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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
I never thought there is going to be a time I’m gonna say that I prefer sci-fi over fantasy. I like this so much better than Maria V. Snyder’s fantasy books. Only, I regret reading it now cuz it’s going to be torture waiting for the next book.
Great read
Science fiction, with what's beginning to look like a dollop of fantasy. I loved all of the characters, and the world building, but there's a lot of complexity in the plot that I don't think I grasped 100 per cent. But that'll make it good for a reread while waiting for part two.
Science fiction, with what's beginning to look like a dollop of fantasy. I loved all of the characters, and the world building, but there's a lot of complexity in the plot that I don't think I grasped 100 per cent. But that'll make it good for a reread while waiting for part two.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
To sum up my thoughts on this book in a sentence it’d be “it’s not a bad book, just not my cup of tea.”
So reading Navigating the Stars made me realise I do not like sci-fi novels.
The plot seemed great and I like the writing- I’m a huge fan of Maria V. Snyder’s- but I just didn’t like all the futuristic gadgets and I couldn’t wrap my mind around the space travel and science of it (science is not my strong suite and it’s been a LONG time since I studied any kind of science lol). So I just couldn’t get into it, and despite how much I wanted to keep reading and find out what happens (because seriously the plot is so interesting and I need to know what happens) I just couldn’t force myself to keep going and stopped at 5%.
I’m not saying the book (or what I read of it) was bad, its just the genre I don’t like (which at least I know now) but I’m certain this will be a popular novel, so I do recommend this novel for readers who enjoy YA sci-fi books.
To sum up my thoughts on this book in a sentence it’d be “it’s not a bad book, just not my cup of tea.”
So reading Navigating the Stars made me realise I do not like sci-fi novels.
The plot seemed great and I like the writing- I’m a huge fan of Maria V. Snyder’s- but I just didn’t like all the futuristic gadgets and I couldn’t wrap my mind around the space travel and science of it (science is not my strong suite and it’s been a LONG time since I studied any kind of science lol). So I just couldn’t get into it, and despite how much I wanted to keep reading and find out what happens (because seriously the plot is so interesting and I need to know what happens) I just couldn’t force myself to keep going and stopped at 5%.
I’m not saying the book (or what I read of it) was bad, its just the genre I don’t like (which at least I know now) but I’m certain this will be a popular novel, so I do recommend this novel for readers who enjoy YA sci-fi books.
I was originally drawn to this book because i'm a fan of Maria V Snyder's Poison books and I was quite surprised to see her delving into science fiction. So i was a little wary because of that but I overall I think the book was pretty interesting.
Pros:
-Great main character. Lyra is likable and relatable
-Unique concepts (to me), space travel and crinkling was cool
- Good balance of romance and science fiction stuff. There wasn't too much and it was a natural progression
-some cool female characters
Cons:
-Predicatable plot twist
-The evil character lacked depth and motivation in my opinion
-not enough world building/ i just wanted more explanation here. A lot seemed to be glossed over. Like, how does this group of people new to a planet find food? Do they grow it? Did they just bring a huge supply with them? I wanted more information on the working parts of planet life
-The story was slow at times and it took a while for the story to really get going
-The most climactic part of the book was way too short
Despite the cons list being a little longer, I really did enjoy the book and i'm interested to see where she takes the plot in the sequel. I think the concept of the story is interesting but I think she could have made the book more interesting by steering away from so much analytical talk about the warrior planets.
Pros:
-Great main character. Lyra is likable and relatable
-Unique concepts (to me), space travel and crinkling was cool
- Good balance of romance and science fiction stuff. There wasn't too much and it was a natural progression
-some cool female characters
Cons:
-Predicatable plot twist
-The evil character lacked depth and motivation in my opinion
-not enough world building/ i just wanted more explanation here. A lot seemed to be glossed over. Like, how does this group of people new to a planet find food? Do they grow it? Did they just bring a huge supply with them? I wanted more information on the working parts of planet life
-The story was slow at times and it took a while for the story to really get going
-The most climactic part of the book was way too short
Despite the cons list being a little longer, I really did enjoy the book and i'm interested to see where she takes the plot in the sequel. I think the concept of the story is interesting but I think she could have made the book more interesting by steering away from so much analytical talk about the warrior planets.
A Solid Start to a new Space Opera series
I for one, adore Maria V. Snyder's writing, and loved what she did with space travel and time. I found that intriguing. When it comes to our 2 main characters, I think that they were definitely stereotyped, but each had a slight surprise within their personalities, which made them a little more relatable.
The whole concept within this story was one that kept me guessing, and I really had a great time reading. (Or listening to, as I did listen to the audiobook on this one. Highly recommend it. The narrator, Gabra Zackman, is one of my favorites.) The plot was interesting, and the book had some time skips to keep the plot interesting.
All in all, I am excited for book 2 in the series!
I for one, adore Maria V. Snyder's writing, and loved what she did with space travel and time. I found that intriguing. When it comes to our 2 main characters, I think that they were definitely stereotyped, but each had a slight surprise within their personalities, which made them a little more relatable.
The whole concept within this story was one that kept me guessing, and I really had a great time reading. (Or listening to, as I did listen to the audiobook on this one. Highly recommend it. The narrator, Gabra Zackman, is one of my favorites.) The plot was interesting, and the book had some time skips to keep the plot interesting.
All in all, I am excited for book 2 in the series!
Ahh first of all I am a little biased because I have a soft spot for Maria’s work in general but I actually loved reading this book! It was a great start for a new series and is definitely in the Young Adult Sci-Fi genre. This was such an easy read and while it isn’t heavy in the scientific and physics information about space travel, you can tell Maria has done her research into it to make sure it’s accurate.
The plot revolves around Lyra (looove the name) and her parents/friends etc. Lyra’s parents are archaeologists, and are working on the discovery of terracotta warriors (yes, those ones) that have been discovered on different planets (uh, amazing!). The whole thing is told from Lyra’s perspective and you really feel as though you are in her brain, she is so snarky and quick-witted, her dialogue rolls out sharp and funny throughout so it is super easy to follow making this novel a pretty quick read (I’ve heard good things about the audiobook too).
While I know some readers will automatically discount this book due to its setting in space I very much urge you to just give it a go. Maria does not lay it on thick, the tech is not dumbed down but it isn’t ‘oh my god you need a degree in astrophysics’ to understand (although I personally just took Maria’s word for it) so I wouldn’t let the setting of this novel put you off. At its heart it is still a coming of age story about a 17 year old girl, living in a reality where her parents rule sternly and she is determined to live outside of the rules. Lyra, as a character is refreshing. She is honest and self-aware of her situation and that of others. While she gets herself into trouble, she does so with the best of intentions, knowing she is going to be grounded and I love her for it. She isn’t blinded by self-righteousness and she definitely doesn’t martyr herself. She does what she needs to do to get the job done and she needs her friends, her parents, her ship mates to do it. The camaraderie is perfect in my opinion, no conversation feels forced between any of the characters and I loved seeing them all develop together in a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I absolutely cannot wait to continue Lyra’s story.
The plot revolves around Lyra (looove the name) and her parents/friends etc. Lyra’s parents are archaeologists, and are working on the discovery of terracotta warriors (yes, those ones) that have been discovered on different planets (uh, amazing!). The whole thing is told from Lyra’s perspective and you really feel as though you are in her brain, she is so snarky and quick-witted, her dialogue rolls out sharp and funny throughout so it is super easy to follow making this novel a pretty quick read (I’ve heard good things about the audiobook too).
While I know some readers will automatically discount this book due to its setting in space I very much urge you to just give it a go. Maria does not lay it on thick, the tech is not dumbed down but it isn’t ‘oh my god you need a degree in astrophysics’ to understand (although I personally just took Maria’s word for it) so I wouldn’t let the setting of this novel put you off. At its heart it is still a coming of age story about a 17 year old girl, living in a reality where her parents rule sternly and she is determined to live outside of the rules. Lyra, as a character is refreshing. She is honest and self-aware of her situation and that of others. While she gets herself into trouble, she does so with the best of intentions, knowing she is going to be grounded and I love her for it. She isn’t blinded by self-righteousness and she definitely doesn’t martyr herself. She does what she needs to do to get the job done and she needs her friends, her parents, her ship mates to do it. The camaraderie is perfect in my opinion, no conversation feels forced between any of the characters and I loved seeing them all develop together in a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I absolutely cannot wait to continue Lyra’s story.
Really engaging and enjoyable sci-fi read. I’m excited to have new stuff coming from Maria Snyder as I loved the study series.
The science and space travel within this book is really fascinating and well thought out, and is something I don’t think I’ve come across before.
Definitely will be a must read for previous fans of Snyder’s work, as well as those who enjoy a good sci-fi read.
The science and space travel within this book is really fascinating and well thought out, and is something I don’t think I’ve come across before.
Definitely will be a must read for previous fans of Snyder’s work, as well as those who enjoy a good sci-fi read.
*4.5 stars
This was SO GOOD!! I can’t wait for the next one.
This was SO GOOD!! I can’t wait for the next one.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is so enjoyable. I thought it was an interesting concept and it was full of smarts and action. Lyra is a strong lead and her reactions very true to life. She isn't the strongest, and she knows it but she is smart and isn't a doormat. The mystery of the Terra Cotta Warriors is really fascinating. I highly recommend.