This fourth book in the Up-and-Under series marks the end of the lovely tales about Avery and Zib. My heart has swollen to three times its regular size reading about these loveable kids. I can't wait to share their tales with my children when they get a little older.

Under the Smokestrewn Sky wrapped up a wonderful series it all the right ways, putting a bow right on the top. A. Deborah Baker will now forever be an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the review copy.

The conclusion to the whimsical series by A. Deborah Baker that bridges the gap between an adult story and the viewpoint so often forgotten of children who are easily adaptable to strange circumstances. The journey Avery and Zib have taken in this series has been incredible and wonderful and terrible all at once and it is wrapped up wonderfully in this final book.

To avoid spoilers, the ending to this book is near what was expected, with a few unexpected twists and turns that have me curious about what could happen later on. The characters were given satisfying endings even with the surprises we found. Highly recommend this series, it’s addicting, whimsical, and reminds the reader of childhood adventures and the importance of home.

4 out of 5.

Before listening to the last installment of this series, I reread the other books, so this will be more of a review of the whole series.

This is an imaginative series with interesting characters that I love.

The pacing could have been better. Seanan McGuire tends to summarize the previous books in a series heavily-handedly. She does this with InCryptid and October Daye. It slows down the action that the reader should be diving into instead of waiting for a recap to end.

Also, the narrative is too full of similes. Which stalls the flow of the series. She wants to tell a fairy tale but hasn't figured out how. She should have taken notes from T. Kingsolver.

Yet, it's an enjoyable series once I look past these narrative weeds.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

I've been incredibly interested to see where this book was going to go, as I know it's technically the end of the in universe children's series that frames not only Middlegame, but also has broader universal implications. I was not expecting the ultimate turn this ended up taking, and the transformations and revelations within, along with the end of volume note from the in universe author has me incredibly interested in where the next volume of this world is about to go, if only because of Tidal Creatures just being announced as I finish this. Also, pick up the audiobook, as Heath Gordon is astounding as the narrator here.

I was sad that this was the last book in the Up and Down series. However, it did end with a bang in my opinion. I love how the author ended the story of the main characters. I love the way the author showed the world in each book. The narrator was great.

Thanks to NetGalley for e-arc.

The book is extensive and detailed. It makes a compelling case overall, but I did not think it was structured well. It felt more like a series of facts rather than a curated series of points to tell an overarching story to communicate the broader message. Perhaps its best to expect a comprehensive history of corruption, but even from that perspective it feels too broad. The attempt at a story is there, but it simply didn't feel like it was executedThanks to NetGalley and Publisher for audio-ARC.

McGuire/Baker brings us the final installment of Zib and Avery's journey through the Up and Under. This series mirrors McGuires more well known series, Wayward Children, but it never quiet reaches the same highs. I wouldn't be surprised to hear if this story existed within the same world (part of me hopes it does). Sadly, I'm left mixed on this series.

I love that we got this story, a story within a story that broke free into it's own series. I still can't help but wonder how it all came together. Was this the broad arc she had in mind for Zib and Avery when crafting the story within middlegame? If not, when was it devised, and how did the capitalistic influence of publishing affect that process (as opposed to McGuire having complete freedom on the execution of this series).

For me, the story never reaches the highs of the first book. None of them really stand alone, not in the same way the first did. Each new book feels like an extension. Even as the rules of the world become further realized, it never quiet reaches the level of realism id like to see. Don't get me wrong, I was thoroughly engrossed.

That's really what I liked most. I felt I was there with Zib and Avery, not just reading their story but a part of it. That is partly thanks to McGuire's quarky and meta story telling approach.

The ending felt a bit rushed both times reading it, but it was still satisfying. I'm left reflecting on the world of the up and under and the message we're to take from it. All in all, I think it is a nice companion to Middlegame, but I am a little doubtful that it would hold the same allure to those not previously hooked into the world of alchemical journeys. If I was going to direct someone to a dark fantasy for kids, it would still likely be wayward children. well.

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!

If you enjoyed Alice in Wonderland I think this series is perfect for you. It is whimsical and lyrically written. I do think this is a difficult book to classify. It's listed as middle grade, YA and adult. While the world and characters fit into the middle grade range...the writing is more YA or Adult even. It is always nice to reconnect with our characters and meeting new ones along the way. Overall, a nice quick read.

I received an ARC of this audiobook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.

As to audiobooks, the narrator was awesome, and it goes straight to my "great audiobooks" list.

What a wonderful way to draw this series to a close. We've followed Avery and Zib through the twists and turns of the Up-and-Under and now we finally get to see where the road ends. I was on the edge of my seat, at times, wondering how we were going to make it to the next step for our protagonists and their friends.
A. Deborah Baker has a beautiful way with words and description, drawing me in and helping me feel as though I am walking the impossible road with the heroes. I feel as though each book has gotten better in this series and I have been recommending it to my friends with young children as a fantastic book series to dive into.
Though I do not have children, I love the fun, whimsical nature of these kinds of books, where imagination and improbability are possible. It feels like a dream with Queens and Kings, Owls and Pages, elements and human children. I may have to restart this whole series again soon and immerse myself back into the world of the Up-and-Under.

The conclusion to this children’s series that was reference in another series written by author under her regular name. Avery and Zib are almost at the end of their journey to the Impossible City. But before they can get there Zib is injured and they need to find help in the Kingdom of the Queen of Wands but they must also not stray from the improbable road, and choices are made that have lasting consequences in the Up and Under and for all of the party. A satisfying ending to the series and a fun aside to the Alchemical Journeys series where these books play a bit of a role in that storyline. The narration on the audio was very good.

I love the Up and Under quartet. That being said, this is my least favorite of the series. I listened to the audiobook and felt my mind drifting when I was listening. I felt as though the story had run out of steam. It was fitting though as the characters are traveling the improbable road the the improbable city and it has been a very long and confusing journey.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for early access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderful conclusion to McGuire's Up-and-Under series! After reading McGuire's Alchemical Journeys series, I was thrilled to learn that she had actually written the Up-and-Under children's books referenced throughout Middlegame and Seasonal Fears. We follow Avery and Zib over a wall and along their winding path on the improbable road toward the Impossible City. They meet several friends and make a few enemies, but eventually locate the missing Queen of Wands thanks to the help and creative thinking of their companions.

McGuire's narration is reminiscent of her Wayward Children series in that it is both fantastical, immersive, and easy to consume for readers of all ages. Heath Miller, as the audiobook narrator, continues to bring to life the characters we've come to love. Now that this series is concluded, I'm eager to reread the Alchemical Journeys books to see if this series has added more depth to my understanding of their stories.

This was my first book in the series and I immediately wanted to grab Books 1-3. The author does a refresh so I never felt lost and this can be read as a standalone.

I loved the imagination and adventure and the details. I felt like I was in the Up-and-Under with details written so well I could imagine it. I enjoyed the friendship of Avery and Sib and the lessons learned along the way.

Thank you for the ARC.

We're finally finishing the Up-and-Under series. This last book had some interesting parts to it. I liked the new land that we were able to visit. There were some reveals that were a little surprising. One character that we've been with all series is barely in this story (present, but not really active). Overall, this series just didn't hit the way I thought it was going to after the first book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, my enjoyment of this series dwindled through books 3 and 4, but I still wanted to finish it off. I felt like the ending was a little lackluster for me.

This was the perfect ending to this adventure through the Up & Under. As Avery and Zib come to the end of their time away from their home world I found myself both sad to see this story end but also satisfied with the how A. Deborah Baker (Seanan McGuire) decided to wrap up this tale. Direct address was used masterfully in this final installment and was made all the better with the talented narration by Heath Miller. Overall, a wonderful end to a delightful series.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for early access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Under the Smokestrewn Sky is the final installment in Baker's 'Up-and-Under' series. The book starts from the end of book three with Avery and Zib entering the land of the Queen of Wands.

