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wsteen's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gore
eldane's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is exactly the space opera I was needing. This was a beautiful, powerful, and emotional book with some of the best-written characters I have ever seen. It takes immense skill to write bloodthirsty, cruel, murderers as your protagonists, but Bethany Jacobs does it well. The worldbuilding is incredible and detailed, and the plot is tightly woven and well-paced. I also loved the voice and writing style, and the descriptions were out of the world (ha). And the twist at the end? WOW. I was not expecting it at all. This has established itself as one of my favorite books of all time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Cursing, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Gore, and Grief
Moderate: Genocide, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, War, Colonisation, and Pedophilia
brewdy_reader's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
T̨͈͗̌ͥḣ̖̻͛̓ẹ̿͋̒̕s̠҉͍͊ͅẹ̿͋̒̕ B̩͎͍̾ͅư̡͕̭̇r̴̨̦͕̝ṇ̤͛̒̍ỉ͔͖̜͌ṇ̤͛̒̍ĝ̽̓̀͑ S̵̙͕̀̃t̲̂̓ͩ̑ā̤̓̍͘r̴̨̦͕̝s̠҉͍͊ͅ b̬͖̏́͢y҉̃̀̋̑ B̩͎͍̾ͅẹ̿͋̒̕t̲̂̓ͩ̑ḣ̖̻͛̓ā̤̓̍͘ṇ̤͛̒̍y҉̃̀̋̑ J̶̳̀́̃ā̤̓̍͘c͕͗ͤ̕̕o̯̱̊͊͢b̬͖̏́͢s̠҉͍͊ͅ
𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 • 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 • 𝘋𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴
𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢 • 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤 • 𝘚𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘏𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴
𝘏𝘦𝘪𝘴𝘵 • 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘬𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 • 𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯 • 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦
𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦 17 Oct 2023
𝚃𝙻𝙳𝚁; 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎.
Why are we not seeing more about These Burning Stars?! This is now a front runner for my top read of the month. The best sci-fi debut I have read. Maybe because I went into it with little expectation, and found myself completely enraptured to the point that I blew past the buddy read schedule despite starting late. It was a "start late, finish early" type of a book.
Read if you love:
✨ morally dark grey characters
📿 space opera with queer rep
🛡️ baɖǟֆֆ FMCs
🔋 beautiful descriptions of casters, нα¢кєяѕ
🌌 intergalactic space battles
🌑 everything is not what it seems
🎭 politics, mystique, and intrigue
🕊️ genocide of a race translation to first families v. untouchables
🗡️ hunters versus hunted
This book kept me on my toes, then swept me off my feet, and ultimately blew me away in the best way possible. I can't wait to see what Bethany Jacobs comes up with next.
𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 • 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 • 𝘋𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴
𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘖𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢 • 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤 • 𝘚𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘏𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴
𝘏𝘦𝘪𝘴𝘵 • 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘬𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 • 𝘙𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯 • 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦
𝘗𝘶𝘣 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘦 17 Oct 2023
𝚃𝙻𝙳𝚁; 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎.
Why are we not seeing more about These Burning Stars?! This is now a front runner for my top read of the month. The best sci-fi debut I have read. Maybe because I went into it with little expectation, and found myself completely enraptured to the point that I blew past the buddy read schedule despite starting late. It was a "start late, finish early" type of a book.
Read if you love:
✨ morally dark grey characters
📿 space opera with queer rep
🛡️ baɖǟֆֆ FMCs
🔋 beautiful descriptions of casters, нα¢кєяѕ
🌌 intergalactic space battles
🌑 everything is not what it seems
🎭 politics, mystique, and intrigue
🕊️ genocide of a race translation to first families v. untouchables
🗡️ hunters versus hunted
This book kept me on my toes, then swept me off my feet, and ultimately blew me away in the best way possible. I can't wait to see what Bethany Jacobs comes up with next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Child death, and Gore
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, and Death
entropyseeker's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
3.75
This book was so immensely slow, I didn't start actually being interested in the book until 60% of the way in, though it is a sci-fi novel so that's usually the case. While the first half was confusing with all the time skips, and it was a lot of world building, gore, violence, the last quarter of the book was rather great and built up to quite a few surprising twists that left me gaping. Will still read the second part of the trilogy. Definitely read the content warnings. Not for the front of heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Death, Gore, Violence, War, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Gun violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Slavery, Trafficking, and Sexual violence
Minor: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Rape
odunayo_y's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Thank You to Netgalley for providing me with an E-ARC
A very strong sci-fi debut, the prose and overall writing was tight. Despite being an ARC I didn’t notice any typographical errors. The characters were all interesting amd compelling in their own ways. But it seems I’m a black sheep in reviews as i HATED Esek, i get that she’s meant to be awful but gyatt dam she was grating. Lol and i was kicking my feet when Esek starts having a Bad Time.
