Author: Brandon Sanderson

Writing a sequel is tricky.

There’s an expectation setup from the first book, which readers take with them as the starting point for the second. It’s a nervousness about whether this second one is going to be “as good,” which can lead to disappointment.

This is compounded by the fact Sanderson writes his first books as a complete package, making you feel you’ve already gotten your fill by the end.

Skyward was a ton of fun and addictive to read, which made me a bit nervous. However, within ten pages, I remembered this is being written by a master author who plans his books as a series and not one-off attachments.

Starsight does not disappoint in any way. It gets right into it, then veers the story in a different direction afterward. I was happy with this sudden pivot because had it not done that, it would’ve been nothing more than a drawn out vapor trail of the first.

The ending was curious–not unexpected, but a little surprising. It sets the expectation the third will move in a much different way than the first two. I’m already excited to read it.