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Home›Book Reviews›STARSIGHT by Brandon Sanderson (Book Review)

STARSIGHT by Brandon Sanderson (Book Review)

By Shona Kinsella
January 31, 2020
3673
4

Starsight (Skyward) by Brandon SandersonStarsight is the sequel to Sanderson’s 2018 YA novel, Skyward, which you may remember I also reviewed. I really enjoyed Skyward so I was desperate to get my hands on a copy of the sequel and I can honestly say that I was not disappointed. As book 2 is a direct continuation of the story, this review may contain mild spoilers for book 1. If you haven’t read it yet, I suggest you put this down, go and read it and then come back.

The tone of Starsight is a bit different. Spensa is a bit more mature, a bit less impulsive and therefore not quite as funny, but it makes perfect sense that she would have grown up a bit after the events of the first book. There’s not so much talk of drinking from the skulls of her enemies – but then Spensa has less to prove this time around and less room to manoeuvre as she is thrust into a role that seems contrary to her nature.

The plot took a very unexpected turn early on so I don’t want to say too much about what actually happens so as not to spoil it for you. Some old friends appear in this book (Jorgen, M-Bot, Cobb) but plenty of new people are introduced as well.

The worldbuilding is of the standard I’ve come to expect from Brandon Sanderson, which is to say that it’s excellent. A lot of the underlying story of this book is about not making assumptions and about how our inherent – and often unexamined – biases colour our perceptions of other people, and even ourselves. Spensa grows a lot in this novel, in ways I suspect will be of a lot of help to her people in the future.

The pacing is strong, although slower than the first novel, I still raced through the book in a couple of days. It’s an easy, enjoyable read with some important themes. For all the book is not as funny overall as Skyward was, there are still plenty of light-hearted moments, with M-Bot providing moments of levity while also raising questions about what it means to be ‘alive’.

My one disappointment with this book is that it ends with a cliffhanger and I have to wait ages for the next one…

TagsBook ReviewsBrandon SandersonGollanczScience FictionSkywardStarsightYAYA

Shona Kinsella

Shona Kinsella is a Scottish fantasy author who lives on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond with her husband and three children. She is the author of Ashael Rising (Unbound, 2017), Petra McDonald and the Queen of the Fae (Fox Spirit, 2018) and Miranya’s Oath (an illustrated web serial). You can find out more about her work at www.shonakinsella.com and she loves talking to new people on Twitter www.twitter.com/shona_kinsella 

4 comments

  1. Brandon Sanderson’s CYTONIC is out now in the UK! – Zeno Agency Ltd. 25 November, 2021 at 09:31 Reply

    […] I’ve come to expect from Brandon Sanderson, which is to say that it’s excellent.’ — The Fantasy Hive on […]

  2. Sanderson’s CYTONIC due out Next Month! – Zeno Agency Ltd. 22 October, 2021 at 09:31 Reply

    […] I’ve come to expect from Brandon Sanderson, which is to say that it’s excellent.’ — The Fantasy Hive on […]

  3. Three New Skyward Flight Novellas Coming Soon to the UK! – Zeno Agency Ltd. 21 September, 2021 at 10:31 Reply

    […] I’ve come to expect from Brandon Sanderson, which is to say that it’s excellent.’ — The Fantasy Hive on […]

  4. ICYMI: Cover & Details for Brandon Sanderson’s CYTONIC! – Zeno Agency Ltd. 27 May, 2021 at 09:31 Reply

    […] I’ve come to expect from Brandon Sanderson, which is to say that it’s excellent.’ — The Fantasy Hive on […]

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