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Extrahumans #2
Sky Ranger
Union Tower has fallen. The Extrahuman Union is no more.
Sky Ranger, leader of the recently annihilated Extrahuman Union, is on the run. Deceived by his former Confederate allies, despised and branded a traitor by the rest of the world, Sky Ranger has left Earth behind in search of atonement.
Impetuous and stubborn, Renna is one of the refugees aboard the same ship as Sky Ranger and instantly feels drawn to the former hero. Along with an orphaned teenager named Dee, Renna is one of the only people who will acknowledge Sky’s presence—even after their ship crashes. Together, in the middle of a scorched desert planet, Sky Ranger, Renna, and Dee form an unlikely bond.
Everything changes when Dee is abducted and whisked from alien space back into the heart of the Confederation. Sky Ranger faces a grim choice—to go his way alone, or return to face the same government that committed genocide against his people.
A story of hope and adventure, sacrifice and freedom, Sky Ranger is the second novel in the Extrahuman Union series and the direct sequel to critically-acclaimed Broken.
“Come for the superheroes, stay for the characters and world-building.” — A Fantastical Librarian
Sky Ranger, leader of the recently annihilated Extrahuman Union, is on the run. Deceived by his former Confederate allies, despised and branded a traitor by the rest of the world, Sky Ranger has left Earth behind in search of atonement.
Impetuous and stubborn, Renna is one of the refugees aboard the same ship as Sky Ranger and instantly feels drawn to the former hero. Along with an orphaned teenager named Dee, Renna is one of the only people who will acknowledge Sky’s presence—even after their ship crashes. Together, in the middle of a scorched desert planet, Sky Ranger, Renna, and Dee form an unlikely bond.
Everything changes when Dee is abducted and whisked from alien space back into the heart of the Confederation. Sky Ranger faces a grim choice—to go his way alone, or return to face the same government that committed genocide against his people.
A story of hope and adventure, sacrifice and freedom, Sky Ranger is the second novel in the Extrahuman Union series and the direct sequel to critically-acclaimed Broken.
“Come for the superheroes, stay for the characters and world-building.” — A Fantastical Librarian
348 pages, Paperback
First published January 24, 2012
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June 26, 2016We are publishing the new edition this Tuesday!
August 16, 2012
Broken left some unanswered questions and stranded some compelling characters. Unfortunately, while competent enough, this book neither answers these questions nor really gives us a fix of the kind of character development Bigelow is capable of.
We do get to follow up on some of the things hinted at in the earlier book. We get to see what becomes of Penny/Silverwing/Broken, we visit a Raton world, we discover that the government has indeed learned how to turn off some extrahumans' powers (although we do not confirm that this is what had happened to Broken).
But overall, I found this a bit workmanlike. The first book introduced us to a fairly complex world, with entangled history, politics, and subgroups, plus aliens. While this fleshed some of the worldbuilding out, I didn't actually feel like I learned all that much more than I already knew from the hints of the first book.
Michael Forward and Broken were deeply compelling characters with whom I empathized. Unfortunately, I kind of feel like Broken's arc was fully covered before--here, she feels more perfunctory and less interesting. And Sky Ranger--honestly, I still don't like him. His redemption and punishment happened all offstage--we're expected to feel sorry for him that no one trusts him when he has not done anything in our view to earn that trust. More annoyingly, most of the minor characters feel like caricatures. The minor refugees, for example, seem to exist entirely to be bigoted and irritating. They do incredibly stupid things for no discernible reason other than to create obstacles for Renna. Brian is never more than an enigma--it's never clear how trustworthy he is, not in a changing-loyalties way so much as an undeveloped way. The minor character that actually showed some hints of complexity, the base commander, meanwhile drops off the page entirely.
The plot moves along relatively briskly, and I do like Dee and the two guys from the desert world. I'll probably read the next one, just to wrap up some of the loose ends. I'm still curious about the universe and what happens to a couple of the characters. But I hope that Bigelow gives us a little more of the depth of the first book.
We do get to follow up on some of the things hinted at in the earlier book. We get to see what becomes of Penny/Silverwing/Broken, we visit a Raton world, we discover that the government has indeed learned how to turn off some extrahumans' powers (although we do not confirm that this is what had happened to Broken).
But overall, I found this a bit workmanlike. The first book introduced us to a fairly complex world, with entangled history, politics, and subgroups, plus aliens. While this fleshed some of the worldbuilding out, I didn't actually feel like I learned all that much more than I already knew from the hints of the first book.
Michael Forward and Broken were deeply compelling characters with whom I empathized. Unfortunately, I kind of feel like Broken's arc was fully covered before--here, she feels more perfunctory and less interesting. And Sky Ranger--honestly, I still don't like him. His redemption and punishment happened all offstage--we're expected to feel sorry for him that no one trusts him when he has not done anything in our view to earn that trust. More annoyingly, most of the minor characters feel like caricatures. The minor refugees, for example, seem to exist entirely to be bigoted and irritating. They do incredibly stupid things for no discernible reason other than to create obstacles for Renna. Brian is never more than an enigma--it's never clear how trustworthy he is, not in a changing-loyalties way so much as an undeveloped way. The minor character that actually showed some hints of complexity, the base commander, meanwhile drops off the page entirely.
The plot moves along relatively briskly, and I do like Dee and the two guys from the desert world. I'll probably read the next one, just to wrap up some of the loose ends. I'm still curious about the universe and what happens to a couple of the characters. But I hope that Bigelow gives us a little more of the depth of the first book.
March 15, 2013
Note: this is a spoiler free review I wrote for the series covering Broken, Fly Into Fire, and The Spark.
Every so often in a reader’s life they come across a set of books that makes their jaw drop. Not because they’re awesome, or surprising, or because they’re unlike anything you’ve read before, not even because they are so real. The Extrahumans series by Susan Jane Bigelow is all these things, but the jaw dropping results from the fact that they are absolutely criminally under-read. Yes, every time you discover a new author and series to love it is shiny to you, and you get excited and want to tell everyone ever–but in the case of Extrahumans, this series isn’t just new to me, it’s new to nearly everyone in the book community. So take notes, because I’m about to tell you why Extrahumans is worth your time and money (seriously folks, you can purchase this entire trilogy as e-books for less than one hardcover would cost you).
This was it, then. No more waiting.
His heart pounded. His possibilities all had this moment, but he didn’t have to take it. He could put it down. He could run away. He could live. The world would shift and change–he felt the possibilities morphing and twisting out ahead of him. This moment, more than any other, could change them all.
“Take him,” the woman said shakily. ”Take him.” She pressed a warm, squirming bundle into his arms.
There was no choice, really. He took it from her, and half of the possibilities winked out of existence.
Me attempting to pitch Extrahumans to the boyfriend:
“It’s the first series I’ve read and thought ‘Wow, this would make an amazing graphic novel, but it really works in prose format’. It has a lot of the same moral issues as X-Men, with the grungy aftertaste of Watchmen. You know, forcibly retired superheroes only with actual powers so they have an odd standing in society.
In fact, it’s like Watchmen and X-Men had a beautiful awesome baby that grew up to be it’s own thing instead of derivative.”
If that makes any sense.
Susan Jane Bigelow’s Extrahumans is a series that is greater than the sum of its parts. She throws us into a dystopian-type setting just as the government shifts hands and wrests strict control over the human populated planets of the universe. Through this change, we see how those who suffered prejudices under the old government would suffer more greatly under a new regime. The Extrahumans, a group of humans with powers, have been forcibly rounded up and had their lives restricted to a single tower in New York City. Compelled to work for the government, often as some sort of law enforcement, the Extrahumans were robbed of their families, names, and any choice in who they would become.
Over the years, some Extrahumans escaped the tower, while others avoided being found in the first place. Broken, a former member of the Extrahuman’s enforcement squad, escapes with her healing powers after losing her ability to fly. Lucky they let go when she became un-Lucky. Michael the never found. Michael is a prescient, able to see potential futures when he looks directly at someone. Living outside of Extrahuman society he’s marked himself as a Cassandra, able to tell the future that no one will believe; no one until he meets Broken. Together, Broken and Michael must work together to set events on a course with the best outcome possible for humanity. Unfortunately, the other side has a prescient working for them as well.
Susan Jane Bigelow has done such an amazing job crafting this series. We get to see the world fall apart, but it isn’t the world we care about in the long run, it’s the individuals. It is a story that comes full circle through the letters of a prescient Extrahuman that dies several years before the first book opens. If you’re looking for your standard dystopian rebellion and government collapse fare, I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere–this isn’t it. What Extrahumans is is an amazingly written, action-packed, and very philisophical examination of what it means to be human.
The Extrahumans are a people who have to deal with the labels that have been pressed upon them, right down to the ridiculous superhero names the government gave them. “Extrahumans. Like we’re something extra. Not really human. Just something else that the rest of them don’t need.” But it isn’t just the Extrahumans. Susan Jane Bigelow uses this world to show us the parallel struggles of all marginalized groups, through gender and sexuality, religion, or political beliefs. It is the type of series where the reader will take away as much as they want–you can just sit back and enjoy the ride, but you can also grab hold of this wonderful opportunity to really think about everything Susan Jane Bigelow so subtly deals with.
For me, Broken, was the most edge-of-my-seat exciting of the three, Fly Into Fire was much more slowly paced, but the stakes started to ramp up as the book went on. However, The Spark was truly the book that shined of the three, showing how well plotted this story had been from the beginning and focusing on the character who easily became my favorite by the end. Each book is different from the others in perspective, pace, and story, but what remains consistent is Susan Jane Bigelow’s ability to take the road less traveled. She managed to surprise me consistently, and I wanted to hug her by the end for being willing to say “screw fate”, even if we’ll end up where we’re meant to be regardless.
Original review posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.
Every so often in a reader’s life they come across a set of books that makes their jaw drop. Not because they’re awesome, or surprising, or because they’re unlike anything you’ve read before, not even because they are so real. The Extrahumans series by Susan Jane Bigelow is all these things, but the jaw dropping results from the fact that they are absolutely criminally under-read. Yes, every time you discover a new author and series to love it is shiny to you, and you get excited and want to tell everyone ever–but in the case of Extrahumans, this series isn’t just new to me, it’s new to nearly everyone in the book community. So take notes, because I’m about to tell you why Extrahumans is worth your time and money (seriously folks, you can purchase this entire trilogy as e-books for less than one hardcover would cost you).
This was it, then. No more waiting.
His heart pounded. His possibilities all had this moment, but he didn’t have to take it. He could put it down. He could run away. He could live. The world would shift and change–he felt the possibilities morphing and twisting out ahead of him. This moment, more than any other, could change them all.
“Take him,” the woman said shakily. ”Take him.” She pressed a warm, squirming bundle into his arms.
There was no choice, really. He took it from her, and half of the possibilities winked out of existence.
Me attempting to pitch Extrahumans to the boyfriend:
“It’s the first series I’ve read and thought ‘Wow, this would make an amazing graphic novel, but it really works in prose format’. It has a lot of the same moral issues as X-Men, with the grungy aftertaste of Watchmen. You know, forcibly retired superheroes only with actual powers so they have an odd standing in society.
In fact, it’s like Watchmen and X-Men had a beautiful awesome baby that grew up to be it’s own thing instead of derivative.”
If that makes any sense.
Susan Jane Bigelow’s Extrahumans is a series that is greater than the sum of its parts. She throws us into a dystopian-type setting just as the government shifts hands and wrests strict control over the human populated planets of the universe. Through this change, we see how those who suffered prejudices under the old government would suffer more greatly under a new regime. The Extrahumans, a group of humans with powers, have been forcibly rounded up and had their lives restricted to a single tower in New York City. Compelled to work for the government, often as some sort of law enforcement, the Extrahumans were robbed of their families, names, and any choice in who they would become.
Over the years, some Extrahumans escaped the tower, while others avoided being found in the first place. Broken, a former member of the Extrahuman’s enforcement squad, escapes with her healing powers after losing her ability to fly. Lucky they let go when she became un-Lucky. Michael the never found. Michael is a prescient, able to see potential futures when he looks directly at someone. Living outside of Extrahuman society he’s marked himself as a Cassandra, able to tell the future that no one will believe; no one until he meets Broken. Together, Broken and Michael must work together to set events on a course with the best outcome possible for humanity. Unfortunately, the other side has a prescient working for them as well.
Susan Jane Bigelow has done such an amazing job crafting this series. We get to see the world fall apart, but it isn’t the world we care about in the long run, it’s the individuals. It is a story that comes full circle through the letters of a prescient Extrahuman that dies several years before the first book opens. If you’re looking for your standard dystopian rebellion and government collapse fare, I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere–this isn’t it. What Extrahumans is is an amazingly written, action-packed, and very philisophical examination of what it means to be human.
The Extrahumans are a people who have to deal with the labels that have been pressed upon them, right down to the ridiculous superhero names the government gave them. “Extrahumans. Like we’re something extra. Not really human. Just something else that the rest of them don’t need.” But it isn’t just the Extrahumans. Susan Jane Bigelow uses this world to show us the parallel struggles of all marginalized groups, through gender and sexuality, religion, or political beliefs. It is the type of series where the reader will take away as much as they want–you can just sit back and enjoy the ride, but you can also grab hold of this wonderful opportunity to really think about everything Susan Jane Bigelow so subtly deals with.
For me, Broken, was the most edge-of-my-seat exciting of the three, Fly Into Fire was much more slowly paced, but the stakes started to ramp up as the book went on. However, The Spark was truly the book that shined of the three, showing how well plotted this story had been from the beginning and focusing on the character who easily became my favorite by the end. Each book is different from the others in perspective, pace, and story, but what remains consistent is Susan Jane Bigelow’s ability to take the road less traveled. She managed to surprise me consistently, and I wanted to hug her by the end for being willing to say “screw fate”, even if we’ll end up where we’re meant to be regardless.
Original review posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.
December 14, 2017
even tho I read this faaaar slower than Broken, and structurally it doesn't flow quite as well from one scene to another, I think I liked this more?? mostly because of the cast. Dee and Renna!!! which also made me super sad bc bad things just KEPT on happening to the characters and I'm like, why can't they just be happy for ONE SOLID CHAPTER?? WHYYYYYY???
can't wait for the next book ie Dee's book tho!
can't wait for the next book ie Dee's book tho!
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July 18, 2018Redemption isn't easy when a) your former allies are now your feeling-betrayed enemies, and b) your former enemies and now possible-allies don't trust you. Sky Ranger, former leader of the Extrahuman Union and known traitor to the Reform Party (you know, the same Reform Party that killed the rest of the Extrahuman Union), has put three years of work into fighting against the Reform Party and has bailed out of Earth now only as a last resort. The not-very-legal refugee ship he escapes on, however, crashes onto a desert planet, and he and the fellow survivors have to find a way to survive and to dodge the Confederation Military Police hunting them down.
Meanwhile, back on another planet, Penny is presented with an opportunity to possibly locate the lost Sky Ranger...
Even better than the first book! (Yes, I rushed to buy and then read this book immediately after finishing Broken.) I found the characters more emotionally immersive, and the world-building really coalesced in this one. Bigelow has a talent for juggling multiple characters and storylines (all the minor characters I LOVE THEM--they all served various purposes but felt real, expansive beyond what they did for the plot), and the plot was, unsurprisingly, fast and well-developed. Lots of politics, lots more about the Extrahuman experience, and lots of little things that made me happy: a transwoman main character (with subtlety and a lack of identity angst), cats, a couple that argues and sees one another's flaws and differences but clearly loves each other, families of friends.
I'd recommend starting with the first book, because it's good in its own right and because it establishes some of the foundational characters and history.
And omg WHAT WAS IN RENNA AND BRIAN'S LETTER?? And how long do I have to wait for the next book??
Meanwhile, back on another planet, Penny is presented with an opportunity to possibly locate the lost Sky Ranger...
Even better than the first book! (Yes, I rushed to buy and then read this book immediately after finishing Broken.) I found the characters more emotionally immersive, and the world-building really coalesced in this one. Bigelow has a talent for juggling multiple characters and storylines (all the minor characters I LOVE THEM--they all served various purposes but felt real, expansive beyond what they did for the plot), and the plot was, unsurprisingly, fast and well-developed. Lots of politics, lots more about the Extrahuman experience, and lots of little things that made me happy: a transwoman main character (with subtlety and a lack of identity angst), cats, a couple that argues and sees one another's flaws and differences but clearly loves each other, families of friends.
I'd recommend starting with the first book, because it's good in its own right and because it establishes some of the foundational characters and history.
And omg WHAT WAS IN RENNA AND BRIAN'S LETTER?? And how long do I have to wait for the next book??
July 20, 2012
I was thrilled to read Fly Into Fire and Susan Bigelow did not disappoint. Once again, the strength of the story is in the realistic, sympathetic characters and the political mechanations creaking along ominously in the background.
This part of the extrahumans story has Sky Ranger's attempts at redemption as a major component. Having seen the error of his ways at the very end of Broken, he has been trying to do what he can to set things right until he is forced to leave Earth on a refugee ship.
Everyone settles in for the three month voyage, and no one likes Sky Ranger very much. They are wary of extrahumans in general, wary of Sky Ranger as a former Confederation Party poster boy in particular, or both. When their refugee ship crashes on a planet that is mostly desert, tensions rachet up even higher. The only people who will talk to Sky Ranger are a woman named Renna who has a mysterious past, and a quiet extrahuman teenager named Dee.
The survivors are scattered when ConFedMilPol is accidentally alerted to their location by old alien technology, and the remainder of the story tells the long roads they take to come together again, crossing paths with Penny Silverwyng.
They do come together again before the end of the book, but not before
At the end, everyone seems to have settled into a version happily-ever-after, though some seem scarred by what they had to do to get there.
This part of the extrahumans story has Sky Ranger's attempts at redemption as a major component. Having seen the error of his ways at the very end of Broken, he has been trying to do what he can to set things right until he is forced to leave Earth on a refugee ship.
Everyone settles in for the three month voyage, and no one likes Sky Ranger very much. They are wary of extrahumans in general, wary of Sky Ranger as a former Confederation Party poster boy in particular, or both. When their refugee ship crashes on a planet that is mostly desert, tensions rachet up even higher. The only people who will talk to Sky Ranger are a woman named Renna who has a mysterious past, and a quiet extrahuman teenager named Dee.
The survivors are scattered when ConFedMilPol is accidentally alerted to their location by old alien technology, and the remainder of the story tells the long roads they take to come together again, crossing paths with Penny Silverwyng.
They do come together again before the end of the book, but not before
At the end, everyone seems to have settled into a version happily-ever-after, though some seem scarred by what they had to do to get there.
April 18, 2013
Premise: Sequel to Broken. When last we saw Sky Ranger, he had shaken off the manipulations of the oppressive government and was off to exact some unspecified revenge or justice. Or possibly both? This book follows Sky later as he deals with his past supporting the corrupt government and tries his best to protect the few other extrahumans that remain.
I liked this sequel quite a bit. I liked getting more about Sky Ranger, he’s an interesting character. I liked the new characters as they were introduced, with all of their own troubles, and the return of some of the characters from the first book.
The mix of superheroes and sci-fi dystopia continues; there’s more emphasis on the space travel and sci-fi aspects in this one. There were some scenes of torture that I found really unpleasant, but necessarily so.
The book basically opens with a crash landing, Sky Ranger and a group of other refugees fleeing Earth crash on a mostly-desert planet and have to survive there. I really loved Sky Ranger’s relationships with Renna and Dee, two young women from the crash. The plot twists more than a few times, and actually does read like a comic, in that it’s more several short plotlines strung together than one long arc. That’s fine by me.
Action, adventure and heroes, sounds like a good read.
I liked this sequel quite a bit. I liked getting more about Sky Ranger, he’s an interesting character. I liked the new characters as they were introduced, with all of their own troubles, and the return of some of the characters from the first book.
