The Surviving Sky

In a world devastated by land-destroying storms, the remains of civilization live on scattered plant-powered islands in the sky. Architects, people with the ability to keep the plants flying, are a privileged few. Iravan is one of the highest of these, sitting on the ruling council in his flying city of Nakshar. His estranged wife, Ahilya, wants to join the council and oust the stranglehold that architects have on society. Their unhappy marriage is scrutinized when a simple trip on the surface goes wrong, killing a citizen and bringing them both under investigation. Then Nakshar starts to sink. Rao is brilliant at portraying conflict, especially how people talk through and past each other. The magic system is layered, the plot is tense and driving, and the characters’ impulses toward good are hampered by the nuances of daily life. Narrator Pranshu Mishra, who gives voice to Iravan, provides a masterful performance, depicting the poetic spacing in Rao’s text with emphasis and pauses in the reading. Unfortunately, Sharmila Devar, who narrates Ahilya’s part, is less adept, with erratic pacing and inconsistent pronunciation.