Even I though I quite liked this book, I don't agree with the marketing that it is something like Scorpio Races because of them are extremely different stories in tone AND in plot, and since that was the reason I picked it up it didn't deliver, even though I did enjoy it, I just wanted to mention this.

It's just a really cool magical world with flying horses. We follow a girl who is really passionate about flying a winged horse and being part of this group of flyers for her country/kingdom and in the beginning it's sort of a competition kind of set-up.

It's definitely entertaining. I just wish the stakes would have been higher and the characters a little .kre complex than the generic good guys. It's s lot more younger in tone and the writing is very simplistic, so it didn't have anything that really just hooked me so I couldn't give it s too high rating. But it's definitely anice, fun read with likeable characters.

A Light in the Sky tells us the story of a dystopic nation ruled by a king too influenced by its tyrant brother, with a teenage girl, Aluma Banks, discovering she has to fight against it - it's in her blood! Filled with magic and flying horses (pegasi), this takes us on a road back to 2012, with the chosen-one trope, a special teenager girl who seemed so simple, love triangles and lots of angsty villains.

Yes, it's very cliché-y, but it's also entertaining. I sense that for younger readers (the intended target) the clichés and the simple, sometimes too-obvious plot, would not make a difference. For me, it's not that amazing completely unforgettable book, yet I think it's worth the read. Chemistry between the characters was there, I liked the magic surrounding the pegasi in a way that I found to be creative and original.

I would like to see less of the trope that tends to always plague these books, where suddenly the main character "wakes up" to the awful oppression others face and chooses to fight it alone, because she is "oh so good and special", and the villains were a bit too one-dimensional (perhaps they will be better developed on a second book).

All in all, it's not a bad book, but it's also a concept we've seen before. Nonetheless, I am interested in possible sequels!!
I would rate it a 7/10

Title: A Light in the Sky
Author: Shina Reynolds
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

Seventeen-year-old Aluma Banks has always dreamed of soaring freely through the skies astride a powerful winged steed of her own. But flying is a privilege granted only to the Riders of the king’s Empyrean Cavalry, the aerial warriors who defend the borders of their land from the fallen Kingdom of Laithlann.

Each year, Rider hopefuls across Eirelannia compete in the Autumn Tournament for the honor of joining the Cavalry. Aluma, trained to ride and fight by her retired Empyrean Rider father, knows she has what it takes to prove herself worthy—if only her father hadn’t forbidden her from joining their ranks, in the hope of protecting his only daughter from the perils of war. To make matters worse, Thayer, Aluma’s best friend who could be becoming something more, is competing—and if he wins, he’ll leave her behind.

When Aluma’s father is tragically injured just before the Tournament, she finds herself unexpectedly thrust into this year’s competition. But as Aluma begins to pursue her dreams, she learns devastating secrets about the king and his never-ending war with Laithlann. In her quest for the truth, Aluma discovers a power deep within herself that may be the only way to save Eirelannia and the people she loves from the darkness that threatens to consume them all.

I enjoyed this creative fantasy read. Flying horses—created, not born, like Pegasus—and the soldiers who ride them, a publicized contest, an evil and overbearing king (of course), and a secret rebellion. Granted, the last two are, but when put together with the others and with characters I liked, this made for a fun read. I could have done without the love triangle, but it didn’t really surprise me. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

Shina Reynolds lives in Texas. A Light in the Sky is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Wink Road Press in exchange for an honest review.)

DNF @13%
This book seemed like a pretty cliché YA fantasy with unoriginal characters and started dragging when I wasn't even 10% into it. Others have enjoyed it though, and in my case it was more of a 'it's not you, it's me' thing because I was in a reading slump. Do give it a try!

It has been years since I have read YA fantasy. I seem to remember clocking out around the time Holly Black’s Wicked King was released, and staying away since. Who can succinctly say why we enter reading slumps? Perhaps the most universal explanation is a host of internal and external factors clogging one’s mind. And when one’s mind is clogged, a return to known avenues that provide easily digestible escapism is a pretty solid way to return to the field.

