This is one of those awkward stories that I liked but didn’t love. Set in a world where Crafters can control origami creations, and where Shikigami (wild origami creatures) wreak havoc, a young woman called Kurara with crafting powers is rescued from a life of servitude and plunged into the battle between the sky-sailing Shikigami hunters and the Imperial family that seek to control the Shikigami to hold and expand their Empire. Rebel Skies is an action-packed fantasy adventure set in a whimsical world that reminded me a lot of Studio Ghibli films with plenty of mystery surrounding the main characters to keep you hooked.

Lovely YA (for younger teenagers) about the world inspired by the Japanese culture, where the mysterious art of creating shikigami – wild paper spirits is sought after by a Princess. But this Princess might not be a good person and young Kurara should be careful, especially when she realizes certain information about herself...

This is obviously a first installment in the series and I am quite intrigued, as the world - while nothing especially new for this lover of all things Asian - is charming and full of well-presented food for thought about what a soul is and what a freedom is.
And I loved the character of Akane! Hopefully we will be reunited in the next installment, my dear fox!

This is an exceptional world full of imagination, bringing origami and magic together. When Kurara's floating ship is destroyed by a Shikigami, a giant, animated origami monster, she is rescued by a Crafter, a person with the rare skill to bring origami to life. The Crafter sees Kurara shares his ability and takes her on as an apprentice when her world collides with people who want to bring down the empire.

This world is fascinating, bringing Japanese folklore into fantasy. The pace, tension and world building are magnificent. However, the change of perspective around chapter 8 made me give up the book. There were so many characters and settings to absorb that I found it difficult to follow. A friend suggested I gave it a second chance and I am very glad I did. The story picks up again and I really enjoyed it. A list of characters at the front of the book would have helped to navigate this, particularly for young readers. I would definitely read the sequel and this would make a great film.

Great read, so atmospheric

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

There was so much to love about this book: an incredible fantasy world, wonderful characters, fast paced action and plot twists. There were many points where I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend for anyone who liked fantasy, adventure and Japanese culture.

Didn't manage to finish reading this before the book expire on my Netgalley shelf sadly, but so far from the chapters I've read, I really love the writing style and characters!

Definitely will be getting myself a physical copy of this book soon to finish reading it <3

I adored this world. I'm a big fan of Japanese culture and love doing origami so the idea that origami could be alive and that there could be magic around folding and crafting was beautiful to me.

I also loved the main character, Kurara. I can't say much about why I like her because of spoilers, but the whole mystery around her past and her relationship with Haru was so interesting. I guessed some of the reveals but that made me feel clever rather than thinking the plot was predicatable.

It has to be said that Akane was beautiful and I would die for her. Also, I want to say as someone who speaks Japanese on an intermediate level, I loved the Japanese terms that were used. There was at least one pun and various little bits that I could pick up on as a Japanese learner.

This story is packed for of adventure, sky fish, floating cities, steampunk vibes, and I absolutely loved the idea of paper creatures being brought to life!

Kurara’s story is fast paced with shocking revelations, a great cast, fantastic magical characters, and kept me hooked throughout.

Rebel Skies is a fantastic YA with gorgeous world building and a Studio Ghibli feel.

Rebel Skies is a new fantasy adventure aimed at teens by Ann Sei Lin, with heavy influence and inspiration from Japanese culture. The book falls under a genre called “silkpunk” where science fiction and fantasy are blended with elements of east-Asian mythology and antiquity.

The story is set in a world of sky cities, flying ships, strange air creatures, and papercraft, where Crafters have the ability to control paper and form it into almost anything. The Crafters hunt wild paper spirits called shikigami which roam the sky and can cause great destruction to the human population and sky cities.

Kurara is a servant aboard the Midori, a sky structure of restaurants and hotels and the only life and place she knows, and she has the ability to make paper come to life. When the Midori is attacked by a shikigami, Kurara joins a skyship that hunts the paper spirits and brings them back to the Princess, who covets Crafters and shikigami. On the skyship, she is taught how to hone her skills and power by an accomplished Crafter called Himura who promises to take her to meet the Princess.

As the story progresses it soon becomes clear that all is not as it seems. There is politics, subterfuge, and power play everywhere, and the very question of whether shikigami are really wild and free paper spirits or slaves to Crafters and the Empire. Kurara is drawn into this duplicitous world as she tries to save what matters most to her.

The world-building in Rebel Skies is beautiful and complex. Ann Sei Lin has obviously put a lot of time and thought into the world, the system of magic, and the lore of paper craft and shikigami. Themes of control and slavery run through the plot with occasional scenes of torture and imprisonment.

The story moves along at pace with exposition handled well. However, what was lacking for me was character depth. I felt I was casually observing the characters rather than being drawn in and emotionally connecting to them so that at moments of great peril or plot reveals I was not that invested in the people. However, the exquisitely built world and lore, and engaging Asian cultural influences, more than made up for this, and the flat characterization will hopefully be addressed with more backstory for the main characters and more utilization of secondary characters in the second and third books of what is a planned trilogy.

Anyone who is a fan of Studio Ghibli will find a lot to enjoy here. While aimed at teens and YA audiences, there is plenty to engage adult readers as well. Rebel Skies is a good, solid first novel with intriguing and intricately beautiful mythology which makes a refreshing change from American and European culturally influenced stories we all read much of the time.

This was incredible. Surprisingly the second book to give me strong Spirited Away vibes this year, at least at the beginning, this story of sky ships and ancient, furious paper animals had me racing through the pages to find out just what Haru and Kurara was, and why Kurara remembers nothing of her past.

This story has it all for me. Talking paper animals, a girl rising from the lowest ranks of society training to weld paper weapons, complicated girls who definitely need to date already, a complex boy who on the cusp of choosing a path as a hero or a villain, scheming dads, I loved every moment of the story.

This does end on a cliffhanger, not giving us the answers to our questions just yet. The ending was so fun though, yet heartbreaking, devastating and poignant all at once. I cannot wait to read the sequel, hopefully next year.

A stunning new YA saga set in a brilliantly crafted skybound fantasy world.

A young heroine fleeing from a cruel empire tries to make sense of her magical power over paper & her own mysterious origins.

Lots of fabulous Studio Ghibli feels to this one!

Thank you so much giving me the opportunity to read an earc of this book. I liked the idea of the book and my expectations were really high. But the execution did sadly not live up to it. And yes it is totally my own fault.

The whole story is so fantastical, with sky fish, cumulous whales, floating cities and of course the paper animals that walk and talk and seem so alive!
There is one shocking revelation after another, it definitely kept me gripped and wanting to keep reading. I found all the different relationship dynamics very interesting, though I felt bad for Kurara, not having anyone truly close apart from Haru.
I will be eagerly awaiting news of the next book!

I could go on about how much I loved the magic in Rebel Skies. From the premise alone, I knew I would be enchanted. I love the idea of bringing life to paper, of using it as a weapon, as a defense. We have this idea that paper is so flexible and to see it in different forms was so fascinating. Furthermore, Sei Lin brings some intriguing ethical dilemmas. With these paper spirits - how much agency do they have? This theme ended up being my favorite element.
If someone is bringing us to life, how much loyalty do we owe them? How much of ourselves do we retain? Lose? As Rebel Skies progresses, this theme is only complicated and folded in on itself. Seriously. There is a wealth of ethics I want to discuss, but can't! My second favorite element has to be the mystery. Rebel Skies is a fabulous series starter. The intrigue - trying to unravel these hidden secrets - is fascinating. We are trapped in the dark just like Kuara.

I am always interested in reading books with elements of Asian cultures or mythologies, which is why I requested this new YA fantasy. Fantasy is a genre that I used to read a lot of but haven’t for a while and I really enjoyed being thorougly transported to a different world through this book.

The skyship The Midori is the only life that Kurara remembers, although she knows that she and her best friend Haru weren’t born there. Kurara is there to become a Crafter, a controller of paper. Her teacher Himura tells her that the merciless Princess Tsukimi is interested in recruiting Crafters who can hunt shikigami -paper spirits in the form of animals. But what exactly are shikigami? Are they just slaves to the empire or do they have feelings and souls?

Kurara and Haru have a beautiful friendship and they have big dreams to spend their life together. I was thoroughly shaken by the twists that this book took and I found myself yelling at the author to give these kids a break! Throughout the book, I was reminded of the beauty of Japan and the incredible serenity surrounding the rural spaces there.

The magic is really beautiful too. I couldn’t get away from the Studio Ghibli vibes that it gave off and I’d be surprised if it isn’t eventually adapted into a stunning animated movie. I think I’d have appreciated some more moments where Kurara was just calmly practicing her skill rather than the numerous high-action, violent battle scenes.

I was really interested in the shikigami and their origin. In fact, that interest increased as more truths were revealed. While I know that this book is the first in a series, I really hope that future instalments answer the questions as to why the shikigami exist and where they come from. I was just left wanting more!

There are chapters where we see a group of people who are chasing our protagonists and hatching a plan of attack on the Empire. It took me a while to fully work out who these people were and why they wanted to cause chaos. I suppose they represent wanting to take down the ruling class and all of the flawed logic and belief that comes with that.

Rebel Skies was a unique fantasy with a few very good twists. I adored the world-building and some of the imagery. However, I struggle to keep track of everything during battles and travel scenes and unfortunately there are a lot of them in this book. I really appreciated the Asian elements and the Zen vibe to the calmer parts of the plot. I know that YA fantasy lovers will eat this series up!

The world of Rebel Skies is one of steampunk technology, floating cities, and shikigami: great beings made of paper that terrorise the land in their madness. Kurara, the main character, has lived a sheltered life aboard the Midori, a floating station that provides food, rest, and entertainment for travellers, especially soldiers returning from their conquests. She is a Crafter, one of few people with the ability to manipulate paper, shaping it and bringing it to life, but she can only perform her tricks in front of her best friend Haru. When the Midori is attacked by a shikigami dragon, Kurara escapes with Himura, another Crafter, but Haru is not as lucky; to save her friend, Kurara agrees to join Himura and the crew of the sky ship Orihime and train to be a Crafter.

I loved the concept of this story, and the world is certainly fascinating; technology and magic don’t often mingle, but they do so very well in this book. The floating cities are held up entirely by engines, and the only magic is that of the shikigami and the Crafters, mostly forgotten in the depths of history. Only the princess, obsessed with shikigami, has access to all the records and uses them to experiment with the paper monstrosities. Rebel Skies also had a few great twists that took me entirely by surprise, and the mystery of Kurara’s origins had me eagerly turning the pages.

Unfortunately, after the initial concept and the unravelling of a few mysteries, the plot fell a bit flat for me, and I wished things would move a bit faster. I think a lot more could have happened in the story, and the ending had me feeling a little bit like, ‘Oh, is that it?’ There were quite a few repetitive chapters, with one character point of view in particular, and I found myself at one point skimming forward just to find out what the climax might be.

There were a lot of strong characters, strong world-building, and intriguing mysteries, but they weren’t supported entirely by the action and pacing. I think it’s still a worthwhile read, and it is labelled as YA, so perhaps young readers of the teen category will appreciate it more than me. As far as I know this isn’t a series yet, but the ending does suggest there is more to come, and I would probably read the sequel to discover more on the shikigami and the history of the world, but it wouldn’t be a priority for me.

This book had a really interesting premise, and some excellent twists in it. The setting was good too, a sort of steampunk Japan with cities in the sky. It had a real Studio Ghibli vibe to it, and i can really imagine them turning it into a movie. Though it has some similarities to films they have already made.
however, i wasn't completely drawn in by it. I never really connected with any of the characters, except Akane the shikigami fox, who was adorable. I didn't feel a huge amount of personality from a lot of the characters, and some of the side characters, i found myself forgetting who they were entirely, which was a real shame, as this book had some real potential.
still worth a read, as the story itself was really interesting.

4/5

This book was such a nice surprise, and I really enjoyed it mostly because I didn’t really have expectations. Despite being written for younger readers, Rebel Skies also touches on more complex themes and ideas, which makes the story interesting to adults as well, especially because it was done in a subtle way and through a beautifully evocative prose.

The writing style was simple but poetic, which suited the universe and gave the story a kind of mood that felt unique and coherent with its different parts. Nothing felt out of place and it was always easy to pick up the book again after pausing for a few hours or days. Rebel Skies read like a tale, and I loved that!

This book comes with a cast of characters who aren’t always fully fleshed out, but who are full of potential for the sequel. I quickly gained a general idea of what was going on and what the stakes were, for the various characters and different sides of the conflict. It took me some time to get attached to the characters, but I ended up really loving how they all had their own agenda, their set of beliefs, and how the author didn’t shy away from writing corrupted characters and giving them pages in their own point of view. The cast of characters also brings a lot that can be developed in the future. There were side characters of all ages and representing different sides of the conflict, with their ulterior motives and personal quests. Many of them were morally grey and I loved that the political landscape kept revealing complexities throughout the novel because it really fed the entire worldbuilding and plot. There is definitely a deeper commentary on power, prejudice and propaganda and on the way societies create scapegoats to assert their power. That was very interesting and I enjoyed seeing it explored in this story, giving it resonance and depth.

The magic system that relies on origami and the art of paper craft was something I’d never seen in a book, and I found it to be very poetic and creative. It’s a simple concept with many possibilities and an evocative universe, which worked so well for me. As the story progressed and things developed, I was completely engrossed in it and fascinated by the possibilities! The entire worldbuilding was amazing, in my opinion. The maps and illustrations at the beginning of the book definitely helped getting an idea of what this universe looked like.

There are many influences that you could recognize as you discover Mikoshima, and I especially loved the space opera vibe, with scenes taking place in different locations which came with their own style and culture, jumping from one to the other and getting into another character’s head. I also loved that most of the story and worldbuilding stayed focused on central elements and issues, which made the narrative interesting and easy to follow, and allowed it to go deeper in its chosen themes.

I didn’t have any major dislikes with this book, but I found it to be just a bit underwhelming because of the time it took me to get attached to the characters. But this is the first book in a series and I’m very curious to see where the story goes!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Walker Books for this eARC!
Content warnings: abuse, imprisonment, injury, death, loss, war, dehumanization.

In a Nutshell: Outstanding magic, superb world-building, flat character building, abrupt cliffhanger end.

Story:
Kurara, a servant on board the Midori, doesn’t remember much of her life prior to her life on this flying ship. When she is spotted turning paper in magical creatures, Himura, a skilled Crafter, takes her under his wing to train her for hunting shikigami – magical paper spirits who are sought after by the Princess Tsukimi. However, things aren’t as they appear and soon Kurara finds herself questioning everything around her – the people, the shikigami, and even herself.
This is the first book in a planned trilogy.

Where the book worked for me:
😍 The book falls under what is called ‘silkpunk” – an SFF blend genre with elements of East-Asian mythology – and it does perfect justice to its genre. Japanese words and components of their folklore add authenticity and depth to the plot. There is a glossary at the end to help with the terms.
😍 The author’s Goodreads bio says that she loves worldbuilding more than anything. This is very apparent in the book. Flying ships, sky cities, paper magic - every element feels wonderfully fantastical, as if we have entered a whole other realm. This would work well as a Studio Ghibli movie.
😍 Separate point dedicated to paper magic! We all have heard of Origami but to take that simple concept of paper folding and create an entire plot revolving around paper magic is just awesome. I loved every mystical element in the story. (See the outstanding cover art for a glimpse of paper magic!)


Where the book could have worked better for me:
☹ The characters somehow don’t end up making a place in your heart. Most of them feel quite flat. The secondary characters are sorely underutilised. (Maybe because they are in reserve for the two planned sequels.) There are also too many characters but not enough of a back story.
☹ There is no closure at all. In multi-book series, there is always at least one story track closed well even if there is a cliffhanger ending. But this book creates multiple story arcs and closes none.
☹ The writing style felt, for the lack of a better word, clunky. The words don’t flow smoothly and my attention kept wandering away because of the wordiness and bland characters.

This is still a pretty good debut, and with more experience, the above problems will be ironed out. This isn’t a typical “chosen one” kind of story, but it looks like that is the direction the sequels will take. Time will reveal more about this. Meanwhile, this is supposed to be a teen fantasy adventure so I recommend it only for its target age group (13-18 years).

3.25 stars from me.

My thanks to Walker Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “Rebel Skies”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

If you enjoy Miyazaki films (Howls Moving Castle, Spirited away, etc), then this UKYA fantasy debut is a book to read. There is a wonderful whimsy and magic to the world - floating cities, skyships, origami-based magic and monsters made of paper. A world can do so much to create tone and really managed it here - it really did feel like floating through one of the Miyazaki films where all these ideas you might not think to combine come together so well.

The story itself is a mix of quests accidentally knocked off path by a rebellion, hidden (personal) histories, and monster hunting. I really liked the fact that Kaurara is not directly involved in the rebellion. She's just trying to save her friend, and it just so happens that there are rebels whose plans are going to intersect with hers. This separation of the ideas, rather than the heroine being a part of the rebellion/finding her way to it, did make this book feel very different as it didn't take the path I was expecting when the rebellion was introduced.

As Kaurara <em>doesn't</em> become part of the rebellion, the intricacies of what was happening there were told through another POV, one that makes up the interludes. You really get a sense of what's happening, the tensions and different loyalties conflicting within the country, through these interludes despite there being only about a half-dozen of them.

There is also a third POV in the book, who narrates about as much as the interlude POV (thus ensuring the focus stays on Kaurara in the book.) It is her new teacher, Himura, who has his own goals - and a deep-seated belief about the correct place for the origami creatures. He gave a different perspective on things, and it lets you understand why certain events happen (even if you don't like them!)

This is the first book in the series, and I'm very interested to see where it's going to go, as the ending leaves several possibilities open and also doesn't quite leave Kaurara (and those with her) where you might expect physically or emotionally.