The Sky Riders by Kerry Law
Aimee Wood is a freak.
Born a half-albino, she's been an outcast her whole life. When her family die she's left alone in a city of people who hate and fear her. Desperate for somewhere to belong, she decides to risk the climb out of Kierell, and into the jagged mountains encircling the city.
Any girl who survives the climb can train to become a Sky Rider.
The women of the Sky Riders are elite warriors, protectors of the city and each bonded for life to their own dragon. If Aimee can complete the arduous training, and steal a dragon hatchling, she can become one of them. But making the climb has not dispelled the prejudice against her, and she must fight for her place.
As Aimee learns the skills of a dragon rider, she becomes more determined to belong. But dark rumours are spreading among the Sky Riders–tales of half-forgotten creatures with eyes of fire. If Aimee wants to become a Sky Rider and protect her city, she must learn to accept herself or risk losing everything she's fought for.
About the author
Kerry Law grew up reading Tolkien and David Eddings, and has never looked back. A love of the past took her to the University of St Andrews where she did an MA in Medieval History. During her degree she learnt all about castles, but her imagination had to fill in the dragons.
The Sky Riders is her first novel and is book 1 in the Sparks trilogy.
She enjoys exploring uniqueness in her books and takes inspiration from her own interesting skin condition - vitiligo. She's also inspired by the incredible magical-looking landscapes of her home in Scotland.
Kerry lives with her husband, and cat, in a small town in the Scottish Borders where there are more trees than people.
Review
What is there not to love about this book - dragons, a feisty protagonist, a group of warrior women, dragons, lore of supernatural beings, hints of east Asia! Basically, I loved this book. ‘The Sky Riders’ is a wonderful book which captured my heart. Aimee is just a hero that you want to root for and her story tugs at the heartstrings. The author has also managed to create a rich and diverse world through her writing and I can't wait to experience more of it in the next two books of the trilogy. Fingers crossed it won't be long until the next book is released.
Aimee is a freak and shunned by most of the people in her city, Kierell, as her face is white on one side and dark on the other. People assume she is sick, infectious even, so she has suffered all through her young life from bullying and physical violence. When her aunt and uncle die she is left with no one on her side. She only has one alternative to make the nearly impossible climb up the sheer mountains to become a Sky Rider. The Sky Riders are a group of female warriors who protect the trade routes and the city after bonding with a dragon. Yes, a dragon. But will the Sky Riders accept her and her freak face?
I devoured this book in one day as I was completely engrossed in the story from the first chapter! I related to Aimee straight away, the outcast girl who has something wrong with her but is determined to try and make friends along the way. Plus I loved the fact she was into girls! The pacing of the book was fantastic as there was always something you wanted to find out or be resolved at the end of each chapter. I would say that this book falls into the more YA side of fantasy - there is no smut here but I prefer that so ‘The Sky Riders’ was the perfect book for me to read!
Roll on the next book!