I had hoped that Shina Reynolds’s debut, A Light in the Sky, would be that return for me. It tells the story of Aluma Banks, the seventeen year old daughter of a war hero and an aspiring Empyrean rider - a soldier defending the kingdom of Eirelannia from the back of a winged horse. The premise of this story - the cavalry-esque prestige and camaraderie of mounted soldiers, both a physical and political arena, and a young adult on the older end of the scale coming into her own - seemed like it could add something new and subversive to the otherwise familiar pathways of a magical destiny promised by the blurb. However, “familiar” ended up being the defining trait of this novel. And while familiarity was what I was going in for, I was still hoping for some oomph, something that pulled my emotions from my chest even if it didn’t challenge the foundations of my being.

The characters, I think, are the heart of this sense of stillness. They act and react, but do not seem to have a driver inside them, an engine spurring them on through the story. Aluma, our protagonist and our sole narrator, is no exception, which is probably why the sense of flatness is so pervasive. Aluma wants to be an Empyrean rider and she loves her father - interesting goals, understandable motivation. But there is little sense of what unsettled part of her needs to be shaken up by the plot so she can go on an internal journey alongside her external one. The why behind her deep desire to be an Empyrean rider is missing. The scope and dynamics of her familial relationships aren’t fully explored enough to feel strongly about them. This lack of complexity to her is what I feel leads her to being a fairly inactive protagonist. Characters like Lermyn say odd, evasive things, and Aluma doesn’t push or pry, doesn’t take any status-quo-altering actions, instead stewing in the strangeness of her interactions. It often felt like she was being shuttled from one place to another simply to observe, with no internal contradictions and needs and wants pushing her to make choices that altered her situation and upped the stakes.

Whenever she was motivated by her father was when her internal story showed its greatest strengths, and because of this I truly feel the novel could have benefited from developing or even prioritising her familial relationships even further. Exploring her relationship with her brother and the inherent, very deep conflict that emerges within the first few chapters would have been extremely compelling! Unfortunately, we spent more time with Thayer and Gattacan and a love triangle that really did not need to be there. A positive aspsect of this was that, at least until the introduction of Gattacan, Thayer was a genuinely kind and wholesome love interest that I have not seen much of in YA fantasy. He just was not as compelling as Aluma’s family.

The external conflict, too, was underdeveloped - Sutagus Molacus (what a name) with his Kaiser Bill-esque moustache, ripe to be twirled in antagonism, was a fairly one note villain. This can work, mind you, if it’s the best antagonistic force for the story. However, there was not enough conflict among the other characters to justify his lack of complexity in this case. Either he needed more complexity, or Aluma needed more tug and pull from the side of her allies, for the external conflict to be more engaging.

Worldbuilding was similarly a mixed bag. The concept of the Empyrean steeds was lovely and fresh, and the way they gained their magic from the Relics was fascinating to read and sparked my curiosity. But again, there was too much of some things and not enough of other things. I yearned for more exploration of the winged horses and how they knew how to fly, why the relics had the power to give them their wings and where that power came from, and I wish Aluma was asking these question and actively seeking those answers too! Yet we spent longer with the wingless horses - a solid quarter of the book. Going in I truly didn’t realise there would be such a focus on competitive jumping, especially at the start. Reynolds’s passion for and knowledge of horses and riding really shines throughout the novel, and the details are nice to read because that passion is so palpable. However, it was not what the premise promised me as a reader, and I may have tempered my expectations differently if I had known this would be more of a horse book than a fantasy or political book.

Additionally, there were far too many infodumps about many things, including the geographical and political structures of Eirelannia, that would have benefited from a more organic inclusion in the story. I think the name Eirelannia is clearly meant to be evocative of Éireann (Ireland), and thus it would have been great to have leaned in to that inspiration further, particularly given that Reynolds, according to her bio, is very interested in Ireland. Given this clear resonance, the themes of conquest and forced integration of states and cultures that were alluded to in the worldbuilging could have been expanded upon with more depth. It would have made the resistance to the crown more compelling, for example. In this sense I don’t think the worldbuilding made full use of the opportunities it had and if there will be a sequel, I hope the world can be expanded upon more deeply.

Pursuant to that, Eirelannia appears to be a very militant state, and especially in Ivernister. Perhaps my background as a student of war studies is interfering here, but I really wish the implications of militancy had been dealt with a little more deeply because of the fact that this story does, ultimately, follow along the common YA fantasy/sci-fi staple of child soldiers. Seventeen is on the upper end of the teenage years, certainly, but a seventeen year old is still closer to childhood than adulthood. I did feel that Aluma’s first experience of combat was well written, particularly the paralysis that can strike. But I do wish that the military culture surrounding Ivernister had been expanded upon, and that their training and techniques did not feel like they had been hand-waved into being. The first major combat scene with the riders gave little indication of how the riders were organised, how they were deployed, how they conducted themselves in a battle. I’m certainly not asking for a military manifesto, but it did not feel very well thought out, especially given the fact that the main purpose of the Empyrean riders’s existence and the endgame of Aluma’s involvement with them is, in fact, combat.

So many aspects of this story felt like they were harking back to the Hunger Games era of storytelling, even down to Egan Frye’s Caesar Flickerman-esque presentation of the competition in the first act, and well as the ideas of a revolt and a chosen one that emerges (though in this case, out of an inherent magical gift rather than a snowballing effect of personally motivated resistance). The chosen one, wielder-of-unique-and-rare-magic trope doesn’t have to be stale. It can be made interesting. I just did not feel that here. Aluma did not feel active, not in embracing the role nor in resisting it. And on a craft level, I was always thrown off by the casual tone of discourse in the writing (which sometimes reads younger than a seventeen year old!) that suddenly lapses into dramatic statements like “The old shall be made anew” whenever dealing with revolution or prophecy. A little more finesse would have been welcomg.

While on the topic of craft, Reynolds certainly has command of language, which I noticed right off the bat. She can write a story that goes along at a steady clip and illustrates it well for the reader. However, the pacing does suffer somewhat in the first act - again, too much time spent in the arena on the competition! - and chapters sometimes end strangely, either in cliffhangers that promise something they don’t deliver (such as the end of the first chapter and into the second) or that are anticlimactic, which is not a prerequisite for wrapping up the threads in a chapter. Some readers may not mind these aspects of structure and pace and language, but they stand out to me

Ultimately the word that comes to mind when considering A Light in the Sky is “comfortable”. The story does not break new ground, instead treading over very familiar territory and in doing so occasionally getting stuck in over-trodden ruts. It stays very much in the canon of tropes, pacing, worldbuilding, cast, and characterisation that underpinned the 2008-2015 era of YA fantasy. I always felt myself wanting more. There was so much already in the story and the world and the characters that could really have been put to work to move the story from “comfortable” to compelling. I hope that Reynolds will be able to shake things up and capitalise more on the threads she’s left lying in this story and world if or when a sequel is written. For readers new to the category and genre, it is a solid entry point. It will also easily scratch the itch of any reader longing for an uncomplicated return to another era. But anyone who is a regular consumer of YA fantasy, or who prefers more subversion and frankly more depth in their storytelling, would likely find less to take away from this novel.

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 on Goodreads and NetGalley.

Thank you to Wink Road Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I won’t lie, I went for this just because it had winged horses. It’s kind of a throw back to classic YA fantasy and it has a little of Kirsten Britain’s Green Rider’s series feel to it (although considering how off piste that series went, this is considerably better imo.) Anyway, this was fun. I would read on in the series.

After a few tries, I finally managed to get through this fantasy.

It was nothing like what I expected, and came across more teen than anything which is good for the current climate.

