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Epic Worlds Await

Reviews

Jane Healey (Goodreads):

Secrets of the Sky Gods swept me away from the very first page. Runa is a heroine you can’t help but root for scrappy, clever, and haunted by a past that slowly unravels as the story unfolds. The island of Akiponahai is vividly imagined, from its sun-drenched terraces to the underlying tension of ancient myths, making every scene feel alive.

The stakes are epic, yet the story never loses its emotional core. Runa’s journey of survival, friendship, and self-discovery is as gripping as the apocalyptic secrets she unearths. Ryan McBride balances peril and wonder beautifully, creating a world that feels both enormous and intimately lived-in.

If you love heroines who defy convention, lush world-building, and stories that stay with you long after the last page, this book is a must-read.

Gordon Long (Reedsy Discovery):

This novel is Epic Fantasy in the most sweeping scope and style, but the book’s true appeal comes from the portrayal of the main character, Runa. Much of the conflict is internal.

There are four ways to show personality: what the author tells us directly, what the character says, what the character does, and what the other characters say. Information from the author is reliable, but it runs afoul of the “Show, Don’t Tell” rule. Information we get from the character herself is immediate and moving, but — especially in this case — can be misleading. When what the character tells us comes into conflict with how she acts, it gets very interesting.

Because like all of us, Runa thinks she’s acting logically. She is a small, weak person surviving in a hostile world, and she must do what she can to stay safe. As the opening chapters progress, readers get suspicious that they need to take a step back and get some outside data to realize that she is completely traumatized, acting like a frightened wild creature. And here we come into a more complex way of getting information; we observe the other characters, analyze their personalities, and then watch how they react with Runa. Then we begin to get a picture of what is really going on. From that point, we are free to observe her progress as she develops from a frightened street urchin into a heroine of epic proportions.

So, this becomes a story of the intertwining of sympathetic personalities, forming into a team to battle a truly horrific villain. This conflict develops into an epic final battle which makes up for a lack of physical action in the rest of the book.

The epic style of the story could be a problem for some readers. It is a long novel (in the 600-page range). It covers a complex society with a long history, and the author wants to tell us all about it. So, when an ancient myth or event impinges on the plotline, an appropriate character steps up to tell us the story. When a new setting appears, we get a full description. Only one factor can redeem all this “telling:” a writer who is talented enough to make each detour entertaining and important to us.

Highly recommended for fans of l-o-o-o-ng Epic Fantasy and fine writing.

Justin (Amazon):

This was a fantastic read! The characters have unique ways of inducing deep thought and surprising self- reflection.

The settings for each trail of the adventure were well described and easy to imagine. I adored Keylon and how he embodied the essence of enthusiastic innocence. The main character, Runa, was all too easy to identify with.

There were a few scenes where I could.not.put.the.book.DOWN! Ryan McBride's way of storytelling has a wonderful mix of humor, action, suspense, magic, and wisdom. It delves deep into the often broken (and all too ugly) human psyche, laying bare the tender bits of ego to be thoroughly examined.

I can't wait for his next book!