ARC received by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This series was one that I really enjoyed in the beginning but slowly lost a little magic as it went on. I think that might be because the last two books felt so rushed. I wanted to sit more in the world but instead we got dragged to the ending so quickly that I still felt lost. Some of the twists I could see coming while others came out of the blue. Those surprises are why this book is rating got a little bump.

#UndertheSmokestrewnSky #NetGalley
Love this book and author. It is a pseudonym for Seanan McGuire. Please check out this author's books they are wonderful!

So I love how weird the world is in the Up-and-Under, and the Improbably Road and the Impossible City. I wish there was just a bit more action, but I also realize that as a companion book to McGuire's Alchemical Journeys series, there are reasons why it is the way it is, and there's a lot of subtext and references that I'm sure I missed on my first read-through. I do think I would have done better to read it shortly after reading the ones that come before it, because there is a lot that's strange that you have to remind yourself about when you dive back into the story, though thankfully there is a bit of a recap at the beginning. Hard to say more without spoiling it, but it wraps things up pretty well.

Seanan McGuire (writing as A. Deborah Baker) brings this incredible series to a satisfying close. As with all of McGuire's works, what is satisfying may not be what you're expecting or even want, but it is very much right for the story.

Now I need to go back and reread the series.

Into the Windwacked Wilds ended with our crow girl getting back her heart and the group escaping the queen. Now that they are in the land of fire, they all know the ending is near.

That is feelable throughout the entire book. Everyone is considering the ending. Avery and Zib going home, who crow girl or now known as Soleil really is and what will the drowned girl and Jack Daw do?

This does not nessecarily make for a great read. Zib is out of commission for most of the book and Avery does not have much of a role to play. It makes you wonder why they were even pulled into The Up-and Under at times. This last part wasn't as engaging as you would want it to be because of that.

Regardless Jack Daw and the Drowning girl mostly saved the story. They helped balance things out. Still, they remained rather flat in places as characters, alongside Zib and Avery. Everyone has a very fixed role to play and they are not allowed to move away from that. It does not create much depth.

Without giving too much away about the ending, it was rather obvious that it was going to end up in that direction. Especially after the ending of book 3 I knew exactly what was going to happen there. It was a decent ending, but it could have been so much more.

I’m actually sad to have this novella series over with now. The Up-and-Under series within the Alchemical Journeys series is like nine books long, but that isn’t the case with this real-world version. But I think together the four volumes that make up this series makes for a great story overall.

We’ve spent the last three books meeting Avery, Zib, and the companions they’ve picked up along the way…and you can absolutely read this series without reading the Alchemical Journeys series. However, if you have read Alchemical Journeys without checking these reads out, then I fully believe that you’re missing out. There are snippets of the novellas in the main books, but to get the full story and the full picture, you need to read this novella series.

I can definitely say that I plan to do a binge re-read to get the full story of the Up-and-Under all together, since I’ve basically been reading these a year apart for the past few years.

This was a conclusion that wrapped up the story for Avery, Zib, and friends nicely, while still leaving some room for possible questions that might interconnect the two series together.

I like a complex story with fascinating characters, even if reaching the end of the story is bittersweet, and certainly a happy ending isn’t necessarily guaranteed here. If anything else, the whole journey that Avery and Zib have been on make it clear that sometimes our stories can be a little bit unexpected, and decisions can lead to complications, and perhaps the answers you find aren’t the ones you hoped would be true.

A. Deborah Baker(aka Seanan McGuire)’s writing is captivating, and I found myself obsessed with this story, wanting to read it until it’s conclusion, something that isn’t difficult because it is just under 200 pages. But this was a magical, whimsical, sometimes dangerous and scary, sometimes emotional and harrowing, but all around fantastical while still feeling wholly real story.

I will miss Avery and Zib. I will miss Crow Girl, the Drowned Girl, and Jack. I will miss traveling along the Improbable Road to the Impossible City.

If you like tales with vibes like “Alice in Wonderland” or “The Wizard of Oz,” then perhaps you will also enjoy The Up-and-Under series. I can’t wait to see what’s next in Tidal Creatures, book three of the Alchemical Journeys series. I’m sure that whatever Seanan McGuire/A Deborah Baker/Mira Grant writes, it will be something that fascinates and captivates me.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Under the Smokestrewn Sky marks the end of a whimsical and fantastical journey through the Up-and-Under, a series that began with such promise and enchantment. As excited as I was for this finale, I wasn't as engaged with this one as the past books. I feel like the charm of the style has worn off, leaving the book bogged down by it rather than enriched.

The story trudged through repetitive terrains of dialogue and introspection. The introduction of new concepts, like characters embodying the four elements, felt like it came a little too late in the series, and the first half of the book is dedicated mostly to discussion and arguments about it. While the book's second half did pick up pace, leading to a climactic face-off in the Impossible City, the execution felt rushed, leaving me longing for the depth and engagement of earlier chapters.

Zib was sidelined for much of the story, while Avery's journey lacked the depth and growth I'd hoped for. The ensemble of characters started to feel more like conduits for philosophical musings than relatable beings, making it hard to invest emotionally in their fates.

It just felt... underwhelming. The stakes didn't matter, death(s) didn't stick, and the characters didn't feel like cherished friends anymore. I'm really sorry I didn't like it.

A whimsical end to a fairy tale. It felt a little drug out over 4 books, but works well as companions to the Alchemical Journies series. It serves as a kind of lore and explanation for the background plot of those books. In this final addition Zib and Avery and their companions make the last leg of their journey to the Impossible City. Everything always seems to happen to Zib, which I don't love; girl can't catch a break. Avery just complains about how things can't be happening and I don't blame Niamh for snapping at him.

The work their way to and through the land of Fire looking for the Queen of Wands, and they find her in a very predictable place for very predictable reasons. Once they close in on the Impossible City they meet an army raised to take control from the Queen of Wands.

I love most of Seanan's works but this is not one of her best for me.

Under the Smokestrewn Sky is the fourth and final installment in the Up and Under series by Seanan McGuire writing as A. Deborah Baker. All throughout the series Avery and Zib have been making their way along the Improbable Road trying to get back home. They've made plenty of friends and enemies along the way, and they were even given a quest. They were charged with finding the missing Queen of Wands and restoring her to her rightful place on the throne in the Impossible City. For without the Queen of Wands in the Impossible City, Avery and Zib will never make it home.

The beginning of this book sees Avery, Zib, Niamh, Jack Daw, and Soleil making their way out of the Kingdom of the Air and into the Kingdom of Fire. This is the kingdom ruled by the Queen of Wands, and it's obvious her absence has had a negative effect on the land. Avery, Zib, and friends make their careful way along lava fields and baking hot ground towards the Queen's castle in search of clues for where she may have gone.

Along the way Zib falls ill, and no one is sure what to do to save her. They finally encounter the Page of Gentle Embers, who has been left in charge of the kingdom while the Queen is missing. Unfortunately, the Page is not much help, and she tells them all the subjects of the Kingdom of Fire are missing as well. So, Avery and friends take Zib along to find the missing subjects and the missing Queen.

One of the things I liked about this book is that Avery and Zib finally started making decisions for themselves instead of being moved along by the plot. They made things happen instead of things happening to them. Whether those decisions are right or wrong is left up to the reader to really decide, but the point is that they took action in this story. Zib learns to stop and think about the consequences of her decisions, and Avery learns to be less rigid and flex with the strange rules of the Up and Under. This was definitely a nice development, but I felt it came too late in the series.

I have to say, while I enjoyed this book more than books two and three in this series, I did not enjoy the series as a whole. For example, I really liked the twist in the story for who the Queen of Wands turned out to be, but it was pretty predictable to be honest. I had a feeling it would go the way it did as soon as I read the ending of book three. So, it wasn't all that surprising.

This was the big mystery of over half of the series, and it was resolved quickly and predictably. Much of the series is taken up with explaining the world and how it works via conversations between Avery, Zib, and the people they've met. It felt like the first two books could have been the first 50 pages of a novel instead two entire novellas.

Also, I feel like obstacles and problems are just manufactured for no logical reason to give the characters one more thing to overcome before making it home again. There ends up being an entire army in their path to the Impossible City, and while there's a bit of a fight, the consequences are immediately withdrawn. It made me question the whole point of having the army there at all. What purpose did it serve to the story?

