up of a slow burn romance.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐤𝐲:
- if at times you find yourself staring at nature in awe;
- if you're looking for a short read and/or something different to challenge yourself without leaving the fantasy realm;
- if you need a palate cleanser.

Thank you NetGalley and Tordotcom for the ARC, you made a fangirl very happy.

Rating: 4.25 stars

The only word i have for this is obsessed. I am so obsessed with the characters and the writing style. SO GOOD

WONDERFUL. STUNNING. SPECTACULAR. SOMETHING THAT I COULD READ TIME AND TIME AGAIN! Fonda Lee does it again.