The Captain’s Log – starsight (Brandon Sanderson)

Ahoy there me mateys!  Here be book two of the Skyward quartet.  If ye missed book one, skyward, click here. While I try to post no spoilers, ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

In the first yarn all Spensa wanted was to become a pilot and clear her father’s name.  She succeeding in becoming a pilot and discovering the complex truth about her dad but also discovered more than she bargained for.  Like why the Krell keeps attacking her home planet, Detritus.

Now that the battle has moved to open space, Spensa and the rest of the humans understand that the conflict with the Krell is ramping up.  To survive they must gain access to the hyperdrive the aliens hold or face total annihilation.  The likeliest solution be spy infiltration into Krell society but figuring out the specifics be tricky and seem impossible.

And of course Sanderson always surprises me and keeps me guessing.  This book did NOT go into any direction I was guessing or expecting.  I will not talk about it here because of major spoilers.  What I can say is that where the first book was a personal character journey concerning Spensa, this book opens up into the wider universe.  Ye get to see different aliens, cultures, and politics.  I loved that the humans’ position is so precarious and especially the reasons why.

I absolutely loved getting more of M-bot, Doomslug, and Spensa.  However, ye don’t spend much time with the other humans in this installment.  There be some interludes of life back home but the focus in on the aliens and the complications therein.  I kinda missed the old characters.  That said, I loved many of the new introductions as well.  Morriumur was a particular fave.

The book is set-up in five parts.  Part one was a little hard for me to get into given the change in tone but of course I kept going.  And as always, Sanderson manages to give me a book that entertains, makes me think, and makes me feel.   I need book three now!  It is tentatively scheduled to be written in 2020 and come out in 2021.  Plenty of other things to read while I wait.  Arrr!

Don’t just take me word for readin’ this book (though it should be enough!).  Also check out what me crew had to say about this one:

Matey Mogsy @ thebibliosanctum – “To say that this is a book everyone needs in their lives right now is an understatement. At its heart, Starsight is story about unity, empathy, looking past our prejudices and differences because deep down inside we all want and care and fight for the same things. But unlike a lot of YA you find on the shelves today, this novel manages to get all these points across without being preachy, divisive, or smugly self-congratulatory about it. The message simply comes across naturally as an intrinsic part of the story, one that anyone anywhere at any time can relate to, and to me that is the mark of a classic. ”

Side note:  Koloss Head–Munching Day be on December 19th and hopefully the Sanderson will release another “State of the Sanderson” post with updates on all his projects.  Arrr!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she’s a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing.

Spensa is sure there’s more to the story. And she’s sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars–and it was terrifying. Everything Spensa has been taught about her world is a lie.

But Spensa also discovered a few other things about herself–and she’ll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to.

To visit the author’s website go to:

Brandon Sanderson – Author

To buy the novel please visit:

starsight – Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

Previous Log Entries for this Author

Broadside No. 3

legion (Captain’s Log – Sci-Fi)

skyward – book 1 (Captain’s Log – YA Sci-Fi)