This book popped up on Kindle and after reading the premise, I couldn’t not read it. At the time of writing this, I am currently reading book 3, so you could say I’m enjoying it!

Synopsis (as taken from the Amazon Kindle Store) is as follows:

Theirs is a world of opposites. The privileged live in sky manors held aloft by a secretive magic known only as the Mysteries. Below, the earthbound poor are forced into factory work to maintain the engine of commerce. Only the wealthy can afford to learn the Mysteries, and they use their knowledge to further lock their hold on society.

Cettie Pratt is a waif doomed to the world below, until an admiral attempts to adopt her. But in her new home in the clouds, not everyone treats her as one of the family.

Sera Fitzempress is a princess born into power. She years to meet the orphan girl she had heard so much about, but her father deems the girl unworthy of his daughter’s curiosity.

Neither girl feels that she belongs. Each seeks to break free of imposed rules. Now, as Cettie dreams of living above and as Sera is drawn to the world below, they will follow the paths of their own choosing.

But both girls will be needed for the coming storm that threatens to overturn both their worlds.

Ability to read – I didn’t have any difficulty in reading this book, I was able to understand the plot, the characters and the narrative relatively easily. It was slightly hard to get into, the first couple of chapters were hard to connect to but after I eased myself into the book I found things that I could connect to and I found myself falling further into the book. I think a combination of plot, characters and narrative held my attention while reading and gave a rounded view to all involved.

Characterisation – Cettie and Sera are so similar and yet so different, and it was a joy to read the beginning of their stories. Cettie reminded me a lot of similar heroines in fantasy novels but I still found her character to be special and different. There is a deep sense of determination within her and she has a strength of will that is admirable. I can only imagine what she must have been feeling through this first book and look forward to seeing what direction her future takes. Sera was equally strong but in a different way. She presented herself as the rebellious child and as someone who was very determined to follow her own course in life. I found her character compelling and though some of her actions spoke of a spoilt child, I sensed something deeper and more profound in her. I believe she is destined for greater things though I guess that the path for her will be a rocky one.

Visualisation – I found it relatively easy to visualise what was happening in this story and how the setting should look. This book was rich on descriptions and that helped me to construct a solid image of the different settings explored in this book. I could clearly picture all the characters and how they acted/spoke to one another and I could distinctly see all the ghosts that Cettie saw and how they impacted her life.

Uniqueness – I saw in this book, a lot of shades from other fantasy books I’ve read but I don’t know which came first, so am unsure of who started the idea. However, I did find this book to be rather unique if not original and the world created was deep and richly full. Cettie and Sera are both powerful characters with paths laid before them that I can only guess at. I was completely captivated as I read this book and drawn into the world that Jeff Wheeler has created. It was an emotional roller coaster, reading this but I enjoyed every part of it and am sure that the series will continue to test my patience and my lingering curiosity.

Hannah xoxo