This was such a wild ride and fun debut by Gregson. Fantasy lovers will gobble this up!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an e-ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley & Holiday House for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fantastic read! The story gripped my attention and wouldn't let it go. I liked the twists and turns and the rough-and-tumble characters. Conrad is a well-written, conflicted character, trying to figure out how he wants to rise, with love, or viciousness. I like that it wasn't a book about a pessimistic view of society and humanity, there was a lot of grey morality in this dystopian book.

Pound's development absolutely fascinated me and I loved hating Sebastian. The crew all felt like their own individual characters and it was really great--usually books with large background casts all feel like generic invisible characters but everyone stood out on their own with their own personalities. I hate Sebastian and I hope we see him again for the drama of it all.

Side note, I would rate this higher but there was something missing to make it a really 5-star read. I wish I could find the words to explain it but I can't seem to. It's still a solid 4.5 stars to me though. Very entertaining through and through. I'll definitely read the sequel.

This review was made possible via an ARC through NetGalley

Sky’s End by Marc J. Gregson is Treasure Planet meets the dystopian YA of the 2000s. The system called the Meritocracy focuses firmly on the strong having power, but there are multiple ways to prove your strength.

Conrad of Elise is a young man whose father has died and his uncle has taken the seat of the Archduke of their land of skyisles and taken Conrad’s sister as a hostage. Giant serpentine creatures terrorize the people regularly and it's’ the job of Hunters to take care of them. In order for Conrad to take his place as the heir to the Archduke and get his sister back, he must rise through the ranks of a Hunter ship and prove his worth.

This book was on my radar for about a year because we don’t get a lot of books in YA fantasy with male protagonists. I can see why this one was picked up: there is Queer rep, there are women in power in the Hunter function, there’s no poorly done sexual assault or casual racism, sexism, or Queerphobia. On top of that, there is some deconstruction of toxic masculinity, a teen boy cries and he isn’t shamed for it, there is on page respect from young men towards women in power, and there is a very strong theme of friendship being valuable and a lone wolf mentality not being a good thing.

The summary is very 2005 when Eragon was big, but it feels updated to reflect our current values and while I would say that this book is more geared towards the cultural image of a teenage boy, I do think that it’s something people of all genders who like Brandon Sanderson could potentially enjoy.

Content warning for on-screen character death and a character being paralyzed.

I would recommend this to fans of Brandon Sanderson and shounen anime, especially the teen audience, to readers who are looking for more friendship and Treasure Planet-type worldbuilding in their fantasy.

The writing didn't draw me in. It felt lacking and made getting into the story a struggle. I also didn't connect to characters enough to feel invested.

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.

Like so many others I was excited to read this book after seeing the viral video of the author’s reaction to the cover reveal he did with his students.

BUT Y’ALL…
I was not expecting to LOVE this book as much as I did!

The world has Treasure Planet vibes, yet it was still unique and complex without being convoluted. I liked the way the author built on the intricacies of the world throughout the story. It was really well done.

While the world itself is interesting, one of the best parts of Sky’s End is the characters. The MC Conrad is great, but side characters like Roderick, Keeton, Pound, and Sebastian also leave their mark on the reader. Some of the characters you LOVE, and some of the characters you LOATHE….and your feelings about any one of them just might change. That is what really makes a book great for me, and I particularly loved the exploration of these relationships within the book’s theme of Rising. Ultimately our characters are faced with the risks between rising alone or rising together, and I loved every moment of it.

The story itself is fast paced. The pacing reminded me a lot of Fourth Wing…the action is nonstop. I was on the edge of my seat and losing sleep to read ONE MORE CHAPTER every night.

My only critique is that sometimes the fast pacing took away from the story. There were moments I wished the author would slow down and hash things out more…whether that be describing more details of the various settings, creatures, and ships in the Skylands or expanding on the relationships and dialogue between characters. I think slowing the pace at parts would allow the reader to immerse themselves further and give some of the great twists and turns more of the emotional punch that hurts so good.

Overall, a fantastic read. I am HOOKED. I highly recommend Sky’s End for new and seasoned Sci Fi/Fantasy readers from young teens to adults. I cannot wait for Book 2!

Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the opportunity to read and review the ARC of Sky’s End!

