A great novella, (almost) every sentence was meaningful, insightful, and added so much to the story. I do wish the only mention of queerness in the book wasn’t speculation about two dead bodies found away from the soldiers camp… too close to the “bury your gays” trope for me, especially since it was to further along the plot of the manticore hunt. If that was avoided, I would have enjoyed this novella much more and rated it higher.

(I’m assuming the soldiers were both male as the female ruhkers seem to have a special exception to be hunters with the rocs as the rocs are picky with the people they hunt with and there aren’t a lot of people lining up to be ruhker apprentices. There are multiple instances where male characters make remarks about not being pleased to see female warriors so I don’t think the regular military has women present.)

This title literally knocked my socks off! If someone told me about Fonda Lee earlier in my reading career, I would have read all her books by now! Because oh my goodness, Untethered Sky was written so well. Fonda Lee has a way of writing that pulls the reader in and creates a world where you're completely immersed in it.

In this book, she does exactly that and really makes the reader feel something towards the winged beasts and their keepers. The bond the characters shared with these creatures was just so beautiful and emotion evoking for me as the reader.

This book wasn't terribly long, a quick read for me, but definitely one that I will be thinking about for the next few weeks because it was truly a remarkable novel.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful story in a small package! I’ve never been hugely into novellas but if there’s ever a book to change that it’s this one. I was immediately hooked on the story and invested in Ester’s journey and loved the tension and stakes that this book created in a narrow slice of the world. The brutality and beauty of the rocs and Ester’s personal growth were highlighted so well and I can’t believe how much emotion and impact this short story conveyed. I will absolutely be picking up anything else written by Fonda Lee after reading this one!

This was really great. We follow Ester, who trains land hunts with large birds of prey called rocs. Her obsession with hunting down manticores takes her many places- meeting a prince, riding across beautiful terrains (that are gorgeously described). Fonda Lee’s incredible world building is once again on display here, allowing readers to learn about the world organically instead of relying on “telling” style exposition dumps. I really enjoyed this!

2.5 stars rounded up

I was curious to see how I would do with this because I want to love Fonda Lee the way so many people do. Jade City was just okay for me though I can see why people love it. I felt similarly about Untethered Sky- objectively I think it's good, just not the story or writing style I find all that engaging or interesting. Which tells me that unfortunately Lee just might not be the author for me.

That said, I think a lot of people will really enjoy this novella and it is something quite different from what she has written before. This is very much a case of "it's not you, it's me"

Untethered Sky follows a woman who dedicates her life to training and hunting with Rocs (enormous birds of prey) after a Manticore kills her entire family. Rocs are the only predators able to take down a Manticore and Ester has joined the King's Royal Mews where she is matched with Zahra, a fledgeling Roc who will be hers to train.

Things happen but that is really the story. Ester training Zahra, Ester hunting with Zahra, and her relationships with colleagues ranging from friendship to romance. Ester is kind of awkward, introverted, and plain but fiercely determined to avenge her family.

I think it's a well-paced story with a fleshed out world and characters, and feels like a complete story. It just didn't quite do it for me. There were parts of it I was engaged, but those weren't the things Lee seemed most interested in exploring. Which is fine, I just think I'm not quite the right audience for it. I received an advance copy for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

Fonda Lee is quickly becoming one of my favorite fantasy authors, and this novella did not disappoint. My only complaint about this book is that I wish it was longer!

Untethered Sky reads something like a non-fiction history/training guide but also a lovely fantasy story of friendship. The MC, Ester, is driven to become a ruhker after her family is devastated by a manticore. This is mainly what drives ester the entire book, but she finds solace with her roc, Zahra, and some of her fellow ruhkers. There’s a lot of information about the finding, training, and use of rocs in this world, and it reads like they are real things. I think I wanted a little bit more about our human characters in the end. I think lots of people will enjoy this short read though. 3.5 stars.

Untethered Sky is a masterful work of art that has me in tears after I finished reading it in one sitting. Fonda Lee is a genius story teller who has captured a beautiful, action filled, and heart wrenching story all in a short one hundred and sixty pages. Magical.

When I saw Untethered Sky appear on Netgalley I knew I had to give it a read. I have yet to read the Green Bone Saga but had heard enough about Fonda Lee’s literary prowess that I figured this short intro into her work would be a great place to test the waters. Yet, as anyone who goes too deep in the ocean on their first swim would know, when I started reading I just couldn’t put it down and found myself mentally and emotionally tossed around like a toy boat in a stormy sea.

