Just as twisty and brutal as the first book, and, like that book, the characters and the writing were standouts.

These Burning Stars was easily one of my favourite books of 2023. Despite that, I don't think it's fair to say I went into this with high expectations - I simply assumed that I would love it. And within a chapter or two, I knew that I would.

The characters remain complex and extremely flawed and, okay, you know the phrase "hurt people hurt people?" That is every single character, pretty much. (And me, I'm the latter "people" here.) After the first book, we've kind of settled into our characters and their particular brands of fucked up, so here, we just get to build upon them.

While I found the first book could stand on its own quite nicely, this book is definitely a middle book. But with the depth of the world and political tensions, the twisty and twisted characters, and the visceral, often vicious writing (Bethany Jacobs truly has a way with words), there was not a chance this could be anything but 5 stars for me.

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

Whilst this did suffer from second book syndrome, it still kept me on the edge of my seat.
This felt like a side quest to the build up of the final confrontation.

Without the Capamame gate key, Kindom agents can't reach the escaped Farren Eyce and the Wheel. However, this isn’t a happy ever after. There is distrust, loss, and now there are deaths taking place and attacks against Jun’s casting.

Chono and Six returns to the Treble a fugitive and traitor, United to damn the Kindom for their crimes.

I definitely should have reread book one before diving onto this because it took me a while to familiarise myself with the characters and the ending of book one.

This deals with the idea of displacement. Of having accomplished the impossible and dealing with the fallout of tearing thousands of people from the lives they knew. Even if it was to save them.

Not to mention, certain characters are now revered as saviours, mascots, martyrs. Roles they despise. Power comes from controlling the populace and their attitudes.

"But there has always been a significant difference between reality and perception.”

Unfortunately, I wasn’t as blown away as I was with book one, but I wonder if this is because I read it after the high of discovering another new favourite sci fi trilogy in the Devoured Worlds.

I think what made book one so astounding to me was the incredible world building and the culture surrounding the gender and assimilation. Book two focuses on two timelines clashing for a climatic end setting up a nail biting book three.

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group for providing an arc in exchange for a review.