Inherit the Stars

Inherit the Stars #1

by Tessa Elwood

Three royal houses ruling three interplanetary systems are on the brink of collapse, and they must either ally together or tear each other apart in order for their people to survive.

Asa is the youngest daughter of the house of Fane, which has been fighting a devastating food and energy crisis for far too long. She thinks she can save her family’s livelihood by posing as her oldest sister in an arranged marriage with Eagle, the heir to the throne of the house of Westlet. The appearance of her mother, a traitor who defected to the house of Galton, adds fuel to the fire, while Asa also tries to save her sister Wren's life . . . possibly from the hands of their own father.

But as Asa and Eagle forge a genuine bond, will secrets from the past and the urgent needs of their people in the present keep them divided?

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Dystopia, Space, Teen

304 pages, Paperback

First published December 8, 2015

About the author

Tessa Elwood is a Midwestern web-designer obsessed with stories, coffee, and running shoes. She writes YA sci-fi and is particularly fascinated by messy lives and complicated loyalties.

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a stupid reckless child. A disappointment. The shame of our House, my House, whom I’ve just doomed to starve.

Yep. Yep. That's what I think of you too, girl.



This book is more opera than space opera. As in it puts me to sleep within 5 minutes.

The main problem I have with this book is the main character (irritating), the setting (underdeveloped), and the romance (I have more chemistry with my gynecologist).

The main character is weak. This isn't a true failing. Characters should have flaws. They should mature throughout the book, their weakness turning into strength. The main character in this book is tiresome. Childlike. She isn't a brat, she's just infuriatingly insufferable. She cries. She wails. She is a doormat. She makes stupid decisions. She is weak, soft-hearted, despite being a daughter of the house of Fane (a fact that she repeats roughly 1004890384 times to emphasize the fact that she has to be strong - that alleged strength does not show). She babbles. Her sister says it. I see it.

God, all you do is babble, I can hear Emmie say.

She lets people speak over her. Half the things she says are cut off, and it is annoying as fuck.

“But he didn’t,” I say. “It was—”

“You?” Lord Westlet pushes off the cabinet and crosses to the ornate mirror on the far wall. Adjusts his collar. His face is reflected large against the backdrop of us. “The Heir was an asset. You are not. Therefore, we must convince the Electorate that you are.”

“The Elec—?”

She is an idiot. She fakes being her sister to get married, knowing the dire consequences of her action, and when her new in-laws think of a way to "spin" that marriage, all Asa can do is protest that that's IMPOSSIBLE. Girl, you stupid.

“Love letters. Last year, while Eagle rebuilt his strength in the medicenter, you two wrote almost constantly.”

“Wrote?” I ask. “I wouldn’t have wrote.”

Her lips thin as Eagle straightens, and spiders dance under my skin.

“I’d have been there, at the medicenter. You can’t just write. What if the medics kept him drugged or messed up his meds or—”

“Enough.”

The world building is incomplete. Underdeveloped. We know there are three ruling families. We know this is IN SPACE, Y'ALL. That's pretty much it. I know nothing about the planets. I know nothing about the history. This book is concentrated around the main character and the events surrounding her and nothing else. It is an incredible waste of an opportunity to weave a new world.

The romance? Nonexistent. There's hardly anything between the MC and her love interest.

“Should we also make passionate love in the woods?” asks Eagle with no emotion at all.

And then all of a sudden there's...

“I love you.” Ragged and teary. “I love you like everything.”

The romance between Anakin and Amidala was more realistic, and that's saying something.

[The Book Queen]

Dear YA authors,

OK. Enough is enough. I've read so many great books that have been ruined by a romance. I've read so many great descriptions - including this one! - that have been ruined by a romance. I'd love to read this; it's got everything I love: political machinations, interplanetary systems, royal courts... and then, of course, I scroll down... and there's a romance. 'A love that will light the world on fire. A love that will last for eternity.'

Give me a break, YA authors.

I've been there, done that, got the t-shirt (which I promptly burned.) (Wow, that was a weird metaphor.) But my point is, I don't really want to read romance anymore. (I never did in the first place, but I digress.) And surely I'm not the only one who feels this way? Surely I'm not the only one who could really do without all the swoony love stories that pepper YA lists these days?

YA authors, there are things more important in life than romance. For a start, you could focus on the world-building, making a believable and imaginative setting. Or you could focus on the characters, giving them the little quirks and flaws we love to read about. Better yet, you could think about other relationships. Maybe a real female friendship. Maybe, just maybe, a platonic relationship. A girl and a boy who are just friends. Oh, what I would give for that.

Anyway. My point is, all this romance is tiresome. I might read your book and I might not, because I've been put off by the mention of the love story. What I'd really like is the political machinations and the royal courts, without all the unnecessary 'OMG he's so hot' rubbish.

Yours sincerely,
Me.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Perseus Books Group, Running Press and NetGalley.)

“I love you,” I say, more shape than sound. “Don’t forget.”



This was such a good sci-fi story, and I really liked it!

Asa was a great lead character, she was strong, knew what she wanted, and she really had spunk! The way she looked out for both of her sisters, even though she was the youngest, and always tried her best, even if it was the wrong thing to do, really showed what she was really like, and I just really felt for her.

The storyline in this was so surprising, and I loved the twists! There were several things that I didn’t see coming, and they were really inventive!

I liked the romance in this too, even though there was only a little bit, I really liked the way Eagle and Asa grew to love each other slowly, and nothing was forced or fast.

The ending to this was also good, and I loved the mystery surrounding the ending!



8.7 out of 10

[Laurence R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Fast-paced, intriguing and romantic. The perfect kind of book!

I loved everything from this novel: the characters, the world, the plot, the romance, etc. While there is in fact a lack of description concerning the world where this story is set, it is undeniably very interesting. There are many different planets and they can fly from one to another pretty much whenever they can, which sounds awesome. The story is quite surprising and kept me anxious to know what would happen next, which is why this could perfectly be read in a single sitting. Then there's the romance. I have found another OTP, that's for sure. It is SO. DAMN. CUTE. I swear. The way Asa loves her sister and would do anything for her family is also very touching, especially since most of the book is based around it. I liked how important family is in this novel, because sometimes we don't even get to know the main character's family in YA books, which is thankfully not the case here. Really, this book is a perfect mix of sci-fi, action and romance, all in one.

The only thing I would've changed would be the end, because it felt really rushed and abrupt to me. I was seriously expecting a sequel when there were about two pages left, because I thought it would be impossible to conclude everything in such a small number of pages. Unfortunately, I was wrong and I'm not even sure there's a sequel planned. Let's hope 11:11 helps me with this situation, or I might die waiting for the sequel I will never have gotten - very sad.

Overall, this is a great novel. I can't wait for it to come out so everyone can read it and hopefully love it as much as I did. Also, fingers crossed for the cover, because it better be a good one!

(Inherit the Stars is out on December 8th, 2015. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

I interviewed the author and had a great time! You can read the interview here: http://lauromantique.blogspot.ca/2015... .

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
Thanks to NetGalley for this eARC!
I'll just start off by saying that I didn't finish this book. I only got 25% of the way through before I decided I didn't want to continue. I won't go too into depth because this book is yet to be released so I'll just quickly state the issues that I had with it. Young Adult Sci-Fi is one of my absolute FAVOURITE genres and this sounded absolutely epic, but as soon as I started reading, I knew this book wasn't going to be for me.
The lack of world building and descriptions of the planets/worlds was astounding. There was hardly anything for me to form even a snippet of an image in my head.
It was also really obvious that this was heading into a VERY romance heavy novel, so if you were looking for more of an epic sci-fi story (like I was) then maybe give this one a miss.
I also wanted more of the sci-fi elements, but there wasn't any apart from the fact that it's set on different planets, but when they travelled between planets, there was no mention of how they got there and how the heck they managed to get from one solar system to another in like, a day. HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN? WHERE IS THE SCIENCE? WHERE IS THE WORLD BUILDING? WHERE ARE THE DESCRIPTIONS? There were none and I'm very disappointed. I realise that as the book continues, it could have improved but to be honest I just wasn't enjoying it at all.
I didn't rate it because I don't feel like that's fair because I didn't finish it, but based on the first 1/4, I'd give it a 1.5 star rating.

[Katerina Kondrenko · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 out of 10

Ревью в моем блоге/This review on my blog
Living A Thousand Lives (please use Chrome/Yandex browser or Android/IOS to see the page; otherwise, spoiler-tags I use to make my post compact may not work)

Short-Soundtrack:
Queen – Princes of the Universe
Florence And The Machine – Cosmic Love
Scars On Broadway – Universe

Genre: sci-fi, fantasy, YA
Stuff: space monarchy
Fail: poor development and weird plot
POV: 1st person, female
Love-Geometry: none

Quote-Core:

"I am a stupid reckless child. A disappointment."

This book is about a girl named Asa. She has two elder sisters and one cold fish, which is her father. Together they are the House of Fane and they rule one of the three interplanetary systems. They are going to bond through the older children’s marriage with the House of Westlet to stand against the House of Galton. But this plan is going its own way because Asa’s not the older daughter of Fane but she’s the bride.

Okay. Space, intrigues, romance, danger, adventures – that’s what I expected from this book. Did I get it? Nope. Moreover, I have to admit that I disliked this story, and here are the reasons why.

I couldn’t relate to MCs. We know next to nothing about them, their past, thoughts, goals, loves, and hates. Who they are? Why Asa loves Wren and doesn’t care much about Emmie? I still don’t know. Secondary characters had even less development: the author didn't tell us how they look like, let alone anything else.

The world-building isn’t complete. We have three planetary systems, some hungry (of course) people, and the fuel crisis. Ok, people want food, but, first of all, I wanna know how they can breathe? Do these planets have atmospheres similar to the Earth’s one? I wanna know what are these planets like, do they have mountains, seas, deserts, cities… I saw only two House’s homes, a hospital, a shaft and… that’s it, I guess.

People. Asa loves to repeat that she has people to care about. What people? What do they do? Do they work? Do they have TV or the internet? We don’t know anything about the population of these interplanetary systems. Why do they agree with monarchy if their king (or almost king) can’t feed them? And why he can’t do this? This planet’s size is about an apple? That’s why there are no agricultural lands? I can go on and on and on with my questions.

Either book-locusts ate some parts of chapters in my copy or the pacing is very transilient.

I can’t say much about the plot until the release date, which is so far away, but I wasn’t hooked at all. I was waiting for something blow-minding but it never came. I think the whole idea of this book should be more complex, the actual one was predictable and simple.

Romance. It’s not some instalove, but it’s really a rushlove.

I’m done with my reasons. Unfortunately, this isn’t my cup of tea.

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC for review*

Inherit the Stars (Звезды в наследство):

— Inherit the Stars: Reprieve (Звезды в наследство: отсрочка) #0.5/2
— Inherit the Stars (Звезды в наследство) #1/2
— Split the Sun (Солнце на части) #2/2

[Amanda [darjeeling_and_jade] · Rating 5 out of 5]

This and other reviews found at [a cup of tea and an armful of books]

I wish this book was hundreds of pages longer. I was very disappointed when it ended because I wanted to keep reading and reading. Inherit the Stars is a book about the three royal houses of Fane, Westlet, and Galton. They rule over three separate interplanetary systems, systems that used to work and are now suffering though food and energy crises that render them defenseless, should their enemies find out and invade. The world is filled with lies upon lies, all to survive.

This is Asa’s world. The youngest daughter of the House of Fane, Asa has tried her best to follow the rules that have been set before her. She believes she can shoulder anything, until her father decides that cutting off the life support of her beloved sister and heir, Wren, is the only way to save them from starvation. Asa embarks on a plan to save both her sister and the House of Fane by stealing into a marriage alliance that neither house can negate once it’s complete. It’s purely political and necessary for both houses, even if it didn’t turn out the way they wanted. Inherit the Stars is the story of how things continue to change in the world of these houses.

Tessa Elwood has written a wonderful beginning to a new series. It is full of subtle romance that is not the standard insta-love that afflicts many young adult novels in the market now. Eagle is quite literally a flawed character. He has a solid back story that is woven intricately into Asa’s own story and made me really love him. They have a relationship that is real and based on the mutual desire to make it through the daily problems of their houses. Inherit the Stars dropped me right into the action with no buildup and allowed me to see the world Elwood created as it exploded across the pages. I was able to get a distinct feel for the different planets Asa visited without being bogged down by too much information. I loved it. So much that I wish I could see more individual stories of the Fane, Westlet, and Galton houses. There just wasn’t enough in Inherit the Stars. I need more of this world and I can’t wait until I hear the news that it will continue.

