Taking Flight by K. Scriven is a fun fantasy adventure about family, pursuing your dreams and embracing who you are. I thoroughly enjoyed this first instalment of Sira’s story, which introduces us to a world that’s a fascinating mashup of steampunk, fae and mages.
Sira is a feisty young woman who has rejected her magical heritage in favour of training to fly airships. But she soon gets stranded in the forest with a celebrated young mage and embroiled in a dangerous plot that sees her fighting for both their lives.
I loved how the author gradually revealed Sira’s history — her strained relationship with her twin brother, the tragedy of her deceased parents — which shaped her into the person she is at the beginning of the novel. Sira’s inner arc in this book deals with her coming to terms with these familial relationships and her attitude to magic in general. There’s also a teeny bit of a romantic subplot between Sira and James as they fight together for survival.
Overall, Taking Flight has plenty of action, revelation and hints of sinister conspiracies that suggest this story is just getting started.
