Starsight

The sequel to 2018’s Skyward does not disappoint. Starsight brings back everything I loved about the first book, adds in a veritable menagerie of alien species, and ratchets up the tension as we watch Spensa navigate new challenges and see her grow as a result. Starsight is wonderful character-driven sci-fi with plenty of pulse-pounding action and political intrigue. There is a lot crammed into this book, but the word that best describes it might be comparatively simple: fun.

Starsight begins several months after Skyward left off, and we quickly become reacquainted with Spensa, M-Bot, and the rest of the crew. But it doesn’t take long until Spensa is off on new, tension-filled adventures. There’s so much that I enjoyed in this one that it’s hard to pick out specific elements to talk about. Spensa’s character arc is wonderful, and we get to see her coming out of her shell more. If Spensa in the first novel was a warrior, Spensa in this one is learning to be a diplomat, a spy, and—in some ways—a human being. The way her journey is a foil for the way alien species perceive humanity and the accuracies and inaccuracies of that perception is very well done. One of my favorite characters in this series is M-bot, Spensa’s sentient starfighter. I’m a sucker for the snarky, sentient spaceship trope and M-bot delivers on that front. I’m pretty sure there are some HK-47 Easter eggs that Brandon has dropped in there for us, and I love it. M-bot also has some intriguing character development in this novel, but unlike Spensa’s, we’re very much left waiting for the third book to see the resolution of that arc. Sanderson has managed to write a science fiction novel that still has a magic system, and I love him for it. The cytonics and their abilities are fascinating and I can’t wait to learn more in the future. Make no mistake, though, there are plenty of reveals in this book. In true Sanderson fashion the reveals come fast and furious in the final third of the book as things rush to their conclusion. The fact that said conclusion involves the science fiction version of hanging off a cliff doesn’t lessen it’s impact or the reader’s satisfaction in any way. For those who enjoy space-going, character-driven science fiction with telepathic elements and plenty of space tactics, this is one for you. I need more like it!

Normally this is where I’d share the weaknesses I found in the novel. In this case, those weaknesses largely take the form of things I missed. Because of the direction the story goes, we see much less of Spensa flight group from Skyward. That’s fine, and we are introduced to a number of new and interesting characters, but I missed the old group a great deal. I hope we’ll see more of them in the final book. I also felt like one small revelation that takes place near the end of the novel back on Spensa’s world could have had more impact with a little more explanation or another viewpoint from one of those characters. It’s nothing glaring or showstopping, and it might just be me wanting to see more of the old gang.

Starsight is wonderful science fiction. Sure to appeal to Sanderson fans and those looking for unique and unusual space tales, it’s one I’ll be recommending often.

9.0/10

4.5/5 stars.

5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing