Star Crossed (Thief Errant, #1)

Mar 04, 2013 Anila rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, favorite-2011-reads

I was one of few people I know who was underwhelmed by Bunce's debut, A Curse Dark as Gold. Partly this was because it was oversold, rather like The Hunger Games was for me, and while both of those were good I never felt like they deserved the hype. Still, A Curse Dark as Gold was a very solid debut, and I would have picked up StarCrossed even if I hadn't heard raves from a lot of people I respected.

This book has me wondering if I should go back and detract a star from A Curse Dark as Gold to pr...more I was one of few people I know who was underwhelmed by Bunce's debut, A Curse Dark as Gold. Partly this was because it was oversold, rather like The Hunger Games was for me, and while both of those were good I never felt like they deserved the hype. Still, A Curse Dark as Gold was a very solid debut, and I would have picked up StarCrossed even if I hadn't heard raves from a lot of people I respected.

This book has me wondering if I should go back and detract a star from A Curse Dark as Gold to properly illustrate how much Bunce has grown. Her debut was a solid and interesting retelling but didn't really grab me or pull me along, and the writing was hard to read. StarCrossed is vivid, absorbing, much better written, and considerably more enjoyable because it doesn't feel like work, even once.

The mythology of this world is wonderful- I loved the polytheism/monotheism conflict, and even more the fact that it didn't seem to be drawn from any existing real-world religions. How many times have I read about pantheons that are basically Greek with different names? This is not that at all. Also, props to Bunce for making some of the most significant deities goddesses. Albeit subtly, that changes the dynamic of the society very nicely.

Digger, to me, was a very well-crafted main character. She was competent, but not omnipotent; she made mistakes but I never felt like she was stupid; she took a while developing emotional attachments to people but the reasons she eventually came to like them made a lot of sense. Her history and the way it was woven into the plot was great. I also liked that she was introduced with a love interest established, despite the fact that he died pretty much as soon as we met him (no, this doesn't count as a spoiler) because that seemed to preclude the possibility of romance in the rest of the novel. Win!

The supporting characters all seemed very strong to me, and their politics and interactions interested me. Meri, the innocent, grew a lot over the course of the novel, even if readers didn't get to see most of it. The position she was in at the end makes me think that she's going to really mature over the course of the series, however long it may be. Her mother, Lady Lyllace, was a wonderful mentor for Digger and kinda assumed a maternal role, which was very sweet. Certain other characters whose names I can't disclose for fear of spoiling were wonderful- if you've read the novel, the 'carver' was my favorite.

The pacing of the climax of this book was very good. I was a little confused as to who was where, but it came clear later, and the tension of the moment just kept me turning pages one after the other. The denouement was also well-handled, and neatly sets the characters off on more adventures without resorting to cheap tricks designed purely to extort money from hapless readers. (Ahem. Rachel Caine, Sophie Jordan, are you watching? This is how you start a series.)

While not quite as toe-curlingly enjoyable as Brightly Woven or Armed and Magical were for me, StarCrossed is nonetheless a novel I'd recommend highly to almost anyone.

Oh, one more thing. (view spoiler)(less)

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Aug 02, 2011 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This is not a book that I just could ride out. I had to do some work and some thinking in order to keep things straight. This is almost straight up YA fantasy.

It took me a while to finish and after I did I had a headache. I thought, That's not a good sign…but I really did like it. There could've been a number of other reasons for having a headache like sleep deprivation or the heat. I think the biggest struggle I had with the story was that it took so long. It felt like it dragged. I'd hoped th...more

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Dec 24, 2010 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2010, fantasy, series-in-progress-still-like, ala-ya-2011

3.5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book.

On the one hand, I liked many things about it. Publishers promise StarCrossed to be the next Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief-like experience. The book delivers on this promise, somewhat. The main character, Digger, is a thief and an extremely unreliable narrator - she lies, she steals, she has secrets. It makes the story interesting and twisty.

The world of StarCrossed is wonderfully developed. It is rich and all-encompassing, starting with multiple...more 3.5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book.

On the one hand, I liked many things about it. Publishers promise StarCrossed to be the next Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief-like experience. The book delivers on this promise, somewhat. The main character, Digger, is a thief and an extremely unreliable narrator - she lies, she steals, she has secrets. It makes the story interesting and twisty.

The world of StarCrossed is wonderfully developed. It is rich and all-encompassing, starting with multiple moons and a pantheon of gods and ending with elaborate history and social order of the country Digger lives in. After reading just the first couple of chapters I was amazed at the image of the world I had in my mind - how GREEN it was. You'll have to read the book to understand. And then there is THE INTRIGUE. A very good one which unfolds at a nice pace.

On the other hand, there were some things that drove me nuts because they defied any logic. Digger is a thief and a liar, so of course, she is not a very believable narrator. But then she would do something that makes no sense. Such as, portrayed as a maid, a servant, she manages to get various nobs (noblemen) to reveal treasonous information about themselves and others to her! During casual dinner hall conversations! Why would they tell her anything? She is a nobody. Or there is another instance. One of the noblemen is arrested for treason and is being interrogated. Digger manages to get into the room to talk to the prisoner under a lame excuse - she has a tray of food to give to this prisoner! For goodness sake, that person is tied to a chair! Who would care if this prisoner is hungry if they are about to start torture? It happens on several occasions and can't be explained away by saying that the narrator doesn't tell us everything. I wonder why nobody questioned these lapses in logic while editing the book?

The other complaint is that the first part of the book is filled with characters that never show up again. But I am guessing they will play bigger role in the sequel. I hope one of them will become Digger's love interest. This novel is pretty light on romance, unfortunately.

And my last set of complaints is related to the book's design. First, StarCrossed needs a map! A lot of traveling takes place and the geographic location of various places is vital to the story, so a map would be a great help. And second, the font is very hard on the eyes. It is so small and blocky! It makes the text look much denser than it actually is. I think this particular font is more suitable for some non-fiction book rather than a YA fantasy novel.

I know I've been griping about many things in this review, and yet there is a certain charm to this story. I want to know what happens next and how it all ends. I will definitely read the sequel.(less)

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Jan 19, 2011 Jenn Estepp rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenage-wasteland, here-there-be-dragons-or-magic

Quite a slow start; for a good half to two-thirds, I found myself vaguely annoyed and impatient. I suspect it could be tightened a bit and can I just high-five all the people complaining about the design of the book? Usually you're okay Arthur Levine Books, but this could have been done eight hundred times better. And, there were quite a few things that felt just too familiar and/or that you could see coming for miles. But, ultimately I was won over and the last third of the book is pretty stell...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Krystle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Did you know the publisher hasn't picked up the third book in this series? Please help out and petition the publisher to have the last book in the trilogy published!

http://need-tea.livejournal.com/14670...

Thanks!

I love thief books, especially if the main character is a female, and this book was no exception. There was a certain charm that waved a spell over me and despite its rather hefty size, I couldn’t stop reading it.

The plot twists are the best part of the story. Scheming, mind games, compa...more Did you know the publisher hasn't picked up the third book in this series? Please help out and petition the publisher to have the last book in the trilogy published!

http://need-tea.livejournal.com/14670...

Thanks!

I love thief books, especially if the main character is a female, and this book was no exception. There was a certain charm that waved a spell over me and despite its rather hefty size, I couldn’t stop reading it.

The plot twists are the best part of the story. Scheming, mind games, compacted with a whole lot of action kept this going at a swift pace. A lot of subplots occur in the background of the main story so you don’t actually notice them when they’re dropped; making the unexpected plot twists all the more shocking. This is further complicated by the fact that Digger is a compulsive liar and an unreliable narrator. And throughout the course of the book you’ll grow along with her as she struggles to accept her true identity and come to terms with the ever growing burdens of morality and ethics.

Making the right decision is never supposed to be easy. I love how she grows out of her shell to learn that she can trust others and doesn’t need to put up a front anymore. That it’s okay to show your vulnerabilities around people who matter, because if they’re worthy, they’ll never betray the faith you’ve put in them.

And for those of you who are sick and tired of overly done romance plots with undesirable leads and overly excessive drama… Well, you won’t find that here. It’s more of Digger discovering what true friendship is rather than her trying to love in another human being. Although I wouldn’t mind if she hooked up with a certain character. Alas, it will most definitely not happen though.

Some things had me frowning, though. Like, Digger just totally gives someone the third degree with her obviously intrusive questions and they just DROP their answers like that?! If you were some stranger just come fresh into my family, you ain’t learning my life story just cuz you asked for it. Oh, hell no. You gotta earn that. And for the amount of time that had passed, Digger really should not have had this privilege. It felt more of a cheap way to get the plot events unfolded but it does move the pace along.

Also, WHY THE HECK IS THE FONT SO BLOODY DAMN SMALL?! Are you trying to make my already poor eyesight crash dive into the glasses of uber thickness range?! Size ten or twelve font won’t kill you!

But this book is good times. You won’t be disappointed.(less)

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Nov 30, 2010 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, library

When she loses her partner after a botched job, a thief named Digger hides herself as Celyn Contrare, a merchant-class runaway. She only intends to pass as Celyn until the heat dies down, but then Digger finds herself caught between the family that took her in and a ruthless man who threatens to expose her charade. Digger soon learns that her hosts are keeping secrets of their own, and that this new world of politics and magic isn't any safer than her old life on the streets.

I loved the style of...more When she loses her partner after a botched job, a thief named Digger hides herself as Celyn Contrare, a merchant-class runaway. She only intends to pass as Celyn until the heat dies down, but then Digger finds herself caught between the family that took her in and a ruthless man who threatens to expose her charade. Digger soon learns that her hosts are keeping secrets of their own, and that this new world of politics and magic isn't any safer than her old life on the streets.

I loved the style of this book, the prose here is every bit as compelling as A Curse Dark as Gold. Unfortunately, I had some issues with the story and characters.

