Gold Wings Rising

by Alex London

Overview

In Gold Wings Rising, the final installment of Alex London's Skybound Saga, Kylee and Brysen must fight for their lives and their humanity. Book 1 was a Today Show Book Club Pick!

The war on the ground has ended, but the war with the sky has just begun. After the Siege of the Six Villages, the ghost eagles have trapped Uztaris on both sides of the conflict. The villagers and Kartami alike hide in caves, huddled in terror as they await nightly attacks. Kylee aims to plunge her arrows into each and every ghost eagle; in her mind, killing the birds is the only way to unshackle the city’s chains. But Brysen has other plans.

While the humans fly familiar circles around each other, the ghost eagles create schemes far greater and more terrible than either Kylee or Brysen could have imagined. Now, the tug-of-war between love and power begins to fray, threatening bonds of siblinghood and humanity alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250802804
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	09/14/2021
Series:	Skybound Saga Series , #3
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	506,461
Product dimensions:	5.42(w) x 8.27(h) x 1.29(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Alex London is the beloved author of Black Wings Beating (Today Show Pick, two starred reviews) and Red Skies Falling (Seventeen Magazine Best Book of the Year, one starred review), as well as the middle-grade series Tides of War, Dog Tags, and The Wild Ones. His YA novel, Proxy, was an ALA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers and included in their 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults List. At one time a journalist reporting from conflict zones and refugee camps, Alex lives with his husband in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Editorial Reviews

"Following the battle-heavy Red Skies Falling (2019), this final entry effectively ties up many of the loose threads while maintaining a constant wingbeat of danger and intrigue." —Kirkus Reviews

"Gold Wings Rising wraps up Alex London’s intense, evocative Skybound Saga with a deeply satisfying conclusion that both builds on the established world and subverts its very foundations. Brutal, evocative, and brimming with heart and hope, Gold Wings Rising is a triumph of a final installment." —Tor.com

From the Publisher

In the final book of the Skybound Saga trilogy, narrators Michael Crouch and Brittany Pressley bring the necessary intensity to main characters Brysen and Kylee—siblings who have struggled to survive in a chaotic world who are now at odds over the best way to protect humanity. Crouch and Pressley’s pacing complements the action of the story in this last installment, and they present different energies in their narration, strengthening the character development that has been building in the plot. While Crouch’s narration is a touch forlorn, with pleasingly crisp enunciation, Pressley’s is more passionate, poetic even. These differences make the siblings seem like two fully formed individuals as listeners hear how their exciting story ends. E.J.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2021 - AudioFile

In the final book of the Skybound Saga trilogy, narrators Michael Crouch and Brittany Pressley bring the necessary intensity to main characters Brysen and Kylee—siblings who have struggled to survive in a chaotic world who are now at odds over the best way to protect humanity. Crouch and Pressley’s pacing complements the action of the story in this last installment, and they present different energies in their narration, strengthening the character development that has been building in the plot. While Crouch’s narration is a touch forlorn, with pleasingly crisp enunciation, Pressley’s is more passionate, poetic even. These differences make the siblings seem like two fully formed individuals as listeners hear how their exciting story ends. E.J.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2021 - AudioFile

2020-06-25
Feathers fly in this conclusion to the Skybound Saga trilogy.

The war between earth and sky continues as hundreds of ghost eagles terrorize the Six Villages. Pieced-together nets and caves offer some protection, but the Six Villages have become overcrowded. Enemies are trapped in the same metaphorical cage, fighting for food and territory as Uztari society verges on collapse. Though everyone seems to be a pawn or prey in the ghost eagles’ game, twins Kylee and Brysen are at the center of it all. The birds communicate with the siblings through nightmares and visions, eventually leading them to find the giant egg of a black eagle. Brysen wants to protect it. Kylee wants to destroy it. Whoever gets their hands (or talons) on it, will it really bring an end to this war? Following the battle-heavy Red Skies Falling (2019), this final entry effectively ties up many of the loose threads while maintaining a constant wingbeat of danger and intrigue. As in previous books, London’s omniscient third-person narration glides in and out of characters’ heads to keep the intricate plot moving. Readers expecting compelling character arcs may come away disappointed, as the twins start to feel like broken records. The biggest disappointment, however, is the ending. While the revealed fantasy history draws strong emotional parallels to real-life history, the conclusion ultimately nose-dives into mixed messages about justice.

A skittering end to an ambitious series. (Fantasy. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews