Brandon Sanderson has published 24 books and has hit the New York Times Bestseller List 15 times. One of his newer books, Skyward, hit shelves on November 6, 2018, and was immediately snatched by loyal fans and readers.

This young adult science fiction novel takes readers into the world of Detritus, where humankind has been forced to this planet by aliens called Krell. No one has seen these creatures, who use advanced ships to attack the human race. Spensa, a young girl, has always dreamed of becoming a pilot to fight the Krell, much like her father. Suddenly, her family’s reputation disintegrates when her father dies while running away from a fight. Spensa determines to prove she is not a coward, and neither was her father.

Getting into the flight academy provides one of many challenges. With a frustrating flight leader and an admiral determined to kick her out of flight school, Spensa stands determined to fight the Krell and prove she can fly better than her classmates. When Spensa finds an abandoned ship in a deep cavern, she learns there is more to the past of Detritus than she thought, especially since the ship can talk.  

The setting of the book takes place centuries after his book Defending Elysium, although this is a stand-alone novel. Sanderson intends to make Skyward the first book of a thrilling series, so stay tuned.