⚡ Babylonia by Costanza Casati — 4.25/5

I went into this one mostly blind, relying on the fact that I loved another book by this author — and it did not disappoint. At the beginning, I was a little lost about where the story was going and how it would get there, and I found the pacing a bit slow because of that. However, around the 40% mark I was fully invested and knew I would likely enjoy how everything played out.

As before, Casati’s writing style really lends itself to the story. I think the character work shines most in this book. What’s interesting is that the characters are mostly open books — their desires and motivations are clear — but that doesn’t make them any less intriguing. Instead, it makes you wonder whether each character will practice restraint or give in to temptation. The family and political dynamics also add layers to the relationships.

Though our FMC, Semiramis, is active in her own story and willing to involve herself in war and politics, she somehow still comes across as a quiet character. She’s more a person of subtlety while everyone around her constantly tells her she is loud. I love the contrast between how she sees the world and makes decisions versus how others react to her. This is especially clear in how she seeks power for protection while others claim she pursues it out of greed. The way everyone continually places blame on her — as society often does to women — for others’ actions or shared responsibility, and how she brushes it off, makes her likable even when she makes questionable choices. Her handling of relationships with the men around her, and her reflections on her own decisions, make her relatable.

The male characters are largely self-obsessed and carry shadows of psychological suffering from aspects of their past. I found Onnes the most interesting — he seemed the most in control until he wasn’t — while Ninus felt very swept up in his emotions.

Themes of revenge, prophecy and divine rule, lineage and parent–child bonds, love/devotion/obsession, war-related trauma, and freedom are woven in tactfully without feeling overdone. That said, there were certain aspects I would have liked to see explored further such as the reactions to Ribat's freedom from the other slaves or more scenes from the past showing how the previous king was rather than us being told from the possibly biased perspectives of those still alive.

"The sun, red as a flame, dropped below the western bank of clouds, underlighting them, hanging on the rim of the world."

A brilliant book!

Exquisite writing, amazing storytelling and lovely characters.

Who knows love? Who says he knows love? What is love, tell me. “I know love,” Says the littlest one. “Love is like a flower.” “Why is love a flower? Little one tell me.” “Love is a flower For the sweetness it gives Before it dies away.”

The last few chapters, particularly the ending, are so well written.

"One sun for the god. Two moons for his beloved sisters. Uncountable stars to shine in the night. Oh, man and woman, born to a dark path, only look up and the lights shall guide you home."

⭐️ Bound by the Sky by Megan G. Elisabeth - 2.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the ARC!

TLDR: An intriguing magic system and promising worldbuilding, but uneven writing—especially in dialogue, character development, and pacing—prevents the story from landing emotionally. Ultimately, the lack of organic character growth and tension made it difficult for me to stay invested.

📖 Who Would Enjoy This Book:

• Readers who enjoy YA fantasy with pirate and steampunk elements
• Fans of Pirates of the Caribbean–style aesthetics and vibes

This is a debut novel, and while I genuinely admire the ambition behind it, Bound by the Sky ultimately didn’t work for me. The core issue comes down to writing mechanics. The writing simply didn’t support the story being told, and that weakness rippled outward—affecting the characters, relationship dynamics, plot execution, and pacing.

✅ The Positives

• Magic System: The relic-and-aether magic system was one of the stronger elements. The class system for relics was logical and easy to follow, and their importance to the world was clearly emphasized. Several relics were also memorably named (Hellsgate, Genesis, Nightmare), which helped ground the magic in the setting.

• Worldbuilding Potential: The sky cities, Sky Lords, and relic industry were introduced in compelling ways, but unfortunately not developed enough. With more sensory detail and lived-in descriptions, the sky cities could have felt vibrant and immersive. I also appreciated the attempt to tie the relic industry to socioeconomic commentary, though this remained fairly surface-level and never fully evolved.

• Intentional Character Backstories: There was a clear effort to give most characters motivations and pasts, which I appreciated. However, these backstories were almost entirely told rather than shown, often through extended dialogue. Instead of deepening emotional investment, they frequently disrupted the narrative flow by pulling the reader out of the story.

• Narrative Callbacks: The book does make an effort to bring back elements introduced earlier in the story, which I always like to see.

• Action Scenes: The action sequences were generally well-written and easy to visualize. That said, characters often held long, detailed conversations while actively trying to kill one another, which strained believability and undercut tension.

🔨 Areas for Improvement

• Dialogue This is a very dialogue-heavy book, which isn’t inherently a problem—but much of it felt unnatural and overly constructed. One major issue is linguistic inconsistency. The world appears historical in its social norms and aesthetics: women wear dresses in public, chastity and arranged marriages are emphasized, and women with male friends are scrutinized. Yet the dialogue is distinctly modern, with phrases like “spill,” “sleepover,” and “put out,” interspersed awkwardly with “my lady” and “Miss.” This clash makes the setting feel indecisive and underdeveloped. Additionally, conversations often feel templated—like placeholders for information dumps rather than organic exchanges. It frequently felt as though the author was thinking, “This is where they discuss X, Y, and Z.” Real conversations rely on subtext, silence, miscommunication, and emotional gaps. Here, Amaya often states exactly how she’s feeling at all times, which makes the dialogue feel plot-driven rather than character-driven. Despite being in their early-to-mid twenties, many characters read as much younger. The immaturity isn’t just behavioral—it’s embedded in the dialogue itself, which often feels juvenile and ungrounded.

• Characters There’s a genuine attempt at balanced characterization, but again, the writing undermines it. Amaya feels very Mary Sue–adjacent. She’s difficult to define beyond familiar tropes: a sheltered girl who learns to shoot, a “mostly average” music student who plays piano for pirates as emotional catharsis. We’re told she grows, but we rarely see her emotionally wrestle with anything in a meaningful or sustained way. She grieves briefly, reflects for a page, and then pivots forward. There’s little space for her to stew, contradict herself, or sit with discomfort in a complex way. Will feels underdeveloped and inconsistent. He asserts dominance and control because “he is a Sky Lord,” yet is inexplicably soft toward Amaya almost immediately. It feels like the author couldn’t decide whether he should be rough-edged or gentle. His moody outbursts—particularly regarding Amaya’s engagement—feel abrupt and repetitive rather than revealing. Overall, emotional connection to the cast is hindered not by lack of ideas, but by execution.

• Pacing The book felt longer than necessary. Cutting roughly 100 pages, especially plotlines that add little emotional or narrative weight, would significantly improve pacing. While the opening moves quickly (which I appreciated), I actually think we needed more time early on—particularly with Camden—to establish emotional stakes before events unfold.

• Plot While I haven’t personally seen Pirates of the Caribbean, reading summaries afterward revealed several similarities in premise and structure that raised questions about originality. There are twists and developments that are thoughtfully planned, but they lack payoff due to insufficient tension and limited character investment.

• Romance This was one of the weakest aspects for me. The romance relies heavily on insta-lust followed by forced proximity. There’s very little genuine push-and-pull, emotional buildup, or meaningful connection. It feels more obligatory than earned.

Final Thoughts: Bound by the Sky ultimately wasn’t the book for me, largely due to its writing. That said, I do appreciate the ambition behind it and the attempt to explore a different niche within the fantasy genre. As a debut, there’s clear potential here, and I’m hopeful that future books from this author will show growth—particularly in dialogue, character interiority, and narrative cohesion.