Reviews

Starfire by Naomi Hughes

jshawreads's review

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you to Netgalley and Naomi Hughes for a free electronic copy of Starfire in exchange for an honest review.

Peregrine Kent has no memories from the time before he was found in a glint mine. But what he does have is a burning desire to see the stars unobstructed by the barrier protecting the planet from the ancient beasts of the universe. When an opportunity arises for Per to learn more about the mythical star dragons, he takes it and is thrust into an adventure of unlocking his past, facing his present, and looking to the future.

Starfire has a great concept, dragons in space, who doesn't want that? Per is a great MC, and reading the POV of someone with OCD and navigating the world around them is really interesting. Anthem, Per's sister, is a great female support character, strong, passionate, and protective.

I have to admit, I did guess the "twist" pretty early on, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. My only real criticism is that I feel like the book ended maybe 60% through the story, and I wanted more in this world. Hopefully, a sequel, or something more in this universe, will come!

A great sci-fi/fantasy read!

honeypapaya's review

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adventurous funny tense medium-paced

4.0

3.5 but rounded up for vibes.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC.

This was such a nice read! I love the character interactions; they were so satisfying and the dialogue got laughs out of me all throughout. I love the world the story is set in and the twists and reveals of the world itself. I also really liked the harm OCD depiction and the queer and disability representation. It was fun! I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a story where you learn that the world isn’t what you believed it to be…

Now as for some things I didn’t like— it was a little difficult to get into the story at first. I feel like the story really started when Per left his family. Maybe if we got a general description of the dragons coming down and then Per leaving and arriving in the town when the dragons were attacking it, and THEN he gets on the sub— all could have happened in the first chapter. It was nice to see some interaction with his parents but I also feel like more time could have been dedicated to Per and Z instead. I felt their attraction a little weak, especially since they barely spend any time together. So I didn’t understand why they were attracted to each other at all. It was a little too insta-lovey for me. But I really, really like their dynamic and would have loved to have spent more time with them on a longer trip.

I also felt like certain beats lasted a little longer than they needed to and the twists felt so big that it made me sad that it was all compressed into one book. The world is so interesting that I would have loved to have stayed in it longer.. A trilogy is too long but a duology would have been a sweet spot. It’s like when I finally got settled into the story, it was over! I love how things got wrapped up and the twists weren’t surprising but they were welcoming and, gosh, I just wanted more. So I’m a little unsatisfied. But I’m glad I read this.

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