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A review by lithium_peaches
Vessel of Starfire by Allison Carr Waechter
5.0
Compelling, Authentic, and Refreshing
There is SO much to love about this book. It’s intricate, inclusive, and sexy in the best ways. This science-fantasy YA hits an elusive sweet spot between mystery, magic, and down-to-earth conflicts in science, culture, and spirituality that doesn’t seek to divide and exclude among those themes. Vessel of Starfire is an absolute page-turner that lets you lose yourself in the world and characters that Waechter has set free on the page.
The cast is refreshingly diverse and queer. Screw the “bury your gays” trope: you get to read through the lives of some delightful queer characters, all with different lived experiences. They’re all compelling and genuine in one way or another. The characters are interesting, authentic, and flawed; they are not props or stereotypes. The romances are everything from sweet and demure, to more complicated or heart-wrenching, with some deliciously sexy tidbits for good measure.
The worldbuilding is lush and carefully crafted without feeling contrived. There is clearly love in the attention to detail regarding the various cultures and spaces of Interra. However, the writing just feels effortless, natural, and engaging. The more I learned about the world the more I wanted to sink into the gorgeous scenes. It also blends some political and supernatural intrigue in the larger scope, and seeing these issues played out in the lives of our dear protagonists hits on a visceral level.
One of my favorite elements is the handling of trauma and neurodivergence: it isn’t played for tragic, if irrelevant, backstory. And even though it’s a fantastical setting, trauma isn’t “magicked away”; it doesn’t give you superpowers; it isn’t just there for a “dark night of the soul” for the characters to simply brush off at a convenient moment. It feels real, and very human.
In short, this novel is a RIDE, y’all. Loved it, will read again, can’t wait for the next one.
There is SO much to love about this book. It’s intricate, inclusive, and sexy in the best ways. This science-fantasy YA hits an elusive sweet spot between mystery, magic, and down-to-earth conflicts in science, culture, and spirituality that doesn’t seek to divide and exclude among those themes. Vessel of Starfire is an absolute page-turner that lets you lose yourself in the world and characters that Waechter has set free on the page.
The cast is refreshingly diverse and queer. Screw the “bury your gays” trope: you get to read through the lives of some delightful queer characters, all with different lived experiences. They’re all compelling and genuine in one way or another. The characters are interesting, authentic, and flawed; they are not props or stereotypes. The romances are everything from sweet and demure, to more complicated or heart-wrenching, with some deliciously sexy tidbits for good measure.
The worldbuilding is lush and carefully crafted without feeling contrived. There is clearly love in the attention to detail regarding the various cultures and spaces of Interra. However, the writing just feels effortless, natural, and engaging. The more I learned about the world the more I wanted to sink into the gorgeous scenes. It also blends some political and supernatural intrigue in the larger scope, and seeing these issues played out in the lives of our dear protagonists hits on a visceral level.
One of my favorite elements is the handling of trauma and neurodivergence: it isn’t played for tragic, if irrelevant, backstory. And even though it’s a fantastical setting, trauma isn’t “magicked away”; it doesn’t give you superpowers; it isn’t just there for a “dark night of the soul” for the characters to simply brush off at a convenient moment. It feels real, and very human.
In short, this novel is a RIDE, y’all. Loved it, will read again, can’t wait for the next one.