The book was tough to get into. It begins with a flurry of names and places, as well as some heavy coincidences. Some aspects of the early chapters come across as either awkward or unnecessary to the later parts of the plot.

Things really pick up once the heroine arrives at Bryn Shaer, because it starts to get more into the meat of the story. I loved the descriptions of her daily activities there and her interactions with the family that's hosting her. I also liked a character that Digger found while she was snooping. I did end up confused on several points about her illicit activities though. For example, I still don't get the purpose behind the first thing Lord Daul asked her to do. He sounded as if he was complaining about not being invited to a party he was already at, and an interesting thread about a reversed seal was never really explained.

It was also a bit difficult to enjoy the main character until she pulled herself together at the end, and that wasn't helped by the fact that I never knew if I should be thinking of her as Celyn or Digger. She's talented and resourceful, but her wavering loyalties made her motivations hard for me to understand. Her compulsive stealing, especially from those who were trying to help her, happened too often for it to feel like a playful quirk. While I can understand that she used to need to steal to survive, swiping an expensive, noticeable piece off a fellow guest at dinner seemed almost as mean-spirited as it was foolish.

I guess it sounds like I'm complaining too much, especially for someone who did enjoy the book. It's just that I felt that there was some missed potential here. I'll certainly check out Digger's next adventure. She already seems to have grown as a character into someone I'll like a bit better, I just hope the plot of the follow-up is a little tighter as well.(less)

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Nov 10, 2010 stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone, megan whalen turner fans.

Shelves: 2010, young-adult, would-rec, fantasy

WHY DIDN'T I KNOW THIS WAS A SERIES?

oh, there is so much to say, so much to love. like, honestly.

meri and digger/celyn and lyll and. OH, I LOVE YOU ALL.

and maybe i want a crazy love story. (please give it to me in Liar's Moon!)

but the web of families, of war, of lands, of allegiances. the way digger doesn't want to get involved, not really, but then she does - partly because she's a curious girl, and partly because she can't stay out of it. her trade is knowledge, and she wants to know. lord a...more WHY DIDN'T I KNOW THIS WAS A SERIES?

oh, there is so much to say, so much to love. like, honestly.

meri and digger/celyn and lyll and. OH, I LOVE YOU ALL.

and maybe i want a crazy love story. (please give it to me in Liar's Moon!)

but the web of families, of war, of lands, of allegiances. the way digger doesn't want to get involved, not really, but then she does - partly because she's a curious girl, and partly because she can't stay out of it. her trade is knowledge, and she wants to know. lord antoch, lord faul, meri and her cousins, meri and phaendre, meri and digger, digger and lady lyll, marlytt and digger - the awesome kind of band of brothers (gender neutral!) at bryn shaer, all the relationships are complex, well thought out, thoroughly touched upon, leaving you with a sense of fulfillment - but still wanting more.

to be honest, it reminded me of Megan Whalen Turner's thief series, which, yes, i completely adore. i never thought anyone could rival my love for eugenides, but, ummm, digger just might. the world building is insanely brilliant and beautiful.

this was first person, which i enjoyed more than i thought i would. i *understood* digger, i was being forced to do things i didn't want right there with her. it completely drew me in. and while i figured some things out, i couldn't figure them all out, and it made me happy when i couldn't. (WERNE) i felt like i was right there with digger. and i LOVE DIGGER. i also love lady lyll. and meri. and that guy - you know which guy. the horses, the castle, the tunnels, the people in the woods . . . oh, i want more now SO BADLY you have no idea.

read this, read this, read this.

there are strong independent women, there's politics and war and intrigue, heists and thefts and humor, a fabulous narrator, snark and sadness, blood and snow, beautiful world-building that didn't require a lot of flipping back and forth between things to remember/understand, evil, goodness, religious wars, commentary on piety and leadership, marriage for match and not for politics, friendship, reality, fantasy, magic, etc.

while i wanted another fairy-tale re-telling/historical romance from Elizabeth C. Bunce, this was very very lovely and i want more now and i am so happy she wrote this.

basically, YOU SHOULD READ THIS. no, really. going to buy a copy and return this one to the library so everyone else can enjoy it. so glad i asked them to order it! ;)(less)

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May 21, 2013 Grace rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, historical, magic, series, friendship

There are some authors that read better on Kindle and some that read better on paper. I felt this author read better on Kindle and unfortunately I read this one on paper.

I should state at the outset that as of this review date, if you don't like reading unfinished series, then don't pick this series up, because although the second book ends on SUCH an annoying cliffhanger, the third book doesn't seem to be in the immediate works. I would state that the author seems to want to write the third boo...more There are some authors that read better on Kindle and some that read better on paper. I felt this author read better on Kindle and unfortunately I read this one on paper.

I should state at the outset that as of this review date, if you don't like reading unfinished series, then don't pick this series up, because although the second book ends on SUCH an annoying cliffhanger, the third book doesn't seem to be in the immediate works. I would state that the author seems to want to write the third book and it's the publishers that dropped the series (why?? very short-sighted) but I feel that if the author went ahead and self-published the third book by herself, she might see even better results, like a lot of rejected authors who self-published. Just a feeling. However, it doesn't seem to be in the immediate works.