I will say that the characters being ultra talented Badasses as teenagers was giving a bit YA lol. Like no a 16 year old is not going to be a galactic level mastermind. But other than that it was great!
I did enjoy that Esek & Chono’s relationship was purely platonic.
Another aspect I appreciated was how religion and religious people were treated. It was good to see Chono not be denigrated by the narrative for her beliefs. While still being realistic that there are people and institutions who cynically use the veneer of religion to justify their actions or hold onto power.
A very strong sci-fi debut, the prose and overall writing was tight. Despite being an ARC I didn’t notice any typographical errors. The characters were all interesting amd compelling in their own ways. But it seems I’m a black sheep in reviews as i HATED Esek, i get that she’s meant to be awful but gyatt dam she was grating. Lol and i was kicking my feet when Esek starts having a Bad Time.
I will say that the characters being ultra talented Badasses as teenagers was giving a bit YA lol. Like no a 16 year old is not going to be a galactic level mastermind. But other than that it was great!
I did enjoy that Esek & Chono’s relationship was purely platonic.
Another aspect I appreciated was how religion and religious people were treated. It was good to see Chono not be denigrated by the narrative for her beliefs. While still being realistic that there are people and institutions who cynically use the veneer of religion to justify their actions or hold onto power.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Violence, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, and Death
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Genocide
Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
brekaboujie's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book was SO GOOD. Brilliantly captivating, so rich and full of depth, I was completely drawn in to this universe.
I've really foubd a love for sci fi over the laat few years and this was a perfect example of what I really love about the genre when it's done right!!!!! This was a particularly interesting one with a focus on politics and power structures over the more people and cultures centred vibes of Becky Chambers who I also love. This was also so DARK and very violent at times but I was honestly lapping it all up. Multiple instances of me sat on the train hand over my mouth in disbelief. Delicious.
Also can I just talk about that tWIST AT THE END. Look, I read books pretty mindlessly and don't tend to try and work out the plot, I like to let it unravel with time. And the UNRAVELLING. That chapter of 1663 just was SO BRILLIANTLY DONE and made me question everything I'd read!!!! I was suddenly going back and thinking wait, who's perspective has it been from??? Surely we have had her perspective in 1664. BUT NOPE JUST GENIUS TRICKERY such clever writing! Especially as this is the first book so we don't have any preconceptions about Esek, so everything together just makes one picture and then BAM you realise it wasn't one picture at all!!! I honestly kind of want to go back and reread it just to see if there are any hints placed throughout the 1664 chapters. Just so interesting!!!!!
I am very excited by this being a series, I cannot wait to read more of this universe. Going to be recommending this one a lot!!!!
I've really foubd a love for sci fi over the laat few years and this was a perfect example of what I really love about the genre when it's done right!!!!! This was a particularly interesting one with a focus on politics and power structures over the more people and cultures centred vibes of Becky Chambers who I also love. This was also so DARK and very violent at times but I was honestly lapping it all up. Multiple instances of me sat on the train hand over my mouth in disbelief. Delicious.
Also can I just talk about that
I am very excited by this being a series, I cannot wait to read more of this universe. Going to be recommending this one a lot!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Genocide, Rape, Vomit, and Sexual assault
Overall, mostly violence and gore warnings. Gun fights, injuries, lots of blood, and some pretty gnarly descriptions of using knives to harm or kill people. There is one short and pretty low key sex scene, and multiple mentions of sex including reference to a young person (I think underage? Vulnerable at least) being sold against their will for sex. This is brought up/referenced a few times but never mentioned in any detail apart from (I think you could view it this way) one instance of the victim remembering it, but not graphically.
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