Very attractive and atmospheric in its wording held my attention very well! Fast paced and amazing characters loved loved this book would recommend it

I feel extremely biased to be writing this review considering I am the person who picked this book to be published and brought into the world. There’s not much I haven’t said already about how much I love this book. When I picked And The Sky Bled to be the first book I published under my imprint, Fantasy & Frens, I knew it wasn’t going to be a book for everyone. After all, not every book should be for everyone. It was a book for ME.

And The Sky Bled is special because it has stuck with me long after I read it the first time. It was terrifying to read because the environmental disasters our characters are grappling with are a direct reflection of climate events happening in our world. I chose this book because it’s about perseverance and hope. It’s about community and banding together in the darkest of times.

In short, if you love climate fantasy/sci-fi, multiple POVs, found family, magical fossil fuel, morally gray characters, sentient forests, and are curious about why this world is LITERALLY RAINING BLOOD, I urge you to pick up And The Sky Bled! <3

Fabulous debut!!!! S. Hati is going to be the new it fantasy author, so I will be recommending this to everyone!

This might win the award for most boring and derivative read of the year. Fantasy cli-fi with impetuous and unpleasant characters who never seem to learn or grow, and remain flat throughout, this book tries to be complex and full of intrigue, but in the end failed to interest me in any of the things going on. It feels a lot like an attempt to cash in on the success of other works, better works in the genre: Jemisin's Broken Earth series; Okorafor's Who Fears Death and its new prequel; and others.

This book hit me like a ton of bricks. I absolutely could not put it down. I’m still reeling from the last 100 pages.

And the Sky Bled is a climate fantasy about rivalry, power, and control. It’s set in a South Asian-inspired world, and it will absolutely grab you by the throat. It’s embedded with symbolism and meaning, villainy and utter desperation. It hones in on the relationships and hierarchy that exist in a colonized society, a place sucked completely dry by greed and selfishness. The characters are spectacularly written. Horrifyingly detestable in some cases, devastatingly determined in others. No matter the side, the author gives every character breathing room, the choice of being dynamic. She’s nailed the complexities of turmoil and hatred. The action moments are as intense as the dialogue, leaving you feeling deeply uneasy as early as the first few chapters.

Regarding the climate aspects of this, it hits a little too close to home for a book that is both fantasy and fiction. The air pollution, the barren sky, the heat - it all coalesces into not-so-otherworldly chaos and despair. In that way, it’s entirely successful. Combine that with searingly realistic depictions of colonialism, and you have a novel that will break your heart and fill you with dread. S. Hati toys with perception, crafting a world where the fates and histories of enemies and acquaintances are intertwined. The cause of one’s suffering is seen as a gift to another, a curse to the populace and a blessing to those in power. It’s one of the most lifelike depictions of how humans think, how we can be filled with a callous, self-centered disregard for humanity itself.

Let’s talk about the writing: the prose is phenomenal, and most impressive given that this is a debut (and ~300 pages). I feel like you can tell when an author is really passionate about a story - it flows fairly seamlessly, they can get a lot done in few pages, the characters have very well-defined personalities and goals, and so on and so forth. That’s this book, that’s S. Hati’s writing. I love books that not only have a unique premise, but also give you a deeper look into the more despised characters’ attitudes and thoughts. It makes for a gripping read, and is a refreshing break from books with main-character-only perspectives.

“Perhaps the sky had rotted because of everything it had witnessed below. Perhaps it wept because the pain was too much.”

This year, I’ve tried to take a sizeable step back from relying on ARCs and limit the amount of times I peruse that old standby, NetGalley. Partly because I still have some books from last year I need to get to and partly because chasing new releases was burning me out. But earlier this summer, I fired up the site and stumbled across the cover of this next book. Enraptured, I read the synopsis and could not stop myself from requesting a copy. And The Sky Bled, by S. Hati, is a laser focused debut that examines our relationship with fossil fuels through intricate characters as they try to survive in a world on the brink of collapse.

Calor used to be found everywhere, and it powered everything. The continents to the North controlled much of the supply, and when extraction began to dwindle, they formed a council to control whatever was left. Occupying the city of Tejomaya, located in the southern hemisphere, they harvest what is left from the blood rains in the sky. After a six month drought, however, rumors of a secret reserve that had been buried decades ago begin to re-circulate. Zain, an orphan who stole calor in service of her slumlords, is back in the game. Iravan, one of those slumlords, has revolutionary ambitions and begins to take the rumors seriously. And Anastasia Drakos, seeking a position on the council, sees finding the reserve as her ticket to total control. As tensions rise, these three lives will intersect again in the search for the treasure that could uplift, or bury, the city of Tejomaya.

It’s been a while since a debut kicked in my door as hard as And The Sky Bled did. Hati confidently beckons the reader into her world, trusting they will be able to pick up on how it works. There aren’t pages of exposition setting everything up; it’s just Zain, sneaking around stealing what little calor she can and the trouble that ensues during the gathering. There is an energy to the events that makes sopping up the details easy without weighing them down. Before I knew it, I was several chapters deep and still not willing to put the book away. It certainly helps that Hati is a sharp writer. Not only are events clear, but the metaphors sink deep. I particularly resonated with her ability to write metaphors you could feel, hear, and smell. She also had a knack for metaphors that pulled you into the world, and gave you insight into each character’s relationship with calor. It made the whole experience intense, so that when the character drama ensued, you were primed for it.

I can not explain how much I loved Hati’s character work. Zain, Iravan, and Anastasia were fleshed out, each with baggage that could fill a cargo container. Watching them orbit around each other, seeing their decisions affect one another while they barely interacted physically was a dance I could watch again and again. Seeing their individual and collective pasts begin to surface as the novel moved forward was an act in emotional archaeology. Slow, methodical sifting of the dirt to uncover things both important and unimportant. Despite having good access to their minds through perspective shifts, Hati convincingly hides their sins as they lie and convince themselves to keep their pasts bottled. And when things start to come together, the full reveal is a heartbreaker. I’ve recently read a few books wherein a character with a purportedly troubled past hasn’t done anything truly wrong. Hati does no such thing as these people have done real damage to others, the world, and themselves. I loved the destruction, while also feeling the horror of it.

While these are things that people often look for in a good book, it’s rare to see them executed so confidently. Where And The Sky Bled truly soared is how the writing, characters, and plot all get intertwined in heavy themes around colonialism, power, environmental degradation, and community. Calor is one of the best composites for fossil fuels I’ve encountered in fiction. It’s powerful, it’s nasty, it causes problems for the handlers and harvesters, and it suffuses everyday life in invisible ways. Those who have it need more, those who don’t can barely keep their communities running. And not because the people are reliant personally, but because the spaces they exist in have been designed to need it as much as everyone else. The systems that maintain its flow are rampant and brutal. Oppression in all forms is utilized to keep the game running, and the game allows for power plays by individuals. Hati captures it all wonderfully, in small and big ways.

Hati then steps beyond the normal shit surrounding fossil fuels and looks into how our relationship with them taints all other relationships. Not in a “you’re contributing too,” but how the constant search for extraction of calor, pushes onto the characters a similar mining mentality when it comes to their relationships. They look at how to leverage situations for power or survival, only to require more and more of someone until they are drained and tapped. This feels more purposeful here because of her use of metaphors. They are often directly linked to each other. They are taught only to think in terms of calor, therefore people are also resources. And it suffuses every strata from top to bottom. It’s not a question of guilt or personal conviction, it’s just how society is organized. There are even small moments where Hati mentions that life, especially in Tejomaya wasn’t always this way, that there used to be a respectful relationship with the world that was lost after the calor revolution (ie industrial revolution). The northern continents built up the southern ones with calor infrastructure so that everyone was stuck in the cycle.

