“Sky Ice” by E.G. Sparks

• 09/07/2023
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Sky Ice

E.G. Sparks
Independently Published (2023)
ISBN: 979-8988045014
Reviewed by Lily Andrews for Reader Views (08/2023)

“Sky Ice” the first book in the Earthbounders series by E.G. Sparks is a stirring adventure through a journey of magic, fae, angels, demon hunters, and simmering romance where multiple worlds overlap. Sparks introduces readers to Arien Blair, an eighteen-year-old homeless orphan whose childhood had offered little hope for the future as it was accompanied by endless turmoil.

As fate would have it, her life takes an uncertain turn when she encounters with horror three men facing off with strange beings in a brutal attack as she was heading to visit her friend Paulie, who lived in the junkyard. Their leader, as she had shockingly noticed, was a hooded figure with an empty chasm in the place of a head, creating an illusion.

Soon, Arien would find herself in an alien world of angel-descendant warriors known as Earthbounders who had a special mission on Earth.  She also discovers she was one of the lesser ones, and learns that Bezekah, a Great Archon was after her and was capable of bringing legions of demons into Earth, which would be catastrophic to the whole world. Much is at risk and Arien is ready to risk it all to save the decreasing Earthbounder population, that played a vital role in the safety of a world under threat of annihilation.

“Sky Ice” is undoubtedly an intricately contrived fantasy novel. The narrative begins with a striking prologue that stretches out vivid imagery with the words:

Floating fabric of foreign colors carried me forward as if smooth sailing. I recognized the purples, pinks, and azure mixed with other mesmerizing hues. They blended with fluidity, one evolving from where the other washed out.

Sparks’ world-building soars over modern tropes, providing graceful portraiture for artists young and old. Despite the fantastical elements, each story is steeped in emotional realism and marked by urban premises, making this a text you will immerse yourself in.

In the book’s setup, worlds of unforeseen awe and peril abound with contemptible antiheroes to hate, a protagonist to root for, and anguished shimmers of hope to hang on to throughout. Overall, the characters are nuanced, and their growth is admirable as the book progresses. Still, it’s the lush prose and evocative pull of the world itself that makes reading this novel rewarding. “Sky Ice (Earthbounders)” by E.G. Sparks is certainly a five-star literary feat from a confident author and one that fans of this genre, will enjoy poring over.