5 very happy stars. I’m so glad I found a young adult sci-fi novel I enjoyed with no reservations. It was a pleasure to read it.

Inherit the Stars is slated for release on December 8th, 2015. I received a copy from the publisher through Net Galley and am writing a review in thanks.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whoaaaaa this book is awesome. Totally not anything like I was expecting, but it totally delivered. The writing is really unique, the characters interesting, and the romance sweet. There are court politics like in a high fantasy but enough tech and spaceships to satisfy sci-fi fans. I really liked this one, y'all. But now I can't believe how long I'm going to have to wait for the sequel.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood
Book One of the Inherit the Stars series
Publisher: Running Press Kids
Publication Date: December 8, 2015
Rating: 3 stars
Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodreads):

Three royal houses ruling three interplanetary systems are on the brink of collapse, and they must either ally together or tear each other apart in order for their people to survive.

Asa is the youngest daughter of the house of Fane, which has been fighting a devastating food and energy crisis for far too long. She thinks she can save her family’s livelihood by posing as her oldest sister in an arranged marriage with Eagle, the heir to the throne of the house of Westlet. The appearance of her mother, a traitor who defected to the house of Galton, adds fuel to the fire, while Asa also tries to save her sister Wren's life . . . possibly from the hands of their own father.

But as Asa and Eagle forge a genuine bond, will secrets from the past and the urgent needs of their people in the present keep them divided?

Author Tessa Elwood's debut series is an epic romance at heart, set against a mine field of political machinations, space adventure, and deep-seeded family loyalties.

What I Liked:

This book wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, given all the really harsh and negative reviews on Goodreads. At the same time, I didn't love the book, and could see a lot of the issues people had with the book. Also, a fair number of those negative reviews were DNFs, so there's that. I finished the book (it was short!), and I didn't think it was too bad.

Asa is the third Daughter of Fane, daughter of one of three powerful royal houses in the interplanetary system. Her oldest sister, Wren, is in a coma and doesn't show signs of waking up. The middle sister, Emmie, is set to be married to the Heir of another House - but only when Wren dies. Asa refuses to give up hope on Wren, and steps in, pretending to be Emmie, without anyone knowing. She gets married to Eagle, and then everyone finds out. Asa has no idea just how badly she has messed up things - the fragile alliance, blood binds, family ties... and when the ruler of the third house, Galton, shows up with secrets that will destroy everything Asa has tried to fix, Asa and Eagle will race to save their Houses.

This book was short, but not in a choppy, underwritten way. I recently read and reviewed another book that was slightly shorter, and you could tell that that book need at least another fifty to one hundred pages. This book was short, but packed with action and surprises and secrets.

I absolutely hated Asa at first. She hijacks her sister's wedding in order to save her oldest sister (their father would have pulled the plug on Wren, so that Emmie was the official Heir of House Fane). Asa made Emmie promise that she would look after Wren and keep her alive. Asa is so impulsive and selfish in the beginning of the book, but eventually, I got used to her, as well as I started to see her actions differently. Still, her personality and actions in the beginning of the book were the biggest reason why this book didn't get more than three stars.

Eagle, on the other hand, is one of my recent favorite male protagonists. Like, I haven't read a male protagonist in YA recently that I adored. He's silent and brooding and all of those things - but for a reason. Half of his face is badly scarred after a mission of some sort. Eagle does what he can for his House, including his duty of marrying the Fane Heir (who turns out not to be the Fane Heir). But he doesn't want any more than that. Eagle and Asa have to fool the public into thinking that they're totally in love, and Eagle goes along with this plot, but it breaks my heart to see how he feels manipulated and used by everyone.

The romance is pretty important in this book, which I've seen people complain about, as well as enjoy. I personally enjoyed it. Asa and Eagle fall for each other, but it's at this slow-burn rate, not necessarily fireworks and rockets. More like a meteor shower, something silently beautiful. The romance is pretty important, as both Asa and Eagle have to make choices eventually, and who they love and trust will dictate these choices. Still, the romance isn't overwhelming. And no love triangle, that's a plus!

I liked the setting - this book is very science-fiction-y, in a Star Wars kind of way. Lots of planet hopping and spaceship flying. There are issues with contamination, planet-wide hunger, disease, new means of medical practices and fuel. All cool stuff! I'm not sure how really science-y the science is, but I enjoyed reading about it.

This book ended very oddly - one big secret is dropped on everyone, and the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger (hence what I mean when I say "odd"). We know that this book is part of a series, so I understand why the author ended this book with a cliffhanger. The ending isn't bad, but I would dread waiting to read the next book!

What I Did Not Like:

I will agree with many reviewers on Goodreads on the point that it was difficult to connect with Asa. In the beginning of the book, she is way too rash and impulsive to like. She also does a lot of wallowing in self-pity. "Woe is me, I've ruined the alliance, the universe.", "What have I done?", etc. She doesn't think things through, only thinks selfishly about her oldest sister, and not about the entire planetary system, or House Fane. I know that sounds awful, but it's that whole "is one life worth millions" thing. Also, Asa's attitude just sucked. I wouldn't want to be her sister or friend. Chances are, I'd have already closed her mouth for her permanently (sorry not sorry). She doesn't think things through! Why is this so prevalent in YA literature?!

But she gets better as the book goes on. By the end, I liked her more (HATE one of her decisions, but at least some of them were okay, at the end). She's a difficult person to root for, to like. Many people DNF'd before getting even halfway through, because of Asa. I can see why. I hated (HATED) her for almost or about half the book.

The ending is kind of stupid. The cliffhanger is stupid. I don't see the point of the cliffhanger. Go to effin war, idiot. You didn't want to sacrifice your ONE sister for millions of lives, but you are more than willing to sacrifice yourself for millions of lives? I don't really call this selfless - maybe hypocritical and inconsistent. Again, difficult girl to like.

I did like Eagle though. And the romance. So I forgave Asa for a lot.

Would I Recommend It:

I don't think I'd necessarily recommend this book. I personally only downloaded it from NetGalley because one week, literally EVERYONE was downloading it from NetGalley, and it's science fiction, so why not? It's not a particularly memorable read, but I liked what I read. I highly doubt I'll be continuing with the series though.

Rating:

3 stars. Like I said before, I most likely will not be continuing with the series. It doesn't seem worth it to me at the moment - although if the next book drops from the sky in front of me, I may read it. I do LOVE the romance in this book... but somehow, the romance never stays as lovely in subsequent books as it does in the first book. ESPECIALLY with how this book ended! I've said enough.

[Aira · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars!

I liked this more than I thought I would! I found it to be fast-paced and very entertaining.

This books starts off with Asa in a (I spent 5 minutes thinking what to call it) spaceship/plane with her sister Wren. Wren is obviously dying and Asa is getting frantic, because unfortunately, that’s not the only problem. Imagine that. Their people are attacking because they are starving. So just imagine a bunch of incredibly starving people, total chaos.

Asa is in the house of Fane. Her father is their ruler. The Blight has ruined some of their most fertile planets, so they are fast running out of food. In order to help their house, Asa’s other sister, Emmie, has to marry the heir of the house of Westlet or in their terms join with him through a blood bond; but stuff happened and Asa ends up being the one to bind with the heir.

Eagle is the heir of Westlet. Oh how I loved him. He was closed-off and distant all the time, but I still loved him! He had his reasons.

Asa and Eagle did not experience insta-love. It was more of a let’s be reluctant companions-kind of friends-friends-closer than friends-lovers kind of thing. I appreciated that, but being me, I would’ve been down with insta-love. Leave me alone about it okay?!

But. Yes, the inevitable but. The book does have its flaws. Sometimes I found myself to be very confused, because I thought the author was trying to give me more information than I could handle. There were a lot of terms, so I had trouble remembering what all of them meant.

Maybe I’m just stupid, that could be it.



Jokes aside, that was really a problem for me. Maybe I should just write all the terms and definitions down, so I wouldn’t bother going back pages to look for them again and again. What a great idea. Damn I’m awesome.
It does come out on December though, and it is an ARC, so I’m willing to forgive these mistakes. I think this could be fixed with some more editing, so I’ll just have to buy the book when it officially releases.

A breakdown of the houses:

Fane: Absolutism, Kind of poor as of this moment, has so many problems, not really the place where it’s going down (sorry)

Westlet: Corporatism, Rich as of this moment, there will be a lot of problems, I guess I could live here

Galton: I think it’s Corporatism, Super rich, evil bastards, I’m not evil so I don’t really feel like living here

This book will be coming out on DECEMBER. Imagine how long I’ll have to wait for the second book.

BLOG POST

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful story. I started this at midnight, thinking I'd just read a chapter or two. But this story was UN-PUT-DOWNABLE. I couldn't read the pages fast enough and finished the story in one big marathon.

Asa's world is fascinating and so different. Their unique technology and worlds are quick to understand and complex but well explained. Eagle was easy to love and so were Wren and Emmie. Even the politics were interesting and complemented the story

I completely fell in love with this one.I hope beyond all hope we get another book or two.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOW CAN SHE LEAVE IT THERE!? Oh, I just can't wait for the sequel! But first, this book needs to be released... This one was definitely closer to 5 stars than four, so let's call it a 4.6/5 star book.

HUGE thanks to the publisher, Perseus Books Group, Running Press for approving my NetGalley request! I definitely plan to buy this one and recommend it to others when December gets closer.

I've been slowly leaning towards sci-fi novels, a genre that I typically don't enjoy. However, my time spent reading Pierce Brown opened doors for me in the genre, and this is my first time reading YA sci-fi (with the exception of The 5th Wave, which is arguably quite dystopian as well). Inherit The Stars was a fast-paced read with a strong plot, a great protagonist, and a universe that I immediately began enjoying. While this book has lowkey fantasy elements, it definitely qualifies as my first YA sci-fi novel, and I am so glad that it is!

In ItS, you're instantly thrown into the action. A planet is falling to riots and chaos, Asa's sister is in a coma, and you're tossed around with Asa aboard a barely intact spaceship. I loved that the reader is immediately thrown into the universe and offered no glossary for terminology. While that is a risky decision, it pays off for Elwood since her terminology is not ridiculously complicated or difficult to imagine. I loved that I was always involved in the story and that it was so visual. This particular story would translate well to film if the opportunity ever arose; every scene was vivid and electric.

I also loved Asa, which is a rare occurrence in a lot of the YA lit I've been reading lately. Not every female protag is great, and while Asa was far from perfect or capable of handling herself (at times), she had qualities that made her stand out, such as her unfailing compassion for those she loves: Wren, Eagle, her father, even her people. She is also determined and never gives up, which is another quality that I miss seeing in YA female protags.

Asa and Eagle's romance was shaky at first, especially considering there was very little personal interaction between the two. I don't know that I am entirely convinced they are in love with each other, but I ship them hard enough that I don't care! As their relationship progressed, chemistry exploded all over the place, and I was hooked. I kind of hope things work out for them and that neither die; their expected and totally welcome love for each other is a spot of brightness in a turbulent world.

There were a few things I didn't love about this book. One of these things was Emmie. She was so, so annoying and rude the entire time, not to mention wishy-washy. She wanted to travel, she thought Asa couldn't handle things, she wanted to pull the plug on Wren. I wanted to wring her neck by the end of all of this, honestly.

I also didn't care for the Electorate. Frankly, I'm still unclear on why there needs to be a term for the innumerable mass of highly esteemed rich people. Not to mention they had very little to do with anything in spite of being mentioned every few pages. I get they're some form of governing power over the three houses, but there truly needs to be an expansion on the workings and applications of the Electorate.

Overall, I loved this book from page one. I nearly read something different today, but I'm so glad that Inherit The Stars captured my attention instead. I am definitely looking forward to this release in December so I can see how pretty the physical copy will be, as well as hang on to the story while desperately awaiting a sequel!

[Kagama-the Literaturevixen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I recieved this ARC from Netgalley and this is my honest Review.

Asa the youngest daughter of the Lord Fane through a series of events decides to take her middle sisters place as the bride to Heir of the neighbouring planet Wester.

When I saw that this book had space opera AND an arranged marriage I immediately requested it from Netgalley.

But as soon as I started reading I was thrown into an action sequence and got very confused and even when I reached the end of the book I am not sure I understood half the world or the characters. or The blight,or the amazing new technology.

I felt I couldnt get a grip on the characters.What had made them what they were

I was honestly surprised when Eagle and Asa bonded near the end since what interactions they did have had so far were so vaguely described. In fact a lot of the book is vague and things like this

Breakfast is a reticence of ghosts.The cloudy gray window light dulls everyones smiles and clothes.Even the plates and knives are quiet.



I know I know.Its poetic and wordy.But to me it just became a bit ridicilous since eating utensils are usually not prone to talk.

I thought Asas personality was a bit hysterical and given too much to instropective description of her surroundings and leaping to conclusions. Why is she so attached to Wren her sister for example? Still not sure.

This book was a disappointment to me but at times I did glimpse some potential from this author if she would just shed the needlessly complicated phrases and add some substance to her world and characters.

[Erin Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 54%.

FTC Disclosure: The publisher allowed me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This review was originally published on my blog, The Hardcover Lover.



Inherit the Stars, the first book in the Inherit the Stars series by debut novelist Tessa Elwood, is one of those novels that just grabs a reader's attention from the moment you first see it. The synopsis tells readers of a futuristic space society in crisis. The title of the novel is certainly catchy, and the artwork on the cover is beautifully stunning. The cover art lets the readers know that it's a futuristic space opera, and that is the case here. It's definitely a futuristic sci-fi tale.

Unfortunately, the text inside the book is lackluster, nonsensical at times, and lacks a lot of details and substance for me to even consider it a mediocre debut. Because of all of this, I sadly had to add this one to my DNF shelf. It really hurt me to do this because I was really looking forward to Inherit the Stars.

For me, a space opera has to be thrilling, but it also has to be informative. There are so many things that need to happen in a space opera for them to be successful, and Inherit the Stars did not contain them. What it has in action, it lacks in world building. I feel like I knew very little about the world - the names of the planets and the royal houses.

World building is just an essential part of science fiction and space operas. It's just something you can't leave out when writing any science fiction novel, and Ms. Elwood clearly missed the mark on this one by not explaining Asa's world and home better. I've never been more frustrated with a science fiction novel as I have with this one. Why? Because I literally had no idea what anything was! I never got any clear ideas about what Asa's world is like or what the planets look like. By the time I decided to DNF the book, I was lucky to know the names of the three royal houses that govern this system because they are only mentioned, never really explained in a way to make them stay in your mind.

The characters in Inherit the Stars are as dull and underdeveloped as the plot.

There's Asa, the narrator of the story, and she's also the youngest Daughter of Fane. That means that she's never going to be the heir and rule her planetary system unless her two older sisters die. I guess she's supposed to be the heroine of the book, but she's extremely irritating and I don't really see her as a heroine-type character. I understand that she's a teenager, but the girl seriously does not listen to anyone, and because of that, she often finds herself in precarious situations that could have easily been avoided. (Seriously... she drugs her sister because she thinks that posing as her and marrying someone will save everything.) Her actions just become too repetitive over time, and it gets annoying.

Asa also has two sisters. Her oldest sister, Wren, is in a coma for much of what I read. Now I already admitted that I didn't finish the book, but she was barely alive in the very shaky first chapter. Because Wren is firstborn, she is the rightful heir to the House of Fane. This poses a problem for Lord Fane, especially because his country is in peril, and he needs to forge a marriage alliance with his heir to The House of Westlet's heir keep the country fed. Then pops in Emmie, the second Daughter of Fane. With Wren's life in jeopardy, their father decides that he should pull the plug on Wren's life support and make Emmie the heir. I still don't know much about Emmie, but I do know that she's not the nicest person on the planet. She shows no compassion toward Asa, and she seems to be very concerned with her own life, instead of the family. I would not want her as a sister. Nope.

There's also a romantic lead in the story, and his name is Eagle. Eagle is the heir to the House of Westlet, and he's been promised that he'll marry the heir to the House of Fane. Soon after, he finds out that Asa drugged his bride in order to marry him, and it sets his family off. Ms. Elwood actually does describe Eagle physically, but she doesn't get too much into his personality. He's quiet and stoic, but he also has his secrets. I'll admit that I felt bad for Eagle because of his physical deformities, but again, I just felt like so much more should have been known about him.

I was extremely disappointed in Inherit the Stars, and I will not be revisiting this novel in the future for a possible re-read and finish. I just can't sit here and tell you that it's worth reading when it just feels so unfinished. The writing is choppy, the plot seems like it was overlooked, and the lack of world building just make it an inferior novel to the many great science fiction novels out there. I would not recommend this book to anyone because I would not want them to deal with the frustration that is Inherit the Stars.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

Science-fiction is always hit and miss for me, and Inherit the Stars is a definite hit. The world building was detailed but not so much that it overtook the story or bogged it down with unnecessary detail. All of the characters had their own quirks and uniqueness; they didn't come across as copies of each other. As for the story line, I found it intriguing with a good dose of excitement and romance.

Asa herself is a great character. Flawed, sure, but that is what makes her so relatable and real. She is loyal to a fault to those she loves. And though her actions are sometimes rash, they always come from trying to do what she thinks is best for her loved ones. Eagle complements her very well. Where she is animated and at times hard to contain, he is calm, silent, controlled. Yet he also shares the same loyalty to family as she does.

One of the things I loved was the slow build up of Asa and Eagle's relationship. I am so tired of the insta-love plaguing today's books or of the love/hate relationships. Theirs was neither. They are strangers when they marry and there is the expected uncomfortableness of that situation. However, as time progresses they slowly get to know each other and open up. This leads to friendship and respect first, followed by amorous feelings. I think their relationship was wonderfully portrayed.

Asa (and Eagle) face adversity once bonded as secrets come out and ties are tested. They must race against time to fulfill promises and prevent catastrophe from hitting either of their home planets. And with many of the characters impeding this progress, it is definitely a challenge.

I think this may be the first in a series, and if so, I eagerly await the next installment.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, decent read. I flew through the first 70% of this book, but afterwards things got a little convoluted. I wasn't really a fan of where the plot went, I think that my issues with this book could have been remedied if it was simply longer. Having such a short book (for a sci-fi), made everything feel very rushed near the end.

I liked the characters well enough, although their recklessness came off as selfishness more than once. I also liked the romance in the book, although I felt that it progressed a little too quickly to be believable. The writing itself is decent, I just would have liked more of it. While I did enjoy reading this, I don't think that this is worth more than a borrow due to its slightly lackluster ending.

Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict:Borrow

Available for request here until December 8, 2015
https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book...





Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, that was disappointing.

The worldbuilding needs work, the characters are dull, and the plot is serviceable? I need to iron out my thoughts.

[Ally · Rating 4 out of 5]

NetGalley. Thanks for the copy.

Inherit the Stars (by Tessa Elwood) isn't going to be out until later this year (December 8, 2015), and doesn't possess a cover (though I'm sure it will be beautiful). YA Science Fiction, the book is really interesting with a special format and awesome... Oh, darn. Because of how far away the publication date is, I'm not going to go into the spoilers very much and spoil the book for the rest of you. But I assure you that there is some space traveling. No Jedi, though.

Asa is the youngest of three daughters in the House of Fane. Desperate to save Wren, her sister (who is on life support and may be taken off by her own father), she pretends to be Emmie (her other older sister, who is younger than Wren). She comes up with the craziest plans (a definite skill of hers). Personally, I love Asa. She is passionate, and she voices her opinions without thinking of the consequences. Her mouth gets her in trouble many times.

Eagle, the Heir to the House of Westlet, is her brand new husband (though the book doesn't call him that). Scarred (and reminding me of the Beast, only in the physical sense, not characteristically) and amazing (in his own way), Eagle ignites sparks in Asa. He has this... Okay, I can't mention any spoilers. But I will tell you all that Asa and Eagle's romance is pretty awesome. It starts with a reluctant friendship (and alliance) that slowly evolves over time. Those two grow closer and closer together.

Because of the politics and the royalty involved, you can be sure there is a lot of drama. There is this sort of Revenge (tv show on ABC) feeling I get whenever I read about Lady Westlet or some other titled person. Along with the plentiful drama, there is also this wonderful space. I mean, space. Space space. What NASA spends decades studying. I absolutely love the way Tessa Elwood explore the space-y setting, but I also wish she defines the politics of the houses better.

The story goes by very quickly, and if you don't have your seatbelts on, you are going to fly out of the book without a clue to what is going on. The pacing is much quicker than expected, and it takes a long time to adjust. There are plenty of twists (most of them surprising enough to sideline me), and most of the plot shows hurried storyline.

With space travel and planets, Inherit the Stars has a dizzyingly wonderful romance with strong characters who are remarkable in their own ways. The world of this book has its highs and lows, but possesses much more highs. The plot is paced quickly, so if you want a book that goes by fast, this will do.

Rating: Four out of Five

-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com

[Danielle (Love at First Page)]

The writing style is driving me crazy - too many short and/or incomplete sentences - and I still have no true understanding of this world. The book is a futuristic fantasy set on different planets, but there is very little worldbuilding, and at this point I have no idea what the driving force of the story is supposed to be. It's all so simplistic. Look at the synopsis of the book and you'll know everything that I know. There's no complexity to the plot and the characters don't make up for it because most of them are flat and mean-spirited. And being in the main girl's head is just so exasperating. DNF at 25%.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for approving my request in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and Perseus Books Group/Running Press Kids for an eARC of this book to read and review.

This just did not grab me. The MC h was incredibly immature (she was a teenager, so she was acting true to her age/maturity level I suppose) and I just wasn't buying the political intrigue, the actions of any of the characters and the world felt like the facade of a Wild West movie set, flimsy and don't look too closely at it or you can tell it's not really all there.

DNF at 6% for me. Completely my opinion, if you enjoy political sci-fi/space YA lurve stories, than this one may work for you. It just wasn't to my tastes.

2, I didn't hate it but most likely read it wrong, stars.

[Seabrooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had the privilege of being Tessa's CP and getting to read early drafts, and oh my GOSH, folks, you're going to love her books. Tessa is the Maggie Stiefvater of sci-fi, her stuff is amazing.

Edit 03/05 - ARC reviews are coming out, so I'm going to add a bit more!

Things I love about this novel:

The romance. This is a slow-burn, hard-work romance, which is my sort of love story. It's real. It's got real stumbling blocks. But it's also got real growth of feelings. I think you'll love Eagle just as much as Asa does, by the end.

The worldbuilding. Tessa is one of the best worldbuilders I've read. Her world is incredible in detail and scope. I've seen some reviews criticising it as being incomplete, but I think that's the amazing beauty of her work - you *know* Tessa knows more about the world than she's shared, but she's only written what's relevant to the story. When you're reading a contemporary, you know lots more about the world than the author shares too, right? I love how it makes it feel like a real place, full of details left to discover.

(Incidentally, I've read another book by Tessa set it another part of this universe. There are *lots* of details left to discover! You'll get more of them in books 2 and 3 of this trilogy.)

The main characters. Asa is a wonderfully flawed protagonist. She may make the wrong decision sometimes, but it's done with her heart in the right place and a fierce determination to stand by her beliefs and her family. Asa is strong in all the non-physical ways of the word. And Eagle is a wonderfully flawed love interest. Due to events of his past he's wrapped himself in a defensive cocoon of few words, and you get to discover the real him as Asa slowly peels away his protective layers. Eagle may often bend with the current to keep himself emotionally safe, but he stands up where it counts. (That's not a euphemism.)

Even if you're not normally a huge sci-fi person, give this one a try. The story is more about the people than it is about the setting. The pacing is just right, a curious mix of taking-your-time and must-read-more. And the writing is amazing. So, like I said: Maggie Stiefvater of sci-fi. :D

[Tammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVE AND LOYALTY. As the youngest daughter of the House of Fane, Asa lives every day of her life in honor of both, for herself and her people.

3.5 stars. Asa Fane is desperate to save her oldest sister, heir to the family empire, who is in a coma after an accident. So desperate that she secretly takes her other sister's place in an arranged marriage. Little does she know the consequences of her actions will result in her finding out a secret about herself that could ruin the alliance and any chance her planet has of getting the food they so desperately need.

I liked this book. I can see why some people wouldn't as it is light on the space adventure and focuses more on politics and relationships, and it's even lighter on those than it could have been. I just really enjoyed reading it anyway. I think the one thing that really bothered me about this book was the fragmented writing style.

I liked the characters and the slow build up of the relationship between Asa and Eagle. I thought their romance was rather sweet. Asa is 16 and impulsive. She doesn't always think her actions through. I could have found her annoying because of this, but I liked her anyway. She is fiercely loyal to those she cares about and I thought she was very brave.

Inherit the Stars was a quick, easy read and a nice break from heavier novels. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

Review also posted at Writings of a Reader

[Chaitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I was thinking the day I requested this book on NetGalley. I don't like Young Adult, I don't like Romance and I loathe YA Romance. I was unhappy when I received the book, because, well, review. But it's got an I title and an E author. For a challenge junkie, that's close to the holy grail. So here I am, conceding that with all the purple prose and the silliness and the sheer abruptness of the whole book, I thought it was oddly charming.

Asa is hysterical, but she's the earnest hysterical type I can get behind. I adored Eagle - it's hard not to. The man says nothing most of the time, and when he does open his mouth, it's to say the right things. The prose is, like I said, very poetic, in a laughably silly way. But it's what I expected out of a hysterical teenager. Asa's actions have no logical explanation, she's a walking train-wreck really. But like a train-wreck, it's hard to stop watching. I enjoyed the whole thing, even if I didn't take it seriously.

If I do have a major quibble with the book, it's that nothing is really explained. I couldn't figure out why the book started when it did and why it ended when it did. Perhaps this is stupid of me, but I'm still wondering - are these people human? They seem humanoid, even if I can't recall offhand how anyone looked like. But I'm not sure if they are descendants of Earth born humans. This bugged me more than I thought it would.

Again, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. But there was no investment on my side - I expected nothing out of it anyway. 3 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this!

The story focuses around three royal houses who occupy three planets: Fane, Westlet and Galton. I'm a big fan of royal settings and it was intriguing to have a royal world that is within a sci-fi setting. Whilst it was certainly intriguing, the world building is lacking somewhat which does let it down. We aren't given much information about the planetary system and this made it difficult to really picture its structure of how it all works. I couldn't quite figure out what it looked like or how the technology to fly between planets so quickly actually worked. What is the atmosphere like? How are they able to survive on this planet? I think for a sci-fi story it was missing a lot of the scientific explanation of these components.

The characters, the pace and the plot were all excellent, however, and this really salvaged the story for me.

Asa is a strong main character who is determined to save her sister and will do whatever it takes. In order to prevent her father from ending her sister Wren's life support, Asa sneakily switches places with her other sister Emmie who is going into an arranged marriage with the heir of rival planet Westlet. Asa believes that Westlet could be the answer to Wren's medical problems due to their more advanced technology. I could really appreciate Asa's love for her sister and the sacrifices she was willing to make for her.

Eagle is the heir of Westlet and is very much the dark and mysterious character. At least to begin with. As his character begins to unravel and we learn that he is quite literally a flawed character, I grew to really like him. I liked the connection between him and Asa and I was happy with the fact there was no insta-love. I don't mind insta-love in some cases but I think it would have been out of place with an arranged marriage. They start off as reluctant companions which grows to a somewhat friendship and then, eventually, to romance. It is still somewhat rushed when they realise their romantic feelings but I thought it was all very cute and Eagle is a lovable character so I was willing to forgive that.

The ending feels a little rushed, almost like there isn't a plan for a sequel so things had to be tied up enough for there not to be too many remaining questions. I hope that's not the case though as I would love a sequel to revisit these characters.

Overall, I thought this was great and with some improvement to the world-building it could be even better. I read it in two sittings thanks to the great pace and exciting plot. Fingers crossed for that sequel!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an OK book, probably not one of my favorites though.

*Review to come*

You can also find this review here: https://booksaremychildrenblog.wordpr...

Inherit the Stars is a an OK novel, I wasn’t completely astounded by it but that may be because it took me a long time to read it. It’s no secret that science-fiction novels are probably one of my favorite genres and the author does a great job at creating a wonderful and believable world.

In Inherit the Stars it is told from Asa’s perspective and Asa is the daughter of Fane, but her planet is having a lot of problems, there is a disease that was going around and they’re running out of food and fuel. So in order to fix this Asa’s father marries off his eldest daughter, but Asa messes up this plan and is the one who is married off.

What I really liked about Inherit the Stars are the characters, they were believable and entertaining. I really liked Asa, although at times she came off as a little childish she was quite spunky, I loved how she cared so much for her sister Wren and I would have loved for the author to give us a bit more information on Wren. Eagle was another great character and he went through great character development.

The author also does a great job at the world-building. The world-building sort of reminded me a bit of the Starbound trilogy by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. I would’ve have loved for the author to give us a bit more description on the other planets and I would have loved to see the rest of the solar system Asa lived in. The author also does a great job at the romance. I expected the romance to be an insta-love but the author does a great job at building up the relationship between Asa and Eagle.

Overall I liked Inherit the Stars and would definitely recommend.

*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Alahna · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star. I rarely give 1 star ratings but I had to force myself to finish this mess. Read this review and more at The Charmed Reader.

See that description? Doesn’t it sound awesome? Interplanetary systems? Epic romance? SPACE ADVENDTURE??? Sounds like some good old fashion family fun. I was ready to be wowed.

And if you expect to get that from this book, you would be very, very wrong.

Before I go on, I would just like to say that I’d like to give Inherit the Stars the benefit of the doubt. It is possible that all of the problems I had with this were in fact due to it being an e-ARC and that every thing will be fixed by the time it is published on December 8.

If that is true, then maybe I would raise my rating. Going based on what I read, however, this book was a mess. Inherit the Stars had a lot of potential to actually be a really interesting series and it failed in almost every aspect.

There is absolutely no backstory. We are thrown into a world and a fight that is never explained. I have no idea what the Blight was or how it started. I don’t understand the three families and their fight. I don’t understand their fuel shortage and that they live on a bunch of different planets but also own other planets??? I don’t even know why Asa seems to care more about Wren then Emmie (Although I can kind of guess because Emmie seems like a brat).

What is the Electorate? Yeah I’m asking you because even though you haven’t read it you probably know the same amount about them as I do. Why do these 3 families rule a bunch of planets? Are they kings? Or is it more like A Song of Ice and Fire but with planets instead of the North and shit. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME.

On top of the fact that the whole plot is a jumble of scenes that I didn’t understand and weren’t explained to me the writing is also pretty bad. The dialogue between the characters again is a mess. I’d love to use some actual quotes but you know they say to check the quotes against the actual published copy and I’m not going anywhere near that. Let me just say that even the dialogue is unintelligible. It actually makes the story more confusing.

The characters were flat and boring or completely useless. Asa was an idiot, Eagle was a bit of a douche, and Emmie was a brat. There is instalove (well kind of. It happens at the end but it comes out of no where Asa had barely mentioned her feelings for Eagle and then all of a sudden she is proclaiming her love for him).

