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Zodiac #2

Wandering Star

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A breathtaking sci-fi space saga inspired by astrology that will stun fans of the Illuminae Files and Starbound series.

Orphaned, disgraced, and stripped of her title, Rho is ready to live life quietly, as an aid worker in the Cancrian refugee camp on House Capricorn.

But news has spread that the Marad--an unbalanced terrorist group determined to overturn harmony in the Galaxy--could strike any House at any moment.

Then, unwelcome nightmare that he is, Ochus appears to Rho, bearing a cryptic message that leaves her with no choice but to fight.

Now Rho must embark on a high-stakes journey through an all-new set of Houses, where she discovers that there's much more to her Galaxy--and to herself--than she could have ever imagined.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 8, 2015

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About the author

Romina Russell

14 books1,716 followers
Romina Russell (aka Romina Garber) is a Los Angeles based author who originally hails from Buenos Aires, Argentina. As a teen, Romina landed her first writing gig—College She Wrote, a weekly Sunday column for the Miami Herald that was later picked up for national syndication—and she hasn’t stopped writing since. When she’s not working on ZODIAC, Romina can be found producing movie trailers, taking photographs, or daydreaming about buying a new drum set. She is a graduate of Harvard College and a Virgo to the core.

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Profile Image for Alyssa.
1,069 reviews837 followers
November 2, 2015
2.5 stars.


***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***

Wandering Star by Romina Russell
Book Two of the Zodiac series
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: December 8, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

Orphaned, disgraced, and stripped of her title, Rho is ready to live life quietly, as an aid worker in the Cancrian refugee camp on House Capricorn.

But news has spread that the Marad--an unbalanced terrorist group determined to overturn harmony in the Galaxy--could strike any House at any moment.

Then, unwelcome nightmare that he is, Ochus appears to Rho, bearing a cryptic message that leaves her with no choice but to fight.

Now Rho must embark on a high-stakes journey through an all-new set of Houses, where she discovers that there's much more to her Galaxy--and to herself--than she could have ever imagined.

What I Liked:

I'm sad to say that after finishing this novel, I feel slightly disappointed. This one is getting 2.5 stars from me, and while I'm rounding up to 3 stars, I still can't shake the rather glum mood I'm feeling after finishing this book. It's like bad aftertaste, or something. I think I was enjoying the story, but there were certain (big) things that I couldn't stand.

Rho is no longer the esteemed Cancrian leader, and she is slowly slipping into life on Capricorn, helping the other Cancrians adjust to their new lives on Capricorn. But it's not long before trouble comes knocking at her door, and she can't avoid being involved. The Marad are threatening all of the Houses, and Ochus is reaching out to Rho, seemingly trying to help her. Rho is going to set out to discover who the master that is controlling Ochus is, and how to stop the marad.

This book was very informational, compared to Zodiac. There are a lot of discoveries in this sequel, some shocking, some obvious, some expected. To be honest, I didn't remember much of Zodiac, going into this book, but that was okay because Russell made it fairly easy to read without having to reread the first book.

I think I liked Rho less in this book (see my thoughts below), though I can see the incremental character growth that her character is experiencing. I am a huge fan of Hysan - he is charming and sweet and rogueish, and a wonderful male protagonist. Nishi and Rho's friendship is heartwarming, especially when we reach a certain part of the book that devastates everyone.

Which leads me to another thing I both hated and loved - the body count really rises, in this book. There were a lot of death in Zodiac, but this book had more personal deaths, deaths that shook Rho and the crew. Definitely a good thing in a book, when there are a lot of dead people - even when it's people that really REALLY matter. So sad though.

I think, overall, I like the direction of this book, especially in terms of the inter-House conflict, the Risers, the Marad. I never really liked the House system, though the world-building is AMAZING, definitely well-constructed. It's interesting to see how Rho's perspective on the House system not necessarily change, but waver.

The ending is bizarre, and I'm not sure I like it. It's not specifically a cliffhanger ending, so I suppose that's a good thing. But it's not one that I personally loved. More below.

What I Did Not Like:

POSSIBLE SPOILERS. There might be implications that could be seen as spoilers, though they are extremely vague. You are warned.

The first thing I will say is that I didn't like Rho very much in this book. It was very, very difficult to like her when all of her decisions seemed to be the wrong ones. Of course, this is all part of growing and maturing and all that, but it was hard to root for her when you're reading it and want to shout "DUH!" at her. She wants the Houses to trust each other, but she herself doesn't trust those out of her House. She wants unity, yet she clings to everything that makes her Cancrian. Not that there is anything wrong with loving the House you were born in - but she refuses to see HERSELF having other House traits.

I didn't like her decisions on a lot of things, but especially in terms of the romance. You thought the love triangle was taken care of, in Zodiac? You thought wrong. I KNOW. I mean, how could it be though? Authors don't just DO that, not in the first book. And the love triangle is STILL NOT RESOLVED, by the end of Wandering Star. It's weird and twisted, how Russell reintroduces the love triangle (it's not what you think... oh but it is... you'll see). I refuse to believe that Rho "loves" two guys like she says she does. There is a lot of SAYING that - it's like she is trying to tell us and convince us readers, but I don't see or feel it. She bounces between guys like Pinball; it's honestly disgusting to see her go from one guy STRAIGHT TO THE OTHER (thinking of a very specific scene, in which she quarrels with one, and right after, runs to another).

Honestly, this book is losing two stars because of the romance. Zodiac lost one star because of the romance. Russell just cannot control the romance, it seems. The love triangle makes NO sense, it doesn't have any spark on one side (but oh so much on the other side).

Rho in general... the girl is so immature in this book. I think, in the grand scheme of the series, we'll clearly see Rho's character development. But book by book? Rho's intelligence seems to take a nosedive in this one. Or maybe her ignorance shoots up. Something is going on, and while I can see that she IS developing, her rate is pissing me off. I think, by the final book, Rho will have grown a great deal. But she is on the struggle bus, in this book.

The ending is kind of dumb, in terms of the romance. The note that Rho writes? So selfish. That's all I'll say about that. If anyone wants me to spill anything (IN PRIVATE), message me on Twitter or email me, I'd be happy to dish (as long as you promise not to tell the public).

Would I Recommend It:

The thing is, while I HATED the romance (at least the one leg of the triangle - why the f is there a love triangle at all??), I like the story. And I feel like "my" side of the triangle will win (there should be no "side" though, because there should not be a triangle!). So I'm feeling hopeful, in some aspects, and I really cannot wait to see how the plot shakes down, in terms of the Marad and the Rises. So much craziness! So I think I WOULD recommend this sequel, but maybe read it when the third and final novel is published (2016 hopefully!).

Put it this way - had I known that this series had a love triangle, I would NEVER have started the series until the series was published entirely. But I read the first book, liked it a lot (despite the love triangle), had high hopes for this one, didn't love it as much... I can't seem to quit, even though I could potentially end up hating the series. If that makes sense. It's a like a bad, addictive drug.

Rating:

2.5 stars. I'm rounding up to 3 stars (may have to revise this and round down to 2 stars, haven't decided yet); I enjoyed the book, I'm liking the action of the series, and I can't wait to read the final book - but I HATE the romance. Why does a ridiculous love triangle have to ruin the entire series!?
February 26, 2017
Okay, okay, después del final tan potente que tiene Zodiac no sé por qué no había leído antes Wandering Star. Creo que, inconscientemente, sabía que el final de Wandering Star me iba a dejar muriendo y hecha pedacitos, así que estaba esperando a leerlo cuando Black Moon se viera más cerca en el horizonte, jajaja.

Cuando empieza Wandering Star, Rho ha sido desacreditada frente a todo el Zodíaco, la han tachado de charlatana y ha perdido su puesto como Guardiana de Cáncer. Y, por si fuera poco, ha perdido a personas que eran muy importantes en su vida: su padre y Mathias. Pero, a pesar de todo esto, Rho sabe que la amenaza de Ofiucus, su amo y el Marad, un grupo terrorista, es absolutamente real y debe actuar antes de que empiece una guerra y todas las Casas del Zodíaco acaben unas con otras.

En este libro cambian mucho los papeles de ciertos personajes y también empezamos a ver cómo se van formando diferentes facciones: quienes creen en Rho y piensan que la amenaza del Amo y del Marad es real y quienes no creen en ella. Se formarán alianzas inesperadas, nos revelarán información vital sobre los Ascendentes y lo peligrosos que pueden llegar a ser y, sobre todo, empezaremos a gestar teorías tremendas sobre quién es la persona que está realmente detrás de todos estos desastres del Zodíaco.

Quizá una de las mejores cosas de Wandering Star es el giro que toma el personaje de Ofiucus. Es inesperado y te da escalofríos. Empiezas a preguntarte si realmente este Decimotercer Guardián es realmente tan malo como la Historia lo ha pintado o si realmente él es la víctima de una traición milenaria. Las interacciones que hay en este libro entre Rho y Ofiucus son fascinantes.

Por supuesto, otro de los grandes highlights de este libro es Hysan. Este libriano que va a acabar con mis sentimientos, con los de Rho y con todos los del Zodíaco. ¿Por qué tiene que ser tan perfecto? ¿Por qué tiene que mostrar tanto sus sentimientos y hablar de una manera tan franca? Muchas personas piensan que Hysan esconde algo muy oscuro y que nos va a partir el corazón descubrirlo más adelante, pero yo no lo creo. Siento que lo que viene para Hysan es un viaje emocionalmente muy fuerte tanto por la confusión de Rho, como por su inminente destino como Guardián y por la suerte de sus androides. Hysan es ese personaje en el que no puedes evitar confiar... ¡y era increíble que en Wandering Star no le hicieran caso sobre el asunto del chico tuerto! ¿Y qué decir de sus palabras finales en este libro? ¡MIS SENTIMIENTOS SUFRIERON MUCHO!

Pero bueno, hablemos de Rho, nuestra protagonista. Tras ser repudiada y desacreditada por el Zodíaco, Rho siente que no puede volver a hablar, que todo lo que diga estará mal. Pero a lo largo del libro va descubriendo su voz y se va dando cuenta de lo importante que es que ella dé un paso adelante y guíe a las personas en la dirección correcta. Si bien en Wandering Star no soporté mucho a Rho por sus dudas, su confusión constante y sus miedos, creo que era importante ver esa transformación y ese proceso por el que está pasando. Ella está aprendiendo cómo actuar en este nuevo papel que le ha tocado y está tratando de descifrar cómo manejar la confianza que miles de personas han depositado en ella para salvar al Zodíaco.

Wandering Star es un libro maravilloso, pero lo sentí lento de vez en cuando. Tal vez había muchas reflexiones, tal vez volvían demasiado al pasado con la historia de la Guardiana y los héroes, tal vez necesitaba más acción... no lo sé. ¡TAL VEZ NECESITABA QUE HYSAN Y RHO FUERAN FELICES! Siento que Wandering Star es un pequeño libro de transición, de descubrir cómo está el juego de poder, de empezar a entender que el verdadero peligro está entre las propias Casas y que no se puede confiar en nadie.

