This Shattered World (The Starbound Trilogy, 2)

Like the first book in this series, This Shattered World was a book that kept driving me to read, putting aside my life for a moment so that I could stay immersed in this wonderful world. Probably closer to 4.5 stars, it isn't perfect, but it is an extremely enjoyable dive into the universe introduced in These Broken Stars. Those hoping for a continuation of Tarver and Lilac's story might be disappointed to hear that this story does not focus on them, but instead introduces two new characters who are destined to learn that the universe is not all that they believed it to be. Tarver has a good role in this story, and Lilac makes a great appearance as well, but this story focuses on Jubilee Chase, a top soldier serving in the inhospitable and dangerous planet of Avon, and Flynn Carmac, a rebel leader interested in peace who holds a fragile hold over a group of rebels who are slowly coming to feel that violence is necessary in order to earn the rights and privileges their people deserve. Flynn and Jubilee begin this story as sworn enemies, unable to see past their different societal roles. However, as the story progresses they begin to see that behind the personas thrust on them by a world at war (or on the brink of it) are two actual people with personalities and love and care for those around them. This is a story of war focusing on two people who need peace. This story has a lot more action and overt danger than These Broken Stars did. Where the first book in the series spent the majority of the time with only the two main characters traipsing through a (seemingly) lifeless planet, this story takes place in the middle of a burgeoning society. There are military personnel, civilian personnel, rebel fighters and families ... and A LOT of things going on. Avon is a world just waiting for the spark to light the kindling leading toward an all out war. This creates a very different feel than the first story in the series. Everyone could be an enemy, and that makes the events of this book seem always slightly off balance, keeping me reading. I loved how this story explored the nuances of war. War is never really the story of two sides, good versus evil. There are all sorts of areas of gray in between that make it complicated. Often the powers that influence these wars try to make it seem so very uncomplicated so that it is easier to push others to support the war machine. In this story Jubilee begins the story believing her side is good and the rebels are evil, something that needs to be contained or maybe eradicated. Many of the rebels see the exact opposite view. Flynn is the beginning of the change. He hopes for peace in a world that has only really known conflict. His attempt to reach out, and his decisions to show mercy to Jubilee when mercy seems unwarranted begins to change Jubilee's opinion. What made this story interesting was that sometimes Jubilee or Flynn were fighting the other side, and sometimes in order to do the right thing they had to fight their own people. I found it fascinating. Jubilee and Flynn were wonderful main characters for this story because they were not cookie cutter stereotypes. Each of them went through several transformations throughout the story as their world views were thrown out of whack. They struggled with the nuances of war, and seeing their change in the midst of new understandings was rewarding and interesting. I loved that Jubilee was this wonderfully skilled soldier known for her dedication and steadiness, but she had insecurities and moments of doubt that plagued her. Flynn seemed to be this typical sort of suave smooth talking personality that used his smile and his pretty words to get what he wanted, and yet he found himself consumed by anger and lack of smoothness at times. Yes, this is a romance, and the romance is beautiful. I think in some ways it was even more satisfying than Tarver and Lilac's romance because of the depth of division that initially separated Flynn and Jubilee. But the romance of this story, although beautiful and satisfying, was not the all encompassing point of the story. It was just the cherry on top of a well written adventure story. LaRoux Industries is still the villain in this story, although it takes a while to discover exactly how they fit into the events on Avon. M. LaRoux is an excellent villain because he matches his evil nature with charm that makes him seem totally benign ... all while he is plotting to take over the galaxy. Not enough time has truly been spent with him as a character in either of the first two books of this series. I hope that is remedied in the third book because I think he will be an AMAZING villain to dissect. For now it is satisfying to see that the book now ends with four people in place, ready to find a way to take this man down. I love the way that Tarver and Lilac assist in this book, and I look forward to seeing Flynn and Jubilee join the resistance in the upcoming book. Fans of These Broken Stars should find lots to love in the second book of the series. We learn more about the mysterious entities that affected Tarver and Lilac in book one. We discover that LaRoux Industries has more horrible things planned for these intelligences than Tarver and Lilac discovered. The world building in this book is way better than the first book. Things are starting to click together, and the writers of this story did an amazing job creating the atmosphere for this dismal planet and finding spots of beauty in the midst of such mud and gunk. Their creation of the setting for this story almost mirrored the personalities of those inhabiting this planet ... so much despair, but joy and love piercing the difficulties facing the settlers. I enjoyed it immensely. Five stars!

