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The Falling Star

(The Blazing Star #2)

Imani Josey (Goodreads Author)

4.60 · Rating details · 5 ratings · 4 reviews

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria White only wants to go home, a wish that would be easier to pull off if home weren’t thousands of years in the future and halfway across the world.

Since her twin sister, Portia, touched an artifact during their history class, she’s been stuck in ancient Egypt surrounded by the unknown: knife-wielding priestesses, soul-consuming Scorpions, and ...more

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Published December 8th 2020 by Wise Ink

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Jul 10, 2017 Jessica Rodrigues rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi-fantasy-horror, young-adult

Short review:
I seriously loved this book. Seriously. I loved the first one when it came out a few years ago and did a re-read right before The Falling Star for the full effect and it was delightful.

Longer review to follow when I am less overwhelmed with things I have to do~

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Jan 12, 2021 Rena rated it really liked it

Shelves: author-of-colour, based-on-fairy-tales-something-else, diverse-characters, ebook, fantasy, fiction, found-through-twitter, fully-rounded-cast, history, interesting-female-main-characters

I´ve been waiting for ages for this book, and it was worth every second of the wait. The Blazing Star, the first book in this series, was one of the first ebooks I´ve ever read and it was the distraction I needed to help me through a difficult time in my life. I´ve always loved ancient Egypt, enough to study Egyptology, so a book dealing with time travel and the chosen one and all other tropes I love, written by a black author was something I couldn´t pass up.

The two books in this series each ha I´ve been waiting for ages for this book, and it was worth every second of the wait. The Blazing Star, the first book in this series, was one of the first ebooks I´ve ever read and it was the distraction I needed to help me through a difficult time in my life. I´ve always loved ancient Egypt, enough to study Egyptology, so a book dealing with time travel and the chosen one and all other tropes I love, written by a black author was something I couldn´t pass up.

The two books in this series each have their own POV, with Portia, one of the twin sisters narrating the firs, and Alex, the other one, the second. It´s a very interesting choice, and one I really appreciate, because this gives both girls the time to shine they need, and it highlights their relationship, and the different views they have of their situation. Because at the heart, this is the story of two sisters finding their way back to each other.

Portia has always been in her brilliant sisters shadow, and she has started to resent that, especially since Alex planned out both their lives. So when they time travel to ancient Egypt, and she finally finds her place, something she is good at, Portia takes to that like a fish to water. She finds love, people she cares about, a new destiny she can make her own.

And for Alex, it´s the exact opposite. She misses the life she but in Chicago, her father, her boyfriend, she wants to go back and nothing to do with all that, and the sisters clash over that. I would argue it´s a necessary clash, because things get aired which have built up over years. They need to clash to find each other again.

And when Alex gets separated from her sister and is forced to make her way alone in the Hyksos capital of Avaris, she has to deal with all that. Her wish to go back, the promise she made her mother on her deathbed, the fact that her life might now be in the past, that she and her sister were born in this time, that they have a fate to fulfil. She struggles and she fights against that, and watching her make her own way, learning to accept her new life and carving out her place there is amazing. She´s a very headstrong character, who makes mistakes and falters and can get stuck in her ways and plans, but is also willing to fight for those she loves and to correct the mistakes she makes.

The relationship between the two sisters is one big plus for the book, but I have to talk about the other things which drew my attention, and this is the world building. This book is amazingly well researched, taking place in a period of time which does not get a lot of attention when it comes to ancient Egypt, the time shortly after the end of the Hyksos rule and the aftermath. Of course the author takes some liberties; this is a novel after all, a fantasy one too, but there is so much care taken in how to depict the world and the people, and as an Egyptologist I can only prise the research taken.

The plot was engaging and I loved that it takes time to focus on building the world and the characters inhabiting it, and I loved watching Alex learn more of her powers and the conflict between the gods slowly coming to a head. The one thing I could criticises is just a pet peeve of mine, but *sighs* If someone, anyone writes an Egyptian fantasy, and there´s a bad guy needed, in 99% it´s one god everyone turns to. I´m not going to mention this god’s name, because it’s kind of a spoiler, but really you know whom I mean. It´s always the same one and I´d honestly kill for a story which doesn´t turn them into a purely bad guy and deals with the nuances and the conflict which arises from the fact that this god is just as much good as they are evil. Still, it´s well handled in here, that´s just me wanting more for my favourite Egyptian god.

All in all, The Falling Star is a relaxing, engaging read, and if you like ancient Egypt, do yourself a favour and pick up this series. You won´t regret it! And for me, I´m now settling in to wait for the next book. ...more

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Dec 06, 2020 Enigma Squeaks rated it really liked it

Disclaimer: I was gifted the early release of this book in exchange for a honest review.

WOW!! That's my first reaction.
For me, this book is movie ready, it has all the scenes set, atmospheric descriptions, the cross between old word and new world, different regions. it is awesome!

Now, I have to say that on first attempt, I was not gripped, two chapters in and I initially thought "what have I agreed to" however I am glad I gave it a second go because it is a really good story though it was out of ...more

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Feb 10, 2021 Russell Ricard rated it it was amazing

The Falling Star, book two in Imani Josey’s YA Fantasy series The Blazing Star, is a thrilling follow up to book one. The series’ action centers around an intertwined journey of self-discovery for seventeen-year-old twin sisters Portia and Alexandria White who possess “birthright” magical powers.

Book one is told in Portia’s voice. (In book one, Portia touches an artifact in history class. She time travels from contemporary Chicago to ancient Egypt. By novel’s end, she remains trapped within a m ...more

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About Imani Josey

Imani Josey

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Imani Josey is a writer from Chicago, Illinois. In her previous life, she was a cheerleader for the Chicago Bulls and won the titles of Miss Chicago and Miss Cook County for the Miss America Organization, as well as Miss Black Illinois USA.

Her one-act play, Grace, was produced by Pegasus Players Theatre Chicago after winning the 19th Annual Young Playwrights Festival. In recent years, she has turn ...more