The overall arc of the story feels like Alice in Wonderland and so this next installment continues on with that whimsical feel. Any child wanting to get lost in the world they have grown to love over many books would still enjoy this one.

However, objectively I do feel like this spin-off series as a whole lost quite a bit of momentum halfway through and failed to gain that back with every subsequent book so it dragged out a little bit longer than it should have. I do feel like while this final book could have been condensed with the third book, it nonetheless wrapped up the story nicely.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the conclusion of the Avery and Zib’s journey through the Up and Under.

“There is still the question of how this all ends”

Walking the improbable road to the improbable city they’ve seen much, experienced much. Avery and Zib are not the same children they were when they found the wall on their way to school one fateful morning. Seanan McGuire (writing as A. Deborah Baker) knows how to weave together whimsy and wonder into an intricate tapestry creating a lovely story.

I find myself wanting to go back to Alchemical Journeys now that this story is completed, knowing that this story played a role in that one. There’s also the allusion to other children ending up in the Up and Under and it wouldn’t surprise me if those children had found a door that asked them to ‘Be Sure’.

I highly recommend reading the Up and Under quartet especially if you’ve loved the Wayward Children or Alchemical Journeys.

Under the Smoke Strewn Sky by A. Deborah Baker



This 4th (and presumably final) book in the Up and Under series by A. Deborah Baker, Seanan McGuire’s second pseudonym, was a worthy conclusion to this series.

Once again, I will say that I love Seanan McGuire. (Note: I review a bunch of her books so I am copying part of some of my other reviews here to save time.). She has quickly become my favorite living writer and I feel very lucky that she is so prolific. I was first introduced to her work when her book Parasite, written as Mira Grant, was nominated for a Hugo Award. I loved it and quickly devoured the Newsflesh series before I realized that Mira Grant and Seanan McGuire were the same person.

I started reading her works under her own name, starting with Sparrow Hill Road, which is amazing, but I picked it because I was intimidated by her long running October Daye series. I had read some Urban Fantasy before, and I fondly remember Mercedes Lackey’s Diana Tregarde books, but my tastes run more to science fiction and then secondary world fantasy, so I was hesitant to dive into such a long series. I picked up the first book, Rosemary and Rue, when it was on sale as a kindle daily deal, and I found it somewhat disappointing compared to her other work. I reminded myself that it was her first published novel, so I cut it some slack. Then Incryptid was nominated for the Best Series Hugo in 2018 and I dove into that instead. I loved it! So I vowed to give Toby another chance. And I was so glad that I did! It is no one of my favorite series.

I really enjoyed Middlegame when it came out and voted for it as best novel on the Hugo Awards at the time. The writing there was lyrical and a little dreamlike in a way that was a little different from most everything else of hers (but reminded me of the Parisitology books a little).

One thing about Middlegame that especially reminded me of the Parasitology books was the excerpts from a children’s book included in the novel. In the world of Middlegame, A. Deborah Baker was an author who wrote the Up and Under Books. And Seanan McGuire, being the incredibly talented and prolific author she is, wrote out the entire book of Over the Woodward Wall as part of the process of writing Middlegame.

That was quickly followed by book 2, Under the Saltwise Sea, and book 3, Into the Windwracked Wilds.

In this final volume, some secrets are revealed that I truly did not see coming until about a page beforehand, but in retrospect made perfect sense. This is just another example of how excellent Ms. McGuire is at storycrafting and why I keep coming back. A wonderful conclusion to an unexpected companion series. Now, to just get more followups to Middlegame!

I listened to an eARC of the audiobook, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, who gave me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heath Miller was a perfect fit for this tale. I listened to the book at 2x speed.