Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson

The Skyward series continues with an action-packed third instalment, Cytonic. Pilot and understated action hero Spensa Nightshade (call sign Spin) has just fled a political coup in which she was framed for murder, into a portal called ‘Nowhere’. Along with her once-spaceship-now-drone, M-Bot, Spensa enters Nowhere and discovers a land of many fragments surrounding a brilliant sun, called the Lightburst.

Spensa meets Chet Starfinder, a human pilot like herself who has been in Nowhere for almost 200 years. Together, they travel through the dangerous, pirate-ridden and fragmented lands, hoping to find the information and help Spensa needs to return to her home planet of Detritus and continue the fight against the aliens determined to exterminate what is left of humanity. However, she finds that the longer she remains in Nowhere, the less important those desires become. Gradually, Spensa begins to lose all sense of time and to forget why she entered Nowhere in the first place…

Cytonic continues everything that is positive about the Skyward series: striking world-building, intricate plotting and a large cast of interesting characters. However, there does seem to be more character building than is necessary for the third novel of a four book series. Some of the action too seems to be almost repeating what has happened in the previous books, just with different settings and protagonists. The overall impression left is that Cytonic is a ‘filler’ book before what will surely be a spectacular conclusion to the series in the last novel. Nevertheless, fans of the series will greatly enjoy Sanderson’s newest offering. The Skyward series is recommended for adults and young adults alike.

Themes: Science Fiction, Adventure, Space, Aliens, War, Friendship.

Rose Tabeni