Skies Beyond tells the story of Tram, a boy who loses everything when pirates attack his home, Monument Island—a gritty industrial place that churns out materials for the fancier islands above. After the attack, he’s left to fend for himself and his little brother, but life doesn’t get any easier. Fast forward eight years, and Tram’s working at a tavern, trying to scrape by while still haunted by his past. When a run-in with the pirate captain who destroyed his family stirs up old memories, Tram starts questioning the world around him. Why is his island scraping by on fumes while others soar in luxury? Why does the Authority—the mysterious rulers of the grander, higher islands—keep everyone else struggling below? With help from his friends, like Lizzy, the cheerful girl who’s always had his back, and Declan, the awkward but brilliant thinker, Tram starts to dream of a better life. But breaking free from this world isn’t going to be easy, and the deeper he digs, the more danger he finds himself in.