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lawbooks600's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Representation: Black, Asian and biracial (half Latina and half Pacific Islander) characters
Score: Seven points out of ten.
I wanted to read this for a while but I never got around to doing so until now. When I finally got the opportunity to read this novel I seized it, then I picked it up and read it. When I finished it, I enjoyed it but I can understand why others wouldn't. Romance readers would be disappointed. Sci-fi lovers wouldn't be.
It starts with the first character I see, Noemi Vidal, fighting for her planet Genesis in the rebellion against Earth. She meets a mech, Abel, in an abandoned ship while trying to save her friend, Esther.
Unfortunately for Noemi, Esther dies since the latter refused treatment, leaving only Noemi and Abel. To add salt to the wound, Noemi's planet needs help so she asks Abel to make a plan, and that is to get a device that can destroy the gate, stopping fighters from travelling there. So begins the long adventure Noemi and Abel take only to find one part. Defy the Stars shines in its immersion and captivating worldbuilding because I could never put it down, there's an explanation for everything and nothing is nonsensical. I enjoyed the character development also.
I could see the worlds when reading this and appreciated how they were distinct (e.g., Stronghold is a mining planet, Genesis is fairly new, Kismet is a tourist attraction, Cray is arid and Earth is Earth.) However, Defy the Stars is not without its flaws. The romance is barely there for a story the publisher marketed as one third romance. Yeah right. It's more like one percent. It rubs me the wrong way when authors make the cast diverse only to tick off boxes. Black? Check. Asian? Check. You get the idea. It's more superficial and tokenistic than anything significant. If all the people were white, it wouldn't make a difference. The conclusion is action-packed and finishes on a cliffhanger. I'll still get the second instalment, but I'll wait until I have time.
Score: Seven points out of ten.
I wanted to read this for a while but I never got around to doing so until now. When I finally got the opportunity to read this novel I seized it, then I picked it up and read it. When I finished it, I enjoyed it but I can understand why others wouldn't. Romance readers would be disappointed. Sci-fi lovers wouldn't be.
It starts with the first character I see, Noemi Vidal, fighting for her planet Genesis in the rebellion against Earth. She meets a mech, Abel, in an abandoned ship while trying to save her friend, Esther.
Unfortunately for Noemi, Esther dies since the latter refused treatment, leaving only Noemi and Abel. To add salt to the wound, Noemi's planet needs help so she asks Abel to make a plan, and that is to get a device that can destroy the gate, stopping fighters from travelling there. So begins the long adventure Noemi and Abel take only to find one part. Defy the Stars shines in its immersion and captivating worldbuilding because I could never put it down, there's an explanation for everything and nothing is nonsensical. I enjoyed the character development also.
I could see the worlds when reading this and appreciated how they were distinct (e.g., Stronghold is a mining planet, Genesis is fairly new, Kismet is a tourist attraction, Cray is arid and Earth is Earth.) However, Defy the Stars is not without its flaws. The romance is barely there for a story the publisher marketed as one third romance. Yeah right. It's more like one percent. It rubs me the wrong way when authors make the cast diverse only to tick off boxes. Black? Check. Asian? Check. You get the idea. It's more superficial and tokenistic than anything significant. If all the people were white, it wouldn't make a difference. The conclusion is action-packed and finishes on a cliffhanger. I'll still get the second instalment, but I'll wait until I have time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, and Grief
Full trigger warnings: Terrorism and pandemic mentioned, physical illness, hospitalisation and death of a child, sibling, parents and friend, grief and loss depiction, explosions, military violence and war themes, near-death experiencebelava's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and War
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
dlrosebyh's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.5
Noemi Vidal is a soldier who is prepared to risk anything to preserve her planet, Genesis, including her own life. She is a rebel to their enemy on Earth. He's a machine—After years of being alone in space, Abel's sophisticated programming has begun to change. He merely wants to defend his creator and be free. He is an abomination to the people of Genesis.
Noemi and Abel are opponents in an interplanetary conflict who are compelled to work together by happenstance as they go on a perilous trip through the cosmos. Their actions would put an end to the conflict for good, but they would not be without cost. The stakes are bigger than either of them knew at first, and the more time they spend together, the more they're forced to question everything they'd been taught to be true.
The first two-thirds of the book were fascinating. I'm not sure what occurred in the latter half of the story, but it made me lose interest. The story was very predictable and tacky (sometimes, I had to put the book down to absorb what I had just read). Nonetheless, this novel was enjoyable.
What piqued my interest the most was the romance's uniqueness. It was clearly merely a side storyline. Normally, when I read about robots, I assume they are incapable of falling in love with one another, but this one was different. Would I consider myself a romantic? No, not at all. But do I despise it? No. If I decide to read the future novels in the series, I'm sure I'll warm up to the romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
readingelli's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Chronic illness
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
Dehumanisation, discussion around what makes a being a person, suicide run, faith, kissing, mentions of sex and prostitutioneddiroll's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and War
Minor: Sexual content
elle_dee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Colonisation, Gun violence, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, and Suicide
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