The Other Side of the Sky

Title: The Other Side of the Sky
Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Genre: Science Fiction
Source: HarperTeen via Edelweiss
Goodreads

"Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner prove they are two living goddesses of writing, creating two compelling worlds with high stakes and gripping emotions." —Sarah Rees Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of the Demon's Lexicon trilogy and the Lynburn Legacy series

New York Times bestselling author duo Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner have crafted a gripping tale of magic and logic, fate and choice, and a deadly love. Perfect for fans of Laini Taylor and Brandon Sanderson.

Prince North’s home is in the sky, in a gleaming city held aloft by intricate engines, powered by technology. Nimh is the living goddess of her people on the Surface, responsible for providing answers, direction—hope.

North’s and Nimh’s lives are entwined—though their hearts can never be. Linked by a terrifying prophecy and caught between duty and fate, they must choose between saving their people or succumbing to the bond that is forbidden between them.

Something I really enjoyed in this The Other Side of the Sky was the juxtaposition of magic and science. I love it when books do this, for example in the flintlock fantasy genre where people have both guns and magic. In this novel, Nimh is from below where magic is part of everyday life. North is from the sky, where the people have lost their knowledge of magic but have evolved to use technology. I found it so interesting how North tried to explain the magic as a form of chemical reaction, it sort of reminds me of Clarke's third law "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic", except it's the reverse of that.

I thought the plot was quite well thought out, with the villain having an interesting motive and backstory- it seems like we will find out in the next book whether there is another player behind her actions. I found the only weak aspect of the plot was the romance. It wasn't a particularly dominant aspect of the plot but I did find that it wasn't really that compelling, mostly I suppose because the relationship development takes place only over a short period of time.

But seriously what an ending! It ends on a somewhat mysterious note as well as a more conventional cliffhanger that definitely makes me look forward to when the next book is released.

Really liked it

Ratings
Overall: 8/10
Plot: 3.5/5
Romance: 3/5
Writing: 4/5
World Building: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 3/5