This was an excellent YA adventure. In this very fluid, class-oriented society, whole families’ and individuals’ lives can change instantly with the win or loss of a duel. Conrad and his mother have been disgraced by family and their status dropped to Low. He is focused only on revenge and finding a way to rise. The author does a great job growing Conrad’s character. He’s been through so much in his short life leading him to trust no one but himself. He is determined to do everything alone, rely only on himself, and make his way to the top. Greyson’s writing of Conrad’s growth and new maturity is seamless. It is an excellent coming of age story in the sky. There is so much action in this book that it was hard to put down! If you liked the Hunger Games or Divergent, this is the perfect book for you!

Thank you @NetGalley, @mjg_write, and @peachtreeteen for the opportunity to read this advanced copy for an honest review!

#SkysEnd #MarcJGregson #NetGalley #PeachtreeTeen #Fantasy #SciFi #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #TheMidNOCBookClub

I was deeply honored to read and review the ARC of this novel and am happy to report the hype is well deserved. As a big fan of Attack on Titan, the Hunger Games, and (dare I also add) one of the most underrated Disney movies of all time, Treasure Planet, I loved this book. Sky’s End has similar vibes to these comparable titles but the world and story themselves are unique and fascinating.
The characters and their journeys were a strong highlight for me. I enjoyed the found family aspect and how each character evolved and grew to achieve the relationships they did.

My favorite character was our protagonist Conrad, whose personality I adored. He has all the angst, rage, and unshakable loyalty of a young Eren Yeager (aka one of the greatest characters of all time).

Let’s be honest, I LOVE stories with terrifying, extremely overpowered monsters that seem completely impossible to defeat. Sky’s End delivered very beautifully on this front. With unbelievably high stakes, well-paced action, a unique political structure, cute light romance, as well as an intriguing mystery, I was hooked.

Thank you NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the e-copy of this ARC! And thank you Marc Gregson for writing this fantastic novel! I will be anxiously awaiting the next installment!

Thank you to Peachtree and NetGalley for allowing me to have an ARC of Sky’s End.

Conrad and his mom used to be a High but because of his Uncle they are now Lows. He is forced to enter a competition. That changes him and his crew.

The world building was unique. I like the idea of it all and the storyline was enjoyable. I was hoping for less cussing as I was looking for a book for my son to enjoy but there are quite a few in it. No f bombs however. It was also pretty gory. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone younger than 14 because of those facts.


Overall it kept me mildly interested but definitely is outside my normal genre so that could be why it was harder for me to get into.

Gregson's first book, "Sky's End" is as ambitious as it is amazing. From the realized characters to the incredible battle scenes, this book has the ability to reach both the Young Adult audience and above. A personal nitpick is how "edgy" Conrad is in the beginning. I struggle with that character archetype but I believe we see enough character growth from Conrad throughout the story to where it humanizes him more. A book a couldn't stop reading and will read again when it comes out official. "Sky's End" is something I will be promoting to anyone I can.

Gifted copy provided by Holiday House and Netgalley.

After seeing a mutual love this book and write a shinning review for it I ran to request it.

While the premise and the story were interesting this book read as if it was middle grade instead of young adult. While the writing felt middle grade the content was very adult, graphic violence and this author did not pull their punches. It felt like this book was tailored to the wrong audience or the writing needed to be improved to fit the young adult bracket.

That being said the side characters felt a little flat, while I enjoyed Conrad, I didn’t love him enough to make up for the lower grade writing. While the fight scenes were well detailed and didn’t feel as if they were over the top at all, the other world building parts of this book just felt like they needed a little more love.

Overall I won’t be continuing this series.

The Skylands make for some interesting world-building – vast floating islands, vast metal-plated sky-dragons, and seeming nothing below. 

But the biggest danger might come from your fellow trainees and/or friends in “Sky’s End,” the first book in a new sci-fi series by Marc J. Gregson. It’s reminiscent of books like Pierce Brown’s “Red Rising,” where tragedy hardens and propels a young man into seeking power, even as Gregson’s spare but evocative prose propels the story into a more epic, suspenseful territory.

After his uncle murdered his father, Conrad and his mother were reduced to Lows, living in grinding poverty while he tried to scheme a way to get his sister back from their uncle. But when his mother is killed in a gorgontaun attack, he decides to do the unthinkable: he will become his uncle’s heir by entering the Selection of the Twelve Trades, attain greatness in the Meritocracy, and be able to get in contact with his sister.

Turns out, Conrad is Selected for the most dangerous Trade: Hunter. Hunters dedicate themselves to hunting and killing gorgontauns, then harvesting what they need from the corpses. To make things even worse, his large, violent arch-nemesis Pound has also been Selected, and he’s just as hungry to Rise as Conrad is.

The first big challenge of these Hunters-in-training is the Gauntlet, a rigorous gorgontaun-hunting expedition that puts the noobs in command of their own vessels. Conrad quickly finds himself the lowest on the totem pole, serving first Pound and then the vicious, manipulative Sebastian. But he quickly discovers that Rising may not be the biggest problem he’ll face, as a new threat looms over the Gauntlet – one from a place he never dreamed existed.

“Sky’s End” uncoils its world-building as the story unfolds – at first we’re just introduced to floating islands and a society based rigidly on one’s ruthless ability to “rise” at all costs. But as the story unfolds, Gregson scatters in elements that raise questions about how this world came to be, such as the matter of how the islands float and whether the gorgontauns and other metal-plated predators are a natural part of the ecosystem.

All this is woven through a well-paced, brisk story with leanly-muscled writing reminiscent of Pierce Brown for a younger audience. Gregson also juggles various subplots and shifting character relationships, with people becoming hostile or friendly based on circumstances. At the same time, he spatters it with some solid action scenes, usually involving gorgontaun attacks on a wooden airship, and weaves in a brewing conspiracy that threatens the Skylands.

Conrad is a pretty complex hero as well. After his mother’s death, he’s a hardened, coldly-determined lone wolf who sees everyone else as obstacles to his rise to the top, but some of his fellow trainees and choice criticisms by one of the older Hunters forces him to see that nobody can rise if they isolate themselves. He doesn’t instantly become a “friendship is magic” type, but he does begin balancing human friendships with necessary political alliances and plots. And the supporting cast is pretty well-developed, including the brutish Pound, the mysterious Bryce, quiet mastermind Sebastian, and so on.

“Sky’s End” is a clever, complex skypunk novel that weaves solid world-building into a complex, well-written thriller – and it leaves plenty of space for further adventures. Definitely a good read.

New favorite trope unlocked: sky pirates who sail the clouds and hunt giant metallic dragons...

Sky's End by Marc J Gregson reminded me a lot of Brandon Sanderson's Skyward if it focused on the characters from Jennifer Nielsen's Ascendance trilogy, and it was way better than I expected it to be.
The story follows Conrad, once a Highborn, now a Low as he enters a training program for Hunters, the people who kill the gargantauns (aka giant metal dragons). The program ends with a competition called the Gauntlet, where the eventual captains of the ships will be decided. The plot was super fast-paced, and the last 20% was unexpected yet so well-plotted that it didn't feel out of place. There were plenty of twists and turns and I'm actually super excited for book two.
But also...the character dynamics were amazing. Conrad was snarky and ambitious enough to be an enticing main character, but he also had enough flaws that I disagreed with him multiple times. I liked Roderick and Keeton a lot. Pound's character arc intrigued me but I have mixed feelings about him because the picture I have of him in my head is rather unflattering. The same goes for Bryce...I can see her becoming a cool character in book two but we don't know enough about her to truly appreciate her. Also, I HATE Sebastian with a burning passion and no, I will not take criticism. The found family vibes are immaculate and I'm glad that there wasn't much of a focus on romance, at least for the first book.
If you're looking for a sky-high, swashbuckling adventure with snarky characters, metallic dragons, and plenty of surprises, be sure to check out Sky's End.
4.25/5
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for a chance to read and review this e-ARC!

☼ 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.5/5 ⭐️
☼ 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Book #1, Above The Black
☼ 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬: YA, quiet lone wolf mc, deadly competition, dystopian sci-fi setting, skyships, monstrous metal creatures, sky battles, dueling, found family, secrets and betrayal, political intrigue, conspiracy
☼ 𝐓𝐖: mild profanity, abuse, death, bullying, violence, scenes of mass destruction

“𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘬𝘺'𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘥. 𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴."

