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Series · science fiction
Skyward
The Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson has 5 known books (5 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Skyward (2018). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Defiant.
- Books
- 5 known books (4 novels + 1 collection)
- Published
- 5
- First published
- 2018
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Science Fiction
- Last checked
Start here: Skyward (2018) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Skyward
Skyward (November 2018, 512 pages) introduces Spensa Nightshade, who dreams of flying starfighters despite living on a scrap-metal planet hiding from an alien species that bombs any ship flying too high -- and whose father was branded a coward for fleeing battle. It opens Brandon Sanderson's YA series outside the Cosmere.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Skyward - Book 2:
Starsight
Starsight (2019) is the second book in Skyward, coming before Cytonic and widening Spensa's dogfights toward the genuine space opera the four novels build toward.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Starsight - Book 3:
Cytonic
Cytonic followed Starsight by two years, continuing Skyward as its third entry and pushing further into the mystery of the Krell and Detritus's real place in the galaxy.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cytonic - Book 4:
Skyward Flight: The Collection
Skyward Flight: The Collection (2022, 528 pages) gathers three interstitial novellas co-written with Janci Patterson -- Sunreach, ReDawn and Evershore -- following FM, Alanik and Jorgen during the gap between Cytonic and Defiant.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Skyward Flight: The Collection - Book 5:
Defiant
At 560 pages, Defiant is the longest book in Skyward to date, published in 2023, closing out Spensa's arc and the four-novel main sequence.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Defiant
Our shelf-tested path for first-time readers.
- Book 1:
Skyward
Skyward (November 2018, 512 pages) introduces Spensa Nightshade, who dreams of flying starfighters despite living on a scrap-metal planet hiding from an alien species that bombs any ship flying too high -- and whose father was branded a coward for fleeing battle. It opens Brandon Sanderson's YA series outside the Cosmere.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Skyward - Book 2:
Starsight
Starsight (2019) is the second book in Skyward, coming before Cytonic and widening Spensa's dogfights toward the genuine space opera the four novels build toward.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Starsight - Book 3:
Cytonic
Cytonic followed Starsight by two years, continuing Skyward as its third entry and pushing further into the mystery of the Krell and Detritus's real place in the galaxy.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cytonic - Book 4:
Skyward Flight: The Collection
Skyward Flight: The Collection (2022, 528 pages) gathers three interstitial novellas co-written with Janci Patterson -- Sunreach, ReDawn and Evershore -- following FM, Alanik and Jorgen during the gap between Cytonic and Defiant.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Skyward Flight: The Collection - Book 5:
Defiant
At 560 pages, Defiant is the longest book in Skyward to date, published in 2023, closing out Spensa's arc and the four-novel main sequence.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Defiant
About the Skyward series
Spensa Nightshade dreams of flying starfighters despite living on Detritus, a scrap-metal planet where humanity's remnant has spent decades hiding from an alien species called the Krell, who bomb any ship that flies too high. Her ambition is complicated by her father's legacy: he was branded a coward for fleeing battle years earlier, a stain that follows Spensa everywhere she goes. When she discovers a broken, sentient ancient starship buried in a cave, her path to the pilot's seat -- and to the truth about her father, the Krell, and Detritus's real place in the galaxy -- accelerates fast.
Brandon Sanderson's YA science fiction series trades the Cosmere's dense magic systems for zero-gravity dogfights, a scrappy found-family flight squadron, and a sarcastic AI ship named M-Bot who steals nearly every scene he's in. It still carries Sanderson's signature: tightly-plotted mysteries that pay off across the whole series, and character arcs -- particularly Spensa's -- that take real emotional risks. The four novels widen steadily from one girl's dogfights to genuine space opera, revealing that the war against the Krell is a symptom of something much larger and older.
Three interstitial novellas (collected as Skyward Flight: The Collection), co-written with Janci Patterson, follow supporting cast members during the gap between Cytonic and Defiant, deepening the wider cast without being required reading for the main arc.
Frequently asked questions
How many Skyward books are there?
Four novels -- Skyward, Starsight, Cytonic and Defiant -- plus the novella collection Skyward Flight: The Collection (Sunreach, ReDawn, Evershore), co-written with Janci Patterson.
What order should I read Skyward in?
Publication order: Skyward, Starsight, Cytonic, then the novella collection Skyward Flight: The Collection, then Defiant.
Is Skyward part of the Cosmere?
No. Skyward is a separate science fiction series, not connected to Brandon Sanderson's fantasy Cosmere universe (Mistborn, Stormlight Archive, Elantris, Warbreaker).
Is the Skyward series finished?
The main four-book arc concluded with Defiant (2023). Sanderson has mentioned possible future stories in the Cytoverse setting but nothing with an announced title or date as of 2026.
Do I need to read the Skyward Flight novellas?
No, but they're recommended. They follow supporting characters during the gap between Cytonic and Defiant and add context that enriches the finale, without being required to follow the main plot.
If you like the Skyward series
Reading order last verified .