Skyborn

By: David Dalglish

Narrated by: Joe Knezevich

Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

The first in an all-new fantasy series from USA Today best seller David Dalglish.

Six islands float high above the Endless Ocean, where humanity's final remnants are locked in brutal civil war.

Their parents slain in battle, twins Kael and Brenna Skyborn are training to be Seraphim, elite soldiers of aerial combat who wield elements of ice, fire, stone, and lightning.

When the invasion comes, they will take to the skies and claim their vengeance.

Seraphim

• Skyborn
• Fireborn
• Shadowborn

For more from David Dalglish, check out:

Shadowdance

• A Dance of Cloaks
• A Dance of Blades
• A Dance of Mirrors
• A Dance of Shadows
• A Dance of Ghosts
• A Dance of Chaos

©2015 David Dalglish (P)2015 Hachette Audio

Dalglish does it again

Absolutely awesome. This book is just a build up and I am going to demand you go on to the next book. I love this author and I would read anything he releases, but don’t worry I have a few books that I won’t read again. This series though has to be my favorite of his works.

Get lost in this amazing world

Would you listen to Skyborn again? Why?

Absolutely, I have listed to it three times now.

What other book might you compare Skyborn to and why?

There are elements of this series that remind me of Mistborn or the Rithmatist. Like Mistborn, you can't really appreciate all the depth of this book, until you read book two. It also has some themes that reminded me of the Star Wars Trilogy.

What does Joe Knezevich bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He stays out of the way and lets the story tell itself without distraction.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely

Any additional comments?

David Dalglish has always been great at action and creating heroic backstories. In this series, he shows off his world-building and mystery skills.

Original setting! Everything else?.... Not at all.

What did you like best about Skyborn? What did you like least?

I'll start by saying this book is a great book to listen to while doing something else. Some books require your complete attention to follow the story, but this does not due to its predictability. Both characters and general plot are very unoriginal and at NO point throughout my experience was I even the slightest bit surprised. Having said that, there's a beautiful world here which I hope the author explores and expands upon. I honestly think it's worth listening to for this quality alone.

The narrator unfortunately chooses very strange ways of reading lines, using inflections and pauses at blatantly inappropriate times. I felt like I was rereading the lines again in my head with the proper emphasis before I could invest myself in any particular scene.
This is not the sole fault of the narrator however. The author used several phrases VERY often, almost to the point of being unbearable.
"Half of [Character name here] wanted [Predictable goal here], while his(/her) other half wanted [Other predictable goal here]." Was used so frequently, and with almost exactly the same wording, that I found myself skipping those scenes when I had my phone in my hand.

The characters, while still being fairly unoriginal in their general personalities had a very endearing quality to them that I can't quite put my finger on. The romance scenes were cheesy and, as most scenes were, very predictable. The relationships, both platonic and otherwise, were fairly straightforward. All this was underlined by almost cookie cutter roles for certain characters, be it an “Underdog who eventually shows everyone their potential”, to the “Bitter enemy, reluctantly turned ally” and more that will be familiar to anyone who’s read… anything ever.

I feel slightly bad outlining the negative points I have, but anything I haven’t mentioned here was found quite enjoyable. Immersive qualities, mechanics, and details within the universe that’s presented are well done, pacing of the tale is spot on, and those little moments of humor really brought this to life.

In summary, I can only think to compare it to a rerun of Seinfeld when discussing this novel’s roles in entertainment.. You shouldn't watch it for it's groundbreaking characters, relationships, or plot, because they've all been done many many times before. It's simply good, but mindless literature that fits into a very well known archetype. If you’re a fan of the genre, you should feel right at home and pleasantly distracted.

Amazingly written and narrated

I absolutely love Davids books and writing styles. This book has highlighted his improvements as an author. the story is fun and compelling. I highly recommend it and am already waiting for the next two!!

Really impressed.

I started this book because I wanted a new series to listen to. Was finished in one week! Really great performance from the reader and the story is one you don't want to stop. Can't wait for the second book.

Obsessed

I a, now obsessed with the world of Skyborn. David did an amazing job. That is all

Interesting World, one Dimensional Characters

I struggled to finish this story as the characters became rather annoying to me after the first couple chapters but the world was interesting enough for me to finish it.

Skyborn was awesome!

This book was awesome! I loved the story line, the characters, the imagination the author was able to convey through the characters. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

A New Fantasy World to Love

Where does Skyborn rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

By far one of my favorite books that I have listened to in a long time. It provides a comfortable change of pace from other fantasy books, without making it feel forced.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Skyborn?

The moment when Bri decides to avenge her fallen love, not only is a huge turning point for the character, but also a huge turning point for the story itself and you can feel the tension through the speakers.

What does Joe Knezevich bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He read the book with a very nice flow to it, making the story feel fluid. I admit there were a handful of moments when it was difficult to understand him, but overall I quite liked his performance.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Spread your wings, and be free.

Any additional comments?

The story is quite compelling, giving the perspectives of two siblings with alternating chapters gives the reader several opinions on specific events. I also loved how intriguing the initial story was, and on top of which Dalglish teased at an even darker plot without revealing hardly anything, but just enough to the point where I can't stop thinking about the possibilities. Highly recommend.

I feel the need...the need for speed!!!

Ever wanted to fly through the sky on wings? How about shooting elemental magic at your foes? How about getting swept up in a few heated romances? Then you’re gonna love Skyborn!!! I know I did...I’m already downloading the next book!