The mix of superheroes and sci-fi dystopia continues; there’s more emphasis on the space travel and sci-fi aspects in this one. There were some scenes of torture that I found really unpleasant, but necessarily so.
The book basically opens with a crash landing, Sky Ranger and a group of other refugees fleeing Earth crash on a mostly-desert planet and have to survive there. I really loved Sky Ranger’s relationships with Renna and Dee, two young women from the crash. The plot twists more than a few times, and actually does read like a comic, in that it’s more several short plotlines strung together than one long arc. That’s fine by me.
Action, adventure and heroes, sounds like a good read.
August 11, 2016
Premise: Sequel to Broken. When last we saw Sky Ranger, he had shaken off the manipulations of the oppressive government and was off to exact some unspecified revenge or justice. Or possibly both? This book follows Sky later as he deals with his past supporting the corrupt government and tries his best to protect the few other extrahumans that remain.
I liked this sequel quite a bit. I liked getting more about Sky Ranger, he’s an interesting character. I liked the new characters as they were introduced, with all of their own troubles, and the return of some of the characters from the first book.
The mix of superheroes and sci-fi dystopia continues; there’s more emphasis on the space travel and sci-fi aspects in this one. There were some scenes of torture that I found really unpleasant, but necessarily so.
The book basically opens with a crash landing, Sky Ranger and a group of other refugees fleeing Earth crash on a mostly-desert planet and have to survive there. I really loved Sky Ranger’s relationships with Renna and Dee, two young women from the crash. The plot twists more than a few times, and actually does read like a comic, in that it’s more several short plotlines strung together than one long arc. That’s fine by me.
Action, adventure and heroes, sounds like a good read.
I liked this sequel quite a bit. I liked getting more about Sky Ranger, he’s an interesting character. I liked the new characters as they were introduced, with all of their own troubles, and the return of some of the characters from the first book.
The mix of superheroes and sci-fi dystopia continues; there’s more emphasis on the space travel and sci-fi aspects in this one. There were some scenes of torture that I found really unpleasant, but necessarily so.
The book basically opens with a crash landing, Sky Ranger and a group of other refugees fleeing Earth crash on a mostly-desert planet and have to survive there. I really loved Sky Ranger’s relationships with Renna and Dee, two young women from the crash. The plot twists more than a few times, and actually does read like a comic, in that it’s more several short plotlines strung together than one long arc. That’s fine by me.
Action, adventure and heroes, sounds like a good read.
March 29, 2013
Bigelow's writing is solid enough to keep you reading through to the end, but Fly into Fire was significantly less absorbing than Broken. In Fly into Sky, there were too many minor characters to keep track of and the story was much more convoluted. I understand the convention of turning sci fi/speculative fiction books into series, but this seems rushed and disorganized, while Broken felt like it had a real story to tell. I won't be reading the next book in the series, but I would probably pick up another Susan Bigelow book in the future.
September 14, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, much more than book one, Broken. Bigelow kept things so interesting, with an action-packed plot and really well-developed characters. I thought I would have forgotten the events of book one, but she made references to them throughout the book, which helped me remember. I immediately started book three because I just had to know what happened next!
September 25, 2012
Ever read something that's so different than what you normally read you have trouble saying why you like it so much? The story is so captivating. Read the full review at Girl Who Reads
August 29, 2012
well the sequel was different from the first by quite a bit. this was more of an adventure with more fights. but also interesting was the development of Sky Ranger, the 2D character, from the first book. a decent follow-up to the debut.
August 29, 2017
The best part of this series is that even for a pretty savvy reader, you really have no idea where it's going. Above and beyond the genre mashing going on, there is an inventiveness inherent in the structure itself.
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April 24, 2017I think this series ended up being something I wasn't looking for. I quite liked the first one, and enjoy the stories set in this world, but I just wasn't engaged by this book and had to give it up. I might try it again when I'm in a different headspace, because the characters are interesting!
April 4, 2017
Not as good as first novel, but still grabs your attention.
February 9, 2018
You tend to forget how much of an ass this character was in the first book while reading this one. I like the story moving along, but he didn't really have enough of a wake-up call to fully realize what he'd done most of his life & have real redemption. But maybe that's just me.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews