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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
This was a delightful ride. You've got your spaceships and blasters, lite galactic politics, and Casablanca-loving AI, right alongside your quiet and compelling exploration of human nature.
I did not love the ending because it was actually really sweet and I'm a monster. I expect my space operas to end with Star Wars-style tragedy and drama, thanks. Still. This is just the first in a trilogy, so there's time yet for heartache. >:)
I did not love the ending because it was actually really sweet and I'm a monster. I expect my space operas to end with Star Wars-style tragedy and drama, thanks. Still. This is just the first in a trilogy, so there's time yet for heartache. >:)
No tenía demasiadas expectativas, pero la verdad es que me ha enganchado desde la primera página y me ha durado menos de tres días. Ya hace un par que lo terminé y aún sigo dándole vueltas. Quiero ya la continuación.
Esperemos que Montena traiga pronto la continución.
Esperemos que Montena traiga pronto la continución.
I've read this book for the first time in April earlier this year and wanted to review the book as well back then, but never got around to actually write the review. I was talking about this author with a friend of mine recently and it got me instantly excited to finally write the review. I've come to love YA Science Fiction books so much lately and especially the ones that also contain some romance. This book gave me everything I wanted and more.
Sacrifice your lives, they say.
A Sci-fi setting - meaning outer space, whoop whoop -, Robots/AI, action, lovable characters and a slow-burning romance!!! What more is there for me to want??? This book exceeded my expectations and I'm so happy I bought it and got to read it - and that I'm able to reread it in the future as well.This is definitely one of my favorite sci-fi books I've read so far and I now, finally, get to tell you guys WHY I think it's so insanely good! Read on for my non-spoiler review of DEFY THE STARS by CLAUDIA GRAY.
In the first part of the book, Noemi and her fellow soldiers go out on a practice run for the Masada Run that takes place in three weeks where they end up in an unexpected fight with Earth. Noemi's friend Esther gets hurt during this and Noemi saves her and takes her to this abandoned ship that they've only just noticed, in order to save her. On this ship, they meet Abel - an Earth mech who has been trapped aboard for thirty years when everyone up and left, leaving him stuck in outer space. Noemi finds out that the ship - called the Daedalus - was Burton Mansfield's, who created these mechs like Abel. Mechs are made ranging from B-Z and they all have certain capabilities whereas Abel is superior and utterly unique in his kind because he has all the capabilities of B-Z mechs.
The universe of Defy the Stars - of which you can read more specific details about if you click on the image on the left - is one I fell in love with immediately. I fell really hard for the Young Adult sci-fi genre after reading Illuminae and have been craving to read more books ever since. Not many books have made such an awesome impact on me after Illuminae though, but this one DID. I've gobbled up everything about the worldbuilding in this book. I LOVED traveling throughout this universe and can't wait to see what more we'll see in the follow-up book(s). It's something that can't be thoroughly explained in a review I think; you need to read and experience it for yourself!
"And more than just the awesome worldbuilding, though,
I really, really loved the Mechs this Burton Mansfield created, especially the one called Abel hehe. Abel's become so much more than a robotic AI character. He had such a great development throughout this book and I loved reading from his POV. When we first meet him, he's trapped in this Earth vessel, where he's been for the past thirty years as you read before. In this time, he has learned a few new surprising things–he can dream, though sleep isn’t required for his kind, and he feels emotions the likes of which he’s never felt before, which also isn't something the Mechs are capable of in this intensity. But well, Abel's a one of a kind for a reason and we'll soon find out more about him and his background. I LOVED everything about Abel right from the start and everything that followed after. He's so incredibly well written and feels so alive and realistic. And he has such incredible humor!! I loved reading about the way he 'battles' with himself while he tries to understand all these emotions building inside him and other developments he's had in the past 30 years. And when he meets Noemi he's not gonna know what hit him. She's gonna shake his whole 'world' upside down!
When Noemi boards his vessel, Abel is finally freed from his prison of solitude–and, per his programming, becomes the mostly-willing tool of his new human commander. Together, Noemi and Abel will fight to find a way to destroy the Genesis gate that allows Earth to send forces to invade Genesis before it’s too late. Their journey will take them to other worlds and outposts, where they will find other rebels and the secret to Abel’s past. PREPARE YOURSELF FOR MAJOR FEELS!
Noemi was another great character and I loved her right from the start as well. She's strong, brave and bad-ass. She's not afraid to fight for what she believes is right and I really loved the way Claudia portrayed Noemi. Noemi is driven and thinks of herself as abrasive (though she’s really not), as well a strong commander with a good sense of intuition–her emotional sensitivity and ability to quickly adapt to situations make her not only a believable and invaluable fighter but also an awesome heroine. Just as Abel's character, there's more then enough character development in this first installment around Noemi and I loved experiencing this journey through her eyes as well!
"I think this is my favorite sci-fi romance
At first, I was hesitant about a developing romance within this world and this story-line, but I was also really intrigued at the same time. As with Illuminae; beforehand I'd never guessed it was possible to combine such intense and real emotions with a lot of feels and a great developed romance within a sci-fi setting, but it definitely Was possible. And Claudia has done such a freaking amazing job as well with this sci-fi book. I think this is my favorite sci-fi romance out of everything I've read so far in the past couple of years. It was truly amazing. It was slow-burning and therefore it really made a HUGE impact on my Feels.
"EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK IS AMAZING, ADDICTIVE
This book was unputdownable right from the start and If I could've, I'd have finished it in one-sitting - unfortunately, life got in the way so I had to take care of my family and such, lol. But every free second, I immediately picked up this book and devoured every page I was able to read. It was a PERFECT blend of Sci-fi elements, really awesome and lovable characters, a great story-line with some romance blended in and this utterly amazing writing by the author. This was my first Claudia Gray read and I already can't wait for 1. THE SEQUEL TO DEFY THE STARS and 2. READ MORE OF HER OTHER BOOKS. I'm so glad I got to read this story so I could fall in love with everything this book has to offer. It ends with an open ending, so I've been going mental about having to wait for the release of the second book. This is that kind of book you can't forget about and makes waiting for a sequel/follow up book just excruciating, lol.
This is a book for anyone looking for a sci-fi read within the Young Adult genre, anyone who wants a great first introduction in YA sci-fi and anyone who's just looking for a wicked and awesome reading experience in a setting you'll fall in love with right from the start and just can't put down once you've started reading!
Sacrifice your lives, they say.
Sacrifice your children.
Only through sacrifice can Genesis survive.
A Sci-fi setting - meaning outer space, whoop whoop -, Robots/AI, action, lovable characters and a slow-burning romance!!! What more is there for me to want??? This book exceeded my expectations and I'm so happy I bought it and got to read it - and that I'm able to reread it in the future as well.This is definitely one of my favorite sci-fi books I've read so far and I now, finally, get to tell you guys WHY I think it's so insanely good! Read on for my non-spoiler review of DEFY THE STARS by CLAUDIA GRAY.
"If you like reading about an awesome sci-fi worldbuilding with some really awesome AI-robots, a great developing romance, and top-notch written characters, you are going to devour this book!"
In the first part of the book, Noemi and her fellow soldiers go out on a practice run for the Masada Run that takes place in three weeks where they end up in an unexpected fight with Earth. Noemi's friend Esther gets hurt during this and Noemi saves her and takes her to this abandoned ship that they've only just noticed, in order to save her. On this ship, they meet Abel - an Earth mech who has been trapped aboard for thirty years when everyone up and left, leaving him stuck in outer space. Noemi finds out that the ship - called the Daedalus - was Burton Mansfield's, who created these mechs like Abel. Mechs are made ranging from B-Z and they all have certain capabilities whereas Abel is superior and utterly unique in his kind because he has all the capabilities of B-Z mechs.
The universe of Defy the Stars - of which you can read more specific details about if you click on the image on the left - is one I fell in love with immediately. I fell really hard for the Young Adult sci-fi genre after reading Illuminae and have been craving to read more books ever since. Not many books have made such an awesome impact on me after Illuminae though, but this one DID. I've gobbled up everything about the worldbuilding in this book. I LOVED traveling throughout this universe and can't wait to see what more we'll see in the follow-up book(s). It's something that can't be thoroughly explained in a review I think; you need to read and experience it for yourself!
"And more than just the awesome worldbuilding, though,
it’s the characters that are at the heart of this book..."
I really, really loved the Mechs this Burton Mansfield created, especially the one called Abel hehe. Abel's become so much more than a robotic AI character. He had such a great development throughout this book and I loved reading from his POV. When we first meet him, he's trapped in this Earth vessel, where he's been for the past thirty years as you read before. In this time, he has learned a few new surprising things–he can dream, though sleep isn’t required for his kind, and he feels emotions the likes of which he’s never felt before, which also isn't something the Mechs are capable of in this intensity. But well, Abel's a one of a kind for a reason and we'll soon find out more about him and his background. I LOVED everything about Abel right from the start and everything that followed after. He's so incredibly well written and feels so alive and realistic. And he has such incredible humor!! I loved reading about the way he 'battles' with himself while he tries to understand all these emotions building inside him and other developments he's had in the past 30 years. And when he meets Noemi he's not gonna know what hit him. She's gonna shake his whole 'world' upside down!
When Noemi boards his vessel, Abel is finally freed from his prison of solitude–and, per his programming, becomes the mostly-willing tool of his new human commander. Together, Noemi and Abel will fight to find a way to destroy the Genesis gate that allows Earth to send forces to invade Genesis before it’s too late. Their journey will take them to other worlds and outposts, where they will find other rebels and the secret to Abel’s past. PREPARE YOURSELF FOR MAJOR FEELS!
Noemi was another great character and I loved her right from the start as well. She's strong, brave and bad-ass. She's not afraid to fight for what she believes is right and I really loved the way Claudia portrayed Noemi. Noemi is driven and thinks of herself as abrasive (though she’s really not), as well a strong commander with a good sense of intuition–her emotional sensitivity and ability to quickly adapt to situations make her not only a believable and invaluable fighter but also an awesome heroine. Just as Abel's character, there's more then enough character development in this first installment around Noemi and I loved experiencing this journey through her eyes as well!
"I think this is my favorite sci-fi romance
out of everything I've read so far!"
At first, I was hesitant about a developing romance within this world and this story-line, but I was also really intrigued at the same time. As with Illuminae; beforehand I'd never guessed it was possible to combine such intense and real emotions with a lot of feels and a great developed romance within a sci-fi setting, but it definitely Was possible. And Claudia has done such a freaking amazing job as well with this sci-fi book. I think this is my favorite sci-fi romance out of everything I've read so far in the past couple of years. It was truly amazing. It was slow-burning and therefore it really made a HUGE impact on my Feels.
"EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK IS AMAZING, ADDICTIVE
AND IT'S JUST AN UNPUTDOWNABLE READ!"
This book was unputdownable right from the start and If I could've, I'd have finished it in one-sitting - unfortunately, life got in the way so I had to take care of my family and such, lol. But every free second, I immediately picked up this book and devoured every page I was able to read. It was a PERFECT blend of Sci-fi elements, really awesome and lovable characters, a great story-line with some romance blended in and this utterly amazing writing by the author. This was my first Claudia Gray read and I already can't wait for 1. THE SEQUEL TO DEFY THE STARS and 2. READ MORE OF HER OTHER BOOKS. I'm so glad I got to read this story so I could fall in love with everything this book has to offer. It ends with an open ending, so I've been going mental about having to wait for the release of the second book. This is that kind of book you can't forget about and makes waiting for a sequel/follow up book just excruciating, lol.
This is a book for anyone looking for a sci-fi read within the Young Adult genre, anyone who wants a great first introduction in YA sci-fi and anyone who's just looking for a wicked and awesome reading experience in a setting you'll fall in love with right from the start and just can't put down once you've started reading!
DON'T DOUBT FOR ONE SECOND; BUY THIS AMAZING BOOK!
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Exceeded my expectations! I thought the setting was well thought out; the differences between the different planets and lifestyles each of them has. I liked seeing Noemi getting to experience things aside from her insular society and have her mind expanded. Abel is a very interesting character and I liked seeing the exploration of his emotions and how they're similar or different from human ones (especially when, despite knowing he's capable of emotional growth, he starts experiencing things he doesn't understand). Noemi and Abel form such a good team, moving from a somewhat "hostile" initial relationship. I really enjoyed the tension and insults between them earlier in the book.
The narration of the audiobook is stellar. I especially enjoyed Abel's narrator and how he was able to convincingly narrate like a robot without making it sound bland or boring, and while still maintaining emotional realness. I'm really curious what will happen in the next book.I didn't expect for Noemi and Abel to be separated at the end, though the sacrifice on both their parts is admirable. The book was good at introducing a wider narrative to the universe around the main characters, and I'd like to see how that carries over into the plot of the next book.
Although this is marked as a romance and I don't particularly like romance, I thought the relationship progressed naturally and was well balanced with the wider plot.
The narration of the audiobook is stellar. I especially enjoyed Abel's narrator and how he was able to convincingly narrate like a robot without making it sound bland or boring, and while still maintaining emotional realness. I'm really curious what will happen in the next book.
Although this is marked as a romance and I don't particularly like romance, I thought the relationship progressed naturally and was well balanced with the wider plot.
Abel is a mech, and artificial life form. He is a prototype and one of a kind but he has been abandoned on a deserted spacecraft for 30 years and his intelligence has evolved. Noemi is a 17 year old soldier trying to save her friend when she enters the abandoned spacecraft and finds Abel. He is programmed to accept commands from the highest officer which in this case is Noemi and together they set off for an adventure. Abel creator wants to reclaim him and soon they are being hunted across the galaxy. There is a touch of ramance and lots of adventure.
**I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**
With the recent discovery of several Earth-like planets, the following question within the scientific community has arisen: can we colonize them in the event that Earth starts to become completely inhabitable? In her most recent space opera, Defy the Stars, Claudia Gray creates her own vision of what this future could possibly look like. Despite not previously being the biggest fan of space-based science fiction, it’s Gray’s multi-faceted, fully-realized characters and world that made it so easy for me to get lost within the pages. It’s an unexpected, gripping delight from start to finish.
Taking place in a distant future in which Earth has colonized four other planets in various galaxies, Defy the Stars explores topics of religion, artificial intelligence, and the dangers of imperialism/colonialism. Noemi Vidal is a young soldier from the planet Genesis getting ready to partake in the Masada Run: a kamikaze-type mission her leaders plan to set into motion. When things go awry during the rehearsal, Noemi finds herself veering off course and discovers an abandoned Earthling ship — which might just house the thing that could save her home planet. After partnering with an unlikely ally, Noemi embarks on a journey across the universe to destroy the link between Genesis and Earth.
It is exceedingly rare for me to encounter a book that makes me revisit my thoughts on an entire genre of fiction. Usually, I try to stay within my comfort zone of paranormal romances, feminist literature, and fantasy books. However, when I saw the cover to Defy the Stars in my inbox from Netgalley, I immediately knew that I had to get my hands on it — just to get a taste of what space operas are like. Let me tell y’all: my reading world has dramatically changed. #thanksclaudiagray
What gripped me the most about Defy the Stars is how completely immersive and full Gray made this universe. Despite there being layers upon layers of colonial history between Earth and the rest of the loop, there was never a moment in which I felt that there were questions that went unanswered. Advances in technology, historical events, and important figures were all explained in a way that made sense within the context of this world. This is an area in which the science fiction authors that I’ve read in the past have been extremely lacking (*coughveronicarothcough*), so I’m glad that Gray has made everything explicitly clear.
Furthermore, characters are obviously the most important part of any story and world, and I can’t gush enough about our main characters, Noemi and Abel. Noemi has quickly become one of my favorite YA heroines with her nuanced character growth throughout the course of her journey in the stars. Without spoiling, I really enjoyed Noemi’s transformation from a devoted soldier of Genesis to someone with their own thoughts, feelings, and opinions on the intergalactic conflict. Abel’s path to self-discovery, too, is just so completely heartbreaking. I never thought that I would care so much about an artificially intelligent entity. His progression, as well, is such a delight to read through; he’s probably the best AI that I’ve encountered in any entertainment medium.
Best of all, this book is diverse. as. hell. Noemi herself is of Chilean descent and nearly every other character — apart from Abel and his creator, Burton Mansfield — is a character of color. There are no overtly queer colors, which sucks, but there are a wide range of religions represented amongst the scientific-based backdrop.
A few comments about the length of the book: yes, it’s over 500 pages. Yes, it’s going to deter a lot of readers who prefer books 300 pages or less. However, if you’re one of those who prefer shorter books, I absolutely implore you to pick up Defy the Stars, despite the length. The plot pacing in this novel is spot-on and action packed as the characters hop from planet to planet. Furthermore, Gray swaps perspective between Noemi and Abel in each chapter, which helps to speed it up further.
If it’s not clear, I absolutely recommend Defy the Stars to everyone. Like…everyone. For science fiction fans, you’re gonna love it. For folks who aren’t science fiction fans (yet), I recommend it. Wow, I absolutely sound like a broken record but, for real, this book has made me a sci-fi convert. It’s hella.
With the recent discovery of several Earth-like planets, the following question within the scientific community has arisen: can we colonize them in the event that Earth starts to become completely inhabitable? In her most recent space opera, Defy the Stars, Claudia Gray creates her own vision of what this future could possibly look like. Despite not previously being the biggest fan of space-based science fiction, it’s Gray’s multi-faceted, fully-realized characters and world that made it so easy for me to get lost within the pages. It’s an unexpected, gripping delight from start to finish.
Taking place in a distant future in which Earth has colonized four other planets in various galaxies, Defy the Stars explores topics of religion, artificial intelligence, and the dangers of imperialism/colonialism. Noemi Vidal is a young soldier from the planet Genesis getting ready to partake in the Masada Run: a kamikaze-type mission her leaders plan to set into motion. When things go awry during the rehearsal, Noemi finds herself veering off course and discovers an abandoned Earthling ship — which might just house the thing that could save her home planet. After partnering with an unlikely ally, Noemi embarks on a journey across the universe to destroy the link between Genesis and Earth.
It is exceedingly rare for me to encounter a book that makes me revisit my thoughts on an entire genre of fiction. Usually, I try to stay within my comfort zone of paranormal romances, feminist literature, and fantasy books. However, when I saw the cover to Defy the Stars in my inbox from Netgalley, I immediately knew that I had to get my hands on it — just to get a taste of what space operas are like. Let me tell y’all: my reading world has dramatically changed. #thanksclaudiagray
What gripped me the most about Defy the Stars is how completely immersive and full Gray made this universe. Despite there being layers upon layers of colonial history between Earth and the rest of the loop, there was never a moment in which I felt that there were questions that went unanswered. Advances in technology, historical events, and important figures were all explained in a way that made sense within the context of this world. This is an area in which the science fiction authors that I’ve read in the past have been extremely lacking (*coughveronicarothcough*), so I’m glad that Gray has made everything explicitly clear.
Furthermore, characters are obviously the most important part of any story and world, and I can’t gush enough about our main characters, Noemi and Abel. Noemi has quickly become one of my favorite YA heroines with her nuanced character growth throughout the course of her journey in the stars. Without spoiling, I really enjoyed Noemi’s transformation from a devoted soldier of Genesis to someone with their own thoughts, feelings, and opinions on the intergalactic conflict. Abel’s path to self-discovery, too, is just so completely heartbreaking. I never thought that I would care so much about an artificially intelligent entity. His progression, as well, is such a delight to read through; he’s probably the best AI that I’ve encountered in any entertainment medium.
Best of all, this book is diverse. as. hell. Noemi herself is of Chilean descent and nearly every other character — apart from Abel and his creator, Burton Mansfield — is a character of color. There are no overtly queer colors, which sucks, but there are a wide range of religions represented amongst the scientific-based backdrop.
