A Review: Wild Skies by K. E. Andrews

K. E. Andrews is one of those authors who continues to prove that they’re not a one-trick-pony, and Wild Skies is an expansion on the evidence of that. But just how successful can one author be writing from multiple styles and genres?

Summary

Dale is a scrappy bounty hunter who, with his dragon, Bean, is always in search of his next bounty, hoping that his next lead will help him find what happened to his long-lost parents. But the Melted Lands are as dangerous as they are arid, and his latest bounty leads him to his most dangerous criminal yet—one who may just give him the answers he’s always wanted.

Review

Wild Skies is a fantasy story that greatly benefits from the fact that it adopts many of the tropes and expectations we want and crave from a Western while infusing them with fun, fantasy elements. Anyone with experience with Western novels or films will easily feel at home here without the need for lengthy explanations to establish the world we find ourselves in.

Its classic, Western canon setting also allows for its quick-pacing novella length. The story doesn’t overstay its welcome. Instead of layering in complex plot lines, the story is focused and streamlined, allowing you to feel like you’re watching a movie.

Dale isn’t an entirely unexpected character, and because the story moves along briskly, Dale isn’t as fully rounded as he could be in a longer entry. That doesn’t mean he is a character you won’t enjoy, but I love the idea that he could be fleshed out even more with subsequent entries if Andrews delivers more stories in this world. Andrews gives us the broad strokes here so that we’re invested.

Thematically, the Western genre is often occupied with a white-hat, black-hat dichotomy. It’s actually a trope in Westerns that is generally beloved. Here, Andrews takes a card from the modern fantasy landscape, and steps into the gray. Dale is forced to reckon with a world that’s not quite what he thought, and the consequences of the new paradigm could shatter his perception of why he is who he is.

Wild Skies is wide open for a sequel. In fact, I’m expecting it. We’re left with some unanswered questions and so much more to explore.

Of course, we can’t ignore the fact that there are dragons in this world. From Bean, who is a fantastic animal companion to our protagonist, to the many subspecies of dragons presented and hinted at in this world, I find myself wondering what other types of dragons exist in the Melted Lands and, indeed, the other fantastic creatures that can be found in a potentially unique ecology.

Is Wild Skies Worth Reading?

Wild Skies is an excellent romp, that doesn’t take itself so seriously that it exactly matches the typical Western tone (I mean, it’s called a Yeehaw Dragons book!), but it doesn’t swerve into the realm of comedy. And I can recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories like Mistborn Era 2, but wouldn’t mind a shorter, more focused story. Or if you’re just looking for something to read as a palate cleanser between much longer reads, you probably won’t go wrong here.