Based on Filipino mythology, The End of All Skies tells a story of power, humanity, love, and loss. In a city known as Sun Girna Ginar, the Sultan rules with a cruel hand and the people have lived under oppression for many years. But it seems that this tyranny will be coming to an end soon. In the marketplace within the city, there is an old witch who sells dreams in bottles, she knows that the end is coming, and she will be part of the destruction when it happens.
For fans of the fantasy genre, this book is a great journey into the world of Filipino mythology, filled with warriors, magic, and even giants! Personally, I have not encountered much about Filipino legends and this book was the perfect introduction to some of the myths and legends, including the story of Aponi-Tolau and Humitau. The story is incredibly fast-paced and written in short chapters. In fact, it contains 47 chapters and is told from 19 perspectives in total. Admittedly, there is a lot happening within the story, and the book is just under 250 pages, which means the characters do not have much development, but we still get glimpses of their lives using time skips. It is mostly a plot driven novel, but I found myself rather engaged with the story. The short chapters allow me to focus more on the individual characters’ stories and what is going on, yet it does make it harder to empathise with any of the characters since we don’t get to see much of them before moving on to a brand-new character. For me, I occasionally find myself going back to previous chapters to double check some of the characters’ stories and to remind myself of the names mentioned. I ended up writing down some of the names and one-line summaries of their stories just to make sure I got everything. Overall, their stories are all vastly different and very intriguing to read, although I personally had some trouble with the names and had to go back-and-forth to understand if they were the same or different characters.
One thing I liked about the book is how the author carefully crafts everyone’s journey, setting them up like chess pieces to achieve the final goal. Every single character contributes to the downfall of the Sultan and the destruction of Sun Girna Ginar, and they are all linked by this old lady who sells dreams in bottles in the market. I enjoyed the flow of the story and how everything comes together eventually. It is interesting to see how this book reflects some of the social themes that we can still see in modern society: discussions of class, gender, power, and the idea of the past and future. It uses myths as a way of reflecting the current society, reminding us of the strength that humanity possesses. There are so many stories left untold and mysteries left unresolved by the end that I was a bit unsatisfied with the ending and had hoped there was more explanation (especially when some of the characters were never mentioned after initial introduction).
With that being said, I ended up enjoying the book a lot more than I thought I would. It definitely got me interested in learning more about Filipino culture. If you want to pick up something that has fantasy and myths and is very plot driven, be sure to check out this one! You won’t be disappointed.
The End of All Skies is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
A tyrant’s cruel reign comes to an end in a mythical Southeast Asian Sultanate where the powerless rise up against gods and monsters
The final days of Sun Girna Ginar have arrived.
The old witch in the marketplace knows it, but no one believes her. How could the Sultanate fall when the God-Sultan rules over the earth and Skyworld? How could anyone ever defeat General Marandang,
the giant slayer, and the city’s champion, Lam-Ang?
Entering into a wager with the gods, the old witch promises to destroy the city. And by granting the most insignificant the ability to make their dreams come true, it all comes to pass. We witness the fall of the Sultan’s great city through their stories: the hunter who seeks revenge, the one-handed thief who wants justice, and the exiled datu searching for redemption.
Together, they bring about the destruction of the city of Sun Girna Ginar. Its walls are breached by the six-headed giant of Gawi-Gawen as fire consumes the Palace and the never-ending rain swallows the city in flood.
