The Recommended Reading Order for the Earth & Sky Trilogy
Megan Crewe's Earth & Sky trilogy is a tightly knit, continuous science fiction story. Because each book picks up immediately where the previous one left off, there is only one logical way to read this series. You must read the books in their official publication order to follow the character development, the escalating stakes of the alien conflict, and the unfolding mysteries of time travel.
- Earth & Sky (October 2014)
- The Clouded Sky (May 2015)
- A Sky Unbroken (October 2015)
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
In many science fiction franchises involving time travel, readers debate whether to follow the order in which books were published or the order in which events occur historically. However, for the Earth & Sky trilogy, publication order and chronological order are identical from the perspective of the main characters' timelines.
While Skylar and Win frequently jump through historical eras—traveling to different periods of Earth's past to gather pieces of a powerful weapon—their personal timelines flow linearly. The story begins in the present day on Earth, transitions to a distant alien space station, and culminates in a desperate resistance movement on the alien home planet. Skipping or rearranging the books would disrupt the continuity of the characters' lives and spoil major plot twists, making the publication order the only recommended path.
Book-by-Book Breakdown
1. Earth & Sky (2014)
The trilogy starts with Earth & Sky, introducing us to seventeen-year-old Skylar. For years, Skylar has been plagued by bizarre, sudden sensations that make her feel as though the world is shifting around her—episodes she and her doctors chalk up to severe panic attacks and anxiety. Her life changes forever when she meets Win, a mysterious boy who reveals a shocking truth: her episodes aren't panic attacks, but physical reactions to shifts in the time stream. Earth's history is being actively manipulated by an advanced alien race called the Kemyates. Win is a rebel fighting against the Enforcers, the Kemyate faction responsible for lock-stepping Earth's timeline. Together, Skylar and Win embark on a dangerous chase through history to find the components of a device that can break the Enforcers' control and save Earth, even as their interventions threaten to unravel reality itself.
2. The Clouded Sky (2015)
Picking up immediately after the cliffhanger of the first book, The Clouded Sky shifts the setting from Earth's past to the Kemyate space station. Having escaped the Enforcers, Skylar is thrust into a foreign alien society where she is treated with suspicion and prejudice. To survive and help the rebellion, she must pose as the "Earthling pet" of an arrogant Kemyate teen named Jule. As Skylar struggles to earn the trust of the rebel cell, she works to construct the weapon that can disable the Enforcers' time field. The tension rises to a breaking point when they realize a traitor within their ranks is leaking information to the enemy, forcing Skylar to use her sharp observational skills to root them out before the entire rebellion is destroyed.
3. A Sky Unbroken (2015)
The final installment, A Sky Unbroken, brings the trilogy to a dramatic conclusion. The rebellion has fallen apart, their plans are shattered, and Skylar and a group of surviving Earthlings find themselves captured by the Kemyates. Imprisoned in a human exhibition—essentially a living museum zoo—Skylar must find a way to keep her people alive while planning a final, desperate escape. Meanwhile, Win returns to his home world of Kemya, forced to hide his true loyalties under the guise of serving the ruling Council. Haunted by guilt and witnessing the propaganda his leaders use to justify the subjugation of Earth, Win resolves to expose the truth to the Kemyate public. Together, they must confront a deeper conspiracy that threatens the future of both worlds, leading to a story of sacrifice, atonement, and survival.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Megan Crewe's series, there are several key elements that set it apart from typical Young Adult dystopian fiction:
- An Authentic Approach to Mental Health: One of the strongest aspects of the trilogy is Skylar's struggle with anxiety. Megan Crewe draws on her background in psychology to depict Skylar's mental health in an authentic, relatable way. Skylar doesn't magically overcome her anxiety; instead, she learns to manage it and use her heightened sensitivity to navigate the time shifts.
- Intricate Alien Politics: The Kemyates are not a monolithic evil force. The series spends significant time exploring the division between the Enforcers, the rebels, and the general Kemyate public who are kept in the dark about the exploitation of Earth.
- A Self-Contained Trilogy: Unlike many modern YA franchises that spin off into endless prequels, sequels, and companion novellas, the Earth & Sky trilogy is complete. Megan Crewe has confirmed that there are no additional short stories or spin-offs set in this universe, making it a satisfying, self-contained read.
Practical Reading Guidance and Next Steps
For readers who want to get the most out of the series, here is some practical advice:
Can the books be read as standalones? No. Because of the direct narrative continuity, reading the second or third book without the first will leave you confused by the character dynamics and the mechanics of the Kemyate technology.
What should you read next? If you finish the Earth & Sky trilogy and want to explore more of Megan Crewe's work, she is well-known for the Fallen World trilogy, which begins with The Way We Fall. Unlike the sci-fi time-travel elements of Earth & Sky, the Fallen World trilogy is a post-apocalyptic story about an isolated island community dealing with a deadly virus. For readers interested in urban fantasy, Crewe's Conspiracy of Magic series is also highly recommended.