Characters were interesting but I found myself to be predicting what happened next. Good writing style and would potentially try other books by this author

Many thanks to NetGalley and Wink Road Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw the blurb for this book, I was intrigued. I'm not a huge horses fan. They are beautiful animals and I can appreciate them but I don't have a strong connection with them. However, that didn't effect my enjoyment of the book. It was an adventurous and fast paced story. For me the second half of the book was a bit too fast for me and felt rushed. There was more that could be explained in detail or more character depth could have been included. Aluma is relatable and likeable for the majority of the story. There were a couple times towards the end of the book that I thought she could've made better choices and be more cognizant of what's going on but that's character growth. I wish there was more background information or depth of the other characters. I think there are some very intriguing and interesting characters that would be great to explore more. Perhaps we will know more in later books. There was a love triangle/love dilemma in this story and I felt that it went from 0 to 180 in a flash. I have nothing against the love interests but wanted some more resistance or more of a journey. There was no investment for me in either relationship. Besides these annoyances, it was highly entertaining. I would definitely recommend it and I am looking forward to the next book.

I can only describe this as a book of two halves. I loved the first half and did not particularly care about the second half, I’m afraid.

The premise is really interesting. The story is set in a world with light and dark magic and winged horses. And yes, this is basically a horse girl story, but as a big horse girl myself, I was in for the ride (bad pun intended). There is talk of an “Old World” throughout the book, which made me think that this refers to our present world and the book is set in a dystopian future. We follow the live of Aluma, who bears resemblance to fantasy tropes (Not Like Other Girls, The Chosen One). However, I don’t think every book need to reinvent the wheel and with a plot that rolls along nicely as and perfectly pitched pace this book was a delight… for a while. I will explain why my love for this story soured further down below as it contains a mild spoiler for the plot of the second half of the book.
Regardless, I look forward to the second and third instalment of the series and I really hope that they improve on some of the aspects that I enjoyed less.

Content warnings and age appropriateness: The book contains violence and the death of close family/friends. However, the romance is extremely tame despite the protagonists being 16/17. I’d say the book is also suitable for younger audiences if they can cope with the average of level of violence and war in fantasy books (think “Philosopher’s Stone” level).


MILD SPOILER ALERT

The following contains some mild spoilers for the second half of the book but not to the extent that I would haver personally minded knowing before reading the book.

I hated the love triangle with a passion. Aluma finds herself torn between her childhood friend and a mysterious, brooding prince from a strange land. This is one of the oldest tropes in the book and mildly annoying even when executed well, but I found it nigh unbearable in this book. At some point it seems more text is dedicated to Aluma’s pondering over how much she is attracted to both these boys than to the much more interesting plot developments. I am saddened to say that this brings was I though was easily going to be 4- or 5-star read down to 2 stars for me.

<i>This is an honest review in exchange for an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.</i>

"<b>How far would you fly for freedom?</b>"

<i>A Light In The Sky</i> is a YA novel following the adventures of Aluma Banks as she fights for her horse, her freedom, and her kingdom. Y'know, normal teenager stuff.

Although this book had a lot of old-school YA tropes, there are several elements that set this novel apart from others:

1) The most obvious being the <b>pegasi</b>, or "Empyrean Steeds", which are horses that are granted wings only if they pass the Tournament and are deemed worthy alongside their riders. Among the grandeur of dragons and elves, I feel that pegasi are often left out, so this was a nice treat.

2) The <b>mixed elements of the world</b>. While normally worlds feel black-and-white with a concrete ruling system, Reynold's system was a mixed bag; while the poorer citizens walk or cart things around, the wealthy utilize the advanced technology of time's before the Dark War, where massive land or water "karriers" provide effortless transportation.

3) The <b>NAMES</b>. While <i>Aluma</i> feels a little cheesy to me, given the context, Reynold's was not playing around! Darwith, Wolkenna, Gattacan. We need more of this creativity in fantasy novels!

I also really appreciate the timing of each event. We never spent too long on one thing, and we generally had a clear view of the character's wants/needs, and relationship with others. So while this was a longer novel, it certainly didn't feel that way!

