Review: Untethered Sky

Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reading Fonda Lee's Untethered Sky was like meeting a powerful new friend whose wings cast a huge shadow. This novella, rooted in a Persian-inspired world of rugged plains and towering rocs, drew me into Ester’s journey, a young woman scarred by a manticore’s brutality, now training a giant bird to hunt the monsters that broke her.

The story follows her as she joins the Royal Mews and bonds with her roc, Zahra. It is a story about taming wild animals and seeking revenge while healing. Lee’s world feels alive, almost tangible. I could taste the dust on chariot trails, hear the rustle of Zahra’s feathers, and feel the weight of Ester’s gloves. The world building, much like The Sword of Kaigen, is vivid yet restrained, sketching fire temples and monster hunts with precision, never lingering too long.

The pacing is a steady canter, blending introspective pauses with heart-racing hunts. Ester’s voice, raw and reflective, and carries a lyrical grace, echoing the emotional depth of The Fifth Season. Her arc, from wounded girl to ruhker grappling with purpose, is deeply moving, though perhaps less grand than some epic fantasies I’ve cherished. The standout is Ester’s bond with Zahra, forged in dark, isolated days. I found it to be a tender yet fierce, wordless connection.

If there is one drawback, it is the novella's short length. Characters like Darius or Nasmin hint at complexity, but don’t fully unfold. The world, too, feels like a single, vibrant painting where I craved a few more strokes, maybe a deeper glimpse into Dartha’s politics. Still, for its size, the story lands a heavy, resonant blow.

Untethered Sky roots itself in high fantasy, its magic-scarce setting grounded and real, with a dark fantasy edge in its trauma and monstrous stakes. This is a novel which reflects on grief and devotion, and I would recommend to anyone who like stories in which characters reveal their true selves and the world feels as unyielding as stone. If The Sword of Kaigen's raw, aching humanity or The Fifth Season's epic profundity have ever captivated you, this story will draw you in with its fierce, soaring embrace.

Interested in this book? Get it here.

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