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Five Kingdoms #1
Sky Raiders
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Middle Grade & Children's (2014)Adventure awaits in the Five Kingdoms—come and claim it in this start to a new series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven and Beyonders series.
Cole Randolph was just trying to have a fun time with his friends on Halloween (and maybe get to know Jenna Hunt a little better). But when a spooky haunted house turns out to be a portal to something much creepier, Cole finds himself on an adventure on a whole different level.
After Cole sees his friends whisked away to some mysterious place underneath the haunted house, he dives in after them—and ends up in The Outskirts. The Outskirts are made up of five kingdoms that lie between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. It’s an in-between place. Some people are born there. Some find their way there from our world, or from other worlds.
And once you come to the Outskirts, it’s very hard to leave.
With the magic of the Outskirts starting to unravel, it’s up to Cole and an unusual girl named Mira to rescue his friends, set things right in the Outskirts, and hopefully find his way back home…before his existence is forgotten.
Cole Randolph was just trying to have a fun time with his friends on Halloween (and maybe get to know Jenna Hunt a little better). But when a spooky haunted house turns out to be a portal to something much creepier, Cole finds himself on an adventure on a whole different level.
After Cole sees his friends whisked away to some mysterious place underneath the haunted house, he dives in after them—and ends up in The Outskirts. The Outskirts are made up of five kingdoms that lie between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. It’s an in-between place. Some people are born there. Some find their way there from our world, or from other worlds.
And once you come to the Outskirts, it’s very hard to leave.
With the magic of the Outskirts starting to unravel, it’s up to Cole and an unusual girl named Mira to rescue his friends, set things right in the Outskirts, and hopefully find his way back home…before his existence is forgotten.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
1119 people are currently reading
18833 people want to read
About the author
Brandon Mull
71 books10.6k followersBRANDON MULL is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Fablehaven, Dragonwatch, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms series. A kinetic thinker, Brandon enjoys bouncy balls, squeezable stress toys, and popping bubble wrap. He lives in Utah in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife, Erlyn, their eleven children, and three mischievous cats. Brandon loves meeting his readers and hearing about their experiences with his books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,814 reviews
June 22, 2023
Tak jak Baśniobór niezbyt mi podszedł, tak ta książka jest GENIALNA
Want to read
August 5, 2013New Brandon Mull book?
HECK. YES.
HECK. YES.
October 16, 2013
I love, love, love Brandon Mull's Fablehaven and Beyonders series, so while I was extremely excited to read this new series, I was also a little afraid that there was NO WAY Five Kingdoms: Sky Raiders could entice me the way the others had. Well, my fears were completely unfounded--I loved it! Mull has a talent for imagining unique and complex worlds--he has a fantastic imagination. That being said, he also has a strange talent for creating increasingly unique ways for his heroes to enter these strange new worlds (think hippopotamus!!) and Sky Raiders is no exception. Cole and his unsuspecting friends visit what promises to be a spooky haunted house, only to find that the dangers within are more real than they ever could have imagined. Sky Raiders introduces us to The Outskirts, a magical and dangerous place made up of five kingdoms. Readers follow Cole's adventures through the Outskirts as he struggles to stay alive and figure out a way to help his friends. Sky Raiders immediately pulls you in and takes you on a fast-paced ride. I could not put this book down and I cannot wait to see what adventures the rest of the series holds. Sky Raiders is everything I love best about Brandon Mull's writing: fast-paced adventure, unique worlds, and engaging characters.
March 6, 2017
Le sobran diálogos y le faltan límites para su magia.
Es un libro entrenido, con una ambientación que rebosa imaginación y maravilla. Pero creo que su sistema mágico está un poco verde, de esos en los que no sabes realmente qué se puede hacer con la magia y qué no, y a veces X cosa es posible y al momento siguiente no, porque sí.
Aun así, creo que seguiré por la saga, porque los siguientes libros prometen mejorar, al habernos saltado ya la parte más introductoria.
Es un libro entrenido, con una ambientación que rebosa imaginación y maravilla. Pero creo que su sistema mágico está un poco verde, de esos en los que no sabes realmente qué se puede hacer con la magia y qué no, y a veces X cosa es posible y al momento siguiente no, porque sí.
Aun así, creo que seguiré por la saga, porque los siguientes libros prometen mejorar, al habernos saltado ya la parte más introductoria.
August 7, 2016
I'm upset that I can't say I enjoyed this book as much as I did Fablehaven and Beyonders. With both of those series, I fell in love with the first book and couldn't wait for the next. With Sky Raiders, while its not bad, I'm not hooked either.
I think maybe its because I got pretty interested in the whole sky castle part with Cole working there. When it changed so quickly into the journey with Mira, I just couldn't find myself enjoying the rest of the book. I was still hanging onto wanting to know more about the castles, cloudwalls, and the job of being a Sky Raider.
I'm also not attached to any certain character either. They all feel the same to me at this point. Sure, they do have different personalities but there wasn't much else. This may also be a reason as to why I did not connect well to this book.
I still plan to read the rest of the series, no question, but now I'll be worried on whether I'll love it or ...grow to love it.
I think maybe its because I got pretty interested in the whole sky castle part with Cole working there. When it changed so quickly into the journey with Mira, I just couldn't find myself enjoying the rest of the book. I was still hanging onto wanting to know more about the castles, cloudwalls, and the job of being a Sky Raider.
I'm also not attached to any certain character either. They all feel the same to me at this point. Sure, they do have different personalities but there wasn't much else. This may also be a reason as to why I did not connect well to this book.
I still plan to read the rest of the series, no question, but now I'll be worried on whether I'll love it or ...grow to love it.
October 15, 2019
Boring.
A little bit of action that didn't last long.
Only liked one character. #twitch
A little bit of action that didn't last long.
Only liked one character. #twitch
October 9, 2013
Before anyone will start bashing me (for all the right reasons) for rating this book without actually reading it yet, hear me out first okay?
Okay.
I just really want to point out that as much as I love the Beyonders series, the last book from that particular series failed me. Miserably (thats probably because I was expecting a lot from it. PPS: add to the fact that I ship Rachel and Jason PPPS: ).
Anywaaaay, my point is, I just really wish that this will be great. Greater than The Fablehaven Series, Greater than the Beyonders. I hope I could see Mr. Mulls writing and storytelling prowess improve more. I hope that this series wont be too long (judging from the fact that his books are getting more expensive). And lastly, I just seriously hope that he'll keep up his momentum this time around ;)
Okay.
I just really want to point out that as much as I love the Beyonders series, the last book from that particular series failed me. Miserably (thats probably because I was expecting a lot from it. PPS: add to the fact that I ship Rachel and Jason PPPS: ).
Anywaaaay, my point is, I just really wish that this will be great. Greater than The Fablehaven Series, Greater than the Beyonders. I hope I could see Mr. Mulls writing and storytelling prowess improve more. I hope that this series wont be too long (judging from the fact that his books are getting more expensive). And lastly, I just seriously hope that he'll keep up his momentum this time around ;)
September 3, 2023
I like the premise of the Five Kingdoms: five realms of different magical systems and different technologies. This book takes place in Sambria, a kingdom based around dreams. Brandon Mull has a very creative imagination. The stuff in here is crazy.
The beginning of the book is actually pretty creepy. After Cole and his friends are kidnapped and sold into slavery, we spend about half the book with Cole and some new friends raiding castles in the sky. Then Cole and his new friends embark on a quest. I would have liked to see more of the sky castles, but the rest of the adventure is wild and unpredictable.
It will appeal to fantasy/adventure fans of all ages.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Threats, roughness
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
(Updated)
The beginning of the book is actually pretty creepy. After Cole and his friends are kidnapped and sold into slavery, we spend about half the book with Cole and some new friends raiding castles in the sky. Then Cole and his new friends embark on a quest. I would have liked to see more of the sky castles, but the rest of the adventure is wild and unpredictable.
It will appeal to fantasy/adventure fans of all ages.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Threats, roughness
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
(Updated)
November 25, 2015
I loved parts of this fantasy adventure. It has a Harry Potter/Percy Jackson feeling, but some of the elements are original and creative. Unfortunately, my favorite parts--the adventures that Cole has in the cloud castles as a Sky Raider--are short lived and last only a few chapters. The settings and character purposes change so much that it was hard to connect with the story. There's also a lot of "Cole sits down and listens to another character explain something" chapters, and while I like getting clarifying backstory, I would prefer that it come from adventure and discovery. An original story with promise, but only a like from me.
January 1, 2021
Not a bad book by any means, just was not the adventure book for me. Liked some parts of it, like the friendship but overall I wasn't invested in the story
April 20, 2025
مهاجمان آسمان
مجموعه: پنج پادشاهی – جلد اول
✍ نویسنده: برندون مال
📖 ژانر: فانتزی / ماجراجویی / نوجوان
📪 ناشر: ویدا
📆 تعداد صفحات: ۴۲۹ صفحه
⭐ امتیاز من: ۳.۵ از ۵
Even when things seem hopeless, there's always something worth fighting for.
خلاصه داستان:
همه چیز از یه مهمونی هالووین شروع میشه. وقتی کول، شخصیت اصلی داستان، همراه دوستاش وارد یه خانه وحشت میشن و ناگهان سر از دنیایی عجیب و بیگانه درمیارن؛ جایی به اسم «پنج پادشاهی». جهانی که پر از جادو، هیولا، قدرتهای عجیب و قوانین مخصوص به خودشه. حالا کول باید راهی پیدا کنه که هم خودش زنده بمونه، هم دوستاش رو پیدا کنه، و هم بفهمه چرا سر از این دنیا درآورده.
✅ دنیایی که توش این اتفاقات و ماجراجوییها پیش میاد برام جذابه. امیدوارم طبق اطلاعاتی که داد، داخل کتابهای بعدی پادشاهیهای دیگه جهان متفاوتی داشته باشن و نویسنده بتونه این رو بهمون نشون بده.
✅ سبک نوشتن برندون مال ساده، روان و مناسب نوجوانهاست؛ خیلی راحت وارد داستان میشی و با اتفاقات همراه میشی.
✅ ریتم داستان نسبتاً تند و پرماجراست، اما بعضی جاها کمی کش پیدا میکنه و باعث میشه حس کنی بعضی بخشها میتونستن کوتاهتر باشن. ( اوایل کتاب مخصوصا ولی خب از جایی که کول و میرا با هم صمیمی میشن و نجاتش میده کتاب از این رو به اون رو میشه)
✅ شخصیت کول جذابه ولی هنوز خیلی جا داره تا رشد شخصیتی پیدا کنه. به نظر میرسه تو جلدهای بعدی این روند پررنگتر بشه و نباید خردهای گرفت.
✅ بین شخصیتهای کتاب هم لیام رو دوست داشتم. هم قدرت زیادی داشت و هم فان بود.
✅ تم اصلی کتاب رو هم میتونیم دوستی و رفاقت بدونیم. و این نکته برای رده سنی کتاب خوب و مناسبه.
✅ در کل جلد اول مجموعه فوق العاده نبود. ولی اونقدر خوب بود که ترغیبت کنه بری سراغ جلدهای بعدی.
#ریویو ۳۱ فروردین ۱۴۰۴
مجموعه: پنج پادشاهی – جلد اول
✍ نویسنده: برندون مال
📖 ژانر: فانتزی / ماجراجویی / نوجوان
📪 ناشر: ویدا
📆 تعداد صفحات: ۴۲۹ صفحه
⭐ امتیاز من: ۳.۵ از ۵
Even when things seem hopeless, there's always something worth fighting for.
خلاصه داستان:
همه چیز از یه مهمونی هالووین شروع میشه. وقتی کول، شخصیت اصلی داستان، همراه دوستاش وارد یه خانه وحشت میشن و ناگهان سر از دنیایی عجیب و بیگانه درمیارن؛ جایی به اسم «پنج پادشاهی». جهانی که پر از جادو، هیولا، قدرتهای عجیب و قوانین مخصوص به خودشه. حالا کول باید راهی پیدا کنه که هم خودش زنده بمونه، هم دوستاش رو پیدا کنه، و هم بفهمه چرا سر از این دنیا درآورده.
✅ دنیایی که توش این اتفاقات و ماجراجوییها پیش میاد برام جذابه. امیدوارم طبق اطلاعاتی که داد، داخل کتابهای بعدی پادشاهیهای دیگه جهان متفاوتی داشته باشن و نویسنده بتونه این رو بهمون نشون بده.
✅ سبک نوشتن برندون مال ساده، روان و مناسب نوجوانهاست؛ خیلی راحت وارد داستان میشی و با اتفاقات همراه میشی.
✅ ریتم داستان نسبتاً تند و پرماجراست، اما بعضی جاها کمی کش پیدا میکنه و باعث میشه حس کنی بعضی بخشها میتونستن کوتاهتر باشن. ( اوایل کتاب مخصوصا ولی خب از جایی که کول و میرا با هم صمیمی میشن و نجاتش میده کتاب از این رو به اون رو میشه)
✅ شخصیت کول جذابه ولی هنوز خیلی جا داره تا رشد شخصیتی پیدا کنه. به نظر میرسه تو جلدهای بعدی این روند پررنگتر بشه و نباید خردهای گرفت.
✅ بین شخصیتهای کتاب هم لیام رو دوست داشتم. هم قدرت زیادی داشت و هم فان بود.
✅ تم اصلی کتاب رو هم میتونیم دوستی و رفاقت بدونیم. و این نکته برای رده سنی کتاب خوب و مناسبه.
✅ در کل جلد اول مجموعه فوق العاده نبود. ولی اونقدر خوب بود که ترغیبت کنه بری سراغ جلدهای بعدی.
#ریویو ۳۱ فروردین ۱۴۰۴
November 20, 2021
🔸 کتاب #پنج_پادشاهی نوشتهی #براندون_مول کتابی فانتزی حماسی با داستانی با تهمایه دلهره است. روایتی از دنیایی ناشناخته میان رویا و واقعیت...
🔹کول راندولف و دوستانش برای گذراندن یک شب هالووین فراموشنشدنی برنامه میچینند. او دوستانش را برای دیدن خانهی وحشت ترغیب میکند، اما همگی در آنجا گرفتار شده و سر از سرزمین دیگری درمیآورند؛ سرزمینی که در هیچکجا نامی از آن نیست، سرزمینی ناشناخته با وقایعی عجیب؛ سرزمینی بین واقعیت و رؤیا.
در آنجا با دختری به نام میرا آشنا شده و با کمک او سعی میکند دوستانش را نجات دهد تا قبل از اینکه به فراموشی سپرده شود، ��ه وطنش بازگردد...
🔸️ نظر من:
این کتاب هیجانانگیزه، البته که رده سنی کتاب برای نوجوان هست و بیشتر مناسب سن ۱۴ تا ۱۶ ساله ولی من از خوندنش لذت بردم.
کتاب شخصیتپردازی عجیبی داره، شخصیت اصلی داستان قوی و شجاعه ولی خب یکم زیاد از حد شجاعه😅
بخشهایی از کتاب به شدت هایپ میشین و هیجان پیش از حادثه زیادی بهتون وارد میشه ولی درحقیقت هیجان زیادی ندارند☹️
داستان خیلی خوب پرداخته شده و هیجان یک بازی کامپیوتری رو بهتون وارد میکنه.
🔸 کتاب #پنج_پادشاهی نوشتهی #براندون_مول کتابی فانتزی حماسی با داستانی با تهمایه دلهره است. روایتی از دنیایی ناشناخته میان رویا و واقعیت...
🔹کول راندولف و دوستانش برای گذراندن یک شب هالووین فراموشنشدنی برنامه میچینند. او دوستانش را برای دیدن خانهی وحشت ترغیب میکند، اما همگی در آنجا گرفتار شده و سر از سرزمین دیگری درمیآورند؛ سرزمینی که در هیچکجا نامی از آن نیست، سرزمینی ناشناخته با وقایعی عجیب؛ سرزمینی بین واقعیت و رؤیا.
در آنجا با دختری به نام میرا آشنا شده و با کمک او سعی میکند دوستانش را نجات دهد تا قبل از اینکه به فراموشی سپرده شود، ��ه وطنش بازگردد...
