Sofia's Reviews > Untethered Sky

When you love a person, you are expected to give them their freedom, but when you love a monster, you keep it caged.

Untethered Sky follows Ester, a rukher, the keeper and partner of her roc, Zahra. Zahra is a deadly bird of immense proportions, trained to hunt the terrifying manticore: a beast attracted to the screams of its prey. What struck me the most about this beautiful story was Ester’s helpless wonder in the face of her roc, and her bittersweet knowledge that she needs Zahra so much more than Zahra will ever need her. This is the futility of being utterly in love with a beast that could never love her back, because wild things are not meant to be loved.

The characters are written superbly. Even though the writing was understated, I could tell exactly what kind of people (or rocs) they were from the brief time I was with them. Every part of the book was crafted with this same care. I love stories like this: Untethered Sky doesn’t stay longer than it needs to, but it left an indelible impression on my heart nevertheless.

I’m astonished at how Fonda Lee managed to evoke specific, piercing emotions in me in such a short book. The ending left me in tears. This is a story I’ve been waiting for: spare, gracefully told, filled with feelings of overwhelming awe and quiet aching. It feels like a folktale, complete with the incoming dread of a fable, yet balanced with the same comfort and warmth. I will treasure Untethered Sky for years to come.


5 stars