These Broken Stars
Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner
Series: Starbound #1
Published on December 10, 2013
Genres: Military Science Fiction, Science Fiction, Young Adult
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.
--
A timeless love story, THESE BROKEN STARS sets into motion a sweeping science fiction series of companion novels. The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.
I have been very neglectful of science fiction this year. I rarely read it anymore, not because I don’t love it, but because I’m just so picky about what kind of SF I like. So when I saw These Broken Stars offered up on Netgalley, I figured I’d give it a try.
I don’t have the same expectations for all genres. YA and NA are totally different and SF and Romance are equally different. But when I’m reading SF I have a big line drawn between hard and soft SF. These Broken Stars straddled that line pretty successfully in my mind. It has a soldier in it – score one for the authors right there because much of SF is about the military. So I automatically liked it for that reason alone. Second, the soldier was not a dumbass. Score two for the authors. They actually knew what they were talking about.
But beyond Tarver’s well researched military appointment, the heroine, Lilac, was a science nerd. This was pretty much where I said – Oh f-yeah.
The science was pretty realistic, in so far as it could be when you’re talking about FTL and other stuff that is too spoiler-y to mention. But the trick in SF science is not to over explain. You have to understand your own theories, but you don’t want to fill the readers in on all the details, else they start picking it apart and finding your holes.
These Broken Stars did it just right. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the struggle, the characters, and especially the introductions to each chapter by Tarver as he’s being interrogated.
This is the classic rich girl meets poor boy with skills, stuck on a deserted island together, except the island is another planet. And even though there were some pretty spectacular SF elements going on that probably should’ve had the scientist sin me asking questions about – the one thing that really had me shaking my head was the damn green dress. Why? I mean, I get why. Her skin was chaffing. But how the hell does one wear a ball gown under a jumpsuit?
But that’s a really minor annoyance. This book grabbed me right from the beginning. Lilac was incorrigible in the beginning, held out hope after the crash that someone was coming to save her, then finally realized she had to grow up and be responsible for her own life and salvation. Tarver was competent, didn’t put up with Lilac’s shit, and was a great protector.
A great read and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes SF, romance, and mystery in the same book. Four point five stars for These Broken Stars. And the cover – is lovely.
About Amie Kaufman
I’m a young adult author from Melbourne, Australia, represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary. I write fantasy, science fiction and all things speculative.
My favourite procrastination techniques involve chocolate, baking, sailing, my dog Jack, gardening, plotting and executing overseas travel, napping, my music collection and reading. Also my husband.
About Meagan Spooner
Meagan Spooner grew up reading and writing every spare moment of the day, while dreaming about life as an archaeologist, a marine biologist, an astronaut. She graduated from Hamilton College in New York with a degree in playwriting, and has spent several years since then living in Australia. She’s traveled with her family all over the world to places like Egypt, South Africa, the Arctic, Greece, Antarctica, and the Galapagos, and there’s a bit of every trip in every story she writes.
She currently lives and writes in Northern Virginia, but the siren call of travel is hard to resist, and there’s no telling how long she’ll stay there.
In her spare time she plays guitar, plays video games, plays with her cat, and reads.
COMMENT BELOW