"Exiled to live as a Low under the merciless rule of the Meritocracy, sixteen-year-old Conrad refuses to become heir to his murderous uncle. But when behemoth sky serpents attack the floating island of Holmstead and devour Conrad’s ailing mother, Conrad cuts a deal to save the only family he has left. To rescue his sister from his uncle’s clutches, Conrad must enter the Selection of the Twelve Trades".
Set in a fantasy future world, the author presents a very predictable story. In just 2 months, the main lead goes from a distrusting youth who shuns friendship to someone who gains many friends, learns to be a leader and captain of his own ship. He learns how to put aside personal grudges and how to earn the trust of lifelong enemies. There are a couple twist and turns that I didn't expect but so few that it really didn't subvert my expectations in the overall story. It starts off pretty slow but it does pick up a little more as the story progresses. It's a very easy read as it's main audience is young adults. The author added many lgtbq+ references that I believe there was no need to continually remark about the characters' sexual preferences as it didn't really add to the plot except for one part. It felt like the author was pretty much rubbing it in my face all the time instead of going forward with the story itself.
Other than that, it was ok, though character development was pushed in a very short period of time.