Secrets in the Mist: A Unique YA Story
I admit: I was skeptical about Secrets in the Mist (Skyworld, #1). The first in a duo logy, it introduces readers into a futuristic world, rich with steampunk and dystopian elements. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this, but overall, I found it an enjoyable read.
Spoiler-Free Summary
In a world where people live in the sky to escape the deadly Mist below, orphan Cass’s only focus is her own survival. But when she scores a job on board the airship Daedalus as a diver, her eyes are opened as she explores ruined cities for artifacts and valuables.
Then the Daedalus is hired by a young man from one of the most prominent families for an impossible task: to end the ever-growing, ever-devouring Mist.
What I Enjoyed about this YA Steampunk
- Tropes from Different Genres: Secrets in the Mist shares some dystopian, steampunk, YA, and Christian elements and tropes, including:
- Dystopian: corrupt leadership; humanity hanging in the balance
- Steampunk: atmosphere; technology; airships
- YA: orphan protagonist; searching for belonging and purpose; something special that makes her important
- Christian: subtle Christian themes woven throughout
- Clean Read: Appropriate for a general YA audience, there is no language or sexual content.
- Sweet First Love: Although predictable, the blooming romance between our two protagonists was heartwarming and sweet.
- Easy-to-Read: Immersive, with straight-forward writing and clear world building, Secrets in the Mist was an easy book to pick up and read. It didn’t require too much effort on my part to enjoy the novel.
What I Enjoyed Less
Overall, I found the story fairly predictable.
I also am far removed from the target audience of young adults, so there were some aspects to the story that missed the mark for me personally.
If You Like Secrets in the Mist…
Then you may also like my debut YA fantasy novel Shift! While fairly dissimilar overall, Shift shares some qualities with Secrets in the Mist, including how it straddles genres.
Shift pulls from young adult, dystopian, fantasy, and historical fiction.
It also is an easy read (not meant to require a lot of effort) and is no-spice/minimal language.
Check out all about Shift here! And follow along on social media for all the publishing updates. It releases late Spring 2026!
Final Thoughts
This was a fun, easy read. However, I did not find it particularly memorable and was not very emotionally invested in the story or what happened. For that reason, I rated it only three stars. Perhaps if I was younger, I would’ve enjoyed it more!
But if you like clean books, unique worlds, and likable characters, I would encourage you to check out Secrets in the Mist! And if you pick up the second in the Skyward duology (Blood Secrets), be sure to let me know what you think!
Content Rating: Mild
for action, some disturbing/scary elements
Copyright Morgan L. Busse and Enclave. Image from Amazon.