I love a good spy plot, and Stars & Smoke promises to be an interesting read from the first few pages. I like the quick intro that draws you in - a conversation between agents. You already see the set-up happening: a (young) veteran spy who is dubious about bringing in a very green young popstar to pull off a mission. The switch to Winter's perspective is sudden, but once I settled into reading about his life as a popstar, I felt like he seemed real and relatable - someone who grew up loving music being creative and then shooting to stardom, where now it all feels like pointless business with no human connection.
The idea of Winter's brother dying young (and that Winter thinks it should have been him, the mediocre, unexpected/unwanted son, that died) and there being more to the story as the hook to pull him into the world of secret agents and heists is intriguing and lends a bit more of the melodrama to this story. I can see where Winter might be able to learn to grow and move past his brother's death and maybe come to terms with his own life and person.
I am definitely intrigued by the story and I'd like to see more of where it's going. Having read work by Lu before, I know she can pull off an action-packed, page-turner. I look forward to seeing where this book takes the story from here.
The idea of Winter's brother dying young (and that Winter thinks it should have been him, the mediocre, unexpected/unwanted son, that died) and there being more to the story as the hook to pull him into the world of secret agents and heists is intriguing and lends a bit more of the melodrama to this story. I can see where Winter might be able to learn to grow and move past his brother's death and maybe come to terms with his own life and person.
I am definitely intrigued by the story and I'd like to see more of where it's going. Having read work by Lu before, I know she can pull off an action-packed, page-turner. I look forward to seeing where this book takes the story from here.