s.k. ali – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: YA Dystopian / Sci-fi
Length: 528 pages
Author: S.K. Ali
Publisher: Penguin Teen
Release Date: September 1st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Concluding S. K. Ali’s powerful duology, The Keeper’s Records of Revolution, Golden Flight returns to a divided world with war on the horizon.

How difficult is it to crash the party of the decade? Literally crash it?

The Golden Flight happens once every ten years — a gala to honor elites fallen in service of Upper Earth’s brutal hold on earth’s remaining populace and dwindling resources.

It’s a party where cunning new technology gets unveiled to masked revelers thirsty for fresh entertainment.

It’s also a party Raisa and Nayf plan to infiltrate to bring Upper Earth down for good.

Even with a known traitor, and a mysterious, ruthless avenger in their midst, pulling off a dangerous mission in enemy territory feels entirely possible with record-keeper Khalda at the helm. To crack into Upper Earth, simply find strategic details hidden in the records.

However, they soon discover the toll of running a crew with competing, secretive the lines between friend and foe begin to blur to violent ends.

But on an oil rig at the edge of the world, the sun rises and shines on a team member no one knows about.

Will she bring the seed of hope or be the source of ultimate chaos?

Just who is she — and why does she know how to end the world?

Thank you Penguin Teen for the gifted copy.

IT WAS FINE.

I remember enjoying the first one enough to continue this duology but after diving in I realized what the problem was, this book just didn’t stick out in a memorable way to me. I liked the characters, I think the themes remarked upon were good. It has some of the classic young adult dystopian vibes I know many of us love. Yet, it was still missing *something* that would have made it stand out more.

The audiobook was fantastic though. It’s multiple POV with various narrators for each one. It made it easy to follow and know what was speaking each time.

I would be interested in reading more books from this author. I liked the way things came together in the end and I do think the writing was good too.

Overall audience notes:

YA Dystopian/Sci-fi
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Dystopia / Sci-fi
Length: 544 pages
Author: S.K. Ali
Publisher: Kokila
Release Date: October 8th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The first book in a gripping duology from acclaimed author S.K. Ali introduces a fractured world on the brink of either enlightenment or war.

Would you trade love for peace?

Raisa of Upper Earth has only lived a life of privilege and acquiescence. Ever dutiful, she accepts her father’s arrangement of her marriage to Lein, Crown Prince of the corrupt, volatile lands of Lower Earth. Though Lein is a stranger, Raisa knows the wedding will unite their vastly different worlds in a pact of peace: an infusion of Upper Earth technology into Lower Earth will usher in the final age of enlightenment, ending war between humans forever.

Or is justice more urgent?

Newly released from imprisonment, Nada of Lower Earth has found her own calling: disrupting the royal wedding. Convinced her cousin Lein’s alliance with Upper Earth will launch an invasive, terrifying form of tyranny, Nada sets out undercover to light the spark of revolution.

When Raisa goes missing a week before the wedding, all eyes turn to the rebels, including Nayf, Nada’s twin brother—a fugitive on the run. And when Nayf and Raisa meet, the long-simmering animosity they feel toward each other’s worlds slowly burns away into something unexpected.

But the Crown Prince wants his bride—and future—back. And he will go to the ends of the Earths to reclaim them.

SOLID.

Or maybe more? I feel like the ending kind of left things open but I do think enough of the story lines were closed off that it can be read as a standalone without any trouble. This wasn’t initially on my radar but I am so happy I picked it up. Fledgling starts out INTENSE and keeps that energy going for most of the book. I enjoyed the darker angles of the story and the how this dystopian world worked.

There were multiple POV’s from all different angles that added to the complexity of this story. From rebels, to government members to everything in between. I loved seeing the underside of Lower Earth and how that compared to Upper Earth. I enjoyed the complex character dynamics and how you never quite knew what was going to happen next and who might be the next cause of betrayal. World building and politics were heavy hitters here and made for a great read.

Overall audience notes: