One of my bookish red flags is that even though I know nothing about Arthurian legend, I still come running any time a book has any references to it at all.

I saw Sky on Fire on Netgalley and requested it immediately because of aforementioned mild Arthurian legend obsession. I'm going to be honest right away and say I did not realize this was book 2 in a series until after I'd already downloaded my e-ARC. I thought maybe I could make sense of it because it didn't appear to follow the same characters as book one (and I think it was fairly understandable without the context of the first book), but I would highly recommend reading the first book first, even if they're not listed as a series. In theory, it can stand alone, but I'm not sure that it should.
Morgan Enni is a young scientist with a secret, so it's no surprise when she catches the attention of a handful of rebels. The book starts with a quick summary of a rebellion that acts as a backstory of sorts, which is helpful in some sense. I've seen a few reviews saying they found this book to be very worldbuilding-heavy, but honestly, I felt a bit lost. Things were described, but they weren't clarified (either that, or I somehow missed it), and I'm hoping they were explained in book one because I really didn't understand the importance of gene-mages until the very end of the story. The pacing started a bit slow but was pretty quick by the end. However, I also felt the ending was a bit rushed, and all of the action was resolved in about two chapters. Again, the stakes might be higher if you've read the first book, so I don't think this book should be read as a standalone.
I thought Morgan was a very compelling narrator. She's introverted, intelligent, and innovative. I enjoyed seeing her growth as she began to spend time with those who truly appreciated her, and I really liked seeing her dynamic with Ned (especially with her being ace!). Most of the side characters felt a bit flat, but I think that a lot of them were probably developed in book one. I found the tangled web between Pendt, Fisher, and Ned to be quite intriguing, and I liked Pendt and Ned on their own, too. I thought Jonee was interesting, so I'm glad she was relevant for most of the book. I wish I had read the first book before this because I think it would have enhanced the experience.
I wouldn't recommend Sky on Fire as a standalone, but if you read Aetherbound, you won't want to miss this thrilling sequel that brings back old friends and introduces some new ones.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.25/5