Lo que sí les puedo decir es que hubo un giro de trama que sabía que iba a suceder y que veía venir desde una gran tragedia del primer libro. Vamos, que era lógico que alguien iba a volver a aparecer. Y yo sabía que iba a suceder. PERO ESO NO EVITA QUE ME CABREARA MUCHO POR ESO. Ugh... Cuando suceden ciertas cosas que evitan que mi ship esté junto me pongo muy mal. Y, en mi defensa, no es que haya saltado al ship que defiendo desde hace poco, ¡no! Yo los quería juntos desde el primer libro porque ese otro personaje me parecía demasiado ¿inevitable? ¿zalamero? No sé, pero no es correcto para Rho. Es su opción fácil. Ella necesita desafíos y una relación emocionante. He dicho.

Por cierto, en algo totalmente random de la vida. ¿Se han dado cuenta de que el nombre de Hysan está contenido en Rhysand, el sexy, oscuro y perfecto personaje de A Court of Thorns and Roses de Sarah J. Maas? Vamos, Hysan, con ese nombre era imposible que no me enamorara de ti. Sal de las páginas del libro, ¿sí? Y tú también, Rhys, bae.

Profile Image for Jaime (Two Chicks on Books).
825 reviews400 followers
August 6, 2015
Dare I say this was better than the first??? Yes I think I can! When I read Zodiac I had a hard time getting into it but I loved it by the end! I didn't have that issue with Wandering Star I loved it from the first page! I am so in love with the characters and this amazing world and I was so happy that we got to see a few different houses in the Zodiac. I was brought to tears quite a few times and I found my self grinning like a damned idiot in a few different scenes. I can't say when or I will spoil the story. Ant the end? Holy crap! I am dying to get my hands on book 3!!!!
Profile Image for Erin Lynn.
335 reviews79 followers
December 7, 2015
OMFG. I CAN'T EVEN DEAL RIGHT NOW. THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. OMFG. HOLY MOLY. IS THIS REAL LIFE?

I NEED BOOK THREE NOW!




Warning: There may be spoilers for Zodiac in this review. Read at your own risk, if you have not yet read the first book in the Zodiac series.



Holy Helios! For those of you who have read Zodiac (and if you haven't, go get yourself a copy right flipping now!), Wandering Star picks up a few weeks after the catastrophic ending that left readers of this stellar science fiction series in shock.

Rhoma Grace, also known as Rho, is now disgraced, stripped of her Guardianship and living with her brother and a mysterious new character, Aryll, on House Capricorn. There, Rho has been researching everything she can about the Zodiac's history, while her brother and Aryll try to preserve what's left of Cancer's wildlife. But no sooner than she gets there, does Rho decide to jet off into space again with Hysan to try to save the world. And thus, another adventure through the galaxy begins!

Once again, readers are greeted by Rho's voice as she narrates everything in this action-packed space opera. Readers will love the familiar feel of her voice, and they will instantly find themselves standing right beside Rho as she embarks on another mission to save the home and the galaxy that she loves. Although Rho's point of view makes Wandering Star a quick and thrilling read, I suggest savoring her words and stories because there is a lot of Zodiac history told in this book. There is also a lot of Grace family history in Wandering Star that makes me think that book three will be full of unexpected events. You don't want to miss out on any of the important details. Trust me... there are a lot of them, and I loved every freaking galactic minute of it.

This time around, the events in the book start on Capricorn. From what I gathered through my reading, it seems like a pretty technologically-advanced planet, and I would love to ride around on their transportation system. But Rho being Rho, doesn't stay on Capricorn for long. She leaves with Aryll, and the two of them meet Deke and Nishi on House Sagittarius where they begin training for the war that every fan of this series wants to see. Rho is ready to fight, but then again, she's not ready to fight. She's is still hurting on the inside, and she's having a hard time coping with everything emotionally. She's lost family members, but the world has lost its faith in her. It's troubling, but her friends, both new and old, step up to make sure that she's prepared and supported as they get ready to take on the threat to the Zodiac.

This moment is seriously everything that I needed in the book. Yes, Rho is determined to finish what she started, but after everything that happened to her in the end of Zodiac, she's at her wit's end. It takes a little bit of convincing from these new characters for Rho to she who she really is - one of the most talented and accurate Seer's in history. I loved how these moments really put everything in action. Much of the rest of the book builds off these new characters and their faith in Rho, and it just made me squeal with happiness to see her come into her own during Wandering Star.

Now... what happened with that love triangle, right? If you read Zodiac, you know that Rho was torn between two guys. One was Mathias, a Cancer who she adored from afar for years but only really got to know during her time as Guardian. The other young man was Hysan, a Libran who she met during her Guardianship. These three traveled the world together in the first book, and Rho became more and more confused about them as she got to know them both on personal levels. Ms. Russell shocked us all when she killed Mathias in the first novel, and that really, really hurt me. I cried for days.

This time around, Rho's confused because she still has feelings for both young men, but she also feels like Mathias' death was her fault. There's a lot of survivor's guilt in this one, but you can also tell that Rho is guilty for wanting to continue to get to know Hysan while still grieving for Mathias. It's hard for her to move on, but she needs to move on, or at least harden her heart a little, in order to save the world. I won't spoil you, but I really like how Russell addressed all of this in Wandering Star. Rho's grief and confusion were real enough to make me cry even more, and I just wanted to jump into the pages and console her.