It’s an incredibly dense packing of the themes in a 330 page standalone, and this would have been a perfect book had the ending not happened the way it did. I won’t say Hati threw it all out, but I found myself disappointed with the sharp thematic turn. It doesn’t undo all the value that I found in the book, it just was an unfortunate stumble at the end of a mind blowing routine that combined technique with artistry. I don’t want to get into details because, spoilers, but I had a hard time wrestling with its implications after everything that pushed me towards it.

And The Sky Bled is a fantastic debut that makes S. Hati an author to watch. It’s a book I will cherish and tell people about whenever they want an environmentally themed science fiction book. If you need an exciting debut in your life, definitely pick this one up when it comes out.

Rating: And The Sky Bled – Yeah, Just Read This One
-Alex


An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.

I love fantasy standalones. So when I saw bindery was releasing this book, I was excited. This book is definitely one you have to commit to and focus on. The world building is intense and lush. The politics and plot twists brilliant. I enjoyed the not so subtle nudges toward Soto-economic standings, climate change, and colonization. This book definitely contains deeper meanings and symbolism. A very intriguing and fascinating read!

This is a very solid debut fantasy with a unique setting and a fast-paced, attention-grabbing plot. And the Sky Bled pulls you in from page 1 and immerses you into a dying world, as you follow 3 POV characters on a mission to fix it. Overall, I thought the pacing was good, though it starts to drag just a bit right before the halfway mark; however, there is a shift just at that point that is very necessary and pulls you right back in. The setting and plot really work together to make the world feel realistic and kept me entertained the whole time.

I did have a few complaints that kept this from reaching 5 stars for me. I felt like it took quite a long time to get to know the characters, because a big shared event is kept a mystery until the end. This kept me from really connecting with them at the beginning. I thought the writing was overall good, but the dialogue was a bit clunky and awkward at times. Finally, I could’ve done without the romance elements, as I didn’t feel like they added much to the story. Perhaps if the book was longer and the romantic relationship had more time to develop I would have enjoyed it more.

Overall, I think this is absolutely worth your time and would recommend to fantasy readers who like a little dystopia as well!

Well, I think i liked it.

The writing was great and, to be honest, I went in pretty much blind. I liked the world-building, the plot and how the multiple pov's came together with multiple interpersonal connection. The political theme was really interesting and somehow scary to think about (distant from our reality or not so much?).
I think I might need to read this book again, I feel like I missed a lot on the symbolism in my first read!
Damn, am I realizing it just now?

The concept of this book is really, REALLY intriguing. The atmosphere was rich, the character were slowly built together with the plot. I feel like you could understand what was going to happen in the first half of the book, BUT the second act was really emotional to me, I couldn't put it down by the end.

Yeah, I need to read this again, I guess I'll run to buy it now!

And the Sky Bled is such an interesting and horrific science fiction story! I absolutely could see this being adapted into a horror movie of sorts, dealing with cataclysmic climate events, a sort of drug/resource addiction, and class politics.

I needed this book to be about 200 pages longer, at least. Both because there was so much to pack in there that I wanted more exposition and world-building and that I wanted more time getting to know the main characters. The story has three POVs, and a lot of side characters. I did have trouble keeping up with everybody (and part of this is to blame on the fact that I was reading it during election season which addled my brain a lot) and I feel like I had just gotten the hang of everyone when the story began to conclude.

This did have a decently fast pace too. I'd recommend it to people who enjoyed the Dune books, who want to see more climate sci-fiction, and for when you want to drop into a different world and figure out all the puzzle pieces.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bindery Books for the e-ARC!

This book was amazing! The concept of sky mining was interesting and unique- can't say I've ever read the likes before. 3 POVs that end up intertwining perfectly to build one heck of a climax for the story. Speaking of characters they were very well fleshed out.
The writing was exquisite and I look forward to rereading this book

As a South Asian, I love finding South Asian representation in books and being able to relate to parts of the book, sometimes being able to pick out words in my language. When I saw that this book was influenced by SA culture, with an SA author, I knew I had to read it. I don't have much to say at this time, because I believe going into it blind is the best way to enjoy it, but I will say that I was enthralled from the first page, and once I hit the 50% mark, I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I loved the writing and the way the author was able to weave the three separate POVs was so great to read. Please, if you pick up this book, make sure to read it without any spoilers, it'll be so much better to go in blind!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this book for an honest review. All thoughts in this review are my own, and have not been influenced in any way by the publisher or Netgalley.

I didn't get the chance to finish "And the Sky Bled" prior to it being archived due health issues. But I did make it to about 20% and have to say that I absolutely adored what I had the opportunity to read. The writing was beautiful and engaging, the world building was unique and I'm curious to explore it and the characters more when I buy myself a physical copy to own!

DNF @ 50% I found myself not caring about the characters enough, and after trying to read it for a month and a half, I decided to DNF. I hope to one day come back and try it again, but right now is just not possible.

My rating of 3 stars is a neutral rating since I did not finish.

This was an intense, thrilling introduction to cli-fi fantasy for me, and I’m so grateful to have received an ARC of this debut! The story takes place in Tejomaya, a city under colonial rule, where magic exists in the form of "calor"—a rare, powerful fossil fuel found only in the “blood rains” that fall from the sky. With a six-month drought, the city is on the edge of collapse, and the race to find a rumored stash of "calor" brings three complex characters together.

Each of these characters—Zain, the cunning thief; Iravan, the driven slumlord; and Anastasia, the powerful heiress—has their own motives and secrets tied to Tejomaya’s past. I loved the way the story explored how rage and trauma can push people to either destruction or transformation. The tension builds as their paths intersect, leading to a powerful, chaotic climax.

This book’s worldbuilding was rich and immersive, and I appreciated the themes of power, colonialism, and survival woven into the fantasy setting. If you’re into unique, high-stakes stories with morally complex characters, It is definitely worth reading!

This book has a unique story about the effects technology and advancement can have on a planet. I did feel it was slow pacing wise and trying to learn the ins and outs of the world and the science was a bit dense. But I'd still say it's worth a read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bindery for the ARC!
I liked it overall,(I think?) but I never fully felt connected with any of the characters which made it hard to stay in the book. The setting was entirely unique and stood out to me, being the characters themselves just felt...forgettable. I read it, and said okay cool and promptly forgot most of what happened. I don't know if I would recommend this to just anyone, it feels pretty niche which isn't a bad thing in itself, just a thought I had.

3/5 stars

I was really hoping to enjoy this book more than I did because the premise seemed so unique and interesting. I think the storytelling just fell a little flat to connect the events and emotions I know the author wanted to convey.

Plot: The plot continuously alluded to a major event that happened 10 years prior which is vital to the 3 POV characters but I felt it held out far too long to the point it was frustrating. I needed more breadcrumbs to "unravel" the mystery or keep engaged. Instead it felt like the author was withholding information without purpose. I didn't enjoy the ending and it felt a bit unrealistic. There were a few parts where things felt out of character or unrealistic in order to further the plot.

Setting: The setting was interesting but I really wished there was a map so I could understand where things were and how the city was laid out. This info would be helpful as there was military/slumlord battle strategy dependent on positioning.

Characters: The characters were fair. I think I liked Anastasia's character the best even though she is a bit big headed. Zain's mysterious past was just not fleshed out enough throughout the book and instead used more as a big reveal... and I felt the romance was a bit unrealistic for being over the course of a week (?). I think the side characters were more interesting and dynamic.

Writing: The writing was beautiful but took me a while to slow down to understand what was being said.

Overall, I think this is a unique premise with good writing but would need a stronger plot and characters to really have me behind it. I wish things were more logical and fleshed out, the world building, characters and major plot points felt light handed for me to get immersed.

Incredibly written with emotions spilling between the lines.
The land has had enough.
Zain, Ana, and Ravi have been though enough.

As the past intertwines with the present, I felt so deeply connected to these characters.
My heart surged multiple times and I could not help but smile at the beauty of the meaning between the lines.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Three rivals race to find a hidden collection of magic that could change the course of each of their lives, and the world in very different ways.

I appreciate the combination of fantasy and real-world climate crisis.

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery for the ARC!