(3.5 stars)

I was given this book by Netgalley and didn't have time to read it for a long time. But I'm really glad I picked it up the other day. I read through it really quickly and very much enjoyed it. Sadly I didn't realise it was the first in a series so I guess now I have to go and read the next one.

Skyborn is about a boy who grew up in the circus after his mother died in a fall from her aerial display. He finds an item that belonged to her which he then discovers was (potentially?) responsible for her incredible talent. The problem is that item never belonged to her and she died before she could return it to its rightful owner. Now he has to find a way home to fulfil her wish while avoiding the bad guys who are after it for its magic powers.

The prose was well done and the story was well-plotted and believable. I really appreciated that Bastien, the main character, had a strong father figure. A lot of orphans in fiction don't, but one of the other circus performers basically became his dad after his mum died and I loved that relationship and dynamic. I also loved that the adults weren't dumb in this (though some were foolish or evil), and the kids did actually seek their help and advice.

This was a very enjoyable adventure. The magic creature in it was a little creepy, but it worked and Im really interested to see where the story goes next. I was initially upset with the ending (no spoilers, but I was thinking 'after all of that??') but when I realised it wasn't a standalone book, it made more sense. I only hope that it's all resolved in the next book or I really will be upset haha!

Overall a good book. Perhaps upper middle grade because of some of the themes in it and because of the magical beastie. A mature 10 year old could read this and enjoy it. It would also make a fun family read. It has the right balance of sweetness (found family), adventure (circus!) and swashbuckling adventure (sky ships!) to make for a well done middle grade adventure.

3.5 out of 5 boxes of freshly buttered popcorn.

(Ebook provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

This was a brilliant read, with good humor and emotion to keep the reader gripped. I would recommend this for young readers.

This story follows the exploits of circus tumbler, Bastjan, who has grown up in the circus and is the only family he has known since the death of his mother, Esther, who was a star acrobat of the show. The author paints wonderful character portraits with just a few words and I was immediately pulled into this superstitious world of tight-knit characters who live under the oppressive reign of Ringmaster, who is also Bastjan's Stepfather - a cruel man who is prepared to risk Bastjan's life for the glory of his circus by making him perform as an aerialist like his mother. But Ester had a secret, a secret that sees Bastjan fleeing for his life on a quest to put right the past. The second half of the book is incredibly fast-paced with heart-pounding peril and suspense. But underneath it all, there is hope too. Hope that, if he succeeds, it will have been worth it. With Strongman Crake, and his new friend Alice battling alongside him, the trio cannot fail to form the kind of deep and trusting relationships they need to heal the past.

I was surprised to discover this book was a prequel to The Eye of The North!

Love, love, LOVE this book! So much excitement and intrigue and I absolutely loved the world. The young heroes were so fierce and daring and I just know kids will look up to them.

Even though a prequel, easily read as a standalone. Will be recommending to kids and especially school teachers that come in.

I really wanted to love this, I love anything to do with the circus in books so it was lovely to see a middle-grade play with these themes. I am quite picky with middle grade, I have to fall straight in otherwise I struggle to be connected so this may be partly on me for not sitting and reading a large chunk in one sitting.
I really liked our main character, he is a courageous boy who I think is a great role model for kids.
I think the thing that fell flat for me was the inclusion of the found family trope. I think I am the minority in this, but I prefer our hero to battle the odds and come out on top despite being alone sometimes.
I think a lot of children would really enjoy this book and I think a lot of adults will find pleasure in it as well!

With the most daring young heroes, the most villainous villains, with circuses and airships, shapeshifters and lost cities, with all of the mystery and adventure, excitement and intrigue, Sinéad O'Hart's Skyborn is an utter triumph of a book!

Skyborn has been written as a prequal to The Eye of the North, Sinéad O'Hart's first published novel, though either book works perfectly well alone. It reveals the origins of one of the most fascinating, fun and intriguing characters in Eye, the orphaned boy called Thing. It turns out he wasn't always called Thing, and he wasn't always travelling the world alone.
The Eye of the North is one of my absolute favourite books, so dipping back into that world was a real treat and Thing isn't the only familiar face to make an appearance. Knowing a little of how the story ends for some of the characters gave the whole thing a really interesting twist, and actually kept me guessing right up until the end. It took twists and turns I just never saw coming, like an aerialist spinning and shifting effortlessly on silks. And like an enraptured circus audience, I just sat back and enjoyed, open mouthed, at the skill on display.

In style, Skyborn is a Victorian-esque fantasy with strong steampunk elements, an aesthetic I absolutely adore. There are fantastical creatures in this book, but like in all of the best fiction the real monsters are all too human! The depiction of casual cruelty made the everyday seem monstrous and had me rooting for the young heroes from the start.

What an amazing adventure! This is a compelling and beautifully written book which captivated the reader and throws us headlong in the World of Bastjan and what a world it is.!

Circus, sky ships, tunnellers, strange creatures, lost cities and friendships formed and betrayal. Read it you must!

If you have read Eye of the North you may recognise some characters.

Sorry I didn't get to read it before the time ran out. I didnt know you couldnt renew once archived. I was looking forward to reading it aswell. I slso didn't know books archieved then.

Just wow! Skyborn is an incredible, electrifying adventure that swept me into an exhilarating world, captured my heart and left me with the sigh of satisfaction I get when I’ve finished something very special: a story that will stay with me for a long time, and one I will want to read again and again. This will make a perfect class read-aloud and, luckily for me, I’m a teacher, so I can indulge my love for this story and read it aloud to my next class. This is a prequel to Eye of the North, but can easily be read as a standalone, although I would definitely recommend that you read it too!
The story opens with an intriguing prologue which takes place 20 years before the main events; it sets the wheels in motion perfectly for the epic adventure that follows. I just have to say that I loved both the prologue and epilogue which brought this story full circle in the most heart-warming way.
Having already read Eye of the North (twice), I already knew some tantalising background for Bastjan, so I was eager to find out more about his origin story – and what a breath-taking, heart-pounding story it is!
Bastjan is a part of a tumbling troupe at the Quinn Family Circus, a circus run by his stepfather Cyrus Quinn. Summoned to Quinn’s caravan, he is blackmailed into performing on the high wire in return for something he desperately wants: his late mother’s treasure box. Hidden in these treasures, he finds a locked enamelled box which he is able to hide from Quinn before the remainder of the treasures are taken again. Quinn is hoping that a death-defying performance on the high wires will draw in the crowds he needs to save the circus from financial ruin. Will the young son of the woman, who fell to her death during her trapeze act, be able to fly high above the sawdust of the big tent floor, and save the circus from ruin?
But Bastjan is not the only one desperate to have his mother’s possessions. An ominous stranger, Dr Bauer (if you know, you know!), is desperate to get his hands on it too, so offers a loan to save the circus as a means to obtain his goal. Can Bastjan keep his most precious possession, a possession that links him to his mother’s legacy, out of the hands of these two cruel, determined men?
When summoned to perform for Dr Bauer who wishes to check on his investment, Bastjan has the good fortune to meet young runaway, Alice. So begins THE most dazzling, action-packed, danger-laden adventure that had me on the edge-of-my-seat and unable to stop reading as Bastjan and Alice race to uncover the secrets hidden within his mother’s box, a race that will take them on an incredible journey …
Bastjan and Alice are the most wonderful characters who I absolutely adored; I really cared about what happened to them. They are incredibly brave, resilient and determined and face their fears head-on. They become firm and loyal friends who are prepared to take risks for each other, and to offer support and encouragement when needed.
The world-building is stunning. I was immediately wholly immersed in the sights, sounds and life of the circus, both the behind-the-scenes gruelling practice and the danger and excitement of performances. But what really captured me was the feeling of family, a close-knit group of talented performers who have been brought together to entertain others, who face the joy and hardship of circus life as a team under a power-hungry and ruthless owner. I especially loved the relationship between Bastjan and Crake, the circus strongman who is like a father to Bastjan and clearly cares deeply for him.
Skyborn is an exhilarating, action-packed and, quite simply, utterly breathtaking adventure that completely captivated me from start to finish. An absolute must-read!

I have heard some great things about Sinéad’s Eye of the North, so when I saw her newest book on Netgalley of course I requested it. But it wasn’t for me.

First off, the writing… now it does need bearing in mind that I read an eArc of this so some of these issues may have been edited out. But… the accents of the characters were incredibly inconsistent. It would switch between two sentances and go from non-existent to extremely heavy for the same character. It made for some very jarring reading. I got also really annoyed with the fact that there were very arrupt changes in POV, without even so much as a pagebreak. It was so confusing!!!

Then on to the plot. The story we got wasn’t the one I wanted to read. I loved the prologue! A young girl climbs the wall of some mysterious city and accidently steals the bracelet of some creature. The book itself follows her son Bastjan and his life in the circus. Like fine… but I want to know what these creatures are and why they live in a walled city! Tell me about them, not about how Bastjan gets sold to a farmer (and yes I get how the farmer relates to who his father is, but this never gets explored in the story so in general it serves absolutely no purpose to the plot other than give us less time on the island with the creature). I just feel there was a much more interesting story in this book than the one we were told.

The characters were also just fine. I liked Bastjan, and ‘appriciated’ his panic attacks. And some of the people in the circus were decent characters as well. But Alice… she felt completely out of place in this. Her backstory was too little too late for us to care for her, and in general she just felt like a means to push the ‘learn to love your imperfections’ agenda. Just a way to get a good message in there, and someone who conveniently can read.

And then there are the many plot holes and illogicial decisions, which combined with all of the above just made this an incredibly frustrating read. And I’m sorry for it, because I really thought I would love this book (and looking at the other reviews many people did). This one really wasn’t for me.

3.5 stars

I'm not entirely sure what this book's genre is. It's definitely an alternate world - some places have the same name (Oxford) but others don't (Afrik.) There are shapeshifters and airships (I also couldn't tell you <em>when</em> this book is vaguely meant to be set beyond "Victorian or later", thanks to the newspapers and trains)

It's sort of fantasy, but very light on the fantasy elements. Instead, I think it would be called "Action and Adventure", which is a pretty broad genre that's only really found in MG (things tend to slot more neatly into other genres as the age range increases, partly due to the market.) The main defining element is the adventure the lead goes on, with a physical journey as a major component. Think Enid Blyton's <em>Secret Series</em>.

SKYBORN features a not-quite-comfortable life getting upended and steadily worse, the arrival of a new character with problems of her own who becomes a friend, a journey first with people who are known and then being separated from them, a mission to set matters right that requires more travelling. It's a nice collection of ideas, with a quiet inner journey to compliment the outer one.

t's not the sort of internal character change that stands out a mile and is a major focus of the book. I'd be hard-pressed to put into words exactly how Bastjan changed across the book, but he didn't feel the same at the end as he did at the start. And that's OK - it wasn't the focus of the story, but rather the natural progression of what would happen to someone who's been through an adventure (that wasn't always pleasant) of this magnitude.

The ringmaster is a really satisfying villain as he's so human in his horribleness. His motivation to save the circus (by what he considers the only meaningful metric - money) at any cost is just too believable. He will bully and trample on anyone he needs to in order to meet his ends, seeing the people who make up the circus as nothing more than expendable tools.

Most of the story is told from Bastjan's perspective, but his new friend Alice narrates for a bit, and then there are one or two scenes from a slipskin's perspective (plus the prologue from Bastjan's mother.) The ending then slipped from third person past to first person present, which was rather jarring and I'm not quite sure what purpose it was meant to be serving narratively, as I just really struggled to get into it, which is a pity as it was the last chapter, and so tying everything up.

Skyborn by Sinead O'Hart is a sort-of-prequel to her fabulous book, The Eye of the North, as it tells the back story of the mysterious character 'Thing'.

Skyborn starts off in the world of a travelling circus. Bastjan, a young performer, has grown up in the circus and, following the death of his mother, Ester, he lives with strongman Crake - even though his stepfather is the ringmaster Quinn. Quinn has been searching for a new acrobatic act since Ester's death and wants Bastjan to take over from her. When Bastjan realises that Quinn has a box that belonged to his mother, he becomes obsessed with the contents until, finally, he gets hold of them and tries to uncover the mysteries that they hold.

Along with Alice, a young orphan who has run away from her grandfather, Bastjan sets out on a dangerous journey to right wrongs from the past and to prevent Quinn from getting his hands on a mysterious creature to become his new acrobatic act.

This is a great adventure story which will appeal to older primary children.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bastjan has been raised in the circus. His mother, who was the star of the show, died while performing her act. Since then he’s been reliant upon his found family, the other performers. When the ringmaster (boo!) makes a deal with a stranger, Dr Bauer (BOO!), Bastjan’s life becomes much more complicated.

I absolutely loved Sinéad O’Hart’s ‘The Star-Spun Web’ so had expected to adore Bastjan’s story as well. Don’t get me wrong; I did enjoy it, but I didn’t fall in love with it like I’d hoped.

I think this could be a case of bad timing as I’m in a bit of a reading slump at the moment. I’m also wondering if it might have made a difference if I’d read ‘The Eye of the North’ first.

You see, ‘Skyborn’ is the prequel to ‘The Eye of the North’, something I didn’t know about until after I finished ‘Skyborn’. Some things make more sense to me now, including why both the story itself and many of its characters seemed to be hovering around a neon sign at the end that said, ‘To be continued…’.

From the reviews I’ve read, readers loved ‘The Eye of the North’ and have been delighted to delve into Bastjan’s backstory. Without having read that, I found myself more interested in Alice’s story in ‘Skyborn’ and am disappointed with where we left her. I’m hoping her story will continue in ‘The Eye of the North’.

I did like Bastjan and really liked Crake, a strongman with a heart of gold, but Alice and her protective dog, Ware, stole the show for me. I want to learn more about Dawara, the Silent City and the Tunnellers.

I would be interested in rereading this book once I’ve read ‘The Eye of the North’ to see if that helps me get caught up in the magic.

Content warnings include emotional abuse, physical abuse and verbal abuse.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Stripes Publishing, an imprint of Little Tiger Group, for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.

If you want an MG story to grab you by your emotional lapels and hurl you back and forth like a trapeze artist's swing, then buy your ticket to Cyrus Quinn's circus, take your seat in the big top and enjoy the show!

From the opening line of the prologue I was absolutely enthralled as Ester defied her mother's instructions and began her perilous journey upwards. As her dreams of flight segue into her son Bastjan's story, I couldn't tear myself away from his quest to investigate his mother's past and return an ancient treasure to its rightful owner.

Sinéad O'Hart's writing is lyrical, big-hearted and utterly compelling. She effortlessly brings Bastjan's character to life on the page, the reader feels the warmth and love with which Crake, the circus strongman, provides protection and support for the young, orphaned tumbler. This is brilliantly contrasted with the cold tyranny with which Quinn treats his stepson as he tries to reverse the fortunes of his foundering business. Since the death of his star performer, Ester, who held the crowds enraptured with her <strong>Dance of the Snowflakes</strong> trapeze routine, the crowds have dwindled and Quinn will seemingly stop at nothing to replace her. But what was the secret of her aerial ability, and has her son inherited her fearless talent?

The arrival of an upper-class runaway, Alice Patten, proves the catalyst for twists and turns in the plot that build to a crescendo of explosive action. I will not go into any details for fear of ruining your enjoyment of a story with more thrills and spills than a tent full of acrobats. Suffice to say that the immaculate world-building combined with wonderfully drawn characters make this a book to be savoured, it is a hugely enjoyable work of speculative fiction combining a brilliant blend of circus, steampunk and fantasy. It will be massively enjoyed by confident readers of 9+ and would make an excellent whole class or bedtime story which I am sure that adults will enjoy as much as their young audience; just be prepared for constant pleas for "one more chapter"!

Skyborn will be published on 10th June 2021 and I am most grateful to Little Tiger Press for providing me with a pre-publication copy in exchange for my honest opinion.</p>

Wow! Did I read a book or watch a movie?

Skyborn is so vivid and candid that I lost track of time the moment I started reading and throughout until the end.

Sinéad is a star storyteller! Her work is like a 3D camera capturing and delivering the dimensions of place, atmosphere and action with depth by putting the reader in the scenes with her characters. I must admit that I lived Sinéad's Skyborn!

Skyborn by Sinéad O’Hart was a fast-paced magical read full of eye-popping performances, adventure, and an amazing cast of characters.

Circus, airships, London, islands ̶ Skyborn will definitely take the readers to a roller coaster ride of adventure flawlessly intertwined together. I was hooked from the start and I just can’t stop reading. It’s action-packed that readers would never get bored and Sinéad O’Hart has a way with storytelling! The way she sets and describes the scenes will transport the readers there. It’s so unpredictable that I devoured the book in one sitting.

The characters are well-fleshed out. Bastjan is a likable and relatable character. He’s courageous and steadfast, and the way he’s longing to connect with his dead mother felt realistic. Also, the side characters are quirky and fun. They are so supportive of each other. The found family trope is well-developed, it’s perfect. Also, the villain is despicable ugh!

Overall, Skyborn is an imaginative and thrilling read that both young and adult readers would enjoy. It left me wanting to read more books from the author. And I did not know that this is a prequel to her novel, Eye of the North, so would read that the soonest.

Thank you, Little Tiger Group for the e-ARC of Skyborn. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Having read the blurb and seen the cover I was interested to read this book not realising it was a prequel to the eye of the north until I reached the end.

O’Hart has a wonderful way with words both in describing characters and their surroundings. Set at the circus where Bajstan, the son of the star Ester who had tragically died some years before, has always lived. He is part of the tumblers group but the ruthless ringmaster, his stepfather, has other plans for him wanting him to take his mother’s place as an aerialist who is willing to take huge risks. Bajstan is a kind boy who is part of the tight knit of performers at the circus. He shares a wagon with a Crake, the strongman, who is like a father to him and always stands up for him. One day a mysterious stranger comes looking for a secret box that Bajstan’ s mother had and Bajstan has recently gained possession of. Working with Crake and his new found friend Alice, who is on the run from her past life because no one will accept her for who she is, he tries to work out the meaning of the possessions in the box. However the ringmaster has other ideas and this sets them off on a dangerous adventure as the ringmaster shows his true colours determined to do anything to bring fame to his circus. The book jumps around between the different characters when they are separated and includes their thoughts especially Bajstan.

As the book progresses, it moves away from the circus and becomes very fast paced as they head out in the dangers of the unknown on a quest to put things right. Reading it to my 8 and 10 year old they refused to allow me to put this book down as it becomes a fast paced race for survival full of wonder, trust and growing relationships.

I would thoroughly recommend this book and we will definitely be reading the eye of the north to find out what happens next.

Bastjan has never known anything other than the circus that is his home. He was born there and he was even performing when just a babe in his mother’s arms. But the circus is failing and soon the ringmaster has made a deal with the enigmatic Dr Bauer, who seems to have nefarious motives to his actions. To save the circus Dr Bauer wants to take Bastjan’s last and only memories of his mother – a mysterious box containing unusual items.

When I started reading this book I hadn’t realised that it was a prequel to the fantastic The Eye of the North which I had thoroughly enjoyed a few years ago when I was just beginning to read children’s literature again. However, my friend Liam (@notsotweets) adores Sinead O’Harts books and I trust his opinion on books and so I immediately knew I had to request and read Skyborn and boy was I not disappointed. I love tales of the circus with all that excitement and colour and death defying, jaw dropping acts and performances and I was immediately enthralled by this story. I felt immediately immersed into this beautiful world and when I realised it was a prequel, I soon began to notice threads of The Eye of the North and subtle references that delighted me. The plot was fast paced and leapt about with action just as an acrobat from the circus would and I devoured this story quickly.

The main character Bastjan is fabulous and truly likeable. He’s full of heart and watching his courage grow as he fights to save his circus family and to protect others despite their differences is a joy. The cast of circus performers who surround Bastjan feel very real and support him well. They are brought to life through Sinead O’Hart’s magical descriptions. Ringmaster Cyrus Quinn is a devious antagonist who only thinks of himself and his villainy added to Dr Bauer’s makes for two bad guys to really root against throughout the story.

Skyborn is a thrilling tale full of wonder and family and I absolutely loved this. 5 out of 5 stars to a fantastic book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Tiger Press for providing an e-book review copy.

In ‘Skyborn’, Sinead O’Hart has created a magical story set in several different magical worlds. Her characters are appealing in their bravery and comradeship, and there are many layers to both Bastjan and Alice, who grow more appealing as the novel progresses. I like the way that we get a lot about Bastjan’s backstory right at the start of the novel, but then Alice’s past is revealed little by little. Crane is also a strong supporting character. It was refreshing to have an evil step-father/ringmaster in this novel, and there is even an evil doctor thrown in for good measure.

I did find the many different settings a little ‘choppy’ - I really enjoyed the parts of the novel set in the circus, which told of a child yearning for knowledge of his dead mother, but then the novel shifted into science fiction and steampunk in it’s later sections. I’m not sure whether younger readers may find this a little confusing, although in fairness, everyone seems to cope okay with Philip Pullman, and there are lots of connections to his style here.

Overall, I can see this book being very popular with younger readers, especially those with a wild imagination. Be prepared to suspend your beliefs and explore O’Hart’s fantasy world.

Just like Sinead O'Hart's previous novel, The Star-Spun Web, Skyborn is full of adventure, but most importantly, heart.

The various characters of Cyrus Quinn's traveling circus were an absolute delight, proving that the family you choose can be just as important, if not more, than the one you are born into. As young Bastjan tries his best to right a decades-old wrong, they have his back and do everything in their power to stop the corrupt ringmaster from thwarting the boy's quest to do good.

Sinead O'Hart has a beautiful way with words, and once again the world she has created will stick with me for a long time to come.

Interestingly, I wasn't aware this was a prequel to her first novel, Eye of the North, but I will most certainly be reading that soon and will be recommending Skyborn to anyone who asks!