Reviews

A Wilderness of Stars by Shea Ernshaw

daisiesonjupiter's review against another edition

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5.0

The slow burn of this book definitely was worth it. Tears were shed. I didn’t expect it to take so long to finish but the story was beautiful and I was completely invested and interested almost the whole time. I love it so much. I need another immediately. I need closure lol.

pinkleader's review against another edition

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mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

2.25

laurenjcarter28's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

rett8's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.75

nadgtz's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

BEWARE, THIS IS NOT FANTASY.
I think it is primordial to say it first because I went into it thinking it was fantasy so I think it spoilt my reading.
I think it is a great book but my misplaced expectations ruined the experience for me. As all the other Shea Ernshaw books, it is well written, the characters are loveable and there is a general mystery hovering during the whole book.
The western angle taken here is great, it is not cliché and the role played by women in this desert offers nice representation in what is - at its origin - a man's world.

vayduhhh's review

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adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced

3.25

annekawithane's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

A Wilderness of Stars had a promising premise. Vega, the last astronomer, after seeing the fated twin stars in the sky, must find the last architect to be able to reach the sea. Shea builds a foundation in description and intriguing characters; however, the mystery that pulled me in, became its biggest weakness. I think this book could have used several more drafts/edits as its world-building and characterization fell very flat. I wanted to know more about Vega, the people she encounters, and this world plagued by sickness.But as we are traveling these lands, the world is never explained. All the characters are secretive or they don’t full understand their role, and while this played well in the beginning,  the extended period lessened my interest and connection to the characters. We’re only given glimpses into the motivations of these characters and limited meaningful interactions. The romance felt instantaneous. I had a difficult time placing the genre while reading as it felt sci-fi, western, dystopian, and historical given the blankness. Answers only started happening at about 77% into the book, and unfortunately, those reveals and Shea’s classic *twist* at the end only further added to my questions. The reasoning behind anyone’s decision didn’t make sense.  

I loved the previous Shea Ernshaw books I have read, (Winterwood, Wicked Deep, and The History of Wild Places) and I am looking forward to her next two books. Unfortunately, I feel this was Shea’s weakest novel. 

tatyanavogt's review against another edition

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3.0

Okay this was an interesting experience... I started off pretty invested in the story. The writing was engaging so even before knowing what was going on I was interested. I did have inaccurate expectations assuming the book would be more fantasy versus dystopian. Its got a modern vibe but in an old desolate western type world which threw me off at first but didn't stop my interest. The characters are young and some stupid stuff happens but I was still interested. I was not a fan of the romance as it felt really forced and awkward, but the rest of it was interesting enough that I was able to ignore that and continue. 

Then I got to the big twist at the end and had a SERIOUS deja-vu moment. I've NEVER read this book before but I knew that scene vividly as if I'd read it or seen it before with a basic 1:1 accuracy. honestly a really weird experience that I haven't had before. Anyway, then past that the ending after the scene reminded me of another book but not a 1:1 experience like the scene before just similar concepts. 

Now I'm not sure how I feel about it. Didn't love it but I also didn't hate it. 

maparr2's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

It was ok. An interesting plot, but it took most of the book to become invested in the characters and the stakes. Slow build up to the point. But an easy read. 

gabbi_leanne's review against another edition

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relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.25