Under Sunless Skies

Starlight Saga #2

by Sherry J. Soule

OUT OF PRINT EDITION

For Sloane Masterson, her forbidden love with Hayden Lancaster has been a series of highs and lows that is overly complicated by those annoying interstellar dating laws. But once Sloane discovers a shocking family secret, she won’t let those lame rules get in her way—she’s on a mission to win back her hybrid!

Read the 2016 version ISBN: 978-1514192115
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Under-Sunless-...

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Romance

300 pages

First published July 14, 2016

About the author

I am Sherry J. Soule and I was a writer of romantic horror. Please do not confuse me with another author with a similar name that writes fiction, too.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some authors just know how to put a teen together...even when their world is falling apart!

Sloane, still snarky, still insecure and still a force to be reckoned with! She may also be one of my all-time favorite characters I wish I knew! Sloane’s tough girl façade is crumbling just a little as she maneuvers the family secret landmines, the “ex-boyfriend” pitfalls and struggles to maintain both her free-spirit self and her very life.

Okay, sure she and Hayden have parted ways, but hey, she doesn’t make the interstellar dating laws, who knew he couldn’t date a mere human? Mere? Sloane? In the same sentence? Kind of like saying a tornado is just wind. Now, thanks to a teensie mistake by her dad, Sloane discovers she has been lied to her entire life and instead of setting her free, the truth could get her caged like an animal or the next class experiment, not to mention she now carries a chip on her shoulder the size of the rock of Gibralter.

Never mess with a teen on a mission of love, right? But mess with Sloane “they” do and now, even a blackmailer has gotten into the picture and discovering who that is will have Sloane feeling spied on, shadowed and angry, very angry. Sector Thirteen is coming and her family is on their radar because Sloane’s dad may be more than he ever let on.

UNDER SUNLESS SKIES by Sherry Soule is 150% entertainment! From the quirky Sloane, the girl whose head we get to share, the girl whose heart we get to know and probably the girl we should fear if we ever make her mad! Non-stop twists, life-altering secrets and out of this world love and danger on each and every page! I laughed, I got hungry (our Sloane likes food almost as much as I do), I was on the edge of my seat as the bad guys are on the hunt and Sloane is their prey. Sometimes the only thing that stands between Sloane and capture is Hayden, not bad for an ex-boyfriend, huh?

Sherry Soule has done herself proud here with another fabulous read that is almost impossible to put down! Best characters ever! Great plot! Some inner angst, some outward bravado and some rushing in where wise men fear to tread! A wonderful sci-fi fantasy that is sure to please everyone who reads this series!

I received this copy from Sherry Soule in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

Series: Starlight Saga - Book 2
Publisher: Disenchanted Publishing; 3 edition (July 14, 2016)
Publication Date: July 14, 2016
Genre: Fantasy | Science Fiction
Print Length: 335 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reunites the readers with Sloane and Hayden, freshly separated - and thanks to strange events - hopefully not for long.

With Under Sunless Skies, Sherry Soule has once again created a thrilling young adult science fiction story. It is a compelling read, drawing you in as you learn more about the main characters and their dilemmas. Sherry Soule paints a clear picture of Sloane and Hayden's mindsets while the story evolves. I was drawn close to Sloane – an invisible friend and ally. Sloane and Hayden are masterly elaborated; the other characters are of sufficient depth, also believable with their flaws and virtues. The story has a wonderful flow; it was easy to get hooked.

This is a book for you if you like the young adult genre with steamy romance and a good measure of non-dominant science fiction, believable and often stubborn characters, and a sense for justice.

The remarkable second book in the Starlight Saga trilogy!

Highly recommended!

[Ephemera Pie · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Honest Review Requested by Author in Exchange for Free eBook

Introduction

A few weeks ago I was wondering if Sherry Soule wrote the sequel to Lost in Starlight, as I was thinking about what will happen to Sloane. Then, BAM, I get the news that the author is looking to get reviewers for the THIRD book in the series. I was floored! I know I’m in the running for the slowest writer ever, but she works fast, AND look at her goodreads listing of all the books she has authored (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...).

Sloane and Hayden have broken up, she gets a bombshell of news from her own family, and intergalactical organizations are causing her grief. This time around, Sloane has some mysteries to solve. First and foremost, she has a mysterious blackmailer threatening to leak her secrets, putting her and her family in danger.

Story

I was hooked on this book! I couldn’t stop reading because I NEEDED to know who the blackmailer was. I know some books make it obvious who the blackmailer is, and I DID NOT see this one coming. Everyone was acting so suspicious I couldn’t fathom who was behind it. It was an awesome experience that I haven’t felt in a while. There was also the aspect of will they/won't they get back together going on.

This book feels to be more paranormal romance, with a light layer of sci-fi, and I enjoyed the atmosphere. The sci-fi is a backdrop and it’s unobtrusive. There's no attempt to explain crazy futuristic technology or science and I appreciate that.

Characters

Once again, I really like Sloane. I see her as the kind of girl that gets things done. She's a journalist for her school’s newspaper, a blogger, she has too many mysteries to count to figure out, and she still makes time for her friends. She pines over a boy and that drives me crazy, but in the end, she’s still just a teen. She has problems that are both relatable and paranormal, and the mix is perfect. The book is from her perspective and you get more of her interesting lines and thoughts.

Two of my favourite quotes are:

If you stabbed me, I’d probably bleed frosting.
I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color.

Hayden angered me for about 70% of the book. LISTEN TO SLOANE SHE HAS SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO TELL YOU. I hate reading about on and off again relationships because I also hate them in real life. When an ex comes back after treating your heart like a cigarette butt and is like, hey, let’s get back together! Sure, entertain the idea. Then tell him it’s a good thinking point, as is the idea of setting him on fire.

It is realistic though. It happens all the time. A guy breaks up with you and you’re still totally in love, and you’re like I’M FINE, but secretly you hope he’ll take you back. As an adult I was screaming in my head that she needed to leave him be. He’s being a few shades of Edward Cullen/Christian Gray creepy. I wanted her to be the best kind of awesome she can be without him, and she was, though she was still pining for him. She was chasing him, which I hate, but this is a fictional character...and real people do this too. They do things we don’t like. It just made me want to shake her because she’s better than that, and punch him because he’s being mean and she deserves better.
Final Verdict

I highly recommend this book, and the first one in the series, for older teens who are looking for a fun romp with romance and sci-fi. Even if sci-fi isn't your thing, give these a try. These two books were written in an easy flowing way that are easy to get lost in. I have only read the first two books from this series, I am interested in checking out some of the author’s other books because I like the writing style.

Fun (Maybe) and (Definitely Pointless) Fact:

I wore a lot of black back in the day. Then my mother told me to stop buying black clothes. So I switched to shades of darker blue...then she asked if I was in a blue cult. I know it’s more of a generational thing, but I would love to have Sloane as a daughter, as I know that there’s nothing inherently wrong with looking a bit different. But her mom seems pretty awesome too, even when she wants her daughter to be a little more “normal”. (Side note: Normal people worry me.) I would have loved to read this as a teenager, and I would have been drooling over all the cool stuff Sloane has.

[The Author Visits · Rating 4 out of 5]

Under Sunless Skies
Sherry Soule

It seems like I’ve waited a long time to get my hands on the second installment of Sherry Soule’s Starlight Saga, Under Sunless Skies. Trust me when I tell you, it was worth waiting for.

The Starlight Saga series is young adult, science fiction with plenty of romance. The books are not stand-alone and end in cliffhangers. Currently, books one and two are available for your reading pleasure.

Under Sunless Skies picks up where Lost in Starlight leaves off. Spunky, purple-haired Sloane Masterson, the envy of every girl, albeit for a short while, has just been dumped by Hayden Lancaster, the hottest boy in high school. To make matters worse, her parents have been keeping secrets, changing the course of Sloane’s life forever.

So let’s talk review stuff.

World building: Sloane and Hayden live in the human world but aren’t human at all. Their lives are shrouded by a thick blanket of secrets and it is up to them to keep the secrets safe or else face termination of those they both love, including each other.

The science is impossible but properly explained to make the unfamiliar plausible. It’s a unique world that involves government conspiracies, aliens and an impending war. Enough said.

Characters: Sloane and Hayden headline Soule’s Under Sunless Skies. The snarky, horror-movie loving, investigative reporting, goth-queen Sloane and the brooding, crazy handsome and ultra-secretive, Hayden are evenly paired in book two.

I love, love, love the fact Sloane isn’t perfect but totally and relatedly normal. She isn’t model thin but a healthy size 14. Hayden rocks it because he is just as enamored by her curves as he is with her quirky personality and beauty, both inside and out.

