Book Review – ‘These Broken Stars’ (#1 Starbound) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

A sci-fi adventure heavy on the romance…

Genre: Y/A, Science Fiction, Romance

No. of pages: 324

It’s a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

I love my sci-fi, and given the success Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner have had in other series, I was really excited to see what the Starbound Trilogy would deliver.

I do like a bit of military sci-fi, lots of action, high stakes, and explosions… and ‘These Broken Stars’ certainly delivered on that. Though his is more of a romance story than hard sci-fi. I enjoyed the change in pace, the questions and themes it explores, but I wasn’t completely sold on the story as a whole. I was satisfied, but not blown away upon completing the first book of this trilogy.

Though it doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger, ‘These Broken Stars’ does pose a lot of unanswered questions to continue sleuthing out in the remainder of the series. There is great character development from our two love-struck protagonists, with the narrative following dual perspectives in alternating chapters between Tarver and Lilac.

The mythology and class system seems to be the main obstacle between Lilac and Tarver. Lilac being an aristocrat, her father owning a large conglomerate of companies dominating the galaxy… but the possessiveness and adamancy of her not socialising with others was a little difficult to swallow without proper motivation. Isolating her character without provocation did not feel necessary or realistic. I was waiting for a twist reveal at the end which would justify her father’s behaviour, but just being painted as a baddie left me wanting more. So too was her stubbornness – I can understand some of it, but the extreme lengths she exhibited felt like overkill. Chants : *more diversity in character traits!*

Tarver was a more realistic character – out with something to prove. Compassionate, yet regimental. I found myself warming to his character very quickly. The Caste system made more sense with him coming from a poor sector and having to fight for his place in the military. The premise of Tarver and Lilac being media stars could have been executed better.

I really enjoyed the world building, pacing and character development. Kaufman and Spooner’s writing style is easy to read, direct, without too much embellishment to keep the story moving forward without losing the richness of the world and cast.

I will say this pair of authors managed to deliver a few surprises along the way which were a delight, but the plot could have been a little more intricate, but that is hard when most of the story only has two characters in it.

In December 2013 Eric Balfour and some others optioned this for a television series, but there has been no news since this announcement – it is in production limbo. I’m uncertain if it has been shelved, dropped, or put on hold. But I can see the potential of the Starbound trilogy as a tv series and think with the right treatment this story could be easily elevated for the small screen. I think the biggest hurdle in the current economic climate is that this series would have to rely heavily on special effects making it an expensive show to produce. I’ll keep my ear to the ground for any upadates.

A fun easy read, but not one that I would shout from the rooftops. I think the thing that drew me to the series other than name recognition of the authors was the gorgeous cover art of couples floating in space – I’m a sucker for that type of thing. This book is perfect for the young adult market not necessarily into hard science fiction.

Overall feeling: Caught my attention… mostly

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Book Review – ‘Undying’ (#2 Unearthed) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Uncovering alien secrets to save the human race!

Genre: YA, Science Fiction

No. of pages: 308

When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying’s advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study … as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don’t loot everything first.

Mia and Jules’ different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance. In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race’s secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race …

A family-friendly sci-fi adventure where teens have to sleuth out puzzles and booby traps to save the planet with alien technology… this has everything I want in a novel.

I think the biggest thing for me is that I guessed the series plot twist in the first two chapters of the debut novel… so ‘Undying’ didn’t feel so ground breaking for me.

When Mia and Jules aren’t under the pressure of a countdown, or the threat of death, I found their characters to be a little plain. And I mentioned in the first novel of this series that the pacing felt a little slow because there are so many little unnecessary scenes bogging up the road. This happened even ore in ‘Undying,’ I found myself putting the book down frequently because I was frustrated with the narrative. Sometimes you just want the characters to get on with things if you know what I mean. I don’t need to hear about their lamenting, or remembering things from the past that have little bearing on the plot, or their repeated thoughts of what is really going on. Maybe this wouldn’t have been such an issue for me if I hadn’t worked out the duologies plot so early on. It kind of left me with no surprises, other than some of the characters actions.

I enjoyed the concept of the technology, but still found parts of this story (overall) to be on shaky ground. It was a little implausible in my opinion. Even the characters in ‘Undying’ say so. It does feel a bit silly or unnecessary.

I did have a fun time reading – the adventure side of this series is amazing. Kaufman and Spooner can really craft tension and pacing in the action scenes – it was all the other stuff that was a bit of a dog’s breakfast.

This is more for the younger end of the YA demographic. Like a science fiction version of the ‘Goonies.’

Overall feeling: it’s okay.

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

#bookporn #coverlove

Have you heard that ‘Mikey 7’ is getting a film adaptation starring Robert Paterson yet? I’ve had this book on my wishlist for ages – better hop to it and get it read before the movie comes out.

#bookquotes

A great sci-fi comedy series with a POC protagonist. This book has me not only looking up Spanish-to-English translations, but researching astronomy as well!

Book Review – ‘Unearthed’ (#1 Unearthed) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Teens hunting for space treasure!

Genre: YA, Science Fiction

No. of pages: 331

When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying’s advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study … as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don’t loot everything first.

Mia and Jules’ different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance. In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race’s secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race …

Space archaeology and scavenging for alien technology – sounds like a fantastic adventure to me! That’s exactly what ‘Unearthed’ is, an action packed quest with highly motivated teen protagonists.

There is so much to love about ‘Unearthed,’ it delighted the child inside me, and reads like any movie sci-fi adventure. The action picks up in the first chapter and does not let up until the last word. With alternating chapters between our protagonists; Jules, daring to travel to an alien planet and prove his father’s life’s work is not the makings of a crazy zealot… and in the process save all life on Earth; and then there’s the witty Mia, a scavver (scavenger) who’s grown up in the slums and had to fight and work hard for everything she’s got. And she’s snuck her way onto the alien planet in hopes to strike it rich with finding some alien technology to sell and rescue her (illegal) sister from a nefarious work contract. They both are compelling characters and clash repeatedly bringing joy and interest to me as a reader. In the first chapter Mia saves Jules from other scavvers with her sassy attitude and street smarts, and it just gets better from there.

The pacing is steady all the way through, and I did not want to put the book down, but I do feel the pacing could have been a touch faster – especially for YA sci-fi – because we get a lot of detail, some flashbacks that could have been more succinct to really drive the plot forward at a cracking pace. But that is just me being a nit-picker, ‘Unearthed’ was such a compelling read.

The plot felt predictable, I guessed the twist at the end in chapter two. I think there were too many obvious conversations between Jules and Mia that gave it away far too early on. Besides that, the pair are always scrambling, running, desperate to get out of danger… which had me investing in their plight, because they were not always entirely successful.

I loved the writing style of Kaufman and Spooner. It’s embellished enough to create tone and ambience without being pretentious or moving ‘Unearthed’ away from its target demographic. Reading this book was effortless. But that is no surprise to those who have followed my reviews – I’ve felt the same from any other novels I’ve read penned by these authors.

This is a great family-friendly space adventure with high stakes that I would happily recommend to those searching for a light-hearted romp on an alien planet. Hardcore sci-fi fans may find this a little simplistic, but this is YA, so you need to take ‘Unearthed’ in the context in which it is written. For me this is a winner!

Overall feeling: Captivating!

© Casey Carlisle 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

#bookquotes

I’ve always achieved the greatest things when I’m conquering a fear. Sometimes its warning us about danger, sometimes its holding us back.

#bookporn #coverlove

I have been waiting for what feels like forever for the next instalment to find out what challenges Myfawny faces. And big ups for fellow Aussie author Daniel O’Malley for being able to mash paranormal mystery with a MI6 organisation together with a loveable protagonist.

Book Review – ‘This Is How You Lose The Time War’ by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

A trippy love story through the ages…

Genre: Science Fiction

No. of pages: 224

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There’s still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war.

This was beautiful and quaint. Packed with story and subtext. Told in alternating perspectives, Blue and Red are epyphonous creatures and hard to pin down, as is the mulit-verse and multi-dimensional landscape in which they travel. While romantic and full of colourful, this ethereal tone did make it hard for me to truly connect with the characters and the world. Everything is so changeable, malleable. While brilliant and a masterstroke in storytelling it did leave me feeling like I wasn’t quite grounded in the story. I struggled at the start to find my footing. To make sense of it all. But war is messy (not to mention jumping around in different points of time) so I guess the chaotic nature of battle marries the format of the novella.

Some may find this hard to get into. It is a dense read. There’s a lot to decipher in story and subtext. Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mothar’s writing style is embellished, melodic, and a little pretentious. It didn’t flow easily for me… I had to really concentrate to work out who each character was and who they are in relevance to the world at large – I think this may isolate some readers (depending on your reading level.)

The romance at the heart of the book is gorgeous, visceral, and all encompassing. I really enjoyed it, but at times the flowery language had me skipping forward. And I felt like I wanted more story. More exploration of strange new world’s that held symbolism or secondary storylines. 

There is a lot to unpack ‘This is How You Lose the Time War’ is a weighted read. I loved the allegory of the Mobius strip, the symbolism of the seed… but I still grapple with questions of who/what are red and blue? Who/what are Garden and Commandant and why are they at war? What is there to gain? I understand it’s to control the time line, but to what end? So many questions but all we get is a snapshot (a millennia long) of a part of Blue and Red’s budding relationship and covert measures. 

I love the concept more than the writing style. I can see this isolating some readers. It’s like reading mid-century poetry… hidden meanings and symbolism, subtext, and needing to look up the definition of words. For some this will be a roadblock, but for more experienced readers this will feel melodic and whimsical.

Overall feeling: kaleidoscopic

© Casey Carlisle 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Casey Carlisle with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

#bookquotes

Glad I got to re-visit the universe of the initial Legend trilogy. This time we follow Day/Daniel and is little brother Eden. A great addition to the franchise.

This quote resounds with so much truth – I love anything that challenges toxic masculinity.

#bookporn #coverlove

I’ve loved the books I’ve read from Blake Crouch in the past so I had to add another to my collection. I think he is going to be another auto-buy author!