I loved the original novel, and this was a solid darker follow-up, taking the intimate two-person story to a practical civil war on a struggling planet. Lee is in the army yet to keep a world that just won't take to terrascaping from rebelling, while Finn is part of a group seeking rights and help for his people. It leads into a solid military adventure with the requisite romance as well as further delving into the nature of the mysterious voices. It builds up to whatever may be the conclusion of the series, and the authors write it well. Spunky, dark characters will appeal to teens and young adults and it's solid sci-fi no matter who you are.

In a little twist of serendipity, friends, my first review of 2015 is for a book in Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s Starbound series, THIS SHATTERED WORLD. This is serendipitous, or maybe this is something else that I can’t think of the word for, because my first review of 2014 was also a book from this series, THESE BROKEN STARS. These two books have more in common than appears on the surface though, because they are both engaging, fast-paced, dramatic, and intriguing. I was already a big fan of this series just based on book 1, but THIS SHATTERED WORLD really drew me in and made me even more curious about WTF is exactly going on in these books. THIS IS THE BEST. In THIS SHATTERED WORLD, we are on the planet Avon, basically this universe’s equivalent of a backwater, a perpetual, hopeless slum where the soldiers stationed there never last long and the local population is likely harboring rebels. The soldiers and the rebels on Avon are locked in what sounds kind of like a guerilla siege: The soldiers are at a disadvantage, not knowing the swamps of Avon as well, and the rebels like poking at them. Constantly. It’s a back and forth with no winners, and no end in sight. Jubilee Chase is an officer of great renown on Avon, having lasted there longer than any other. Flynn Cormac is one of the only resistance fighters who sees the benefit of peace. When Lee and Flynn become an unwitting duo in the fight to discover what is really happening on Avon that has prevented successful terraforming for decades, everything gets tossed around. It’s hard for me to read these books and not be completely taken with the world. I don’t read much science fiction, but when I read books like THIS SHATTERED WORLD, I’m not ever sure why. Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner make outerspace seem dangerous and exotic and familiar all at once. And even though the characters are living in a very different world and dealing with very specific, different things, they seem just as real with easily recognizable traits as any young person I know. Jubilee and Flynn are perhaps not as gripping romance as Tarver and Lilac in THESE BROKEN STARS, but they are certainly nothing to sniff at. As individuals, they have a lot going on: Lee must contend with her soldiers coming down with this mysterious almost berserker illness. After an episode, the soldiers are unable to remember anything. It’s a problem. Plus she has a childhood riddled with tragedy that, in the end, binds her even more to Flynn, who’s own life is marred by death and loss. I liked Lee A LOT. She’s smart, strong, well-respected as a leader, and ballsy. But she’s also not afraid of calling in the reserves when she knows she’s in over her head. I’ll get to this again in a second. Flynn is also struggling in his own life. The rebels on Avon, called the Fianna, are divided; some want to find a way to bring about peace like Flynn, while others want to get angry and shoot things like the leader, McBride. Life with the rebels is, for Flynn, all he knows and yet not all he wants. His struggles with loyalty and his desire to discover what’s keeping Avon in the Dark Ages of evolution really endeared him to me. Like I mentioned before, though, the steamy romance that Lilac and Tarver experienced in THESE BROKEN STARS doesn’t necessarily manifest itself with Lee and Flynn. They have too much ingrained baggage keeping them apart. But their growing closeness and feelings gives the story even more emotional heft than it already has from Lee and Flynn’s own stories, which were plenty sad on their own. They are two very wounded young people, and I was glad for them to have found one another. What ties THIS SHATTERED WORLD to THESE BROKEN STARS is the continuation of the mystery and conspiracy and general WTF-ery of LaRoux Industries. Whatever monkey business they were up to in book 1 is still going on here, and so when Lee gets in over her head and needs some back up, she calls the only person whom she can count on: Tarver, who was her superior officer on Avon before he was transferred. Seeing Tarver again was excellent and it reminded me how much I love him. Getting some small glimpses into his and Lilac’s life made me so happy. I just love them. Plus I love that it brings the story together. Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner are tying everything together in neat, uncomplicated ways that don’t seem forced at all. In Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s Acknowledgements they mention the setting of book 3 and I’m STOKED. It’s the HOTBED of this world, and I can’t wait to see what’s going to go on there and how these stories are going to wrap up. I would read books about this world forever. It’s so compelling. THIS SHATTERED WORLD kept my interest, got me emotionally invested, confounded me with mysteries, and has me ready for more. A very solid sequel, friends.

The audiobook had an annoying whisper/chant at the beginning of each chapter that didn't reveal why the whisper/chant was there in the first place. The premise of this book is that it is part of an obvious trilogy. The plot was decent once you could figure it out. It was the second book in the series, and I would probably have done well to listen to the first book, but its ratings were only decent. The writing and narration were aimed toward the young-adult audience, and I don't really care to deal with late teens any more. (They are SO immature!) Narration/sound was good, story was all right, character development was lacking, a little below average. Descriptive writing was above average. Wish the author could have done the same with the characters.

Book number two of a three book science fiction space opera romance series. I read the well printed and well bound trade paperback published by Hyperion in 2015 that I bought new on Amazon. I have ordered the third book in the series. 10,000 years in the future, Avon is a swamp planet of turmoil. The terraforming was unfinished and the Irish brought in from Earth to finish the job are in total conflict with the soldiers brought in by TerraDyn. There is a ceasefire from ten years ago which is very loosely adhered to. But, tempers are rising and atrocities are being committed by both sides. And, Roderick LaRoux, the great spaceship builder, is involved with his experiments to control people.

This time I am reviewing This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner. Captain Jubilee Chase is known by many as Stone Faced Chase. Her soldiers respect her and she watches out for them, but she refuses to show too much emotion so the nickname doesn’t bother her, too much. Flynn Cormac leads the rebels on Avon and fights on the opposite side of Jubilee. An unfortunate encounter forces Flynn to kidnap Jubilee in the hopes of getting information about a secret base. As they learn more about each other, they find their views aren’t so different and they might be forced to find a side of their own, between the rebels and the military. Having enjoyed the first book in this series, I really wanted to read this one and I am so glad that I did. I thought this one was even better than the first book. Jubilee’s wit sucked me in from the moment I started reading. She’s tough as nails and knows how to read people. She’s a strategist. She’s strong on the inside and outside, but she has a trauma from her past that clings to her. I loved seeing her come out of her shell throughout the course of the story. Flynn was also a great character. Throughout this book, I had times where I wondered how he managed to be the leader of the rebels and then he would open his mouth. He’s a skilled speaker. I really loved that he wanted to find a non-violent way to go about the rebellion. I didn’t care for the snippets between chapters nearly as much as I did in the first book. They felt a bit too random. Once I got to the end of the book and they tied in closer to the story, I understood why the authors choose this. I still wished it had almost been something else, but they didn’t take away from the book at all. Lilac and Tarver make an appearance in this book and I really appreciated that the authors didn’t just forget about them. I almost wished they could have had a larger role, but, then again, it wasn’t what this book needed. The ending was satisfying and just made me want to jump into the next book. Once again, there was the sweet relief that there wasn’t a cliff hanger. Overall, I loved this book.

I absolutely loved this book. Which was a welcome surprise because I thought the first one was just okay even though I did enjoy it, I just didn’t fall in love with it. This Shattered World changed that. I fell in love with the world, the writing, the characters (Tarver and Lilac included). Everything was so beautifully planned and executed, rich and detailed. I just devoured this book. Okay so even though I fell in love with this book, that doesn’t mean it’s without flaw. The beginning of the book came off a little peculiar. I had no problem with how it started, but what I did have a problem with was how the romance started. There’s such a strong-willed chemistry between Jubilee and Flynn which I loved. But how it started, man… I just couldn’t. I felt like they weren’t addressing any of the issues at hand correctly. That Jubilee was locked up for two days and when returned back to base, all of her morals and beliefs were thrown out the window. I just need better clarification of why, it felt like she had a little dose of Stockholm Syndrome. Even though the romance had its flaws, it still made up to be a beautiful one and the message behind it really made up for the rocky start. I love their banter and how they both saw things in each other that they themselves didn’t even see. I love how there were so many unsaid things, but they just seemed to understand. And as a reader, it made for something real which helped make their world seem more lively and real. The dual perspective worked out wonderfully in this book. You get to see how they were and acted when they weren’t near each other. Being able to see their relationships with other people, gave more complexity to their characters. Where you didn’t get that from the first book in the series. Another thing I liked better in this book was the chapter separator thingy they did. Instead of it being a part of dialogue, it was these small glimpses of a scenes that are hands down the most beautifully written part of this book. Even though they didn’t make any sense until the end. Overall, this book did wonders for this series in my eyes. Which I haven’t decided if that was a good thing or bad because I’m stuck here until December without the next one. I don’t think I’ll survive that long. **This review was originally post on my blog Sa's World**

I felt like this book suffered from the middle book syndrome to me. Hard to explain. I liked it but I didn't like it as much as the first book. I didn't feel like I connected as much to the characters. Jubilee is a military hero on the planet of Avon- yet she gets herself kidnapped from a bar one night by a rebel named Flynn whose discovered a mysterious base and wants some answers about why things on his planet are not progressing as they should. Story goes from there. This book does a good job of setting up a larger story concerning the whispers and LeRoux Industries and it makes me want to read more. It does a good job of being creepy with the whispers and the Fury that affects people on the planet and causes them to turn to violence but I don't know- this one just didn't connect to me. I liked Jubilee and Flynn but after a certain point their moaning about what they've done to each other and at different times about how they're never going to see each other again (even though they always do and pretty quickly) just kind of wore me down. The ending does tie up the chapter break/dreams throughout in a good way but personally I'm never sure I like the idea of the "super-special from the beginning character" who doesn't even know it. Still overall I enjoyed it. The little peak at Tarver and Lilac has me hoping the next book will shift back to them. And as usual the cover art is some of my favorite.

J'ai une préférence pour le premier tome mais celui-ci reste tout de même bon. Livre magnifique, couverture très pétillante. Hâte d'acquérir le tome 3.

I'm half way through this book now and I love it. I won't give any spoilers, but I beamed halfway through. The change of characters were nice, but please don't be dissapointed readers. Keep on going and you'll soon see why I had myself smiling like an idiot on the bus.

Im zweiten Teil der Starbound-Trilogie steht ein anderes Paar als Erzähler im Vordergrund: Die Soldatin Jubilee und der Rebell Flynn. Sie befinden auf dem Planeten Avon, der große Probleme hat, vollständig kultiviert zu werden. Das bedeutet für dort ansässigen Kolonisten mehr als einen Wohlstandsnachteil, dadurch fehlen ihnen Bürgerrechte. Nachdem es deswegen zu Aufständen kam, gibt es dort eine ausgeprägte Militärpräsenz. Flynn, der Bruder der vor Jahren hingerichteten Rebellenanführerin, hat keine Wahl, als selbst eine Führungsrolle bei der aufständischen "Fianna" einzunehmen. Doch eigentlich will er, im Gegensatz zu anderen Fianna, Blutvergießen verhindern. Jubilee hingegen, Hauptmann, ist selbst eine Gallionsfigur des Militärs, da sie länger alle anderen Soldaten auf der Avon durchhält. Schließlich enführt Flynn Jubilee, um von ihr Informationen über eine seltsame neue Forschungseinrichtung zu bekommen... Bei neuen Hauptfiguren erwartet der Leser eigentlich eine halbwegs eigenständige Geschichte, doch eigentlich kommt die Handlung erst in Gang, als nach der Hälfte des Buches die Verbindung zum Vorgänger "These Broken Stars" hergestellt wird und Tarver und Lilac wieder auftauchen. Davor gibt es nur einiges Hin und Her und nicht immer nachvollziehbare Handlungen der Hauptfiguren. Ich hätte es als sehr viel angenehmer empfunden, wenn die Autorinnen zu Beginn etwas mehr Informationen zur Grundsituationen auf den Tisch gebracht hätten: Was für Rechte fehlen den Kolonisten? Warum ist die Militärpräsenz quasi zwangsweise vorhanden? Wie lief dieser Aufstand vor 10 Jahren eigenltich genau ab? etc. Diese Fragen hätte man leicht z.B. in einem Prolog in Form eines Nachrichtenartikels geben können, statt alles der Kombinationsgabe des Lesers zu überlassen. Dabei ist die Idee, die Geschichte nach und nicht während eines Aufstandes spielen zu lassen, eigentlich recht erfrischend. Trotzdem bleibt die Situation konfus, da man zwar die Rebellen kennenlernt, aber quasi nichts über die normalen Kolonisten und ihre Lebensumstände erfährt. Interessant ist allerdings die Idee, dass Avon hauptsächlich von einer ethnischen Gruppe, nämlich Iren, bevölkert wird. Zudem kommt noch, dass neben der späten Einführung in die trilogieübergreifende Handlung vieles im Unklaren bleibt, wenn man den Vorgänger nicht genau kennt. Insgesamt wird das Konzept dieser Handlung auch nicht viel stärker weiterentwickelt, es kommen nur einige Details dazu. Das heißt, dass wirklich die Avon im Vordergrund steht, was mich wieder zum oben genannten Punkt führt. Die beiden Protagonisten selbst sind allerdings sympatisch und interessant. Jubilee ist eine nach außen kalte Person, die sich durch Trauma durch den frühen Tod ihrer Eltern sogar selbst für seelenlos hält - obwohl ihre POV ihre Zerbrechlichkeit wiedergibt. Diese wird auch durch die schön geschriebenen, traumartigen Szenen zwischen den Kapiteln vedeutlicht. Flynn überzeugt durch seine Umsicht und sein Mitgefühl, welche er trotz des Zwiespalts, für die Rebellen zu arbeiten, zu bewahren vermag. Wie im ersten Teil sind die Charaktere sehr einfühlsam geschrieben. Natürlich erwartet der Leser eine Romanze zwischen ihnen, was das Verkuppeln eheblich erleichtert, aber dennoch bemerkt man schnell die Anziehung und Zärtlichkeit der beiden, trotz ihrer feindlichen Positionen. Insgesamt vor allem als Fortsetzung von "These Broken Stars" zu empfehlen, aber trotz der vielen Unklarheiten ein Lesevergnügen, weil es sich um ein schön geschriebenes Buch handelt.

It was surprised to discover that the characters I loved from the first book were not the focus of the second book in this series. My apprehensions about not having these wonderful characters went quickly when I discovered the protagonists in this book to be equally satisfying. Can't wait for the next book.

The first book, All These Broken Stars, is one of my favorite books of all time. Sadly, I didn't love this one as much. To me, it had the second book syndrome. It existed to build up the story, to prepare us for the end. Although I didn't love this as much as the first, I enjoyed it nonetheless. Jubilee and Flynn are really great characters and they complement each other. Where Jubilee is all action and fight, Flynn holds the charm and does the talking. Together, they make a great team. Still, in my heart, they couldn't hold a candle to Tarver and Lilac. Honestly, one of the best parts was when they appeared briefly in the book. It's refreshing to see them in other people's eyes and I didn't love them any less. The book didn't capture my full interest until I was almost at the end. That part about the creature was so touching and heartbreaking that it almost made me cry. I was finally able to understand those dreams between chapters that initially confused me. It gave me enough motivation to read the next.