For readers who love redemption arcs, magical small-town settings, and cozy fantasy romance, this book is an absolute must-read.

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So I went into Fledgling by S. K. Ali really excited because I’ve read her romcoms before and loved them. She’s a strong, emotive writer, so seeing her step into dystopian felt like a moment. I was ready for it.

And there’s a lot here to like.

The premise is compelling, the themes are meaningful, and you can tell there’s a bigger vision behind the story. But… I struggled. A lot more than I expected to.

Too Many Characters, Not Enough Clarity

One of the biggest challenges for me was just keeping track of everyone.

There are multiple perspectives, multiple factions, and a lot of characters being introduced in quick succession. Normally, that doesn’t bother me—I’ve read books with huge casts and had no issue following along. But here, I kept having to pause and go back because I’d lose track of who someone was or what their role in the story actually was.

Even though there are technically only a handful of central players, the way they’re introduced and layered into the narrative makes it feel like far more. And instead of enriching the story, it ends up creating confusion.

Worldbuilding That Feels Compressed

The world itself is really interesting.

You’ve got this division between New Earth and Old Earth, the classism, the bridge connecting the two—it all gives very strong dystopian energy, almost reminiscent of something like Total Recall. There’s also the added layer of record keepers and systemic control, which could have been incredibly compelling.

But it never fully settles.

Instead of feeling immersive, the worldbuilding feels compressed, like too many ideas are being introduced without enough space to properly explore them. I kept wanting more explanation, more structure, more clarity—especially when it came to how the society actually functions and how these roles interact with each other.

Pacing Issues and Structural Struggles

The pacing is where things really start to break down.

On one hand, the book feels dense—like everything is happening all at once. On the other hand, it also feels drawn out, especially toward the end, where things suddenly start rushing forward.

It’s this weird combination of being overwhelmed and underdeveloped at the same time. Moments that should have had more impact feel rushed, while other sections linger longer than they need to.

Honestly, this book feels like it was meant to be two books. Splitting it into a duology would have given the story room to breathe, allowing the characters, worldbuilding, and plot to develop more naturally.

Characterization and Emotional Disconnect

There are strong character foundations here, but they don’t always land.

I expected to connect more deeply with the main characters, especially given how emotional Ali’s writing can be. But because of the pacing and structural issues, I never felt fully grounded in who they were or what they represented within the larger story.

Instead of growing with them, I felt like I was constantly trying to catch up to them.

Final Thoughts

Fledgling has big ideas. Important ideas. And you can absolutely see the potential in it.

But the execution holds it back.

Between the overcrowded cast, compressed worldbuilding, and uneven pacing, the story ends up feeling more overwhelming than immersive. With more space—either through tighter editing or expanding it into multiple books—this could have been something truly incredible.

As it stands, it’s an interesting read with flashes of brilliance, but one that left me wanting more clarity, more focus, and more breathing room.