🔸️ نظر من:
این کتاب هیجانانگیزه، البته که رده سنی کتاب برای نوجوان هست و بیشتر مناسب سن ۱۴ تا ۱۶ ساله ولی من از خوندنش لذت بردم.
کتاب شخصیتپردازی عجیبی داره، شخصیت اصلی داستان قوی و شجاعه ولی خب یکم زیاد از حد شجاعه😅
بخشهایی از کتاب به شدت هایپ میشین و هیجان پیش از حادثه زیادی بهتون وارد میشه ولی درحقیقت هیجان زیادی ندارند☹️
داستان خیلی خوب پرداخته شده و هیجان یک بازی کامپیوتری رو بهتون وارد میکنه.
December 13, 2024
Pretty good, left on a cliffhanger….
August 6, 2013
(review based on the first 100 pages). What you can expect: a Halloween haunted house that gets a little too real, a talking smiley-face graffito that just wants you to have a better day, and floating cloud castles that may or may not be inhabited by such creatures as giant armored centipede monster insects that may or may not wish to eat your face.
I don't have any idea where he comes up with this stuff, but in my book Brandon Mull is the best middle grade fantasy writer working today. It's like he manages, as an adult, to get inside the wildest fantasies of a ten-year-old kid and bring out every vivid detail. I'm only bummed that I have to wait until March to read the rest.
I don't have any idea where he comes up with this stuff, but in my book Brandon Mull is the best middle grade fantasy writer working today. It's like he manages, as an adult, to get inside the wildest fantasies of a ten-year-old kid and bring out every vivid detail. I'm only bummed that I have to wait until March to read the rest.
March 20, 2023
skończyłam to jakoś w tamtym tygodniu ale zapomnialam zrobić update 😭 Fajna rozrywka suoer bohaterowie, styl pisania Brandona jest specyficzny ale nie przeszkadzał mi jakoś wielce. Uważam że seria dobra dla młodszych osób i poczułam się jak w okresie do którego wracałam z czytaniem i zaczynałam perciego ❤️
August 3, 2023
Będąc dzieckiem na pewno pokochałabym tą serię. Nie jest to moja grupa wiekowa, a i tak bawiłam się przednio. Opis książki był mało ciekawy, ale jak już zaczęłam czytać to bardzo pozytywnie się zaskoczyłam. Podciągam nieco ocenę bo uważam, że jest bardzo dobrze napisana. Najpewniej zapomnę o fabule po skończeniu serii, but who cares? To jest idealna książka żeby odpocząć gdy ma się gorszy czas🍁
March 9, 2017
It was a good book for young teens. It is very adventurous and always has you on a cliffhanger. Cole is trying to help his friends that got taken from there world and now he is trying to find them. He finds someone else very important on his way and then things start to twist.
July 30, 2018
Brandon Mull never cease to amaze me with his storytelling. I have read almost everything by him and have yet to be disappointed. Sky Raiders the first in a five book series did an amazing job setting up fantastical story arc that will carry out through the series. I am very eager to find out what happens next in the Five Kingdoms. Brandon Mull always has a wonderful and colorful cast of characters and this one is no different. Every character had their own unique quality about them. We also got some nice background information about them to which was a plus. I really like our main character Cole though. For only being 11 (or whatever age you are in Sixth Grade) he was very level headed. We got a nice bit of world building here in book one. I think if I am not mistaken each book will take place in each of the Five Kingdoms, maybe. But here in book one we got to know a little bit about where Cole and his friends were taken in the Outskirts. Personally I am really excited to explore and learn about the other four kingdoms within the Outskirts. And lastly I want to talk about the magic system because that is what I live for in books. The Five Kingdoms have the ability known as Shaping. Now not everyone in the Outskirts has this ability only some which was nice to see. However this Shaping ability allows you to create things whether they be inanimate objects or what the book calls Semblances. I won't go into any more detail because I think it is always better to learn new magic systems through reading. I really loved this book and am so happy to be back in a new Brandon Mull series.
December 1, 2017
I don't normally review books until I've finished, and I'll come back and update this review and I reserve the right to change my rating. But I will say this - it wasn't very many pages in before I knew that I would have to read every book in this series to find out what happens. That's because it begins with an entire group of a dozen or so children being kidnapped and sent through a portal to an entirely different world from which they seem to have no hope of escape. As I write this, I'm only about twenty percent into the first book, and I have no idea what happens, but I have to find out. To me, that's a good book.
Warning - I think this book targets middle graders, so roughly third grade and up, but the kidnapping scenes, and the brutality with which the children are treated, might be too frightening for younger readers. But if your children are a few years older, this would be a good book to read with them. My high-school aged daughter and I are reading it together and we both are enjoying it.
UPDATE - We have finished this book and are moving on t the next one. Still four stars, it's a very enjoyable book to read with your children if they are in middle-school or older.
Warning - I think this book targets middle graders, so roughly third grade and up, but the kidnapping scenes, and the brutality with which the children are treated, might be too frightening for younger readers. But if your children are a few years older, this would be a good book to read with them. My high-school aged daughter and I are reading it together and we both are enjoying it.
UPDATE - We have finished this book and are moving on t the next one. Still four stars, it's a very enjoyable book to read with your children if they are in middle-school or older.
October 17, 2018
2 & 1/2 stars
Definitely have mixed feelings on this one. This is a younger grade book, definitely not YA, so I think it was a little too young for me.
The adventure was pretty fun to read, but it was just all over the place and some of it was just not realistic. I couldn’t really picture things in my head easily at all. :(
A few parts about crushes, but nothing much at all.
Violence was very minimal with some fighting but nothing gory.
Overall, a bit of a disappointment for me. ;)
Recommended for: ages 10+
Definitely have mixed feelings on this one. This is a younger grade book, definitely not YA, so I think it was a little too young for me.
The adventure was pretty fun to read, but it was just all over the place and some of it was just not realistic. I couldn’t really picture things in my head easily at all. :(
A few parts about crushes, but nothing much at all.
Violence was very minimal with some fighting but nothing gory.
Overall, a bit of a disappointment for me. ;)
Recommended for: ages 10+
May 24, 2017
Brandon mull and his magic systems. It is fascinating. The characters are well put together. Story is simple but interesting. Magic system is good but there are more to be explained. It's a good start.
August 21, 2025
**3.75** ⭐️ I guess
It was better than Beyonders but not as good as Fablehaven. I couldn’t figure out how old these kids were. They act upwards of fourteen, but Cole is in sixth grade? Typical problem for this genre. 🧐 Mull did better with naming his characters this time. Jason and Rachel are fairly forgettable names, but Cole and Mira work well as they’re normal enough to be plausible, but interesting enough to fit in the genre. (IDK maybe I just dislike the name Rachel 😝) The sky castles were definitely the best part and I could have spent more time in that setting. I don’t think the book was well titled, considering the amount of sky raiding actually accomplished, and how the climax had nothing to do with it.
I really didn’t like the haunted house sequence. It was a bit much. Having the peril come so close to home is unusual in this type of story (though not unheard of). I mean that was literally every parent’s worst Halloween nightmare. I think it would have felt much less dark if the kids had been lured to the Outskirts and then kidnapped as soon as they arrived. Having it happen while still on earth makes it way too real.
All this sounds very critical. I did enjoy it.
It was better than Beyonders but not as good as Fablehaven. I couldn’t figure out how old these kids were. They act upwards of fourteen, but Cole is in sixth grade? Typical problem for this genre. 🧐 Mull did better with naming his characters this time. Jason and Rachel are fairly forgettable names, but Cole and Mira work well as they’re normal enough to be plausible, but interesting enough to fit in the genre. (IDK maybe I just dislike the name Rachel 😝) The sky castles were definitely the best part and I could have spent more time in that setting. I don’t think the book was well titled, considering the amount of sky raiding actually accomplished, and how the climax had nothing to do with it.
I really didn’t like the haunted house sequence. It was a bit much. Having the peril come so close to home is unusual in this type of story (though not unheard of). I mean that was literally every parent’s worst Halloween nightmare. I think it would have felt much less dark if the kids had been lured to the Outskirts and then kidnapped as soon as they arrived. Having it happen while still on earth makes it way too real.
All this sounds very critical. I did enjoy it.
April 25, 2019
Better than Fablehaven but not as good as Beyonders (imo, obviously!)
March 29, 2018
the theme is friendship
January 16, 2014
Via Book Reviews by Niki Hawkes at www.nikihawkes.com
What a fun new series from Brandon Mull! Sky Raiders had everything I’ve come to expect from this author: truckloads of imagination, epic adventures, and characters who are so relatable they take you back to your childhood. Aside from JK Rowling, Mull is definitely my favorite middle grade author and I’m excited to see every new book from him get stronger and stronger.
As an adult, I definitely enjoyed Sky Raiders because the kids were quick-witted and the overall plot was complex enough to keep me engaged. It’s one of those books that gets interesting right away and really doesn’t let up until the end – perfect for kids who have a difficult time focusing long enough to read. While Fablehaven will always be my all time favorite from Mull, I’m thrilled that I now have another solid story to hand to kids looking for next great read.
As I’ve mentioned, Mull always has a great deal of imagination in the books he writes. I have found that, especially in children’s books, too much imagination can make the story a little too far-fetched and silly for my tastes. In this case, however, Mull created a new world where wacky, random things can be made real through a particular magic called “shaping.” Because this world had a solid set of rules, all the fantastical creations became feasible even if they were sometimes a bit random. Was it still a bit too much? For me, maybe a little; for a ten-year-old (i.e. the target audience) it was perfect.
Overall, I really enjoyed Sky Raiders – it had many neat elements that I’m sure we’ve only scratched the surface of at this point. It’s one of the main reasons I’m eager to read on in this series – I can’t wait to find out more about the Five Kingdoms!
Recommended Reading: I would be eager hand this book to any kid who enjoys books with magic – especially ones who loved the Beyonders series by the same author. It’s definitely geared towards a younger audience, so I would probably only hand it to an adult if they mention they like middle grade titles.
What a fun new series from Brandon Mull! Sky Raiders had everything I’ve come to expect from this author: truckloads of imagination, epic adventures, and characters who are so relatable they take you back to your childhood. Aside from JK Rowling, Mull is definitely my favorite middle grade author and I’m excited to see every new book from him get stronger and stronger.
As an adult, I definitely enjoyed Sky Raiders because the kids were quick-witted and the overall plot was complex enough to keep me engaged. It’s one of those books that gets interesting right away and really doesn’t let up until the end – perfect for kids who have a difficult time focusing long enough to read. While Fablehaven will always be my all time favorite from Mull, I’m thrilled that I now have another solid story to hand to kids looking for next great read.
As I’ve mentioned, Mull always has a great deal of imagination in the books he writes. I have found that, especially in children’s books, too much imagination can make the story a little too far-fetched and silly for my tastes. In this case, however, Mull created a new world where wacky, random things can be made real through a particular magic called “shaping.” Because this world had a solid set of rules, all the fantastical creations became feasible even if they were sometimes a bit random. Was it still a bit too much? For me, maybe a little; for a ten-year-old (i.e. the target audience) it was perfect.
Overall, I really enjoyed Sky Raiders – it had many neat elements that I’m sure we’ve only scratched the surface of at this point. It’s one of the main reasons I’m eager to read on in this series – I can’t wait to find out more about the Five Kingdoms!
Recommended Reading: I would be eager hand this book to any kid who enjoys books with magic – especially ones who loved the Beyonders series by the same author. It’s definitely geared towards a younger audience, so I would probably only hand it to an adult if they mention they like middle grade titles.
February 13, 2025
Such a fun story! I especially loved the variety of characters, with their unique quirks and motivations. The loyalty throughout was awesome! <3
I love the shaping magic and all it can do. The off-the-wall creations are hilarious and vivid! I also appreciated how lots of little details were foreshadowed and then used in significant ways later.
I can’t wait to continue the series and hand them off to my brother!
I love the shaping magic and all it can do. The off-the-wall creations are hilarious and vivid! I also appreciated how lots of little details were foreshadowed and then used in significant ways later.
I can’t wait to continue the series and hand them off to my brother!
August 25, 2015
Eleven year old Cole Randolph’s life is normal. Or, it was until an unfortunate Halloween when he and his friends enter a supposed “haunted house.” But it isn't a haunted house at all. It’s a trap set up by slave traders from another world called The Outskirts. Cole and his friends are smuggled into The Outskirts to be sold as slaves. They are told that the people closest to them will not remember them.
Cole is soon separated from his friends and is sold to an organization known as Sky Raiders. There he meets an eleven year old girl named Mira, who is actually a lost princess. She informs him that her father, the High King, staged her and her sisters’ death and stole their shaping powers. She tells him that shaping is creating things with your mind and that she has to overthrow her father in order to get her shaping back. Cole agrees to help her, and with the help of two other of her friends, Jace and Twitch, they escape and embark on the quest. Later, they realize that Mira’s power has escaped ad taken a form that destroys everything. The people call it Carnag. Straying from their original quest, they must go after Carnag, in hopes to get Mira’s powers back.
After a hard fight, Mira recaptures her power, and they find out that Carnag was controlled by someone known as a Shapecrafter, someone who can shape the shaping power. Will Cole be able to stop the Shapecrafters, overthrow the king, rescue his friends, and find a way to get back to his own world, before he gets captured?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2014
This was lots of fun and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. Hopefully two more might come out in the next year or so. Cole suggests going to a haunted house on Halloween and then discovers that his friends are captured and being led off somewhere. Only he and one other girl haven't been captured. He feels guilty and goes after the group to rescue them. The girl is going to try to get out of the house and go for help. Cole discovers his friends are in cages and are now going to be slaves. He hopes to free them but instead gets captured thanks to being betrayed by a slave and treated extra badly as an example. He ends up being sold to the Sky Raiders while his two best friends are going to be sold to the high King. While with the Sky Raiders he meets a girl named Mira. Mira has some secrets. He also discovers that these five kingdoms have magicians, called different things in each kingdom (there are 5 of them) which will play a big role in the rest of the books. (Five more books. Five Kingdoms. Want to guess where each book will be located?) Telling more would require spoiler alerts so I'll stop describing the story now. I did roll my eyes when I discovered at least one of Mira's secrets. But Mull managed to make even that just slightly unusual. I guess that is what I'm enjoying. Common tropes are being used with twists that make them rather uncommon. Certainly worth a read if you enjoy fantasy! Besides his Note to the reader is just plain charming.
August 13, 2025
Obviously this is not a book that I would pick up today just on my own. I am not a 12 year old boy thus have no interest in reading a series about 12 year olds.
That being said taking this book from the thought of "would I have enjoyed this when I was a kid" then absolutely yes I would.
The setting was well thought out and very interesting and imaginative and the plot was fairly interesting as well.
The dialogue was lacking and some of the interactions between characters were a bit...strange. There were also moments where it was so painfully obvious these were a bunch of 6th graders but other times where it felt like absolutely no 6th grader would act or think or talk like this.
I probably won't be picking up any more of these books because they aren't for me in my current form, but I would definitely rec this to any children in my life lol.
3.5 for 32 year old me
4.2 for 12 year old me
Odd that there are 2 best selling fantasy authors named Brandon who are mormon also???
That being said taking this book from the thought of "would I have enjoyed this when I was a kid" then absolutely yes I would.
The setting was well thought out and very interesting and imaginative and the plot was fairly interesting as well.
The dialogue was lacking and some of the interactions between characters were a bit...strange. There were also moments where it was so painfully obvious these were a bunch of 6th graders but other times where it felt like absolutely no 6th grader would act or think or talk like this.
I probably won't be picking up any more of these books because they aren't for me in my current form, but I would definitely rec this to any children in my life lol.
3.5 for 32 year old me
4.2 for 12 year old me
Odd that there are 2 best selling fantasy authors named Brandon who are mormon also???
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2014
I would have liked this book better if I didn't love the beginning so much. I really enjoyed the idea, set up, and characters, though they did seem to act older than their age. I liked the detail of the world, and I really liked the Sky Raiders part--it had excitement without being too fast paced, logical goals and sequencing yet with room for spontaneity, both plot and character development. Then the characters went off on the usual high-paced adventure with more characters than I can keep track of and more situations that would be fascinating if they were fully developed.
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