A Light in the Sky

This is a great fantasy, young adult read that captures the attention of the reader from the very beginning. The story follows Aluma, who has dreamed of becoming a rider in the Empryean cavalry to protect her nation. In order to join, she must survive the notorious Autumn tournament and the dangers that come with it.

This story did an amazing job on the world building. The setting involves a futuristic society with advanced technology but still engaged in a war that has. been destroying both nations. I really enjoyed the characters and their dynamics throughout the story, The relationships further illustrate the complex relationships these characters share.

This is a great teen read that involves all the tropes readers love in YA: a strong female main character, love triangles, and a society filled with secrets and magic. I recommend this book to any fans of the genre.

A great read, with tension from the start for Aluma.
Aluma is not only discovering a growing love but also just how deeply bad the world is around her that she knows. After her fathers unfortunate accident, life changes drastically for Aluma and her best friend Thayer.
She is a strong person, who, supported by her new friends, quickly learns that she needs to take control and save those who they love, and their world from becoming a darker place.
I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Thankyou for Netgally for allowing me to read a pre-published copy.

I thought this book sounded super interesting and I was very excited to read it. I ended up flying through this book in one afternoon! I thought the plot and main characters were very unique and I loved it. Great read!

I am blown away by how much I loved this book. The world building is amazing, with a little bit of an info dump at the beginning but I don't mind that - I felt it set the scene very well.

I am a great lover of horses so was thrilled to dive into a new fantasy series about winged horse riders. I'm now desperately wishing I could get wings for my own horse! Aluma is such a fierce character and really grows into herself as the book progresses. There's action and excitement and a building romance - what more could you want! Needless to say, I am eagerly awaiting the publication of the sequel!

This was such a great book and I need more of these characters!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wink Road Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for this advance copy which I received in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wink Road Press for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Alright, sorry, just had to get that out of the way because this book was amazing.

A Light in the Sky is a fast paced book that has horses and pegasi, a great plot that keeps you wanting to know more, and adventure. I loved the world, characters, and can't wait for the next book! The writing was great and it just shows that Shina Reynolds is meant to write because this was her debut book that didn't feel as such. Reynolds did amazing with her first book and I'm so glad she wrote this because I ride horses myself and never see books that have horses as a big part of the plot in them. So as soon as I saw A Light in the Sky on Netgalley I jumped straight to requesting and reading.

This book does have a vibe of "The Hunger Games" with the dystopian factors (which I liked) and I will say some things I was able to predict towards the end but it actually didn't falter my love for the book, though I can see it faltering others if you were iffy from the beginning. Another thing I wished and hope to see more of in the sequel is Aluma and Cashel's bond grow. I feel like we didn't get a lot of bonding moments between the two, and I see more of a horse and rider relationship with Aluma and Darwith.

But other than those small things, I loved this so much! I can't wait until it comes out so I can get a copy to hold in my hands and to put on my shelf. I would say if you like fast paced books with horses, adventure, plenty of action, twists, and a bit of romance this is the book for you!

Also, I'm team Thayer and I hope to the stars above that he's endgame.

Release date = November 9th (2021)
4.5 stars

As a self-proclaimed horse girl, I often struggle with inaccurate horse books. Thankfully, this wasn't one of them! When done well, I absolutely love reading about girls who love horses as much as me, and this one does not disappoint. Aluma is a wonderful heroine - impulsive at times, and a little naive - but strong willed, brave, and caring. Her group of found friends have a great dynamic, and I loved seeing them all come together over the course of the novel.

I thought the pacing of this one was good - it doesn't start out too slow, and we have almost constant movement and plot progression. For the most part, it doesn't feel forced either. There isn't a huge info dump despite the world building necessary to this story, and everything was pretty easy to follow. For the most part, I loved the relationships we see build throughout the book - I could do without the love triangle, but it wasn't badly done by any means. The betrayal felt a smidge predictable, but everything else was fantastically done. I'm really excited to see where this series goes, and can't wait to read the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an e-ARC.

This book was a very pleasant surprise, to say the least. I became interested in it after seeing the beautiful artwork on the cover and after reading its synopsis. We follow the story of Aluma, a girl that loved flying more than anything else in the world, and her quest to fullfil her father´s wishes, alongside others with the same interests. The plot is well constructed and fast-paced, so you won´t be bored reading this book, if anything it makes you want to keep reading it. It is also well-written and the characters are easy to love. My favorite part about this book was the world-building and the characters relationships. We are introduced to the world by parts, as the plot progresses, so it´s easy to follow up and the friendships formed between the characters are very heart-warming to read about. Regarding tropes, we have some well loved ones and some of my favorites, such as the "Revolution" trope and "the chosen one" trope. There are also hints of romance in the book, but nothing well-established for now. We got an open ending, so i´m curious to see the future of each character in possibly another novel. I really liked this book and it´s definitely one of my favorites of the year. Truly reccomend it!

This book hooked me from the start, the story plot is gripping and the book just drags you in so you will not want to put it down, highly recommend this book, I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy and I will definitely be getting the paperback

This was a fantastic book. The story is well written, engaging, and crazily entertaining. I read it in one sitting because I couldn’t bring myself to put it down. Aluma is a beautiful character, and I'm dying to find out what happens next.

I did not know what to expect going in this book but I was pleasantly surprised. The plot was well developed and intriguing but I especially loved the characters and the relationships developed throughout the book whether they are platonic, romantic, or family. This was a great debut novel and I will be happy to read another book by this author! Bonus point for the world-building which was incredible in this book.

Thank you, the author and NetGalley, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off, congratulations to the author on her fantastic debut book.

Wow! That was a great read! Can I write spoilers in my review? Probably not! I’ll try hard to stick with the basics, although there are many things that I would like to discuss and share in my review.

At first, I thought I was reading a typical fantasy story, but soon I discovered that the world had advanced technology and futuristic settings. I LOVE it when the author mix fantasy with technology. You can sense some dystopian vibes (The Hunger Games) came to my mind while reading (I am a huge fan), so this is an extra reason why I was totally into this book.

The beginning was a bit slow, and there was a little bit of info-dumping (I don’t mind that at all, it set up the world perfectly), and the pace picked up quickly. If you like a page-turning book, then look no farther!

The characters were well developed and easy to love and connect to them. Aluma massively grew as the book progresses, and it was easy to communicate with her. Now I can’t wait to read the next book!

Overall, I highly recommend A Light In The Sky for fans of YA dystopian/fantasy stories.

"𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭- 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐲. 𝐌𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭..."

𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: ⭐⭐⭐⭐. 2/5

🇷 🇪 🇻 🇮 🇪 🇼:
[Pub Date 09 Nov 2021]

I got this for free fr Netgalley. The description got me; Red Queen meets The Scorpio Races. Intriguing isn'it? This is an epic YA fantasy books with PEGASUS. Its freaking adorable. I just fell in love with the creatures instantly especially CASHEL and DARWITH❤️

The world building here is AMAZING, and I enjoyed the storyline. This book has a lot of action packed scenes and of course politics in it. I absolutely adore politics in a fantasy. The politics in it felt relatable and also I love how the scenes being narrated. It doesn't feel force and it flows smoothly.

The book is very fast faced and the things that I am glad of are the scenes do not drag too much and I truly respect how the author made it so compelling, satisfying and short.

Our main characters Aluma, I adore her. I love how enthusiastic she is to become an Empyrean Rider. I love how she thinks through before she acts and her character is relatable and true. It means that she doesn't straight up become a badass character. Her character develops over time which is refreshing to see her development.

Besides, this book kinda give "THE HUNGER GAMES (THG)"vibe and there is minor love triangle going on which I don't particularly like. I think it was unnecessary. I love Thayer so much, he do remind me of Peeta. He's adorable, kind and he believes in Aluma from the very beginning. He is a her childhood sweetheart and best friend. He is very supportive. As for Gattacan, he's kind but his character is not really stands out yet so Thayer is in the lead. 😍

The side characters in this is so freaking adorable.I love how each of them have their own abilities and personality that make the story more interesting. The villain in here is real evil, OMG, you will hate them for sure.

So, If you are looking for a unique world building with adorable PEGASUS, fast paced political fantasy, full of action packed scenes, unexpected betrayal. This is for u❤️

Aluma is such a great character and I liked seeing her development throughout. The characters are great and the plot and world building were just so astrometric. I liked the fantasy, but also dystopian feel within this book. A great read. Would love to read more from this author or even more from these characters.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

I like it a lot! The setting and world building, the whole bunch of pegasi (of course!), fast-paced storyline, and lovable characters! Aluma is a strong lead and felt "real" because she struggled a lot with self-worth and didn't become a heroine overnight. I especially love the found family, especially Cloveman! So far still #TeamAluma&Thayer (sorry, Gattacan, you are cute but Thayer is cuter).
Overall, a strong debut indeed. I enjoyed it!

Looking forward what will happen in book 2! :)))

A captivating, charming and enchanting read mixing fantasy and mythology/folklore with some wonderful results.

This is a wonderful young adult novel for any child who loves a strong female protagonist and horses with wings. Reynolds sets the stage beautiful and her imagination literally soars. I was drawn in and fell in love with the characters. Teen angst is wonderfully done here. Not drawn out at over scripted, but just enough to get the idea that Alumna is torn. You'll have to read to find out what I'm referring to. It's a definite must read. Special thanks to NetGalley and IBPA for giving me an opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to the sequel.

How far would you fly for freedom?

Aluma is the daughter of the most well-known and respected of the Empyrean Riders. The winged Calvary of the king that protects the kingdom of Laithlann.
She's always dreamed of becoming part of the calvary herself. As the autumn tournament approaches, events conspire at an alarming rate and Aluma is thrust into the world of not only the Empyrean riders but one of deceit, political subterfuge, and insane events.

Shina does a wonderful job of keeping this story fresh and at a perfect pace to keep you intrigued at every perfectly planned reveal.
The story was in no way predictable and had me guessing what would happen next....no I was not right.
The characters were easy to relate to. They got hurt and were very much not perfect in any way.

It was a delightful read. I'm very excited to see where Shina will take the story in book two.

Tropes:
friends to lovers
kingdoms at war
love triangle

A Light in the Sky by Shina Reynolds, is a captivating story of hope and fighting for freedom. The main character, Aluma Banks, has always dreamed of riding a winged horse. The only way she has been able to ride is secretly at night. Then everything changes, and she is thrust into a competition to become an Empyrean soldier.
She must find a way to keep the light and uncover the secrets that threaten to destroy her and her family. I enjoyed the love triangle that emerged. I would have liked seeing more of the love triangle explored. I can not wait to read the next book in the series.

Oh I love this book, such a good story and Thayer is now my new book boyfriend!
Aluma has always wanted to be an Empyrian rider, when the opportunity arises, its not all it seems.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC, I swept through it quickly and I think it's going to be continued which I will eagerly await.

First of all, Thanks to NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book.
This is my first ever ARC, I was very excited to read it and it did not let me down.

This was an interesting read.

The book explores platonic relationships like Father~Daughter, Friendship, Brother~Sister.
It explores betrayal, soul searching, love triangle, Friends to lovers.
The best part is, If horses are your thing, you will love it.

It is such a magical read with a captivating plot.
You will learn and explore the world along with the main character.

Although, I wish we get a little more about the old world, hoping to explore it in the next book.

This book has it all, Adventure, heist, pegasi, relationships you want to cherish, mystery, intriguing world-building, platonic relationships.

Did I mention the art on the cover??? It is awesome!!!😍😍😍
I am buying it as soon as it releases in my country.

Looking forward to see how the rest of the series would go.

This is probably one of my favorites novels of the year. This book is such an interesting YA Fantasy read that kept me up at night reading more cliffhangers that left me speechless. I absolutely loved it. You can certainly tell how the characters developed in the story and i fell an attachment fo Aluma and Thayer. They have a cute friendship and I love that!
I also love the plot of this book, it is so interesting, mind blowing, and the world building really just sucks you into Aluma’s world fo flying. Definitely my favorite read!

Let's face it, the cover is great -- who doesn't want to read a book with a winged horse on it?! So this is the one time I'm going to say, go ahead, judge a book by it's cover! Reynolds creates an engaging story about finding ourselves while embracing the unknown not just for ourselves, but for our family. A Light in the Sky sets the reader up for what I'm sure will be a thrilling series -- if you love coming of age stories with pining, love triangles and magic, this book is for you!

A story about a young girl who steals off in the night to ride her father's winged steed. Only certain people are allowed to even own and ride the winged horses. There is some Hunger Games flavor to the beginning. There is the haves and the have nots. Everything is taken from the working people to give to the rich. There is a life or death competition that will earn you a coveted place in the king's army. There is also some Red Queen similarities with a young lady who has special powers and will save them. She doesn't even realize she is special until half way thru. The story draws you in and you are invested in many of the characters. I could see this as a movie or a series. It definitely seems like there is a lot more to come and more stories to tell.

A light in the sky is the first part in the Clashing Skies series by Shina Reynolds. As the cover might suspect, this book features horse-riding as one of the important themes. However, trust and finding your own strengths are also theme’s featured in this book. I am really curious about this debut, because of the cover, but will the story be as beautifull to?

Aluma was never allowed to try out to be an Empyrean Rider, but when her father becomes part of an horrible accident she must try out and find someone there. Why is her father giving her this oppertunity? Who must she find, and even more important why?

This fantasy book starts out as a book that seems like it is only fit for readers who also like horses. You will get many events with horses included, but as the story goes on it becomes so much more. Yes, the horses play an important role in this story, however it’s the people who make this story really good.

Shina Reynolds has managed to put love, friendship and faith into this story, making it a really nice read. I got really nice vibes while reading this book, and I loved it. The story is well-written and the worldbuilding is really amazing!

I really enjoyed this debut by Shina Reynolds, and can’t wait to see what else this series will bring. Therefore I give A light in the sky a 4 star rating.

Aluma Banks dreams of nothing more than to be on the back of a Pegasus and up in the sky. Sadly, she lives in Eirelannia where only Riders of the king’s Empyrean Cavalry can have a winged steed. The Riders are aerial warriors whose job is to defend the borders of their land from the corrupted Kingdom of Laithlann. Every year at the Autumn Tournament, young men and women compete to be in the Empyrean Calvary. Aluma’s father is a famous retired member of the Calvary who refuses to allow Aluma to compete in the trials. However, after her father and his Pegasi fall out of the sky, Aluma is forced to compete in the trials she had previously longed to be a part of. Though she is finally allowed to follow her dreams, Aluma learns the truth about her kingdom, the people of Liathlann, and the power she has inside herself. Aluma must fight to save her family, her friends, and her kingdom.

Shina Reynolds’ debut novel is a throwback to classic YA tropes with Pegasi, love triangles, and a band of misfits. The Pegasi were a major aspect of this novel and I loved it. Reynolds’ wrote the horses so vividly, I felt as though I could reach out and touch Darwith and Cashel. She captured their thoughts, sounds, and habits so well that I could actually picture them. I also really loved the relationship between Aluma and her father. They love each other so fiercely, and fight to protect one another. Aluma is so loyal to her father in a way readers rarely get to see. A Light in the Sky is a captivating story about freedom, magic, identity, and most importantly, friendship.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)