New favorite trope unlocked: sky pirates who sail the clouds and hunt giant metallic dragons...

Sky's End by Marc J Gregson reminded me a lot of Brandon Sanderson's Skyward if it focused on the characters from Jennifer Nielsen's Ascendance trilogy, and it was way better than I expected it to be.
The story follows Conrad, once a Highborn, now a Low as he enters a training program for Hunters, the people who kill the gargantauns (aka giant metal dragons). The program ends with a competition called the Gauntlet, where the eventual captains of the ships will be decided. The plot was super fast-paced, and the last 20% was unexpected yet so well-plotted that it didn't feel out of place. There were plenty of twists and turns and I'm actually super excited for book two.
But also...the character dynamics were amazing. Conrad was snarky and ambitious enough to be an enticing main character, but he also had enough flaws that I disagreed with him multiple times. I liked Roderick and Keeton a lot. Pound's character arc intrigued me but I have mixed feelings about him because the picture I have of him in my head is rather unflattering. The same goes for Bryce...I can see her becoming a cool character in book two but we don't know enough about her to truly appreciate her. Also, I HATE Sebastian with a burning passion and no, I will not take criticism. The found family vibes are immaculate and I'm glad that there wasn't much of a focus on romance, at least for the first book.
If you're looking for a sky-high, swashbuckling adventure with snarky characters, metallic dragons, and plenty of surprises, be sure to check out Sky's End.
4.25/5
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!