This longer novella is a rollercoaster of a story. Don’t worry. I won’t be sharing any spoilers. But I would like to share why I believe you should give this a read. I’ll try and make this a novella sized review for you as well. Because I would rather you go pick this story up instead of reading my ramblings. That to say, here are three noteworthy reasons why you should read this book.

First, Fonda Lee’s writing is just masterful. There is no other word I can think of to better describe it. Jumping into this story it just has this radiating energy. It almost felt to me like I was actually there with Ester. Living her story and feeling her emotions. There is an almost constant sense of dread or possibly longing of some kind that pulls at your heart strings in every chapter. This partially has to do with the tragedies Ester goes through and the danger she constantly has to endure, but the words are so well crafted that you can’t help but get lost in it.

Second, this is a powerful story. The plot and idea is so simple yet so well done that I desperately wish this was not just a novella. To this day, weeks after I’ve read it, I want more! This story deals with the mortality of humanity by standing it in front of monsters of all shapes and sizes. And I don’t just mean giant man hunting manticores or the top alpha hunters of the sky, the rocs! Following Esters story and seeing her conquer all odds was just a joy to read and I know you’ll love it as much as I did.

Finally, you should add this to your tbr IMMEDIATELY because frankly, I believe this book will be talked about for a long long time and you don’t want to miss it. As of posting this review there is still a month before it releases but I have a feeling this will take off like a wildfire and you’ll want to be a part of this conversation while it’s hot.

If you couldn’t tell I really enjoyed Untethered Sky. This is not my standard format for reviews but I felt like I would be doing a disservice to you if I didn’t just straight up tell you why you should read it instead of losing you with all my opinions and drawn out explanations. So give it a shot! I can guarantee you’ll soar right through it!

I've never read Fonda Lee before; if every Fonda Lee book is this good, I want them all. Another short book to add to the newish trend of short pieces of writing, like those of T. Kingfisher and Roth’s latest, Untethered Sky is a novella that packs a punch. Highly recommend for those who want a good book with romance (though it’s not the main focus at all and has no spice), animal companionship, and loads of action.

Rocs are gigantic birds of prey akin to falcons and eagles trained and used specifically for hunting large, predatory animals that plague the land. Our heroine, Ester, witnessed and survived an attack from a manticore when she was small, to the chagrin of her father. Determined to make a difference in the world and get revenge on the manticore that slaughtered half of her family, Ester joins the Royal roc training grounds and soon gets a bird of her own—and she uses it to hunt down the beasts.

On the way to becoming a seasoned rukhar, Ester develops relationships she never expected she would. She makes connections to the royal family, befriends a wallflower trainer who knows more about the rocs than just about any other person in the Mews, and even falls in love.

What I love most about Untethered Sky is that the book isn’t just about Ester learning to hunt manticores with enormous rocs. Though short, the book contains myriads of other facets. It’s a story of falling in love, redemption, self-sacrifice, friendship, court politics, and hope. Ester doesn’t go through the book single-minded. She hopes for the attention of her father and endeavors to do well as a rukhar to attract his attention. At the end of the book, she is a different person altogether from how we meet her at the at the beginning.

Untethered Sky releases on 11 April 2023 in the US (Amazon UK has a release date for the hardcover of 23 May 2023). If you haven’t already preordered it or put it on hold at your local library (if you can this early), I recommend doing so. I don’t think this one will disappoint.

My thanks to NetGalley for the eARC, for which I give my own, honest opinion.

I hadn't read the Green Bone Cycle yet, so this was my first Fonda Lee novel and it definitely won't be my last! This novel shared the themes of grief and how we deal with them, the relationship and sacrifice of Ester and Zahra, and accepting the outcome of that relationship.

ADORED this novel. I was lost in the world building and mainly between the relationship of Ester and Zahra. It was told in quick succession and I don't believe that I missed out anything even with this being a novella.

When I started reading it, I thought that the length of the novel would be too short for the story that was trying to be told here, but I think the length was absolutely perfect. I loved Ester and her motivation for wanting to be a ruhker. I was sad about the ending and her relationship with Zahra, but I was also relieved that she got what she wanted in the end -- both Ester and Zahra.

Well done!

Also, thank you netgalley and Tor Publishing for this arc!

I always have trouble rating novellas. They’re shorter, so naturally they’re not going to have the depth I usually want from a book.

