UNTETHERED SKY - Fonda Lee

When Esther was a child, she watched as one of the most dangerous creatures alive, a manticore, killed and devoured her mother and baby brother. Esther survived only by hiding out of reach  in the family well - coming out only when rescuers arrived. 

It is likely that this event shaped who Ether becomes - a rukher.  Joining the King's Royal Mews, Esther, a young woman to be paired with her first roc - a giant bird of prey named Zahra. Both Esther and Zahra will make sacrifices to bond with one another. Rocs are masterful manticore hunter/killers, but a roc that isn't trained well could just as easily attack a human when hungry. Now, Esther and Zahra  will head out on one of the most dangerous manticore hunts ever. Threats will come from manticore but also from other rocs, which tend to be very territorial.

This is a beautifully written novella. Esther isn't a 'hero' in the sense of someone who goes above and beyond does something unusually remarkable.  But she IS a hero in the sense that she's someone who has dedicated her life to being of service. I feel that this is unusual in the fantasy genre, but author Fonda Lee does such a magnificent job of bringing us an 'ordinary' person in an extraordinary world that we just fall right into the narrative.

But there's more than just a great character study here. There's a poignancy here with the relationship between the roc and Esther that is far stronger than romance. There's a very strong bond but Lee makes it clear that the roc, despite the years of care and training, is still a wild animal and unpredictable as such.

All in all, for me, a really lovely introduction to the work of Fonda Lee.

Looking for a good book? Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee is a touching fantasy well worth reading.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

4-1/2 stars

* * * * * *

Untethered Sky

author: Fonda Lee

publisher: Tordotcom

ISBN: 9781250842466

hardcover, 152 pages