Hello, fellow bibliophiles, and welcome to the last Book Review Tuesday of February 2019! (MAN…this year has already gone by so fast…but hey, it’s almost March, BRING ON THE WARM WEATHER!)
Anyway.
I bought this book on my Kindle to tide me over during my trip to Florida recently (which I promise I’ll post about soon). I feel like it came to me from Goodreads in one of the recent boatloads of recommendations I’ve been getting (DOUBLE WHOA). As you’ve…probably figured out, I’m always hungry for exciting sci-fi, so it was a quick (and…well, rather lacking in forethought) buy.
Though my appetite for science fiction was not quite satiated, I will say that this was definitely and interesting and compelling novel. A tad bit of a slow read for me (then again, I read it in chunks while rather tired), but I doubt you guys will have the same experience as I did.
Whoops. Guess I’m not selling the book very much. Well, you can tell for yourselves if you’d like it or not right about now, because I come bearing a review!
Enjoy!
Navigating the Stars
Lyra Daniels lives in a constant cycle of moving from planet to planet, dragged along by her archaeologist parents. For them, it’s a chance to delve into the mystery of the Terra Cotta Warriors, which are showing up on countless planets across the galaxy. For Lyra, it’s a tragic circle of making friends, growing close, and having to leave them behind, never to see them again, and, thanks to the complications of interstellar travel, leaping forward many years, leaving her friends to age while she stays seventeen. After another planet housing the Warriors is discovered, Lyra tags along on the latest mission, spending her days worming her way through the Quantum-Net, and trying to cozy up to Niall, the only other crew member who’s close to her age. But when Lyra and the rest of the crew realize that they aren’t the only ones searching for the Warriors, they must work together to unravel a conspiracy like no other.
Alright, let me get one stupid joke out of the way before I get to my relevant opinions. The premise of Navigating the Stars was definitely original and captivating (unknown lifeforms creating Terra Cotta Warriors identical to the ones here on Earth) but it immediately made me think of this…
ALIENS.
Alright, here we go.
Navigating the Stars, though a bit slow at certain points (mostly when Lyra was travelling through space), was certainly an inventive and creative novel. LOTS of attention to detail and science, with relatable characters, and an intriguing plot to match. And though it wasn’t necessarily “action-packed” (not a bad thing, in the case of this book), the last third to quarter (or thereabouts) of the book was definitely creepy and very high-stakes. And yes, we do eventually get…ALIENS.
A must-read for anyone who loves a well-crafted sci-fi mystery.
Well, thanks so much for reading the review! Have a great rest of your day, and take care of yourselves! 🙂
The Bookish Mutant 