That being said, this is a great novella. Fonda can do no wrong for me as I’ve said many times before. She just has the coolest concepts for her books and this was no exception. It didn’t necessarily have the character work I expect from her after the Green Bone Saga, but again I don’t think that’s a realistic ask given the length.

I still fully enjoyed my read of this and it had some surprising emotional punch to it at the end. Cool story!

Just a story about a girl and her bird…except the girl is a traumatized risk taker and the bird is a giant ferocious beast!

Inspired by Middle Eastern mythology and featuring the mythical creatures known as rocs and manticores, Untethered Sky is the journey of one girl from heartbreak to purpose. Ester finds a home, a family, and her destiny. That feeling of belonging and purpose is unmatched…but it is also fragile.

After a manticore brutally kills her mother and younger brother, Ester vows to become a royal ruhker and hunt them down. What began as an interest when she first saw a roc as a child grew to an obsession and a vow to never be a vulnerable child hiding from a manticore again. Rocs, the only predator strong enough to kill manticores, are taken from their nests, paired with a ruhker or training companion, and taught to hunt on command. Ruhkers and their rocs work only for the king and God keeping villages safe. Ester and her roc Zahra train, bond, and eventually hunt manticores. Ester doesn’t only for a bond with her roc but also with her fellow ruhkers Darius and Nasmin. Their friendships are built on the fact that they share an elite profession but that didn’t prevent them from being true and heartwarming.

Lee’s writing is matter-of-fact rather than flowery yet her descriptions of a Middle Eastern-inspired setting enchant. The descriptions of the landscapes and the foods were especially enticing. The rocs are larger than life and the manticores equally terrifying. Although it is a novella, it wasn’t short on emotion, heart, or world-building. I felt like I had been in the world for multiple books and that I could stay for many more.

Fonda Lee is just the writer that trumps all. Her writing will never not bring me to tears, and I cannot stop adoring the characters that she creates. I was a bit worried with this novella that Fonda wouldn't have enough time to create an attachment between reader and protagonist, but I was entirely wrong. I've been starting to get into novella's lately, and Untethered Sky is one of the few that uses its short length to its advantage. Instead of feeling like there wasn't enough time with the characters, the book felt complete.

I don't want to say much about the plot because this book is only about 160ish pages, and I feel like I'll accidentally spoil something. Ester, the protagonist, is very different from Fonda's cast back in the Greenbone Saga. The closest comparison that I can think of is probably Anden. Ester is a much more reserved lead, and she is constantly awkward and anxious. After the trauma of her childhood, none of this is surprising, but she has this need to be better for that younger version of herself who essentially lost everything. She has pretty much vowed to become a ruhker due to those events, which is an incredibly dangerous job— not only due to the manticore hunting but also the fact that giant rocs are wild creatures themselves. Ester looks past this danger not because she's merely brave, but because she wants to protect the world from manticores, especially since she couldn't protect herself long ago from one. It's these complexities that make her one of the most dynamic leads that I've read from in forever. I loved her, and her journey felt perfect.

Moreover, again, to not spoil anything, the ending of this book is extremely unique in my opinion. It's a creature/ human relationship based novella, and I think when a lot of people hear this, they interpret that a particular way. I certainly did. I love those relationships because they remind me of my own kitties curled up next to me while I read. But Untethered Sky is not like the "aww, cute" feelings. It's a reminder that of nature vs. nurture as well as partnership vs. duty. It's going to poke holes into humanity's relationship to the wild in a way that most people won't ever think about. There's something so profound about Fonda forcing us to look at the truth when we definitely don't want to.

Thank you Tordotcom and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I would never have picked this up if I knew it was more of a YA-character study than anything else, since I am so far from being in the mood for that right now. It was more of a 2-star level of enjoyment/investment but I'm rounding up since I can't hold my mood against this little book, which is solid in terms of accomplishing what it's trying to do. It definitely does a great job bringing to life the rocs, the giant birds that people train up to be hunting companions, and they always feel like believable wild animals that are barely under any kind of domesticated control. For the publisher, I want to note that there are two mis-spellings of "fledgling" in the "Fledgling" chapter 1 where it's missing the middle "l".

Honestly I would have much preferred this to have been fully about the relationship between Ester and her roc Zahra and for it to have been more of a cozy fantasy read about them than the very conventional tale we got with all of its YA-feeling plot points and conflicts. I was engaged by part 1 and the training sequence after Ester first met her young roc, but once the book moved past that part fairly quickly and settled into plot beats that felt predictable, it totally lost my interest. Even in the cozier sections, the focus around hunting wild animals always kind of made me a bit uneasy since that's not really something I care to read about.

