All the Birds in the Sky

313 pages

English language

Published Feb. 26, 2016 by Tor Books.

ISBN:: 978-0-7653-7995-5
OCLC Number:: 947145901
Goodreads:: 25372801

(2 reviews)

An ancient society of witches and a hipster technological startup go war as the world from tearing itself. To further complicate things, each of the groups’ most promising followers (Patricia, a brilliant witch and Laurence, an engineering “wunderkind”) may just be in love with each other.

As the battle between magic and science wages in San Francisco against the backdrop of international chaos, Laurence and Patricia are forced to choose sides. But their choices will determine the fate of the planet and all mankind.

In a fashion unique to Charlie Jane Anders, All the Birds in the Sky offers a humorous and, at times, heart-breaking exploration of growing up extraordinary in world filled with cruelty, scientific ingenuity, and magic.

4 editions

Dee 📖 (book aspect) reviewed All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

Nice blend of fantasy and science fiction

4 stars

All the Birds in the Sky is, broadly, a novel about the conflict between science and magic. Less broadly, it's a novel about growing up, love, empathy, hubris, mistakes, and the desire to do good.

The story is told mostly from the perspectives of the novel's two main characters, Patricia and Laurence. The overarching plot of the novel may have some awkward twists, and its resolution may arrive a bit abruptly, but it generally works well anyway, considering the novel's focus on the character's individual experiences, and how their relationship plays into the larger events.

Genre-wise, the novel is a blend of science fiction and fantasy, and tone-wise it is a blend of serious and whimsical. While the plot does go to some dark places, the book's writing tends more towards wistful than grimly dark. The style may seem a bit weird, but it works with a story that is …

All the Birds in the Sky is, broadly, a novel about the conflict between science and magic. Less broadly, it's a novel about growing up, love, empathy, hubris, mistakes, and the desire to do good.

The story is told mostly from the perspectives of the novel's two main characters, Patricia and Laurence. The overarching plot of the novel may have some awkward twists, and its resolution may arrive a bit abruptly, but it generally works well anyway, considering the novel's focus on the character's individual experiences, and how their relationship plays into the larger events.

Genre-wise, the novel is a blend of science fiction and fantasy, and tone-wise it is a blend of serious and whimsical. While the plot does go to some dark places, the book's writing tends more towards wistful than grimly dark. The style may seem a bit weird, but it works with a story that is overall a bit weird.

Overall, an enjoyable book.

Will Sargent reviewed All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

Review of 'All the Birds in the Sky' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

This is a book set in the future, where the ecosystem is slowly collapsing and everyone is pretty sure that humanity is fucked in the long term. In this world, Laurence and Patricia, two young nerds, are bullied in school, confide in one another, and are quietly nursing fantasies of saving the world. Oh, and in this world magic is real, sort of like Brakebills only less dysfunctional.

The problem is that seers keep having visions that show that Patrica and Laurence are the ones who fuck things up completely.

I really liked this book for being so clear about large scale systems collapse and what it's like to live in San Francisco where you can have all the technology but there's a coffee shortage, and what it's like to live in a world where magic exists but can't fix anything.