Rebel Skies is the first book in a series by Ann Sei Lin. This book is an action filled first installment that introduces a unique magic system. Kurara, a girl with the ability to magically control paper, goes on a journey of self-discovery as she seeks to save her friend Haru. From the airships, to the paper shikigami, to the levitated sky-cities, the world building is exquisite. We are seeing this world through Kurara's eyes and discovering secrets about her past and that of the other paper crafters. All the characters felt like real people, well realized and dimensional. There are multiple point of views but they serve to further the story and reveal more about the characters and their motivations.

This is appropriately categorized between middle-grade and YA. There are many unanswered questions at the end of the story and I does end on a bit of a cliffhanger. I will be looking forward to the next installment in the series.

Full of adventure and mystery. I couldn't put this book done. I enjoyed all the characters and it had an amazing plot.

3-4 stars

Have you ever wanted to read a YA fantasy where floating cities and ships exist and where characters can use origami in a way that’s reminiscent of bending in Avatar:The Last Airbender? If the answer is yes, Rebel Skies is perfect for you. The coolest and my favorite part of the book is the paper crafting and magic by far but I also enjoyed the adventure and the action. The characters are a bit weak at first but there are definitely some interesting developments near the end that give them depth.

Ann Sei Lin has created an adventure-filled world and I found all the worldbuilding that she does in this first book great and charming. I love the idea of traveling through the skies and of different tensions between the people who do live on the ground versus in the sky cities. There’s also an interesting political tension brewing between the two heirs of the royal family.

As a protagonist, I found Kurara to be easy to empathize with and serviceable, though I do think that her mentor/burgeoning friend, Himura, is more interesting. We get perspectives from him as well and seeing him navigate his goals with his growing fondness for Kurara was great. The side characters also worked to lend some fun to the book and some stakes–in particular, the imperial Crafters and the princess were standouts and I’d love to see more of them in the next book since they were genuinely threatening.

Himura and Kurara’s journey to the palace to impress the princess and help Kurara’s injured friend is intersected with the perspective of Rei, a man who wants to free the people who live in the sky cities from the empire. I wish Rei had been more interesting to read about but I do like that he hides his self-serving aims behind a mask of self-righteousness, and I’m intrigued to see what he does in the next book since he’s a loose cannon.

What I loved most about this book is how Lin depicts crafting. Crafters are able to give life to paper creatures known as Shikigami and then bond to them, allowing the Crafters to control them. A Shikigami could be a bird, a fox, or a dragon. Crafting can also be used to create various objects including weapons and all of this creativity made the fights so fun to read.

Although the Shikigami are paper, Kurara finds herself growing attached and wondering if they have souls like humans or are able to feel. The ways in which the Shikigami all have personalities and their relationship to humans, for better and for worse, made me invested in their stories.

Overall, Rebel Skies is a fun read with some interesting developments and some standout fights. While the characters aren’t the main draw for me, I do think there’s plenty of growth that they could do in the next book, and the world is enough to get me invested in the sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tundra Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This review will be posted on my blog (clearsummers.wordpress.com), Goodreads, and Amazon on January 30, 2024.

In "Rebel Skies" by Ann Sei Lin, readers are catapulted into a thrilling and imaginative world of rebellion, adventure, and the resilience of the human spirit. Lin's storytelling prowess shines as she crafts a narrative that is both exhilarating and deeply thought-provoking. With a diverse cast of characters and a vividly realized universe, the novel explores themes of freedom, friendship, and the enduring fight against tyranny. Lin's rich descriptive prose brings the skies and landscapes to life, immersing readers in a world where every page brims with excitement and unexpected twists. The characters, each with their unique struggles and strengths, resonate with authenticity, making their journey all the more captivating. "Rebel Skies" is not just a tale of rebellion; it's a testament to the power of hope and unity, reminding readers of the importance of standing up for what is right. With its blend of heart-pounding action and heartfelt moments, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking an unforgettable adventure and a deeper understanding of the indomitable human spirit.

The idea of the book was captivating. I liked the paper element to it. It was interesting how the author used something so fragile in at strong type of way. However, I found that the story did not grip me like I was hoping it would. I found that I was wanting more in-depth backstory. I also found that the book read really young. The way the story was written was more along the lines of a young readers book. The world building though...Now that was done really well. However, I dnf'd this book as it's story just didn't captivate me.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy of this book! I will get to writing and doing a full review of this on my primary reviewing platforms once my thoughts are finalized.

I got a digital copy of this book from Netgalley (thanks guys!), so here are my thoughts:

Dude, there was so much of this book that I loved. First of all, origami creatures were a thing I never knew I needed but yes, they were very much needed. I just loved the world that Ann Sei Lin created, it was beautiful and fantastical and I dove right in.

The Good:
-the world of Mikoshima; I just gotta say thank you to the author for creating this world and letting me lose myself in it for a bit. So much good (including a map and a glossary! Idk why but these just make me soooo happy), I mean FLOATING ISLANDS will never get old, and the magic with the Shikigami was super neat and unique. We got some culture conflicts with the groundings and Sorbito and the Shikigami. This book just has good vibes, it's like breath of the wild + studio Ghibli moods.

-the characters; my girl Kurara is gonna need some serious therapy at the end of all this. She was cool, I definitely want MORE of her character, she's reading the tiniest bit drab for me but I kind of feel like that fits for this book because I think her character is lost somewhat. She's a solid character, I just feel for her so much, I want her to find her place.

I'm super intrigued by Himura, I feel like his character brought out the most whirlwind of emotions from me. I'm looking forward to seeing how everything is gonna play out...