The author is a really good one and one to watch. Since Curse Dark as Gold (which was already a really solid book, despite my problems with it), she has improved in terms of character development, or maybe Digger was just more likeable than Charlotte Miller.

The story is set in a Renaissance Florentine era, but in a fantasy world where there are 7 moons (each a different god) and all the gods have been outlawed in Llyvranth. Digger is a sort of slums kid-turned-thief who was hanging with her partner/boyfriend Tegen after a gig when they are jumped by Greensmen (guards of the king who wants to force everyone to be monotheistic). After running off and being saved by the group of four nobles, she is on her way to become helper to Merista (due to earnest pleading of Durrel and similarly earnest eye-flirtin' going on there).

All is well up in the mountain with Digger randomly thieving pockets until she runs across Lord Daul and tries to nick something from him. Sort of stupid, as when she is trying the first time, her hand slips and then pretty soon, she's caught and he tries to get her to spy on the group for him, getting some journal that's been left to his half-brother (Meri's dad).

Here's where I got sort of annoyed with Digger.

SPOILERS TO FOLLOW(view spoiler)[She is supremely grateful to Meri's folks, as well as Meri, who's nothing but the soul of sweetness. Also, Meri's mother has been revealed to be an understanding woman. However, instead of unburdening herself to Meri or her mother, she goes along with Lord Daul and spies on the people who's nice to her for the man who's a big sleaze?

It didn't work that well, at least not for me. I kept thinking that Lord Daul was going to be a sort of Snape, a double-dealing double-dealer and that he was going to turn out to be actually on the same side of Meri's folks. It really read like that! But it didn't. He was dirty to the end -- although dirty isn't really apropos, because this is war, after all, and one can say that everyone has a different side of story. But he is made to be creepier and creepier, for sure. At one point, it's revealed that he also got the super experienced prostitute friend of Digger to also spy for him and do all sorts of dirty stuff because he's not a person to whom you just say "no."

The reason I don't think it worked that well for me was because Meri's parents are revealed to be not exactly walking on the side of the law -- that is, they are not following the king's edict in reporting all non-monotheistic people. They themselves took part of a failed rebellion years ago, for which they were punished by having their estate absorbed back into the country and their child being held as "hostage" in another household. That being the case, it didn't seem like they would kick out the 16y/o girl who traveled with their daughter for being a thief...since they didn't kick her out or report her for running away from the nunnery (apparently a HUGE crime in the book, wherein if reported, one could get a lot of money from the nunnery). Compared to that and possible treason years ago, it didn't seem plausible that they would come down hard on a little thievin'. Thieving is a petty crime compared to treason, right?

And yet, she didn't tell them. Which in itself is weird. But ok, whatever. But add onto THAT, she felt that it would be "unprofessional" of her to not do a good job spying and stealing things from Meri's parents ON BEHALF of Lord Daul. Therefore, because she had a reputation to uphold as a thief, she felt she had to do it thoroughly. WHAT? How does that even make sense? I mean, if there had been more to explain this -- maybe like a "no honor among thieves" sort of thing, or the fact that he had contacts, could get Tegen free -- then I could see Digger complying. A long-time partner's life in exchange for a few hidden secrets of random people that are nice to her? Yeah, that seems about right. But professional reputation versus spying on really awesome, nice people? Yeah, it doesn't really cut it.

So that really got on my nerves quite a bit. The whole Werne (Lord Inquisitor) being her brother thing should have been a shocker to me, but maybe wasn't because the book felt too long -- and maybe the climaxes shouldn't have been spaced so close to one another? I kept waiting for what was going on with Lord Daul, and I was a bit disappointed that he wasn't, underneath it all, a good person, but was just as creepy as he seemed. But after you find out what happened with Lord Daul, it was just sort of over for me. And I really don't understand how Wierolf could have come back to the castle. Wasn't he already on his way with Merista and the jolly band of magicians?? Why did he suddenly appear all of a sudden on the roof just when Digger is about to be bashed in the head by Werne?? Or maybe I missed something? (hide spoiler)]

However, in all, it was quite a good book. Engrossing to read, and nobody was annoying enough that I had to throw away the book or stab myself in the eyes. I did notice that the author does enjoy writing complicated plots, and while she's not bad at it, I think either the pacing, or maybe the order of the grandness of the climaxes aren't prioritized right or something. Because I find that once you find out what you want, then the book is sort of over, at least for me.(less)

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Mar 23, 2013 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-bridget

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: Fun fantasy with a great heroine and a great story filled with action and adventure.

Opening Sentence: I couldn’t think.

The Review:

Digger is a thief and she is pretty skilled at it, but a job has just gone terribly wrong. She lives in the city of Gerse and now she is on the run. Her partner for the last few years didn’t make it out and she needs to find a way out of the city and fast. She happens to run into some nobles who decide to take pi...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Rachel Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

A refreshingly different YA fantasy: no love triangle - no on-page romance! - and a determinedly non-epic plot.

