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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
A modern retelling of the wild swan story on distant planets.
Really liked the setup. Insufficient nettles and burning at the stake for the ending, though.
I've always been very fond of The Wild Swans...as a young girl, this was one of my favourite fairy tales probably because I was a bit morbid. Seriously, I loved some of the weirdest stories including Scheherazade, The Goose Girl, etc. But The Wild Swans always struck me as unique for a long time.
I was super excited to learn about this book. I loved Stitching Snow and I went into this story expecting a lot. And while I wasn't blown away by it, I was still very presently surprised by this book. It's very tech-y, low on the romance, and high on the "I need to save my brothers." I'm glad Liddi doesn't succumb to love and does what she has to, when she has to.
I had to reread a lot of the more tech-y passages several times before I quite understood what Liddi was trying to explain. I docked a star for that, because I feel like I'm a fairly smart person, but I just couldn't grasp all the things that were happening. And I get really frustrated when I have to reread things again and again.
Aside from that thought, this story is well paced. Things happen at the right time, and while the ending was slightly rushed, it wasn't ruined. I would have liked to see more of the aftermath, but well...it was a good ending either way.
(On a side note: Did anyone besides me pick up on the few Indian names for things/places? Sampati is an Indian mythological character who loses his wings in his childhood, which is a fun easter egg if you know the original, and how the youngest brother retains one wing because his sister could not finish his coat. Also Neta, if pronounced a certain way means leader or government in Hindi. The more you know! I loved that in Stitching Snow, the planets were named after their climates too)
I was super excited to learn about this book. I loved Stitching Snow and I went into this story expecting a lot. And while I wasn't blown away by it, I was still very presently surprised by this book. It's very tech-y, low on the romance, and high on the "I need to save my brothers." I'm glad Liddi doesn't succumb to love and does what she has to, when she has to.
I had to reread a lot of the more tech-y passages several times before I quite understood what Liddi was trying to explain. I docked a star for that, because I feel like I'm a fairly smart person, but I just couldn't grasp all the things that were happening. And I get really frustrated when I have to reread things again and again.
Aside from that thought, this story is well paced. Things happen at the right time, and while the ending was slightly rushed, it wasn't ruined. I would have liked to see more of the aftermath, but well...it was a good ending either way.
(On a side note: Did anyone besides me pick up on the few Indian names for things/places? Sampati is an Indian mythological character who loses his wings in his childhood, which is a fun easter egg if you know the original, and how the youngest brother retains one wing because his sister could not finish his coat. Also Neta, if pronounced a certain way means leader or government in Hindi. The more you know! I loved that in Stitching Snow, the planets were named after their climates too)
I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of this review
Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis is interesting twist on an old classic. Taking [b:The Wild Swans|382818|The Wild Swans|Hans Christian Andersen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1254409741s/382818.jpg|12556] by Hans Christian Anderson and creating a wholly unique sci-fi adventure, R.C. Lewis has a must read book! Liddi Jantzen is in danger, her brothers are missing, and her only help is on another planet she thought was a myth. With her ability to speak ripped from her, Liddi must find a new way to communicate and get the help she needs. Her brothers’ lives depend on it.
I liked Liddi. Here she is, a sixteen-year-old thrust into the limelight at birth, and yet she retains her own sense of self. She doesn’t let the stardom go to her head. She’s fiercely loyal to her brothers (her only living family) and has no use for those that seek to use her for her fame. As I said I like her! When someone close to her betrays her, taking her voice and trapping her brothers, Liddi doesn’t let it stop her. She fights, she adapts, and she will stop at nothing until her brothers are saved.
Tiav *swoon* is one of those book boyfriends that everyone wishes they had in real life. He is the son of a high official on his planet. He’s kind, sweet, extremely intelligent, and has no clue who Liddi is or where she came from. He’s kind of perfect in Liddi’s eyes as he sees her as no one ever has. He sees her without the fame. To him, she’s just Liddi.
Ok….so the plot. It’s complicated to say the least. Liddi is from the Seven Points — seven planets connected by conduits/portals. Each planet serves a purpose to society. Liddi’s planet is based in technology. When someone close to her discovers that the conduits are failing, this person traps Liddi’s brothers in the conduits in order to “save” them and implants a small device in Liddi’s neck. If Liddi speaks, her brothers die. It’s that simple. Liddi escapes through a portal to another planet, one thought to not exist. Here she meets Tiav and discovers the origins of the portals, the Seven Points’ conduits and what this all really means for her brothers who are trapped.
Overall I enjoyed the book. I’ll admit that I did have a hard time following it at first. It’s told from Liddi’s perspective and there are a LOT of characters. I had a hard time keeping them straight. Also the world-building was a little shaky at first. About 25% in to the book, I finally started to understand and was able to follow the plot but there were times in the beginning that I thought I’d skipped pages because of plot holes. This is why it lost a star for me. If you enjoy young adult, science fiction, or your looking for a fast-paced read, I highly suggest you pick up a copy of this book!
Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis is interesting twist on an old classic. Taking [b:The Wild Swans|382818|The Wild Swans|Hans Christian Andersen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1254409741s/382818.jpg|12556] by Hans Christian Anderson and creating a wholly unique sci-fi adventure, R.C. Lewis has a must read book! Liddi Jantzen is in danger, her brothers are missing, and her only help is on another planet she thought was a myth. With her ability to speak ripped from her, Liddi must find a new way to communicate and get the help she needs. Her brothers’ lives depend on it.
I liked Liddi. Here she is, a sixteen-year-old thrust into the limelight at birth, and yet she retains her own sense of self. She doesn’t let the stardom go to her head. She’s fiercely loyal to her brothers (her only living family) and has no use for those that seek to use her for her fame. As I said I like her! When someone close to her betrays her, taking her voice and trapping her brothers, Liddi doesn’t let it stop her. She fights, she adapts, and she will stop at nothing until her brothers are saved.
Tiav *swoon* is one of those book boyfriends that everyone wishes they had in real life. He is the son of a high official on his planet. He’s kind, sweet, extremely intelligent, and has no clue who Liddi is or where she came from. He’s kind of perfect in Liddi’s eyes as he sees her as no one ever has. He sees her without the fame. To him, she’s just Liddi.
Ok….so the plot. It’s complicated to say the least. Liddi is from the Seven Points — seven planets connected by conduits/portals. Each planet serves a purpose to society. Liddi’s planet is based in technology. When someone close to her discovers that the conduits are failing, this person traps Liddi’s brothers in the conduits in order to “save” them and implants a small device in Liddi’s neck. If Liddi speaks, her brothers die. It’s that simple. Liddi escapes through a portal to another planet, one thought to not exist. Here she meets Tiav and discovers the origins of the portals, the Seven Points’ conduits and what this all really means for her brothers who are trapped.
Overall I enjoyed the book. I’ll admit that I did have a hard time following it at first. It’s told from Liddi’s perspective and there are a LOT of characters. I had a hard time keeping them straight. Also the world-building was a little shaky at first. About 25% in to the book, I finally started to understand and was able to follow the plot but there were times in the beginning that I thought I’d skipped pages because of plot holes. This is why it lost a star for me. If you enjoy young adult, science fiction, or your looking for a fast-paced read, I highly suggest you pick up a copy of this book!
Interesting sci-fi take on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Wild Swans.”
Creative retelling of the Wild Swans fairytale. Set in a futuristic world, sixteen year old Liddi is an heiress with eight older brothers. When her brothers have disappeared after working on "conduits" to other planets, Liddi tries to save her brothers before they disappear forever.
It took awhile for me to get into this, but once I did, it was hard to put down. I really liked Liddi's relationship with Tiav. This is a book that I would definitely recommend for my teenage daughter to read. I really liked the fact that there was no language or sexual content other than kissing. I also liked the positive relationship Liddi had with her brothers.
It took awhile for me to get into this, but once I did, it was hard to put down. I really liked Liddi's relationship with Tiav. This is a book that I would definitely recommend for my teenage daughter to read. I really liked the fact that there was no language or sexual content other than kissing. I also liked the positive relationship Liddi had with her brothers.
Enjoyed this a surprising amount. Very intrigued by the imagined conception of energy pathways--anchored, unanchored, harmonizing, and poisoned. Also enjoyed the re-imagining of the Wild Swans--never my favorite fairy tale, but very compelling in this telling.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes