I don't suppose my father ever guessed that I asked it as endlessly as he did. Some say ruhking is a calling. For me it was an answer to a question that had bored clear through my soul. I had a hole worn through my center, like one of Arnan's interesting blue river stones. People have admired rocs for centuries. Artists paint them, sculpt them, tell stories about them. I wanted to be one. I wanted to be the monster that kills other monsters. zahra and i were complete; we were the sun and the wind, the sky and the earth, life and death, above the world and untouchable. ” I have seen this compared to dragonriders of Pern, and not so, IMO; the roc training here is pretty clearly falconry like. No riding, no telepathy, just plain old falconry but with extra big and mean birds and prey. Fonda Lee wonderfully and brutally reimagines the mythic monster hunter with one of the most iconic and compelling literary duos I've ever read." - Matt Wallace, Hugo Award winner and author of the Savage Rebellion Trilogy

Out of every five apprentice ruhkers, two will be killed or crippled, two will leave or be sent away, and only one will ever fly a roc. And the dangers do not diminish after that. Babak had seen apprentices come and go. He would place no odds on my success, yet his equanimity was an odd comfort, because I shared his blunt assessment: Either I would become a ruhker, or I would die trying. I would train and care for Zahra, yet she could never belong to me. In name, she belonged to Antrius the Bold and the Kingdom of Dartha, but even that was not true. A roc is always a wild thing, always God’s monster alone. When you love a person, you are expected to give them their freedom, but when you love a monster, you keep it caged.” Judging this by my novella standards, Untethered Sky is one of the best standalone novellas I’ve read. I do wish we spent a little more time focused on the relationship between Ester and her roc as I feel that would have allowed me to get more emotionally invested in their storyline than I did, but I still liked Ester as a character throughout the entire novella. I nodded in wordless thanks, relaxing a little into her optimism. Most ruhkers paid little attention to the apprentices, but Nasmin was one of the younger women in the mews and one of the few who’d been kind to me when I’d arrived a year ago. The simple knowledge that I had a friend who’d gone through what I was facing and was confident in my survival made it easier to not think about the alternative.

How to Vote

while i enjoyed this story, i will say that if you don't love the concept of animal companions and if you're not absolutely sold by the premise, you won't like this book because that's pretty much all there is to it. it's a simple, straightforward narrative with not many surprises and a fairly predictable ending - i think the execution is good but if this wasn't a novella, i would've eventually gotten bored.

thank you, i whispered, as she disappeared from my straining sight for the last time. for allowing me to hunt with you. for letting me borrow your strength. for lending me your wings. ” Lest you get the wrong idea though, this is far from your cutesy How to Train Your Dragon type story with a heartwarming ending where everyone gets to go home happy. Ester is ever aware that the love she has for Zahra can never be returned, for no matter how well they are trained, rocs are nature’s creatures bound by instinct. And yet, I found this situation bittersweet and touching in its own way, watching the protagonist give her whole heart to Zahra even knowing full well the roc may break it one day. The book also gives manticores their due as well. For all propaganda claiming they’re devil-spawn, we get the idea beneath it all they’re also just animals. While chillingly intelligent, they still often behave like terrifying wild animals rather than some far-flung fantasy creature, which is impressive when you consider that they have the face of an ape, a leonine body encased in quills, and a scorpion-like tail. The characters are written superbly. Even though the writing was understated, I could tell exactly what kind of people (or rocs) they were from the brief time I was with them. Every part of the book was crafted with this same care. I love stories like this: Untethered Sky doesn’t stay longer than it needs to, but it left an indelible impression on my heart nevertheless.

Sometimes I read a book that feels just so tailored to my personal interests and strange niches that I cannot believe it exists, but this is one of them. I was so hesitant going into this book, so much so that I put it off for months - my friends who have read it haven't really sung its praises, and I didn't love Lee's last novella as much as I was hoping to have - but all my worries were completely unfounded. Growing up, if you asked me what my dream job would be if I didn't have to worry about money, I would've told you I wanted to be a falcon trainer. Why? I honestly could never really explain it, but reading this book made me feel like Fonda Lee put into words how I've always felt about birds of prey - it so accurately captures the emotions of awe, respect, and fear for these magnificent creatures, and because of that, this book felt so special to me. i should’ve let you kiss me that one time in the field, but i was scared, and if you ever feel the urge to do it again, i would want you to. ” But aside from the feels, the two works are very different, which just showcases Fonda Lee’s incredible range. Despite its shortcomings, “Untethered Sky” includes several standout scenes, such as the brutal murder of Ester’s mother and brother at the beginning of the novella. This scene is expertly crafted, evoking intense emotions of grief, fear, and horror. Lee’s decision to include unsettling details adds to the situation’s visceral realism and heightens the impact of the tragedy and the horror a young Ester must have felt. This scene serves as a gripping introduction to the story and expertly establishes Ester’s motivation for becoming a ruhker. It is a testament to Lee’s skill that this scene remains vividly etched in the reader’s mind long after the book is finished. ester. i love how well ester's grief and internal struggles were written. her obsession was written perfectly, and when zahra left ester, tears were shed 😭 ester's story shows the importance about learning to accept the things you cannot change and finding the strength to move forward. my heart aches for her <33

A beautifully told story of a young woman, her magnificent, monstrous raptor, and her journey through grief, obsession, courage, and love."—Kate Elliott Untethered Sky was more character driven that I expected. There isn't a ~main conflict~ per say, but the story takes an intimate look at Ester's relationship with Zahra. Since this was a novella, I don't want to say too much and let y'all read and find out for yourselves. It's a much different take on animal companion trope we all know and love in fantasy. I highly recommend and I think y'all are gonna like this one when it comes out in April!

New in Series

This isn't the rich sprawling fantastical experience of Fonda Lee's saga. Here, you will find unexplored character arcs aplenty and dead-end roads of adrift possibility that The Green Bone saga will have spoilt you to expect. The worldbuilding was interesting and if Fonda Lee decided to write a whole series set in this world, I would be thrilled. I think there is a lot of potential for things that were introduced in this story to be further expanded upon in future works if she decided to. Book Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Novella, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

Sacrifices also had to be made to world-building, often leaving it up to readers to infer certain details about the wider world rather than spelling it all out, but here is where a narrower scope is advantageous to the story. The author can spend more time developing the culture and customs of rukhers when they’re socializing in the Royal Mews or when they’re on the hunt, going into fascinating detail into everything from training methods to the proper care of rocs. Ester’s path leads her to join the King’s Royal Mews, where the giant rocs of legend are flown to hunt manticores by their brave and dedicated rukhers. Paired with a fledgling roc named Zahra, Ester finds purpose and acclaim by devoting herself to a calling that demands absolute sacrifice and a creature that will never return her love. The terrifying partnership between woman and roc leads Ester not only on the empire’s most dangerous manticore hunt, but on a journey of perseverance and acceptance. While I've described this to some friends as adult Pokemon, that's more facetious than truthful. Indeed, Lee soars into the world of Roc training that was reminiscent of H is for Hawk's more harrowing passages of loss and hawking. These aren't mythical birds that speak or communicate in the typical sense; indeed, a mix of discipline and knowledge lead the trainers to failure or success against the beasts they hunt. Full points for world building! The story follows Ester, a ruhker (aka trainer/handler) of a roc named Zahra, who is basically a giant bird that is the size of a full grown man. We're taken along Ester's journey as she trains and forms a relationship with Zahra in which they hunt and slay manticores. In this world, manticores are THE WORST.I loved Untethered Sky. As I said, I do wish the novella was longer, but that's only because I can't get enough of Lee's writing and storytelling quality. Fonda Lee hasn't let me down yet with her books. And I believe this trend will only ceaselessly continue, especially with Jade Shards upcoming publication later this year and more. Ruhkers must be endlessly patient, determined, and stoic. They can’t express frustration, anger, or pain around their charges. During his apprenticeship, one of the other young ruhkers, Darius, had his arm broken by a roc while he was tethering it. He passed the leash to his other hand, tied it one-handed, and finished his chores cleaning the mews, sweeping with his right arm while his left hung dangling. All the while he never made a sound. After Darius’s arm healed, Babak gave him the next roc to train. Anywho, if you want to fall in love with a giant bird and read about a complicated and fierce animal-human bond that will crush your soul and leave you heaving with tears streaming down your face, read this.