With that being said, there are some things which I feel could have been done better:

1) <b>Certain details</b>. Some places felt very lacking, like the extent of the <spoiler>magic</spoiler> allowed in this world. More explanation on the Dark Wars, and why the previous society was so advanced.<spoiler>Especially later in the book, when Aluma and Thayer are brought before the King, there was absolutely no description of him. He felt like a very vague and unimportant character, and how he spoke to Aluma seemed out of character from the few details we knew about him.</spoiler> Also, a better timeline of their history would be welcome. It seemed like the two (three, four? idk) kingdoms have been at war for generations, but at the same time, there are recent wars? If you just blur your eyes really hard when you read these parts, it's fine.

2) The <b>love triangle</b>. Now, don't get me wrong, I am pure trash for a good love triangle, <i>when done right</i>. This was not the case here. I am 100% for dark, brooding Gattacan over the blond childhood love, Thayer, but I didn't feel particularly compelled with Gattacan. There was so much description about Aluma's love toward Thayer, any feelings she had toward Gattacan felt confusing. Perhaps if there was some more ambivalence, I might find some tension and interest in their dynamic.

"I've always known you were special," he whispers. "You're a light- a light in the sky."..."My light..." Thayer to Aluma. Cheesy, but you have to admit that it's cute.

3) Problems solved with the <b>power of love and friendship</b>. While the protagonists did face unresolved conflict and downfall, many of their actions felt unrealistic. <spoiler>Take them going to the Tarmensil to find Aluma's father and General Rineheart. The King, Vikmal, was dead-set against Aluma and her friends going to Tarmensil, for their safety and for the cause. Which makes sense. But he gives way after a only little weedling. C'mon man, show some backbone. It just would've made more sense if Aluma and everyone had snuck out.</spoiler>.

All in all, a fairly good debut novel, and first book in the series. It came, set the groundwork for world-building and character motivations, and had beautiful pacing throughout. I'd say that this book would be more enjoyable for the younger side of YA.
Also, I hope we get more time with the secondary characters in the next book, chiefly Xander, Wolkenna, and Cloveman!

Another nice quote:
"<i>Right now, I am safe.
Right now, I am free.</i>
And I've never felt more alive."
Aluma flying on Darwith. I feel like this beautifully captured what it would feel like to fly, while channeling nostalgic YA vibes.

And remember,
"Keep the light."

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The first 40% of the book are a slow bild up. Aluma finally gets to compete to become an Empyrean rider. But before that she has to watch her father take a fall.

The group that comes together and the slow infatuation between Thayer and Aluma is a bit painful to watch, when you realize what’s going to come.

The story gets interesting when Aluma meets the “enemies” that turn out to be royalty. Together they train to take back what’s theirs and to bring back balance between the different lands.

The last 20% of the book are back to back, sit on the edge of your seat, turning page after page full of action. Hardly time to take a breath.

I know there is a second book coming out. It will be good to see the rest of this story unfold, but I hope that Aluma makes her choice. Thayer is her friend, her confidant, her home. Gattacan is hot headed, full of jealousy and acts his age.

This was such a great read! It was everything that could be hoped for in a YA fantasy.

Aluma Banks dreams of becoming an Empyrean (flying horse) rider like her father. She longs for the day when she can freely ride her steed high above the clouds. Unfortunately, her dreams are cut short by her fathers refusal to let her attempt the trials where riders are chosen. At the very last minute, following a tragic fall, Aluma finds herself ready to ride moments before the trials begin. Making the team becomes much more than riding above the clouds, it becomes the start of a journey that will change the way Aluma looks at her family, friends and country.

A Light in the Sky starts strong from the very beginning. From the moment the reader sees Aluma soaring above the clouds on a winged horse, they want to know more. Those first moments of attention grabbing action, speed the reader through a well written story where they have the chance to fall in love with the setting, characters, and horses.

One of this book’s greatest strengths was solid world building. Both of the regions in the novel, Eirelannia and Laithlann, were beautifully written and thoughtfully described. Laithlann was especially compelling and I found that the description was most beneficial to this area. I appreciated how much thought was put into the landscape, people, and history of the area. It made the world much more immersive and gave the reader a chance to feel emotionally attached.

