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betwixt_the_pages's review
4.0
To survive in a horrific world overseen by bloodthirsty monsters, young thief Gemma will do whatever she must to see another day. Even though that means working for a damaged man convinced to make her a permanent member of this thuggish family.
So when her employer tells her that he’ll release her from his clutches, Gemma is obviously skeptical. Especially since the job is easy enough– recruit the two marauders that the gang has been spying on to take her place.
But as Gemma lies to Nash and Sawyer, she commits the greatest mistake a spy can make–– she begins to see them as friends, and perhaps more. Soon, she will have to choose: Sacrifice two strangers to ensure freedom from a brutal future, or risk her life to save them…
Set two years before the events of CRIMSON SKY, this prequel novella tells the story of how Gemma met Nash and Sawyer, and what prompted her to chose their safety over her own. While best enjoyed before reading CRIMSON SKY, this bonus story can be read at any time or enjoyed as a standalone.
Rating: 4/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: awesome action/adventure; Gemma is so snarky and strong-willed, I adore her; YAY to the Sawyer and Nash I fell in love with in Crimson Sky; fast-paced, quick read that starts you off in the middle of the action; I really enjoyed this novella
Huge thanks to Amy Braun for sending me a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.
"Gemma," Fletcher crooned. "You know better than to hurt your brother like that."
I was about to blurt my retort that Tyler was my brother like a spider was a brother to a fly, but held my tongue.
"Apologize to him."
My restraint didn't last long. "I'd rather kiss a Hellion."
So I'm sure you all remember, I read a different novella from this world-- [b:Amber Sky|31679564|Amber Sky (Dark Sky #0.25)|Amy Braun|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472138885s/31679564.jpg|50357388] --several months back, and felt overall disappointed in it. I am super excited to say, THIS novella?! set me back on track with this world, and made me fall back in love with Amy Braun.
These are much closer to the characters I grew to know and fall in love with in the two full novels in this series so far. In fact, this novella helped me fall back in love with Nash and Sawyer--their snark, their gentle caring, pretty much their everything shines through so beautifully in this read. Gemma, also, came to life for me--her snark and strong-willed character permeated every page. I really enjoyed watching her react to and change from the shift in the people she surrounded herself with. She makes some admittedly poor decisions...but she carries herself with such sass and strength, I found myself giggling through several very tense moments. Her inner voice is unique and well-crafted; I felt like I was literally seeing through her eyes.
He glanced at the bodies of the three Junkers who'd followed and attacked me. "Besides, it's not like these guys will give us trouble any more."
I would have berated him for his callousness, if I didn't hear the tinge of sadness to his voice. Sawyer was masking his pain. I knew all about masks.
"Yeah," I agreed. "When dead men start haggling you for trade, you know you're in serious shit."
The plot is fast-paced and full of action and adventure. There are plenty of fight scenes, heart-pounding moments, and Hellion battles. While there are still missing words, missing letters, and weirdly written sentences, I was so captivated by the story being woven around me that I was able to ignore the majority of these--they in no way hindered or slowed my reading progress. Amy Braun knows how to write detailed, finely-oiled action...and she did beautifully in this novella, holding me hostage until the very end. While this IS part of a larger arc, this can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone--so if you're not sure you're ready to commit to such a wide-arcing story, maybe consider picking this up and getting a taste of the world first?
I am LOVING this series, and cannot wait for the third full-length novel to be released. I mean, it helps that these covers are SO super stunning--the steampunk theme is carried into the world-building. And who could possibly say no to pirates vs. vampires?! That's such a tempting pairing, I can't imagine any reader who'd snub their noses at these reads. I definitely recommend to lovers of science fiction/fantasy, steampunk, and creeptastic vampire/mosquito hybrids. Trust me--these books are a blast!
paisleypikachu's review
4.0
Smoke Sky is my first time delving into the Dark Sky series and I am SO glad this is the story I started with! Being a novella, this one was a pretty quick read that packed a punch. The action was almost non-stop, with bits of romance peppered in at just the right moments. It definitely made me want to continue reading the rest of the series!
The world that Smoke Sky is set it is fantastic. Braun has done a great job of vividly describing this gritty, unforgiving setting. It was so easy to get sucked into the story, seeing every scene and moment as clearly as if I were there.
And then there are the characters. If you've read any of my reviews before, then you know that this is kind of my thing. I love characters and they almost always make or break a book for me. Man. These characters. My poor heart. *Sobs* Gemma was wonderful. She was a great lead and definitely held this book up on her own. But then there was Nash. I. Love. Nash. His heartfelt character was a perfect contrast to the ugly world surrounding them. I so need more Gemma and Nash in my life, so that's just another reason that I have to continue reading this series! Besides those two, every single other character elicited a response from me, whether good or bad, and I love when an author is able to do that. If I am reading about a character, no matter how small their part is, I want there to be a reason and I want to feel it. And in Smoke Sky I did.
Smoke Sky is a great novella, I'm so excited to see what the rest of the Dark Sky series has in store! And I will definitely be checking out the rest of Amy Braun's books!
The world that Smoke Sky is set it is fantastic. Braun has done a great job of vividly describing this gritty, unforgiving setting. It was so easy to get sucked into the story, seeing every scene and moment as clearly as if I were there.
And then there are the characters. If you've read any of my reviews before, then you know that this is kind of my thing. I love characters and they almost always make or break a book for me. Man. These characters. My poor heart. *Sobs* Gemma was wonderful. She was a great lead and definitely held this book up on her own. But then there was Nash. I. Love. Nash. His heartfelt character was a perfect contrast to the ugly world surrounding them. I so need more Gemma and Nash in my life, so that's just another reason that I have to continue reading this series! Besides those two, every single other character elicited a response from me, whether good or bad, and I love when an author is able to do that. If I am reading about a character, no matter how small their part is, I want there to be a reason and I want to feel it. And in Smoke Sky I did.
Smoke Sky is a great novella, I'm so excited to see what the rest of the Dark Sky series has in store! And I will definitely be checking out the rest of Amy Braun's books!
relliem08's review
5.0
If the rest of the series offers anything close to the fun time I had here, I'll be checking it out immediately.
Gemma was such a fun character, and I enjoyed going on this journey with her.
Gemma was such a fun character, and I enjoyed going on this journey with her.
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