Under the Empyrean Sky by Chuck Wendig

*Image and Summary taken from goodreads.com

Book: Under the Empyrean Sky (Heartland Trilogy #1)

Author: Chuck Wendig

Summary: Corn is king in the Heartland, and Cael McAvoy has had enough of it. It's the only crop the Empyrean government allows the people of the Heartland to grow? And the genetically modified strain is so aggressive that it takes everything the Heartlanders have just to control it. As captain of the Big Sky Scavengers, Cael and his crew sail their rickety ship over the corn day after day, scavenging for valuables, trying to earn much-needed ace notes for their families. But Cael's tired of surviving life on the ground while the Empyrean elite drift by above in their extravagant sky flotillas. He's sick of the mayor's son besting Cael's crew in the scavenging game. And he's worried about losing Gwennie? his first mate and the love of his life? forever when their government-chosen spouses are revealed. But most of all, Cael is angry? angry that their lot in life will never get better and that his father doesn't seem upset about any of it. Cael's ready to make his own luck . . . even if it means bringing down the wrath of the Empyrean elite and changing life in the Heartland forever. 

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Rating: 3/5

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I first began reading this book. I was really unsure if I was going to like it. The story seemed to drag on with not much really going on in it and it really just wasn't pulling me in. However, I really wanted to give this series a try and the more that I continued reading the more I did find myself actually getting interested in the plot line.

I love how things are sort of coming full circle in this story. Events that happened to 

Cael's father are happening to him and his father completely takes him by surprise and finding out that they actually have a bit more in common. The concepts in this story are original and unique but I do feel like a little bit less of world building would have helped to 

pull me in quicker. I felt like in the beginning I was biting off way more than I could 

chew with this story and if it hadn't been for the unique ideas I would have put the book 

down. 

That being said, I actually did enjoy reading this story. Once I got to the meat of the 

story, it did pull me in. I was interested to find out how the events were going to play 

our for our characters and thought that things took an interesting turn with the garden. I found the characters slightly hard to relate to but overall not completely out of the way 

that I couldn't understand the emotions that they were going through. The ending held 

enough interest and left it at a slight cliffhanger making me wonder what is going to 

happen to the characters in the rest of the series.