Teenage street kid and thief Digger is about to deliver some stolen letters when she nearly gets caught by the Green Men, who function as both law enforcement and the anti-magic Inquisition. She manages to get away, but her boyfriend is captured. (He never appears except in flashback, and is presumed dead.)

She runs for her life, and falls in with some helpful teenage aristocrats who eit...more A refreshingly different YA fantasy: no love triangle - no on-page romance! - and a determinedly non-epic plot.

Teenage street kid and thief Digger is about to deliver some stolen letters when she nearly gets caught by the Green Men, who function as both law enforcement and the anti-magic Inquisition. She manages to get away, but her boyfriend is captured. (He never appears except in flashback, and is presumed dead.)

She runs for her life, and falls in with some helpful teenage aristocrats who either believe her story (fleeing a nunnery) or just feel sorry for her. Next thing she knows, she's impersonating a lady's maid for a sweet aristocrat girl. This leads to her and a bunch of plotting aristocrats getting snowed in by an avalanche. Intrigue follows, all on a very small scale as they're all trapped on a single estate. There was so much sneaking in and out of the same rooms that I started picturing this as a play, with one door closing stage left as, with perfect timing, another opens stage right.

I had mixed feelings about this novel, but Digger's voice is great. She's suspicious, scornful of the "nobs," a compulsive thief, accustomed to living on the edge and bewildered by people being nice to her. Surely they have some ulterior motive!

The plot, which needed to be as clever as the protagonist, is awfully rickety. People consistently help Digger out and tell her extremely important state secrets for no good reason. In a book whose protagonist's main characteristic is self-sufficiency, this was unnecessary and implausible. Digger earns a living by ferreting out secrets; she should have had to ferret out everything, not have several crucial ones just handed to her.

This is doubly implausible given that she's (supposedly) an ordinary girl of gentle birth, fallen on hard times and working as a lady's maid. The maid should not have aristocratic adults confiding secrets in her which they could be executed for, on the basis that she seems intelligent!

(view spoiler)

Likable characters, good protagonist, and definitely different from the mainstream, but the plot had big problems.
(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 James rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Digger is a sneak thief. As the plot begins, she and her partner have pulled off a daring heist but are caught before they can escape. Digger is running from the local religious police, the Greenmen. In her disguise as a lady's maid, she joins a group of young nobles out for a lark. Soon, she is hiding out at the castle disguised as Celyn Contrare, a lady-in-waiting to shy young Merista Nemair. Her days are spent dressing in velvet, attending Lady Merista, navigating court gossip, and charming n...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Sx rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, read-in-2012

It's been a long long while since I last touched YA fiction and boy, if all YA fiction is like this nowadays, give me more! I've lost count of how many times I've actually thumbed through this book and each time I fall in love with it a little more. We've got a really likeable prince, multiple multi faceted characters, and a complex heroine who can't really figure out herself (isn't that like most of us?), what is there not to like?

Yes, there is a distinct lack of romance, but strong, firm frien...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Libby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, girl-power, young-adult-fiction

Digger is used to playing roles while working as a thief, forger, and even a spy. However, after barely escaping from one dangerous job, she finds herself in her most crucial and frightening role yet. Mostly by accident, Digger becomes Celyn Contrare, lady-in-waiting to Merista Nemair. She travels with the Nemair court to the mountain castle of Bryn Shaer with the intent to stay alive and stay hidden. Her plans are thwarted when Lord Dual recognizes her for what she is and blackmails her into sp...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Solid 4.5.

The awful cover art actually kept me from reading this for months (a book called StarCrossed with a picture of a teen girl on the front? Looked like a typical fantasy romance), but I'm happy to say that it's probably the best new YA book I've read in quite some time. The world building is fantastic and the characters are interesting and almost all more complicated then they seem at first meeting. Refreshingly, there is no romance at all in this first book. Way too many YA books either...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Tessa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: yyay, paranormal-or-magic, series

I would never have picked this up had I not (a) read a glowing review from a trusted blogger (bookshelves of doom) and (b)Had the 2nd book in the series in my ARC pile.

Luckily those 2 things happened because StarCrossed is a delicious book. It plunges you right into its world and lets you catch up, and the catching up is great fun. The world of the book is foreign and familiar in the same way that the world of China Mieville's books are to me. I've never been to this place, but I can see it hap...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Stacy/GirlsInTheStacks.com rated it 4 of 5 stars

An unexpected page-turner that had me constantly hitting the repeat button for my two-year olds favorite TV show!

This book is so much more than I thought it would be. It had action, daring female lead, charming and fierce secondary characters, stellar writing and a plot that kept me guessing right up till the very end. Who knew the innocuous cover held such a marvelous story!

My love of historical fiction is no secret, nor is my love of speculative fiction so when I picked this book up and discov...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars

The title here implies romance, which is dangerous book territory for me. So it's a little surprising that, in this book, any romance ends in the first chapter after a robbery-gone-wrong. And now we have something different - a Young Adult book that manages to leave out the romance. And, even more interesting, it's good! Brunce has created a fascinating world full of politics, religion, and magic that it seems such a shame to only see this small portion of it. Of course, there is a sequel (Liar'...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Kendra rated it 4 of 5 stars

I struggled with the first part of this book and almost stopped reading it. I am glad I stuck with it though, because I enjoyed it immensely once I pieced everything together. Let me explain the problem I was having: the alternate fantasy world in which this book is set, Llyvaranth, is quite complicated and revealed slowly, and I was confused at times about who the Sarists and Ceylests, etc. actually were, where events were taking place in relation to other event, etc. I would have appreciated a...more

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May 11, 2011 Ducky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: thoroughly-enjoyed, kick-ass-heroine, fantasy-high

StarCrossed was a confusing, but enjoyable, read.

The intricate plot details and the overwhelming number of characters leave the mind boggled and make it difficult to fully comprehend the story. There were too many names, too many conspiracies, too many...the list goes on and on. The world Bunce creates is by no means novel, but she provides an intriguing protagonist, Digger, that redeems the otherwise typical storyline.

Digger is intriguing, most definitely, but her faults tend to be extremely f...more

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Mar 19, 2011 TheEagerReaders Violet rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, fiction, historical-fiction, series, young-adult, read-in-2011

Elizabeth C. Bunce's StarCrossed is an intrigue-rich historical fantasy about Digger, a talented thief who finds herself running for her life after a job goes terribly wrong. She is desperate to escape the streets of Gerse and must assume a false identity in order to evade the dangerous Greenmen. In a world filled with political tension, religious persecution, and forbidden magic, will Digger be safe posing as a lady's maid among the nobles of Bryn Shaer, far away from the treacherous streets of...more Elizabeth C. Bunce's StarCrossed is an intrigue-rich historical fantasy about Digger, a talented thief who finds herself running for her life after a job goes terribly wrong. She is desperate to escape the streets of Gerse and must assume a false identity in order to evade the dangerous Greenmen. In a world filled with political tension, religious persecution, and forbidden magic, will Digger be safe posing as a lady's maid among the nobles of Bryn Shaer, far away from the treacherous streets of Gerse? Or will she become entangled in another deadly dance of secrets and lies?

What I Liked:
- Digger is a very capable heroine. She is a skilled thief, spy, and counterfeit artist. I admired her fearlessness and self-confidence.
- Many of the inhabitants of Bryn Shaer are more intriguing than they appear at first glance. I particularly enjoyed getting to know the formidable Lady Lyll and her wounded patient.
- I enjoyed Digger's clever, survivalist personality, but it was also lovely to see her begin to open herself up to friendship over the course of the book.
- The historical aspects of the setting, from the clothing to the weapons to the architecture, are all described in beautiful detail and give Llvraneth a believable magical-Renaissance atmosphere.
- There are a number of plot twists in this book, and two of the larger ones took me totally by surprise. Fun!
- I liked the unique type of magic the Sarists practice, which involves finding, gathering, and shaping. It has an organic and cooperative feel.
- Several personal and political conflicts are revealed in StarCrossed, and many of the characters and conflicts seem poised to reappear in the second book, Liar's Moon. I look forward to seeing where the story goes next.

What I Wished:
- I wanted the story to unfold more quickly and with more consistent tension. After the initial excitement surrounding Digger's escape from Gerse, the tension lags a bit until her position at Bryn Shaer is put into jeopardy about a third of the way into the book.
- Merista and Wierolf are central to two of the most interesting parts of the story (the unique magic system and the looming civil war), but I didn't feel like either of them received enough page-time since the story is told from Digger's point of view and the supporting characters are not always central to her daily activities.
- I wanted more romance, even if it was limited to Digger's memories of Tegen.
- A few parts of the story seem slightly too convenient, like secretive nobles who seem surprisingly open to confessing key details to Digger.

StarCrossed is an intrigue-filled historical fantasy with a bold heroine. Fans of Tamora Pierce, Leah Cypess, Shannon Hale, or Kristin Cashore will enjoy the world-building and the gutsy protagonist. (less)

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Jan 18, 2011 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

I'm not much of a period setting reader but Ms. Bunce's obsession with all things renaissance (as stated humorously in her bio at the back of the book) shone through brilliantly in the full-color view of Digger's world we are given. StarCrossed starts out with some very intriguing action. I was immediately drawn into Digger's plight and enjoyed her voice as she described the world around her and her memories of what had happened.

After the opening scene, however, I felt the book's fire dwindled d...more I'm not much of a period setting reader but Ms. Bunce's obsession with all things renaissance (as stated humorously in her bio at the back of the book) shone through brilliantly in the full-color view of Digger's world we are given. StarCrossed starts out with some very intriguing action. I was immediately drawn into Digger's plight and enjoyed her voice as she described the world around her and her memories of what had happened.