What a ride! From the beginning we’re tossed into a cold, dark world and have to hit the ground running. It takes a few chapters to find a rhythm but soon after, the story begins to weave its intricate plot and sets us on a course for adventure. There’s a lot information to consume and a whole world of Skyislands that thrives on Meritocracy. If you're not High, you're Mid or Low, and able to challenge others to improve your status or enter The Selection and rise to the top.

Conrad Urwin is one such boy who lost everything after the death of his father. Having been exiled by his Uncle, the now Archduke of Holmstead, he is left to fend for himself and his ailing mother in the populated recess known as the Lows. One fateful night, monstrous beasts called gorgantauns attack the Lows and kill his mother and Conrad is left with no choice but to accept a deal in order to save what’s left of his family. His sister remains in his uncle’s clutches and he will stop at nothing to rescue her.

The deal: prove yourself, rise through the ranks, and earn your status through the Twelve Trades. He gets recruited by Hunter, the deadliest of all twelve, and finds himself amongst both friends and foes. He must endure rigorous training, manipulative peers, and a final test— The Gauntlet. A brutal test that could yield riches and status to whichever skyship crew kills the most gorgantauns. The fierce beasts with heads like a dragon, bodies of a sea serpent, and a ravenous hunger for human flesh that have been plaguing their skies for centuries.

And it's with his motley skyship crew that Conrad finds himself at odds with everything he's ever known. He was raised to believe that power was the only way to succeed but soon learns that's not the way of the Hunters. Conrad’s journey becomes one of self discovery and his character development throughout the book is wonderfully written. His relationships with various characters and how they evolve is one of my favorite aspects of the story. Many new faces are introduced and yet they are all memorable in their own distinct way and I had such a fondness by the end. The crew of the Gladian ship, especially.

As the tale weaves between various underlying plots and twists, the world building takes a prominent role and is so multifaceted it really calls on your imagination. From the locations, the ships, and the monstrous creatures we face, it’s very layered and rich. My one minor note was that it took me a bit to adjust to the curt sentence structure sometimes. It wasn’t often, and oddly enough it fit with the overall feel of the book, but it just felt like an offbeat way to explain or express what was happening at certain times. But that’s just my personal preference. Otherwise the writing and syntax flowed rather nicely and kept me completely engaged with the story and characters. The pacing had a few lulls, otherwise it stays pretty consistent throughout and reaches a peak around the latter half and beyond. It was hard to put the book down and I finished in 2 sittings.

For a debut novel, it surpassed any expectation. It’s a fantastical read and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience above the black and I look forward to the next installments!

"Those who wish to rise, will chase it to sky's end"

I'm very thankfull i found this book at the sweet age of 24 because if i had read it atc16 it would have been My absolute doom.
So, i rewatched Treasure Planet (yet again) like a day before starting this arc and i was thinking to myself: i need something like that. The truth is i've been needing something like that FOREVER. Flying ships, floating islands, giant scary creatures, mutiny, betrayal and found family. And Sky's End has all that.
I love love love the concept and this is possibly one of the Best worldbuildings i've read in a long while.
I just enjoyed it SO much and the characters and their developments are SO GOOD. I personally loved Pound so much and i even got to shed some years with his scenes.
No spoiler but the only thing i feel like it could be a let down is that after the first Four to five chapters, You would believe that this is more about the rising in this social system that favours the strong, and how our Main character, Conrad, gets either corrupted by it or introduces a new Wave of compassion being torn in two by the legacy of both his parents and the tyranny of his uncle. You would believe that it would be more driven to a "the real monsters are men" and the "inhuman behaviours in order to get power" more than an actual war and complex political intrincacies, but i can't be mad at it I LOVE IT ALL THE SAME.
This is so cool and i recommed it to everyone who love sailors adventures.

This book contains contents that may trigger sensitive readers like: bullying, swear words, death, violence, abuse of power, manipulation and murder and attempted murder.

I had a really good time reading this YA book. It is definitely more mature than some other YA stories and I really appreciated that. The universe is already quite developed and it is super intriguing. The plot is rather heavy on the politics and I will always say it: I love politics in fiction. Especially fantasy and sci-fi. The characters are well thought-out even though some may appear stereotypical for a little while. However, I was extremely weary of one of the girls throughout the novel. I could not stand her. I could not trust her. And I disliked some of the other characters’ decisions when it came to her. She deserved way worse that what she got.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

✨ Book Review ✨

Sky’s End by Marc J Gregson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was very excited to read this book after hearing about it and the authors story! Needless to say, my expectations were blown away!

This book had found family, overcoming obstacles, and so much character development! It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before which was surprisingly fun!

Conrad, the main character’s internal struggle to figure out what he truly wants to do himself and not what others want, was so intriguing to read as you’re trying to find out what kind of person he will end up being.

I was always wondering what was going to happen next and honestly it surprised me! It was like little plot twists! I really like this author’s writing style!

Sky’s End is a fascinating story of love and loss, a world divided, and constant battle to rise to the top!

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest book review!

Three and a half rounded up to four stars because I can't resist a monster story.

The strongest part of this book is the characters. I loved that each of them had some level of growth (positive AND negative). They weren't static, nor were they predictable. This made the feeling of unease stronger for the reader and meant the plot could go in any direction as they were thrown into high-pressure situations and had to trust one another. Conrad was a bit contradictory in his beliefs and goals, but I'll chalk that up to him being a 16 year old boy (we don't expect teens to act like grownups!) in between a rock and a hard place.

Unfortunately biggest problem was the world. I know this isn't an epic, but a 400-page start of a series shouldn't leave me this confused about the world we're in. There were a lot of moments that I was confused about their level of technology (there's airships and metal animals everywhere, but no videos?) and the hierarchy of the world. the and a lot of the setting descriptors were hard to follow, especially in the beginning. The dialogue and writing were also choppy at times, and it didn't quite feel like thoughts or conversations that real people would have with each other.

The action scenes were the best (when they were actually described). I think Gregson was so excited to get to the Hunters that the very important introduction to the world and characters got pushed really fast. I read every word, but at times I felt like I skimmed because we would just be told there was action and the result of that action. However, when we DID get to the gorgantauns (metal sky snakes!) it was worth the wait. I found myself invested in Conrad and the crew winning the Gauntlet and finding out where the story would lead.

Overall, this was a fun start to a series that will appeal to anyone who loves monster stories and underdog triumphs.

Sky’s End by Marc J Gregson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WOW! Just WOW!

When I first saw a video made viral by his wife talking about this book I knew I needed to read it! Not because a video was viral but when I actually read the synopsis that alone blew me away!

This book was action packed and quite a page turner! It blows my mind that this is his debut novel! Like what?! Bravo! 👏


Perfectly well written! I love when books just flow seamlessly and this did!

I feel like everything was just done so well the characters, the story, the world building! I mean come on who doesn’t love when a book full immerses you and sucks you in?! This does for sure! It’s action packed, fast paced, characters you wanna root for and don’t, super creative world, and an ending yo won’t see coming!

I literally can’t wait for the rest of the series!

I highly recommend this!
Especially if you like YA FANTASY genre!
It’s a great read for children and adults!

Thank you so much Marc and your team for my ARC of this epic book that I loved so freakin much! I’m gonna have a HUGE book hangover now thanks 😅

Out January 2nd 2024!!!!

ARC received from NetGalley. 3.5 stars rounded up.

This was a lot of fun to read. It kept me hooked the whole way through and I read most of it in one sitting. It's definitely on the gory side for a YA novel. It didn't take away from my enjoyment, but heed the warnings.

Pros
+ Main characters, particularly Conrad and Pound, went through great character development
+ Breakneck pacing kept me turning the pages
+ Some of the best action scenes I've read recently
+ An interesting world

Cons
- Writing feels more middle grade, which felt like a strange juxtaposition with the graphic violence. "Rise/rising" used way too much
- Side characters felt a little flat

Overall, I really liked this book. In addition to the listed comp titles, I would also recommend it to fans of Percy Jackson or James Islington's The Will of the Many. I will definitely be reading the next installment.

What a debut novel! I went into this intrigued by the premise and was still blown away by the grasp this book had on me. From start to finish the characters were complex and interesting.

Conrad was once a high, but after the death of his father he is sent to the lows with his mother. In a world of meritocracy "rising is in his blood". His history written in the marks on his fathers dueling cane, but you can tell early on that he is destined for a different path of his future.

The world that Gregson built is robust, with different islands that float in the sky. That have ships of Hunters there to protect them from the Gorgantums. Early on it is shown that no one is safe and this adds a level of tension that keeps you engaged throughout the story.

I can't wait to continue this series.