Tarver is playing the war hero on board the Icarus, a hyper-sonic spaceship that carries fifty thousand people. When a beautiful woman starts flirting with him, he welcomes the attention.
However, when he meets her again the next day, she very rudely brushes him off. Does he not know she's Lilac LaRoux, the daughter of the richest man in the world, and also the man who built the Icarus? Tarver is much below her status, and shouldn't even be talking to Lilac.
You may have heard These Broken Stars compared to The Titanic, and so it's no surprise that the spaceship crashes. Tarver and Lilac end up in an escape pod together and so are forced to help each other survive the bizarre planet on which they land. They appear to be alone and are certain that rescue ships will arrive within hours. But in order to be found, they must travel through harsh terrain towards the main wreckage of the ship.
They suffer many dangers and hardships, and they hate each other because of their attitudes. But of course, they are sending false signals to each other, and the reader knows that romance is inevitable. However, the development of their relationship is slow and realistic. No insta-love here.
This first part of These Broken Stars moved very slowly. I could have done without so many details. Once they get to the ship (about 50% through the book), things begin to get more interesting. They begin to make discoveries about the planet and the ship that add the necessary spark to get the plot moving.
These Broken Stars utilizes a dual narration by our two main characters (virtually the only characters in the book.) I found this to be very effective, especially in the development of the romance. It helps to know what's really going on in their heads. Also, at the end of the chapters, we get dialog from what appears to be Tarver's interrogation after his rescue. I also liked this technique. It's obvious he survived, but he's not telling the truth about what happened. Why???
The end explains some of the science involved in what's going on, and I think the authors do a good job. It's not too technical, but it gives the reader a sense of this world. Although it appears These Broken Stars is the first book in a series, it is a complete book in itself. There is closure, but I also want to know what's going to happen in future installments. The perfect way to handle a book series!
These Broken Stars is pretty "lite" sci-fi. I think you can recommend this to your romance/fantasy lovers as well. Those who enjoyed Across the Universe will most likely enjoy These Broken Stars. By the way, it's very clean and would be acceptable for younger teens.
Published by Disney-Hyperion, December 10, 2013
eBook obtained from NetGalley
384 pages
Rating: 3.5/5
I look forward to reading this one soon. Thanks for the warning about the slow start, but the halfway mark is quite some time to get the story started. I'm eager to see what all the buzz is about.
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