Book Review: “Dawn Among The Stars” (The Starless Series #1) by Samantha Heuwagen

“Dawn Among The Stars” (The Starless Series #1) by Samantha Heuwagen (2018)

Genre: Fiction, Sci-Fi

Page Length: 340 (electronic review copy)

Synopsis:

Set against the backdrop of intergalactic politics and war, Dawn Among the Stars follows the stories of three Humans as they struggle to understand the universe on a cosmic scale.

Kayin has a rough start when the Shielders, a potential alien ally for Earth, come out of hiding and into the public consciousness. Not only does their very existence cause her trouble, her panic attacks threaten to derail her everyday life. Can she overcome her mental health issues or will she be swallowed up in a political mess?

As for Henry Rickner, he wishes he could take back all of his mistakes in life, starting with his choice to leave Kayin. Yet he finds himself within the chaos of war as he tries to reunite with those he holds dear.

Melissa Pebbles only has one goal: to keep her family safe during the attack. She will do anything to make sure she and her family make it through whatever challenges are thrown their way. While Melissa fights to keep her family alive, she learns that family is more than just blood.

Can these three work with the Shielders to save Earth or will they lose the only home they’ve ever known? (description from Goodreads)

Review:

Dawn Among The Stars is a fast-paced Sci-fi/Fantasy novel that had me hooked from the first page. The plot has a post-apocalyptic/dystopian vibe as Kayin lives in a world where aliens and humans somewhat co-exist on the same planet. Kayin is fearful that something will happen and as a result is plagued with panic attacks which she tries to manage. (I liked how this mental health aspect was handled). As the planet becomes under attack, chaos erupts on earth and we see how it affects our main characters differently.

The first part of the book focuses on Kayin’s pov and as readers we get a good sense of her character. She has a good heart and cares a lot about her friends and family. Though she too like many other humans are struggling, she tries to hold on as best she can despite losing hope We as readers can feel the fear and uncertainty of what will happen to their planet. The second part of the book follows Henry, Kayin’s ex-boyfriend, as he teams up with a couple to search for Kayin. The last section focuses on Melissa and her family a group of survivors that were in a shelter. They meet up with Clarfic, a Shielder, and them up to look for help and survivors.

I also liked that different parts of the novel took place in different places. Kayin’s is set in space, while Henry and Melissa is on earth with the Shielders. The different viewpoints of the survivors added to the intensity of the story. Huewegen has great attention to detail in the landscape you could almost picture the landscape as being one big post-apocalyptic disaster movie. It add suspense and a kind of eeriness to the story.

Overall, the plot was entertaining and i like that the story is set in space. Galactic novels are always fun and this one is filled with action and suspense. Recommend for Sci-Fi fans!

Final Verdict: