A Review of Rebecca Kim Wells’ Shatter the Sky (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2019)

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A Review of Rebecca Kim Wells’ Shatter the Sky (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2019).
By Stephen Hong Sohn

So, I’ve been on a YA binge lately, as you might be able to tell based upon the review list. The latest I’ve read is Rebecca Kim Wells’ debut Shatter the Sky. I intended to put this book down somewhere halfway through but I literally could not put the book down. Wells has a fantastic plot that doesn’t really let up. Plus,—and I’m providing you with my spoiler warning here, so look away lest you find out things you wished you hadn’t—Wells’ plot also deals with a main character who needs to help of some dragons to accomplish a quest, so you had me at the word dragons. In any case, let’s let the official site provide us with some context:

“A determined young woman sets out to rescue her kidnapped girlfriend by stealing a dragon from the corrupt emperor in this stunning fantasy debut that’s perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman. Raised among the ruins of a conquered mountain nation, Maren dreams only of sharing a quiet life with her girlfriend Kaia—until the day Kaia is abducted by the Aurati, prophetic agents of the emperor, and forced to join their ranks. Desperate to save her, Maren hatches a plan to steal one of the emperor’s coveted dragons and storm the Aurati stronghold. If Maren is to have any hope of succeeding, she must become an apprentice to the Aromatory—the emperor’s mysterious dragon trainer. But Maren is unprepared for the dangerous secrets she uncovers: rumors of a lost prince, a brewing rebellion, and a prophecy that threatens to shatter the empire itself. Not to mention the strange dreams she’s been having about a beast deep underground… With time running out, can Maren survive long enough to rescue Kaia from impending death? Or could it be that Maren is destined for something greater than she could have ever imagined?”

Okay, so let’s backtrack a bit. Before Maren can even become the apprentice, she first has to be able to get into the emperor’s household! This little feat requires Maren to use her connection with a cousin to get a job that could very well kill her. Indeed, when she’s first hired in that residence, she has to work as the “royal” taster, a position that requires her to make sure food hasn’t been poisoned. The only problem with this job is that the last couple of tasters weren’t so lucky. Maren never gives up, which is why she ends up becoming the Aromatory’s apprentice. While the novel could have plodded at a snail’s pace here, Wells really amps up the stakes when Maren uses the information that she gathers from working as the Aromatory’s apprentice to try to steal a dragon. Although she fails, she ends up making a key ally with another mysterious coworker, and they journey together with a dragon egg that he managed to take with him. From here, I’m going to stop revealing more plot details, only to note that Wells leaves us with a pretty big cliffhanger, one that makes evident that there’s at least one more installment to this series. Naturally, since, you know, I finished this book in one single night, I immediately went and googled to find out what the deal was, and Goodreads already lists a 2020 publication for a book called Storm the Earth. I have to say, while I’m all for these titles that work as a series, the particular one for this novel wasn’t so apt. Shatter the Sky doesn’t come up as a very unique way to describe anything that happens. Sure, there are dragons that are in the sky, and they can be pretty violent, but beyond that, the phrase itself doesn’t carry much specific meaning for this fictional world. But, this one minor gripe doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a fun book, with a romance plot that somehow didn’t even rile me up.

Buy the Book Here:

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Shatter-the-Sky/Rebecca-Kim-Wells/9781534437906

Review Author: Stephen Hong Sohn
Review Editor: Nicholas Clark
Web Posting: Xiomara Forbez

If you have any questions or want us to consider your book for review, please don't hesitate to contact us via email!
Prof. Stephen Hong Sohn at sohnucr@gmail.com
Nicholas Clark, PhD Student in English, at nclar004@ucr.edu

 

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