We Own the Sky (The Muse Chronicles Book 1) by Sara Crawford

We Own the Sky is the first book in a YA urban fantasy series that was sent to me by the author. Sylvia can see the "flickering people." Nobody else can see them but her. She sees them around other people, too, especially artists and musicians. During chorus class, she sees another one. Sylvia later learns that his name is Vincent, and he is a Muse. Muses are minor goddesses of the arts and literature. There were nine original Muses, but when special artists and musicians die, they can choose to go to heaven or be a Muse. They inspire creation, and can choose somebody to inspire. With Vincent's help, she is able to write music and sing better than she ever could.

However, soon the original nine Greek Muses wake up to a world of the internet where anyone can be an artist. This is a problem, especially to Clio, who wants to go back to old traditions. As a war ensues, Sylvia learns the real reason why she can see all Muses, and discovers that this conflict puts her in serious danger.

This story shows the power of music, and how it truly can save a life. The purpose of music is to touch others and convey emotion. Just like reading, music is a way to escape our problems. We Own the Sky proves how life changing music can be. Speaking of music, the artists and songs that Sylvia likes are still around and popular with teens today, which also makes the book connectable on another level. There is also a band called Muse, and I thought it was ironic how their music was tied into the story.

We Own the Sky is emotional and will touch the hearts of many teens. High school life and its struggles are a big element, and I could definitely relate to a lot of it. It has a little bit of everything: magic, mythology, romance, and it even hit mental health issues.

This book was super original, and I loved learning more about Muses! I love Greek mythology. I have not read much about Muses before. Sure, in sixth grade we had a Greek mythology unit and briefly went over them, but I have never known more than the fact that they are children of Mnemosyne (Goddess of memory) and Zeus. And I still had to press my memory hard on that.

I learned a lot more fascinating information about them. It is hard to come up with a new concept, and I applaud the author for that. I asked her how she came up with the idea, and in 2006, she wrote a play called Painted. It followed a similar story line, with some of the same characters, including Vincent. In the play, it never specified what Vincent was. But while Crawford was in college, she was reading a poem that talked about Muses, and it clicked that he could be a Muse.

Watch the YouTube video that the author made talking about the book!

I highly recommend that you read this book! It comes out on August 15th, 2017.

Title: We Own the Sky (The Muse Chronicles Book 1)
Author: Sara Crawford
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Pages: 297 Pages
Series: Yes, Book 1
Rating: 5 Stars
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