Sparrow Rising (Skyborn #1)

Author: Khoury, Jessica

Reading age: from c 8 years

Published on 1 July 2021 by Scholastic US in the United States.

Hardback | 288 pages
149 x 217 x 27 | 388g

Jessica Khoury brings her masterful world-building and

emotional depth to an exciting fantasy series.

In a world where everyone is born with wings, stone monsters

prowl the skies, hunting those who dare to fly too high.

In the Clandoms, everyone is born with wings, with tight-knit

communities formed around bird types: Jay, Falcon, Crow.

Ellie Meadows dreams of growing up to join the Goldwings - the

famed knights who defend all the people of the Clandoms. It was

a Goldwing, after all, who saved her life on that terrible day her

parents were killed.

There's just one problem: Ellie is a Sparrow, and the Goldwings

are almost invariably picked from the higher clans like Eagles

and Ospreys. This rigid hierarchy means that Ellie is destined to

become a farmer.

Determined to honor her parents' memories and prove herself worthy

of the Goldwings, Ellie sets out on her own for the capital.

But her journey will be dangerous. Foul creatures called gargols

lurk behind every cloud, ready to slay anyone unlucky enough to

be caught outside in a storm - just as Ellie's family was.

Soon her path intertwines with a colorful band of fellow outcasts,

each with their own aspirations... and their own secrets. Ellie's

new friends offer not just roadside companionship. They'll

challenge her ideas of right, wrong, and what truly makes a hero.

Fast-paced, highly imaginative middle grade fantasy

Perfect for fans of Wings of Fire

Explores important issues such as racism, classism, privilege

and systemic oppression