The characters were all likable, despite not yet being fully fleshed out. Given that this is the beginning of a series, it is understandable that the characters were immature and rash when the world around them got more complicated. However, the characters could feel one dimensional and incomplete. I cannot wait to see how much more they can develop. It was nice to see that Aluma had prior knowledge of horses, riding, and flying, rather than have her jump on the horse and be immediately perfect as this was part of what made her feel real. The love triangle felt unnecessary and was the only part of the novel that did not progress the story or help any of the characters. The closeness between Aluma and her suitors was told, rather than shown, making it less believable.

After the beautiful descriptions of the cities, the most enjoyable part of the story was, of course, the horses. They were more than animal sidekicks, they were fully fleshed out characters. Darwith and Cashel were fun to read about and imagine flying on.

4/5 Extra marks for the interesting world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Shina Reynolds for the eArc of this novel!

I really enjoyed A Light In The Sky and I appreciate it more for pulling me out of a slump.

ALITS brought me back to the YA books of my teens and when I first started reading the genre. It delivers nostalgia with a dash of something new. A distinct dystopian world combined with dark royalty and ancient, unexplainable magic.

This is a fast paced novel that is not overly complicated. The author has done a great job of not drowning the audience with too much unnecessary information. The characters are made real, the environments are rich and I am committed to completing this story when it's available.

This book is so good! There is so much to love and I can't believe it's a debut. I can't wait to jump into the next book in the series, I need to know what happens!

This book is extremely plot driven and I loved the plot. It's well thought out and has a lot of action. It had bits that reminded me of various YA novels but all ones that I loved (Divergent, ACOTAR, Hunger Games) and then with a bit of a twist that is all this book so it stands on its own. The plot itself was wonderful. There were a couple twists that were definitely predictable but some that weren't and once the story got going, it never let up.

The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is the characters, especially Aluma. She is missing the heart and personality that would make me really fall in love with this story. Terrible things happen to her family and she has basically no reaction except doing what they tell her to. I needed more than that to really want to route for her. Totally angry and wanting revenge, I could get behind. Totally devastated and just going through the motions, I could get behind. But just sort of saying she's sad without showing it and no real anger, it felt lacking. Her relationships with Thayer and Gattacan felt lacking for the same reason, Aluma had a personality issue. This got better towards the end but even still, she never felt totally like a real person with feelings.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. The characters got better by the end and I definitely want to read the next one.

* I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The old will soon be made anew"

Truth be told, I'm a HUGE fan of adventurous YA novels! and this book had everything I loved starting from the strong female MC to the stunning world building!

[Character Development]
"I am a Light keeper
And I will keep the light"
Aluma was a strong lead in the book but at times I lost connection with her but I loved her relationship with her father. Thayer was not present most of the times and there's no mention of his backstory,all we know is that he was Aluma's childhood <spoiler>who later falls in love with her</spoiler> and he also wants to join the Empyrean Cavalry:/ I really hope to see more of him in the sequel, because he had a lot of potential. Wolkenna was my favourite throughout,her undercover was quite interesting! Gattacan on the other hand was...annoying. He came into the story unexpectedly and ruined it in a way .I mean he looks good and all buut I am and always will be Team Thayer (sorry not sorry) and even though I like the love triangle trope the romance in this book did not meet my expectations. I'm sure the book would've been better off without the 'love triangle' <spoiler> but after reading the ending I can already see Team Thayer winning bye bye Gattacan*smirks*</spoiler>

[World Building] 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The world built by the author was beautiful especially with the flying horses. The pronunciation of the names were difficult but that was fine with me because English is not my first language and I don't usually get the right pronunciations when it comes to fantasy books haha. At some points, it got confusing which had me checking the map several times but I think I'll get the hang of it once I read the sequels. Overall the world building gets 4 stars and a thumbs up from me!