Also NOTHING HAPPENS IN SPACE except for them flying? This is not what I expect when I hear the words “Space Adventure”.

And then it just ends. I think it is the start of a series but it literally just ended. It didn’t even really have a cliffhanger. It was like the end of the Sopranos. Just Boom. Done.

Basically this book is just a bunch of words thrown together that make no sense and you should probably avoid it. But who knows? Maybe all this is fixed by the time it is published but I kind of doubt it.

[Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Elwood’s debut novel focuses on three royal kingdoms (known as Houses) set in space: Fane, Galton, and Westlet. As the youngest daughter of Fane, Asa hopes to solve her family’s (and the House’s) problems and save her oldest sister from death by posing as her sister in a marriage to the heir of Westlet.

Much as the romance is completely unrealistic, at least I have a fondness for Inherit the Stars. The heir of Westlet has scars. Legit scars. Half of his face scarred. And that resonates with me because of all the love interests I’ve read (and that’s a lot)?

None of them had scars. None, much less half their face. (Okay, occasionally there’s a scar or two, but none of them are major enough to send most girls running away to side two of a love triangle, if any exists.) I think my only major problem with this ship is dear Eagle and Asa avoid each other like they have the plague. Being sociably close means they’ll make their plagues worse than it is. One minute they’re avoiding each other, the next they accidentally get close, and the next? I love you is thrown.

Not to be overly blunt and crude, but tell me they won’t get extremely close (like really, really close) in the next minute. Now if the ILYs mean, “I think I love you, but I have to know you better before I finalize that,” then maybe I’m okay. Maybe.

But Eagle has SCARS. I'm okay with this. VERY okay.

Anyways, awkwardness aside, Inherit the Stars reminds me of Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen, especially when it comes to Lady Westlet. She’s a little cold, indifferent, and cares about power, but she’s a warm character who cares just a little about Asa as well as the good of her House. Lady Westlet isn’t black and white – she has a gray area about her that I really like.

For the most part, Elwood focuses a good part of the book on the political intrigue between the three Houses and the romance between Asa and Eagle. But while I’m not a fan of politics or books with heavy romance, I may stick around for the sequel.

This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts

[cc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book--I like the idea, the main characters, and the romance is lovely, but the whole narrative feels disconnected, like there are paragraphs or scenes missing, and the story itself is poorly executed, confusing, and just plain awkward. The heroine's voice, her choice of words to describe things and situations, the dialogues, everything--awkward. Page after page I found myself making an unusual amount of effort to understand what, who, why.

One of the things that bothered me the most was how this story starts--there’s a conflict of some kind, bombs are going off, and Asa, the protagonist, and her older sister, Wren, get caught up in it, Wren gets injured and Asa rushes to get her out of there, and the next thing you know she’s getting married in her sister’s place to the heir of another kingdom/country/planet (?), so that they form an alliance and help each other out, but everything happens so fast, without a proper introduction to the world or the characters, that I seriously felt like my eARC was missing a bunch of chapters.

Honestly, in my humble opinion, this book needed at least another 50 pages before the first chapter. I wanted not only to understand the world, but also to get to know Asa before this whole mess, because Asa-after-the-mess pretty much only worries about one thing: Wren. For maybe 90% of the book everything she does is with the sole purpose of keeping her sister safe, and then later, to keep other people safe, to prevent more war. Her actions consist in a series of sacrifices for others, and as noble as this is, I wish she would just stop to think about herself for a little bit.

Nonetheless, I can’t help but give this book a positive rating, even if it’s just a halfhearted 3 stars, because, like I said in the beginning, I did like the characters, and I have a soft spot for apparently hopeless arranged marriages that end in wonderful love stories, and this one certainly qualifies--Asa and Eagle are adorable together. (AND he doesn't have one hand, and half of his face is scarred.) So, despite all the confusion and awkwardness, I’m glad I kept reading and finished this book.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.)

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm surprised I enjoyed this so much. but it had the things I enjoy in my books. Political and/or court intrigue, romance, science fiction or fantasy, and good writing. The only thing this one was missing was good sci fi; although it is technically a science fiction plot, besides throwing in a lot of made up words, the book could have taken place on Earth.

There are three enemy factions. The Fane faction and the Westlet faction agree to a marriage treaty between the two family heirs. The family heirs are the two eldest children. This agreement is necessary because Fane needs food and Westlet needs energy. The marriage ceremony takes place and everyone finds out that Asa, youngest daughter from Fane, has drugged the intended bride, her older sister, and married Eagle, Westlet's heir. Because it is a blood bond it cannot be broken. She does this because the true Fane heir is in a coma and she is afraid if the marriage had gone through, something might have conveniently happened to her eldest sister in order to make the married sister the true heir. But now, she believes her sister to be safe. But what about her?

I love this plot. (I've always loved the story of Rachel and Leah in Genesis, sound familiar?) I love what Asa is willing to do for her sister. I love that it is not love at first sight between Asa and Eagle but that there is a wonderful tension building throughout the book. The writing and dialog are smooth and it's quick and easy to read. Don't read this if you want a scientific interplanetary plot. Read it if you like political intrigue and innocent romance.

I Received this book from NetGalley and the Publisher in Exchange for an honest review.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 generous stars

From the beginning pages, I knew this book was gonna have some major issues that people were not gonna like. When you write a book like this, I think it's really important for readers to at least partially understand how the world functions, the time period, or even how the world looks.

We got none of that in this book.

So intially, I just kind of ignored it and was hoping for the best and kind of filling in the huge blanks that were left in the plot and focused on the romance. I liked where the romance was heading and I liked both of the main characters, so I hoped that would make this a worthwhile read.

...But no.

Eagle is the soft-spoken, brooding, tough guy who has obviously seen and been through a lot- which people clearly don't see or respect. Asa, has a louder, more energetic personality and is extremely loyal to those who are good to her.

Together, I think Asa could've helped him open up and find happiness again instead of shutting everyone in his life out and in return, he could've helped save her world and given her that peace and reassurance that no one else seemed to give her.

...But that didn't happen. Instead it was just "love" without really knowing each other or even talking that much at all.

I think if the author helped explain the world and the situations taking place better, than I would've pieced together a lot more and maybe tried to focus more on the actual storyline rather than the characters. As for the characters, I think if we saw more development in them and interaction with each other, the romance could've been phenomenal.

Guess we'll have to see what happens in the next book.