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  • Sky's End

Sky's End

Above the Black #1 / 3 ✓
by Marc J Gregson
Sky's End (Above the Black #1) by Marc J Gregson
Unrated

An instant New York Times bestseller with three starred reviews—now under development as a feature film franchise!

Plummet into a kill-or-be-killed competition where a scrappy underdog hell-bent on revenge must battle colossal monstrosities and claw his way to the top in this fast-paced, breakout sensation from YA fantasy author Marc J Gregson.

Exiled to live as a Low under the merciless rule of the Meritocracy, sixteen-year-old Conrad refuses to become heir to his murderous uncle. But when behemoth sky serpents attack the floating island of Holmstead and devour Conrad’s ailing mother, Conrad cuts a deal to save the only family he has left. To rescue his sister from his uncle’s clutches, Conrad must enter the Selection of the Twelve Trades.

Freshly recruited into Hunter, the deadliest of all the Trades, Conrad endures vigorous training, manipulative peers, and the Gauntlet—a brutal final challenge that pits Conrad’s skyship crew against the very terrors that orphaned him. As Conrad competes in the lowest of stations, he overhears whispers of rebellion in the dark. Conrad had never known anything existed below the toxic black clouds of the Skylands . . . until now.

Grab your copy of Book One of the Above the Black trilogy and immerse yourself in a richly detailed dystopia, where failing to rise will most certainly mean your fall. Chock-full with epic, edge-of-your-seat battles, nail-biting twists, and bonds of brotherhood, this action-packed series starter is reminiscent of

Attack on Titan and will appeal to fans of Red Rising. A captivatingly wild ride to keep you up late at night as you race toward the finish!

Amazon: Check Best Offer

FantasyScience FictionYoung AdultDystopia
Release date: January 2, 2024

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Marc J Gregson

Marc J Gregson

Marc J. Gregson writes the kind of fantasy that makes you believe the sky really could fall—if not from weight, then from truth. His breakout YA trilogy, Above the Black, begins with Sky’s End, a story that drops readers into a world of floating islands, sky serpents, and brutal airborne arenas where survival isn’t a given—it’s a gamble. At the center is a boy fighting for far more than glory, and beneath the sweeping adventure lies Gregson’s signature touch: emotional gravity wrapped in high-stakes wonder.

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A former middle school English teacher from Salt Lake City, Gregson understands exactly what young readers crave—adventure with heart, danger with meaning, and characters who don't always get it right the first time. It’s no coincidence his books strike a chord with teens and adults alike. His writing doesn’t condescend; it dares. Dares readers to dream, to grieve, to question. To imagine a world that could only exist above the clouds—and what it would cost to bring it crashing down.

Gregson’s path to publication was as steep as the cliffs his characters leap from. After years of writing between lessons and grading papers, Sky’s End didn’t just launch—it soared, becoming a New York Times bestseller and catching the attention of Hollywood. With director Antoine Fuqua signed on to adapt the story for film, the series is already expanding far beyond the page.

Though fantasy is his chosen medium, Gregson’s roots are grounded in something deeply human: the belief that stories, like people, have power when they refuse to be boxed in. He writes for the outliers and the underdogs, those who fight for love, truth, and survival—whether they’re falling from the sky or rising above it.

His trilogy continues with Among Serpents (2025) and Downfall (2026), and if the trajectory is any sign, Marc J. Gregson is only just getting started. For readers who crave bold worlds, broken heroes, and beauty on the edge of collapse, his stories deliver—every time.

Above the Black

Above the clouds, there are no rules—only survival.

In Above the Black, Marc J. Gregson crafts a world where islands float in the sky and gravity isn’t the only force threatening to pull people under. At the heart of this young adult fantasy series is Conrad, a seventeen-year-old boy with nothing to lose and everything to prove. When he's forced into a deadly competition aboard a warship that prowls the skies like a predator, he isn't just fighting to live—he’s chasing secrets that could topple the fragile order of this airborne world.

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But this isn’t just another tournament story. The battles in the sky are brutal, yes—but it’s the emotional terrain that hits hardest. Trust is fleeting, loyalty is dangerous, and the truth? Often more lethal than a blade. Gregson weaves sweeping world-building with intimate, character-driven tension, letting readers feel the cold wind of the upper atmosphere and the deeper chill of betrayal. Floating cities, sky serpents, political intrigue, and quiet moments of hope—the series balances spectacle with soul.

With Sky’s End already earning acclaim for its cinematic scope and heartfelt intensity—and a film adaptation in the works—this series is quickly establishing itself as a standout in the YA fantasy genre. Perfect for fans of fierce competitions, found family dynamics, and morally gray choices, Above the Black doesn’t just imagine a world above the clouds—it dares you to fall through it.

What price would you pay to rise above the wreckage of who you were? This series asks, and never lets you look away.


Above the Black consists of three books — considered a complete series. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.

Sky's End (Above the Black #1)
Unrated
Among Serpents (Above the Black #2)
Unrated
Downfall (Above the Black #3)
⧗ 9.34 / 6


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