Book Review: Skylark, by Meagan Spooner @MeaganSpooner

Skylark is a science fiction fantasy that reads like a dystopian. While the writing, characters, and pacing are good, some of the fantasy elements left me rolling my eyes.

Lark lives under a dome that provides a manufactured sun and runs on magical power which it harvests from its adolescents. Lark can't wait to be harvested. She will finally be an adult. And at 15, she's had to wait longer than most young people. However, when she gets harvested, it is much worse than she anticipated, and she finds out things aren't going to get better.  She seems to be a "renewable" - a person who can keep renewing their power. That's why the government wants to keep harvesting her forever. She must escape from the dome and from everything she's ever known.

She does manage to escape, and discovers she has much more magical power than she realized. She knows nothing of any other cities, but she is determined to find a place where there are more renewables. The rest of the book is her great adventure, where she meets horrible zombie-like creatures, magic like she's never seen before (both good and bad), and a friend, Oren, who helps her to the Iron Forest that she is looking for.

Lark isn't a strong character. Every situation she overcomes (except for the ending) is because someone or something assists her. Yes, she does use some of her power sometimes, but usually when she least expects it. I think Oren is the most interesting character. He's very mysterious and surprising.

I'm the first to admit I'm not a real fantasy fan. And when the trees tried to grab and eat Lark, I had to roll my eyes. I know that's a bit of a spoiler, but it really has nothing to do with the plot, and it was over the top.  Also, I wasn't a big fan of the pixies. I didn't really get them, and they were used too much. The "escape from the dome" theme seems to be quite common lately (Pure and Under the Never Sky are a couple that immediately come to mind) and I'm afraid it might be getting a bit tiresome for me.

Despite those few annoyances, I really enjoyed Skylark. The plot moves along and there are plenty of twists and surprises. There's enough details to sustain another book. Lark's brother, Basil, who left the dome before Lark, is missing, and she's also on a quest to find him. I'm interested in continuing The Skylark series. I hope Lark gets tough, and I'm willing to put up with the pixies....

Published by Carolrhoda Books, August 1, 2012
eARC obtained from Netgalley
344 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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