I've read far too many late teen/twenty-something characters recently who have some kind of history of trauma and are now emotionally stunted young adults who are trying to process it/find their identities and work through awkward social lives. I really did not enjoy the human drama side of this novella, even if the main character and only POV felt like a fleshed-out 3-D character -- they didn't have enough of an arc to compel me, and Lee didn't do enough with any of the side characters to get me to care about them either. With little to capture one's interest on the worldbuilding or plot fronts, the character side of things will make or break your experience with this book, and I can definitely understand loving it if you are in the mood for or just inclined to love this particular type of main character study. It's just not for me at all right now though.

This books was so good. Very unique and just so good. I love every book that Fonda Lee has ever written. The way she introduces characters and makes them so memorable is just amazing. My only complaint is that the book was not longer and that it was not a series. 100% recommend.

“I wanted to be the monster that kills other monsters.”
🦅
Ester has sought purpose ever since a manticore murdered her mother and baby brother. Her path leads her to the Royal Mews and the rocs, the giant birds who are the only things capable of killing a manticore…but the bond between roc and ruhker is as dangerous as it is strong.

Ughhhhhhhhhh Untethered Sky GUTTED me.

This novella is packed with emotion and gorgeous world building and characters you want to pledge your allegiance too…which is kinda totally exactly the same feelings that I got from Lee’s fantastic Green Bones saga.

But aside from the feels, the two works are very different, which just showcases Fonda Lee’s incredible range.

Anywho, if you want to fall in love with a giant bird and read about a complicated and fierce animal-human bond that will crush your soul and leave you heaving with tears streaming down your face, read this.

This was another good book by this author, but unfortunately not one that will stick with me in the same way the Green Bone Saga did. I went into this expecting a completely didn’t story and a different story is what I got, which I can appreciate. I liked that even though this is a novella it felt like a well rounded story and I don’t feel like there was anything missing. I liked the bond the ruhkers shared with their roc’s especially between Ester and Zahra. This was not only about the bond between ruhker and roc, but about friendship, family and protecting/avenging the ones you love at all costs. There were moments in this story that had me on the edge of my seat and the story had me caring for these characters in such a short amount of time, it's amazing how the author can do that even in novellas. This is a novella I would recommend to people who like stories that have animal companions. Overall I enjoyed this and will continue to pick up anything by this author.

Untethered sky is an excellent exploration of a witcher-like monster hunter and the world in which she needs to exist. It’s a classic “boy and his dragon” story, except it’s a “horribly traumatized girl and her monster-killing monster” spin on it. I was expecting a fun, popcorn-y read of hunting and killing, but was positively surprised to find a more character-based read with a strong focus on the bond between the main character and her familiar, and other people in the same profession.

Where the Green Bone saga sometimes had shoddy pacing for me, here we get another story told over a long period but with much tighter focus. It's a rewarding read.

The moment I read the summary of this book I thought, "Oh, the nostalgia! It sounds just like the '80s fantasy books I read as a kid!" And, for better or for worse, that turned out to be exactly right.

First, the rocs: AMAZING. I love them. Falconry is difficult to begin with, and a bird that might actually EAT YOU makes it catastrophic. Much like the rukhers in the book I would also risk everything to work with one of these amazing birds. Then comes their prey. Oh goodness, their prey. Absolutely terrifying.

The narration really does read like the '80s stories I recall - a little dry, a little tell-not-show, and completely acceptable in exchange for the amazing world and creatures in it. I never felt any connection to the characters and I'm not sure they really felt any connection to each other either. Grand-scale things happen and no one really feels any way about them. Personal-scale things happen and, despite prior foreshadowing (little did we know what horrible things would soon happen!! I guess that's foreshadowing) no one really felt much about them either.

All in all, I really did enjoy this book for bringing me back to the wonder I felt as a child reading about dragons and gryphons and dire wolves with human companions, a little impatient with the book for trying to put in silly things like politics and consequences, completely engrossed with the creature and brushing aside the protagonist.

But there was one thing that completely broke my immersion: birds don't have five toes. Just saying.

I was immersed in this imagined world of monsters, the birds of prey who track them, and the bird trainers whose lives are devoted to protecting the kingdom. I loved the vivid descriptions of training and hunting, but even more, I was drawn to the narrator, whose tragic past drives her and who grows to learn about the human need for connection.