Inherit the Stars

Inherit The Stars – Tessa Elwood – Inherit The Stars #1 – Running Press Kids – Published 8 December 2015

♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

Three royal houses ruling three interplanetary systems are on the brink of collapse, and they must either ally together or tear each other apart in order for their people to survive.

Asa is the youngest daughter of the house of Fane, which has been fighting a devastating food and energy crisis for far too long. She thinks she can save her family’s livelihood by posing as her oldest sister in an arranged marriage with Eagle, the heir to the throne of the house of Westlet. The appearance of her mother, a traitor who defected to the house of Galton, adds fuel to the fire, while Asa also tries to save her sister Wren’s life . . . possibly from the hands of their own father.

But as Asa and Eagle forge a genuine bond, will secrets from the past and the urgent needs of their people in the present keep them divided?

My thoughts

Great story – strong characters, intriguing plot and sweet romance. Oh, and space adventure involving a variety of planets, competing ruling kingdoms, and flightwings, skidcycles, and other cool space tech.

Asa’s kingdom is falling apart. Death, disease, riots and famine. But Asa will do anything to protect her dying sister and so, as the third daughter of the ruling House of Fane, she poses as her other sister who is to marry the heir of the House of Westlet in an arranged marriage, which is supposed to secure food and safety for their kingdom. But saving her sisters may have put both her kingdom and the kingdom she now belongs to in serious danger.

The world Asa inhabits is complicated and detailed. I’m not sure I entirely understand how it works just yet, but that will make the following books in this intriguing series all the more interesting as we learn more about the three Ruling Houses systems and their politics, planets, resources and technology. The writing style made this feel like a very quick read, or maybe that was because I raced through it, loving the characters and the drama.

Asa is strong – she just doesn’t realise her strength. She reacts, and her family accuse her of not thinking, not considering. But Asa’s strength lies in her ability to care about others, to look and really see people. And that makes her a perfect match for Eagle, Heir of the House of Westlet. I loved the slow development of feelings between Eagle and Asa. And I love how there is so much more to explore there.

But what I like most about this book is its writing style. Inherit the Stars is written in short, choppy sentences, paragraphs and chapters. It took a little bit of work to keep up with the quickly moving plot, but it is worth it because this book shows and never tells. Fine details indicate so much. I love how you gradually start to know each of the characters. Not just read about them, but actually know them. I love how you know how Asa is feeling, not because you are told what she is feeling or that she says anything about her feelings or says something like she is starting to feel about him in a way she didn’t recognise, but because she starts babbling. It’s not what she says, but how she says it, which is fantastic in this first-person narration.

I loved the plot. It’s complicated. Every step of this interplanetary alliance is complicated, not to mention the complications of family, family secrets and feelings. Asa is constantly looking to help everyone else – I hope she can learn to work with those she loves and trusts.

And woah. What an ending. What’s going to happen next? What will Asa do? It’s not a cliffhanger, but I can’t wait to read more. I can’t wait to read more about Asa finding her power in this complicated world. I can’t wait for more Eagle and Asa – who are so sweet, so dear, so hurt. I can’t wait for more interplanetary drama and politics. Basically, I want book two now, because Inherit The Stars is a fantastic sci-fi, romantic adventure with all the heart and drama you could want.

The publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

More information

Category: Young adult fiction.

Genre:  Science-fiction.

Themes: War. Planets and space. Family. Love and romance. Famine and disease. Self-esteem.

Reading age guide: Ages 13 and up.

Advisory: Some violence and descriptions of death and injury.

Published: 8 December 2015 by Running Press Kids.

Format: Paperback, ebook. 304 pages.

Find it on Goodreads