Book Review: “Fading Starlight” (The Starless Series #2) by Samantha Heuwagen

“Fading Starlight” (The Starless Series #2) by Samantha Heuwagen (2019)

Genre: Fiction, Sci-Fi

Page Length: 341 (electronic review copy)

Synopsis:

Even the stars mourn . . .

Earth is but a shadow of itself as three Humans begin to pick up the pieces of war-torn Earth and their shattered lives.

Kayin Aves finds herself on Selucia with no word on whether or not she’ll be able to return to her beloved planet. With such uncertainty, her fears cause her to push away any La’Mursian that might help her fight for Earth. However, her inner strength gives her hope that she can put an end to this war.

When Beenishia set up a base camp for survivors, she knew it would be a target––but she didn’t calculate the full cost. Because of this, Henry and Melissa realize that war is more than just gunfire and explosions. Psychological tactics threaten to tear the survivors apart and end the fragile bond forming between what’s left of the La’Mursians and Humans.

Can they save Earth, or is this just the beginning of the end? (description from Goodreads)

Review:

*To see a review of book one in The Starless Series click here.

In the second installment of The Starless Series, readers are put back into the post apocalyptic world of a war-torn earth. Though physical destruction of the landscape has stopped has come to a stop, Earth and Selucia are still struggling rebuild and regroup once again. But the war is not over, and a new battle begins.

Kayin has been transported to Selucia and dealing with deep feelings of grief, separation from Earth, and losing everything she ever knew. She feels incredibly isolated and struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. She also feels mixed emotions towards the La’Mursians for not being able to stop the war, but starts to befriend them while also developing feelings for Prince Nabula. Kayin plays a big role in this novel. She is representing Earth and has to be a diplomat while learning Selucia’s customs in order to save her planet. All the while, Temorshians are starting to make their presence and strike again.

Back on Earth, Melissa, Henry, and the rest of the group are on the move-the Temorshians are a constant threat and they are in danger. The two groups put aside their differences to work together and find a way to safety and drama ensures.

This series is so engrossing, it’s entertaining and I love the strong character development. It opens up (like the previous novel) discussions about topics such as sexual assault, mental illness, prejudice, and xenophobia. And it Brings awareness to these topics.

The narrative is really well-written and it pulls the readers into the world. Though it is a sci-fi/dystopian setting I find the series to be relatable with how it discusses real-world issues. It was interesting to see how things/events have shifted from the course of the first novel to the end of the second installment and how far our characters have come.

The novel ends on a cliffhanger that left me wanting more. I can’t wait to see how the story will continue. If you like entertaining and smart sci-fi stories check out this series!

Final Verdict: