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Starsight

(Skyward #2)

Brandon Sanderson (Goodreads Author)

4.43 · Rating details · 43,896 ratings · 5,007 reviews

All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing.

Spensa is sure there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she he ...more

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Paperback, 461 pages

Published November 26th 2019 by Orion Publishing Co

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Average rating 4.43 ·

Rating details

· 43,896 ratings · 5,007 reviews

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Jan 07, 2019 Emily (Books with Emily Fox) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-releases

I just finished a book... who am I?!

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Jan 30, 2021 Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-releases, 2021-reads, science-fiction

In some ways I liked this more than the first book but in others I preferred the first. This vastly expanded the universe which was so cool, I think it’s the most alien-y book I’ve read. But it was also so different than the first book. Totally different characters and setting and new challenges and obstacles, but also quite a few convenient plot points in the beginning that I kind of had to look past. I did see where the story was going to go very early on, so it was kind of predictable at some ...more

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Apr 29, 2019 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: hardback-own, young-adult, own, sci-fi

Love love love love LOVE IT! 😉😘

I love this cover sooooo much ❌⭕️

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 ...more

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Jan 31, 2020 chai ♡ marked it as to-read

Shelves: young-adult, 2019-releases, ya-sff, fiction

I just realized it’s already been A WEEK since I read about M-Bot and Doomslug. Wow, time really flies when your life no longer has purpose

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Nov 24, 2018 Anna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2019

Hey, would you look at that, I'm actually writing a review. I can't remember last time I wrote a review instead of just a short reaction to a book.

SO. Starsight. This was my most anticipated read of the year. Did it live up to my expectations? Yes and no. It did live up to my expectations because it was a solid installment of the series and it made me want to know what happens in the next book. It did not live up to my expectations because of the direction the story went in - I did not expect i ...more

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Apr 25, 2020 Muhtasin Oyshik rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, 4-star, young-adult, 401-500-pp, read-in-2020

Starsight (Skyward,#2) by Brandon Sanderson
description

The story itself is written well enough and is well placed in what is supposed to be a four-book series. Do not expect anything groundbreaking, as the revelations are predictable and expected. It is still worth a read, as all of Sanderson’s books are. But I am growing increasingly sure that science fiction is simply not his strongest genre.

Feelings aren’t proof. Feelings are the opposite of proof.

Good ...more

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Mar 21, 2019 amy ☂︎ rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019

i can feel it in my spidey senses tingle that this is going to be a 5 star book

update: spidey senses were off

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Nov 24, 2019 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-science-fiction, science-fiction, yay-for-presents, arc

4.5 stars for Brandon Sanderson's latest novel, which is on sale now! Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:

“A hero doesn’t choose her trials.”

Spensa can’t help but hear her Gran-Gran’s voice saying these words to her every time Spensa balks at a new trouble in her life. And Spensa — a magnet for trouble — has plenty of occasions to remember these words.

In Starsight, the sequel to Brandon Sanderson’s young adult science fiction novel Skyward, the few humans who remain have been trapped on th ...more

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Nov 29, 2019 TS Chan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: brandon-sanderson, physical-owned

Starsight proves once again that Brandon Sanderson is a masterful storyteller across genres and age groups, and who simply excels at writing sequels.

I'm actually at a loss as to how to start or write this review without sounding like a broken record. As far as I'm concerned, Sanderson is a genius and he has never failed to deliver a captivating story, whether he was writing adult or young adult, fantasy or science fiction. And after reading so much from him and listening to him talk at signings ...more

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Jan 09, 2020 Ashley Nuckles rated it it was amazing

YEEEEE bring on book 3 plz

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Dec 03, 2019 may ❀ rated it really liked it

Shelves: 400-pgs, fantasy, sci-fi, buddy-read, kickass-heroine, series

no one:
spensa: 👩‍🚀
the delvers: 👁️ 👁️ 👁️ 👁️ 👁️ 👁️

so i definitely missed my skyward squad in this book but the ending was packed with action and reveals, i could not stop reading

rtc

👽please🌟don't🌠let⭐us☄️down🌌sando🌕

buddy read with emily, my space princess ...more

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May 13, 2020 Sean Barrs rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Saga and Battlestar Galactica Fans

Shelves: 4-star-reads, sci-fi

Whilst not quite as awesome as Skyward, Starsight pushes the series into new and exciting directions.

The story, and the universe, has expanded drastically here. And, dare I say it, perhaps a little bit too quickly. Don’t get me wrong, the story totally needed to grow as it has, I just think it needed a little bit more time to get there with a little bit more time spent with the old familiar characters before it shot of into the stars, so to speak.

Despite this little criticism of mine, I do stil Whilst not quite as awesome as Skyward, Starsight pushes the series into new and exciting directions.

The story, and the universe, has expanded drastically here. And, dare I say it, perhaps a little bit too quickly. Don’t get me wrong, the story totally needed to grow as it has, I just think it needed a little bit more time to get there with a little bit more time spent with the old familiar characters before it shot of into the stars, so to speak.

Despite this little criticism of mine, I do still rate this book and series very highly because it has gone to some spectacular places. And it is difficult for me to speak here without giving away major spoilers for the series. So, I will keep the plot details as basic as I can. The universe has opened, and Spensa has realised how small her little part of it was. And she has also discovered why her people were contained and who exactly is containing them. The malignant and all-powerful force she has feared her entire life are not what they seem. The Superiority, as they are known, are equal parts comical and genius.

The start of something spectacular

Kara Thrace – callsign Starbuck – reminds me heavily of the protagonist here. I feel like Brandon Sanderson has used elements of the brilliant Battlestar Galactica to inform his writing giving it a strong military feel. And I love it. I love to see the intensity of a fight for survival against overwhelming odds and an alien superpower with nothing but pilots and starships holding the tide at bay. This series has the same vibe and the same desperation behind each encounter. Spensa, though, is completely alone in this one as she has shot of on her own desperate mission into regions unknown.

And she encounters many bizarre and interesting alien races, each with their own customs and uniqueness. And this is where Sanderson’s imagination shines through. Original is the word I am looking for. Colour and weirdness define the genius behind the Saga comic book series, and I think Sanderson’s creative prowess is on par with his alien world.

So this is a book that moves the series on tremendously and I really do expect to see bigger and better things from the next few books.

___________________________________

You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree.
__________________________________ ...more

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Feb 16, 2020 Khurram rated it it was amazing

A great sequel. Nah a great book by any standards. A lot has changed in the last 6 months. The right people are in charge of the humans Spensa has gotten the notoriety she deserves but is obsessed with not only craving battle but unlocking the power within her to save her people.

In this story she is once again thrown out of her comfort zone and into a mission that sounds like suicide on every front. Of course she never backs down.

"A hero does not choose her trails".

What does make her such a gre ...more

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Sep 17, 2019 Kogiopsis rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fangirl-alert, galleys, space-ain-t-pretty, favorite-2019-reads, reviewed

Listen, that synopsis is crazy vague and is 70% Skyward recap, and after blitzing through the ARC in two days I can tell you: that's really the best they can do.

I cannot tell you anything about the plot of this book, because it takes a hard left within the first 100 pages and from there, I hope you all get to experience all of the revelations and the delightful feeling of things coming together the same way I did.

What I can say is:
- I love everyone in this book, new characters and old, but esp Listen, that synopsis is crazy vague and is 70% Skyward recap, and after blitzing through the ARC in two days I can tell you: that's really the best they can do.

I cannot tell you anything about the plot of this book, because it takes a hard left within the first 100 pages and from there, I hope you all get to experience all of the revelations and the delightful feeling of things coming together the same way I did.

What I can say is:
- I love everyone in this book, new characters and old, but especially my Space Daughter Spensa, who has at least moved beyond her days of literally eating rats and is slightly less garbage now. She's still got a lot of room to grow, but that's why I love her.
- The themes are really good, guys. I can't tell you what they are, but I like them a lot. If you're familiar with Brandon's body of work, you'll recognize some through-line ideology here.
- There is SO MUCH more worldbuilding (galaxybuilding?) in this book, and I ate it all up with a spoon because that is what I am ABOUT. Including some neat aliens - and btw, if anyone else listened to that Writing Excuses episode about worldbuilding gender roles and got worried about alien gender, don't be; the idea discussed on the podcast has been refined and made way more alien/less parallel to human genders and reproduction, and I actually quite liked it.

I think that's about as specific as I can be, because the process of discovering and figuring things out in this book was so much fun for me that I really want everyone else to get to enjoy it the same way.

One last, more general note - as much as I love the Stormlight/core Cosmere books, I do think that Sanderson's shorter, faster-paced works are often better, whether in terms of sheer enjoyment (this series, the Wax and Wayne books, the Reckoners) or craft (The Emperor's Soul). It's nice to read something from him every now and again that isn't weighed down by a massive, complicated plot, and just feels like a storyteller giving himself a chance to play. ...more

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Apr 26, 2019 alana ♡ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi

“A hero does not choose her trials. She steps into the darkness, then she faces what comes next.”

It feels so good to dive back into this world! This might be my favorite sci-fi series that I've ever read and it just continues to get better and better. It was seriously no surprise that falling back into this world of epic adventure would be super easy. Sanderson takes reader's on a journey across the galaxy with a group of lovable characters -human and alien- that will have you flipping the ...more

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Dec 11, 2020 Zaksiazkowane rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: in-my-home-library, science-fiction, young-adult

2.5 What the fuck happened, Brandon

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Dec 01, 2019 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, audiobook, review-copy, young-adult

5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/12/03/...

Authors take note, this is how you write a book that will resonate with readers and stand the test of time. These days, I find the problem with a lot of YA is how canned it all feels, the way writers try so hard to conform to some pre-existing narrative which just makes the end result seem so sanctimonious and fake. And that’s why I’m such a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson, who has always ever only been interested in telling 5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/12/03/...

Authors take note, this is how you write a book that will resonate with readers and stand the test of time. These days, I find the problem with a lot of YA is how canned it all feels, the way writers try so hard to conform to some pre-existing narrative which just makes the end result seem so sanctimonious and fake. And that’s why I’m such a huge fan of Brandon Sanderson, who has always ever only been interested in telling good, genuinely fun stories. There’s never an awkward social message shoehorned in or a romantic subplot not-so-unobtrusively shoved in your face, yet somehow his books always manage to be incredibly meaningful and filled with heartfelt connections anyway.

Starsight is the sequel to the brilliant Skyward, and dare I say it, but it might even be better than its predecessor. Due to the fact it would be impossible to discuss this book without getting into details from the previous one, I also highly recommend being caught up before reading this this review as it may contain potential, inadvertent spoilers for Skyward. The story once more follows protagonist Spensa, who is still processing some devastating news about her father, as she prepares to embark on another mission for her home colony of Detritus. Her people are in desperate need of hyperdrive technology—so desperate they are willing to risk sending one of their best pilots to infiltrate the Krell, a crab-like alien race who are at war with humans. Using holographic tech to take on the identity of Alanik of the UrDail, a species once allied with humanity, Spensa signs up for an interspecies training program sponsored by the Krell which would enable her to mingle with pilots from all over the galaxy.

Out of her depth, Spensa never expected she would have to play a spy. And yet, with the survival of Detritus and everyone she cares for hanging upon her success, she’s willing to do anything to get her hands on the information she needs, even if it means having to lie her way through training and deceive everyone around her. However, nothing could have prepared her for the friendships and camaraderie she finds among members of the other alien species, some of which humanity would count among their enemies. Eventually, as the truth behind what she and her fellow pilots are really training for is revealed to her, Spensa also comes to a new understanding of the world and the way she sees it.

To say that this is a book everyone needs in their lives right now is an understatement. At its heart, Starsight is a story about unity, empathy, looking past our prejudices and differences because deep down inside we all want and care and fight for the same things. But unlike a lot of YA you find on the shelves today, this novel manages to get all these points across without being preachy, divisive, or smugly self-congratulatory about it. The message simply comes across naturally as an intrinsic part of the story, one that anyone anywhere at any time can relate to, and to me that is the mark of a classic. Personally, I was moved to tears as I was experiencing Spensa’s revelations and all the moments where she was hit with a clarity, and I don’t even know if Sanderson was going for such a hard-hitting emotional response, but he got it from me anyway.

Also, I say this every damn time I review anything by Brandon Sanderson, but hey, it’s true—the guy is a master world-builder. The sci-fi setting of the Skyward series is one full of originality and wonder, where the jaw-dropping surprises and moments where you think to yourself, “Cripes, how does he come up with all these cool ideas?” never stop coming. If you enjoyed being introduced to all the fascinating planets and aliens in the first book, then we will love Starsight, which expands the universe even more.

Speaking of which, there are plenty of interesting new characters to meet and fall in love with, which goes a long way in making up for the fact we don’t get to see much of those from Skyward. But fret not, for Doomslug and M-Bot are back, of course, and in a big way. By the end of the book, I guarantee you won’t look at either the same away again. And of the new characters, I loved all the aliens whose personalities and traits highlight once again the extraordinary imagination of the author. Like I said, I did miss some of the interactions between Spensa and her friends from the first book, but with time, I think this new group will endear themselves to you in more ways than you can imagine.

In fact, the only real piece of criticism I have to level at Starsight is the unbelievably sudden, unbelievably cruel cliffhanger at the end of the epilogue. While Sanderson has been known to leave some major threads hanging between books, there was a real “Are you kidding me?!” quality to this one that seemed a bit uncharacteristic of his endings. Good thing he’ll be churning out more books to his other series that I will also read in the interim, but I won’t lie, the wait to find out what happens to Spensa next will be a killer. This was just a great sequel, and a book that brought me so much joy, emotion and excitement deserves no less than a full five stars.

Audiobook Comments: I listened to the first book in audio and was fortunate to receive the opportunity to review Starsight in this format as well. Kudos to the wonderful Suzy Jackson for bringing Spensa and all the characters of this world to life with her superb narration; I loved her in Skyward and she has once again delivered a pitch perfect performance for this sequel. ...more

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Dec 24, 2019 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019-reads, awesome-audio, ya, chick-i-want-to-hang-out-with, cool-creatures, 4-5-stars, book-boyfriend-material, kick-ass-heroines, super-sidekicks, fantastic-fantasy

Sale Alert: Audible Daily Deal 7/2/20 $4.95

4.5 Am I Alive Stars

“I will sing to you,” I whispered. “As your ship burns and your soul flees, I will sing. To the contest we had.”

What happened is what always happens when I read a Sanderson novel. I devour it in a day or two and then I can’t think of how to write something that does it justice. So here it is weeks later and I’m finally getting to a review for it. The short of it…

description

But the long of it is that Sanderson does sequels great. He ...more

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Apr 25, 2019 Alexandra Elend Wolf rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, sci-fi, fantasy

4.25 stars.

“Don’t trust… their lies. Don’t trust… their false peace.”

Wasn't this quite the ride?

I'll admit, this was not what I had been expecting when I picked the book. Not even close.

When I finished Skyward last year I figure something big was gonna happen but I would have never guessed what actually went down. At first, I was so uncomfortable and unsure of that particular twist. Having a mostly complete new cast was a bold move. But it grew on me.

It also makes sense. A lot of ...more

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Dec 16, 2019 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, 2019

1.) Skyward ★★★★★
2.) Starsight ★★★★★

-----------------------------------------------

“A hero does not choose her trials. She steps into the darkness. Then she faces what comes next.”

representation: do non-binary aliens count?

[trigger warnings are listed at the bottom of this review and may contain spoilers]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 5 s t a r s *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

THIS SERIES IS SO UNDERRATED. It's so much fun, so badass, with loveable characters, an awesome fully-realised sci-fi universe with different species and po ...more

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Dec 12, 2018 Rekha marked it as unreleased-sequels

Shelves: most-anticipated

*sigh*

I want my own cytonic hyperdrive so I can teleport to 2019 to read this book.

(Yes I know that’s not how it works)

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Apr 25, 2019 helena rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: in-english

ANOTHER PERFECT BOOK.

scud. SCUD. SCUD. this book was brilliant. again, brandon sanderson delivers perfect pacing, characters and writing. something that skyward didn't have and made my eyes sparkle are the alien races. this book is set in a space station and, of course, there were alien races there. and, holy shit, this is one of my personal examples for Good Alien Design™.
i’m gonna be honest: i missed the old characters, who didn’t appear as much as in the first one, but the new set of characte ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Epic final of second installment! It was fast paced, heart throbbing, mind blowing! I don’t know how many times I jump up and down from my chair (I was acting like working on a synopsis of a new TV movie but instead of that I was reading this book in front of my pc and eating Doritos- of course blue bag-rejecting phone calls, pretending i was super busy as usual)

What a memorable journey, sci-fi universe, politics, close encounters with third kinds ! It awakens your true inner geeky personality ...more

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Aug 28, 2019 Jackie ϟ Bookseller rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: four-stars-great, read-arcs

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Skyward: ★★★★1/2
Starsight: ★★★★☆
Book Three: ?
Book Four: ?

"A hero does not choose her trials."

Starsight, sequel to 2018's Skyward, is an amazing, non-stop exciting, massive expansion of the fascinating universe readers discovered in the previous book. In this well-crafted installment, we follow Spensa beyond her own planet of Detritus as she tries to discover more about her mysterious powers and Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Skyward: ★★★★1/2
Starsight: ★★★★☆
Book Three: ?
Book Four: ?

"A hero does not choose her trials."

Starsight, sequel to 2018's Skyward, is an amazing, non-stop exciting, massive expansion of the fascinating universe readers discovered in the previous book. In this well-crafted installment, we follow Spensa beyond her own planet of Detritus as she tries to discover more about her mysterious powers and the aliens who have imprisoned her people for nearly a century. While the sudden change in setting takes a moment to adapt to, the vast world Sanderson has created soon becomes impossible to put down. Espionage, war, politics, new alien species, and a whole lot of shocking, and moving, answers are all to be had in this thrilling, well-written continuation of Spensa's adventures.

I'll admit that I was a little put out by the fact that Spensa, within the first few chapters of this installment, would be leaving the planet and the people that I'd grown so attached to in the first book. Furthermore, once she got to Starsight, a new planet/outpost of the much larger empire that the survivors of humanity on Detritus had been left mostly in the dark about, it was hard to believe and adapt to at first. Things seems to fall into place a little to easily for her, too, but I chose to ignore those moments in the end. That being said, I soon got sucked into the story as Sanderson delivered another one of his amazing, twisting, exciting plots, revealed slowly and then all at once.

I don't want to spoil anything else, but let's just say that if you liked the first book in this series, I urge you to push through those first 100 pages of change to get to the meat of this installment. Spensa continues to grow into herself and her powers, and this incredible world and its lore get deeper and more serious than one could even have suspected in the first book (or at least I did not). (small spoilers...)(view spoiler) and really, everything else that began in Skyward becomes so much MORE in Starsight. Hard to believe at times, but in the end, it was an absolute joy to read. ...more

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Dec 19, 2019 Gavin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi, ya-books

Starsight is the second instalment in Brandon Sanderson's Skyward/Cytonics series. This is a good quality YA sci-fi series and delivered pretty much everything one might expect from a Sanderson story. We got a nice mix of action, humor, mystery, and surprise twists and turns that kept this an engaging read. It also had the usual cast of memorable characters and compelling plot that sucked in my attention from start to finish!

I felt like Starsight was a worthy sequel to Skyward. If anything I mi Starsight is the second instalment in Brandon Sanderson's Skyward/Cytonics series. This is a good quality YA sci-fi series and delivered pretty much everything one might expect from a Sanderson story. We got a nice mix of action, humor, mystery, and surprise twists and turns that kept this an engaging read. It also had the usual cast of memorable characters and compelling plot that sucked in my attention from start to finish!

I felt like Starsight was a worthy sequel to Skyward. If anything I might have enjoyed this even more than Skyward! I took a little bit of time to warm to Spensa in the first book so it was definitely beneficial for my enjoyment of the story that I already liked her, and a bunch of the secondary characters, from the very start! The first book ended with a fun twist and to avoid spoilers I'll not mention too much about that but it did mean that it gave Sanderson the opportunity to take the story in a slightly different direction in this sequel and I think that new direction was even more fun!

The first book felt a little like a mix of Top Gun and sci-fi dystopia while this was felt more like a mix of Star Wars and a spy thriller. The combination for this sequel worked better for my personal taste.

One of my favourite things about Starsight was the fact that we got to met a ton of fun new secondary characters. I cannot say to much without spoiling things but I really enjoyed learning about the new characters and their various different quirks and cultures. We did not get to see quite so much of the secondary characters we met in the first book but we did still get plenty of M-Bot and Doomslug. The M-Bot/Spensa banter was as fun as ever as was M-Bot's own story arc but I think Doomslug remained the star of the secondary characters.

I'd not rate this as one of Sanderson's best series as it is not quite on the same level as his Cosmere books but despite that I do still think this was a solid 4.5 to 5 stars sort of read. It was still a really fun and engaging tale! Even the average Sanderson books are still better than 90% of the stuff I read from other authors!

I'm looking forward to seeing how the story develops in the sequels.

Rating: 4.5 stars. I'm rounding up to 5 stars here at Goodreads as it probably deserved that anyway. ...more

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Nov 17, 2019 Deborah Obida rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, young-adult

It ended with a cliffhanger which isn't exactly surprising but it still sucks. Despite rating this book high it was a bit of a struggle reading the middle part of this book, it was so slow and filled with intensive internal monologue, it would have been better if this book was either multiple or dual narrative but only Spin was the narrator and there was little or nothing of interest happening around her. The beginning and the end of the book was really quite interesting but it wasn't enough to ...more

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Nov 27, 2019 sofia (sam willows) rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, e-books, 2019, sci-fi

is anyone actually surprised a sanderson book is great??

my feelings can be summarized by: i still really liked it and had fun reading, but some aspects from book one that i was really attached to and wanted to read more about were missing

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Mar 05, 2020 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-ya-library-catalogue, for-review, my-ya-library-tbr

Starsight was a little weaker than the first book, but still brought the fun-factor in abundance.

The first half of the book left me wanting a bit… there were too many “convenient” plot points for my liking. Too many things left up to random chance all happening at once. So it took a great deal of suspended belief to get me through it. The writing also felt rushed. Like Sanderson didn’t have time to get the main character from point A to point B gracefully, so he just manifested a quick fix and B Starsight was a little weaker than the first book, but still brought the fun-factor in abundance.

The first half of the book left me wanting a bit… there were too many “convenient” plot points for my liking. Too many things left up to random chance all happening at once. So it took a great deal of suspended belief to get me through it. The writing also felt rushed. Like Sanderson didn’t have time to get the main character from point A to point B gracefully, so he just manifested a quick fix and BOOM: plot advancement. I think it was disappointing because I’m used to a lot more finesse from him. I can’t think of very many instances in his work where “just go with it” would be my advice, but it definitely applied here.

I also wasn’t crazy about the direction the plot took. The new characters introduced seemed… juvenile may be a little harsh, but the tone of dialogue and overall presentation brought the relative badass effect of the first book down a few notches. It became more fluffy, and I had signed up for a more serious we’re-fighting-for-our-very-existence type of story. Another factor could be due to the character voices the narrator performed for the audiobook, but I didn’t have any struggle with the first book, so something definitely changed, and my bet is on the overall tone of the text.

So with all of those concerns in mind, the first half of the book was… maybe not a struggle, but I wasn’t excited about what I was reading. However, somewhere in the last quarter of the book, Starsight picked up a killer momentum that won me back over. Things got serious, crazy new things were revealed, and the ending left me reeling. It saved the entire experience, and I’m back to being super eager to see what happens next. I’m sure if I didn’t have to wait for the next book, I wouldn’t feel the need to be quite so critical of this installment, but seeing as it’s all we’ll get until the end of 2021, I’m giving myself permission to be picky. ;P

Recommendation: this series is one of those I’d feel comfortable recommending to all members of the family 13+. It has that excellent mass-appeal, really fun characters, and it’s from an author I trust. Personal biases from this second book aside, the series as a whole has been delightful. Give it a go for something that manages to be both light and fun, yet still full of substance.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com

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Nov 28, 2019 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019-shelf, space-opera, sci-fi

Oh, all the goodness.

So, aside from not being able to talk about the joys in this YA space opera by the wonderful Sanderson, I can at least gush over the things it made me feel.

I was always thrilled about every space battle. It's a perfect blend of personality, piloting, humor, and many little oddities that make this kind of thing special. I was never annoyed by any of the main characters. I loved the AI's existential crises, the cuteness of the tiny fox/badger aliens and their king, and the fac ...more

flag 59 likes · Like · see review

Dec 04, 2019 Anya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: cover-love, young-adult, 2019-reads, most-anticipated-releases, 5-stars, fantasy, science-fiction

Holyyyyy... omg that ending?! Ughhh okay where’s the next one?

flag 54 likes · Like · see review

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The Procrastinato...: Starsight (November 2020) Buddy Read Discussion ~ Jen K, Katie, Alex	9	15	Nov 25, 2020 06:58AM
Starsight	4	26	Oct 28, 2020 07:40PM
Fantasy Buddy Reads: Starsight [June 10, 2020]	82	52	Jun 22, 2020 09:18AM
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YA Buddy Readers'...: Starsight (Skyward #2) by Brandon Sanderson - Restarting April 23rd 2020	65	47	Apr 30, 2020 02:09AM
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About Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson

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Brandon’s major books for the second half of 2016 are The Dark Talent, the final volume in Alcatraz Smedry’s autobiographical account of his battle against the Evil Librarians who secretly rule our world, and Arcanum Unbounded, the collection of short fiction in the Cosmere universe that includes the Mistborn series and the Stormlight
Archive, among others. This collection features The Emperor’s S ...more

Other books in the series

Skyward (4 books)

Books by Brandon Sanderson

The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)

Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive, #2)

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Quotes from Starsight

“A hero does not choose her trials. She steps into the darkness, then she faces what comes next.” — 52 likes

“When you’re young, you can assume that everyone older than you has life figured out. Once you get command yourself, you realize we’re all just the same kids wearing older bodies.” — 35 likes

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