A review by betwixt_the_pages
Amber Sky by Amy Braun

3.0

Press-ganged into servitude by a ruthless band of marauders who survived the devastating Storm, Nash has grown tired of his career– the young, undefeated champion of the Stray Dog fighting pits. All he longs for is a place to live where his family is not his enemy.

When his captain gives him an assignment to embed him deeper into the crew, Nash attempts to refuse, until the life of his friend is threatened. Determined to save her, Nash embarks on the mission to subjugate and control a supplier. But the supplier has other clients, one of which could be the son of the most feared pirate captain in all of Westraven.

And if Nash plays his cards right, the key to his deeply desired freedom, if he can live with the consequences of his choice…

Set two years before the events of CRIMSON SKY, this prequel novella tells the story of how Nash and Sawyer crossed paths– and fists. While best enjoyed before reading CRIMSON SKY, this bonus story can be read at any time or enjoyed as a standalone.

Rating: 3/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: I agree, this should be read BEFORE Crimson Sky; love the glimpse into Nash's past, and how his relationship with Sawyer was forged; the characters felt a bit stiff at times; this wasn't quite as engaging a read as the full-length novels have been; a good dose of sass, a good amount of action

HUGE thanks to Amy Braun for sending me a copy of this novella free in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.

"Men like t talk about brutality. Pretend it doesn't unnerve us. Few of them have actually seen what true monsters are capable of."

I feel...a bit let down by this novella, unfortunately. I've had the opportunity to read both full-length novels in this series so far, and LOVED them to pieces--but this one fell a bit flat, in my opinion. I feel like a big part of this falls on the storytelling and characterization--there is SO MUCH focus on getting this story told within such a short amount of time, I'm not sure the characters were allowed to show their true colors completely. Having read the rest of this series, I've grown to know and adore these characters as older versions...and I didn't see much of those men in this novella. They aren't as well-rounded.

I did, however, appreciate the backstory that this novella provides. We were given a glimpse at these characters from BEFORE--and that's not often something readers get the chance to see. I especially enjoy that we see more of Nash--while he's just as integral a part of the later series as the rest of the crew, I feel he sometimes slips off to the sidelines to observe. We were put right into his head for this read, and I loved that shift in perspective--the chance to see Nash in his element, instead of through someone else's eyes.

The action is decently written, though not as high-stakes or fast-paced as the books later down the line. While there are several battle scenes, I didn't feel as emotionally connected during them as I thought I would I missed the nail-biting anticipation of the other books in the series. I feel like something important was missing in this read, overall--I have a feeling it might be the rest of the crew, all the characters I've so grown attached to in the future journey.

"Listen, Nash," I turned to Sawyer again. "I can't stop you from leaving if you want to, but I doubt there's anything past the barricade. The Hellions will have made sure of that. You might not find what you're looking for."

I narrowed my eyes. "And what exactly am I looking for?"

He held my gaze, his golden eyes darkening with sadness, and understanding. "Somewhere to belong."

This was, overall, a quick and entertaining read. There are some noteworthy snark moments, particularly from Sawyer (still love Sawyer, guys; I'm obsessed!). The battle scenes were engaging, though not necessarily as emotionally-driven for me as a reader. I appreciated a glimpse at this world from a new set of eyes...but in the end, I'm not sure I really NEEDED this book in my life. Still, it's a fast-paced, swashbuckling tale of vampires and pirates (er...mostly sans vampires)--and I can't wait to see where the series goes from here! I definitely recommend to lovers of prequel novellas, backstories, and ruthless daring in the face of life and death. Amy Braun, you know how to keep a reader on her toes--I can't wait to see what you do next!