A review by judeinthestars
The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton

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

4.0



I don’t remember how I first came across this book, probably thanks to Libro.fm’s ALC program, but I do know the title is what caught my attention. Let’s be honest here, I’m not well-versed in poetry beyond what I had to read in school—having a poet as a friend is, however, (very slowly) widening my horizons—so I’d never heard of Sarah Williams or her poem The Old Astronomer from which these words, “the stars too fondly”, are quoted. It’s the perfect title for this cosy space opera.

Cleo, Kaleisha, Abe and Ros have been friends since they were kids. Now in their late twenties, they decide to break into the spaceship that, twenty years earlier, was supposed to save humankind by taking the first ever group of people to another planet they would colonise. Instead, the spacecraft never left and its crew vanished. When the quartet makes its way to the groundbreaking dark matter engine, the ship suddenly takes off.

I love the idea of space enthusiasts stealing a ship by accident, it sets the stage for the comedic aspect. The Stars Too Fondly is, essentially, a romcom in space, with superpowers and a super villain as a bonus. At the centre of the story is a romance arc between Cleo and Billie, a hologram of the ship’s captain, that raises a lot of fascinating questions (is a computer into which a human’s consciousness has been uploaded AI? Is it sentient? What makes a person?), then there’s the mystery surrounding the spaceship crew’s disappearance. I’m not sure the science is very plausible but for readers like me, who know nothing but like stars and space operas, it’s fun.

The author describes herself as “the offspring of a Trekkie mother and a Star Wars father”, and it shows, especially in the overall atmosphere of the story. I was also reminded almost immediately of The Leftovers, one of my favourite TV shows, not for the group of friends or space, but for the disappearances and the unknown.

While I really enjoyed this book—in part thanks to the narration (more about that below)—there are some issues I’m (sort of) surprised made it through editing. There’s a lot of telling and head hopping, both of which are common with debut novels, but I don’t expect them as much with traditionally published novels. The characters, in particular the found family gang, feel younger than they’re said to be, surprisingly immature at times, especially since they’re all supposed to be smart and pursuing brilliant studies. They all sound very much alike, including Billie, who’s older and from a different background. I also feel like all the pop culture references being from our time is a missed opportunity to have fun with setting the story in the future. Except for the fact that the space program seemed more advanced than where we are at the moment (until it wasn’t), everything feels very much like our present. And though simultaneously too long and rushed, the ending is mostly satisfying.

However, the narration made listening to this audiobook a very engaging and fun experience, despite all this. This was my first narration by queer non-binary actor Vico Ortiz, whom I know from watching a few episodes of Our Flag Means Death. I loved it. I could listen to them for hours—and yes, I did—even though their voices for the characters aren’t as different as other narrators would have made them. I’m not sure I can explain how they make up for it, with tone and pacing, and tiny details that make it a joy to listen to them. If you’re into space operas, don’t mind the improbable science and adults sometimes behaving like they’re still in high school, I recommend this audiobook with no hesitation.

I received a copy from Libro.fm and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

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