In Cytonic, the third book of the Skyward series, the plot follows Spensa, more commonly referred to as her callsign: Spin, through her adventures in the Nowhere. Her home is being terrorized by the Superiority who control an unstoppable horde of Delvers, mysterious creatures who call the Nowhere home. Spin is Cytonic, meaning she has powers that allow her to communicate telepathically and teleport. Although she has not tested the extent of her abilities, they might be her only way out. Accompanied by her sarcastic AI, M-bot, and one of the strange inhabitants of the Nowhere, Spin travels through fragments of different worlds in a desperate attempt to escape. New allies and old friends aid her in this science fiction novel about Spin’s journey to find her way home and discover who she is.
In my opinion, this book was action-packed and thrilling. Honestly, it reminded me of Star Wars with the designs of the ships, different alien races collaborating against one common evil, and a seemingly indestructible super-wepon possessed by a controlling group of villains. The characters were amazing and dynamic; by the end you will have grown to love or despise each one. Another thing I was pleased about was the presence of a bit of humor. Cytonic is not necessarily a “humorous” book, but there are definitely funnier parts to ease some tension. I had previously enjoyed the humor in one of Brandon Sanderson’s younger series, Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, and was glad that this series also included it. The only negative thing I found was that the end was a bit confusing- it took some careful re-reading to fully understand everything that occurred.
The most memorable thing about Cytonic was how the author has created complex, highly-detailed worlds you feel like you can simply step into. I cannot fathom living somewhere like Detritus, Spin’s home planet, where the sky is only grey metal and I would live like a beetle, burrowing down and hoping for the Krell to attack another city somewhere far away. Even on the semi-normal world the Diodes, any sign of aggression is frowned upon and humans are considered equivalent to an untamable beast. Even after finishing it, I keep finding normal things in my everyday life that would shock the creatures and even humans from this novel.
Reviewed by Orielle H. At Gayton
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 