There are so many different twists and turns in Wandering Star that I felt that my head might twist off! But you know what... I loved every single one. It never felt like any of these twists and turns were forced; they just felt natural and worked with the story. There are new friends. There are new enemies. There are new problems facing the Zodiac. I laughed. I swooned. I cried. Basically everything that I wanted in this book happened, and I couldn't be more excited for book three. I seriously don't think I'll be able to wait another year to get my hands on it!

So should you pick up a copy of Wandering Star? Absolutely, especially if you read and loved Zodiac. Wandering Star is just as good, if not better than its predecessor, and readers will be dying to know just what's going on in Rho's life. Now... if you haven't yet read Zodiac, but you think these books might be for you, give them a chance. I can tell you that I'm not super into science fiction, but these are so well-developed and written that any reader will appreciate them.
Profile Image for Justine.
1,112 reviews301 followers
February 19, 2018
2.5 stars rounded up.

These books are the equivalent of the Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes set in space. So that tells you the level of quality. But for some reason right now I still kind of want to know what happens? Maybe by next month I won't care.
Profile Image for Bill.
198 reviews43 followers
September 4, 2020
No longer leader of the Zodiac armada, nor even the Guardian of Cancer, after the shattering conclusion of the first book in the series, Rhoma Grace has relocated with her brother Stanton and many other Cancrian refugees to Tierre, the only planet in House Capricorn.

Her research into the ancient past of the Zodiac for clues to help her find Ophiucus and to fight the Marad armies is soon interrupted by a summons from Sage Ferez, Capricorn's Guardian. He reveals to her that Risers, people who are born into one House but change into another, are not, as commonly thought, a plague, but, instead, are a part of the Zodiac's future. He also sets Rho off on another journey that will test her resilience to its limits.

As full of the same sense of adventure, romance, and war in a fascinating other world as the first book, this is outstanding YA sci-fi/fantasy.
Profile Image for Erin.
49 reviews
August 24, 2017
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.

Rinse and repeat is how I felt about book two. I should copy and paste my review from book one as my feelings between the two books haven't changed that much. I do have to say that I felt like Wandering Star had a stronger start versus Zodiac but it then seemed to fall off a bit. Even with the book being 400 + pages some plot lines seemed rush to be resolved so they came off a bit unbelievable. The ending to book two makes me curious enough to continue on to book three, which was sent to me by the publisher.
Profile Image for Rachel  (APCB Reviews).
331 reviews1,191 followers
December 6, 2015
The explosive sequel to the sci-fi action-packed "Zodiac" brings more galactic traveling, character growth, plot thickening, swoony romance, and mystery to keep readers fully enthralled. Full review to come!
Profile Image for Kamalia.
Author 2 books194 followers
February 8, 2016
Wandering Star is the sequel to Romina Russell's YA Sci-fi novel, Zodiac. I read this book a whole month after i finished reading the first one. I loved the first book and can say that i really enjoyed the second! I am rating this beauty 4.4 out of 5 stars!ALSO: HOW FREAKIN GORGEOUS IS THAT COVER!

The story and plot
I thought that the story started off a little slow, and it didn't get that exciting until the second half of the book. It wasn't at all a bad slow start though, because i did keep wanting to turn the pages to find out what's going to happen. Oh my God, things get so, SO good starting from when the crew goes on their mission. UGH, SO MANY FREAKIN FEELS. The plot was just so intense and emotional AND THAT TWIST oh my God. I was literally sitting up and bracing myself for this one part that i couldn't believe had actually happened. The last few chapters weren't as intense but I'm quite glad it did not end in a major cliffhanger or anything. It's an ending that gives way for an exciting third book. The plot in Wandering Star extends from the first book but expands it on a whole new level. I thought the threat from the first book was already the worst, and then we discover in Wandering Star that there's an even worse bad guy. It's incredible; the way the author makes the story involve a whole universe and the future of the people living in it. Most of the other books i read are all about the character's country or city or land etc.. But in Zodiac, it's about so many worlds. It feels big, so even if you don't buy the romance or characters, i think you would still find the world and plot interesting.

The writing
I didn't feel like Wandering Star was as heavy as Zodiac, and it is mostly because i was already familiar with a lot of the words and concepts of the world that it didn't feel like a whole new and heavy discovery(also because i read Zodiac only a month before reading this book). It didn't take as much focus to understand what was happening. There were more cool concepts and places introduced and new planets explored, which was quite a pleasure to read about. I'll always be amazed by the advanced technology and ideas Romina Russell paints in this story. I only wish that the writing from Rho's perception had been as emotional as in Zodiac. Perhaps it was because she had grown as a character but i just didn't get as many feels as from the first book. Most of the emotional stuff was more from the other characters.

The characters
A lot of the first half was about Rho still blaming herself for the deaths from Zodiac, and she was highly doubting herself and her gifts. I like that the doubts slowly subsided along the story, and how she grows more and more confident with herself and her goals. I like that she grows wiser towards the end; it does show how much she has grown as a character. I do find her a tad bit more annoying than in Zodiac though, and I think this might have something to do with the romance(which I'll talk about in the spoiler section) and probably how she always doubted herself at the start, which effected her decisions.
In this book, we get introduced to a lot of new characters and discover more about some old ones. I honestly still can't keep up with all the character names so i kinda just pretend i know who they are since it doesn't really effect my understanding of the story.
I've grown more fond of Hysan as a character, and am loving Rho's friends Nishi and Deke. I absolutely love the trio's friendship and wish we could have gotten more moments of it.

***SPOILER SECTION***

I think i read this book a little too quickly, instead of taking my own sweet time going through it like i did with Zodiac. The adventure i went on while reading this book had seemed quite short, so in the end i felt like i needed more from these books. The third book will be called Black Moon, and will be released in November. I CAN'T WAIT.
Profile Image for Jessica.
Author 1 book55 followers
November 8, 2015
I received an ARC copy of Wandering Star in exchange for an honest review, and let me just say, I was so excited when Romina DMed us and told us we were getting a copy! Amber and I are both huge fans of Zodiac, the first book in the series, which we read last year and absolutely loved. I have never really been one for science fiction and fantasy, but this series is one that caught my interest from the first page and refuses to let me go.

Wandering Star is the second book in the series, and it follows ex-Guardian Rhoma Grace, who has been shamed and cast out by the entire Zodiac Galaxy because she led an armada that backfired and led to the death of many, many people. So in addition to being shamed by her people, Rho is still trying to get the support needing to combat the mysterious Ochus and the new army of rebelling teens trying to fight against everything that the Zodiac stands for. All while nobody is willing to stand behind her because of the previously mentioned situation about everyone's blood being on her hands.
So, yeah. As a teenager, Rho has a lot going on.

I really, really enjoyed this book - much more than I thought I would ever enjoy any type of science fiction/fantasy novel. I tore through this book in record time because I just couldn't get enough of it. (And by "record time" I mean as fast as I possibly could in between school and college applications and my five freaking thousand extracurricular activities.)

(There are some major spoilers in this paragraph so please skip to the next paragraph if you haven't read this book yet!) I know I'm about to share a really unpopular opinion right now, but when I found out that Mathias was still alive, I was kind of bummed. (It makes me sound like a horrible person, I know, but it's just my opinion.) I was really shipping Rho and Hysan's relationship so seeing her so willing to cast him to the side to be with Mathias broke my heart - and my ship. I never really did ship Rho and Mathias together, so him coming back was met with more of an eye roll and an, "AGAIN?" while Amber was jumping up and down and screeching for joy because she likes him better than Hysan.

There are definitely some pretty shocking plot twists that take place throughout this book. I won't really share any of them because you need to read the book yourself and feel the genuine shock, but I'll just hint that we meet some new characters, lose a few good ones, and experience more than one count of betrayal. Just which characters are involved in each of those clues? You'll have to read the book to find out! ;-)

Lastly, I was very impressed with the large amount of character development in Rho. In the first book she's more of a frightened teenager struggling to make decisions that only affect the hear and now, but by the second book she's a mature leader who makes decisions that benefit everyone and she's fighting as hard as she can to make things right and to reunite the Zodiac Galaxy once and for all.

All in all, Wandering Star was a fast-paced novel filled with tons of creativity, love, awesome plot twists, action, and endless adventures. Romina Russell has really built a pretty amazing world in Zodiac and I can't get enough of it! I'll definitely be anxiously awaiting the third book in this series! I'd also like to thank Romina and her publishers one more time for giving us the opportunity to review an ARC copy of Wandering Star - I couldn't have been more excited to read this book!
Profile Image for Sahil Javed.
258 reviews238 followers
January 24, 2021
Wandering Star is the second book in the Zodiac series and follows Rho, who has just been reunited with her brother, as she travels across the galaxy once more to fight against the Marad, a terrorist organisation that is attacking the houses one by one.
“There aren’t twelve types of people in the universe—there are two. The ones that stand still and try to fit in . . . and the ones that go seek out where they belong.”

This book was worse than the first, in that the plot felt exactly the same. We have something bad happen and then Rho has to travel across the galaxy to different houses to do different things. If I’m being honest, I feel like the plot was just a convenient excuse for the author to show off the different houses and it felt tacky and repetitive. Like this was basically the plot of the first book and again, it’s just repeated in this book like nobody is going to notice. I fucking noticed. And I hated every minute of it.
“Our choices define us: The stars may set us on a given path, but it is we who must decide whether we take it.”

Rho is an insufferable character and I hated her all the way throughout Wandering Star. I don’t know why everybody keeps putting this girl up on a pedestal and telling her that she’s the only one who can defeat the evil that is happening and can lead everyone to victory. Why was everybody filling her head up with such nonsense? Literally every single character was telling her all of the time that she was amazing and had so many special skills and that she was needed. What a load of bullshit. She was such a dumb character who was making stupid decisions throughout the book. Considering she was ostracised by the houses in the first book because none of them chose to believe her, you’d think she’d be more sensitive and inclined to listen to people when they tell her important things. Throughout the first book and even in this one, its stated that Hysan is a really good judge of character, so much so that Rho says it several times as well. And then Hysan tells her not to trust someone and she doesn’t listen and goes in a huff and then is betrayed by that character. And then is like oh Hysan was right, maybe I should have listened to him. No shit, you stupid girl. Wow. How dumb can one person be? Rho was one of the most annoying, stupid and horrible characters I’ve ever read about.
“Of all the lessons your species has failed to learn, this one is the most tragic. Sometimes the best way to love someone is to let them go.”

The reason Rho is so horrible is because of how she treats the love interests. So in this book, Rho basically admits she has feelings for Hysan but keeps leading him on, telling him one thing but secretly not moving on with him but then she finally decides that she wants him. But oh no, she’s still in love with Mathias, even though he’s dead. But oh wait, no he’s not, he’s still alive, which was the dumbest fucking decision ever. But then she completely ditches Hysan and doesn’t speak to him at all but then projects that he’s the one who is avoiding her and then has the audacity to get jealous and uncomfortable that Mathias was found with a girl, Pandora, who helped him get through his predicament. This girl is the reason why your stupid boy is alive, you insufferable twit. You should be grateful. Rho is such a selfish character and the way she treated Hysan was absolutely awful and she deserves to be alone and abandoned for that. And then the romance between her and Mathias becomes a thing and Hysan tells her off, which I was so happy about. Finally someone called this girl out on her shit.
“Each of us is made up of millions of memories,” says Ferez slowly, his tone tender. “In any given moment, a person is only showing one fleeting side of themselves. No matter how much we think we might know or love or be able to predict someone’s actions, we will never see them clearly unless we appreciate.”

I tried to read Black Moon, the third book in the series but the plot was the same again, with that same repetitive structure and I got 100 pages in, where it looked like Rho was going to pick Mathias even though she kept thinking about Hysan, and decided to DNF the book and not finish the series. I know what happens at the end and that Rho picks Hysan, which I should be happy about but I’m just not because Hysan deserves better and Rho is an actual asshole. She is one of the most selfish characters I've ever read about and the plot of the book was just insufferable.
“Love simply can’t thrive in a war—and believing it can is like trying to light a flame in a room without oxygen.”

Overall, Wandering Star was a disappointing sequel to what was a disappointingly average first book. I’ve DNF’d the series at Black Moon and will not be continuing. I wasted so much time on this series and it wasn’t worth it at all because all I got was a repetitive plot, an annoying main character and weird romances that took up half the plot.
Profile Image for Lauren.
1,318 reviews
April 29, 2015
4.5 stars. OH MY GOD. This series just keeps getting more intense and I LOVE it! This is turning out to be one of my favorite Sci-fi book series ever. I'm not much a fan of the love triangle that's happening, and it seems to be moving slower than the rest of the plot which throws me a bit. But the main basis of the series is out of this world (forgive the pun). So many great topics and lessons being thrown around. Diversity, acceptance, empathy, freedom. Just fabulous.
Profile Image for Ashley Daviau.
1,740 reviews751 followers
May 23, 2018
I didn’t enjoy this book nearly as much as the first in the series. It felt forced to me pretty much the whole way through, the story just didn’t flow as well as in the first book. There were some pretty epic battles and moments that left me gasping in disbelief which is what absolutely saved this book for me. So I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it, it was just meh.
Profile Image for ajfogy.
111 reviews20 followers
July 13, 2015
Wandering Star, the highly anticipated sequel to Zodiac by Romina Russell was just as well-written as its predecessor, pure and simple. Although Rho has been cast out by her fellow Cancrians and the majority of the Houses, her faithful friends and allies have never stopped believing in Rho and the vast power she possesses to see the possibilities of what is to come. In truth, the battle has just started.The appearance of Marad, a deadly terrorist organization more organized, capable, and advanced than the twelve houses put together has caused the Houses to fall even further out of balance. Rho, who always wants to do the right thing will not let her Galaxy go down without a fight, even though her reputation has been tarnished after she led a failed armada against Ophiuchus, an entity whom there is more to than meets the eye.

Rho's biggest problem is having the confidence to believe in herself and the choices she makes. Now, Rho makes decisions that constantly change the fate of the galaxy and not just herself or the Cancrian people. Rho needs to pick herself up by her bootstraps and unite the other Guardians and once again try to prove to the Plenum that she is telling the truth about Ophiuchus and reveal a secret that was entrusted to her. Every battle has a victor, and Rho is going to make sure that her side is the one that rises from the ashes.

Wow! I can honestly say that the Zodiac series by Romina Russell has become one of my favorite young-adult series. It has something to appeal to almost every reader and contains an astounding plot that does not disappoint in the least. I can hardly wait for the next installment, and I hope that Wandering Star is as well-received as Zodiac was.
Profile Image for Alyssa Powers.
56 reviews9 followers
November 16, 2015
I absolutely LOVE this book! Zodiac was one of my favorite books last year, and Wandering Star is most definitely one of my favorites this year! The world-building is, well, OUT OF THIS WORLD! Romina has brought Astrology to life in the form of worlds, goverments, technologies and even the citizens of those planets. Making the story connect and interweave itself into your mind. We all know our Astrological Sign (I'm a Gemini), and seeing what kind of planet I would have lived on was so cool, but I know that I'd be a Riser and Centaurion would be my real home. With that said, reading about the different planets and their quirks made me wish that I had a spaceship, and that they were actual places I could go. The character development was one of the greatest parts of this book in my opinion. In Zodiac we really didn't get to see much of Ochus and get a feel for what he was like, but now we do. We get to see a lot of new characters, and we get to see more of the characters that we have gotten to know and love in Zodiac. Rho becomes even stronger and wiser, and we also get to see more of Stanton and Hysan. :) The last one hundred pages or so kept me on the edge of my seat with plot-twists and so much action that made attempting any coherent thought when I finished nearly impossible.

Overall, I would (and will) highly recommend both Zodiac and Wandering Star to those of you who like Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, especially if Astrology interests you.
Profile Image for Ashley.
273 reviews17 followers
September 10, 2015
Review to go live on the blog in December along with an interview with the lovely Romina Russell but here's my initials thoughts after finishing.

This might be a sci-FI story but Romina's words ring true in society today. We are so quick to judge others while we should judge ourselves first. I don't normally highlight my books but when I restart this in the morning I'll be highlighting quotes to find in my finished copy.

Then my IG post (I repeated stuff but need a place to display my fangirling and initial reaction.

I am #HouseCapricorn If you haven't read Zodiac go pick it up if you have then please Pre-Order Wandering Star now. Just everything about this book hits home to what's going on in our world today. It's not just about astrology and astronomy @rominagarber writes amazing words to display how society treats outcasts.


I know this isn't a normal Ashley review but I promise readers Zodiac and Wandering Star are worth it. Even if the 15 month wait for Book 3 is going to kill me.
Profile Image for Anabel.
643 reviews110 followers
October 3, 2016
No creía que un libro tan bueno como Zoadíaco se pudiera superar, pero sin duda estrella errante es impresionante, no tengo una palabra mejor para describirlo. He disfrutado cada página, cada personaje... todo en general ha sido increíble. Sin duda ya es una de las mejores sagas que he leído. La narración es fluida y al conocer todos los términos e historia es mucho más adictivo que el primero, que ya de por si lo era, además de que encontramos una inteligencia fantástica. Estos días de lectura han sido muy intensos y muy emotivos, sin duda la autora sabe como tocar el corazón, ya que he llorado en muchas ocasiones. Unos libros que recomiendo leer y disfrutar. Seguiré con el tercero y por último el cuarto, que las ganas de leerlos son impresionantes. Voy a echar mucho de menos a los personajes. Pronto tendréis reseña en el Blog.
Profile Image for Esteban Parra.
476 reviews117 followers
May 20, 2016
La historia se siente mucho más madura que la anterior, menos introductoria como debe ser, más humana, y al mismo tiempo conserva y crece en lo que a buenas descripciones respecta. Romina Russell desborda creatividad y nos regala experiencias indescriptibles y lugares de ensueño.

Una lectura sumamente enganchante, pero con un final no tan atrapante como hubiera querido.

Esperando por que la noche traiga pronto la luna negra...
Profile Image for desirey.
5 reviews22 followers
February 3, 2018
It's tough to decide, but I think Wandering Star might even surpass the first book. So many questions are answered while even more arise.

We get to see Capricorn and visit Sagittarius, Nishi's home planet. I loved how vividly everything was written; it's like a movie inside your head the entire time. The enviroments were beautifully described and I loved seeing every Houses own unique sense of style and culture.

As I flipped through the pages, I grew to care more and more about our heroes: Rhoma, Nishi, Deke, Hysan, and many more. The author writes them so well, so richly, you can't help but feel sad when somebody you care about gets hurt and meets a terrible fate.They're all very three dimensional with a lot of depth, the author knows how to make you fear for their well being. And in this story, there is a lot of things the characters have to worry about.

Twists and turns are on every corner. New enemies arise, making the story even more intense than it already is. Rhoma Grace doesn't have to deal with just Ophiuchus, but a group of unfamiliar faces you won't be cheering for. I won't spoil anything, but Wandering Star is filled with tragedy. A lot of tragedy. I never knew what was going to happen next. The suspense is always there, creating a dark looming atmosphere that never ceases. So many scenes were full of shock and emotion.

One thing I really admired about this story is that it talks so much about unity and how it's one of the most important things in the universe. One of my favorite quotes from the story is: "There can be no unity until there is trust, and trust can not come until we can speak openly and accept all lifestyles." It conveys so many powerful messages that should be spoken about far more often.

I believe one of the things that makes a story so good in the first place is being able to evoke such strong emotions from the readers. To be able to laugh, cry, to feel hatred for a character. These are the stories I find most intriguing. These complex story lines, much like the Harry Potter series, I can not help but fall in love with.

I know all good things have to come to an end, but I didn't want this story to end. When I saw the pages were getting thinner and thinner on the right side, almost gone, I couldn't help but feel sad. I was so invested with this world, even long after I finished it.

I can not wait until the next book comes out next year, which I'm certain will be worth the wait just as this one was. If you enjoy reading a story about hope, a story with new worlds, and a story with a relatable protagonist worth cheering for long after the pages are done, than you shouldn't miss out on this series!
Profile Image for Flor C..
165 reviews31 followers
July 22, 2016
Extasiada, enamorada por completo de la historia, su galaxia y sus personajes.

Lo que me faltó en Zodiaco para terminar de amarlo. Apareció de manera automática con este segundo libro.

Costó menos ya que me acostumbré a la cantidad de detalles para construir las casas, la tecnología y el aspecto de cada miembro. Porque si, hasta en los rasgos que hacen diferentes a los integrantes de cada signo la autora presta vital importancia.

Los sucesos se van narrando solos, en ningún momento sentí que lo que estaba leyendo no tenía importancia, no pude despegar los ojos de las páginas hasta terminar (literal).

No voy a hablar muy a fondo para evitar spoilers. Pero sólo diré que está entrega te llevará por todas las emociones posibles: alegría, enojo, tristeza, etc.
Por favor lean estos libros!!!
Profile Image for Jessica.
607 reviews14 followers
September 18, 2017
I can't even place words on the page.... This book ended to soon for me. I love it all. I can't believe the ending of it and even when someone that was thought to be dead was still alive and not so well. I feel sad for Rho as her heart was torn into two places again. I also feel sorry for Hysan as he does love Rho so much.

I hope this situation is corrected in the last book. Can't wait for that now.
Profile Image for Ana Encinas.
346 reviews64 followers
December 7, 2016
Estrella errante, segunda parte de la tetralogía escrita por Romina Russell. Una continuación más intensa con respecto a sucesos inquietantes y descubrimientos de nuevos personajes, en el que nuestra protagonista Rho evoluciona a grandes rasgos junto con Hysan, Niki y Deke. Algo muy oscuro se acerca y Rho deberá enfrentarse para poder salvar el Zodíaco. El final de esta segunda parte te deja igual que el anterior final, con una revelación impactante y con ganas de continuar con la historia.
Profile Image for Tika .
149 reviews119 followers
December 15, 2015
I finished this the other day, but forgot to update my status! Romina never ceases to amaze me with her writing. I'm giving Wandering Star 4 1/2 stars! Stay tuned for my review :)
Profile Image for Shanah.
371 reviews38 followers
November 29, 2017
For this review and many others, please visit - https://bionicbookwormblog.wordpress.com

I read book 1 in this series, Zodiac, back in September, and I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY!! It was published back when I didn’t read much YA science fiction so it never made its way on my radar. I’m so glad that it eventually did because – WOW! It’s such a complex book that includes many characters, a large and complicated space system world, and zodiac traits that rule it all. It was such a complex world with so many different traits and differences, it honestly could have been a disaster if it wasn’t written properly. But instead of it being a mess, it was layer upon layer of amazing, all of it coming together to form a book that knocked me over! This book did NOT disappoint either!

Rho has lost her title and taken on an unseen threat that most people don’t even believe exists. Her home planet Cancer has been completely destroyed, killing her father in the process. She’s now residing on a new planet with no father, no title, and nowhere to go. And it’s because of this strange situation that the first half of this book took on a different feel. Book one was very fasted paced as she was named Holy Mother/Guardian of Cancer, and we were learning about Ophiuchus. Now she has no responsibilities, the only family left is her brother, and she is trying to figure out where she’s going to go. The first half of the book was very much about character building and seeing how the planets were reacting to the still constant threats. First there was Ophiuchus, and now there are Risers – people who were born to one house but left to go to another.

I will admit, the first half of this book was a little hard for me to get into. I found some of the character building a little boring, and wondered if it was really for a reason. It was, of course, because Romina Russell is a rock star writer, but I still struggled. The theme of trust was prevalent in almost every aspect as well. Trusting friends, letting them put themselves in danger to help you, the planets trusting Rho that she has Seen Ophiuchus, and the worlds trusting each other that they’re in this together to help.

Once I got to about the 65% mark is where it all came together and seriously hit me like a freight train!!! I’m not even kidding! There were about 6-8 chapters where I felt every emotion possible. My stomach turned in disgust, I was gripping the book hard because I was tense, my jaw dropped from shock, I felt sad, and then I just cried! All of the character building that had felt so slow in the beginning came into play as I realized that I had quietly fell in love with some of these characters. Their unquestioning support of Rho and her claims of the threats she’s seen was so beautiful.

The only thing that I really don’t enjoy is the love triangle between Rho, Mathias and Hysan. I understand it, yes, but at the same time it annoys me. I think that it annoys me because I’ve sailed a certain ship SO HARD and I want her to just pick him already!! LOL! The reasons why she can’t choose are understandable, and the conflicts that arise with her emotions once again makes sense, but I find myself more annoyed with it than enjoying it. I have faith in Romina’s writing abilities that it will come to a point where it will all be worth it, but until then I will roll my eyes a little bit.

My small problems aside, this series is shaping up to be one of my all time favourites. Yup, I said it, all time favourites! The writing is stellar, the characters have a grip on my heart, and this world is just amazing! At the beginning I wasn’t impressed with all the character building but, now that I’ve had a couple days to think about it, I can appreciate how much depth and dimension the characters now have. I can’t wait to continue with book 3 very soon!!
Profile Image for Tatiana de Dios.
107 reviews33 followers
July 29, 2018
Reseña completa: https://odiseaentrelibros.blogspot.co...

Un gran punto a favor de estos libros sigue siendo la ambientación. A parte de que Romina describe muy bien los escenarios, me ha encantado seguir conociendo un poco más a fondo sobre el Zodiaco, y poder visitar, junto a Rho y los demás, algunas de las constelaciones y profundizar en la cultura de ellos, ya que cada constelación tiene unas características concretas.

Respecto a la historia en sí, la autora sigue manteniendo una pluma sencilla y ágil, con capítulos cortos que hacen más amena la lectura.

Aunque en términos generales me ha gustado todo el libro, la segunda mitad si que me ha enganchado mucho más, me ha parecido más interesante y sin duda con ese final tengo muchas ganas de leer el tercero y así ver qué va a pasar.
Profile Image for Patri.Bucher.
371 reviews147 followers
September 7, 2020
Sara: Esta segunda parte me ha gustado más que Zodíaco, su primera parte. Me ha gustado ver la evolución de los personajes y descubrir leyendas e historias antiguas de la galaxia y conocer otras Casas. Además de conocer a los Ascendentes, algo que me ha parecido muy interesante.
Rho evoluciona y mejora como personaje, aunque no termino de conectar con ella, ya que algunas de sus decisiones no me convencían.
El triángulo amoroso sigue su curso, en el primer libro no me convenció, y en este algo ha mejorado, aunque yo personalmente no podría elegir 😅
El trama de misterio la vi venir, pero igualmente me ha gustado.
Esta Segunda parte ha tenido momentos más entretenidos y de tensión que lo han hecho mejor que el anterior, pronto seguiré leyendo más.

3,5/5 ⭐️
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