Hunted by the Sky is the first book in a new young adult fantasy series, called The Wrath of Ambar, by Tanaz Bhathena. Hunted By the Sky was a breathtaking adventure filled with magic, romance, and wonderfully complex characters. I loved this book and I am already anxious to get my hands on the next book in the series. I need continue reading right now. I think Hunted by the Sky will appeal to longtime fans of fantasies, as well as fantasy readers that are feeling a bit of fantasy burn out, and feeling like all the books they read are the same. Hunted by the Sky is NOT the same. The world feels fresh and nuanced in a really wonderful way. I loved the world building just as much as I loved the characters, which is saying a lot coming from a character driven reader.

In Hunted by the Sky we meet our main character Gul. The book starts out with Gul witnessing the murder of her parents. The first line of the story is literally her father being killed. Pretty intense stuff. The king heard a prophecy long ago that a girl with a specific birthmark will bring about his demise, and ever since he has been disposing of any and all girls who have these birthmarks. Gul and her family have been on the run for most of her life. Because of this, Gul is determined to get revenge. Gul is a super strong and interesting main character, not only because she has been through so much, but because she grows in so many different ways throughout the story. At the start of our tale Gul is 13, and then the plot jumps forward a few years to her as a young adult. Gul also grows with her magic. I am not going to be too spoilery, but in the world of Hunted by the Sky magic wielders (magi) and non-magical (non-magi) have a stark divide, right down to which schools they can attend. For most of Gul’s life, she believes that she has no power, so watching her powers develop and watching her be trained in warrior magic was so satisfying to me. I can’t wait to see what is in store for our characters in the next book. I am hooked!

We also meet our other main character, Canvas who is caring for his sickly father. I loved Canvas and seeing his plot intertwine with Gul is what made me fall in love with this book. The two of them were total fire. Right from their very first scene in the market place together. View Spoiler » Another facet of Hunted by the Sky that I totally loved was the magic system. There are so many different kinds of magic in this world, and it was so interesting to me. It was almost like x-men mixed with mages/wizards in a way, where people are born with certain abilities but they also have to practice and hone their craft or abilities to get stronger. Some people can tell the truth, others have death magic and some have the ability to whisper to animals, among many others. I loved every time we encountered a new ability because it was so interesting to learn about them all.

Overall, whether you are a die-hard fan of classic fantasy, or if you have been a bit bummed out that all fantasy seems the same lately, Hunted by the Sky is a fantastic story that is sure to engage and thrill you. I think you will fall in love with the magic, characters and world. I know I did. Release book 2 asap please!

Side note: I fall into the die hard fan category, but I do know many people have told me that they are put off of fantasy at the moment because everything feels the same or “been-done-before”.