Not to mention that the habit of making up rules in this world as it's convenient for the story happens constantly. The only rule that holds fast, it seems, is that nothing can be relied upon in the Up and Under. Even friendships are unreliable, and people can become new people who are nothing like they were before.

The only really thought-provoking issue brought up in the story involved how some of those in power sometimes seek to escape their responsibilities for a while. They just want to feel normal again. In my opinion, this is the sign of a good leader and someone who is unlikely to abuse that power. They know what it's cost them in life to get it. However, this desire to escape can lead to trouble, which is what turned out to be the case in this book.

In the end, Avery and Zib do make it home, and there's a hint that this isn't their only trip to the Up and Under. Honestly, I wouldn't mind reading more stories of their adventures in the Up and Under now that they seem to know the rules and have an idea of what to expect. I would just want them to be more active participants in the story rather than the story happening to them all the time.

I gave Under the Smokestrewn Sky by A. Deborah Baker three out of five stars. While it is one of the better installments in the quartet, the uneven pacing and lack of consequences for the characters jarred my immersion in the story. These books are written almost like fairy tales, but while reading them, I couldn't help but think about how Seanan McGuire's Wayward Children series is much better. Perhaps the Up and Under will make more sense once I read all of the Alchemical Journeys books, but right now I'm just glad I finished them.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Under the Smokestrewn Sky is the 4th-installment of Seanan McGuire's, writing as A. Deborah Baker, Up-and-Under series. A magical Middle Grade series loosely-connected to McGuire's Alchemical Journeys; an Adult SFF-mindblower kicked off by Middlegame.

While technically this is classified as Middle Grade Fantasy, it is actually perfect for Readers of all ages, containing quite a few philosophical and science-based elements. Speaking of elements, each book in this quartet is constructed around one of the four classical elements: earth, air, fire and water. The first book was earth, the second, water, the third, air and then in this one, we feature fire.

The series follows two children, Avery and Zib, the A-to-Z of our tale, who upon a normal commute to school one day encounter a giant wall where it shouldn't be. Together they decide to go up and over this wall, thus finding themselves in a magical world, known as the Up-and-Under. Each story follows the kids as they journey through different lands in this world, journeying along the improbable road, trying to find their way home.

After a short recap at the beginning, we slip back into the story where we left off. It had a bit of a slow start for me and did seem more philosophical in nature, as far as the conversations between the various characters went. Personally, I could have used more action, but Baker's writing, per usual, was intentional and fluid. Every detail is there for a reason and I would love to go back at some point and read all four of these back-to-back.

I feel like I forgot so much about the functionality, history and politics of the Up-and-Under in between books, that I wasn't able to appreciate the over-arching story as much as I could have. I would also love to reread Middlegame after I do so, to see if I can pick up more details in that as well.

And I guess this is it. I actually wasn't sure if this was going to be the conclusion to this series, but it certainly felt like it. I'm sad to see these characters go. It's hard not to grow attached to them after all we've been through. I also have some thoughts regarding this series and a possible, or maybe even existing, connection to the Wayward Children series...

I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a fantastical Middle Grade Adventure story, or anyone who has enjoyed previous works from Seanan McGuire, including the Wayward Children series. I feel like the concepts are similar to that and now that you can read the entire series at once, all the better. With likable characters, suspense, magic and intrigue, this series is sure to be a hit with Readers of all ages.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. This is a great series and will live in my heart for a long time to come!

In the final book of the quartet, the main characters reach the end of their fantastic journey. Both Avery and Zib have changed, as well as their companions, but the longing for home remains even when it appears impossible. There are points in this final story where it looks as if their friendship will end, but the author wraps up the story in a satisfying way.

I find this quartet of books to be such a wonderful addition to the fantasy world and look forward to re-reading them in the future and catching all the little details I may have missed on the first run-through. I also really enjoyed the moments where the author breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the reader about the meaning of story and this one in particular.

I’ve been fortunate enough to review the entire Up-And-Under series by Seanan McGuire (writing as A. Deborah Baker) and amazingly it’s time to review the finale: UNDER THE SMOKE-STREWN SKY. Thank you to Tor for the opportunity!

Avery and Zib near the end of their quest to reach the Impossible City on the improbable road in order to find their way back home. But the Up-and-Under holds more adventures, twists, and danger. Saving the city and restoring balance will come at a price…

What began as a spin-off series from McGuire’s adult series MIDDLEGAME has become a truly delightful middle grade series that I really don’t want to say goodbye to. Thankfully, McGuire has woven an imaginative and truly emotional ending for this gem of a series!

Once again I feel like singing McGuire’s praises from the rooftops. Her writing is transporting and I especially loved the way she wove this ending. I was spellbound and even shed a few tears as I joined Avery and Zib on their final journey (but is it really the final journey??).

I’m so happy that UNDER THE SMOKE-STREWN SKY stuck the landing and now I can whole-heartedly recommend this entire series! I hope Seanan McGuire keeps writing magical, twisty fantasies forever!

The fourth and last installment from The Up-And-Under series, in which Zib and Avry finally get to finish their journey. Although each book is quite short, when listening to the back-to-back it became quite a prolonged chore. I do not recommend doing that. Other than longevity, I loved the story overall. Avry and Zib have this dynamic that comes out of locality towards each other as they both share predicaments, yet at the same time, they have to learn how to accept qualities that are so different from those they have. Along the journey, they met a couple of interesting personas who for one reason, or another helped them or prevented them from approaching the goal which was ultimately coming back home. I loved how Ms. Baker challenges the definition of home in the series. In this part, the author leaves some space for interpretation of what the term might mean.

To summarize, I had a good time with the book and the audiobook. I've always been enchanted by the prose but some sentences and commentary seemed at times forced and completely unnecessary. I had to stop myself and give a thought either it was just a blab or intentional. Not only that, but I'm not the one who would turn away good poetry, yet, the confusion won in many instances. For that, the whole became clunky and took me out of the story completely. Also, I was not very impressed by the way the story ended. Mostly because with all of it, second and third books became completely redundant and of course - it was a story for the sake of the story, yet - not very important from the perspective of the ending.

Well, it’s back to the Up-and-Under and the finale of the series. Avery, Zeb, and the gang have been through some stuff, but hopefully, the Improbable Road will take them where they want to go and ultimately home.

I’ve enjoyed this series immensely. This author, the wonderful Seanan McGuire, is one of my favorites, and no matter what genre she’s writing in, or under what name, I always fall into her worlds and never want to come out. This series feels a little more young adult than her Wayward Children series, but the fantasy world is just as beautifully built and the characters are fully fleshed out.

Avery and Zib have been joined by a group of friends they’ve found along the way, and they’ve all grown and changed through their journey in the Up-and-Under. I think the ending will surprise readers and then leave them with a big smile on their faces.

So, you really shouldn’t start the series with this book. But if you’ve been reading this series and have just picked up this book you should time your reading to finish this book right before you turn out your light for the night and go to sleep. It’s a very pretty written fairytale. Don’t go reading the last page first, don’t let the ending be spoiled for you.

Rated 3.5 really.

First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Tor/Forge for providing a temporary ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

The last installment in the Up-and-Under series, though whimsical and enjoyable, had the potential to be so much more. As usual, I was not overly fond of the recapitulations and digressions, not to mention Baker/McGuire imparting wisdom at the beginning about what it means to read a story for the first time as opposed to the second (been there, done that 😉). There's a lot of apparent foreshadowing as well in that section, except in the end we realise that the author tricked us into bracing ourselves for things that don't quite happen the way we expected. There's also a giant clue in the same chapter that somehow I didn't catch until I went back to it...but Baker keeps harping on a certain theme so often (and openly) that, by the time the reveal happens, it's practically impossible not to have seen it coming for a while (which I did). Also, for all its build-up, the Impossible City feels quite underwhelming, and the ending sort of negates the purportedly high stakes of the journey to get there (I realise that this is a MG series, but there were ways to make it darker without resorting to extreme measures, and then again...I'm still not sure of its intended audience - sometimes it reads like a too sophisticated/philosophical one to be aimed at children). However, the journey in itself is entertaining and full of fanciful, vivid imagery; the narrative gives us all the answers we need about Zib and Avery's role in the Up-and-Under's fate (and a firmer grasp on the world-building, finally); and one of our main characters, though in a state of "suspended animation" for most of the story, gets a last chance to shine. There's a poetical quality to this series (despite its dark corners, or because of them in a way), and while it isn't perfect, it's enjoyable enough that I'll want to revisit it - though, as Baker is fond of saying, it will never be the same story again 🙂.

Book Summary:

Avery and Zib are nearing the end of their journey. However, being near the end does not mean they are far from danger. There are still several quests they must wrap up, each less likely than the last, in true Up-And-Under fashion.

They and their companions have changed significantly along the way. Admittedly, some changes are more evident than others. Yet none could walk along the Improbable Road for so long and remain unchanged, least of all children.

My Review:

Under the Smokestrewn Sky brings the tale of The Up-and-Under to an end. While all endings are a little bit bittersweet, Under the Smokestrewn Sky felt, for lack of a better word, right. It felt like the whole story, with each character getting their full arc.

Out of the entire series, this novella felt the most like a proper verbal story. By that, you can nearly hear the narrator telling the story as we go along. The pauses and breaks help make that impression more realistic.

This final leg of the tale brings us to the land of fire. I loved exploring the different elemental lands, but especially fire! However, not for the reason you might think. We learned a lot about the characters by their reactions to this land. Some were at home (far too much so), while others suffered for being within the borders. It was fascinating.

Ultimately, Under the Smokestrewn Sky answered many of the questions still lingering, from where the Queen of Wands had gone to how this journey would alter the lives of all who joined (even Jack, the newest member of their crew).

The whole of The Up-and-Under is written in a YA or Middle-Grade tone. However, I want to stress that this story will appeal to a broad audience. After all, it is the tale mentioned in Middlegame, which isn't what I would call a Middle-Grade story. Once again, I am impressed by the depth and versatility of Seanan McGuire's writing.

Highlights:
Fairy Tale Storytelling Style
Magical (and Dangerous) Journey
Impossible City, Improbable Road, Grand Tasks
Childhood Quest

Trigger Warnings:
Lost Children

Writing as A. Deborah Baker, Seanan McGuire presents the final book in the Up-and-Under Series, “Under a Smokestrewn Sky” and it is the perfect ending to a fantastic series for young adult readers. Just as with the previous books, the author brings a unique language and voice that will make readers feel like you’ve been dropped into a fairytale. It’s a story where you might decide you don’t want to leave again and much like the characters, you will have to choose to stay or go. 

One of the elements I love the best about this series is the language and how stories are expressed, how reading as well as narrative is almost a meta point of view all on its own. The story feels like it’s woven of poetry and magic and the characters are unforgettable. It also is about the price of magic and friendship, about change and how we lose our innocence as we grow up. The ideas are rich and complex and will make you contemplate how we express ourselves and how we interpret the books that we read. 

If you love anything Seanan McGuire has written, you will love this series just as much. I do promise you will want to read the first three, it will make much more sense and resonate with you much more if you do. While some series you can skip the beginning, this is not that story as it has a carefully constructed arch. This story is the final book in the series and is not meant to be read separately. But they are also shorter and quick to read. And the conclusion of this series is worth the wait, as it ends as beautifully as it begins. It is one of the best stories I’ve read from the first book to the last.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for a review.

Under the Smokestrewn Sky by A. Deborah Baker is the fourth and final installment in a series that, for me, began to lose its charm after the second book. Unfortunately, this book continues the trend of focusing more on secondary characters rather than the protagonists who initially drew you into the series. In this installment, it almost seemed like Baker was resentful towards one of the main characters, and even sidelined the other for most of the story.

One notable aspect of Baker's writing style in this series is its fanciful and somewhat convoluted nature. This was my first experience with the series in text form, and I found it challenging to absorb what was happening in the story. The writing style occasionally bogged down the narrative, making it more difficult to fully engage with the plot and characters.

While Under the Smokestrewn Sky may not have provided the satisfying resolution I was hoping for, it still manages to be a complete series that includes all of Baker’s (aka Seanan McGuires) signature storytelling. However, in the end, the series tapered off in quality and coherency, leaving me grateful that these are short novellas instead of full length novels.