Skyward by Brandon Sanderson It has been years since I’ve solidly gotten into a book but this one just sucked me in. I had to force myself to sit down and actually start reading but once I did it was hard to stop! Apr 05, 2021 Hey, Brandon here for our Weekly Update. This is a big one. Skyward 3 is done. Last night, I’m recording this on Thursday, these go up on Monday, so last night I turned in the book, the 5.0 edition of it finally. It was a lot of work to get this one ready. The book is finished, coming out someti.

PROLOGUE

Only fools climbed to the surface. It was stupid to put yourself in danger like that, my mother always said. Not only were there near-constant debris showers from the rubble belt, but you never knew when the Krell would attack.

Of course, my father traveled to the surface basically every day—he had to, as a pilot. I supposed by my mother’s definition that made him extra foolish, but I always considered him extra brave.

I was still surprised when one day, after years of listening to me beg, he finally agreed to take me up with him.

I was seven years old, though in my mind I was completely grown-up and utterly capable. I hurried after my father, carrying a lantern to light the rubble-strewn cavern. A lot of the rocks in the tunnel were broken and cracked, most likely from Krell bombings—things I’d experienced down below as a rattling of dishes or trembling of light fixtures.

I imagined those broken rocks as the broken bodies of my enemies, their bones shattered, their trembling arms reaching upward in a useless gesture of total and complete defeat.

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I was a very odd little girl.

I caught up to my father, and he looked back, then smiled. He had the best smile, so confident, like he never worried about what people said about him. Never worried that he was weird or didn’t fit in.

Then again, why should he have worried? Everyone liked him. Even people who hated ice cream and playing swords—even whiny little Rodge McCaffrey—liked my father.

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Father took me by the arm and pointed upward. “Next part is a little tricky. Let me lift you.”

“I can do it,” I said, and shook off his hand. I was grown-up. I’d packed my own backpack and had left Bloodletter, my stuffed bear, at home. Stuffed bears were for babies, even if you’d fashioned your own mock power armor for yours out of string and broken ceramics.

Granted, I had put my toy starfighter in my backpack. I wasn’t crazy. What if we ended up getting caught in a Krell attack and they bombed our retreat, so we had to live out the rest of our lives as wasteland survivors, devoid of society or civilization?

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A girl needed her toy starfighter with her just in case.

I handed my backpack to my father and looked up at the crack in the stones. There was . . . something about that hole up there. An unnatural light seeped through it, wholly unlike the soft glow of our lanterns.

The surface . . . the sky! I grinned and started climbing up a steep slope that was part rubble, part rock formation. My hands slipped and I scraped myself on a sharp edge, but I didn’t cry. The daughters of pilots did not cry.

The crack in the cavern roof looked a hundred meters away. I hated being so small. Any day now, I was going to grow tall like my father. Then for once I wouldn’t be the smallest kid around. I’d laugh at everyone from up so high, they’d be forced to admit how great I was.

I growled softly as I got to the top of a rock. The next hand-hold was out of reach. I eyed it. Then I jumped, determined. Like a good Defiant girl, I had the heart of a stardragon.

But I also had the body of a seven-year-old. So I missed by a good half meter.

A strong hand seized me before I could fall too far. My father chuckled, holding me by the back of my jumpsuit, which I’d painted with markers to look like his flight suit. I had even drawn a pin on the left over my heart, like the one he wore—the pin that marked him as a pilot. It was in the shape of a small starfighter with lines underneath.

Father pulled me onto the rock beside him, then reached out with his free hand and activated his light-line. The device looked like a metal bracelet, but once he engaged it by tapping two fingers against his palm, the band glowed with a bright molten light. He touched a stone above, and when he drew his hand back, it left a thick line of light like a shining rope fixed to the rock. He wrapped the other end around me so it fit snugly under my arms, then detached it from his bracelet. The glow there faded, but the luminescent rope remained in place, attaching me to the rocks.

I’d always thought light-lines should burn to the touch, but it

This wiki can now have Rhythm of War and Dawnshard spoilers. To view an earlier version of the wiki without these spoilers, go to the Time Machine!

Skyward is the first young adult novel in a four-part series. It's the second work in the Cytoverse, with the plot taking place centuries after Defending Elysium.^[1]

Brandon's premise for the story was 'How to Train Your Dragon but instead it's a girl who finds a spaceship and goes to Top Gun school. It's like a mashup between Top Gun and Ender's Game and How to Train Your Dragon with an old broken-down spaceship with a really weird personality.'^[2]

The book was released on November 6, 2018.^[3]

Cover Synopsis[edit]

Spensa’s world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes of what's left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa's dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's- a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa the daughter of a coward, her chances of attending Flight School slim to none.

No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, yet fate works in mysterious ways. Flight School might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars.

Summary[edit]

Spensa has dreamed of being a pilot since she was a child. Inspired by her father, then fueled with outrage by the DDF's accusations of cowardice following his death, Spensa spends the next decade preparing for the flight school entrance exam. Gaining entrance to the program with the help of her new instructor Cobb, Spensa teams up with nine fellow trainees to form Skyward Flight and battle the Krell, an alien force trying to destroy the Defiant colony. Aided by the mysterious stealth fighter M-Bot, whom she finds abandoned in a cave, Spensa must navigate the pitfalls of flight school, uncover the truth about her father's death, and try not to die at the hands of an enemy starfighter.

Characters[edit]

Spensa Nightshade

Spensa, callsign 'Spin', is the daughter of Zeen Nightshade (callsign Chaser), supposedly a cowardly DDF pilot who abandoned a battle. He always told Spensa: 'set your sights on something higher. Something more grand'. Spensa fights to be accepted into Flight School, but refuses to give up even in the face of certain failure. She finds an ancient ship, and, with the help and guidance from her friend Rodge, attempts to rebuild it.

Captain Cobb

Cobb, callsign 'Mongrel', is Spensa's flight instructor and was her father's wingmate. He stands up to the Admiral on Spensa's behalf and accepts her into his training group.

Rodge McCaffery

Rodge, often called Rig (callsign Rigmarole), is one of Spensa's childhood friends. After dropping out of DDF flight school, he returns to Igneous Cavern and becomes a engineer. He 'borrows' parts from the workshop to help repair M-Bot.

Jorgen Weight

Jorgen is the flightleader of Skyward Flight, and was was one of only two to graduate to full pilot before the Battle of Alta Second. His callsign, Jerkface, was chosen by Spensa. He grew up in the deep caverns, and is the son of Jeshua Weight, a First Citizen who fought in the Battle of Alta.

Judy 'Ironsides' Ivans

Judy Ivans, callsign 'Ironsides', is Admiral of the DDF. She fought in the Battle of Alta. Ironsides tries to deny Spensa Flight School entry, fearing that she will carry the Defect like her father.

Hudiya

Hudiya, callsign 'Hurl', was a pilot in Skyward Flight, and was also Spensa's wingmate. She was an athletic girl from Igneous Cavern, and died in battle after refusing to eject from an uncontrolled descent.

Freyja

Freyja, call sign 'FM', is a pilot in Skyward Flight. She was one of only two to graduate to full pilot before the Battle of Alta Second. Freyja is from the deep caverns, and vocally opposes Defiant culture. She identifies as a 'Disputer'.

Arturo Mendez

Arturo was a pilot in Skyward Flight before his parents pulled him out after Hurl's death. He is from the deep caverns, son of Valda Mendez, and was one of the two assistant flightleaders along with Nedd. His callsign is 'Amphisbaena', a type of two-headed dragon.

Nedd Strong

Nedd, call sign 'Nedder', was a pilot in Skyward Flight. He was dismissed from the DDF due to absenteeism after his brothers died in battle, and was just barely saved himself when Spensa pulled him to safety. He was one of the two assistant flightleaders, along with Arturo.

Kimmalyn

Kimmalyn is an enthusiastic girl from Bountiful Cavern, daughter of AA gunners. and was a pilot in Skyward Flight before she quit after Hurl's death. She often makes up wise sayings. She chose 'Quick' as her callsign, but it became 'Quirk' when her flightmates kept pronouncing it wrong.

M-Bot

M-Bot is the AI in the derelict stealth ship that Spensa discovers. His memory has been corrupted, so all he remembers is his former pilot's last orders: 'Lie low, M-bot. Take stock, don't get into any fights, and wait for me here.' M-Bot determines that he was sent to categorize fungi. Single-minded in his obedience, he refuses to fight and is obsessed with gathering fungal life from the planet.

Gran-Gran

Spensa's grandmother was aboard the Defiant and worked with her mother in the engine room. She told Spensa stories of ancient heroes inspiring Spensa's regular use of creative threats.

Setting[edit]

Skyward is a non-cosmere novel set in the Cytoverse on the planet Detritus.

Writing Process[edit]

Brandon wrote Skyward in approximately three months, most of that while he was on tour for Oathbringer or on holiday.

Cover Gallery[edit]

Interior Art[edit]

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Notes[edit]

1. ↑Skyward Chicago signing
   — Arcanum - 2018-11-16Cite: Arcanum-11990#
2. ↑Brandon Sanderson Reads From Skyward
   — 17th Shard YouTube Channel - Nov 14, 2017#
3. ↑Officially Announcing Skyward
   — Brandon's website - Dec 18, 2017Cite: BrandonSanderson.com/officially-announcing-skyward/#

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