Reading The Rebel Skies Trilogy was an absolute joy. Ann Se Lin took me back to my childhood reading fantasy and obsessively reading Stephen King novels. Ann is such a brilliant writer she reminds me of King. The comparison might seem weird, considering Lin writes YA and King is very adult. Yet the standard of Ann Sei Lin’s writing is so high that she has a long and illustrious career ahead of her. She is one of the best writers writing today.
Her imagination at building a world full of paper spirits, flying ships and cities in the sky immerses you completely. The characters become your friends, or people you want your new friends to defeat. With lyrical prose and vivid imagination, Ann Sei Lin has triumphed. The Rebel Skies trilogy will stay with me.
Rebel Dawn is an action packed and vivid fantasy adventure. It took me a while after I finished it to write this review. The ending resonates so deeply. It is beautiful, with a longing that stays with you. The third and final book in the trilogy, Kuara is dealing with a lot. Guilt, PTSD (I would guess!) and the weight of her burden. The world is falling apart. Can she fix it? I cannot wait for what Ann Sei Lin does next. She is one of the best YA writers and is more talented than one human being should be allowed.
I cannot recommend the Rebel Skies trilogy enough. They are absolute perfection.
The third and final book in a pacy, lyrical and vivid fantasy adventure set in a world of flying ships, sky cities and powerful paper spirits.
Kurara and her friends have found the key to releasing shikigami from their bonds and granting them eternal freedom – if they can unlock its power. The answer lies in Kurara’s homeplace, deep in the mountains of Mikoshima. But can the crew reach it before the imperial forces catch up with them, or their own internal battles break them apart for ever?
Excellent world-building, a dramatic and pacy plot, and an array of deep and believable characters – explored through multiple perspectives – make for a thrilling final instalment in this masterful fantasy adventure.
Rebel Dawn is published by Walker and available to buy here.
