Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee is a neat novella that flies slow and low to the ground. Inspired by Persian and Arab mythology, the central focus of the story are rocs, enormous birds of prey. Or, more specifically, it follows Ester, a young woman who rises from apprentice to full-fledged ruhker, someone who raises and trains a roc. Rocs are trained to hunt for manticore, beasts that kill people indiscriminately and with little reprieve. Somewhat reserved, she is driven by her purpose with little interest in much else, her love for her bird almost as fierce as her hatred of manticores.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC and for supporting SWANA reviewers!
The novella was an enjoyable read. The first half stalled, relying heavily on the spectacle of the world Lee wove together from inspiration. Lee herself is not SWANA. I am. I am often critical of Persian representation from non-Persian authors, a very common occurrence. That being said, there was nothing wrong with the cultural elements in this story. As an Asian author, Lee is probably well aware of how to avoid orientalism in her writing and she took care when describing the food and culture. I am not Zoroastrian myself, so I cannot speak to its accuracy, but nothing jumps out to me there. Unfortunately, it was all just a bit soulless. I had no sense of love for the setting or culture. It’s not a requirement of writing a good story, but it is a requirement of writing a great one.
All the love of this novel was funneled into that bird. The roc. Ester’s roc, Zahra. I like birds. I liked reading about Zahra. Of course, it was not simply Zahra, but what Zahra represented to Ester and how she brought people together. The day-to-day of ruhking could get repetitive at times, causing the book to drag, but for the most part, it was interesting lore. Although the first half is paced slowly, it pays off in the second half. Tension rises, and I started to become afraid for the main characters. The last quarter goes by in a blur and culminates in a satisfying ending that pulls the entire novella together. My nerves frazzled out, I felt truly connected to the characters. It puts everything so far neatly into place. The end elevates the ranking of this novella an entire star.
There isn’t much more to say. Untethered Sky is a solid, quick read. I wish there was a flame beneath it that eagerly encouraged me to place it in the hands of my friends, but all I can say is that you should read it if the premise seems interesting to you. Some passages were raw and jumped out at me, threatening to pull at my heart, but I wish a bit more of the fat was trimmed.
existing ironically 