Evershore – Brandon Sanderson (2021)

Evershore by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson, published in 2021, is the third novella in the Skyward Flight series, a companion series to Sanderson’s Skyward universe. This novella centers around Jorgen Weight, a key member of the Skyward Flight, following the events of Cytonic. Set in a richly imagined sci-fi universe filled with political tension, alien diplomacy, and personal reckoning, Evershore deepens the reader’s understanding of the galaxy-wide conflict between the Superiority and humanity, while offering a compelling character study of its central figure.

Plot Summary

Amid the stars and the fractured remains of battle, Jorgen Weight stood beneath the vast silence of space, his heart fractured by the explosion that had claimed his parents and half the National Assembly. Grief had no room to settle – not yet. His flight was watching, the DDF was leaderless, and the war still bled through every corridor of Detritus. Though Admiral Cobb had vanished with Gran-Gran in a desperate escape, the weight of command now hung around Jorgen’s shoulders like a too-heavy uniform.

The remnants of Skyward Flight clung to cohesion in the chaos. FM offered gentle counsel, Alanik stood steady with her quiet power, and Rig brought his methodical brilliance to their efforts. Yet the center could not hold without direction, and with Cobb missing, Vice Admiral Stoff stood poised to assert bureaucratic control. But Jorgen refused to let a system that had already failed cost them more. The alliance with the UrDail needed to be solidified, the taynix needed to be trained, and the Superiority loomed like a blade above them all.

The taynix, mysterious slugs capable of cytonic hyperjumps, became the backbone of their mobility and strategy. Jorgen, awakening to his own cytonic abilities, leaned into their guidance, especially the irreverent Boomslug and the faithful Snuggles. As he trained with Alanik, learning to listen in the vastness of the nowhere, he intercepted a signal – a broadcast looping from a ship named Swims Upstream. The message sought Spensa and offered a tantalizing claim: they had humans and wanted to return them.

Hope and suspicion twisted together. The kitsen, small squirrel-like beings once encountered by Spensa, might be genuine allies. Or the message could be a trap, another snare set by the Superiority. Jorgen consulted Stoff, who, ever careful not to take full responsibility, allowed Skyward Flight to investigate. Cuna, the dione diplomat once loyal to the Superiority, confirmed that the kitsen were real – honorable, if ambitious. With no better leads, the flight prepared to jump.

The planet they arrived at shimmered beneath a brilliant star, a massive orb wrapped in soft clouds and vibrant energy. The kitsen greeted them not with suspicion, but with fanfare and sincerity. Kauri, captain of Swims Upstream, welcomed the humans with joyous reverence, revealing that two humans – one elderly, one battered – had hyperjumped onto their world and now lay unconscious in recovery.

Alanik, stretching her senses across the void, could not detect the familiar mind of Gran-Gran. Unease settled in. Still, the humans matched the descriptions. Jorgen, FM, and Alanik journeyed planetside, welcomed into the kitsen palace where small beings dressed in fine silks rushed to accommodate their every need. The unconscious figures were, indeed, Admiral Cobb and Gran-Gran, alive though fragile. Relief washed over Jorgen like a cleansing storm.

Yet even amidst the gratitude, there were complications. The kitsen monarchy had fractured in Spensa’s absence. With Hesho gone, his brother Winsho now ruled, less noble, more wary. The political tides were shifting, and Jorgen found himself caught in a palace riddled with ceremonial expectations and power games. Winsho demanded Spensa’s presence as a prerequisite for any diplomatic recognition. When Jorgen refused to lie, tensions frayed.

Alanik advised patience, while FM urged honesty. Jorgen, still grappling with his place, chose a third path. He would not bow nor manipulate. He offered the kitsen a partnership not of desperation, but of mutual need. The Superiority would not overlook the kitsen much longer – alliances would soon mean survival. Some of the kitsen, veterans and traditionalists, remembered Spensa’s valor and echoed Jorgen’s sentiment.

That night, Cobb awoke. His voice rasped, but his mind remained sharp. Jorgen knelt beside him, bearing the burden of months of uncertainty. Cobb, ever the mentor, neither scolded nor dismissed. Instead, he passed the torch willingly, affirming Jorgen’s command in front of those who needed to hear it. Gran-Gran soon followed, her eyes bright even in weariness, her cytonic presence a stabilizing force.

But the Superiority had not been idle. Their agents had tracked the hyperjumps and now gathered near the kitsen system. Ships hovered beyond the reach of sensors, ready to strike. Jorgen faced a choice – retreat with Cobb, preserving their lives, or stay and help the kitsen stand. He chose the latter, rallying both his flight and their new allies for a defense unlike any the diminutive warriors had ever attempted.

Using the taynix and the newly awakened Cobb as strategic anchor, Jorgen orchestrated a defense that relied more on precision and surprise than brute force. Alanik and FM provided flanking support, while Rig modified slug connections to trigger pulse dampeners. The kitsen pilots, small and swift, darted through enemy formations, drawing fire away from their own shipyards. The battle was short, violent, and decisive.

The Superiority blinked away – for now. In the aftermath, the kitsen signed an accord, not out of pity or obligation, but respect. Winsho, humbled and convinced by his people’s valor, ceded the throne to another who favored alliance. The Swims Upstream would become an emissary vessel, carrying the kitsen’s commitment across the stars.

Back aboard their ships, Jorgen watched Detritus grow nearer. Cobb would return to his command, but not to his old role. The war had changed everything. Skyward Flight would never again be just a squad of pilots. They were diplomats, cytonics, warriors, and leaders. And Jorgen – no longer just the son of heroes – had become something more than even he had imagined.

The stars still waited. And with each jump through the nowhere, humanity stepped closer to reclaiming its place among them.

Main Characters

• Jorgen Weight – The protagonist and acting flightleader of Skyward Flight, Jorgen is a young man burdened by leadership responsibilities and recent personal losses, including the deaths of his parents. His struggle with grief and identity is central to the story. Possessing cytonic abilities that allow for telepathic communication and teleportation through space, Jorgen is a tactician, a reluctant but earnest leader, and someone constantly reconciling duty with emotional turmoil.
• FM (Freya Mendez) – A compassionate and intelligent member of Skyward Flight, FM provides emotional grounding and moral perspective. She shares a complex relationship with Jorgen, being both his critic and supporter. Her advocacy for the taynix and careful questioning of leadership make her an essential counterbalance to Jorgen’s increasing militarism.
• Alanik – An UrDail cytonic who defected from the Superiority, Alanik is fierce, capable, and ideologically committed to freedom. As a fellow cytonic, she trains and assists Jorgen, challenging his perceptions and forcing him to broaden his understanding of the universe and his place within it.
• Vice Admiral Stoff – One of the senior DDF officers left in charge after Admiral Cobb’s disappearance. Stoff represents the bureaucratic tension within the DDF – a man cautious, pragmatic, and often self-serving. His interactions with Jorgen emphasize the generational and ideological divides in Detritus’s military leadership.
• Minister Cuna – A dione who once served the Superiority but now aids the human resistance, Cuna offers a nuanced perspective on the galactic power structure. Their presence symbolizes both the hope and danger of interspecies alliances, and their diplomatic knowledge is invaluable in navigating the galaxy’s political minefield.
• Boomslug and Snuggles – Among the intelligent taynix slugs, these creatures aren’t just adorable sidekicks – they’re vital to the hyperjump technology and offer both comic relief and a symbolic link to Jorgen’s growing connection with his cytonic powers.

Theme

• Leadership and Responsibility – Jorgen’s arc is heavily defined by his struggle to lead in the face of overwhelming responsibility, grief, and self-doubt. He questions his capacity to lead when everything around him is collapsing, making leadership a theme explored not as triumph, but as endurance under strain.
• Grief and Identity – The deaths of Jorgen’s parents haunt every scene. This loss drives his actions and emotional state, compelling him to question not just his role but who he is without the legacy of his powerful family. Identity is a shifting, painful discovery throughout Evershore.
• Trust and Diplomacy – The tension between the humans, the Superiority, and potential allies like the UrDail and the kitsen is rife with betrayal and guarded cooperation. The novella examines what it means to forge trust in a universe that has long considered your kind expendable or inferior.
• Cytonics and Power – The mysterious cytonic abilities represent both potential and alienation. Jorgen’s evolving control over his powers parallels his struggle for internal control. Cytonics symbolize the frontier of evolution and the fear of the unknown, both personally and societally.
• Sacrifice and Legacy – The novella reverberates with the sacrifices of fallen pilots and commanders. It confronts the cost of war and the weight of those who did not live to see the possible peace, pushing Jorgen and others to live not just for themselves, but for those they’ve lost.

Writing Style and Tone

Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson co-author Evershore with a sharp, character-driven style that blends high-stakes space opera with intimate emotional realism. The prose is tight, accessible, and driven by internal monologue, especially from Jorgen’s perspective. His voice is distinctly pragmatic yet thoughtful, offering both clarity and emotional rawness. The balance between science-fiction exposition and personal introspection is masterfully maintained, avoiding excessive jargon while embedding worldbuilding into dialogue and character action.

The tone of Evershore is somber yet resilient. The novella navigates trauma, political collapse, and existential threats without descending into nihilism. Instead, there’s an undercurrent of hope forged through camaraderie, purpose, and moral courage. The presence of quirky humor – particularly through the slugs and moments of interpersonal banter – softens the intensity of the narrative, allowing the story to breathe even during its darkest beats. Ultimately, the tone mirrors Jorgen himself: strained, mourning, but determined not to fall apart.