- the Shikigami!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- the feels! Ah! There's this one part and I just-shdhdjdjdnsksm it tore my heart like a piece of paper

The Eh:
- I feel like the worst thing about this book is that it left me wanting more. The writing style is from a more distant scope, it left me craving for a bit more detail and did leave me a bit confused at bits (SPOILER ALERT **************like when Kurara and Himura are both having their own personal meltdowns due to the /paper/ situation ad her own is literally bright white paper but they're walking thru the ship and the crew is calling out to them like how do they not notice her arm then?? Did she wrap it around her kimono or something? Idk because the author doesn't say********) but I want to be closer, you know? I want all the little details of the characters. I want the messy bits and the stupid bits and the ugly bits. I want to be right next to them but it was kind of like I was watching from afar (I was gonna say from above, but then that makes me sound too lofty....maybe my head is still in the clouds from Rebel Skies). Overall, I felt a bit like a hungry Shikigami devouring an island and still not satisfied.

Last minute warnings:
-some violence described; not too graphic but kind of dicey (slight spoiler alert) ************there's descriptions of the insides of shikigami creatures (being burned and cut open), they are made of paper organs but still being cut open is being cut open************"

Overall, solid read with super dope fantasy setting + cool creatures

I had the most bizarre progression thru this book. At first, upon reading the publisher's description comparing it to writings of Xiran Jay Zhao, Leigh Bardugo and the films of Studio Ghibli--but not the writing of Diana Wynne Jones, whose novels several of those films are based on? Then, halfway through the story, I should get this for holidays/birthdays for all my friends' 10-14 year olds, probably with an origami instruction book and some origami paper. And finally, at the end of the book, forget the kids, I NEED the next book.
I like a fun adventure tale from time to time and find that the ones targeted for middle-grade/ pre-teens can be fun for adults too, so I came to this book expecting a bit of diversion, steampunk adventure, and a quick read. What I got was definitely more. There is great world building and an interesting magic system that is on par with any good older-YA and adult fantasy books and there is an engrossing story and an ending that leaves you clamoring for the next installment in the series. This book is a win.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an adventure, likes airships, enjoys fantasy with unusual magic systems, or is just looking for something fun to read with their twelve year old.
I received advanced digital access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

I picked this book originally because of the intriguing cover, but was sold when the description likened it to a Studio Ghibli film and boy was a not disappointed at all! Three pages in and I felt Ann Sei Lin perfectly captured the whimsey, fantasy, and childhood imagination that Studio Ghibli is so well known for. She expertly blended the more fantastical elements with the steampunk machinery in her world building in a way that just lets your imagination soar.

What I really loved about the book was how original and creative her magical system was! Crafters can control and shape paper origami figures known as shikigami, breathing life and personality into animals that can be larger than an airship or tiny enough to fit on a fingertip. You can immediately feel the joy and energy Himura and Kurara feel when creating and interacting with their shikigami. However, as we quickly learn, once shikigami grow too old and lose their bonds with their masters they quickly lose their minds and become dangerous.

Now I read a lot and have come across every twist and trope that anybody can dream of, so I was absolutely floored to find out that Haru had been a shikigami and not a person at all! Major Castle in the Sky vibes when both Himura and Kurara are floored by this as well. As a plot hook this was so well done! Thankfully shikigami can be reformed as long as their cores remain in tact. But the halfway twist had me surprised all over again to find that Kurara wasn’t actually a amnesiac crafter of significance (and probably powerful descent) but also a shikigami herself! Suddenly her lack of memory becomes suspect and propels you forward to learn where she came from. My applause to Ann Sei Lin for getting me twice! I certainly didn’t see that coming!

No Ghibli-esque story would be complete without an eclectic cast of characters and we get plenty of them onboard the Orihime amongst the crew of rogue shikigami hunters. From Kurara’s instant friendship with Tomoe to her begrudging acceptance by her surly roommate Sayo, you instantly fall for this ragtag band. But no crew would be complete without a lovable animal sidekick and Akane did not disappoint!

The betrayal hit me hard and took me by surprise a third time! It also brought up a really uncomfortable realization that the shikigami, despite their personalities and feelings and how Kurara had fought so hard for them to be recognized as more than tools to their Crafters, their masters saw them as nothing more than tools that could be sacrificed at a moment’s whim. This made the memory of the dragon Seiryu and it’s grief even more tragic and perhaps gave us a clue to a lot of the flashbacks Kurara experiences as Aki. But I will leave those theories until I have read book two.

I found the ending to be a bit abrupt, but not quite as dramatic as a mid-plot cliffhanger (which I loathe) and can see the build up for a new adventure plot in book two while the characters try to recover from the action-packed and traumatic events of the last 50 pages. Hopefully we will get some new insights to Kurara’s and Haru’s past and some remorse from Himura for being a complete ass to those we thought he had considered friends and crewmates.

It’s been a long time since I enjoyed a book enough to sit and read it straight through in one sitting. I am eagerly awaiting more from this wonderful world.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I absolutely LOVED Rebel Skies, it was such a breath of fresh air, and an amazing adventure. I will certainly be looking for more of the authors works in the future! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

This was such a good read! I was fully sucked into the story right away and I really enjoyed the characters. The journey the author took these characters on was exciting and unique which is something I am really interested in with books now. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

Teen fantasy adventure set in a world of flying ships and sky cities, where chosen ones have the ability to bring paper to life and work as Crafters - people who hunt wild paper spirits called shikigami. Inspired by Asian culture and exploring themes of empire, slavery and freedom.

This was very intriguing and different. I loved every moment of it and hope to see more like this in the future.