Review: Excellent Young Adult Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 22, 2014
Dalyn's life is harsh under the rule of Renatus. Along with other schoolchildren, he must constantly train for the Selection Exam. A coach runs the physical training. Kids who don't keep up get their faces ripped off by the coach's trained attack dog.Dalyn's mother is ill. Like other women, she was required by the government to bear five children. Still short a child to meet the quota and with the virtually non-existent medical care, she languishes. Dalyn's father is a member of the Elite Guard. He had come two weeks a year, but now he's not been home in five years.Brain pain also plagues Dalyn. Other sufferers go mad from the pain or are sent for "Rehabilitation". People sent for rehab are never seen again.Although Dalyn thinks things can't get worse, his life takes a downturn. His teacher Miss Curtiss and his friend are wielding weapons. And Dalyn finds himself on the run.Sky of Dust: The Last Weapon, by Joshua Bonilla, is a fascinating young adult fantasy. The writing is fresh, the action is nonstop, and the characters are compelling.