[Writing Style]🌟🌟🌟✨
This is partly the reason why I didn't give the book five stars (with that tiny part where the love triangle went wrong) The conversations between the characters felt empty (maybe that's why I didn't connect with some of them) and there was repetitive phrases here and there. The romance was less entertaining with no banter (the exceptions : Wolkenna and Cloveman, I loved these two so much!) Okay maybe if we take their ongoing problems into consideration, we can say that the Thayer-Aluma-Gattacan love triangle did not work out because of the pressure they were under (now that I think of it, the love triangle wasn't meant to work out ...or was it? God! I'm confusing myself😂) Anyways, we'll keep that discussion for later. Let's come to the best part! The gorgeous descriptions of the scenery, and every description in particular (if we set aside the Convo part) I LOVED IT ! I could imagine myself flying in a horse too!

[Plot]🌟🌟🌟🌟✨
The plot was good. I loved the classic YA fantasy plot 'strong female MC saves the world from getting destroyed' and it had depths, ups and downs which made it intriguing till the end and it did not tire me out AT ALL.There were twists here and there which I always look forward to!

[Overall]🌟🌟🌟🌟
I'd recommend this to every YA fantasy reader out there.I'm sure you'll love the flying horses as much as I did. I really can't WAIT to read the sequel!

" How far would you fly forfreedom?
I’ll fly as far as I can—as far as I have to. I’ll keep this relic of light safe until we can return"

Thank you to Shina Reynolds and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of A Light in the Sky in exchange for an honest review!

"Keep the light."
--A Light in the Sky

Aluma has always dreamed of becoming an Empyrean warrior and taking to the skies on her own winged horse, as her father did before her. But her father forbade her from signing up, knowing the danger. That doesn't stop Aluma from sneaking out in the dead of the night to fly her father's horse. Her destiny is in the skies, and she will stop at nothing to reach it, bringing light to her world. Can she conquer the darkness that threatens the realm? And when two boys from different worlds compete for her attention, which will claim her heart?

The book takes place in a dystopian world with little magical influences. I was really impressed with Reynold's writing, she uses so many metaphors and incorporates all five senses, bringing the world to life. There was good pacing and many emotional moments. The romance was sweet, but even though I normally enjoy a good love triangle, this one seemed awkward to me. But overall it was an enjoyable read.

I rated this book 3/5 stars and would recommend it to readers who love horses, love triangles, found family, and dystopian novels. A Light in the Sky will be released November 9th, 2021!

This book was really solid. I enjoyed it but not as much as I would. I didn’t feel pulled into the story so it took me a while to get into it.

This book was ok. Not bad, not great. Solid middle of the road read. If you like The Scorpio Races I think you would enjoy this book.

Aluma Banks dreams of nothing more than to be on the back of a Pegasus and up in the sky. Sadly, she lives in Eirelannia where only Riders of the king’s Empyrean Cavalry can have a winged steed. The Riders are aerial warriors whose job is to defend the borders of their land from the corrupted Kingdom of Laithlann. Every year at the Autumn Tournament, young men and women compete to be in the Empyrean Calvary. Aluma’s father is a famous retired member of the Calvary who refuses to allow Aluma to compete in the trials. However, after her father and his Pegasi fall out of the sky, Aluma is forced to compete in the trials she had previously longed to be a part of. Though she is finally allowed to follow her dreams, Aluma learns the truth about her kingdom, the people of Liathlann, and the power she has inside herself. Aluma must fight to save her family, her friends, and her kingdom.

Shina Reynolds’ debut novel is a throwback to classic YA tropes with Pegasi, love triangles, and a band of misfits. The Pegasi were a major aspect of this novel and I loved it. Reynolds’ wrote the horses so vividly, I felt as though I could reach out and touch Darwith and Cashel. She captured their thoughts, sounds, and habits so well that I could actually picture them. I also really loved the relationship between Aluma and her father. They love each other so fiercely, and fight to protect one another. Aluma is so loyal to her father in a way readers rarely get to see. A Light in the Sky is a captivating story about freedom, magic, identity, and most importantly, friendship.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

I haven't been able to read this book yet, but the feedback date is coming up soon. The cover is appealing, the title is catchy, and the description sounds interesting. This book is my next read, so I'm looking forward to actually diving in. I'll give it 4 stars just to be fair.