A few comments about the length of the book: yes, it’s over 500 pages. Yes, it’s going to deter a lot of readers who prefer books 300 pages or less. However, if you’re one of those who prefer shorter books, I absolutely implore you to pick up Defy the Stars, despite the length. The plot pacing in this novel is spot-on and action packed as the characters hop from planet to planet. Furthermore, Gray swaps perspective between Noemi and Abel in each chapter, which helps to speed it up further.
If it’s not clear, I absolutely recommend Defy the Stars to everyone. Like…everyone. For science fiction fans, you’re gonna love it. For folks who aren’t science fiction fans (yet), I recommend it. Wow, I absolutely sound like a broken record but, for real, this book has made me a sci-fi convert. It’s hella.
Okay.
So.
I love this book. Well, let's talk about how I have loved this resurgance of Claudia Gray since her Star Wars books. I feel that when it comes to science fiction she is certainly one of those new voices to watch and see what happens.
I also have a WEAKNESS when it comes to books that feature a robot coming to realize that they have sentience and a bond with a human (Silver Metal Lover, ugh). Anyway. The robot in this book has been marooned for 30 years on a decrepit vessel on the boarder between space and a forgotten/sealed off planet. The hero, a girl who is from the said planet and is about the kamikaze herself into an approaching fleet from Earth finds the robot and the story goes from there.
The twist? Robots are angry, nasty, super-destroyers that she has been told to fear because Earth has made them that way. There is a very Terminator-esque vibe to this, think first and second film and the themes they express...
If I say too much more it will cheapen the story, but the beauty of this book is watching the robot and the girl figure out that there is more at stake - the galaxy! - and they must find allies.
If you like YA sci-fi books with kick ass heroines and robots, and craving for something Terminator/Lunar Chronicles, pick this up.
So.
I love this book. Well, let's talk about how I have loved this resurgance of Claudia Gray since her Star Wars books. I feel that when it comes to science fiction she is certainly one of those new voices to watch and see what happens.
I also have a WEAKNESS when it comes to books that feature a robot coming to realize that they have sentience and a bond with a human (Silver Metal Lover, ugh). Anyway. The robot in this book has been marooned for 30 years on a decrepit vessel on the boarder between space and a forgotten/sealed off planet. The hero, a girl who is from the said planet and is about the kamikaze herself into an approaching fleet from Earth finds the robot and the story goes from there.
The twist? Robots are angry, nasty, super-destroyers that she has been told to fear because Earth has made them that way. There is a very Terminator-esque vibe to this, think first and second film and the themes they express...
If I say too much more it will cheapen the story, but the beauty of this book is watching the robot and the girl figure out that there is more at stake - the galaxy! - and they must find allies.
If you like YA sci-fi books with kick ass heroines and robots, and craving for something Terminator/Lunar Chronicles, pick this up.
Human beings have reproduced to the point of populating several goldilocks (capable of sustaining human life) planets. Earth wants to conquer and rule them all. The people of Genesis wish to be left alone to pursue peace and worship God as they see fit.
What I liked:
- I'm a huge supporter of the idea that denying oneself in the service of others is a virtue
- An android's evolution toward having emotions and humanity (reminiscent of Star Trek's Data character)
- Intergalactic upheaval
- Egotistical inventor with a god complex
Going in. I was curious/skeptical to see how this author was going to get me emotionally invested in an android as a love interest. Wouldn't you know, mission accomplished!
This was an entertaining and fun quest through galaxies. I'll definitely be continuing this series as it stands.
What I liked:
- I'm a huge supporter of the idea that denying oneself in the service of others is a virtue
- An android's evolution toward having emotions and humanity (reminiscent of Star Trek's Data character)
- Intergalactic upheaval
- Egotistical inventor with a god complex
Going in. I was curious/skeptical to see how this author was going to get me emotionally invested in an android as a love interest. Wouldn't you know, mission accomplished!
This was an entertaining and fun quest through galaxies. I'll definitely be continuing this series as it stands.
adventurous
challenging
dark
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:
Yes
adventurous
funny
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:
Yes