Wow. Science fiction has never been my go to but I was absolutely blown away by To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to read an ARC through Bookishfirst. At 825 pages without counting the appendices, this is a heftY book and you WILL get a good hand workout in.
First and foremost, Kira Navarez is an absolute bad ass. She is the strong-willed, no bullshit character I love to read about. Even when she realizes she is the source of an intergalactic war, her first thought isn’t self pity, it’s how she can save the galaxy. Luckily, she doesn’t have to face this alone and the supporting cast of characters are an absolute delight. All of the females defy stereotypes and are women I wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley!
Even though we aren’t colonizing other planets and interacting with other life forms (yet), this book felt so real. Maybe it’s because I love Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy? Even though it’s clearly set in 2257-2258, sometimes I forgot that was the case! Technology may have advanced but humans are still ultimately, well, human. And I enjoyed how so many unique personalities melded together in this epic journey.
As I said, this book is a long one, but oh so worth it. There were times I had trouble visualizing scenes, not due to lack of detail on Paoloni’s part, but because these things simply don’t exist. And as I’ve said, sci-fi isn’t my usual go to. Give me a vaguely described murder in a thriller and it’s a perfectly clear image (don’t know what that says about me...). Trying to conquer a world as vast as space is no easy task, but I think Paolini absolutely nailed it. I definitely wouldn’t be sad to hear of a sequel staring the remaining cast of the Wallfish (hint, hint). Even if sci-fi isn’t your normal jam, I hope you give this one a whirl. You may find yourself as amazed as I was.
First and foremost, Kira Navarez is an absolute bad ass. She is the strong-willed, no bullshit character I love to read about. Even when she realizes she is the source of an intergalactic war, her first thought isn’t self pity, it’s how she can save the galaxy. Luckily, she doesn’t have to face this alone and the supporting cast of characters are an absolute delight. All of the females defy stereotypes and are women I wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley!
Even though we aren’t colonizing other planets and interacting with other life forms (yet), this book felt so real. Maybe it’s because I love Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy? Even though it’s clearly set in 2257-2258, sometimes I forgot that was the case! Technology may have advanced but humans are still ultimately, well, human. And I enjoyed how so many unique personalities melded together in this epic journey.
As I said, this book is a long one, but oh so worth it. There were times I had trouble visualizing scenes, not due to lack of detail on Paoloni’s part, but because these things simply don’t exist. And as I’ve said, sci-fi isn’t my usual go to. Give me a vaguely described murder in a thriller and it’s a perfectly clear image (don’t know what that says about me...). Trying to conquer a world as vast as space is no easy task, but I think Paolini absolutely nailed it. I definitely wouldn’t be sad to hear of a sequel staring the remaining cast of the Wallfish (hint, hint). Even if sci-fi isn’t your normal jam, I hope you give this one a whirl. You may find yourself as amazed as I was.