Tuesday, April 12, 2016

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner -- ESSENTIAL

Kaufman, Amie and Meagan Spooner This Shattered World (Starbound #2), 400 pgs. Hyperion (Disney), 2014. $17.99. Language: R (46 swears, 1 f); Violence: PG-13 (multiple deaths -- this is a war zone -- but generally not detailed); Mature Content: PG-13 (some allusions to sexual episodes, but un-detailed.)

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac are from different worlds -- literally and figuratively. An orphan-turned-soldier, Jubilee has been assigned military duty on the far-off planet of Avon. A native rebel fighting oppression on Avon, Flynn would like to see all military personnel take the next shuttle into space and never return. With a lifetime of suspicion and hatred between their factions, Jubilee and Flynn never should have met, let alone survived their first run-in together. But as they form a tentative alliance, they discover that they might have an common enemy they'd never considered.

This installment is just as chilling, suspenseful, and tightly-written as its predecessor, These Broken Stars. Jubilee and Flynn are intricate characters, and both their animosity and their eventual romance feel believable and nuanced. Because this story deals with war, it is fairly dark and the stakes are high; sensitive readers may want to keep this in mind. Appearances from several characters in the previous novel add extra interest. All in all, an absorbing, intricate, entertaining, and thought-provoking read.

HS -- ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: Caryn

No comments: