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The Girl and the Stars

(Book of the Ice #1)

Mark Lawrence (Goodreads Author)

3.87 · Rating details · 4,788 ratings · 842 reviews

In the ice, east of the Black Rock, there is a hole into which broken children are thrown.

On Abeth the vastness of the ice holds no room for individuals. Survival together is barely possible. No one survives alone.

To resist the cold, to endure the months of night when even the air itself begins to freeze, requires a special breed. Variation is dangerous, difference is fata ...more

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Hardcover, 480 pages

Published April 30th 2020 by HarperVoyager (first published April 21st 2020)

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Start your review of The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice, #1)

Aug 08, 2019 Mark Lawrence added it · (Review from the author)

The ebook is a mere £1.99 on Amazon UK this month!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Stars-B...

And book 2, The Girl and the Mountain, comes out next month.

Very many thanks to the 3,782 readers who voted for The Girl And The Stars on the Goodreads Choice Awards as the best fantasy they'd read this year!

At first glance it's an action-packed high-stakes adventure. Scratch a little deeper and it's about right and wrong in a place where the two can be hard to disentangle.

Join my 3-emails-a-year newslet ...more

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Dec 10, 2019 James Tivendale rated it it was amazing

Shelves: freecopy, fantasy

I received an uncorrected proof copy of The Girl and the Stars. I would like to thank Mark Lawrence and Harper Voyager for the opportunity.

This tale is set in the same world as The Book of the Ancestor, yet in a completely different environment. We follow Yaz, a sixteen-year-old member of the ice tribe the Ithca. To progress from being a child and ascending to adulthood the younger members of all the tribes have to be judged by regulator Kazik. All the clans converse at the Pit of the Missing wh I received an uncorrected proof copy of The Girl and the Stars. I would like to thank Mark Lawrence and Harper Voyager for the opportunity.

This tale is set in the same world as The Book of the Ancestor, yet in a completely different environment. We follow Yaz, a sixteen-year-old member of the ice tribe the Ithca. To progress from being a child and ascending to adulthood the younger members of all the tribes have to be judged by regulator Kazik. All the clans converse at the Pit of the Missing where the judgement will take place. Any individuals who show weakness, strangeness or unaccustomed 'qualities' are deemed to be unable to survive on the ice. They are the Broken.

"In the ice, east of the Black Rock, there is a hole into which broken children are thrown"

Our protagonist Yaz fears the worst. She truly believes she is destined for the harrowing darkness and the unknown horrors of the pit. If she survives the fall. Yaz suffers from fatigue on long treks far faster than her comrades. She can keep up with them as every few days she can touch 'The River' which is essentially 'The Path' which readers of the previous trilogy will be familiar with. This helps her gain extra strength, resistance and power. The regulator can supposedly see into individuals hearts and souls so will surely see Yaz 's secret and she will be eternally banished.

Yaz ends up in the pit as does her twelve-year-old brother Zeen. They don't fall together and most of the narrative is the protagonist trying to rescue her brother. Initially she is alone in the penetrating darkness - it is claustrophobic and builds up extreme tension as she tries to survive and navigate this alien environment. This constructed atmosphere underground was reminiscent of segments featured in Graham Austin-King's Faithless, Jules Vernes' Journey to the Centre of the Earth. It also hads elements that are similar to those showcased in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - especially with some of the monstrosities that lurk in the darkness known as Hunters.

Fortunately, Yaz doesn't spend her whole time walking around alone in the gloom. When a demon-infested flesh-eating gerant (giant) attacks her she is saved by other members of the Broken. It transpires that there are many such as her who have had to brave the drop and there is actually a sort of civilisation beneath all that she has ever known on the surface.

In similar fashion to Lawrence's work that I have read so far, we only follow one point of view perspective. Yaz is excellent lead character. She is extremely powerful but doesn't really know how, why or if she should use these talents. In addition, the ensemble of supporting players feature some of the finest that Lawrence has ever crafted. Examples include the former demon-tainted Thurin, the thousand-year-old mysterious but insightful and insanely strong Erris, and the seemingly shy but capable shadow-weaving assassin Maya.

This novel, as previously mentioned, is set in Abeth, the same world as Book of the Ancestor. Apart from the excellent writing, unique magics, and that the characters are crafted brilliantly, what is presented here is quite different. You can read this without knowledge from the previous trilogy, however; I believe your enjoyment will be heightened by at least 20-per cent if you had. As far as I can acknowledge, none of the characters crossover here. This led me to ask Mark when this was set in relation to the former trilogy. He replied essentially saying I'd have to carry on with the series to find out which makes it intently exciting to find out. Will Nona meet Yaz like Jalan met Jorg? Exciting times are ahead in this series for sure. Luckily Mark is one of the most proactive top-tier fantasy authors currently writing so hopefully, I will not have to wait that long to find out. The finale has an intense and shocking cliffhanger too and I can't wait to see how the narrative continues in Book of the Ice's next instalment.

Lawrence had already constructed a unique and astonishing world with Abeth. In The Girl and the Stars, we are introduced to new Gods, terminology, factions, and emotions. It features but is not limited to monsters, twists, darkness, civil-war, betrayal, possessions, true friendships, and sibling love are just a few of the themes presented here.

This is a exceptional, haunting, claustrophobic take on fantasy that presents some of Lawrence's finest storytelling. It's an incredible and emotional adventure. I have no idea what comes next and I can't wait to find out. Lawrence goes from strength to strength with every release. ...more

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Apr 24, 2020 Charlotte May rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs, epic-fantasy

“There are stars in every darkness.”

DAMN that ending!!!!!

This was a wonderful and chilly fantasy world to fall into!

Yaz is from the Ithca tribe, one of many tribes who send their children to be “judged” by the regulator Kazik on their abilities & if they find them too weak or even sometimes too strong they throw them down the pit of the missing which is essentially a hole of ice where everyone assumes they die on impact.

When Yaz’s brother Zeen is thrown down the pit she doesn’t hesitate and ...more

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Sep 20, 2020 Petrik rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs-and-review-copies

I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRjh...

Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Great world-building and prose, but I have mixed feelings on the book.

First of all, The Girl and the Stars is blessed with gorgeous cover arts. The US edition cover art done by Bastien Deharme—he did the US edition cover arts for Mark Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor trilogy—and the UK edition cover art done by Jason Chan—he did the cover arts ...more

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Aug 04, 2020 Emily (Books with Emily Fox) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2 1/2 stars

Unfortunately I was very disappointed.

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Apr 30, 2020 Nicole rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, fantasy, ya

My experience with this book summarized:

“This is cool
Can’t wait to know what happens next
Wow interesting
What... what’s happening...
Hey why are you doing that!
I’m so bored, do I still have many pages to read...
Of course! Still tedious.
Last page: ahaa, I wonder what next...”
then the books ends.

It saddens me to say that The Girl and the Stars that started so promising and exciting, ended up being so disappointing and boring. And not because of lack of action, from chapter one, the story consumes ...more

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Jun 07, 2019 Emily (Books with Emily Fox) marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2020-releases

OMG this is obviously being added to my never-ending TBR!

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May 06, 2019 Eon ♒Windrunner♒ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This ARC was provided by the publisher (HarperVoyager) in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

A scintillating start to this new series!

Omens are difficult and open to interpretation but if the oracle that touches your newborn dies moments later, frothing at the mouth, it is hard even with a mother’s love to think it is a good sign. In such cases a second opinion is often sought.

If the old adage that you’re only as good as your last book holds true for authors, then it’s hardly a surprise ...more

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Mar 21, 2020 William Gwynne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed

THE GIRL AND THE STARS IS PUBLISHED IN THE UK TODAY!

Amazon

My review of this masterpiece is on BookNest -

The Girl and the Stars - BookNest

And you check out two other reviews on BookNest which are also 5-star ratings!

I was lucky enough to win a giveaway from Mark Lawrence that included a signed copy of The Girl and the Stars. So, thank so much again Mark Lawrence and That Thorn Guy.

When it comes to Mark Lawrence, it’s not a question of whether I will enjoy it or not. It’s more, how much am I go ...more

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May 07, 2020 Emily May rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2020, arc

2 1/2 stars. The Girl and the Stars is a kind of spin-off series of The Book of the Ancestor trilogy, set in the same universe but years later and with a new cast of characters. You do not necessarily have to have read Red Sister to enjoy it, but it would make some parts of this world and story easier to understand.

I thought the world-building in this book was incredible. The fierce, icy landscape, the history and culture of the ice tribes, the tainted, and the world beneath the ice... I was ver 2 1/2 stars. The Girl and the Stars is a kind of spin-off series of The Book of the Ancestor trilogy, set in the same universe but years later and with a new cast of characters. You do not necessarily have to have read Red Sister to enjoy it, but it would make some parts of this world and story easier to understand.

I thought the world-building in this book was incredible. The fierce, icy landscape, the history and culture of the ice tribes, the tainted, and the world beneath the ice... I was very into this. I also liked how the book dived into the action and plot right away, unveiling background info alongside the fast-paced bloodshed and fight for survival. No lengthy infodumps to bore us right away.

Yaz interested me in the beginning, too. The book opens with the characters travelling to a ceremony where they will be viewed by a priest who will choose certain members of their tribe (the Ictha) who are deemed unworthy to push down an icy drop. Never to be seen again. Yaz is certain she will be picked, but when the time comes, it is her younger brother Zeen who is shoved into the 'Pit of the Missing'. In a moment of panic, she throws herself after him.

There is something very YA-like about this book, which I wasn't expecting. The young characters, the action-based plot, the motivations, moralizing, and "tone" of the novel, all feel like a book for teens. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but I did feel like I was always wanting something deeper; more character-driven. The characters felt a little stock and underdeveloped. Yaz seemed to fit too neatly into a badass YA heroine mold. And no other character was developed or interesting.

For this reason - my lack of connection to the characters - the second half became a bit of a slog for me. The action and world-building kept me turning pages in the first 50% or so, but when I made it halfway without really becoming invested in Yaz's story (and getting a bit annoyed with her, to be honest), no amount of action or fast-pacing could pull me back in.

I did make it to the end, though, and there is a cliffhanger for those who care about that. Maybe if I had adjusted my expectations some I might have enjoyed this more. I had settled in for some detailed, possibly dense, adult fantasy, and got an action-and-thrills YA instead. But I still think I would have needed better characters to fully love it.

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Aug 04, 2019 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin marked it as to-read · review of another edition

What the hell! I want a print arc of this damn book!!!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾 ...more

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Aug 30, 2019 Adam rated it it was amazing

Abeth, a frozen ice planet. Many years ago, a home to Nona and the sisters of the Sweet Mercy convent. Now home to nothing but wandering ice tribes, struggling to survive in the harshest conditions imaginable.

To survive is to sacrifice. Outliers must be culled. Whether you are weak and lag behind, or if you’re too big or strong and eat more than the average share, then you can no longer exist within the tribe. You are thrown away, torn from your home and family forever. Yaz, our teenage protagon Abeth, a frozen ice planet. Many years ago, a home to Nona and the sisters of the Sweet Mercy convent. Now home to nothing but wandering ice tribes, struggling to survive in the harshest conditions imaginable.

To survive is to sacrifice. Outliers must be culled. Whether you are weak and lag behind, or if you’re too big or strong and eat more than the average share, then you can no longer exist within the tribe. You are thrown away, torn from your home and family forever. Yaz, our teenage protagonist, finds herself in this position at the onset of the story, and we follow her journey down the rabbit hole into an unforgiving world of danger, mystery, magic, science fiction, politics, horror, and so much more.

To go into any more detail will spoil some of the fun, but I will mention that the story was impossible to categorize, as it created a genre all to its own. What to call it is up to you. Icepunk? Sure, why not. It’s not news that Lawrence continues to get better with every book. This is something we’ve known for years. But this is a different kind of story than what we’re used to from him. It has a drive to it, a pulse, a gearshift that kicks higher and higher.

Long-shrouded mysteries that were first hinted at in The Broken Empire and carried over through The Red Queen’s War and The Book of the Ancestor were finally being cracked open wide here, revealing that Lawrence has been low-key creating a shared universe of his work all along. What else could be in store for the future of the Yaz-mere? We can already access two different series in two different eras. Perhaps there’s a third era of time in which we can further expand on the lore of a mysterious race or two? But I’m getting way ahead of myself. This book is having that effect on me. It’s provoking wild theories and getting me very, very excited for what’s to come. It’s that kind of book.

Every chapter kept getting better and better. There were many questions I had during The Book of the Ancestor series that were addressed here. New abilities, new environments, new threats, new characters to love and hate, themes and questions carried over from Nona’s story, a ton of new mysteries to solve... it was plain to see how carefully the scenes were constructed, and it all flowed wonderfully. Almost every chapter had something breath-catching in it.

The Girl and the Stars is more than the start of a new series. It’s the culmination of some of the best ideas of Lawrence’s previous works while promising that amazing things are still to come. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next Icepunk book in the Yaz-mere.

ARC via HarperCollinsUK

The Girl and the Stars with be released on April 30, 2020. Pre-order it here.

9.5 / 10 ...more

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Apr 06, 2020 Holly (The Grimdragon) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, i-will-go-down-with-this-ship

"Many babies have killed, but it is very rare that the victim is not their mother.

When the father handed his infant to the priestess to speak its fortune the child stopped screaming and in its place she began to howl, filling the silence left behind.

Omens are difficult and open to interpretation but if the oracle that touches your newborn dies moments later, frothing at the mouth, it is hard even with a mother's love to think it a good sign.

In such cases a second opinion is often sought."

The Gir ...more

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Apr 18, 2020 David S Meanderings) rated it it was amazing

4.75 stars.

“To resist the cold, to endure the months of night when even the air itself begins to freeze, requires a special breed. Variation is dangerous, difference is fatal.”

Thank you to ACE books for the advance reading copy of this book. Receiving this arc did not affect my review in any way.

It was so good to be back in the world of Abeth. I had really enjoyed Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor trilogy set in the same world and was so excited to dive back in. Let me tell you, I was not disappoi ...more

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Jul 22, 2020 Philip rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: high-fantasy, fantasy, 2020-releases, author-man

3ish stars.

I think Mark Lawrence is a really talented writer. I appreciate his classical prose and his creative world-building. That's the case even here, in which the "world" he builds is only a narrow, claustrophobic sliver of the planet explored more fully in the Book of the Ancestor series.

Which makes me question why it was overdrawn so much as to be almost as long as the first book in that series, Red Sister, which is itself not a lightweight.

Honestly it could have been a cool little side ...more

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Apr 12, 2020 Petros Triantafyllou rated it it was amazing

--Originally posted on BookNest.eu--

Mark Lawrence is considered by many (myself included) as one of the greatest fantasy authors of our age. By often treading a thin line between prose and poetry, his writing compliments and further elevates an already compelling story, resulting in books loved by many and appreciated by all. The Girl and the Stars is no exception.

Yaz is traveling with her whole tribe to the Black Rock, a place where, once every four years, cursed children are thrown into a hol --Originally posted on BookNest.eu--

Mark Lawrence is considered by many (myself included) as one of the greatest fantasy authors of our age. By often treading a thin line between prose and poetry, his writing compliments and further elevates an already compelling story, resulting in books loved by many and appreciated by all. The Girl and the Stars is no exception.

Yaz is traveling with her whole tribe to the Black Rock, a place where, once every four years, cursed children are thrown into a hole in the ice to meet their end. Yaz expected to be thrown. What she didn't expect was to survive the drop, only to realize that she wasn't cursed, but gifted with power. More power, perhaps, than anyone has ever wielded in Abeth since the days of the Missing...

"Many babies have killed, but it is very rare that the victim is not their mother. When the father handed his infant to the priestess to speak its fortune the child stopped screaming and in its place she began to howl, filling the silence left behind. Omens are difficult and open to interpretation, but if the orcale that touches your newborn dies moments later, frothing at the mouth, it is hard even with a mother's love to think it a good sign."

I've been lucky enough to review thirteen books by Mark Lawrence, but after my fifth or sixth review, I've always struggled to write another one. I can only talk so many times about his unparalleled prose, his captivating world-building, his propulsive narrative or his vivid imagery, and the fact that my reviews are usually addressed to readers who haven't yet read the book in question only makes it that much harder since I'm not willing to tread in spoiler territory. Nevertheless, here we are.

Yaz is perhaps Mark's most compelling protagonist. Despite her minimum to non-existent knowledge of how the world works, having spent her whole life in the Ice, she is cunning and plucky. One way or the other, she will always work her way out of a difficult situation, more often than not ending up in a more complex one. But what truly sets her apart from Jorg, Nona, and even Jalan, is that while they were morally grey protagonists, Yaz is, simply put, a good person. No matter how many times she is presented with an opportunity to save herself in other people's expense, she will always end up choosing the "right path", and I loved her for it. The characters that surround Yaz are also well fleshed out, although the detestable ones far outweigh the likeable. Most of the story takes place in one place, and therefore the worldbuilding isn't that much developed (or further expanded if you've already read The Book of the Ancestor), although there are enough glimpses in the history, ecology and geography of the world to make it fascinating. The magic system is ambiguous, but that is only to be expected in the first book of a series.

And above it all with the frozen light bleeding all around it, some great dark... thing, a creature as large as the sky, like a hand but not, a creature of spindly legs reaching out to encompass the world, supporting a knotted body the colour of venom and despair.

The Girl and the Stars is full of pathos, heart, and joy, but what truly makes it stand out is something that I'm always looking for in SF books, but never expected to find in Fantasy. A sense of wonder. I came to the book looking for adventure and got it, but didn't expect to experience one of those rare moments that trigger the mind into expanding and taking in a mind-blowing concept.

--Originally posted on BookNest.eu-- ...more

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Oct 18, 2020 Claude's Bookzone rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-book, fantasy

Dear Mr Lawrence,

That ending!
I am dead.

Kind regards
Claude

You know when you pick up a book by this remarkable author you will read dramatic writing that can contain both spare and lyrical prose. The world-building will blow your mind with its rich complexity, and it is inevitable you will fall in love with characters that are both fierce and fragile. All these elements were in The Girl and the Stars. However there were also some pacing issues in this book. It was chaotic one moment then very flat ...more

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Oct 14, 2020 Bradley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya, 2020-shelf, worldbuilding-sf

Having already read some of Lawrence's early grimdark fantasy with SF elements and his Impossible Times books, I figured it was about time to enjoy his more usual YA fare.

Did I say usual? Well, yeah, that's what I THOUGHT, anyway. Instead, I got what appeared to be a far future or far past Ice Age world that immediately recalls a legend of having traveled the stars to get there, and then I'm utterly hooked.

I think it was the gorgeous descriptions of the ice. The characters are pretty good, but I ...more

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Feb 06, 2020 Lukasz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dark-fantasy, 2020, netgalley

I have a simple routine that works every time. Mark Lawrence publishes something, I read it. A win-win situation for all involved.

The Girl and the Stars takes place in the world of Abeth known to readers from The Book of the Ancestor series but in both a different timeline and in a harsher region. The story’s protagonist, Yaz, differs from Nona, so don’t expect a simple rewrite of your favorite character. She’s a young Ichta woman who lives in the harsh frozen land.

When the Regulator throws her I have a simple routine that works every time. Mark Lawrence publishes something, I read it. A win-win situation for all involved.

The Girl and the Stars takes place in the world of Abeth known to readers from The Book of the Ancestor series but in both a different timeline and in a harsher region. The story’s protagonist, Yaz, differs from Nona, so don’t expect a simple rewrite of your favorite character. She’s a young Ichta woman who lives in the harsh frozen land.

When the Regulator throws her brother into the Pit of the Missing, she goes there after him and finds herself in a dire situation beneath the ice. As the story develops Yaz discovers her talent to manipulate the stars, artifacts of the past trapped in the ice walls. She meets new friends but also foes.

Colorful crew members, encounters with monsters, underground chases and escapes and betrayals keep the story engaging. The Girl and the Stars maintains a sense of foreboding throughout. It always feels like something is lurking just around the corner of the ice tunnel. The claustrophobic, icy landscapes and tunnels give way to a feeling of hopelessness and futility and yet young protagonists find the strength to fight. I loved this setting and the way it shaped characters.

It's worth noting that Lawrence is fleshing out his characters with fascinating precision, and giving every member of Yaz's supporting cast a chance to shine. Most of her new-found friends have magical powers inherent to their tribes/bloodlines and seeing them in action thrilled me. I won't reveal who does what and when but trust me when I say cool things happen.

As bleak and vicious as this book is, The Girl and the Stars is not without some dark humor. Well-placed banter and moments of levity balance the dreary tone and themes of the novel. Actually, I think many readers won't regard the novel as particularly bleak while reading it but I don't know how else to describe a world in which disabled children (or even children considered not good enough) are thrown away to die under the ice.

The writing is excellent, as you would expect from Mark Lawrence. His style is distinct and recognizable. Plus, I absolutely love it.

A Girl and the Stars has action, heart, a sense of humor, and an awesome premise. The cast of characters is memorable and diverse. The pacing falters briefly in the beginning but is otherwise breathtaking from start to finish. It’s the kind of fantasy I need more of.
...more

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May 04, 2019 Mitriel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

If Mark Lawrence was a new author The Girl and the Stars would be the SFF debut of the year.

I blogged about the book here (no spoilers):

https://thatthornguy.com/2019/05/03/a...

...more

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Apr 20, 2020 Steven rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, netgalley-or-publisher, read-in-2020

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I knew that since I loved the Book of the Ancestor trilogy (Red Sister, Grey Sister, Holy Sister), set in the same world, that this one was bound to be good. And I was right. I loved this one.

Strong female character? Check. Really cool setting? Check. Deepening of the world's lore? Check. Creepy villains? Check. Plot twists galore? Check. Oh, and let's not forget about the one thing I didn't r ...more

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Dec 21, 2019 Jane Kelsey rated it it was amazing

Another epic novel from Mark..wow. the characters, the world building the magic system... incredible..loved it..full review to follow
**********

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Feb 19, 2020 Hamad marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I see (Read, currently reading and to-read) when I am adding this but where is my (Want to read this so bad) option ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Apr 13, 2020 Bookphenomena (Micky) rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc-read, dnf, 2020-read, dnf-2020, fantasy

DNF @ 55%

What a journey of expectation and difficulty this read has been. I had high hopes with that cover, that synopsis and genre. The story started off incredibly strong, I really liked the world above the ice and felt excited about the storyline ahead. Things changed drastically and the protagonist Yaz, found herself below the ice. Everything following this for the first half of the book gave me Maze runner vibes, just in a different context. I was not thrilled about this, at all.

The world u ...more

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Apr 17, 2020 thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is the first book by Mark I have read and I was blown away, this is not just a book it’s a piece of art. It’s an amazingly beautifully crafted piece of literature. Mark’s world building is just perfection, he creates characters that are completely three dimensional, relatable and that you love and hate with equal measure. This is some of the best story telling I’ve ever read and I’m off to read his other books now, if they are as good I think I’m about to add Mark to my favourite authors li ...more

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Feb 18, 2020 Mark rated it it was amazing

An ARC from net gallery.

Well Mark show us once again that he’s still on top of his game at writing wonderful characters, great worlds and well everything else and it comes to books.

Set in the same world as the wonderful book of the ancestor series, this time we are taken north to the land of snow and ice, complete with buried cities of the Missing.

Highly recommended to all on here.

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May 30, 2020 Celeste rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Actual rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher (Ace) in exchange for an honest review.

“Many babies have killed, but it is very rare that the victim is not their mother.”

So begins Mark Lawrence’s newest novel, The Girl and the Stars. As always, Lawrence knows how to captivate an audience and set the tone for the book all within the first sentence. We know immediately that Yaz of the Ictha, our perspective character, is an uncommon child. On the Ice, difference can be a death sentence. And not just because those differences often render their bearer vulnerable, but because children who are too different, broken in the eyes of their elders, end up being tossed into the Pit. And that is the end that Yaz envisions for herself with a hard clarity. But when the time comes for her to face the push that will send her into the abyss, things go differently that she had always imagined. What she fully expected to be the end of her story turned out to be its true beginning.

“We are the unwanted, the things of such little use that they are thrown away. We are what is beyond repair. We are the Broken.”

The idea of tribes as both extended family and the roots of identity is a dominant theme in The Girl and the Stars, as is the prospect of found family versus families related by blood. If you’ve read Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor trilogy, you’re already familiar with both the importance of blood in the magic system and the power of the families one can build around oneself. I have a serious soft spot for any strongly tied grouping that feels like family, whether that family is genetic or gathered over the course of a life. I was happy to see that explored a bit in this book, and I believe it will be an important element of the books that follow.

“Did beauty need an observer to matter? Was anything beautiful without someone to think it so?”

I thoroughly enjoyed being given the chance to revisit Abeth, and to see it from an unfamiliar angle. It’s really interesting to get the same world and magic from a different perspective. The new ways in which these are viewed and conveyed add a depth to the world building. At first glance, life on the Ice is so radically different from the setting of Nona’s story in the Book of the Ancestor that it’s difficult to find much commonality. But as the story progresses we are shown more and more the ties that bind two such dissimilar ways of life irrevocably together. I also found the subterranean setting of the majority of the book quite fascinating. It’s a hidden world that was touched on in the Book of the Ancestor, but I enjoyed seeing it further fleshed out here. Cold, wind, and the Ice are the most important aspects of life here because they’re the most dangerous. It’s interesting to see to what extent these elements dominate every single moment in the minds of those who dwell within it.

“…it’s better to die trying for a life we can take for ourselves than to die fighting each other in the dark for an existence we were condemned to.”

While I found the world building and the quality of the writing in The Girl and the Stars just as exemplary as that of the Book of the Ancestor trilogy, I found myself unable to love this story with quite the same intensity. I think this disconnect was due in large part to the characters. While I liked Yaz and respected her steadfast loyalty, she didn’t have the same depth in my opinion as Nona. I also found her a bit too akin to a Young Adult heroine, especially since almost every male with a pulse, and one that I’m pretty sure doesn’t even have one, seemed completely infatuated with her. Yaz is also a weird combination of helpless and all-powerful, which again reminded me of a heroine from so many YA novels.

“It’s a dangerous game to try to rid yourself of weakness. You never know what else you might lose in the deal.”

Another thing that threw me out of the story on occasion was actually one of my favorite elements of any Lawrence book I’ve read thus far: the writing. Lawrence tends to wax philosophical quite often, which I always love. I always heavily highlight his books, and this one was no exception. He had some truly profound things to say, and he said them well. However, due to the fact that the heroine and the novel itself felt more YA in tone than the preceding trilogy, I found that these philosophical passages didn’t quite mesh with the rest of the story, and even felt a bit self-indulgent. Anytime a character embarked on an esoteric monologue, it felt incredibly out of character to the point where said character felt more like a ventriloquist dummy than an autonomous being. I hate that I found this so jarring, but it further hindered my ability to connect with Yaz and her compatriots on any emotional level. I also found the subtle science fiction and post apocalyptic undertones more distracting here than I did in the preceding trilogy, as did the occasional references to our own world. The balance was just off in my opinion.

“She understood that she wasn’t the selfish voice, or the kind one—she was the sum of a multitude, normally joined so close the seams didn’t show, but liable to fall apart under stress. Everyone was. A mix, a recipe, the sum of their parts and more.”

I might not have loved Yaz are her story with the same fervor I felt for Nona and her fellow nuns, but Lawrence told an incredibly interesting tale with The Girl and the Stars. He did a brilliant job of showcasing the same world from a different angle, highlighting facets that had previously been in the shadows. I’m interested to see what Abeth holds next for Yaz, and what impact Yaz will in kind have on Abeth.

You can find this review and more at Novel Notions. ...more

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May 08, 2020 The Coycaterpillar Reads rated it it was amazing

The Girl And The Stars is certainly not Mark Lawrence’s first rodeo. However, It is the most poignant epic fantasy that I have experienced in a long time. The story envelops you like a long lost relative after decades apart…everything about it just feels right. This is the kind of story that leaves you grappling with the fight for cognitive cohesion. How on earth do you get your thoughts down in a review in regard to a book of this magnitude. The narrative took me hostage and posted my ranso The Girl And The Stars is certainly not Mark Lawrence’s first rodeo. However, It is the most poignant epic fantasy that I have experienced in a long time. The story envelops you like a long lost relative after decades apart…everything about it just feels right. This is the kind of story that leaves you grappling with the fight for cognitive cohesion. How on earth do you get your thoughts down in a review in regard to a book of this magnitude. The narrative took me hostage and posted my ransom. I didn’t want to be found, I wanted to be immersed in this world for the foreseeable future.

My kindle only made it through the read by the skin of its teeth. There are some elements of a story that just speak to you and The Girl And The Stars just had it all. it drew out unbreakable connections, the electricity snapping between us. The book quite simply felt like a living and breathing entity. You feel the emotion and the outpouring of love that Mark Lawrence has for this story and it spoke completely to the heart. It’s almost like the book knew how you tick and brought you everything you have been craving.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is a book that you can read a few chapters at a time. The Girl And The Stars will rapt your attention and the fight against it will be a futile struggle. Epic fantasy. Survival. Family. Unbreakable bonds and children of different abilities. The prose was like titanium – solid.

Mark Lawrence is an author that I have failed to get around to reading, I am ashamed to admit but now I have had a taste of his work, I will be seeking to change that immediately. He has brought The Girl and The Stars to life with such a glorious 8k dimension to it. He has created a fully immersive epic fantasy and surpassed all expectations – my brain wanted to explode. The world building was mind blowing and I was experiencing it in VR.

We meet Yaz, our sixteen-year-old female protagonist, a member of the ice tribe, the ictha. She knows that she cannot ascend to an adult member of the tribe without being judged by the regulator, Kazik. Yaz has known for many a year that she wasn’t normal, her abilities would be judged harshly and would end up being cast away into the pit of the missing, where all broken children end up.

Inadvertently or not Yaz ends up in the pit with her brother, Zeen. Her one and only mission is to save her brother, who in her mind, doesn’t deserve to be in the pit. After a considerable amount of time she comes face to face with a despicable giant – who just happens to gorge on the flesh of the broken. Yaz, however, is rescued by other members of the broken and she is introduced to a new clan that can survive below the ice. They have adapted to their new environment and Yaz has a whole lot of adapting to do.

The Girl And The Stars laser precise and hits its target every time. An intricate magical spell, you fall deep, and its rich narrative is a fresh take on a populated genre. ...more

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Feb 18, 2020 Mark rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Well Mark show us once again that he’s still on top of his game at writing wonderful characters, great worlds and well everything else and it comes to books.

Set in the same world as the wonderful book of the ancestor series, this time we are taken north to the land of snow and ice, complete with buried cities of the Missing.

Highly recommended to all on here.

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Feb 17, 2020 J.A. Ironside rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-releases, unlikely-heroines, fantasy, netgalley-edelweiss, arcs, favourite-authors

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Look at that, I gave a Mark Lawrence book 5 stars. Are we honestly surprised? Didn't think so - and not merely because I fall exactly into his target audience. I've loved all Lawrence's books and have been benignly stalking his writer's journey since Prince of Thorns was released (in 2012?) It's always a treat to find an SFF author who consistently delivers excellent books. Mark Lawrence goes beyond this, giving us not just new worlds and ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Look at that, I gave a Mark Lawrence book 5 stars. Are we honestly surprised? Didn't think so - and not merely because I fall exactly into his target audience. I've loved all Lawrence's books and have been benignly stalking his writer's journey since Prince of Thorns was released (in 2012?) It's always a treat to find an SFF author who consistently delivers excellent books. Mark Lawrence goes beyond this, giving us not just new worlds and stories with each series, but new slants on his own style and perspectives. His books are always entertaining with engaging (if not always thoroughly likeable) characters but they have a lot to say about human nature and topical issues too, without ever shouting it in your face.

The Girl and the Stars is set on Abeth, the world of Red Sister, though this is not the world Nona Grey introduced to us since it takes place entirely on and under the ice of the dying world. Yaz is an Ictha - one of several ice tribes who somehow survive the brutal conditions living on the ice. The story starts with a clan gathering. Every few years, the priests weed out the 'broken' children of the tribes - the sickly, the deformed, the disabled, those who are too quick or too big or have some other irregularity about them - and hurl them down a hole in the ice. Yaz is not sure how she avoided this fate at a previous gathering but is certain she'll be found to be 'broken' this time since she has an ability which makes her very odd by Ictha standards. Without resorting to spoiler territory, it doesn't fall out quite as Yaz anticipates. Below the ice, she discovers a world and a lost city of the Missing she had never imagined. She discovers why broken children are thrown away and what the priests really want. From the quiet, daily desperate fight to survive on the ice, Yaz finds herself caught in a far faster, bloodier battle. Survival will depend on skills she has only begun to discover.

In many ways, this feels quieter than many of Lawrence's previous books. There's still as much action I think, but the focus is very much on Yaz's internal journey as she confronts the reasoning behind a tribe discarding its imperfect children and the uses to which those who don't fit a rigid norm are put. If you want desperate fights in the dark, flashes of brilliant ability from the rare four bloodlines of the Ancestors and intense bonds of found family forged in peril and acts of courage, you'll find all of those things here. If you like Fantasy that borders on Sci-Fi, whereby a race has become cut off from it's origins but there's still lots of advanced tech lying forgotten and abandoned, waiting to be discovered, this book also provides that. What it also does and in a way that I don't think I've ever seen in another sff novel, is meditate quietly on the nature of a universal standard of 'acceptable normal'. Who is to say, after all, that those who are born different, even disabled, are worth less than those who fit the norm? Who has the right to judge the value a child brings to a community? And who exactly gets to say that their rights and choices should be erased? A culture should be judged on how it treats with its most vulnerable members - it's weak, sick, elderly, very young - and if it throws those people away, perhaps its not a culture to be proud of? Marginalising any part of a society, no matter on what grounds, not only alienates the individual but makes that society itself poorer than it might have been.

As I've said, Lawrence never shouts themes or difficult issues in your face, but if you're willing to engage with those themes, they're very definitely there. Don't expect easy answers, either. While Yaz comes throughout the book to a new understanding of her people and consequently herself and her own value, the reader is left very much to make up her own mind. Or not. I think perhaps not having your mind made up on this issue but staying open to possibility, however uncomfortable not having a finite answer is, might be the point. This theme extends into cultivated behaviour too. If you've read The Book of the Ancestor trilogy, then you'll be familiar with the demons of the black ice and the way a shipheart can fracture pieces of a person's psyche along fault lines they weren't aware of. No spoilers but this is more fully explored here and it adds an interesting note to the main theme that discarding the parts of yourself you don't like, does not necessarily make you better. Perhaps we need both, whole and broken, admirable and not so much, in order to be both fully rounded people and societies.

Enough on my opinion of theme. Once again the characters are engaging and believable. Yaz is a little naïve to start with but as her experience broadens, so does her ability to question. It was done so deftly that it was a treat to watch. Admittedly, I've never met a Mark Lawrence character I didn't like - even if there are a few I would cross the road to avoid speaking to face to face. But I really liked Yaz. I loved Thurin (I am NOT happy about that btw!) and I enjoyed Erris. Maya is a little murder poppet and I adored her.

As always the world building is fantastic. This is an Abeth you haven't properly seen yet which weaves in tantalising elements from the previous trilogy. The plot moves along at brisk, steady pace. Don't expect, huge scale world ending theatrics in this book - the story is no less full of jeopardy and high stakes, but it's (currently) told on a smaller scale. That really worked for me too - the world can't always be ending.

This review is probably largely unintelligible gushing by now so I'll wrap it up by saying that the author does not stay his hand. Having made you love the characters, he will then end on a kick in the guts that will have you howling for the next book. (I am not ok...) Highly recommend this and all the author's books.
...more

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About Mark Lawrence

Mark Lawrence

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[My new books The Girl And The Stars and Dispel Illusion are out now!]

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Other books in the series

Book of the Ice (3 books)

Books by Mark Lawrence

Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire, #1)

Emperor of Thorns (The Broken Empire, #3)

Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War, #1)

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“Sometimes all your words are the wrong shape and none of them will fit into the silence left when the conversation pauses.” — 13 likes

“There's a darkness in each of us, afraid to show itself, wrestling with such blunt tools as words and deeds to make itself known to the darkness in another person similarly hidden behind walls of camouflage, disguise, interpretation. Honesty is a knife that we can use to pare away those layers, but one slip, go too deep, and who knows what injuries might be inflicted … The wounds an honest tongue can open sometimes take a lifetime to heal.” — 11 likes

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