Review: Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

From Goodreads: A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck - now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze. Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker - a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch. Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost. When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide.

My Rating: 4 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: While reading This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, I thought the Knave of Hearts sounded like a pretty interesting character. So, I was thrilled when I found out that he would be one of the main characters in Their Fractured Light. Imagine how surprised I was then to find out how personal his motives really were for wanting to screw Roderick LaRoux!

Although I liked learning more about Gideon and Sofia and seeing them work as tentative allies, Their Fractured Light became way more enjoyable when Lilac, Tarver, Flynn, and Jubilee entered the scene because it greatly increased the tension. What I really loved about Their Fractured Light, however, was how all the little details that I’d forgotten about from the previous books in the series came back to play a part in this book. So, if you haven’t started the Starbound series, it’s good to do so now that all the books are out; and if you have, it might be worthwhile to reread the previous books before reading Their Fractured Light to fully appreciate how much planning Kaufman and Spooner must have done before writing this series.

A splendid conclusion to an amazing series, Their Fractured Light was released by Disney-Hyperion in December 2015. 

Comments About the Cover: This is my favourite cover of the series because it has a lot of purple, my favourite colour.

Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

From Goodreads: This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do. This afternoon, her planet was invaded. The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra - who are barely even talking to each other - are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit. But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again. 

My Rating: 4 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Although I’m not a big sci-fi fan, I put Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s Illuminae on my wishlist after hearing about it because I love Kaufman’s Starbound series. Having now read Illuminae, I can say that Kaufman and Kristoff didn’t disappoint!

Since Illuminae doesn’t come out until October, I figured I’d provide five reasons to convince you to get a copy of your own:

1. The writing style: Something that makes Illuminae stand out is that it’s told entirely through hacked documents such as interviews, emails, chat logs, and diary excerpts!
2. The pacing: The way Illuminae is written makes it really easy to breeze through the book. It also helps that the novel is so action-packed and full of tension.
3. The themes explored: I really liked some of the philosophical questions that Illuminae raises, my favourite of which is whether saving the lives of many is worth risking the lives of a few.
4. The characters: Even though the writing style made it slightly hard to connect with the characters, I liked Kady and Ezra. My favourite character, however, would definitely have to be AIDAN.
5. The plot twists: While I predicted some of the twists, others – like the one at the end – were a total surprise!

Illuminae will be released by Knopf Books for Young Readers on October 20, 2015.

Comments About the Cover: It's quite eye-catching. 

A big thanks to Christina at Christina Reads YA for sending me her copy of Illuminae!

Review: This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

From Goodreads: Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met. Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents. Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion. Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

My Rating: 4.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: After unexpectedly falling in love with Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s These Broken Stars last year, I had high hopes for its companion novel, This Shattered World. Fortunately, This Shattered World lived up to my expectations. In fact, I actually liked it even more than These Broken Stars!

A huge reason why would be because of the characterization of Jubilee and Flynn as individuals. While it took me some time to like Tarver in These Broken Stars, I liked both Jubilee and Flynn right from the start because Jubilee was this tough soldier with a surprising amount of vulnerability whereas Flynn was a charming rebel who wanted to create change through peaceful means (unlike his fellow rebels).

Though they’re on opposite sides of a war, Jubilee and Flynn learn to trust each other over time, and become allies. There was so much chemistry between them, and I loved the romance because it was slow and believable (although the attraction was there from the beginning). Authors, this is how you write a romance!

In terms of the plot, we get to see LaRoux Industries’ effects on another planet, which eventually causes Lilac and Tarver to be dragged into the conflict on Avon. So, we get to see what they’re up to as well :) 

A fantastic companion novel, This Shattered World will be released on December 23, 2014 by Disney-Hyperion. I can’t wait to travel to Corinth in the next book and see Roderick LaRoux get what he deserves! 

Comments About the Cover: It's similar to the cover of These Broken Stars, but I like that one better. 

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Disney Book Group) for free via NetGalley.

Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (and Giveaway)

From Goodreads: 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. 

My Rating: 4 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: As part of the blog tour arranged by The Midnight Garden for Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner's These Broken Stars, I’m going to provide five reasons to read their book. Here they are:

1. The plot: Although I didn’t understand the scientific reasoning behind the major plot twist at the end, I thought the book was very original. I’ve never been a sci-fi fan and previously hadn’t really enjoyed the few books that I read that fell within the genre, but I was entertained by These Broken Stars. 
2. The writing: Not only was Kaufman and Spooner’s writing descriptive, but they also added an element of suspense. Each chapter, for example, begins with part of a record of Tarver’s interrogation, and you can’t help but wonder what it is that Tarver and Lilac discovered while being stuck on this abandoned planet.
3. The dual POVs: As long as the voices of the characters remain distinct, I love reading about a situation from multiple perspectives. That’s definitely applicable to These Broken Stars as well. 
4. The protagonists: Most people might find Tarver easier to like than Lilac, but I had the opposite reaction. I felt sorry for Lilac having to push people away and appearing like a snob. I also realized there was a lot more to her than meets the eye when she hot-wires their escape pod. I was just waiting for her to show her strength and capability to Tarver, who seemed to have this “I know best” mentality that disappears as the novel progresses. 
5. The slow building romance: Though both Tarver and Lilac are attracted to each other at the beginning of the book, the way Lilac is forced to treat Tarver causes him embarrassment. As a result, both Tarver and Lilac believe that the other person thinks the worst of them even as they start to develop respect for each other. It all makes for some nice sexual tension.

These Broken Stars will be released in December 10, 2013 by Disney Hyperion.

In exchange for an honest review, this book was received from the publisher (Disney Book Group) for free via NetGalley.

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Tour Schedule
Visit each stop for more exclusive These Broken Stars content and additional chances to earn prizes!

Monday, 11/11   The Midnight Garden (World-Building for the Future)

Tuesday, 11/12   Love is Not a Triangle (Author Interview)

Wednesday, 11/13   The Perpetual Page-Turner (Using Technology to Write with a Partner)

Thursday, 11/14   Good Books and Good Wine (Audiobook Sample + Narrator Interview)

Friday, 11/15   The Starry-Eyed Revue (Character Interview with Tarver )
Monday, 11/18   Cuddlebuggery (Author Interview)

Monday, 11/18   Review Stops: Ex-Libris Kate, Step Into Fiction, Books and Other Happily Ever Afters, Musings of a YA Reader, Ramblings of a Daydreamer, Curling Up with a Good Book

Tuesday, 11/19   Books With Bite (Amie & Meg's Favorite Things)

Wednesday, 11/20   Xpresso Reads (Establishing Characters with Role-Playing)

Thursday, 11/21   Great Imaginations (Co-Authoring Books)

Friday, 11/22   Nawanda Files (Lilac's Gorgeous Dress: A Look at These Broken Stars' Cover Art)

Monday 11/25   Promo stops (fun facts about the book!)

The Flyleaf Review,  YA Romantics, WhatchYA Reading?, Scott Reads It!, My Friends are Fiction, Books and Whimsy, Michelle and Leslie's Book Picks, Forever 17 Books, Cecelia Bedelia, Another Novel Read, In Bed with Books, Falling for YA, Forever Literary, Effortlessly Reading 

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Visit the These Broken Stars website for the latest news on the series and follow the authors on Twitter at @AmieKaufman and @MeaganSpooner. You may also sign up for their newsletter as well! These Broken Stars will be available in North America on December 10, 2013.

If you pre-order the book from Malaprop's Bookstore, you can also get a collectible TBS poster autographed by the authors!