After the opening scene, however, I felt the book's fire dwindled down to a slow burn for the rest of the first half of the story. While the exposition of the other players in the game and the foreshadowing and hints of all the lies and politics and secrets was very interesting, the first half of the book lacked the action its opening promised. Perhaps that is how most period set fantasy books work and if so, well-done, Ms. Bunce. I personally would have preferred a little more peril and a little less of the arrogant attitude that Digger began displaying for those around her.

Though, I suppose, to remove that attitude would have meant we would not have seen a change or growth in Digger as the second half of the book careened into high gear and she begins to question everything she had ever learned about life and how to live it safest when one is a thief. As soon as I hit the halfway point of the book I found myself not wanting to put it down and thinking about it when I was supposed to be doing other things. As a result I spent almost an entire night finishing it, reading on into the wee morning hours (which thankfully, since I am unemployed, didn't cause me too much of a problem the next day!) to finish it.

It's well worth the read, let me tell you. The characters are bright and multi-dimensional against the equally beautiful landscape of castles and snowbound mountains. I enjoyed the addition of the opal-eyed courtesan and watching Merista (the daughter of the wealthy family who has taken Digger into their home) transition from a girl who didn't seem comfortable at all in her own skin to a girl blossoming into womanhood with pride and bravery. Digger's own transformation over the course of the book is what I would consider a coming of age and, though it's seemingly more subtle than Merista's, it's no small feat when you take into consideration where she started out.

There were a few plot twists that I saw coming but the fact that Ms. Bunce imagined them and brought them expertly to fruition made them all the more amazing to read once they were brought into the light. There was little in the book that surprised me but that is by no means a bad thing. In fact, after a while I felt as though I had settled in with family for a retelling of some history or other.

All in all I think this is a terrific book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys soaring heights seen from the tops of towers and reading other people's journals to find out their secrets; sneak thieves and magical princesses alike. And, in the tradition of endings I like best, this story (while set to be the first in a trilogy) could easily end with this book and I would still be very satisfied with it that way. Though I definitely look forward to the next installment!(less)

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Jan 09, 2011 Jolie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy

Having finished A Curse Dark As Gold and craving more from the talented Elizabeth Bunce, I dove into StarCrossed without any hint of what the story might hold. And there is that about reading with a Kindle--you can look up an author, click the title, and be reading without spending any time reading reviews or jacket blurbs. (You can, of course, but this time I didn't).

And I was plunged into Digger's world, where she is a thief (a talented one, and a forger to boot) on the run from the governmen...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Audrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, teen, series

Digger has secrets. This lady's maid to shy aristocrat Merista Nemair is acutally a fugitive from the King's Greenmen, an Inquisition-like force that tortures and kills those even suspected of wielding or worshipping magic. Her crime, her partner's murder, and even her real name must be kept hidden - and that's just the beginning of her subterfuge. Yet as she becomes more deeply involved with the Nemair, Digger realizes she's not the only one hiding terrible, even fatal knowledge.

Although I was...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

I could easily give this one 4.5 stars. It had me spellbound from page 1. The minute I started reading it, I was dumped into the action as 16 year old Digger is on the run from a job gone wrong and her partner may be dead. She is a thief and sometimes spy and now on the run she attaches herself to a group of aristocratic youth out on a joyride down the river. She is befriended by the young Lady Meri who takes her in as a lady-in-waiting. Even snowed in with Meri's family in their winter estate s...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Jennifer Rayment rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Good Stuff

* Absolutely absorbing adventure story with substance
* Realistic, strong and engaging heroine
* Great for bringing up discussions on moral choices and religious acceptance
* Wonderful character development and brilliant and breathtaking descriptions of the scenery
* Intriguing world the author has created, sort of like a mashup between Oliver Twist and a fantasy novel with magic
* Looking forward to the second book in the series "Liar's Moon"

The Not so Good Stuff

* Very detailed,...more

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Nov 08, 2010 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, not-graphic, ya

You often hear that books transport you to different times and places, that through them you travel to magical, far off lands. And while that’s true, different books succeed to different degrees. In StarCrossed, Bunce has created a world that truly captured me and came alive each time I visited. Amazing depth and detail, both consistently on each page and behind the scenes, that made my immersion feel complete. And most importantly, in my mind, that called me to return each time I set the book a...more You often hear that books transport you to different times and places, that through them you travel to magical, far off lands. And while that’s true, different books succeed to different degrees. In StarCrossed, Bunce has created a world that truly captured me and came alive each time I visited. Amazing depth and detail, both consistently on each page and behind the scenes, that made my immersion feel complete. And most importantly, in my mind, that called me to return each time I set the book aside. Wonderful world-building.

“You’ll like being no one. It’s better than commonly reported.”
“Is it?”
“Oh, yes. Nobody expects anything of you, nobody makes demands on you, and if nobody knows who you are, you can be anyone you want. I highly recommend it.”

But a book is nothing without a story, of course, and this one is all about secrets. The book opens with Digger on the run after a botched thieving job that’s left her partner likely dead and her being hunted. We know she’s an outlaw, of course, but her fear of being caught seems to contain something bigger. Enough that when a riverboat of random nobles approaches with an invitation to join them fleeing the city she’s never left, she accepts. If only she’d known their secrets at that point she might have stopped herself and kept her own secrets hidden; but she doesn’t, of course.

