Reviewing a Read: “The Other Side of the Sky”

In the book "The Other Side of the Sky" written by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, I got to read a story about how two people from different world cross paths.

The first main character is Nimhara, also known as Nimh, is a descendant of a divinity who never left with the other gods to go to the sky. Unlike the divinities before her, Nimh has not manifested her special "powers" and has been helpless against the mist-storms that plague the lands and her people. Because of this, groups like the graycloaks doubt her divinity and wish her to be removed from power, and even threaten her life.

The second main character is North, the prince of Aciel, a city above the clouds that's full of technology and uses engines to help it remain afloat in the sky. Because of his lineage, North feels like his life isn't his own, with the responsibilities of royalty restricting him from being himself.

North believes that one day the engines keeping them afloat will fail, but he is banned from trying to go below to recover the lost technology of how the engines were built. He refuses to listen, though, and decides to go below, but instead of a smooth landing, his glider malfunctions, and he ends up crashing to the ground. There he meets Nimh, who believes that he might be the key to a long-forgotten prophecy that will save her world.

With the promise to help get him home, North decides to go back with Nimh to her temple to find answers.

While faced with many enemies, they learn that they will need to trust one another to bring North home and save Nimh's people.

As the story progresses, you can see the differences and similarities between North and Nimh. North comes from a world full of wealth and technology, while Nimh is from a world stricken with poverty and magic. Nimh has learned that sometimes you won't always find a reason for everything, and you must have faith, while North is the opposite and is certain that there is a reason for everything. North also wants to escape his title, but Nimh wants nothing more than to live up to it.

Even with those differences, they do have some similarities. Both want to help their people and know what it's like to have the responsibility of being a leader. They both bond over what they've sacrificed and what they've had to endure.

Overall I really enjoyed this story; the twists and turns always kept me on my feet and left me wanting to read more. As I read more and more, I could feel myself getting attached to the characters. I felt so immersed in this world, feeling each character's emotions, rooting for them to reach their goals, and being a little sad to find that I had reached the end of this story, my mind itching to find out what happens next.

The world-building was also fantastic; the way Amie and Meagan managed to meld two worlds together that don't seem like they would mesh is incredible!

The imagery was beautiful, and everything was very fleshed out. It felt like an actual place with its own traditions, customs, and ways of life. I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to a sequel. It was an enjoyable read, and I think anyone who is interested in a story that is a fantasy sci-fi blend would enjoy it.