I also love how Soule writes Sloane’s character. She is teen angst personified, surrounded by drama of epic proportions and the way Sloane deals with the constant upheaval that is her life is exactly how I would expect a teenager to handle stuff. Soule nails Sloane and how I picture she’d react through use of wicked sarcasm and wit. It is one of the reasons I waited anxiously for the second book to come out.

But I digress. As much as these two belong together, Sloane and Hayden’s is a complicated love-story riddled with obstacles and enemies galore. However, it’s the constant twists and turns that help these two grow as characters. Sloane is determined not to accept any less from Hayden while Hayden isn’t willing to back down from getting what he wants.

There are plenty of secondary characters that add a good dose of drama to the storyline but this story belongs to Sloane and Hayden.

Plot: Oh yeah, like I mentioned earlier, there are plenty of plot twists and turns in the second book. We learn more about Hayden’s world, which increases all kinds of risks for the duo. There is plenty of breaking and making up and even though it’s clear Sloane and Hayden are meant for each other, sometimes, love just isn’t enough to keep two people together. Sad but true. Still, this is a romance so I am cheering for Sloane and Hayden to overcome the odds.

The story moves at a steady clip and the writing, let me stop here a minute and talk about the writing. Like I’ve said before, I love how Soule pens Sloane’s character. She uses dialogue effectively to depict the funny, overly dramatic, vulnerable, lost in love young woman Sloane is and frankly, that goes for all characters. Soule has nailed the teenager. Although I don’t have a teenager at home and am really not sure about how they converse with each other in today’s world, Soule’s portrayal of teenagers works.

Rating: Sloane and Hayden’s story makes for entertaining reading. With unlikely alliances, friendships tested, enemies trying to break the bonds of love and did I mention a war is brewing, Soule’s Under Sunless Skies gets 4 Stars for awesome!

For more reviews of my fave books, visit The Author Visits

[Charlotte Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What seems like forever ago I read book one in this series, Lost in Starlight, and then anxiously awaited Under Sunless Skies. Let me tell you the wait was so worth it! Under Sunless Skies picks up exactly where Lost in Starlight ended, I really enjoyed the short “catch up” in the beginning just to remind readers what had happen.

Sloane and Hayden…high schoolers in a crazy on again and off again relationship, there were times I couldn’t remember which way they were, but in love. The jealousy, the questions, and the drama were all right on with the high school world. The way that Sherry Soule portrays the high school characters is so real to life. The feelings, the reactions, and the friendships are perfect.

The pace of the story is perfect. There is background given on why Sloane and Hayden can or cannot be together that add twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. There are expectations of the future for them both that could change the course incredibly or push them over mountains of obstacles. I have to believe their relationship is strong enough to withstand whatever is thrown at them. I guess I will have to wait until book three arrives to find out if I am right in this.

This is a series that does have to be read in order and I recommend picking up both book one and book two right away.

[Clarice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can we say epic cliffhanger? Yes, I said it. Just finished reading this one and although I really liked the book, I was thinking more along the lines of "You can't be serious that this is the end of this book! No! I need more!" Hayden and Sloane's "non-relationship" gives me whip lash. He pushes her away in the name of protecting her and she can't stay mad at him. Two things I do understand the reasoning behind. And I do love Sloane's Fright Night Babble. It's ironic how it follows the story line and you have to wonder just how closely the bad guys are keeping tabs on her or if they're reading it. Saxton is a mystery throughout the book and even his motives are still somewhat unclear in the end. As for Viola, she's quite the moody, love struck teen, possibly more than Sloane. There are quite a few shockers in the book and I was constantly wondering what would happen next.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[T.H. Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book two in the series picks up where the first one ended. Sloane is reeling from being dumped by Hayden, but oh yeah, she's got a secret, apparently she's part alien, too. Hoping this will convince Hayden their relationship isn't doomed after all, she sets her sights on winning him back. This was the first time I disliked her. Her singular focus on getting a boy to like her made her seem very un-Sloane like, the girl I loved in book 1. She spends a fair amount of the book pining over him, but since he's equally lost without her, it's mutually pathetic. That said, the angst is well-done, the snarky dialogue is as good as ever, and other than being a lovesick puppy half the time, Sloane is as kick-ass as ever. My biggest problem with this book is that it feels oh so familiar. Anyone who has read the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout will notice many, many similarities. Not that there's anything wrong with that, Armentrout's own Covenant series borrows heavily from the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. My issue is that too much of it was predictable as a result. However, if you haven't read the Lux series, you're in for a real treat with this.

Plot
Primarily a romance, this main plot centers around the Sloane/Hayden will-they-or-won't they dance. But there are subplots involving Sloane's alien dad, Sector Thirteen, Hayden's missing adopted sister, and the mystery surrounding who is blackmailing Sloane. Underlying all of that is Sloane's obsession with all things horror, including her love of hanging out in her town's cemetery.

Characters
I still adore Sloane. She's tough, witty, and so secure in who she is. She's a great young adult role model except when she obsesses over Hayden. Don't get me wrong, this is young adult fiction, and teens definitely obsess over the opposite sex. I just felt that in this case, it sas of out of character. With her newfound alien blood, she's even a little tougher in some respects. Hayden seems to have lost some of his umph from the first book. He had that dark, brooding alpha male thing going on, but he came across as more...I'm not even sure what the right word is. Just less Hayden-esque. The supporting characters are all there to prop up Sloane and Hayden, but Sloane's BFF seems to accept her huge secret a little too easily. That didn't ring true. I think she'd want some proof or something. There was also something about Sloane's mom that felt off, like she didn't come across as authentically parental, even a parent married to an alien.

What I Enjoyed About UNDER SUNLESS SKIES
1. Dialogue. Once again, the author excels at witty repartee that deliciously moves the story along.

2. Blog Posts. I love how Sloane's horror film blog posts help the reader grasp what Sloane's going through without extensive internal monologue or exposition.

3. Sloane. She's simply one of my favorite young adult protagonists. She embraces her plus-size self and doesn't fret over her body image at all.

4. Hot Make-Out Sessions. Soule knows how to bring the heat without crossing a line.

5. The Mystery. I have to admit, I was never sure who the blackmailer was. The author does a great job of creating a pool of plausible suspects.

Bottom Line
A fun, fast read that's light on sci-fi and heavy on teen angst.

Disclaimer
I was provided by a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Saptarshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

***I received a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review***

I remember reading the first book in this series, Lost In Starlight, about 2 years ago when it first came out and I loved that book. With this book, I am not sure exactly what happened but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. That's not to say that I didn't like this book. Overall, this book was pretty good. I guess I was just hoping for more from this book but in the end I was more confused than anything.

I was hooked to the story in the beginning, but after awhile some parts just seemed to be dragging. The story did pick up pace near the end however and for me the last couple of chapters were the best part out of the entire book. I think the biggest reason behind not being able to really get into this book though was Hayden and Sloane's back and forth relationship. The strong chemistry between Sloane and Hayden was still there, but I just couldn't figure out if they were friends, dating, or something else. They seemed to just continue switching back and forth throughout the story, even though it was very clear that they both had feelings for each other.

But like I said before, for the most part this was overall a good book. There was a good amount of suspense and mystery to keep things interesting. As for the storyline, like with the first book, this one was also intriguing and held my interest, even though I couldn't help but notice some similarities to the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. My favorite part of the book, however, were the little blog posts that showed up between every chapter. They were pretty creative and fun to read and also gave insight to Sloane's character. This book wasn't what I was hoping for, but nevertheless, I will be keeping an eye out for the next one in the series!

[sarah]

Sloane is amazing.

Great sequel!

I'll start with the good: Sloane is one of my favorite heroines and even with her entire life blowing up around her she still fights to stay true to herself. This book picks up immediately where the first one left off and you learn so much more about sector thirteen and the galactic brotherhood in this one. The character development in this one is a lot better. I feel like we get to know everyone and they all bring a different element to the story.

The characters in this story are very unique and not your typical YA perfect teens and I love it! Sloane is completely relatable and I can't wait to what happens with her and Hayden next with ST and GB.

The not so good: I really want to give this five stars but there are a couple things I didn't like. In the first one Sloane was so good at investigating and putting pieces of clues together. In this one she seemed the miss a lot of things that were right in front of her. I can see past that kind of ditziness with how much she has to handle emotionally in this book but it was a bit annoying.

Also I felt like there were a couple things that clashed with what happened in the first book. I thought that Hayden had taken her Hello Kitty notebook after he broke up with her before they parted ways but she had it in this one at the beginning and there was no mention about it again. I thought her attachment to that notebook was a huge factor in the first one and I would have liked to see more of it in this one.

Overall I love this story. The characters are well developed and the story keeps you engaged throughout. I cannot wait to read the next one. :)