In book 3 of the Skyward series, Spensa (the protagonist) journeys through the nowhere (an alternate dimension accessed briefly during hyperspace travel). She occasionally contacts her friend Jorgen in the somewhere (real world) but is mostly detached from what is happening in the war with the Sovereignty. This book (3 novellas) gives secondary characters from the main quartet center stage.

The first novella, told from FM's perspective, is not quite as good as the original trilogy. It recounts several events from the original novels, now from a new perspective, but that means that everything the characters are discovering is well known to the reader at this point, so there is no sense of discovery as they learn how hyperdrive travel works. (It may be that the novellas are meant to be read after book 3, not after book 4, and it is possible that would make a difference). Nevertheless, the second half of novella 1 and novels 2 and 3 move into new territory. I enjoyed learning the details of FM's interaciwith the hyperdrive slugs. She can't understand them as well as Spensa, but they become characters in their own right.

The second novella is told by Alanik, the blue alien we meet briefly in book 2, before Spensa impersonates her at the Superiority pilot recruiting program. It is fun to see her interpretation of human customs and to learn more about her people.

Novella 2 and 3 are continuous; aside from a brief prologue, book 3 picks up just where 2 left off. Jorgen is the main character in novella 3. We see how he met the kitsen and why he was suddenly a vice admiral when Spensa returned home. (He is a little slow at figuring out that he is hearing the voices of the kitsen shadow walkers trapped inside the portal, which is obvious to readers who have finished the original quartet).

Brandon Sanderson is an excellent writer, and I appreciate the opportunity to revisit the universe of Skyward. ( )

Great set of novellas, I read these at the same time as cytonic. They are really just one book. Excellent. ( )