Cytonic (Skyward Series #3) – Brandon Sanderson

5/5

This is the third book in a series. I don’t recommend reading this review if you have not yet read Skyward or Starsight.

That being said…

Space pirates.

Oh my God.

Brandon Sanderson’s writing has a special place in my heart. His books are like mom’s taco soup. There are phrases and quotes I could pull from each of his books that act as blankets, providing immense amounts of comfort and warmth.

“We shouldn’t be required to keep giving until we’d been wrung out. That wasn’t love.”

Brandon Sanderson, Cytonic

“A hero does not choose her trials. She steps into the darkness, then she faces what comes next.”

Brandon Sanderson, Starsight

“It has always seemed to be that a coward is a person who cares more about what people say than about what is right. Bravery isn’t about what people call you, Spensa. It’s about who you know yourself to be.”

Brandon Sanderson, Skyward

I am in awe of the themes Sanderson has managed to capture in this book. Science fiction always presents a unique way to investigate what it truly means to be human and what it means to coexist with others. Cytonic is no exception. It greatly expands this by touching on topics such as racism, what it means to exist in time, what it means to have emotions, forgiveness, and many more complex topics that I don’t want to mention for fear of accidentally spoiling something.

Throughout the book, Spensa is faced with moral dilemmas, and it is absolutely wonderful. This book lives in a place of gray. It recognizes that things aren’t black and white, that people aren’t good or bad. In Skyward, Spensa fought against the Krell that suppressed her people. In Starsight, she infiltrated them as a spy and worked against them. In this book, she is confronted with the fact that all of these different, alien creatures are not all bad. They’re just different and, more importantly, they’re all she has.

The relationships in this book are rich because of that. Because this book and all of these new characters are so gray with their own complex backgrounds, they feel relatable. They feel real. Spensa’s relationship with Jorgen is probably the healthiest relationship I have read about in a young adult novel. It’s a nice change of pace.

The world building that Brandon Sanderson is capable of is breathtaking. I was in awe of the Nowhere and what it was. I was intrigued, curious, and amazed by how awesome it was. I felt like a kid flipping through these pages. The new cultures that were introduced, the new characters–it all produced a delectable universe. It was a joy to read about.

All of that being said, about seventy pages of the book felt like filler. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. I would definitely say that it is worth slugging through those pages to get to read more about the Nowhere and Spensa.

Overall, Cytonic is a great book. I love Spensa. I love all of the characters and this crazy science fiction realm. Most importantly, I love Brandon Sanderson and will continue to read every book he releases.

“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.”

Brandon Sanderson, Cytonic