The Other Side of the Sky

From School Library Journal Gr 9 Up—At 15, beautiful dark-eyed, dark-skinned Nimh is a goddess and magician, beloved by her people and desperate to save them from the ever-growing mist storms, which render humans insane when they don't outright kill them. Following a prophecy, she leads an expedition to find the Last Star. What she finds is North, and the smoking ruins of his glider. North is from the cloudlands where his brown skin marks him as one of the first families, and where Nimh's ancestors fled from the mists a thousand years ago. North is astounded, he has no idea that people still live in the Below, while Nimh is amazed to learn that the cloudlands exist. North's world has science, technology, and transportation in stark contrast to the Below, where there is only the most basic of machines. However, they do have magic, and Nimh believes that North is the Last Star prophesied to help her save the people of Below. But when the two discover the original prophecy scroll, everything Nimh has ever believed in changes beyond comprehension. This is a complex, intricately woven tale, placed in an intriguing and unique world. VERDICT This assionate story will thrill devotees of Kaufman and Spooner's "Starbound" series while also appealing to fans of Naomi Novik, Marissa Meyer, and Claudia Gray.—Gretchen Crowley, formerly at Alexandria City P.L., VA "Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner prove they are two living goddesses of writing, creating two compelling worlds with high stakes and gripping emotions." — Sarah Rees Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of the Demons Lexicon trilogy and the Lynburn Legacy series. “A vivid and compulsive thriller set in a beautiful, perilous world of myths and treachery. You won’t want to put it down.” — LAINI TAYLOR, New York Times bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series “Kaufman and Spooner, who also collaborated on the Starbound Trilogy, return with another richly drawn, tantalizingly romantic sf series starter. An especially action-packed back half will ensure readers come running back for the next volume.”xa0 — Booklist “A book that absolutely shimmers with beauty.”xa0 — Buzzfeed “Coauthors Kaufman and Spooner (the Unearthed duology) reunite for this propulsive, tender-hearted duology opener… evocative prose, escalating intrigue, and charismatic, predominantly olive- and brown-skinned characters with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities keep the pages turning.” — Publishers Weekly “A complex, intricately woven tale, placed in an intriguing and unique world. This passionate story will thrill devotees of Kaufman and Spooner’s “Starbound” series while also appealing to fans of Naomi Novik, Marissa Meyer, and Claudia Gray.” — School Library Journal Praise for Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s STARBOUND series: “Absolutely brilliant. This is the sci fi I’ve been waiting for!” — Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of Across the Universe “One of the most intense, thrilling, and achingly beautiful stories I’ve ever read. Kaufman and Spooner will break your heart with skilled aplomb, and you’ll thank them for it. Absolutely incredible! If I have to, I will come to your house and shove this book into your hands.” — Marie Lu, New York Times best-selling author of the Legend trilogy “With rich, complex characters and a dynamic—and dangerous—new world, THESE BROKEN STARS completely transported me.”xa0 — Jodixa0Meadows, author of the Incarnate series “These Broken Stars is at its heart a love story. Voiced in alternate chapters, Lilac and Tarver are characters of depth, complexity, and strength, young people who alternately elicit the reader’s admiration, frustration, and sympathy. While the book is the first of a promised trilogy, it stands on its own as a testament to love, loyalty, courage, and the power of good over dystopian greed and perversity.”xa0 — ALA Booklist (starred review) “Kaufman and Spooner couple an epic romance with dazzling science fiction in a tale that will appeal to lovers of both genres. This is a must-read.” 5Q (Quality rating of 5/5), Best Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror List, 2013 . — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) “First-time author Kaufman and coauthor Spooner begin their science-fiction romance in familiar territory and then chart a course that goes to new heights … a wonderful tale that should appeal to both teen and adult readers.” — School Library Journal “Strange visions and apparitions give the story a chilling edge, and a late revelation elevates these developments into entirely new territory. In a collaboration that, at times, evokes Lost, Titanic, and Romancing the Stone, Spooner (Skylark) and newcomer Kaufman do an excellent job of keeping their story from falling into clichéd romantic territory … the external conflicts and underlying mysteries will keep readers guessing (and turning the pages).” — Publishers Weekly Amie Kaufman is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author of young adult and middle grade fiction, and the host of the podcast Amie Kaufman on Writing. Her multi-award winning work is slated for publication in over 30xa0countries, and has been described as “a game-changer” (Shelf Awareness), “stylistically mesmerising” ( Publishers Weekly ) and “out-of-this-world awesome” ( Kirkus ). Her series includexa0The Illuminae Files,xa0The Aurora Cycle, The Other Side of the Sky duology , t he Starbound trilogy , the Unearthedxa0duology , the Elementals trilogy, and The World Between Blinks. Her work is in development for film and TV, and has taken home multiple Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, a Gold Inky, made multiple best-of lists and been shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.xa0Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law and conflict resolution, and is currently undertaking a PhD in Creative Writing. She lives in Melbourne with her husband, daughter, and rescue dog, and an extremely large personal library. Learn more about her and subscribe to her newsletter at www.amiekaufman.com New York Times bestselling author Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, or an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York State with a degree in playwriting. She’s traveled all over the world, to places such as Egypt, Australia, South Africa, the Arctic, Greece, Antarctica, and the Galápagos Islands, and there’s a bit of every trip in every story she writes. She currently lives and writes in Asheville, North Carolina, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there’s no telling how long she’ll stay there. She’s the coauthor of the award-winning Starbound Trilogy ( These Broken Stars , This Shattered World, Their Fractured Light ) and the Skylark Trilogy ( Skylark, Shadowlark, Lark Ascending ) as well as this “Beauty and the Beast” retelling. In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads. www.meaganspooner.com Read more