Review: Defy The Stars by Claudia Gray

Title: Defy The Stars

Author: Claudia Gray 
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date: April 4th, 2017

Pages: 503
Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Series:  Constellation #1 
Source: Audio

 

She's a soldier -- Noemi Vidal is willing to risk anything to protect her planet, Genesis, including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she's a rebel.

He's a machine -- Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel's advanced programming has begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he's an abomination.

Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they're not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they're forced to question everything they'd been taught was true.

This book has been on my TBR for a while and I have had the audio for a while. I tend to stack up on books I am so excited for but never get to once I have them. Story of my life. This one was a much anticipated read and I am not sure why it took me so long to get it read. I know that 2017 just really got away from me. I finally sat down and listened to this book. It was really really good. It was a bit slow in the beginning for me, but it didn't take too long to really get me going. I just adored the characters even with their flaws and the story was quite an interesting one. I am just dying for the next book. The ending tore me apart and I need more like now. 

Age long story of a war between planets. One planet is descended from Earth, humans inhabit the planet Genesis. There is a war between Earth and Genesis. The only problem is Earth is way more advanced, has more resources, and uses robots to fight the war. This puts Genesis behind on the winning side. Noemi is from Genesis and she heads out to prepare for a suicide mission that her planet hopes will maybe put them in a safe place for a couple of years to stock up on manpower. In this preparation, her ship finds trouble and int he process of trying to salvage what her losses she ends up on an old ship of Earths. She believes there is no inhabitants of this ship, humans or robots. This is where she meets Abel, a machine, a very intelligent machine and he has been aboard this ship alone for 30 years. Abandoned by the humans in order to save their lives, he was left behind. Noemi and Abel find a way to help the war along, or end the war. Along they way the discover secrets and rebels and the truth behind Abel and his advanced programming. 

This kind of book seems to be on my reading lists a lot lately. The robot/human interaction love story kind of thing. Each book has its own way of explaining how a robot can love and I really enjoyed the story behind this one. The story was actually very unique for me with all the sci-fi and fantasy books out there that seem to be similar. I found the complications of what makes one human or alive or intelligent intriguing. When does one have a soul? I really love books that bring in the the whole soul thing. What does or doesn't what can or can't what constitutes as a soul. All that is very compelling for me. This author (which I love Claudia Gray and her writing) really does an exceptional job in bringing these questions to thoughts. The story was only one aspect of this great book. 

The characters were just so lovable. I think I enjoyed Abel a little more than I did Noemi only because there were so many more layers to him and his past was quite beautifully heart-breaking. The way he was created and abandoned and how he spent 30 years alone with only one desire to keep him going... which was being reunited with his creator. I also loved being a part of him growing and advancing, watching as the things in his person began to change. I just couldn't get enough of Abel. 

Noemi was a pretty awesome character too. At times she was a little frustrating... but only because I was able to see into Abel's mind too. So when she thought he was just a machine and didn't see the subtle changes in his behavior, it made me want to knock some sense into her. Also I didn't like the way she saw herself. She didn't have any self confidence. I did love her loyalty though, to her planet, her foster family, her best friend, her mission. She was very smart and quick. She was very resilient and I found her a very charming heroine. 

The romance was slow, very slow. It was slow neither one of the characters saw it coming. Oh how I love those sneak attack love stories. I found it quite endearing and really wanted more of it. I didn't get enough of it in this book. I just hope I get so much more of it in the second book. 

The world building was stellar. I read these space opera kind of books for the space wars and for the world building. I want to know why things are the way are. I want to know how things happened to get to this point. This book was excellent in the world building and story telling. It wasn't all at once which I loved because no info dump. It was slowly released throughout the book when it was needed. The setting was wonderful of course, it's space the final frontier. 

The plot was so intricate. How things fit and what was really going on with the planets and the people of these planets. The reason for Abel and all the other robots after him. Why Genesis is on its own it the war with Earth. So many secrets and lies. 

Of course the only issue I had was the ending. First of all it killed me. Made me feel all the feels. It felt to fast. I wasn't ready for the ending and yet there it was and it was heartbreaking. Most of the book was feels free.. well the major feels. There were little feels but not the feels that would prepare me for the feels in the end. I am ready for the second book. Like now. 

Adored this book and the characters. Great Sci-Fi read. 

Claudia Gray is not my real name. I didn't choose a pseudonym because my real name is unpleasant (it isn't), because I'd always dreamed of calling myself this (I haven't) or even because I'm hiding from the remnants of that international diamond-smuggling cartel I smashed in 2003 (Interpol has taken care of them). In short, I took a pseudonym for no real reason whatsoever. Sometimes this is actually the best reason to do things.
I live in New Orleans. So far, in life, I've been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing.