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ektambo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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
4.0
This was fun! It felt like a mix between Ender’s Game and Aurora Rising. I also appreciated the casual queerness!
agentnk_'s review against another edition
4.0
Light Years follows the lives of four different students from all over the galaxy as they attempt to navigate their way through Quatra Fleet Academy. They all have motives for being there and all are determined to succeed in their missions.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
Soms heb je boeken waar je wel nieuwsgierig naar bent, maar waar je niet zoveel van verwacht. Dit boek was er zo een. Overal werd gesproken over een soap opera in space, over achterbakse intriges, over geroddel en achterklap. Dus toen boekhandel Roojboek in Venray me liet weten dat dit boek binnen was, was ik gematigd enthousiast. Maar ik heb het toch maar meteen bovenaan mijn TBR gezet en het boek bewees al snel waarom.
Het boek bevat veel meer diepere lagen dan ik vooraf verwacht had. De thema's die aan bod komen zijn misschien verpakt in een luchtige bijna soap opera, maar het zijn wel belangrijke thema's: Racisme, verwachtingen van onze ouders, keuzes maken, menselijkheid, meerdere kanten van hetzelfde verhaal en teamspirit. En hoewel de thema's uiteraard nog veel dieper uitgewerkt hadden kunnen worden, vond ik het echt verbazingwekkend hoe goed ze uit de verf kwamen.
Daarnaast was ik ook aangenaam verrast door de personages en hoe levendig ze waren. Ik had stereotype kartonnen borden verwacht, maar al na een paar hoofdstukken had ik door dat deze karakters echt veel meer waren dan dat. Ze hadden hun eigen eigenaardigheden, bagage en ontwikkeling. En zelfs de karakters die geen point of view hoofdstukken hadden, hadden kleur en een persoonlijkheid.
Is het boek een hoogstaande, gecompliceerde en gelaagde hoogvlieger? Dat wellicht niet. Maar het is zeker geen standaard soap opera met roddel, achterklap en intrige. Er worden wel degelijke serieuze thema's uitgewerkt en de personages hebben wel degelijk een persoonlijkheid en ontwikkeling. Dusdanig dat ik met elk karakter ongelooflijk meevoelde en heel benieuwd ben hoe het verder gaat in het volgende boek!
Het boek bevat veel meer diepere lagen dan ik vooraf verwacht had. De thema's die aan bod komen zijn misschien verpakt in een luchtige bijna soap opera, maar het zijn wel belangrijke thema's: Racisme, verwachtingen van onze ouders, keuzes maken, menselijkheid, meerdere kanten van hetzelfde verhaal en teamspirit. En hoewel de thema's uiteraard nog veel dieper uitgewerkt hadden kunnen worden, vond ik het echt verbazingwekkend hoe goed ze uit de verf kwamen.
Daarnaast was ik ook aangenaam verrast door de personages en hoe levendig ze waren. Ik had stereotype kartonnen borden verwacht, maar al na een paar hoofdstukken had ik door dat deze karakters echt veel meer waren dan dat. Ze hadden hun eigen eigenaardigheden, bagage en ontwikkeling. En zelfs de karakters die geen point of view hoofdstukken hadden, hadden kleur en een persoonlijkheid.
Is het boek een hoogstaande, gecompliceerde en gelaagde hoogvlieger? Dat wellicht niet. Maar het is zeker geen standaard soap opera met roddel, achterklap en intrige. Er worden wel degelijke serieuze thema's uitgewerkt en de personages hebben wel degelijk een persoonlijkheid en ontwikkeling. Dusdanig dat ik met elk karakter ongelooflijk meevoelde en heel benieuwd ben hoe het verder gaat in het volgende boek!
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
2/5
It was alright, there was nothing that made me enjoy the book.
It was alright, there was nothing that made me enjoy the book.
walkingreaderreview's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sunrays118's review against another edition
3.0
Extremely predictable. Characters are flat. Nothing new.
This is specifically a teen version of Battlestar Galactica.
This is specifically a teen version of Battlestar Galactica.
theloveroflovers's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book made me cry out loud
marlieke_8's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
julietpetersen's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
Light Years is a fun and fast-paced young adult sci-fi novel about students training at an elite military academy. The Quatra Fleet Academy trains the best young students to become officers in their military. This is the first year that the academy has opened their enrollment to students from the outer planets of the Quatra Federation, who are known as Settlers. Each planet has sent their best and brightest, but many from the main planet, Tri, are not happy about the new open policy and regard the Settlers as second-class citizens.
