3.25⭐️
Sky’s End starts by throwing the reader straight into the action. Plus, the writing is super accessible and easy to read. Gregson is good at immersive storytelling; there’s no bullshit as we’re thrown straight into the story and I LOVED it - to an extent.

I didn’t necessarily dislike this book, but I did have some issues with the pacing. Although the story starts quite fast-paced, I felt like the story dragged in the middle. There was something about the Gauntlet that felt kind of monotonous and made the story lull. Despite the action and the occasional betrayal, this middle section really dampened my enjoyment of the overall novel and even made the ending feel a little rushed. Although I feel quite connected to a lot of the characters, I don’t know if this is enough for me to continue the series. But I think, despite having issues with the pacing this was overall a solid start to a YA Fantasy series.

I recommend Sky’s End to anyone wanting to read some YA Fantasy, but I’d say it’s definitely more geared towards a younger teen/YA audience. Perhaps fans of the Hunger Games might enjoy the ‘Selection’ process and the Gauntlet that followed!

There are graphic displays of brutal violence and the occasional swear (so definitely check TWs before reading), but outside of that I think this would be well suited for a younger YA audience wanting to dip their toes into fantasy.

Despite my criticisms, I’m glad I saw this on TikTok randomly last year and that I requested this from Netgalley! Bring on Book 2 because I’m interested to see how the story will progress!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

4.5/5 stars.

Sky's End is an incredible YA read, fast-paced with fully realized characters. I find characterization is a common weakness in YA books, but that was not the cast here. The characters were unique and flawed. There were plenty of mistakes made. The main character processed his emotions realistically. The worldbuilding was so fun, floating islands with beasts made of steel is always going to be intriguing but then add in the meritocracy system and the Selects, I was hooked instantly. I read this book over two days, could not put it down. It was paced well. The prose was appropriate for the YA genre, nothing too overly complex but also not simplistic.

I really enjoyed this read and am looking forward to continuing this series and following this author.

From the very first page, this author delivers sky-high stakes. Conrad, banished to live among the poorest people, struggles to earn enough money to keep himself and his ailing mother fed. He longs to see his estranged sister again, and the dream of reuniting his family is the only thing that keeps him going.

He’s got massive trust issues, which, considering that his father an uncle, both of whom had a hand in raising him and controlling his fate, are both abusive jerks, and the women in his life are either absent or terribly ill, makes sense. Though Conrad rejects the toxic behavior of the men in his family, it takes a lot longer for him to reject their teachings. Very late in the book, he not only considers willfully sacrificing a crew member he doesn’t like or trust, but he frames someone for murder as well, again justifying his actions as necessary because he doesn’t like the person.

Conrad’s relationships with women are also pretty limited. Mainly, he rescues them or is traumatized by his failure to rescue them. I was glad to see a story that doesn’t include romance– it’s nice that there are options for readers who aren’t interested or want a break from a romantic plot or subplot.

I first heard about this book through Instagram and was delighted to get the opportunity to read this work early (thank you NetGalley). I was not familiar with Marc but from here on out, I will read anything he puts out from now on! I don’t typically read YA books anymore but this was such a gripping surprise to what I’ve read in this category in recent years. Conrad is a strong and captivating MC and a refreshing step up from the typical personalities you see in the YA genre. I was intrigued by the world building and enjoyed the twists and turns of the story. For it being a debut novel from this author, Marc hit it out of the park! I cannot wait for the next installment of this soon-to-be legendary series.

DNF.

the writing is not for me. it doesn't create a connection between me and the story, making it hard for me to continue.

Sky's End perfectly scratches my itch for a political dyspotian fantasy. I had so much fun reading this and I know I will be following the rest of the series!

I was obsessed with the power struggle surrounding captaincy on the ship and the internal politics between the teenagers.

The characters, the world building, the writing- all of them were wonderful and left me aching for the rest of the books. The Conrad-Pound arc was especially awesome.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone I know who enjoys fantasy or dystopian fiction!

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the arc.

This was such a wonderful and enjoyable read!!!! I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publishers and authors for this early copy.
Sky's End follows Conrad through his quest to regain his status and avenge his mother in a merit-driven world. This book was really fun, with a lot of great action scenes as well as a lot of good character development. The best part of the book, in my opinion, is the competition on the ship, when everyone is vying for captain. The world-building is amazing, and the author does an excellent job of weaving the monsters into the world. This book has been compared to Attack on Titan. I would agree with this comparison. The book has plot twists, world-building, political intrigue, and action scenes very reminiscent of AOT. The only criticism I have of the book is that the first 50 pages are kind of slow and make it hard to get into the book at first.
Overall,I would recommend this book and cannot wait to read the sequel!

