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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
This book was a blast from start to finish! It's been a while since I read a YA fantasy that hooked me from the very beginning and kept my attention through its entirety, but this book did. I find it hard to believe that this is Craig's debut novel. It reads like its written by a seasoned YA novelist. Craig created two great main characters that go through hell as they discover the secrets and lies their world is built on. From the very beginning, we saw our MC, Casper, get kicked out of his home because of his sexuality before being ripped from Earth and transported far across the galaxy to a whole new world. Even though every sexuality is considered normal and widely accepted, this world still held it's own prejudices against a minority that those in charge didn't fully understand. Those in power chose to control this group of people by locking them away just so they could keep the power they worked so hard to build. I think Craig did an excellent job of creating a political world that mirror's our own in the US. The every day people are the ones who are forced to bare the weight of the nation instead of those in power (wealthy). I thought that this was a very creative way of voicing concerns and frustrations about things in our reality through a fantasy lens.
I think that Craig has a very bright future as an author. I can't wait to read the 2nd book in The Stardust Duology and other stories that he creates. If you are looking for a fun YA fantasy, especially a queer YA fantasy, this is the book for you. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy of the audiobook for an honest review!
I think that Craig has a very bright future as an author. I can't wait to read the 2nd book in The Stardust Duology and other stories that he creates. If you are looking for a fun YA fantasy, especially a queer YA fantasy, this is the book for you. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy of the audiobook for an honest review!
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
I’m gonna DNF for now because I’m just not feeling it. I’ve been meaning to pick it up after putting it on hold and I finish a couple of ARCs but that was two weeks ago. Still don’t feel like picking it up now.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
sad
It is rare that I will openly gush about books I have read because I feel lucky enough to read a lot of very good books and it would get tiresome.
With that being said: A Circle of Stars was a magnificent read that I truly hope that more people will pick up and read. Not just because it was a thrilling sci-fi/fantasy journey but because of how the author writes his queer characters with so much authenticity and realism. He allows them to be who they are in a world where their sexuality doesn’t define them. They are simply allowed to be who they are and love who they love without fear of being ostracized or demonized.
A triumphant first novel.
With that being said: A Circle of Stars was a magnificent read that I truly hope that more people will pick up and read. Not just because it was a thrilling sci-fi/fantasy journey but because of how the author writes his queer characters with so much authenticity and realism. He allows them to be who they are in a world where their sexuality doesn’t define them. They are simply allowed to be who they are and love who they love without fear of being ostracized or demonized.
A triumphant first novel.
4.5 stars, rounded up. This sci-fi fantasy book really had everything: well-developed and diverse characters, a neat magic system based on astrological signs, detailed world building, and like wicked communication. At one point I had to put the book down because the communication between two of our main characters, Casper and Helix, was just so good and it felt unreal. Don’t see communication like that in many books nowadays.
I was tearing up a few pages in and I knew this story had me hooked. This book does well what many others wish they could - it explains and shows the reader the impacts of oppression and privilege.
It’s a coming of age for both Casper and Helix as Casper deals with the fallout of being outted and acceptance of his desire to be with Helix, and as Helix grapples between his loyalty to family, alongside the system of oppression they uphold and the city of Novilem and the obvious change that needs to occur upon learning secrets kept by his family.
Talleah was our other POV and she was a great addition. She helped us see how the power structure is affecting the people of Novilem and what the consequences are.
Sometimes the politics lost me a little bit and I wish Cancer had more rep. Cancer doesn’t seem to have any important super power :( maybe in the next book. This is not a real critique, just me pouting a bit.
On a more real note, I wish we had a bit more from Jacob by the end. I’m sure this will be a bit more fleshed out in the next book but his motivation at the moment just seems to be ‘evil just for evils sake’
I was tearing up a few pages in and I knew this story had me hooked. This book does well what many others wish they could - it explains and shows the reader the impacts of oppression and privilege.
It’s a coming of age for both Casper and Helix as Casper deals with the fallout of being outted and acceptance of his desire to be with Helix, and as Helix grapples between his loyalty to family, alongside the system of oppression they uphold and the city of Novilem and the obvious change that needs to occur upon learning secrets kept by his family.
Talleah was our other POV and she was a great addition. She helped us see how the power structure is affecting the people of Novilem and what the consequences are.
Sometimes the politics lost me a little bit and I wish Cancer had more rep. Cancer doesn’t seem to have any important super power :( maybe in the next book. This is not a real critique, just me pouting a bit.
On a more real note, I wish we had a bit more from Jacob by the end. I’m sure this will be a bit more fleshed out in the next book but his motivation at the moment just seems to be ‘evil just for evils sake’
I received an arc for an honest review.
4.5/5
Light spoilers below
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This is a Queer MM Fantasy/Sci-Fi Dystopian that follows Casper. He gets outed at school and finds himself out on the streets with no one to rely on and less than $400 in his pocket. While walking the streets of Chicago he encounters strange creatures and without warning gets whisked away hundreds of light years away to the Novilem, the city at the center of a moon that orbits the planet of Ouranos.
It is here where Astrology is magic and one can only wield the magic of the house under which they are born. That is except the Telos, who can wield the magic of all 12 houses. That happens to be Casper. From the moment he lands on Novilem things are intense and he has to fight for himself, his future people and the one he's falling for.
This story has romance, action, and one of the coolest magic systems I've ever read. The characters are flawed but so relatable. It reads smoothly and keeps you hooked from the very beginning. The relationship between Casper and Helix (cool name btw) grows steadily through communication and the events they find themselves experiencing and their chemistry is palpable and I found myself rooting for them.
Follow the author on TikTok (@craigmontgomerybooks) where he gives a lot of wonderful detail about the astrology magic, the characters and the city of Novilem and its people.
4.5/5
Light spoilers below
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This is a Queer MM Fantasy/Sci-Fi Dystopian that follows Casper. He gets outed at school and finds himself out on the streets with no one to rely on and less than $400 in his pocket. While walking the streets of Chicago he encounters strange creatures and without warning gets whisked away hundreds of light years away to the Novilem, the city at the center of a moon that orbits the planet of Ouranos.
It is here where Astrology is magic and one can only wield the magic of the house under which they are born. That is except the Telos, who can wield the magic of all 12 houses. That happens to be Casper. From the moment he lands on Novilem things are intense and he has to fight for himself, his future people and the one he's falling for.
This story has romance, action, and one of the coolest magic systems I've ever read. The characters are flawed but so relatable. It reads smoothly and keeps you hooked from the very beginning. The relationship between Casper and Helix (cool name btw) grows steadily through communication and the events they find themselves experiencing and their chemistry is palpable and I found myself rooting for them.
Follow the author on TikTok (@craigmontgomerybooks) where he gives a lot of wonderful detail about the astrology magic, the characters and the city of Novilem and its people.
I thought this was an adult sci-fi when I was reading, and now that I am am seeing it as a young adult genre sci-fi... it makes more sense. I am not sure how that got jumbled in my head. Either way I really enjoyed this read, but more makes sense now.
This book is a science fiction/fantasy about a young queer guy who is kidnapped to another planet to be their savior of sorts. Casper, was finishing high school and got kicked out of his home and disowned for being gay, but lucky for him in some ways, he was picked up by some people because he has the ability to see and use magic. The people of Novilem abduct him and teach him about their magic of the Zodiac houses and he learns that he can harness them all. Capser has been though a lot and shows a lot of strength throughout this book, however at times he is vulnerable and not sure the path he should take.
I liked the magic system in this book a lot, the houses of the zodiac, all have differing powers and levels that they are in, much like a caste system. I liked the magic part - not the turmoil that the caste system brings upon this plot. The plot itself was really interesting. Sci-fi isn't really my cup of tea but this story kept me interested and I liked the characters a lot. It is told in multiple POV, so you seem more of the overall picture coming together as the reader.
The middle was a bit off for me though, it was as if this wanted to be an adult story at the beginning and end, but the middle was teh chance for the YA parts. Casper was suddenly very opinionated and whiney and it was a lot. For a while there, I wanted to punch him in the face rather then see him succeed.
Overall, I liked this book for the diverse cast, the MM queer relationship rep, and the magic system. I found it lacking a bit in the middle but it was a good first book.
This book is a science fiction/fantasy about a young queer guy who is kidnapped to another planet to be their savior of sorts. Casper, was finishing high school and got kicked out of his home and disowned for being gay, but lucky for him in some ways, he was picked up by some people because he has the ability to see and use magic. The people of Novilem abduct him and teach him about their magic of the Zodiac houses and he learns that he can harness them all. Capser has been though a lot and shows a lot of strength throughout this book, however at times he is vulnerable and not sure the path he should take.
I liked the magic system in this book a lot, the houses of the zodiac, all have differing powers and levels that they are in, much like a caste system. I liked the magic part - not the turmoil that the caste system brings upon this plot. The plot itself was really interesting. Sci-fi isn't really my cup of tea but this story kept me interested and I liked the characters a lot. It is told in multiple POV, so you seem more of the overall picture coming together as the reader.
The middle was a bit off for me though, it was as if this wanted to be an adult story at the beginning and end, but the middle was teh chance for the YA parts. Casper was suddenly very opinionated and whiney and it was a lot. For a while there, I wanted to punch him in the face rather then see him succeed.
Overall, I liked this book for the diverse cast, the MM queer relationship rep, and the magic system. I found it lacking a bit in the middle but it was a good first book.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
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:
Complicated