Tetherfall: A Voyage of Ropes and Sky

I wanted to like this more than I did. The setting and small touches (Miri, Hester, Elias's missing maintenance run) are well done, but the excerpt leans a bit too heavily on romanticized craft imagery—too many lines about tactile feeling and humming anchors, which started to feel repetitive. The theft of the Anchorstone is an intriguing premise, but here it reads like setup without much urgency: we get the sensory niceties, but not enough about the politics or the larger world mechanics. Who is this "calculating director" and why should we fear them? Also, the 'people's song' feels nebulous; I want specifics instead of hints. There are flashes of strong writing, but I'd hope the full book tightens the plot and clarifies stakes beyond the island nostalgia.

Tetherfall is exactly the kind of high-octane, finely textured adventure I crave. The prose is economical but lush where it counts: that line about the Anchorstone's hum vibrating through the island's ribs? Gorgeous. Ari's knot-work knowledge is not just clever detail but personality: you believe a tether-rigger would measure grief by the frays on a splice. I also appreciated how the author uses small domestic scenes — Miri on the crate, Hester at the bench — to raise the stakes before the big sea-and-sky stuff. The hint of a calculating director and a stolen Anchorstone sets up political and moral conflict beyond a mere retrieval quest. Pacing in the excerpt is clean; it lets atmosphere breathe. If the later chapters keep delivering betrayals and the iron claustrophobia of the Cairnspike, this will be a standout in modern steampunk-adventure.

This excerpt gave me everything: texture, tension, a protagonist with practical grit. Ari is the kind of lead who doesn't need to shout to be compelling — her steadiness is the hook. The bit where she feels the tiny vibration in the tether? Pure craft. Miri's little contraption sketch is a sweet human touch that undercuts the bigger danger and reminds us what's at stake: a people's everyday life. Also, Hester's "Mind the West Truss" line made my chest tighten; foreshadowing like this is smart and unnerving. I can already smell the iron and hear the Anchorstone's hum when I close my eyes. Highly recommend for fans of character-driven steampunk adventures. Bring on the Cairnspike.

Tetherfall delivers a solid hook in the excerpt: a stolen Anchorstone, a tether-rigger who knows ropes like a second skin, and a community that could fall apart if those lines slip. I appreciated the restrained, almost mechanical prose when dealing with equipment and the softer beats when Ari interacts with Miri and remembers Elias. The West Truss warning and the grinding coil are small, effective foreshadowing moments — you can practically hear the machinery strain. A minor nit: the world could use a touch more context about how the Anchorstone functions beyond metaphoric hum in this excerpt, but that may come later. Overall, a very promising adventure set-piece with strong character work and atmosphere.

This was such a warm, gritty slice of an island-world that I wanted to live in it. The author nails sensory detail — oil, salt, the coffee "bitter as broken wire" — all of which makes Gale's Hold feel lived-in. Ari's training with her father (Elias) is heartbreaking in its absence; the knots carry memory and promise, and that emotional tethering makes the stakes personal. I loved Miri's sketch of the tea-brewing, sail-mending contraption; it made me smile and hinted at the community's ingenuity. Also, that line from Hester about jokes sounding "under the waterline" is dark and perfect. I'm curious about the Anchorstone's theft and what it means for the island's song—there's a mythic quality under the steampunk trappings. Very excited for more airship chases and the internal costs Ari will face.

Absolutely loved this. Ari Voss feels like someone I could have known my whole life—her relationship with rope, the way the narrative lets you feel the tiny vibration in a tether, is quietly brilliant. That opening scene where she runs a palm along the braided line and senses the Anchorstone's hum gave me chills; it's tactile worldbuilding done with love. The island-as-lantern image and the morning smells (oil, salt) grounded the steampunk elements so well. Miri sketching gears on a crate was a perfect human moment—small, hopeful—while Hester’s clipped warning about the West Truss hinted at the real dangers to come. I'm hooked on the tug-of-war between duty and memory (Elias's absence looms in the best way). Can't wait for the chase through the Cairnspike and to hear this "people's song" everyone keeps talking about. A vivid, character-first adventure—bravo.

Pretty prose, but I found myself skimming more than I wanted. The excerpt relies on familiar steampunk tropes—anchors, airships, ragged crews, a stoic mechanic protagonist—which makes the story feel a little predictable. Ari being defined primarily by her skill with ropes is interesting at first, but I worry it may become a one-note characterization if not expanded. The scene with Hester warning about the West Truss is promising, yet the pacing is slow: too much domestic setup before the theft actually presses danger on the characters. And phrases like 'island was a lantern' are evocative, sure, but they read as decorative rather than moving the plot. If you like atmosphere over momentum, this will work for you; if you prefer faster, twistier adventure, it might test your patience.

I adored the tone here — wistful, a little salty, with those smart little mechanical metaphors that make steampunk feel alive instead of ornamental. Ari's tactile familiarity with rope made me think of sailors' superstitions and old trades; there's real craft in how the author ties family history (Elias) to practical skill. The island imagery — "a lantern made of wattle and iron" — is memorable, and I liked the domestic tableau: Miri sketching, Hester's economy, the shared coffee. It sets up a community worth protecting so the theft of the Anchorstone actually matters. I'm invested in Ari's promise and want to see how the Cairnspike sequences contrast with the island's warmth. Emotional and adventure beats balanced nicely here. :)