Review of "The Sky: The World" by Jessica McHugh

 Holy cow! This is one of those books that amazes you.. how so much could happen in so few pages.

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by the author/publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Type: Alternate History, Fiction, Egyptian Mythology, Redemption, Science Fiction

Why this book: The author contacted me about a review, and she said I could choose from any of her novels. I went with "The Sky: The World" because I liked the idea of an alternate history type of historical fiction. And it's slightly steam-punky, which is a new obsession of mine.

From the back of the book: " WHO IS DOCTOR AZAZ? It is the 19th century, and Azazian England is at its pinnacle. Aeroplanes rules the sky, and crystalline technology has transformed life itself. But for stunt pilot Jack Racine, life is little more than an endless tailspin into liquor, laudanum and loose women. But all that is about to change. For Jack Racine is about to have an audience with the architect of the age, the mysterious Doctor Azaz...  "

This book was so complex, so awesome, that I was unable to do a proper summary, so I had to rely on the back of the book. As I mentioned, there is just so much to this book that it's amazing how much action the author jampacked into 159 pages. The beginning of the book is heavy with details, and there was a time or two I forgot just which brother was the main character, but once past the detail-heavy intro, it was like a switch flipped. Suddenly I couldn't put the book down - I just had to know what was going to happen to Jack and his crew, what Jack was getting himself into, who was Dr. Azaz, really?

The world in "The Sky: The World" is complex and breathtaking. There are a whole different set of rules to Azazian England, such as "triaps" - babies born from physical love, as opposed to being conceived in the fertilization pool - are not allowed to be in the airforce, and are looked down upon. Doctor Azaz and his creations have bettered the world in so many ways, and yet they have also turned so many natural processes into something disgusting and frowned upon.

And the characters - so incredibly deep and fascinating. Jack has so many vices, so many regrets, so much that would make someone want to pity him. But at the same time he's such a strong person, proud, that the reader can't help but love him, and root for him as he takes on a task he doesn't quite believe he's right for. But he's so honored, how can he say no? Every so often, readers come accross a character  they would want to study, want to delve a little deeper into his psyche - I think Jack Racine is the perfect example of this.

I'm so glad I got the chance to read "The Sky: The World" by Jessica McHugh. This is definitely an author to watch for any fans of good fiction. I'm looking forward to some of the books she has on the "Upcoming" section of her page, and I totally want to buy practically everything from the store. Especially the "Ask me about my novel (I'm going to tell you anyway)" shirt. Christmas presents for my writing group, perhaps?? Check out the author's website (with links to her merch store, upcoming works, blog, etc) HERE.

I'm going to rate "The Sky: The World" a FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). It sucked me in, I loved it, and it was quite the wild ride. As mentioned, this is definitely an author to watch, people! Check out her backlist, and make sure to mark your calendars for her upcoming releases. I hope you all get a chance to read "The Sky: The World" (or anything/everything else by Jessica McHugh)!

Have you read this book, or another by Jessica McHugh? Tell me your thoughts in the comments! Want to check it out? Find the book at Amazon.com via the link at the left!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow