Sky’s End (Above the Black #1)

Like the other floating islands comprising the Skylands, Holmstead is a Meritocracy, where family status can be won or lost in a duel. When Conrad was 10, his uncle Ulrich murdered Conrad’s father, the archduke, and claimed his title. Ulrich then took Conrad’s younger sister, Ella, to raise as his heir and exiled Conrad and his mother to live in financial precarity. After a monstrous sky serpent called a gorgantaun kills Conrad’s mother, Conrad, now 16, strikes a deal with status-obsessed Ulrich: if Conrad achieves greatness within one of the esteemed Twelve Trades, he and Ella can reunite. Conrad gains membership into Hunter, the defenders of the Skylands, and schemes to become a captain. But first, he and seven other trainees must survive the Gauntlet—a perilous competition between skyship crews to slay the most gorgantauns. Following a somewhat melodramatic start, debut author Gregson plunges headlong into a first-person-present adventure that alternates high-stakes action with nuanced interpersonal drama. Mutinous machinations and improbable alliances distinguish this rousing trilogy opener, and snarky banter and sophisticated character arcs lend dimension to the intersectionally diverse cast. Ages 14–up. Agent: Heather Cashman, Storm Literary. (Jan.)