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Sky’s End (Above the Black 1) by Marc J. Gregson

Peachtree Teen, 2024

Hardcover Debut YA SFF, 416pp

With Gratitude to Edelweiss+ and Peachtree Teen for the eARC

“Exiled to live as a Low, sixteen-year-old Conrad refuses to become heir to his murderous uncle. But Meritocracy is a harsh and unforgiving rule on the floating island of Holmstead, and when his ailing mother is killed by monstrous gorgantauns, Conrad cuts a deal to save the only family he has left. To rescue his sister from his uncle’s clutches, Conrad must enter the Selection of the Twelve Trades.

“Hunter, the deadliest of all the Trades, gains a fresh recruit with Conrad. Now he must endure vigorous training, manipulative peers, and the Gauntlet—a brutal final test that yields riches and status to whichever skyship crew kills the most gorgantauns. Forced to serve in the lowest of stations and unseen by all, Conrad overhears whispers of rebellion in the dark. Conrad had never known anything existed below the toxic black clouds of the Skylands . . . until now. ” (publisher’s copy)

Sky’s End offers “a kill-or-be-killed competition where a scrappy underdog hell-bent on revenge must claw his way to the top” (publisher’s copy). The action in this high-seas (without the seas) adventure is non-stop and I’m still marveling at the beating the protagonist’s body takes. The world is a hard one, and a beautifully realized one under Gregson’s deft hand. The twists and turns are lovely. The action sequences are cinematic. That this Gregson’s debut has me giddy for what is to come.

Conrad reminds me of Bardugo’s Kaz Brekkar (Six of Crows) in his woundedness, determination, and social awkwardness. The team Gregson forms around his central character is just as gritty and intriguing. Both Ben Oliver The Loop fans and Philip Reeves’ Mortal Instruments fans should also take note.