SPARROW RISING

Author: Jessica Khoury

My rating: 4.8 out of 5.

In a world where everyone has wings, one girl dreams of flying higher than she should.

Everyone from the sparrow clan works as farmers, but Ellie dreams of becoming a goldwing knight. Only problem, the knights have only ever been chosen from the high clans, like falcons or eagles. But Ellie won’t let precedents like that stop her from competing in the qualifying goldwing race. When she meets a few kids on their way to the capital, Ellie gladly joins them. Yet, as she travels from her quiet village to the capital, Ellie discovers a different side to the world that she believed in. Not all heroes live up to their legends, and not all criminals are as bad as they seem.

This was a fantastic children’s book. Ellie was an overly optimistic narrator, always believing in the impossible, and always striving to succeed despite all obstacles. Thankfully, she was offset by a group of more pragmatic kids who were all too aware of the darker sides of life. Ellie started off happy and naive, but she matured a lot throughout the story.

The other characters were a well rounded group. They each had their own backstories and subplots. They made a great friends/found family team.

The road to the capital wasn’t easy, especially not for a naive farm girl. Ellie may not be a goldwing yet, but she’s lived by their virtues all her life, and she will not give up on her dreams. Between lethal stone monsters, robbers, and angry soldiers, the trip was an eventful journey full of magic, flying, and great friendships.