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.