Blog Listing
- @Number71
- Beauty In Ruins
- Best Fantasy Books HQ
- Bitten By Books
- Booknest
- Bookworm Blues
- Charlotte's Library
- Civilian Reader
- Critical Mass
- Curated Fantasy Books
- Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews
- Everything is Nice
- Falcata Times
- Fantasy & SciFi Lovin' News & Reviews
- Fantasy Cafe
- Fantasy Literature
- Gold Not Glittering
- GoodKindles
- Grimdark Magazine
- Hellnotes
- io9
- Jabberwock
- Jeff VanderMeer
- King of the Nerds
- Layers of Thought
- Lynn's Book Blog
- Neth Space
- Novel Notions
- Omnivoracious
- Only The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
- Pyr-O-Mania
- Realms Of My Mind
- Rob's Blog O' Stuff
- Rockstarlit Bookasylum
- SciFiChick.com
- SFF Insiders
- Smorgasbord Fantasia
- Speculative Book Review
- Stainless Steel Droppings
- Tez Says
- The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.
- The B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
- The Bibliosanctum
- The Fantasy Hive
- The Fantasy Inn
- The Nocturnal Library
- The OF Blog
- The Qwillery
- The Speculative Scotsman
- The Vinciolo Journal
- The Wertzone
- Thoughts Stained With Ink
- Tip the Wink
- Tor.com
- Val's Random Comments
- Voyager Books
- Walker of Worlds
- Whatever
- Whispers & Wonder
Blog Archive
-
▼
2020
(212)
-
▼
April
(19)
- SPFBO Finalist: The Sword of Kaigen by ML Wang (re...
- GUEST POST: The Girl Drank Poison by Keith Blenman
- Mini-Review: Of Honey And Wildfires by Sarah Chorn...
- The Armored Saint by Myke Cole (Reviewed by David ...
- Interview with Phil Williams
- Under Ordshaw by Phil Williams review
- SPFBO Finalist: Blood of Heirs by Alicia Wanstall-...
- The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence (reviewed ...
- The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter (Reviewed by Da...
- The Last Crossing by Brian McGilloway (reviewed by...
- Always North by Vicki Jarrett
- Black Tie Required by Craig Schaefer (reviewed by ...
- The Shadow Saint, by Gareth Hanrahan (Reviewed by ...
- The Stations of the Angels by Raymond St. Elmo review
- Exclusive Cover Reveal & Q/A: Black Tie Required b...
- SPFBO Finalist: Never Die by Rob J. Hayes (reviewe...
- Social Distancing Giveaway Winners Announcement (b...
- The City we Became by NK Jemisin review
- Black Stone Heart by Michael R. Fletcher (reviewed...
-
▼
April
(19)
Order The Girl and The Stars over HERE(USA) or HERE (UK)
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Mark Lawrence is a research scientist working on artificial intelligence. He is a dual national with both British and American citizenship, and has held secret-level clearance with both governments. At one point, he was qualified to say, “This isn’t rocket science—oh wait, it actually is.” He is the author of the Broken Empire trilogy (Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns, and Emperor of Thorns), the Red Queen’s War trilogy (Prince of Fools, The Liar’s Key, and The Wheel of Osheim) and the Book of the Ancestor series (Red Sister).
FORMAT/INFO: The Girl and the Stars is out in ebook and hardcover on April 21, 2020 in USA (ACE) and UK (HarperCollins).
OVERVIEW: I have a simple routine that works every time. Mark Lawrence publishes something, I read it. A win-win situation for all involved.
The Girl and the Stars takes place in the world of Abeth known to readers from The Book of the Ancestor series but in both a different timeline and in a harsher region. The story’s protagonist, Yaz, differs from Nona, so don’t expect a simple rewrite of your favorite character. She’s a young Ichta woman who lives in the harsh frozen land.
When the Regulator throws her brother into the Pit of the Missing, she goes there after him and finds herself in a dire situation beneath the ice. As the story develops Yaz discovers her talent to manipulate the stars, artifacts of the past trapped in the ice walls. She meets new friends but also foes.
Colorful crew members, encounters with monsters, underground chases and escapes and betrayals keep the story engaging. The Girl and the Stars maintains a sense of foreboding throughout. It always feels like something is lurking just around the corner of the ice tunnel. The claustrophobic, icy landscapes and tunnels give way to a feeling of hopelessness and futility and yet young protagonists find the strength to fight. I loved this setting and the way it shaped characters.
It's worth noting that Lawrence is fleshing out his characters with fascinating precision, and giving every member of Yaz's supporting cast a chance to shine. Most of her new-found friends have magical powers inherent to their tribes/bloodlines and seeing them in action thrilled me. I won't reveal who does what and when but trust me when I say cool things happen.
As bleak and vicious as this book is, The Girl and the Stars is not without some dark humor. Well-placed banter and moments of levity balance the dreary tone and themes of the novel. Actually, I think many readers won't regard the novel as particularly bleak while reading it but I don't know how else to describe a world in which disabled children (or even children considered not good enough) are thrown away to die under the ice.
The writing is excellent, as you would expect from Mark Lawrence. His style is distinct and recognizable. Plus, I absolutely love it.
Conclusion: A Girl and the Stars has action, heart, a sense of humor, and an awesome premise. The cast of characters is memorable and diverse. The pacing falters briefly in the beginning but is otherwise breathtaking from start to finish. It’s the kind of fantasy I need more of.
The Girl and the Stars takes place in the world of Abeth known to readers from The Book of the Ancestor series but in both a different timeline and in a harsher region. The story’s protagonist, Yaz, differs from Nona, so don’t expect a simple rewrite of your favorite character. She’s a young Ichta woman who lives in the harsh frozen land.
When the Regulator throws her brother into the Pit of the Missing, she goes there after him and finds herself in a dire situation beneath the ice. As the story develops Yaz discovers her talent to manipulate the stars, artifacts of the past trapped in the ice walls. She meets new friends but also foes.
Colorful crew members, encounters with monsters, underground chases and escapes and betrayals keep the story engaging. The Girl and the Stars maintains a sense of foreboding throughout. It always feels like something is lurking just around the corner of the ice tunnel. The claustrophobic, icy landscapes and tunnels give way to a feeling of hopelessness and futility and yet young protagonists find the strength to fight. I loved this setting and the way it shaped characters.
It's worth noting that Lawrence is fleshing out his characters with fascinating precision, and giving every member of Yaz's supporting cast a chance to shine. Most of her new-found friends have magical powers inherent to their tribes/bloodlines and seeing them in action thrilled me. I won't reveal who does what and when but trust me when I say cool things happen.
As bleak and vicious as this book is, The Girl and the Stars is not without some dark humor. Well-placed banter and moments of levity balance the dreary tone and themes of the novel. Actually, I think many readers won't regard the novel as particularly bleak while reading it but I don't know how else to describe a world in which disabled children (or even children considered not good enough) are thrown away to die under the ice.
The writing is excellent, as you would expect from Mark Lawrence. His style is distinct and recognizable. Plus, I absolutely love it.
Conclusion: A Girl and the Stars has action, heart, a sense of humor, and an awesome premise. The cast of characters is memorable and diverse. The pacing falters briefly in the beginning but is otherwise breathtaking from start to finish. It’s the kind of fantasy I need more of.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments: