Books I've read: Made of Stars

 

I won a copy of this one in a contest and I didn't have anything else to read, so I decided to give it a go even thought it's really not my kind of book at all...

Set in a different world where people travel between planes and solar systems by spaceship, the book is loosely based on the legend of Bonnie and Clyde.  Shane and Ava come from the underprivileged part of their homme planet, a freezing, desolate place where the privileged live beneath a climate-controlled dome.  Both are desperate to escape their drab, deprived lives and when they team up, their skills complement each other and they are soon darting through the universe, taking what they need when they need it.

Until Shane gets caught and is imprisoned on a remote moon.  The book begins with Ava busting him out of prison, furious and determined never to be locked up again.  And determined to pull off their biggest job yet.

Cyrus is a flight-school graduate with a secure job lined up working for a respected general.  Determined to succeed in this role, he's furious when his partner falls for Ava's scam on their very first outing as a team. 

When Shane uncovers the detail of secret government plot to destroy his home planet, he is determined to stop them, whatever the cost.  With a price on their heads and each new heist generating headlines across the universe, Shane and Ava are running out of time and people to trust.

Cyrus finds himself caught between two versions of the truth as he both pursues the rebels and helps them on their mission.  If he doesn't choose a side, it's possible he'll lose everything he's worked for up until now.

I found this book quite confusing.  Ostensibly Shane and Ava are the heroes and protagonists, and Cyrus the antagonist.  In reality, this isn't really the case.  In many ways it's more a story about Cyrus than it is about our outlaw heroes. It felt like the author may have fallen in love with this character and allowed him to take over the story.

Given this book is set in a different universe, there was not a lot of world building and I struggled to understand the political and economic systems.  This would not have been a big issue other than the fact the entire plot hinges on a government plot and without understanding the way the rulers/governors of each territory related to one another, it was difficult to figure out exactly who was an ally and who was an enemy.

But all this might just be me, as a reader.  I'm not a fan of this kind of space opera and it maybe I just haven't read enough of it to understand the conventions and tropes.  It may be right up your alley if you love adventures set in remote universes.

But don't just listen to me.  Here's the blurb:

Inspired by the lawless love story of Bonnie and Clyde, Jenna Voris's heart-stopping tale of passion and crime will have you seeing stars.

Shane and Ava are a team. He steals the aircraft, she charms their mark, and together they take what they need. Not even their distracting chemistry could get in the way. Until Shane was caught and left to rot on a prison moon. Now, freshly escaped from confinement and simmering with anger, he has his sights set on their biggest job yet.

Cyrus just graduated from the flight academy with a shiny new position lined up reporting to a well-respected general. On his very first assignment, he stops the outlaws in their tracks--or, he would have, if the annoyingly handsome Lark hadn't fallen for Ava's deception.

But when Shane uncovers a top-secret plot that would leave his home world at the mercy of Cyrus's military leaders, he makes it his mission to thwart them at all costs. It isn't long before Shane and Ava make interstellar headlines with each new heist. And thanks to a chance run-in with the rebels, Cyrus is caught between two versions of the truth. He must pick a side and fast. Because Shane and Ava will bring the planet to its knees...or die trying.