This Shattered World

All the stars beyond the clouded skies of Avon!

That’s how many this series deserves.

This story is the definition of “beautiful”!
I loved the characters, the plot, the turnarounds, the ties to “These Broken Stars” (both characters from the first book, squee!) – it was, simply put, alluring and edge-gripping and absolutely perfect!

Though I admit that the first one was somehow closer to my heart (as I deeply enjoyed the slow pacing, the focus on the two sarcastic, main characters and their interactions, the very emotional side of it), I think that most readers will enjoy this one better – because there is plenty of good action and the setup is different than the first one and probably more exciting, eternally keeping you on your toes.

THIS SHATTERED WOLRD does not give you time to think about it, you just dive into it and stop breathing until you reach the last page. But trust me, you will feel like you’ve reached that one way too soon.
I, for one, could never have enough of this story.

Title, cover, structure:

I am not sure what happened with Flynn’s shirt *cough*, but I love that they kept a similar look to “These Broken Stars” for the cover. And this only reminds me of how badly I want these books on my shelve, because I am deeply in love with them! They are gorgeous (background, models, clothing, colouring… everything)!

The title is also perfect, Avon is a shattered word that needs mending, a world split in two that needs someone from each side to put it back together.

Between chapters we find the dreams Lee never dreamt, not just yet (in the same form we had the interrogatory before). They give away her past, but also her present with the fears she struggles with the most. It is a beautiful and an original way to connect with this character. It is also a wonderful way to connect both books in the series.

The action is addictive, edge gripping; the characters are flawed, yet fleshed out, realistically portrayed. The ending feels more plausible than the first one, as that was more sci-fi compared to what I am used. And damn, even though there is no cliffhanger in it, it still makes me want so badly to pick the next one and see how things go on Corinth. This waiting will be killing me slowly for sure!

The story:

“These Broken Stars” and “This Shattered World” are very similar and, in the same time, completely different. You can feel them as part of the same series and the writing is just as wonderful as before & it flows just as effortlessly, but they give completely different vibes and the settling here is quite the opposite from the first book:

The characters are in their world, surrounded by their people, interacting with them and feeling somehow secure inside their territories, but there is the same amount of struggle to survive, to find the truth, to find a way out together.

The intrigue is just as good as before, only this time the action kicks from the very beginning, and there are very few ‘slow’ moments. So, make sure to take a deep breath, because there won’t be time for another.

The romance is sweet and realistic. Yes, there is some amount of attraction from the very beginning (who would complain about that?), but the actual feelings come into focus gradually, at a very slow pace – they start trusting each other, they become allies, they both struggle with what is right or wrong and, in the end, they give in to their feelings.

“He could tell me he loves me, but he doesn’t know me the way a lover would; he knows the shape of my heart, as I know his. He could tell me he doesn’t want to lose me, but we’re both already lost, and only the tether between us keeps us from drifting out into the black.”

There is as much character development as there is action. Both, perfectly well done.

The characters:

I fell in love with both characters from the beginning. Flynn is witty and caring, Jubilee (aka. Lee) is strong and determined. He wants peace and freedom for his people, she needs to keep order and to seek revenge. They are from different worlds (just the way Tarver and Lilac were), from opposite sides of this senseless war, still they are perfect for each other. Flynn usually tries a more peaceful approach and uses violence only when it’s needed or if there’s no other way (which is a little ironic considering how they met), Lee is that kind of person that punches you in the face first and asks questions later.

Light and dark. Yin and yang. Rebel and Soldier.

It’s funny because in the first book Tarver was the strong, know-it-all one, still in this book (at times) things feel a bit like the other way around, as Lee is more prepared for combat – and plenty of that type of action takes place in her side of the world, then again Flynn knows this world better and uses it in his advantage.

There is also a vulnerable side of Lee, she has some weaknesses too (more than anyone, Flynn should be grateful for those); as for Flynn, I loved his devotion to his people and Flynn’s quest to find the truth behind his broken world. I also loved to see them both slowly warm up to each other.

Because I mentioned Tarver, I think you will enjoy his presence in this story just as much as I did. And then you will meet some other people that will keep you good company. I liked Molly and Sean and Sofia; I could tell you who they are but I figure that surprises are good for your health. Oh.. and we even have a villain, a physical (close to our guys) one that you will feel like punching.

Didn’t I tell you that this book is filled with exciting things?!

Anyways…

Conclusions:

I love, amo, aime, iubesc, liebe, volim, 愛, elsker, .. and so on.. this series to pieces! I simply adore it!
It’s one of the best out there and I long to have it on my shelf!
Now I’ll go re-read the first book again.

Thanks for reading another review of mine and…
Happy midnight reading!

Early review: Advance copy provided by the publisher for review. Thank you very-very much!
 Note: The Romanian version of the review can be found here.

Fan-Art:

I really can’t wait for my printed copy!!

Novella and Excerpt:

THIS NIGHT SO DARK – Don’t miss the breathtaking short story that connects the first two novels in the Starbound trilogy, These Broken Stars and This Shattered World.

Tarver still has nightmares about the night, six months before the Icarus crash, when he rescued a group of civilian researchers being held hostage by brutal mercenaries. Now Tarver and Lilac must reconcile his memories of that fateful night with the truth that they uncovered on a mysterious planet after the Icarus crashed.

Includes three bonus preview chapters from This Shattered World!

This Night So Dark by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Music of choice:

In a world where they can never see the shooting stars…

“Can we pretend that airplanes
In the night sky
Are like shooting stars?
I could really use a wish right now”