Until about halfway through this book I felt very in the middle about it. But by the end I truly was dying to know where the plot was going and how each character would fair. I think my issue with the beginning was that there are just a few too many plot/world building components. On the flipside it is a deeply interesting world with a lot of potential places to go. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had been itching for a (well done) dystopian world recently. This one really delivered. It was a thrilling ride to read through, with wonderful world building. The writing was also nice, not straying into the tone of *too* juvenile. Mostly, I really appreciated the sibling aspect, and the theme of someone who had lost hope in humanity slowly finding people to trust again.

4/5✨

I have to start my review stating that I received an advanced reader copy through NetGalley.

I followed this author and his journey to getting published. I want nothing more than for his book to blow up. This was a sensational new release!

“Exiled to live as a Low, sixteen-year-old Conrad refuses to become heir to his murderous uncle. But Meritocracy is a harsh and unforgiving rule on the floating island of Holmstead, and when his ailing mother is killed by monstrous gorgantauns, Conrad cuts a deal to save the only family he has left. To rescue his sister from his uncle's clutches, Conrad must enter the Selection of the Twelve Trades.”

“Hunter, the deadliest of all the Trades, gains a fresh recruit with Conrad. Now he must endure vigorous training, manipulative peers, and the Gauntlet—a brutal final test that yields riches and status to whichever skyship crew kills the most gorgantauns. Forced to serve in the lowest of stations and unseen by all, Conrad overhears whispers of rebellion in the dark. Conrad had never known anything existed below the toxic black clouds of the Skylands . . . until now.”

“Sky’s End” is Mark J. Gregson’s debut novel, a sci-fi adventure aimed at a YA audience. The premise has promise - a teenager named Conrad seeks to avenge the wrongs done to him by his uncle by “rising” and in doing so, reunite with his younger sister. Rising means going through the Selection and then excelling in whatever trade might choose him. Treachery and friendships line Conrad’s path. The execution, however, was lacking.

Gregson’s world is complicated and not well explained. Perhaps this is done on purpose to try and illustrate how little Conrad knows of his own history but the presentation of information is disjointed and lacks foundation. This reader, at least, could not follow how the Skylands came to exist, how they interact, etc. The characters can also be somewhat one-dimensional and Conrad’s quick switch in perspective regarding one pivotal character makes little practical sense given all that has supposedly been driving him.

The Selection, built up as this dangerous process, is in itself a bit boring. Post-Selection is where the true dangers lie. Much like the world overall, the world of the Hunters in not well explained. What do the ships really look like? Why seek out giant enemies? Why would the giant enemies respect some field of attack that allows for some ships to fall back and others to simply watch? Certain aspects make little sense.

Overall I was left feeling like Gregson was trying to be Divergent or the Hunger Games but just couldn’t get there. The ending battle scenes and loyalty alignments were particularly messy and did not make me eager for the next installment in the series.

Regarding content - there were hints of romance but nothing more than hints. There was violence (someone getting cleaved in half comes to mind) and swearing. It felt like a YA novel in that regard and in the level of writing.

2 stars.. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary ARC of this title. The opinions herein are my own.

Oh my goodness! This book was AMAZING! This book took me back to my Hunger Games and Divergent Era! I think this is going to be a hit. The characters were so well developed and the plot kept me engaged. This is a new favorite for sure!

Due to personal reasons, I am a little late to posting me review.

I would like to start off by saying thank you Netgalley and the publiser for being generous enough to lend me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sky’s End is a YA Sci Fi/Fantasy adventure about a teen named Conrad and his journey to rise, reclaim his home, and reunite with the family that was taken from him in the brutal meritocracy of Skylands. The world building and character development was something I am excited to experience more of.

I randomly came across Mr. Gregson's Instagram while scrolling one evening, and I'm very glad the algorithm brought me there! Then, to get a Net Galley copy was surprising and exciting to be able to read it early.

Conrad lived the life of a High until his Uncle's betrayal, and we see him struggling to take care of his mother in the Lows. Not wanting to do as his Uncle says, but needing to find his sister, he joins the Selection. The growth of Conrad was one of my favorite parts of the story as he learns that friendships are still possible in the harsh world of Meritocracy.

Conrad's story is both heartbreaking and inspiring. It brought tears to my eyes and made me laugh on more than one occasion. This book gave more than I expected, and I can't wait to read more in the next book!

(3.5 stars rounded up) I really enjoyed the world building present in this book. The dystopian world and imagination it took to create it is beyond anything I’ve ever read, and this aspect is where most of my praise lies. Rating this one was slightly difficult because I’m not the largest fan of middle-grade verbiage and writing styles. However, just because that particular writing style isn’t my cup of tea, I don’t want to dock it too much because it was clearly marketed for a younger audience and I knew that going in. I can see some young men absolutely going bonkers for this book and upcoming series. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the silly little insults thrown in (birdshit, cuss, etc) but again - this was written by a teacher geared toward his student audience. I know those kids would eat this up. So, that being said I do think this has a great place on the shelves and I think it’s an absolute wonderful way to get young adults (like 12-16 range?) into fantasy and sci-fi. Job well done!

*an eARC was gifted to me by the publisher. This review is my own and contains my own thoughts and opinions.

Holy cow I enjoyed the heck out of this. It’s YA and while I would prefer there to be blood and guts I had a blast with this. If you’re a fan of Scythe or Hunger Games then absolutely read this.

Conrad was nobility but his father and mother were killed and his Uncle captured his sister as bait for Conrad to do his bidding. Conrad must join a competition where he must rise to captain of a flying ship and kill the most Gorgantuans (massive serpents) but it’s not easy by any means and even if he wins he still must save his sister and seek vengeance.

Do you want to feel the thrill you experienced when you read the Hunger Games? When you read Throne of Glass?

RUN AND GRAB A COPY OF SKY’S END, it’s officially released tomorrow 2nd of Jan! You want battles, sky ships, flying monsters, rising in a society that makes it hard for the bottomed to climb??

This is for you.

The make MC starts out as a person who’s lost faith in the world and only has one goal in mind - to rise and reunite with his sister. (Maybe off his uncle if he has a chance along the way)

The aspects of new found family and the journey of building trust in other people was just so on point!

I could not have started off my 2024 reading journey on a better note!

Thank you Marc for letting me dive into the amazing world of Sky’s End.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this ARC!

4.5/5 ⭐️ This dystopian/sci-fi YA novel was the first in the Above the Black series and it was such a fun ride! The world building and system of Meritocracy was so well-written and the action and backstory surrounding Conrad kept me hooked. This was a weird connection my brain made but this book gave me Dishonored video game vibes because of some of the political drama and the Hunter trade attire. The twelve trades of the Skylands also reminded me a lot of the Hunger Games. The characters were fleshed out pretty well and there weren’t any characters I genuinely disliked. Also, based on the end of this one, I will most definitely be continuing the series to find out what happens. High recommend this read!

4.25 stars!

Thank you to PeachTree Teen and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If this book would’ve came out when I was in middle school/early high school, I would’ve been absolutely obsessed! I was so pleased with this book and the adventure that it took us on. It’s a dystopian/sci-fi, YA novel, and it was difficult to put down. The world building was so cool. The Highs and the Lows separated by propriety, wealth, and strength. All of the challenges and fights to work your way up in society was intense, and the canes were a unique important piece of the story that I was so interested in.

Conrad was a great main character, and he had all of the normal life circumstances to make him ready for the tasks he would need to accomplish. He’s extremely determined to accomplish his goals, so that he is able to reunite with his sister. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the book, and all of the plot twists and decisions made sense in the long run for the future end goal(s).

I would’ve liked to see a moment or two that wasn’t so fast paced as the rest of the book. I think it would’ve given some of the characters more time to connect or for the reader to experience a moment of reprieve.

This book was full of adventure, chaos, and betrayal! I really enjoyed the story and the characters. They all slowly became a found family who would do anything for each other, and I loved that! I loved Roderick and Bryce the most as side characters. Roderick is such a strong and loyal friend and crew member, and I love how he sticks with Conrad no matter what. Bryce’s storyline is so cool, and I am looking forward to what will happen with her people. The Hunters crew is going to be in for a wild ride in the sequel.

I am definitely looking forward to book 2!! I am so excited for others, especially kiddos in middle and high school to experience this story for the first time!