NetGalley Review: Under the Smokestrewn Sky by A. Deborah Baker
Hey all, Sam here.
Okay, so to go along with today’s book review, I am so, so excited to say that I was approved on NetGalley for the third book in Seanan McGuire’s Alchemical Journeys series, titled Tidal Creatures, which is coming out this June. The reason this ties into today’s review is that this four-book series by A. Deborah Baker is an important book series within the Alchemical Journeys books, which is awesome.
I think I’ve already reviewed Middlegame and Seasonal Fears, the first two installments of the Alchemical Journeys series, and I should have reviews up for Over the Woodward Wall, Along the Saltwise Sea, and Into the Windwracked Wilds for this Up-And-Under series. Wow, okay, so writing up this paragraph has revealed that I actually have not reviewed a couple of these books. I’ll have to fix that, so I guess expect some out-of-order book reviews coming in future.
Anyway, this final book in the Up-And-Under series came out in October 2023, so you can read all four of the novellas in this series now. Let’s jump into the review.
My Thoughts
The end of the improbable road.
Since stumbling from their world into the Up-and-Under, Avery and Zib have walked the improbable road across forests, seas, and skies, finding friends in the unlikeliest of places and enemies great in number, as they make their way toward the Impossible City in the hope of finding their way home.
But the final part of their journey is filled with danger and demise. Not everyone will make it through unscathed. Not everyone will make it through alive.
The final part of the enchanting Up and Under quartet reminds us of the value of friendship and the price one sometimes pays for straying from the path. No one’s safety can be guaranteed under the smokestrewn sky.
Rating: 5 stars
I’m actually sad to have this novella series over with now. The Up-and-Under series within the Alchemical Journeys series is like nine books long, but that isn’t the case with this real-world version. But I think together the four volumes that make up this series makes for a great story overall.
We’ve spent the last three books meeting Avery, Zib, and the companions they’ve picked up along the way…and you can absolutely read this series without reading the Alchemical Journeys series. However, if you have read Alchemical Journeys without checking these reads out, then I fully believe that you’re missing out. There are snippets of the novellas in the main books, but to get the full story and the full picture, you need to read this novella series.
I can definitely say that I plan to do a binge re-read to get the full story of the Up-and-Under all together, since I’ve basically been reading these a year apart for the past few years.
This was a conclusion that wrapped up the story for Avery, Zib, and friends nicely, while still leaving some room for possible questions that might interconnect the two series together.
I like a complex story with fascinating characters, even if reaching the end of the story is bittersweet, and certainly a happy ending isn’t necessarily guaranteed here. If anything else, the whole journey that Avery and Zib have been on make it clear that sometimes our stories can be a little bit unexpected, and decisions can lead to complications, and perhaps the answers you find aren’t the ones you hoped would be true.
A. Deborah Baker(aka Seanan McGuire)’s writing is captivating, and I found myself obsessed with this story, wanting to read it until it’s conclusion, something that isn’t difficult because it is just under 200 pages. But this was a magical, whimsical, sometimes dangerous and scary, sometimes emotional and harrowing, but all around fantastical while still feeling wholly real story.
I will miss Avery and Zib. I will miss Crow Girl, the Drowned Girl, and Jack. I will miss traveling along the Improbable Road to the Impossible City.
If you like tales with vibes like “Alice in Wonderland” or “The Wizard of Oz,” then perhaps you will also enjoy The Up-and-Under series. I can’t wait to see what’s next in Tidal Creatures, book three of the Alchemical Journeys series. I’m sure that whatever Seanan McGuire/A Deborah Baker/Mira Grant writes, it will be something that fascinates and captivates me.
Well, that is all from me for today. Thank you so much for stopping by, and I’ll be back soon with more geeky content.
