the_bookarazzii's review
5.0
The End of all Skies is based on Asian Mythology, specifically that of the Philippines. This is a blend of fantasy and mythology, which made this book more enjoyable.
The book talks about different mankind societies linked up with each other and their tactics to conquer the country. The main story revolves around the city of Sun Girna Ginar which is ruled by the Sultan and the skyworld which was inhabited by gods. Most of the gods of the skyworld have vanished because of the Sultan and the remaining are cursing him for the destruction. There are so many people who are seeking some ideas to destroy Sultan.
There are a lot of characters such as Magat, Baligat, Hamitau, Adlao and many more telling their problems. And there is one old witch who knows that the city will be destroyed soon and she uses her power to influence humans to destroy the city of Sun Girna Ginar by selling dreams. Isn’t this part interesting? I was hooked right from here and couldn’t stop.
This novel is fast-paced with many magical creatures such as tikibalang, giant birds, Betkakang, Gawi- Gawen. With everything in the story, the book also leaves an impression of karma, acceptance, love, loss and eternal life.
This was my first filipino folklore, and i loved reading it so much. I love Knowing more about other cultures and lifestyles. The reason I read read this book was the title.
I don’t know whether I have used the right words to justify this beautiful book but it was amazing and something unique.
The book talks about different mankind societies linked up with each other and their tactics to conquer the country. The main story revolves around the city of Sun Girna Ginar which is ruled by the Sultan and the skyworld which was inhabited by gods. Most of the gods of the skyworld have vanished because of the Sultan and the remaining are cursing him for the destruction. There are so many people who are seeking some ideas to destroy Sultan.
There are a lot of characters such as Magat, Baligat, Hamitau, Adlao and many more telling their problems. And there is one old witch who knows that the city will be destroyed soon and she uses her power to influence humans to destroy the city of Sun Girna Ginar by selling dreams. Isn’t this part interesting? I was hooked right from here and couldn’t stop.
This novel is fast-paced with many magical creatures such as tikibalang, giant birds, Betkakang, Gawi- Gawen. With everything in the story, the book also leaves an impression of karma, acceptance, love, loss and eternal life.
This was my first filipino folklore, and i loved reading it so much. I love Knowing more about other cultures and lifestyles. The reason I read read this book was the title.
I don’t know whether I have used the right words to justify this beautiful book but it was amazing and something unique.
literary_hazelnut's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
icabooklavender94's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
5.0
A huge shout-out to Penguin Books SEA for this e-Arc copy of The End of All Skies by Vincent C. Sales! If you're interested, this book will be released on September 6th 2022! So, keep your eyes peeled!
Many years ago, on telly, we had this show called The Legends of the Ring of Fire on Disney Channel. I loved that show because it recounts stories from Asian folklore that were passed down from genration to genration. At that time, the animation was high quality and spot on. When I first picked this book up, it felt nostalgic like I was transported back to my childhood days, sitting in front of telly and watching that amazing show. Thats how I felt about the book. It was simply amazing.
Based on the Filipino mythology, this book was beautifully constructed with several fantastical elements such as the tikbalang, the six headed giant Gawi-Gawen, head hunters and etc.
But what I adore most about the book is the city Sun Girna Ginar that is centered around the story. A place that I can already picture it clearly in my head. Oh, and lets not forget about Skyworld too, a place inhabited by the gods.
I am not usually a fan of fantasy and magical realism stories, but this book is worth reading! It's fast-paced and the story just captivates you! I love reading about mythologies from different countries and this was something new yet similar for me. Again, one of my favourite books of the year!
Many years ago, on telly, we had this show called The Legends of the Ring of Fire on Disney Channel. I loved that show because it recounts stories from Asian folklore that were passed down from genration to genration. At that time, the animation was high quality and spot on. When I first picked this book up, it felt nostalgic like I was transported back to my childhood days, sitting in front of telly and watching that amazing show. Thats how I felt about the book. It was simply amazing.
Based on the Filipino mythology, this book was beautifully constructed with several fantastical elements such as the tikbalang, the six headed giant Gawi-Gawen, head hunters and etc.
But what I adore most about the book is the city Sun Girna Ginar that is centered around the story. A place that I can already picture it clearly in my head. Oh, and lets not forget about Skyworld too, a place inhabited by the gods.
I am not usually a fan of fantasy and magical realism stories, but this book is worth reading! It's fast-paced and the story just captivates you! I love reading about mythologies from different countries and this was something new yet similar for me. Again, one of my favourite books of the year!
pageglue's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The End of All Skies is perhaps the coolest and most epic revenge story I’ve ever read! If that turns you off, there are a few things you should know that set it apart:
1. The story setting is based on Southeast Asian folklore and mythology, and it’s told like a myth, so the writing is fairly simple but in a fireside, attention-grabbing way. Sales incorporated world building details from various cultures, and Skyworld (where the gods and other magical beings live - sort of like Olympus) was really cool too.
2. The story is told from SO many perspectives. Something I really appreciated was that although there was talk of gods and princesses and monsters, most of the people we followed were from the lower castes (I get quite bored with royal culture). Barely any of the characters are well-developed since we spend so little time with each of them, but they all have a connection with one person and with their city, Sun Ginar Girna.
3. There’s is an evil sultan who everyone hates. There is no singular resistance to him, but there are many plots to take him and the city down. Everyone’s plans are grand, and it was so fun to see the many plots and schemes and how they turn out or fail, or fail but actually help out someone else’s plans by accident. So, even though the story as a whole is about one person’s revenge, we don’t stew over their rage and how wronged they feel; the rage is spread out among the characters, each with their own motivations.
Two warnings. There are so many characters, and my copy didn’t have a list of characters at the back, so I sometimes forgot who certain people were, so maybe keep note of them somewhere. There’s also an instance of ableist/other unsavoury language when describing an ugly monster, which really took me out of this epic battle scene.
Despite that, I really loved this book and the plot was so exciting that I couldn’t wait for work to finish so I could jump back into it.
Thanks so much Penguin SEA for this e-ARC. #EndOfAllSkiesCrew #PenguinSEA #AsianFantasy
1. The story setting is based on Southeast Asian folklore and mythology, and it’s told like a myth, so the writing is fairly simple but in a fireside, attention-grabbing way. Sales incorporated world building details from various cultures, and Skyworld (where the gods and other magical beings live - sort of like Olympus) was really cool too.
2. The story is told from SO many perspectives. Something I really appreciated was that although there was talk of gods and princesses and monsters, most of the people we followed were from the lower castes (I get quite bored with royal culture). Barely any of the characters are well-developed since we spend so little time with each of them, but they all have a connection with one person and with their city, Sun Ginar Girna.
3. There’s is an evil sultan who everyone hates. There is no singular resistance to him, but there are many plots to take him and the city down. Everyone’s plans are grand, and it was so fun to see the many plots and schemes and how they turn out or fail, or fail but actually help out someone else’s plans by accident. So, even though the story as a whole is about one person’s revenge, we don’t stew over their rage and how wronged they feel; the rage is spread out among the characters, each with their own motivations.
Two warnings. There are so many characters, and my copy didn’t have a list of characters at the back, so I sometimes forgot who certain people were, so maybe keep note of them somewhere. There’s also an instance of ableist/other unsavoury language when describing an ugly monster, which really took me out of this epic battle scene.
Despite that, I really loved this book and the plot was so exciting that I couldn’t wait for work to finish so I could jump back into it.
Thanks so much Penguin SEA for this e-ARC. #EndOfAllSkiesCrew #PenguinSEA #AsianFantasy
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism
Towards the end, there’s a description of a monster with many heads. The heads are all ugly, and he describes one of them as having the face of a ‘r*tarded child’.
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