An 18-year-old science prodigy is recruited by rebels fighting against an oppressive empire in E.K. Johnston's imaginative, slow-burning YA science-fiction novel Sky on Fire, a sequel to Aetherbound.
In the spacefaring Stavenger Empire, people work magic by drawing upon a mysterious force known as the Ó•ther, which gives "power to all those who felt its connection humming in their blood." Scientist Morgan Enni is considered remarkable for being born "without a connection." Despite having no link to it, Morgan researches æther and her current study suggests the power on which the empire relies is likely to burn away. However, no one at her university will take her seriously. Determined to prove her hypothesis, Morgan journeys into space on a research expedition. There, Morgan's work catches the attention of a group of rebels who try to recruit her to their cause. Morgan, however, worries that joining the rebels will expose her own family's secret, "buried deep in the past and kept in their very name."
Sky on Fire builds upon the events of Aetherbound but focuses on new characters and conflicts, allowing for this novel to stand confidently alone. Details of the rebellion are kept vague, but Morgan's personal development keeps readers invested. Johnston (Titan of the Stars) has created a heroine characterized by "brain power and raw ambition," whose move from relative isolation to developing "new" and "surprising" relationships is entrancing. The elaborate world-building and detailed descriptions of futuristic technology will likely appeal to dedicated sci-fi readers. Fans of space operas like Star Wars and Firefly as well as found family narratives should enjoy Sky on Fire and its enterprising heroine. --Alanna Felton, freelance reviewer