ŷ������

Well, guys, looks like Brandon Sanderson has done it again.

And if we're being honest, none of us are surprised because, well, we expect masterpieces and only masterpieces from him, and he has yet to let me down. In fact, my expectations were already sky-high for Cytonic, and BrandoSando managed to exceed even that. I still don't know how he does it, but I am content to accept it and be left to devour every book he has ever published.



Words cannot describe how much I love this series. Skyward was the book that sparked my love for the sci-fi genre. I have yet to read a sci-fi series as dynamic and creative as this one- it even steals the show for YA, bringing us a steadfast and loveable cast of characters, an intricately well-developed intergalactic world, and enough action to rival the best superhero movies.

Cytonic quickly became my favorite installment of these books. It shouldn't be possible for a series to be this good, and for each book to only get better and better. This was not only an important installment plot-wise, but it was also just so much fun that I legitimately struggled with putting it down. It was exactly the kind of adventure I was looking for- the kind that sweeps you off your feet and carries you away to a distant universe, giving you no intention of ever returning to reality.



Spensa is one of my all-time favorite main characters. She's so full of bravado and a bloodthirsty desire for battle, but this book delved deep into her adventurous explorer side, bringing to light her profound loyalty to her friends and family, and matured her in a way that was both beautiful and provocative. She was made to question her choices from the first two books and her choices moving forward, but it was refreshing at the same time to see a heroine that was plenty sure of herself. Spensa's courage, wit, and unexplainable glee when faced with daunting odds is enlivening. She's such a role model for me. There were so many moments in this book where I was screaming, "Yeah, GET IT GIRL!" I want nothing more than to be her best friend.



Also, Spensa reading the "trashy romance novel" was bloody HILARIOUS. I love those little Easter eggs BrandoSando left throughout this book that allude to modern earth, like Spensa's misinterpretation of Paradise Lost. Sanderson is fully aware of every aspect of his world and plot in his writing, but he also expertly unleashes Spensa's unique personality with an underlying tone of humor at the same time.

And, naturally, most of this book's laugh-out-loud moments are credited to our favorite not-so-artificial intelligence spaceship personality, M-Bot. These books wouldn't be what they are without him, and much of the reason why Cytonic was my favorite is his comedic relief. After the events of Starsight, M-Bot is dealing with a lot of new feelings- being an AI, emotions aren't something he's accustomed to, and he takes every opportunity in this book to bother Spensa about having them. It had me clutching my stomach in a fit of giggles, and yet by the end his humor turned into something I didn't expect, but appreciated nonetheless: an elaborate study of emotions and how/why we react to them. It shouldn't be possible for a robot to have character development, but it seems BrandoSando makes the impossible possible. And seeing M-Bot try to understand jokes and insults had me deceased.

"Noted, wart-eyeball," M-Bot said.
We sat in silence for a moment.
"Okay," Chet whispered. "I...I have to ask. 'Wart-eyeball'?"
"I was going to call you wart-face, as humans often append 'face' to insults, but warts are frequently on faces. I instead picked a body part that doesn't usually grow warts- a way of implying your stupidity is irrational to the point of implausibility."

Him making fun of humans and their biological processes gives me life. All I want is to have an M-Bot for my own. Is that too much to ask?

The rest of the characters introduced in this book were so creative and interesting too. I especially loved Chet! His entrance was so dramatic, and I loved his whole intergalactic explorer/space cowboy vibe. He had such a fun personality and added an extra flair to this book. (view spoiler)[ And that plot twist at the end?? Sanderson does an excellent job of throwing us off his scent. I was right alongside Spensa being suspicious about him, all the while not guessing once what he actually was. (hide spoiler)]

Peg and the Broadsiders were so cool too. I love how Spensa has a found family in each book that she makes antagonists of at first and soon becomes so attached to that she struggles to part from them. It is a wonder that BrandoSando can come up with so many different alien races in a unique yet recognizable way. (view spoiler)[ Speaking of alien races, in this book we see the return of a certain kitsen whom I will love to the ends of the earth! (hide spoiler)]I loved all the Broadsiders, especially Peg and Maksim. I was so excited to read about space pirates who were far from being heartless, who had compassion and gladness and loyalty. I truly felt like I'd been adopted into their group while reading this book. Going pirating with them would be the time of my life.



Sanderson also writes battle scenes like no other. I may or may not be a little addicted to them. I love how he built the laws of "magic" for his world, with specific boundaries and advantages. The ship/species diagrams provided were awesome. It's almost as if BrandoSando created the laws of physics- his worldbuilding is astounding! The shipfighting scenes weren't overwhelmingly long or excruciatingly short; they're also evenly scattered, constantly drawing us back to fast-paced action. Seeing Spensa so exhilarated in a shipfight was making me breathless as I was reading. She truly comes alive in the cockpit and that was something wonderful to read. If it weren't for the whole losing-your-memories thing, I would probably stay in the nowhere and go pirating/exploring for the rest of my life.

The backdrop of the Nowhere was like a natural ambience. Though it could be unnerving at times, the Nowhere was such an exciting setting and provided so many dangerously fun experiences for Spensa and Chet. The fragments were a really cool concept; it was like Spensa was able to visit hundreds of different worlds in the span of a few days. I especially loved the scene where Spensa and Chet sail across the ocean fragment as they are pulled by a space sea serpent. The setting was as clear as a painted picture in my head and it made Spensa's adventures that much more alluring. The Nowhere was, in my opinion, the best setting of the three books so far.



I was LIVING for the Spensa/Jorgen moments we were blessed with. I like that the romance doesn't take the stage of this series but is also so scudding ADORABLE that I was squealing whenever these two had a moment together. Sanderson takes the time to develop each of his characters and not throw away their personalities for the sake of hormones. Both Spensa and Jorgen realize that they have their own lives to live and decisions to make, and they won't let their affection crowd out perception or duty. Yet their connection is so strong that it drives them both towards each other amidst their obligations. I really hope we get more scenes with them together in book 4!

The way everything fit together at the end was literally mind-blowing. BrandoSando always manages to write endings to his books that make me scream (*cough* Starsight *cough*), cry (*cough* The Hero of Ages *cough*), or both. Occasionally he makes me do a victory whoop. I think the ending to Cytonic had me doing all of these to some extent. It was sad, empowering, and satisfying at the same time. I will be biding my time in the days until Defiant comes out. If it's not later this coming year, BrandoSando and I are going to have some words engage in a pleasant discussion about his release schedules.

This series has claimed all of my stars and I am bursting with anticipation to see where it goes next. BrandoSando always will be one of my favorite authors and Skyward one of my favorite series.

“I could be afraid, then become courageous. I could be small-minded, then come to understand. I could be selfish. Then move beyond it. I could start as human, then allow myself to become something more.��