Skysworn by Katee Stein
Blurb:
Every Choice Holds Consequence.
As earthbound creatures surge into the Central Mercurial for the first time in an age, Tehran is caught between old responsibilities and his new reality. Haunted by Knox’s last plea for him to find the Sky, Tehran conceals his forsaken oaths in hopes his lies won’t become liabilities.
Emilia’s efforts to unravel enemy technology bring her face-to-face with the forces she is desperate to dismantle. Now truly alone, she must confront her demons and fight the monsters undermining the Order to avoid becoming their puppet.
Meanwhile, a world away, Knox awakes with new power pumping through his veins and fresh purpose driving him forward. Old bonds are loosed as he fights to reclaim the soul of the Reaches and find his way home to the child whose future is his to protect.
Review:
I have lived a thousand lives in this duology, left heartbroken and harrowed, and above all wholly satisfied. If you haven’t read Earthbound you can find my review here. I’ll try to skip spoilers but there may be some implications in here that I miss just from being on the other side. But I have to say, Skysworn was the perfect ending for its nail biting origins and I couldn’t be happier with where Katee Stein took us. It’s unique, perspective shifting, and I am obsessed. I stupidly went into this book with expectations so I’m warning you now, throw them straight out the window and buckle up. As soon as I started Skysworn and watched it unravel to its brilliant, chaotic crescendo I knew she had done it. She had written a series that would be on my all time indie list. So with all the hype suppression I can muster, let’s get into what to expect.
With Knox all but lost to the Sky, Tehrin battles his new found limitations and the oaths that he’d always stood for. Emilia, left roiling, finds it difficult to forge a new path with her built up resentments, while Loghin and Kipp are left to their own defenses in a world that has turned far more complicated than they ever imagined. With new enemies and allies alike, the Mercurial braces for impact as tech far outside their capabilities threatens all they hold dear. But there are powers at work willing to do anything to force the fate of the Sky’s people.
“This invasion had turned to an occupation. Those left in the Reaches needed leadership and protection. He could offer both.”
WIth an expanding world, and all we’ve come to know set to fall apart, the plot shines in this sequel, guiding us through the things no one thought could possibly be fixed. If you haven’t read Earthbound, know that Stein had really set herself up here, tasked with meticulously gluing all the shattered pieces we were left with in the first book, as well as push us towards understanding and grace for some truly hardened characters while believing the villain was really capable of the scale needed to bring this thing through. And just like a kintsugi master, she not only brought the piece back to shape but highlighted the severed places, making them shine in ways you didn’t think you’d see. As our characters drag themselves tooth and nail through the plot, earning every step they take, and as things continue to burn around them, you start to unwind just what Stein is doing here. From the beginning we have Knox rising from the ashes and a shaky pair in Emelia and Tehran, who's doing his best not to give away all his secrets to… basically everyone. And without spoiling, let’s just say everything goes to hell and you’re pretty convinced really horrific things need to happen in order to right them… and sometimes you aren’t wrong.
Skysworn’s worldbuilding was masterful. The Mercurial in Earthbound is strange and new but in Skysworn we’re faced with new understanding and insight into our enemies beyond the Mercurial, and brought to great depths to see the lengths our enemy is willing to go. I love the elements Stein chooses that create its unique picture. The earthbound are abounding, the borders are simultaneously expanding and shrinking, and everything feels tangible, visceral, and almost haunting. It feels fully epic, while being so digestible and sensory. You taste the churning earth in the air, your breath leaves you as you crash into the water, the wind whips your face as your hover vehicle speeds across the expanse. You don’t just read this book, you live it, and putting it away for the night feels like you’ve left something real behind. I don’t know if Katee’s writing just speaks to my particular tastes, or if it’s the natural outcome of reading her words, but every time I talk to someone else reading the series I’m assured I’m not alone. My heart has been torn from my chest, my powers stripped from me, and I have clawed my way back alongside these characters in a land I know and recognize as soon as I return. This book was a homecoming and yet had delightfully fresh new horizons (and horrors) to explore all the same. From crafts, weapons, tech and monsters, you’re met with the most wonderful surprises. I truly hope that one day I can explore more of this world, but for now I won’t mind revisiting now and again, meeting up with old friends and recanting our adventures together.
“Are you the deoman or not? You’ve earned that name; maybe it’s time to remind them why.”
It was good to be back with Knox, Tehran and Emilia, with all that has happened, and all that there is to face. Was I a little too invested in the romantic subplot, perhaps. But that’s because I’ve never read one like this. The love triangle may have ripped us apart in book one, but just you wait. I cried real tears and my heart soared within these pages a good few times. And wow, that ending. Right along with them we have all our favorite side characters and a growing Kipp. She was a highlight for me, I loved how Stein maintained her childlike innocence as her power and connection to the Sky developed.
And Sky help us all, because as the political tactics and deceptions unraveled, my skin started to crawl with how the villains were orchestrating things behind the scenes. I was in awe of Dareus’s character in particular, his chapters were absolutely delicious as his role became more and more clear. I think for me the biggest growth came from Emilia. I absolutely loved her arc in this story. Going from someone I struggled to relate to, to seeing a bit of myself in her was a nice transition, even if those bits weren’t always our most flattering parts. Knox, the everpresent masterpiece, just out of his last wringer, was in prime style. Oh how I love how he handled himself in this story, exposing some of his own chinks in his armor. And Tehran, having his hands full while balancing all the personal struggles surrounding him and trying his best to save the world, bares more of his soul as he grapples with difficult realities.
“I will not make the same mistake again.”
I say all that to say: Katee Stein’s storytelling isn’t one to miss. These characters are superb, in a surprising world with unbearable plot twists that keep us on the edge of our seats. All packaged in unassuming prose that lets you experience its elements undisturbed, giving you substance over fluff. Earthbound was also one of my favorite audiobook performances last year, I was torn apart by some of the chapters (RIP to all of you who know the one). I can’t wait for the devastation I’ll feel hearing these words, raw and emotional, for Skysworn as well whenever the time comes.
So if I haven’t convinced you, I suppose it’s your loss. Am I too big a fan to rightly judge the literary prowess of this story? Maybe. But take my hype as an indication that this series is worth the try. I’m certainly not the only one shouting it from the rooftops. So if you’re looking for a heartpounding adventure, with the highest of stakes, a romantic subplot that will become your favorite rollercoaster in an epic world… this is your duology. Check out Earthbound and look out for Skysworn on October 10th, 2025.
