Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson, Janci Patterson Narrator: Suzy Jackson
Series: Riftwake #1
Published by Delacorte Press on September 1, 2026
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction Fantasy, Space Opera
Pages: 496
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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After decades of war against alien oppressors, the humans of the Defiant Defense Force are finally free. Yet for Arturo Mendez, leader of Skyward Flight, freedom isn’t what he thought it would be.
His first postwar assignment seems simple: The DDF has found evidence of other settlements of humans who were isolated during their long war against the aliens, and Arturo and his flight of pilots are to escort a team of diplomats as they attempt to make contact. It’s an easy mission—get in, guard the diplomats, and get out.
But no element of this mission turns out to be simple. Blightfall is inhospitable, surrounded by mysterious debris and covered in giant, invasive forests that have swallowed most of the planet. Upon arrival, Arturo’s team is attacked, and it quickly becomes clear that this human settlement isn’t what it appears to be.
Blightfall is the first book in a Riftwake a spin off or sequel series to Skyward. This is YA all the way, with fast paced plot lines, cool fight scenes and sweet innocent slow build romances. While you can read it without reading the Skyward series first, I think some of the world building would be lost to you as the story takes off with almost an assumption you already understand this world.
Arturo is flight lead after it seems almost everyone else from his class were promoted or fell during training or the battles against the Krell. Is it bad he is struggling to fit into a world at peace, one were there are quiet moments and they have destroyed the enemy? When a diplomatic mission comes up it seems like it will be simple. Take the diplomats to another prison planet for humans, protect the diplomates and make first contact in hopes of adding them to the Alliance. One problem, the planet seems to be under the control of someone, the humans don’t know the war has already been fought and they are all preparing for end times. Also, all the diplomats might be dead and Arturo is going to need to figure out who on the flight should fill the role.
The other PoV is from Sadie, a pilot in the flight that barely made the cut for this mission. She talks a lot and sometimes says inappropriate things but she keeps the morale of the crew up and she is an ace when it comes to flying. If she could just learn to talk to the guy she has been crushing on for what feels like forever she might be able to figure out if he is crushing on her too. Crashed on the planet with said guy, she should have plenty of time to see if the sly looks can turn into even more. Also, they will need to see if they can make contact with some humans, find a way off planet and warn Jorgan back at the DDF before more team members get killed.
This is a fast paced and pretty fun story, with a decent bad guy. I liked how different this new planet was from the others we have seen in this world and how the nothing plays a part here too. For fans of the Skyward series there will be some cameo’s and easter eggs to catch throughout as well. I did miss Spensa though. No matter how much Sadie tried to talk smack pre-battle, no one does that better than Spensa.
For fun there are some interludes with the Slugs. Who knew slugs wanted to cuddle so much. I guess when you are a Tanix, eating mushrooms and cuddling are your top priorities. It was fun to be in their minds for short times to see how they experience the world.
Overall an interesting expansion on the world and a new team to cheer for with some cute young love added into the mix.
About Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson was born in 1975 in Lincoln, Nebraska. As a child Brandon enjoyed reading, but he lost interest in the types of titles often suggested to him, and by junior high he never cracked a book if he could help it. This changed when an eighth grade teacher gave him Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly.
Brandon was working on his thirteenth novel when Moshe Feder at Tor Books bought the sixth he had written. Tor has published Elantris, the Mistborn trilogy and its followup The Alloy of Law, Warbreaker, and The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance, the first two in the planned ten-volume series The Stormlight Archive. He was chosen to complete Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series; 2009’s The Gathering Storm and 2010’s Towers of Midnight were followed by the final book in the series, A Memory of Light, in January 2013. Four books in his middle-grade Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series have been released in new editions by Starscape, and his novella Infinity Blade Awakening was an ebook bestseller for Epic Games accompanying their acclaimed Infinity Blade iOS video game series. Two more novellas, Legion and The Emperor’s Soul, were released by Subterranean Press and Tachyon Publications in 2012, and 2013 brought two young adult novels, The Rithmatist from Tor and Steelheart from Delacorte.
The only author to make the short list for the David Gemmell Legend Award six times in four years, Brandon won that award in 2011 for The Way of Kings. The Emperor’s Soul won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novella. He has appeared on the New York Times Best-Seller List multiple times, with five novels hitting the #1 spot.
Currently living in Utah with his wife and children, Brandon teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University.
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