A review by mesy_mark
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

hopeful
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

 
There is something about this book I really enjoyed. It is not so heavy on romance. Shizuka has made a deal with a demon to deliver seven souls to damnation. When she hears Katrina, a transgender woman runs away. playing on a violin she has her seventh soul. Shizuka also meets Lan an alien refuge with four children and running a donut working on building the stargate.

this is a book that switches POV frequently within the same change, Every now and then I would lose track of which POV I was in as I listened to the audiobook. The characters are lovable. Katrina is bogged down by the transphobia she endures. Lan just wants to protect her family and starts having feelings for Shizuka. Ane Shizuka is running out of time to deliver her student's soul to hell. We even get a view of a string workshop named Lucy as she tries fixing Katrina.

This book has two elements that I didn't think would work but it did. We have space aliens for some science fiction rep and then the fantasy component juxtaposed of The Queen Of Hell and demons. The narrator's voice is plenty to listen to and is on the feminine side. Overall I like the way the book flowed and the overall plot of it.

 
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