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Review
3.5 stars and a very different read for me
I admit upfront that I’m not the biggest sci-fi reader. I have read and loved it in the past, but it’s definitely been a while, and it’s not a genre I would usually pick up. But I love Krista & Becca Ritchie’s writing, and I was too curious not to read it, and I’m really glad that I gave this one a try.
Set on a far-away, ice-covered planet, approximately 500 years in the future, this is the story of three teens who share a mysterious and potentially deadly connection. In a world where people’s deathdays are measured at birth, determining their lifespan and therefore their path in life and their role in their community, three strangers live beyond their pre-determined date, dodging their deaths and linking them together completely and permanently.
Franny the tough-as-nails survivor, Court the intelligent, ex-privileged whiz kid who escaped the torment of prison, and Mykal, the rugged man of the land with a huge heart, are brought together by their connection. Able to feel each other, their lives are now unequivocally entwined, and knowing the danger that they are in having dodged their deathdays, they know the only hope for their survival is to leave the planet – together. Their hope lies in space agency Stardust, and the upcoming mission to space that will ensure their safety. But they not only have to get into the program, they then have to fight for their place against over a thousand other hopefuls, testing all of their limits as they fight for the futures they were never supposed to have. And hopefully along the way they’ll figure out the biggest question of all…. why?
It’s an intriguing idea, and the concept of deathdays is wonderfully explored, showing us how it impacts every aspect of life, and the implications of outliving your deathday and the practical and emotional consequences that it has on the characters is fantastically written.
But even being set in a completely different world, this is very much a character story, and I loved these characters! Each so complex and different in their own unique ways, and in the way that they come together and interact with each other. The Ritchie sisters write the best character dynamics, and they’ve done another wonderful job with this one. Not only in the unique and multifaceted interplay between Franny, Court and Mykal, but also with all of the side characters that contribute to the story.
People want underdogs to win because they fight harder for less, but they deserve more.
This book is labelled a fantasy/sci-fi/romance, but I wouldn’t consider it romance. Yes, there is a hint of a love story, but it’s very much in the background of all that is going on and we don’t see much of it beyond a few kisses. It’s important to the story, but it’s not on the page enough to consider this book a romance. And despite the way the blurb may make it sound, there is no love triangle – the relationships are complex and wonderfully developed, but there is absolutely no sign of a love triangle at all. Phew!
“You keep saying that you make my life dismal and bleak. But my world never felt as bright, as worthwhile and full, until I met you.”
It’s all very interesting, but I did feel that the book dragged a bit. There’s a lot that happens and we get a lot of detail that could probably have been skipped, and I found myself zoning out every now and again, but it builds up to an exciting ending with big reveals, danger, suspense and excitement, and that ending is nasty! Answering some questions, but leaving us with a whole lot more. While reading, I honestly wasn’t sure whether I would go on to the next book, but I am intrigued enough to want to know what’s going to happen next, so I’ll be looking forward to the next release.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narration is sensational! Emily Lawrence, Graham Halstead and Tristan Morris bring these characters to life, adding so much depth, emotion and life to the story, and I’m sure it’s their storytelling that got me through some of the slower parts of the book.
I enjoyed this one. I didn’t love it as much as I was hoping, but I’m putting that down to my love of obsession with romance, and this book was way outside of my usual reading genre. But it was well written, intriguing and imaginative, and I’m really glad I read it.
3.5 stars
The Raging Ones
Check out more reads from these authors on our Krista & Becca Ritchie Spotlight