Book Review: Updraft

Updraft by Fran Wilde is a 2015 YA fantasy which was nominated for the Nebula award (2016), won the Andre Norton Award (2016), and won the Compton Crook Award (2016). It's about Kirit, a young woman in a city made of bone spires (which are continually growing) who wants to pass her flying exam (wings are removable, like a backpack) so she can become a trader like her mother. Of course, things go awry and she ends up being threatened into the world of the Singers, the overseers of the city who break rules to maintain order. Kirit is far from cutthroat and must choose between her own life (where she must be a Singer) or her closest loved ones’ lives.
 
Fran Wilde is known for worldbuilding, so I really studied what she did in this book. She never apologized, metaphorically, but also never held our hands like a tour guide. She basically said, here’s what happening, trust me to make sense later or leave now. So even though the first scene was rough for me, with all sorts of events happening that I didn’t understand, I was still able to picture it. It taught me that as long as the reader has enough information (who, where, and what) they will stay with the story, even if the why or how isn’t explained right away. I liked the totally different world of Updraft, it didn’t feel familiar at all, yet wasn’t so alien that I was lost. The foundational relationships in Kirit’s life were relatable, even if flying or a tower made of bone were not. Fran Wilde struck an excellent balance there.
 
This is the start of a series, so on the downside, if you’re looking for everything to be explained (if the city is made of live bone, then what sort of creature are they on??) then you’ll be disappointed in having to wait for answers. This could be a plus side though, if you’re looking for a juicy, award-winning series to dive into. I think my only complaint was a lot of plot beats were predictable to me—this could be because I’ve been studying plotting and examining a lot of stories for their structure. I think most readers would be a little more surprised than I was.
 
This book is for you if you like fantasy that is different from what you’ve read before or if you’re looking for a series to start. If you’ve always wanted to fly or travel, you’ll relate a lot to Kirit. It may not be for you if you want your YA to have romance, or your fantasy to have magic (neither is required, but tend to be expected). It’s also not for you if you want a stand-alone read.
 
​
Have you read Updraft or other books by Fran Wilde? What did you think? Let’s discuss in the comments!