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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
A Circle of Stars is a queer YA fantasy about an ordinary young man caught up in his celestial destiny. Casper, recently outed at his high school, was just kicked out of his home when he is kidnapped and transported to another planet for his rare ability to manifest all twelve astrological powers. There, he is kept isolated by the ruling Estellar Council as a political pawn. When he meets Helix, the grandson of the head of the Council being groomed for leadership, they become embroiled in a plot to destabilize the Novilem society. Casper must navigate his feelings, his emerging powers, and plots from the council and rebels if he wants to make a new home for himself in Novilem.
This was a very ambitious debut fantasy novel with a separate new world, completely different social structure, and a complex magic system. It is evident, however, that this is the author’s first novel as it doesn’t quite hit my expectations set by its premise. The twelve abilities bestowed by the twelve astrological signs weren’t laid out as clearly and memorably as I would have wanted. It does successfully build the world of Novilem and the human society there divided by the signs they are born into. The delivery just needed to be smoother and flow more naturally in the narrative. It left a number of questions unanswered, making them feel like loopholes. I I also couldn’t help but compare the magic system here to Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Metallurgy and how Sanderson was able to convey the complex hard magic system there so seamlessly and easily digestible, something this booked lacked.
I did appreciate the diverse cast. Casper as a recently outed teenage boy is not the average chosen one main character. His experiences hiding himself and being part of a persecuted group gives him unique insight, and he certainly recognized persecution in Novilem among its populace, even if he is comforted by how queernormative of a society it is. It’s just a different group but the same old story. Meanwhile, Helix as part of the privileged few and marked for leadership is having his eyes opened by his association with Casper, never having realized how skewed his own experiences are. I did like their romance which was charming while the book doesn’t stray away from the realities of a new relationship with their bickering and differing ideologies or perspectives. And it is their interactions that allows them to expand their own worldviews and change for the better.
The addition of Talleah as a POV character was a brilliant touch, giving the perspective of the lay person affected by all the politics and machinations done by those above her. One supporting character worth mentioning is Brissa, Helix’s grandmother and defacto leader of the council, whose complexity was startlingly refreshing where Helix views her as his guiding light in his life who has done what is necessary to preserve the Novilem way of life while the rebels see her as the ultimate expression of the oppressive government out of touch with reality.
A Circle of Stars is a complex YA fantasy debut that gets its characters and relationships right while needing a bit more refinement on the delivery of the narrative.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. This review might come off as very critical so I want to clarify that I absolutely enjoyed reading this story and actually finished it all in a day!
I loved the concept of a city carved into the moon and the magic system was interesting enough. However, there were a lot of plot points and twists that were only ever half explained and I had a hard time understanding the motivation behind many characters' actions and who they were loyal to.
As for the romance, it was good but felt quite rushed and underdeveloped. I think "rushed and underdeveloped" are the words I would use to describe quite a lot of things in this book, especially towars the end (which is a shame because I really liked the ideas behind this story).
I loved the concept of a city carved into the moon and the magic system was interesting enough. However, there were a lot of plot points and twists that were only ever half explained and I had a hard time understanding the motivation behind many characters' actions and who they were loyal to.
As for the romance, it was good but felt quite rushed and underdeveloped. I think "rushed and underdeveloped" are the words I would use to describe quite a lot of things in this book, especially towars the end (which is a shame because I really liked the ideas behind this story).
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content
adventurous
emotional
slow-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
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoyed this magical sci-fi debut. It has political intrigue, dealing with trauma, coming of age themes, and romance. The world and magic system was creative, the characters learned and grew (even if they were frustrating at times), and the plot turns were often unpredictable and propulsive, which made it a fast-paced read. The alternating points of view gave it some good depth as well. Some of the action scenes and dialogue were a little rough around the edges at times, but I think that’s understandable with this being a debut. Overall great read and I look forward to the next installment.
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
No
After a shaky start, I was quick to fall in love with this book. The author does an amazing job at slowly building the world and letting us in it. I loved the magic system and the uniqueness of it. This book would have been quite a gift to my younger self. It deals with tricky things that rear ugly heads in some queer kids’ lives. This book was also masterful at showing meaningful and fruitful conversations in the face of adversity, and provided blueprints for vulnerability around big feelings, trauma, emotional outbursts, and anxiety. I cannot wait to read the next part!