What was I doing? Getting involved, that’s what.
And that was the third rule.
Stay alive.
Don’t get caught.
Don’t get involved.

One lie leads to another to maintain it, which leads to another and another and so on, and before long Digger finds her attempts to stay anonymous and hidden have gotten her overly entangled in the affairs of the nobles who have adopted her. A boat ride through the city gates leads to a country estate downriver leads to a mountain castle for a winter stay as a lady-in-waiting. There the web keeps getting messier and, in order to maintain her façade, she is forced to practice her profession as thief to spy on the court she’s become a part of, sneaking and stealing and forging, in an attempt to uncover secrets without exposing her own. The harder she tries to remain apart and uninvolved, though, the more she finds herself caring about who and what she’s discovering. Which is not good, because she may have accidentally planted herself in the midst of something far more dangerous than what she was fleeing.

Deft use of language, a strong sense of place, characters to care about, layers of intrigue, and more all combined to make StarCrossed a highly engaging read for me.(less)

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Oct 15, 2010 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: peach-consideration

first in a series. Copy of my SLJ review:
In this fantasy, slow to situate readers but gaining momentum and clarity, a girl hiding a bloodied packet of letters, after their theft turns deadly for her partner, tries to evade the Greenmen, soldiers wearing the color of the oppressive king’s favored god. Digger is aided in her flight from Gerse by a quartet of “nobs,” nobility-class young people who were boating by and invited her along for a lark. Lots of practice in lying and thieving prepares her...more

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Oct 14, 2010 Rachael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Celyn Contrare is not the woman she seems to be. Everyone sees her merely as a maid to the Lady Merista, but in reality, she’s Digger, a skilled street thief. How did Digger end up in this position? She would like to know too. She adopts her Celyn persona to blend in, hoping to escape living with these nobs at the first chance possible, but before she knows it, she gets drawn into the sticky web of court politics. Blackmailed by the devious Lord Daul who knows her secret, Digger is forced to spy...more

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Dec 26, 2011 Rayann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

When I read the book summary, I was reminded of another series I absolutely loved - The Queen's Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. I've been looking for a book or series similar to it so imagine my excitement when I found Starcrossed. It sounded promising, a story full secrets, lies, mystery and political intrigue.

It started out confusing out first, with all the characters being thrown in there at once. It took a while to associate the names to the characters in my head, or maybe that was just me. Th...more When I read the book summary, I was reminded of another series I absolutely loved - The Queen's Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. I've been looking for a book or series similar to it so imagine my excitement when I found Starcrossed. It sounded promising, a story full secrets, lies, mystery and political intrigue.

It started out confusing out first, with all the characters being thrown in there at once. It took a while to associate the names to the characters in my head, or maybe that was just me. There was no trouble after that. The characters were well fleshed out, and didn't fall flat. Bunce had the tendency to forget about a character once in a while, only to have them reappear again later in some kind of twist. It kept things interesting, because when you thought that particular character was inconsequential, it turns out they played a big role in the story after all. Each of the characters here had a purpose, and they weren't merely thrown in there for the sake of it.

The main thing I loved was the mystery. Nothing is what it seems here, not even Digger herself. There are a lot of twists and turns, and hints that make you want to keep turning the page, waiting to discover what it all means. I find political intrigue fascinating, and was glad that it was present in this book. It was good to see that the author didn't dumb it all down.

The prose was excellent. I found myself reading the same sentences again, just because I liked the way the words flowed into one another. This was told in first person as well, so it felt like I understood Digger more than I would have if this was written in third. I also loved the world building here. I could picture Gerse - with Hanivard Palace, Seventh Circle and etc, Bryn Shaer with all the snow surrounding it and more. It also had its own religion which imo, was quite well thought-out. I could actually believe it.

However, some things I didn't like. For one, if Digger's survival depended upon not being found, why is she always joined by someone whenever she goes to hide? There were also some things that were not that plausible. The main thing I didn't like though was that at the end, all of Digger's secrets came spilling out. I know secrets aren't good for anyone, but this was part of the intrigue the book held for me. How quickly she revealed herself turned me off a bit.

I had to knock off points for that, I'm sorry. I like my secrets just fine, especially in novels. It keeps things interesting. Despite all that though, it was an excellent read. I will definitely be following this series closely. (less)

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May 23, 2010 Alli rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, fantasy, young-adult

4.5 stars!
Digger is a professional thief-for-hire with three rules: Stay alive, Don't get caught, Don't get involved. But when a job goes horribly wrong a quick escape finds her swept into the "nob" (or upper class) world where she dons the alias “Celyn Contrere” and is accepted as a lady’s maid to a young shy noble named Merista “Meri” Nemair. Forced to follow the Nemair family to their terribly isolated and very snowy castle in the mountains, Digger finds herself snowed in with an assortment o...more

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Star Crossed (Thief Errant #1)

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