Beautiful photo by @xenatine
Well hello there!
Happy to find you back here, hope you are having a wonderfully relaxing Saturday. I can hear it’s raining outside and I don’t know about you but I find it so comforting when it’s cold and chilly outside and I am blessed enough to not have to deal with that and can stay in my ridiculously oversized sweater with a cup of tea. Gotta love a Saturday.
You guys, we are so close to the finish line with this one! I know a lot of you couldn’t help but finish the book already (totally understandable!) and I really appreciate you still coming back everyday to check your fellow FairyLooter’s thoughts and leave yours – so thank you for being so committed!
But let’s dive in, we left off on such a cliffhanger; let’s find out what her father’s story is!
Please be warned, the following will include spoilers for Skyward 1-46 inclusively. Read only if you’ve finished those chapters!
-!SPOILERS!-
Getting the access code to the archives was easier than either us or Spensa expected probably. I actually really like this, because we all know we would have gotten there eventually so this saves us the hassle of pretending there’s any suspense for that particular part. Cobb gives her the code, says to be prepared, which makes me feel I was correct in thinking that whatever we’re about to see might not be what she was hoping for.
Okay here we go!
…oh, never mind, slight change of plants, we’re just going to stop by a bloody pub of all places.
This is killing me.
I really truly love the scene of them in the restaurant. I wish we had more moments like this of them outside training. I mean they did. It’s just us that didn’t, because we’re separated *cries*. But it does make an interesting dynamic and it’s more precious when we do come together. And I love how they also accept her even when by comparison they barely know her. I suppose when you fight alongside you have to trust each other and friendship just happens naturally.
Okay, eyes on the prize, Spensa! Let’s watch that recording!
Her father went up. Then came back and attacked his own? What did he see? Did he get mind controlled somehow? Wasn’t that Ironside’s working theory? Oh no, that doesn’t seem promising for us since we’re also been hearing things recently.
We finally know! I mean, it really wasn’t what she was hoping for and I do appreciate it, otherwise it would be too clean.
Man I really like Cobb. The little talk with him at her ship. Oh yeah, they fly real ships for practice now.
We learn the father had somehow heard and seen things. Cobb asks her to let him, and only him, know if she experiences something like that. Which, technically, she already has but she’s in sweet sweet denial. Can relate. I, for example, still think I have plenty of time to sort some of the Christmas presents I haven’t gotten yet. See? Denial is fun!
Arturo gets pulled out after being made a pilot without graduating yay, rich people.
To be fair, it’s not like he wanted this to happen so I do feel bad for him quite a bit.
Well this is slightly terrifying. She used the simulation of her fathers battle, made M-Bot sort of project that into real life and flied her fixed ship to see what went down. They speak of the defect. Her father insists he can control it. Then she sees all these eyes and freaks out. To add to everything crumbling around her, M-Bot decides to shut down because he can now see there’s no way she will not force him to participate in a fight and it’s still against his direct orders from his previous pilot.
At this point, Spensa’s whole life seems to be spinning (very appropriate for her callsign I must say hehe) out of control and of all people to go and seek council from she picks Jordan, which seemed a bit of a stretch to me but at the same time, when your mind is that busy it doesn’t always make sense. I think it was a right choice regardless. And we get a hug! Aww. What a warm scene.
I was wondering when her family visit will happen. In a sense Gran-Gran really screwed her up there, didn’t she? With all her ideas and stories of heroism. Talk about family expectations.
Gran-gran tells us a story of her mother being the only person who could work the engine. No, actually, she was the engine? And seems like she was able to make the ship teleport. That she sacrificed to get this ship down here. But why?? I know her mother told Gran-Gran to keep quiet about this but it doesn’t seem fair. Why would they hide this story?
They fly with these really annoying pilots from another fleet, who are trying to show off, and it makes me love Cobb even more for teaching us these manoeuvres that shut them up real quickly. Heck yeah.
We end up today’s section with a bunch of Krell spotting us while they zoom around another massive ship that seems to be descending towards the planet.
Uh-oh.
Only one more day left, and we have so many unanswered questions! To whom/what do these eyes in the sky belong to? What happened to her father to turn against his own people? Why did Ironsides lie to the public, and why, if she already decided to lie about it; why didn’t she just make him a hero instead then? Wouldn’t that make the organisation look better? I suppose it helps to find someone to blame.
Let us know what you think!
And I will see you tomorrow for the last section of Skyward!
Love,
G
Aaaand one more Skyward Flight member down. I mean, Brandon Sanderson is getting rid of so many people that I’m worry that at some point toward the end of the book there’s a little device stuck between two pages who is going to blow up on my face and kill me too !
Finally Spensa is allowed to sleep and eat at the base, was about time, to bad there’s no one left. ?
I loved all these scenes between Spensa and Jorgen, it make me smile, I ship them it’s official ! Also loved that both Spensa and FM defended him in front of the others pilots they flew with and that Jorgen finally embraced his “Jerkface” callsign ?.
Finally some answer about Spensa’s dad ! But I think there’s more to the story ! Gran-Gran story was also very interesting.
And nooooo M-Bot left us, how could you ?! ☹️
See you tomorrow for the very last day of the readalong !
Does Cobb have an inkling of what’s Spensa’s planning. I’d be surprised if he was clueless. And immediately we find out he’s not.
Happy the others were asking after her and want to include her. Lovely to see Nedd and Kimmalyn and the rest out of class, and to see that they are all questioning things. Algae fries sound gross but were described very appetisingly.
She semi asked FM out for Rig but not fully and he may have competition in Nedd. I think Kimmalyn and him could be cute together.
So we finally see the battle. Her father shot up to the stars saying I can hear the stars – and came back on the enemies’ side trying to kill his own. Is this defect real then? Was his mind taken over by the Krell? Is that what happened to some of the original crew of The Defiant who mutinied. Is there a Red Dwarf style soul sucker beyond the rubble?
Ironsides hates herself – she’s said she trusted him. It was on her. That’s what she sees when she looks at Spensa. Is this her very misguided way of making amends.
The creepy eyes thing ?
Her father’s actions weren’t cowardice or traitorous. They were possessed.
Arturos parents pulled him. But they need pilots. Where’s their courage? The rich get all the protection. The poor are cannon fodder.
The hug and how it broke apart was awkward-cute. And now she keeps thinking about him.
Rig has his design post. Can they share M-bot’s features without sharing him? Rig found his dream.
M-bot is a super plane and Spin loved the flight. But then he powered off. Who was his pilot?
She heard music and saw the creepy eyes. What is it?
Don’t fix just listen. Perfect difference between having a male versus a female confidant there. He thinks she’s amazing.
Confirmed details we knew about the mutiny. She heads to see her family. Is she going to ask Gran Gran about it?
It wasn’t clear from the discussion with her mother if she actually knew what her father did.
“People need stories. They bring us hope, and that hope is real.”
Defect is ability to move between the stars and her Gran talks about it as a gift so what happened?
“The answer is not to put out the spark, but to learn to control it.”
Cobb’s a good teacher. Love that they got to show off to the Nightmare Flight -cocky pilots.
? They’ve been seen by the Krell! Please don’t let FM or Jerkface die.
@kirstyes
“Don’t fix just listen. Perfect difference between having a male versus a female confidant there. He thinks she’s amazing.”
?? oh my gosh SO true
Oh my gosh – red dwarf! That was a hilarious show ? I love it so much!
I don’t think we’ll find out about M-bits pilot this book, maybe not even ever – I don’t see how they could find that out without loosing M-bots personality. Also I think that it Spins mum thought the same Spin used to her, thinking that the DDF were lying about him being a coward – the way I read it it seemed like she genuinely had no clue her husband turned and shot down his flightmates. Why Spin was saying that her mothers way was the most defiant thing she’d ever hear but so wrong because she just didn’t know the truth.
As for what happened with the dad and the defect… I have a theory that the Kril use the eye thing to travel, and that those with with the defect share this with the Kril, if that makes sense? And so can potentially be corrupted by the Krils signals when they’re in the Eye-Space zone? But that’s the best guess I have at the moment ?
Spensa has the recording of the battle of Alta! Omg what is going to be on there?? It’s nice to see everyone else in the cafeteria but it’s clear there’s still such a divide between Spensa and the other Cadets, even now that they’re friends. I feel sad for her that she didn’t get to spend time with them outside of training.
Then it turns out Spensa’s father killed his flight mates after going through a gap in the debris —eep! Mind control anyone? I’m not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t that! So is this what Ironsides is testing for, to see whether Spensa can be controlled by the Krell too?? And they kept it all a secret because imagine how many people would sign up to become a pilot if they knew the truth… um, zero. Probably.
The ‘moment’ between Jorgen and Spensa was sweet. I was glad to see Spin visit her family although it had been a long time since she’d mentioned them.
Rig disappeared again. I don’t really see what the point is to his character other than to forward Spensa’s story. It makes a change to have a character like that be male, but I still don’t like it. Makes me wonder whether the second book in the series is going to follow Rig?
Can’t say I’m liking that there’s a load of new flight names to learn now that they’re flying with the experienced pilots. In all honesty I got a little bored during the last few chapters. Right up until they saw Krell so clearly I had to read on!
Well….I did not expect that. Her father turning on his own flightmates ?! ?
What did he see up there? Something must have happened. Ahh….I need to know!!!
I love how Jorgen encourage her to fly when she has all this doubt and insecurities. She develops as a character. I love it!
Oh … and the time with her family. Finally she goes back to visit them. I liked discovering a bit more of who they are, and what happened back then.
It warmed my heart when we found out that they actually know more than actual pilots. It was so fun!!
I will definitely continue tonight. I need to know more.
I look forwards for tomorrow’s discussions. Thank you for sending us this amazing book!
Wowzas. In the words of Freddie Mercury “Another one bites the dust.” ? Arturo is now gone only leaving Spin, Jorgen and FM. I can’t believe he was just pulled out so suddenly like that by his parents, I didn’t expect it to be honest at all,
Plus the whole getting the flight archive file was really easy, I think something is still wrong despite what it showed about her father being far worse than a coward but a traitor. I don’t understand what happened. I also still don’t understand why they made what he did seem less serious of being a coward than portraying him as a traitor, considering that he shot down members of his own flight. Something doesn’t add up here!
So we are running out of pages now and there are so many questions that I need answers too. I’m going on a whim here and thinking this isn’t a stand alone book. It just can’t be for what little we really know at this point.
I’m glad jorgen has finally embraced Jerkface. And I also loved how he told Spensa that he thought she was amazing. Character building at its finest! Woop woop! Also really sad tomorrow is the last day! It’s been a pleasure reading this book alongside everyone and leaving my thoughts here. It’s been something I’ve looked forward to each day this week!
I think they told people her father was a coward because the alternative would be far more demoralising to people…. who wants to hear a battle for the safety of your people (one that inspires all of the potential piolots to join up) where one of your own went and shot down your own people?
On top of that what people did to Spin and her family was bad enough when they were associated with a traitor – what would the families of those shot down and killed by Chaser have done to them if they knew the truth? Could have started a mob/hunt that would have potentially killed spins family or others who descended from the engine rooms, just because they might have a defect too.
As for why they didn’t tell everyone that Chaser was just another brave casualty they were hurt by what happened, also it would have allowed Spin to enter the academy as a First Citizen, which they obviously didn’t want. And then there’s theoretically merit in having an example and a warming of what will happen to those who flee in battle… a way to deter others from possibly doing the same ;-;
The truth about her father… that hurt to read, but is it odd that I’m kind of glad it wasn’t the typical ‘my father was innocent, wrongly accused/set up, and took the fall’? Because that seems to be a common plot twist I’ve seen used a number of times before (for example Onyx and Ivory) and was I thought that was what this story was going to do earlier on. How hurt and shocked she was by discovering the truth felt very real and raw… like you could really feel it
She’s finally gone home, been waiting for her to do that for a while. I was kind of anticipating GranGran to have all the answers… or to have maybe died whilst Spin was away training just to give Spin and us readers more to struggle with?
I’m getting even more curious as to what the krel are now… I want to know more details so badddd, that whole thing with the eyes watching her? Creepyyyyy. There’s actually a song by ELO called ‘Thousand Eyes’ which feels a bit like this idea but not as creepy I mean:
“The night has a thousand eyes
And they’re all on you
The night has a thousand ears
Listening to your cries
Let them work their magic
Let them work their magic
Sometimes it takes a fight
To keep everything on track,
And sometimes it takes a starry night
To bring the magic back
This was the time
And this was the place
With starlight on your face
The night has a thousand eyes”
Also! did we see that hug ? all those thoughts about Jerkface and showing off to him? Shes got it baddd, and I think he does too, but neither of them really know it yet ?
Then M-bot turning off… oh my gosh it was so sad ;-; warning lights started going when he stopped talking to her for two days, then stopped visiting him, I thought he’d be hurt, and it wasn’t smart of him to put her through her fathers simulation again… but then when she snapped and freaked out at him it was so sad ? I’m between deciding if he’ll swoop in and rescue her in the midst of battle at some other time or if he’ll just never turn on with Ai again… breaking our hearts as she flies him like as just an advanced but silent ship who was once her friend…. She might also turn him into the DDF, but I feel the chances of her doing that are slim somehow.
And anyone else think now, after what GranGran said, that SHE is the criptic hyperdrive capable of transporting then and making them teleport? At one point in this section I thought she might do it on her own and just teleport herself without a ship or something ?but I still think she might be that one of the missing pieces that the DDF could never fix (they can fix his weapons and extra boosters after all!)
Oh, poor Spensa! I can’t imagine how hard that would be. I mean, all her life she’s built up this idea that her father was a hero and what everyone was saying was wrong, and then she suddenly finds out that it was actually WORSE than they’d told her! I attacked his own people!
No wonder Ironsides is nervous about letting Spensa fly. If it turns out she’s going to kill everyone on her team then she’s hella dangerous.
Poor Spensa. Flying is her life. What is she going to do? She must be really scared about hearing the ‘stars’ now. Those eyes are really scary, too.
No! M-bot! Don’t leave us! Just when Spensa needs his support the most he shuts himself down. I now he was worried about breaking his programming, but… come on!
He’s basically just chosen robot death. I miss him already!
And most importantly, what happens to my baby Doomslug if M-bot shuts down and Spensa has no reason to come back to the cave?
Poor lonely baby.
I like that this tale keeps you on your toes. Cadets die or leave; that would happen in real training anyway. Spensa has got a lot going on in her head. I still think there’s more to this defect than we’ve been told. Gran Gran’s information about her mother is a bit of an eye opener too. What if Soensa’s father was called to the stars and found out the SDF had lied to them all, keeping them grounded when they could have flown amongst the stars again? His reaction is a bit extreme though; maybe that’s what Gran Gran meant about controlling what Spensa could hear and see. Her father didn’t keep the control.
Looking forward to seeing where this heads out now.
I don’t know where my head is at, I normally jot down wee notes as I go along but today, nothing. I think I’m in shock.
I had a feeling from the beginning that her father wasn’t a coward but a traitor, what the flip?
Ironsides and Cobb knew about the defect, but what does that mean, what did they know exactly? Why is she suddenly seeing eyes? It doesn’t feel like we have enough pages to answer all of the unknowns, I’m guessing this will end on the mother of all cliff hangers. I can’t promise this book will survive this readalong in one piece ?
Okay so the Jorgen scenes, they were so sweet, the awkward wee hug and the moment of comfort he gave her by listening, kind-of. I like that she went to him, he knows her less, if I was in her shoes I’d go to someone like him too rather than someone who knows me well.
Gran-Gran, thanks for the brain melt. Her comment about the others needing someone like them if they are ever to leave the planet has stuck with me.
Also, the comment about Gran-Gran’s mother being able to teleport made me think of M-Bot and his pilot for some reason ? Maybe Spensa is meant for him, but for greater things, like figuring out what the Krell are and using his advanced technology to better the DDF, not for battle but for survival, and maybe getting the heck off the planet away from the Krell.
I already said it and will say it again, this book was awesome, I love all the characters, i had a lot of question and some of them aren’t answered.
I am so confused! What did Gran Gran mean by her story and her mother BEING the engine? And where do these creepy eyes come from? And what happened to her father out there up in the stars? And will Mbot turn back on again????
So many questions, not enough answers!?
And there’s not that many chapters left, I am really scared that we will have to wait for the next book to get all these answers…. ?
But let’s move on to the nice things… I really liked the scene in the restaurant, seeing Kimmalyn and Nedd again! And I am glad that Spensa is FINALLY allowed to stay in the base, even though almost all of her flight is gone now…
Oh and Spensa might not admit it yet, but she is developing a major crush on dear Jorgen… ? I SHIP IT! ❤️ That hugging scene was so awkward but really cute. And he called her amazing!
I also loved how Spensa and FM demonstrated their skills to the show-off pilots and immediately were offered a job by Nose! Cobb is the best teacher!
I can’t believe we’ll be finishing this book already tomorrow! I don’t want it to end! ? I need more of this story, I love it so much!
P.S. Did I mention that I ship Spensa and Jorgen? No? Well, I SHIP SPENSA AND JORGEN! ?❤️
Spensa had arguments planned out against Cobb to be able to watch her fathers last battle. However, Cobb just simply gave her his code to the room with the recordings in. Maybe he wanted her to secretly know the truth about her father, in hopes that she would just move on?
I loved the meal that they had, it was interesting to read how they are like outside the classroom. I thought it was a bit harsh not asking Jordan to join, but i did find it funny how much food Spensa was eating which is understandable since she was living off rats.
So it’s not just Spensa who is suspicious of the DDF? I wonder if they will find other things out?
Spensa finally got to watch what happened to her father, instead of listening to what people say. But I have a funny feeling it’s not going to be good.
Okay so her father can hear the stars, Ironsides trusted him to go up to the debris but then he later came down and started shooting his team. What happened up there? I think he either was mind controlled so the krell was controlling him, or the krell took the ship and imitated Spensa’s father.
She officially had full pilot privileges! Yay! I mean finally! But I wonder who told the doctor about her living accommodations? ?
I loved the little chat between Cobb and Spensa, I loved how said that if she heard of see anything to go straight to him. I think he is like a father figure in a way to Spensa, there must be a reason why he is doing all this for Spensa apart from that feels guilt for shooting down her father or that he was her fathers wingman.
Poor Arturo he got pulled from the flight but yet gets the pilot saying he is a full pilot even though he didn’t graduate. I understand his parents fears, but that’s not what he wanted.
I feel that Spensa and Jordan are getting closer, I mean yes she pulled at his suit and he he awkwardly hugged her but there must be something there!
Rig has finally fixed M-bot Yay! and Spensa got to fly him properly! Which is so cool! But because he can’t disobey orders he thought doing a simulation of her fathers battle would help? Really? Is Spensa really going to be okay the second time around?
This is when things started to get confusing.
So she heard her father talk about a defect and that he can control it, that he can hear the stars.
And how did her father know what turns the krell ship would turn when he was chasing it???
Also she saw the eyes that everyone had be talking about which shook her, and told M-bot to shut up.
Awe no! M-not decided to shut himself down! Why! She needs him! Does he know something that Spensa doesn’t know and avoid telling her he just wants to shut himself down, after everything they did to fix him?
Spensa is starting to feel the huge weight that is on her now, with everything she knows about her father, the defect, M-bot shutting himself down it’s just too much! And it’s affecting her flying nearly crashing into FM.
And who does she turn to…none other than Jordan. Who I go by my thought that something is happening between them too, and everything he said saying he doesn’t care about the past. Does he mean that if something did happen between them, he didn’t care about her past but who she is now? And that she isn’t her father. Awwww
Spensa is starting to feel a bit better but of course she becomes confused again when her gran gran tells a story about herself and explains that the defect is their gift something that she needs to control.
I mean come on she already has so much going on that now her gran gran has said that she has more to be confused about.
Spensa, FM and Jordan have had weeks training on really ships and stopped using the simulator. Now they have teamed up with another group, that I think just like to mess around to be honest.
At this point I am loving Cobbs teaching, being able to show off to the other team that they are better was so funny! And the banter between Jordan, FM and Spensa.
Spensa, Jordan and FM fly up as Jordan spotted something, when they expect it it’s the other half of the shipyard that is floating on space. Of course not long after reporting it, they are spotted by the Krell.
I have a funny feeling that something is going to happen with Spensa, maybe she hears the voices or see’s the eyes and flys up and Jordan follows?
I just can’t wait to read what happens next! And to finally get answers to all our unanswered questions.
(I just would like to apologise for my long messages on the past 6 days, I tend to write notes as I go along the chapters. So I apologise if it’s too long to read lol ?) x
I LOVE JORGEN SO MUCH
Anyone else shipping Spensa and Jorgan? I think that it would be super cute! I like how he’s taking all that slack from Spensa but he still cares.
I’m sad to see Arturo be withdrawn from flight school. It would have been nice to see him graduate with the others. I do get that his parents must be worried for him especially when he almost didn’t make it back. If I was Arturo I don’t think after being shot like that, that I could go back up.
I’m worried for Spensa especially with knowing her father was a traitor. I’m surprised that Cobb didn’t make her have counselling. I’d hoped that he would at least talk to her more about it, especially as she knows what actually happened.
M-Bot is the absolute worst. I can’t believe that after all that effort that Rig and Spin put into fixing him and now he decides that he’s out. If anything Spin needs M-Bot more than ever.
I wonder how doomslug is without Spensa. She’s been abandoned by M-Bot and Spin.