Rating
Summary
Kira Navárez dreamed of a life on new worlds. But during a routine survey mission on an uncolonised planet, Kira finds an alien relic. At first, she’s delighted, but her delight turns to terror when the ancient dust around her begins to move!
War erupts among the stars, and Kira is launched into a galaxy-spanning odyssey of discovery and transformation. First contact isn’t what she imagined, and events push her to the very limits of what it means to be human.
While Kira faces her own horrors, Earth and its colonies stand on the brink of annihilation. Now Kira might be humanity’s greatest and final hope...
Review
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini is the first genuine Adult Science-Fiction book I have ever read. And it did not disappoint.
Sci-fi has never been a genre that I have leaned towards, so there were a few things that I couldn’t imagine while reading. This led me to rewatch Star Wars just so that I could have some sort of mental picture to go off for the likes of the spaceships, even if they weren’t accurate!
It was so exciting to open the book and begin reading. I am a massive fan of Christopher Paolini’s weren’t Inheritance Cycle (in fact, they are my all-time favourite books), and it was fantastic to read a new story that was still so clearly in his style and voice. It was like returning home after being away for a long time.
There are even a few hints of moments that relate to the Inheritance Cycle, too, characters that are a little familiar... These moments are fun and an excellent ode to the series that started it all for Paolini. I enjoy it when authors do things like this, especially if the world feels like it could encompass all the author’s stories.
It did take me a while to read it. It is a large book, after all. Sitting at 878 pages, it is the biggest book I own and the longest book I have ever read! But the length of time it took me to read was primarily because I had to leave London and move back home to New Zealand during COVID-19 in 2020. There was also the fact that there were a few moments in it that I found a little hard to read - this may be because Sci-fi isn’t totally my genre - but once I picked it up again and continued reading, I just inhaled the story.
I enjoyed the characters. They are strong in their own ways while still being relatable and honest. As with Inheritance Cycle, Paolini shows all sides of his hero (or heroine in this case) all their doubts, flaws, strengths. Which is something that everyone can relate to and understand and also helps to feel authentic and human.
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars consistently twists with things that would happen that you didn’t see coming. It sent you thoroughly spinning through space, trying to solve the puzzles and figure out just how the story is going to play out and whether or not your suspicions are true. The biggest twist was the ending - which is all I’m going to say because I don’t want to spoil it - but it went in a way that I ultimately did not expect, which left me continuously edging closer to the edge of my seat.
I cannot wait for more in the Fractalverse and for the movie when it comes!
So if you want to get lost in a sea of stars and travel between planets, then I highly suggest reading To Sleep in a Sea of Stars.
