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3.16 AVERAGE
3.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Murder, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
Honestly, this would've been a great story (people living in a dystopia fight against corrupt powers, what's not to love?), but the blatant Islamophobia ruined everything.
For a futuristic story, the authors could've made up fake religions instead of using actual harmful religious stereotypes and disguising it as fiction. It just feels like lazy writing.
And using two very token side characters as plot devices to show that #NotAllMuslims? Yeah, this ain't it.
For a futuristic story, the authors could've made up fake religions instead of using actual harmful religious stereotypes and disguising it as fiction. It just feels like lazy writing.
And using two very token side characters as plot devices to show that #NotAllMuslims? Yeah, this ain't it.
An explosive sci-fi adventure with a beautifully unique feel. This book has everything you would want from a sci-fi book. There is so much action that this has a tv series or movie production written all over it.
The dual telling of the story from 2 characters points of view adds such a superb dynamic to the book. It can take some getting used to initially, purely from the identifying the timing in the story but the excellent writing of both authors takes you in its arms and supports you through. Within a few chapters, you’ll be excited for the next character point of view of the current situation. There is also a third pov and this one is an outright maniacal blood fest! Each of these storylines, you will be glad to know, converge together ensuring little confusion in what's happening.
The setting of the book in a dystopian future where the human race has been ripped apart and forced into separate species is excellent. Imagine a sort of Hunger Games separation of class and then add in a group of rapid mad max esque crazies and that’s basically what has happened to humanity!
The story itself is gripping, it takes common themes of gangs, tyrants, classism and presents them in a truly special piece of sci-fi brilliance! This culminates in an absolute nuclear bomb of a final act. It is packed full of crazy action that I couldn’t get enough of! I can’t wait to dive into the sequel … In The Shadow Of The Moon! Thank you Gareth Worthington for sending these to me! You are a true gent!
The dual telling of the story from 2 characters points of view adds such a superb dynamic to the book. It can take some getting used to initially, purely from the identifying the timing in the story but the excellent writing of both authors takes you in its arms and supports you through. Within a few chapters, you’ll be excited for the next character point of view of the current situation. There is also a third pov and this one is an outright maniacal blood fest! Each of these storylines, you will be glad to know, converge together ensuring little confusion in what's happening.
The setting of the book in a dystopian future where the human race has been ripped apart and forced into separate species is excellent. Imagine a sort of Hunger Games separation of class and then add in a group of rapid mad max esque crazies and that’s basically what has happened to humanity!
The story itself is gripping, it takes common themes of gangs, tyrants, classism and presents them in a truly special piece of sci-fi brilliance! This culminates in an absolute nuclear bomb of a final act. It is packed full of crazy action that I couldn’t get enough of! I can’t wait to dive into the sequel … In The Shadow Of The Moon! Thank you Gareth Worthington for sending these to me! You are a true gent!
adventurous
I finally realised that I can download kindle/kobo apps on my phone, so I wanted to get through some of the books I've nabbed for free or while they were on sale. I don't know what it is about ebooks, but I always seem to zoom through them, so hopefully this'll put an end to my reading slump!
1.5 stars.
Overall... pretty disappointing. I didn't really have high expectations because I didn't know anything about it prior to starting, but??
Maybe RTC but I don't know if I'll ever get around to typing a review up for this one.
1.5 stars.
Overall... pretty disappointing. I didn't really have high expectations because I didn't know anything about it prior to starting, but??
Maybe RTC but I don't know if I'll ever get around to typing a review up for this one.
“The streets are dark and cold, shadows upon shadows concealing the horrors of Etyom. It’s hard to believe this place was once considered a haven.”
We find ourselves in a distant but believable future. One where a plague, powerful, resistant, crept over the world while we fought over things that in the end, didn’t matter. The cold and isolation of a distant city in the Northern reaches of Siberia, the only one to survive.
From this city, mankind has lived, though they’ve struggled. And two very different people emerged. The Graciles, wealthy and powerful, have been genetically modified and bred to be resistant to the plague. They live in towers far above the ground, called Lilypads. And, the Robusts. The rest of humanity left to fight and survive on the ground below.
Within the first two chapters, we get to know our two narrators, Mila and Demetri. The authors manage to provide us with quite a lot of information regarding this world and the people in it, but it isn’t bulky, distracting, or read like information download. Between what we know from the blurb, and the details filled in by our narrators, we are fully immersed in this world seamlessly and quickly.
“The world has changed, but the people in it didn’t. Information is still power–and money.”
This fast-paced transition and immersion are necessary and match the pacing of the entire book. It is intense, with a ton of fight scenes and some spectacular explosions. Many parts read like an action movie. You can see the scenes unfolding as they are narrated, which is something that isn’t always easily achieved. However, it is well rounded with character development, so it doesn’t feel all action all the time.
Mila is my favorite character in the book. She is strong and persistent, smart and adaptable. I really enjoyed every scene she was in. Demetri was a bit hit or miss with me. I didn’t mind him, but his character confused me and felt like he was missing something. He didn’t feel as well rounded, and in many scenes, felt like a contradiction. He was strong but weak, superior but inferior. Normally I love this type of dichotomy in a character, but he didn’t feel complete to me, so I had a hard time getting him solidified in my mind. I did love Vedmak though. I know, he’s not exactly a nice guy, but his lines were sharp and his character was focused, both of which I am very fond of in a villain.
“You think too much and act too little, Vedmak says.”
While this is a really fun book to read, it is going to appeal to readers who really enjoy action elements in a novel. This isn’t a bad thing, but there is a lot of focus on the action, with a lot of explanations rather than letting the characters show the reader what’s unfolding. The action and fighting are vivid and real, but if I had one criticism, I wish the dialogue and character development were just as strong.
If you’re looking to get caught up in a kick-ass book with a strong female character this book is for you. Fans of military type thrillers or books where the action is nonstop will fall in love with the intense fast-pace of this novel.
It Takes Death To Reach A Star is the first in a series. I am looking forward to the next book, especially with the ending we were given! I’m hoping to see much more Vedmak, and maybe start to feel a bit more connected with Demetri. And of course, GIVE ME MORE MILA!!!
Thank you to TLC Book Tours for including me on this blog tour, and for sending me a review copy!
We find ourselves in a distant but believable future. One where a plague, powerful, resistant, crept over the world while we fought over things that in the end, didn’t matter. The cold and isolation of a distant city in the Northern reaches of Siberia, the only one to survive.
From this city, mankind has lived, though they’ve struggled. And two very different people emerged. The Graciles, wealthy and powerful, have been genetically modified and bred to be resistant to the plague. They live in towers far above the ground, called Lilypads. And, the Robusts. The rest of humanity left to fight and survive on the ground below.
Within the first two chapters, we get to know our two narrators, Mila and Demetri. The authors manage to provide us with quite a lot of information regarding this world and the people in it, but it isn’t bulky, distracting, or read like information download. Between what we know from the blurb, and the details filled in by our narrators, we are fully immersed in this world seamlessly and quickly.
“The world has changed, but the people in it didn’t. Information is still power–and money.”
This fast-paced transition and immersion are necessary and match the pacing of the entire book. It is intense, with a ton of fight scenes and some spectacular explosions. Many parts read like an action movie. You can see the scenes unfolding as they are narrated, which is something that isn’t always easily achieved. However, it is well rounded with character development, so it doesn’t feel all action all the time.
Mila is my favorite character in the book. She is strong and persistent, smart and adaptable. I really enjoyed every scene she was in. Demetri was a bit hit or miss with me. I didn’t mind him, but his character confused me and felt like he was missing something. He didn’t feel as well rounded, and in many scenes, felt like a contradiction. He was strong but weak, superior but inferior. Normally I love this type of dichotomy in a character, but he didn’t feel complete to me, so I had a hard time getting him solidified in my mind. I did love Vedmak though. I know, he’s not exactly a nice guy, but his lines were sharp and his character was focused, both of which I am very fond of in a villain.
“You think too much and act too little, Vedmak says.”
While this is a really fun book to read, it is going to appeal to readers who really enjoy action elements in a novel. This isn’t a bad thing, but there is a lot of focus on the action, with a lot of explanations rather than letting the characters show the reader what’s unfolding. The action and fighting are vivid and real, but if I had one criticism, I wish the dialogue and character development were just as strong.
If you’re looking to get caught up in a kick-ass book with a strong female character this book is for you. Fans of military type thrillers or books where the action is nonstop will fall in love with the intense fast-pace of this novel.
It Takes Death To Reach A Star is the first in a series. I am looking forward to the next book, especially with the ending we were given! I’m hoping to see much more Vedmak, and maybe start to feel a bit more connected with Demetri. And of course, GIVE ME MORE MILA!!!
Thank you to TLC Book Tours for including me on this blog tour, and for sending me a review copy!
{I recieved an ARC from the authors and @tlcbooktours for an honest review}
Let me start by saying I do not read much Sci-fi so this book took me completely out of my comfort zone. I found It Takes Death To Reach A Star to be a solid beginning to what I believe will be a great Science fiction dystopian series.
It Takes Death To Reach A Star has complex characters and a complex story line. Let's start with Mila Solokoff, she's a bit rough around the edges. In this dystopian world she is part of the lowest class who fights daily to survive, known as the Robust. Even though she's been through a lot in her life she still manages to stick her neck out for those in need. Her belief in her god, Yeos, keeps her going when it seems there's no hope left. The next main character is Demitri Stasevich , who has no faith in himself or the society he's a part of. He is part of the elite society where everyone is born in test tubes to create the perfect person, known as a Gracile. Demitri may be physically perfect but his mind is far from it. There is a voice in his head, who he has named Vedmak, that speaks to him and it's not pleasant. Unlike Mila, Demitri has no faith and when he is thrown into the middle of a revolution he struggles with his place in it all. The two opposites have to find a way to work together before everything they know is destroyed.
There was quite a lot that I enjoyed about It Takes Death To Reach A Star. I really enjoyed Demitri, he was probably my favorite of the book. His internal struggles were distressing and I just wanted to give him a big hug [[I know that's sappy and totally doesn't fit this book but oh well 😂]] I also really enjoyed Vedmak, that may be an unpopular opinion but I felt he was such a wildcard and made things interesting. There is also a whole cast of the well written side characters that played important roles in the story line. The book had so much going on that I appreciated the world building details. Also, the fighting and combat scenes were seriously bad a** and descriptive which was awesome.
By the end of It Takes Death To Reach A Star by Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington I was left wanting more and in dire need to know the fate of these characters, especially my Demitri 😍. I will without a doubt be reading the sequel when it releases.
"You think too much and act too little"
"I know what's about to happen, but I can't stop it as the dream shuffles forward, sometimes in slow motion, sometimes skipping and jumping ahead with flashes of light. I know this place. Every sound, every falling snowflake - it's as real as anything I have ever livedm except I haven't..."
4/5 🌟
Let me start by saying I do not read much Sci-fi so this book took me completely out of my comfort zone. I found It Takes Death To Reach A Star to be a solid beginning to what I believe will be a great Science fiction dystopian series.
It Takes Death To Reach A Star has complex characters and a complex story line. Let's start with Mila Solokoff, she's a bit rough around the edges. In this dystopian world she is part of the lowest class who fights daily to survive, known as the Robust. Even though she's been through a lot in her life she still manages to stick her neck out for those in need. Her belief in her god, Yeos, keeps her going when it seems there's no hope left. The next main character is Demitri Stasevich , who has no faith in himself or the society he's a part of. He is part of the elite society where everyone is born in test tubes to create the perfect person, known as a Gracile. Demitri may be physically perfect but his mind is far from it. There is a voice in his head, who he has named Vedmak, that speaks to him and it's not pleasant. Unlike Mila, Demitri has no faith and when he is thrown into the middle of a revolution he struggles with his place in it all. The two opposites have to find a way to work together before everything they know is destroyed.
There was quite a lot that I enjoyed about It Takes Death To Reach A Star. I really enjoyed Demitri, he was probably my favorite of the book. His internal struggles were distressing and I just wanted to give him a big hug [[I know that's sappy and totally doesn't fit this book but oh well 😂]] I also really enjoyed Vedmak, that may be an unpopular opinion but I felt he was such a wildcard and made things interesting. There is also a whole cast of the well written side characters that played important roles in the story line. The book had so much going on that I appreciated the world building details. Also, the fighting and combat scenes were seriously bad a** and descriptive which was awesome.
By the end of It Takes Death To Reach A Star by Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington I was left wanting more and in dire need to know the fate of these characters, especially my Demitri 😍. I will without a doubt be reading the sequel when it releases.
"You think too much and act too little"
"I know what's about to happen, but I can't stop it as the dream shuffles forward, sometimes in slow motion, sometimes skipping and jumping ahead with flashes of light. I know this place. Every sound, every falling snowflake - it's as real as anything I have ever livedm except I haven't..."
4/5 🌟
THIS WAS SO GOOD! I mean that, this is a really good book. Great to see a PostApoc done well in the Slavic culture, normally it is not done well, or written well, this was great on all of the important beats. I already have Book 2!
"We have one life to live, use yours to make a difference."
Synopsis:
Set in a dystopian Earth ravaged by the New Black Death the generations of survivors have founded Etyom, a society where genetics matter and there is one called the Leader to rule them. The genetically engineered Graciles live above the clouds and plague in advanced homes; The Robusts make up the enclaves below where savagery, drugs & sex are a means for survival.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Mila Solokoff is a bounty hunter of sorts dealing with the dredges of Lower Etyom and the cold to make money. Hardened by a dark past Mila is a fierce fighter with an even fiercer heart. Demitri Stasevich is a scientist battling schizophrenia and drug addiction while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy. To fight his demons he risks discovery by everyone in his perfect society.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The two cross paths on a dangerous mission to retrieve information that holds all of Etyom in it's grasp and to fight their demons or be succumbed by them. In this action-packed and dark sci-fi the authors will lead you into a future where there are no limits. Goodreads synopsis here.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
I was given this book by Booktasters in exchange for an honest review, this in no way sways my opinions about the novel ✨
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
My Thoughts:
I am a huge fan of sci-fi and this was such a dark adventure filled with science and plenty of dystopian goodies so I was satisfied. I was slightly confused in the beginning by all of the terms unique to the book and it took me a while to get used to them but I eased into it as the novel went on. It's set in the year 2251 after a plague called the New Black Death pretty much wipes out all of civilization and everyone moves to Siberia; So this whole novel is cold to say the least which only adds to the crappy environment of the enclaves. There is a lot of political and religious conversation in this book and the xenophobia is everywhere with all of these surrounding races clumped into small territories and forced to do whatever it takes. At times I found the amount of slurs random characters threw around to be tiresome but this was all part of the overall "we only trust our own" vibe that everyone has. I was more invested in the characters than the plot and that's not to say that the plot wasn't interesting because it was! These guys really did their research and used their life experiences to make this book come to life.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"You're not the Lightbringer Mila, you can't save everyone."
Mila Solokoff: I absolutely loved this strong female character, she takes absolutely no prisoners and is strong in her faith. People often call her an angel and she is one considering she's saving everyone's lives this entire novel. Mila's brother recently went missing after working in the mines that her people are forced to toil in day in and day out so the fate of that weighs on her shoulders as well as the burden of the mission she's taken on. She naturally grows into herself and her journey as the book goes on and she was my #1 forsure.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Demetri. I need your help. We all need your help. You're the only one who understands this well enough to stop it."
Demetri Stasevich: Demetri is easy on the eyes and easy on the heart in this novel, he struggles with an evil inner voice that he named Vedmak that threatens to take him over. To say that he's intelligent is an understatement and being genetically engineered only adds to his status as a favorite of the Leader's. To keep his evil personality at bay he uses DBS supplied by a fellow scientist to mellow out. I enjoyed watching his development and realization that he is not his monsters; the whole novel he exhibits such humanity for someone that was grown in a bio-lab. The struggle he goes through in this novel just to be brave and to figure out what the hell is going on stressed me out.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── "In this body, I am a machine built for war. A machine the Graciles never understood how to harness."
Vedmak: As far as I'm concerned everyone should be worried about a personality that can literally rip people to shreds. There are a few instances in this book where Vedmak completely takes over Demetri and I did not see that coming and when he does it is for no other purpose than to ruin everyone's day in the surrounding areas. Vedmak has even the most violent people running for the hills, if they can make it that far in the first place. He's evil and is constantly telling Demetri how worthless he is and how one day he'll be free and that he'll take over Etyom, y'all he is insane.
The Leader: I wasn't really into this character because Vedmak was the real villain for me and all of the violence that Mila & Co. were experiencing overshadowed this master plan that he concocted. The Leader is the puppet master of this novel and has played his hand well by the end of it, him and his minions give Mila and Demetri a run for their money .
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── Wrap up: There is a God vs. Science debate going on in this novel which made for a pensive feel that I enjoyed. For readers that are worried there is drug usage and sexual assault themes, these were all a part of the plot and overall story. I would definitely read more of their works, I only found the end to be a little bit lackluster but it was a whirlwind and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I rated this book 3.9/5 🌟 ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"We are free people. The Elites do not control us!" www.bookishpisces.wordpress.com ✨
Mila Solokoff: I absolutely loved this strong female character, she takes absolutely no prisoners and is strong in her faith. People often call her an angel and she is one considering she's saving everyone's lives this entire novel. Mila's brother recently went missing after working in the mines that her people are forced to toil in day in and day out so the fate of that weighs on her shoulders as well as the burden of the mission she's taken on. She naturally grows into herself and her journey as the book goes on and she was my #1 forsure.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Demetri. I need your help. We all need your help. You're the only one who understands this well enough to stop it."
Demetri Stasevich: Demetri is easy on the eyes and easy on the heart in this novel, he struggles with an evil inner voice that he named Vedmak that threatens to take him over. To say that he's intelligent is an understatement and being genetically engineered only adds to his status as a favorite of the Leader's. To keep his evil personality at bay he uses DBS supplied by a fellow scientist to mellow out. I enjoyed watching his development and realization that he is not his monsters; the whole novel he exhibits such humanity for someone that was grown in a bio-lab. The struggle he goes through in this novel just to be brave and to figure out what the hell is going on stressed me out.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── "In this body, I am a machine built for war. A machine the Graciles never understood how to harness."
Vedmak: As far as I'm concerned everyone should be worried about a personality that can literally rip people to shreds. There are a few instances in this book where Vedmak completely takes over Demetri and I did not see that coming and when he does it is for no other purpose than to ruin everyone's day in the surrounding areas. Vedmak has even the most violent people running for the hills, if they can make it that far in the first place. He's evil and is constantly telling Demetri how worthless he is and how one day he'll be free and that he'll take over Etyom, y'all he is insane.
The Leader: I wasn't really into this character because Vedmak was the real villain for me and all of the violence that Mila & Co. were experiencing overshadowed this master plan that he concocted. The Leader is the puppet master of this novel and has played his hand well by the end of it, him and his minions give Mila and Demetri a run for their money .
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── Wrap up: There is a God vs. Science debate going on in this novel which made for a pensive feel that I enjoyed. For readers that are worried there is drug usage and sexual assault themes, these were all a part of the plot and overall story. I would definitely read more of their works, I only found the end to be a little bit lackluster but it was a whirlwind and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I rated this book 3.9/5 🌟 ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"We are free people. The Elites do not control us!" www.bookishpisces.wordpress.com ✨