The Other Side of the Sky

The Other Side of the Sky is the newest book from author duo Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner and the first in a brand new duology. I devoured this one. The authors take everything I love about fantasy and meld it seamlessly with science fiction. Technology is evenly balanced with magic as is science and religion.

The world building is the basis for this book. Yes there are some interesting characters who you will become invested in, but the world is just fantastic. One world, split into two, the city in the clouds or Alciel and Below. Most of this book takes place in Below. There are so many fascinating creatures and plants to explore, magical mist that will either kill you with a touch or bless you with magical abilities, living gods and ruthless kings. I could write an entire post about just the world and what Spooner and Kaufman have created here, but let’s move on to the story.

North is a boy from Alciel, a prince actually who finds himself crash landing his glider into the Below, with no hope of rescue. He’s been taught that nothing can survive on the surface. That’s why his ancestors devised a way to move their cities to the sky. He’s science minded, extremely smart and yet entirely naive of the dangers he now faces. I love his uncertainty, his trust in Nimh (more on her in a sec), and how he accepts that he may never return to his home. His curiosity about Below aids in us as the reader learning more about the world, their religion, and prophecies.

Nimhara is the living goddess. Since the cities took to the skies, they left a goddess Below to protect them. Nimh is the only goddess in their history to not have some sort of magical ability. But when a shooting star leads her to North’s crash site and subsequently North, Nimh believes that a prophecy spoken for generations is about to come to pass. She promises to help North return home though secretly hopes he will stay. Nimh is a fun character. She is devout in her faith, unable to touch or be touched by anyone. It’s an interesting dynamic, and I loved her bravery and tenacity.

The juxtaposition between North and Nimh drives the plot. North believes in science and Nimh in magic. It creates quite a bit of discord between them while also allowing North to explore her world and see the remnants of his civilization lived out through Nimh’s people. I love that. You see that not everyone died out as North’s people believe and how it changed the course of their history.

Overall I loved The Other Side of the Sky. North and Nimh are fantastic characters and representations of their cultures, how they are similar and different. I loved seeing Below through North’s eyes, and if that ending is any indication, cannot wait to see Alciel in a new light. If you enjoy science fiction, light romance, and a complex world, I highly recommend it.