The story focuses on four students. Cormack is desperate to get off his deadly planet, so he takes his dead brother's identity and place at the academy. Vesper is a wealthy girl from Tri, whose mother is a high-rank military veteran who runs the academy. She's only there because her mother pulled strings, so she's desperate to prove herself. Arran grew up on another outer planet and lived a life of privation, but his acceptance to the academy has lifted his mother out of poverty. Orelia claims to be from the outer planet of Chetire, but she's actually a spy from the Federation's greatest enemies, the Specters. The Specters want to destroy the academy and wipe out the next generation of their enemies' military.
Cormack and Vesper antagonize each other when Cormack is made the leader of their practice squadron, a role Vesper has been practicing for her whole life. Arran falls for a handsome Tridian, but wonders if his beloved can actually care about a Settler. Orelia has her mission, but living, studying, and working with her enemies makes her wonder if what she's doing is right.
I liked all four of the characters, although I felt least connected to Cormack's narrative (he's a bit of cocky jerk). Vesper's desperation to prove herself to her mother makes her very relatable, and Arran is a cinnamon role who you just want to hug. He's very insecure, and is never sure whether his handsome Tridian actually cares about him. I like that Arran and his love interest Dash being gay is not an issue in their society. The main conflict in their relationship is that Dash's father is racist and doesn't approve of the Settlers being allowed to attend the academy.
Orelia was the most interesting character to me. She's been trained her whole life to fight for her people, but having to live and study with her supposed enemies makes her see them as actual people and not just abstractions. She also learns that the Tridian view of her people isn't based in reality, and that what the people are told by their leaders may not be the truth (or maybe the Specter leaders are lying to their people?). I found the political aspects of the ongoing war to be potentially the most interesting part of the plot, but this part of the book was pretty underdeveloped and I wanted more. But this is the first book in a series, so I assume we'll get into more of the politics of the war in the next book.
This was a fast-paced book, and I read it really quickly. I think fans of The Illuminae Files and The Starbound Trilogy will enjoy it.
I received an ARC from Amazon Vine.
The story focuses on four students. Cormack is desperate to get off his deadly planet, so he takes his dead brother's identity and place at the academy. Vesper is a wealthy girl from Tri, whose mother is a high-rank military veteran who runs the academy. She's only there because her mother pulled strings, so she's desperate to prove herself. Arran grew up on another outer planet and lived a life of privation, but his acceptance to the academy has lifted his mother out of poverty. Orelia claims to be from the outer planet of Chetire, but she's actually a spy from the Federation's greatest enemies, the Specters. The Specters want to destroy the academy and wipe out the next generation of their enemies' military.
Cormack and Vesper antagonize each other when Cormack is made the leader of their practice squadron, a role Vesper has been practicing for her whole life. Arran falls for a handsome Tridian, but wonders if his beloved can actually care about a Settler. Orelia has her mission, but living, studying, and working with her enemies makes her wonder if what she's doing is right.
I liked all four of the characters, although I felt least connected to Cormack's narrative (he's a bit of cocky jerk). Vesper's desperation to prove herself to her mother makes her very relatable, and Arran is a cinnamon role who you just want to hug. He's very insecure, and is never sure whether his handsome Tridian actually cares about him. I like that Arran and his love interest Dash being gay is not an issue in their society. The main conflict in their relationship is that Dash's father is racist and doesn't approve of the Settlers being allowed to attend the academy.
Orelia was the most interesting character to me. She's been trained her whole life to fight for her people, but having to live and study with her supposed enemies makes her see them as actual people and not just abstractions. She also learns that the Tridian view of her people isn't based in reality, and that what the people are told by their leaders may not be the truth (or maybe the Specter leaders are lying to their people?). I found the political aspects of the ongoing war to be potentially the most interesting part of the plot, but this part of the book was pretty underdeveloped and I wanted more. But this is the first book in a series, so I assume we'll get into more of the politics of the war in the next book.
This was a fast-paced book, and I read it really quickly. I think fans of The Illuminae Files and The Starbound Trilogy will enjoy it.
I received an ARC from Amazon Vine.