Unearthed: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

Earth’s natural resources are running out already creating harmful divisions between the wealthy and the destitute. A coded message from a long-extinct alien race seems to promise help. The Undying promise advanced technology and riches waiting to be found on their home planet Gaia–things that could help reverse Earth’s environmental damage and change lives. That is if anyone can get through the cunning and dangerous traps left behind by the Undying.

Jules Addison is a scholar and a linguist. He grew up watching his father decode the first message of the Undying and he has watched his father deal with the consequences of speaking out against the governments plan to explore Gaia heedless of the risks and hazards of venturing forward too quickly. Mia Radcliffe is a scavenger. Smuggled onto Gaia by mercenaries, Mia hopes to loot enough Undying tech to be able to buy her sister’s freedom. And her own way back to Earth.

Jules and Mia are on opposite sides in the exploration of Gaia. With limited resources and time running out to get back to Earth they will have to forge an uneasy alliance to solve Gaia’s riddles if they hope to survive. Onward if you dare in Unearthed (2017) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.

Unearthed is the thriller start to Kaufman and Spooner’s new duology. The novel is alternates chapters between Mia and Jules’ first person narration.

This book has been marketed as Lara Croft and Indiana Jones in space which is completely accurate. Unearthed is filled with nail-biting cliffhangers and shocking twists and Jules and Mia struggle to work together and survive the many obstacles they face on Gaia.

Despite the high stakes and the action, the pace often drags as Jules and Mia privately stew over their growing attraction and the (often fraught) aspects of their alliance. Repetitive traps and chase scenes further slow down what should be a breakneck story.

Unearthed is perfect for readers looking for solid science fiction and fans of adventure stories. A must read for fans of the authors’ Starcrossed trilogy.

Possible Pairings: The Last Girl on Earth by Alexandra Blogier, Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray, Warcross by Marie Lu, Rebel Seoul by Axie Oh, Partials by Dan Wells, The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration at BookExpo 2017*

Their Fractured Light: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

*Their Fractured Light is the final book in Kaufman and Spooner’s Starbound trilogy which began with These Broken Stars and This Shattered World. This review includes small spoilers for both preceding books.*

Everyone knows about Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase’s infamous Avon Broadcast that aired on year ago. The broadcast did its job of saving their planet. It also was largely  discredited much in the way Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen’s own stories of whispers on a far off planet after the crash of the Icarus were quietly ignored.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, two teens are working to bring the evils of LaRoux industries to light once and for all.

Gideon Marchant is a hacker who has spent the the last year tracking a woman he thinks can help him bring LaRoux Industries to its knees.

Sofia Quinn left Avon a year ago and since then has worked her way across the galaxy to Corinth waiting for her chance to make LaRoux pay for her father’s death.

When their separate attempts at infiltrating LaRoux Headquarters are thwarted, Gideon and Sofia are thrown together in a frantic escape. These two have no reason to work together but if they can let go of their distrust and the hatred they’ve been harboring for so long, they might be the key to exposing LaRoux’s secrets once and for all in Their Fractured Light (2015) by Aime Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.

Their Fractured Light is the final book in Kaufman and Spooner’s Starbound trilogy which began with These Broken Stars and This Shattered World.

Like its predecessors, Their Fractured Light is written in first person narration that alternates between both characters’ (Gideon and Sofia’s) points of view. As the final book in a companion series, this novel introduces new characters and an independent plot–at least theoretically.

In reality, Kaufman and Spooner’s final Starbound book is a disappointing installment that lacks the substance or depth to stand on its own merits. Both Sofia and Gideon are intimately connected to the events at LaRoux Industries and to characters from earlier books. Their pasts and backstories become such a large part of the story that Sofia and Gideon’s present situation pales in comparison.

Compared to the other protagonists in the series, particularly Flynn and Jubilee, Gideon and Sofia fall flat. Their relationship feels forced (remember things start when the two are almost literally thrown together) and lacks any kind of chemistry even before a painfully contrived plot point comes along to make things even more difficult for both characters.

Ultimately Their Fractured Light does wrap up the series after a fashion however after building up to this climactic finish over the course of three books, the resolution felt anti-climactic and not quite as satisfying as it could have been.

Readers who have been faithful fans of the series since the beginning will find a lot to love in Their Fractured Light. Unfortunately, after struggling through These Broken Stars and being wowed by This Broken World, I have to admit that Their Fractured Light was a major letdown for me.

Possible Pairings: Avalon by Mindee Arnett, The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne, Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch, Alienated by Melissa Landers, Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund, A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan, The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick, A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan, Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson

This Shattered World: A Review

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac never should have met–not when they stand on opposite sides of the decades long war on Avon.

Terraforming corporations promised to make Avon livable for the countless colonists who paid for land on the fledgling planet. But that was years ago and the planet is still no closer to being more than a murky swamp.

Captain Lee Chase is part of the military force sent to Avon to tamp down rebellious colonists. No one has ever lasted on the inhospitable planet as long as Lee–no one has even tried.

Flynn has been part of the rebellion since before he can remember–before he had a choice in the matter.

After a mission to infiltrate the military base goes horribly awry, Flynn holds Lee’s life literally in his hands.

Lee is as drawn to Flynn as she is repulsed by everything he stands for. But she also knows the stalemate of the rebellion can only last so long before something has to give.

When Flynn makes a shocking choice to help Lee escape, both soldier and rebel find themselves drawn into a web of secrets and lies surrounding Avon’s origins–not to mention in the center of a conflict that could destroy everything they hold dear in This Shattered World (2014) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.

This Shattered World is the second book in Kaufman and Spooner’s Starbound trilogy which begins with These Broken Stars. Although this book is chronologically a sequel it functions largely as a companion novel and stands on its own without having read book one.

Once again Kaufman and Spooner deliver a story with chapters that alternate between our two narrators while also offering a little something extra in the between chapter transitions.

This Shattered World is a thrilling story filled with action and suspense as Flynn and Jubilee work together to unravel the conspiracy surrounding Avon. Readers are able to see the war from both sides as they get to know Flynn and the other members of the rebellion–a movement with strong ties to the Irish folklore of their ancestors–and the military as seen by Jubilee.

Jubilee is a tough heroine who refuses to take any nonsense from anyone. Although headstrong she is also compassionate, particularly as she learns more about the nuances of the rebellion on Avon. Like Flynn, Jubilee also has strong ties to her past–on her side in the form of a Chinese mother and black father.

Flynn is definitely the softer of the two as he struggles to find a way to end the war without violence. He is also a charming and often cocky character who is keen to be defined by more than his past.

Together Flynn and Jubilee are an unlikely pair who somehow make perfect sense together. Like the best literary relationships, Flynn and Jubilee complement each other and prove that they are stronger together. That isn’t to say This Shattered World doesn’t have it’s fair share of arguing and banter, it does.

While This Shattered World is the second book in a trilogy, it does have a very contained storyline and offers some degree of closure for all of the characters by the final page. Kaufman and Spooner deliver another sleek sci-fi story in This Shattered World which promises to build to an explosive conclusion to the Starbound trilogy in book three.

Possible Pairings: Avalon by Mindee Arnett, The Shadows by Megan Chance, The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne, Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch, Alienated by Melissa Landers, Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund, A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick, A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan, Rebel Mechanics by Shanna Swendson

*An advance copy of this book was acquired for review consideration from the publisher at a preview event*

These Broken Stars: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review

Tarver Merendsen would be quite happy to be anywhere but on board the Icarus. Being on the luxury spaceliner is certainly easy with finely appointed public areas and beautiful people everywhere. But it is also claustrophobic with cameras and gossips everywhere eager for a sighting of the famously young and heroic Major Merendsen. If Tarver had known his actions on Avon would lead to this kind of attention he might have made very different decisions while dealing with the rebels on the terraformed planet.

As the daughter of the richest man in the universe, Lilac LaRoux knows all about terraforming new planets and the unrest that sometimes come with colonization. She knows more about space travel and technology than is seemly for a girl of her station. She also knows that it would be very, very unwise to have anything to do with an upstart military man like Tarver. So Lilac does what she always does and pushes him away.

Unfortunately that doesn’t matter much when the Icarus is pulled out of hyperspace and crashes.

Suddenly Lilac and Tarver are thrown together on a seemingly abandoned planet.

With no one but each other, this unlikely pair builds a grudging respect and even friendship. As their relationship turns into something more than either could have imagined, Lilac and Tarver’s dreams of a life together are derailed by the strange mysteries on the planet and the impending threat of rescue in These Broken Stars (2013) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.

These Broken Stars is the first book in Kaufman and Spooner’s Starbound trilogy (which functions as a set of companion books each featuring different narrators). The second book is This Shattered World.

This book is written in alternating first person narrations as Tarver and Lilac tell their story.

The dual narration structure is used to excellent effect here to highlight Tarver and Lilac’s changing opinions of each other as well as to examine key plot points from multiple views. Although Tarver and Lilac’s voices are not always as distinct as they should be, the narrative is done so well that it is a minor problem at best.

The bond between the characters builds organically to create a romance with an extremely solid foundation based on mutual respect as well as affection. Unfortunately despite these stellar protagonists and a strong plot, the latter part of the novel does drag in places. Ultimately, however, the story does build to a stunning conclusion that will leave readers eager to see more of the world Kaufman and Spooner have created.

These Broken Stars is an atmospheric sci-fi story with hints of mystery and romance. Tarver and Lilac are both self-aware characters with as much agency as spunk. Lilac, a tech-smart girl, is a particularly satisfying character to watch as she comes into her own after the crash of the Icarus. An excellent and action-packed novel for science fiction fans.

Possible Pairings: Avalon by Mindee Arnett, The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne, Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch, That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E. K. Johnston, Alienated by Melissa Landers, For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund, A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick, A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

*A copy of this book was acquired for review consideration from the publisher at BEA 2013*