Audiobook Review: STARSIGHT by Brandon Sanderson

Genre: Sci-fi
Age Range: YA
Star Rating:
Series: Yes - book 2

*SPOILER ALERT: contains SPOILERS for SKYWARD*

Synopsis:

All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she’s a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing.

Spensa is sure there’s more to the story. And she’s sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars–and it was terrifying. Everything Spensa has been taught about her world is a lie.

But Spensa also discovered a few other things about herself–and she’ll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to.

Synopsis taken from Goodreads. Add to your shelves here.

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Review:

I raced through this sequel even faster than the first book, just wanting to listen – even at the expense of doing other jobs. (Oops, but that’s a problem for tomorrow!) The SKYWARD series is fast becoming my favourite sci-fi!

Sophie Aldred, the narrator, was incredible (again). She was just a engaging bringing Spensa to life, teasing out the emotions and pace with her voice. The characters all have distinct voices too.

STARSIGHT expands the universe and stakes facing Spensa et al as she finds herself learning more about her cytonic abilities and the nowhere – the other plane she passes through when using her abilities. The threat of the creatures there pushes Spensa to look beyond her planet’s peril and open up the series.

I loved that, despite this galactic threat, the politics among the Superiority’s ministers (the body who control most of the galaxy and are responsible for the containment of Spensa’s people) was actually the major threat. The politics uses the excuses of both the humans and the creatures in the nowhere to further their own ends, making it hard for Spensa to trust anyone.

There are many new aliens introduced, their unfamiliar ways adding another layer of challenge. Despite being aliens, the main newcomers all feel so real and relateable, and the story line with Braid was wonderful – the frustration, hope and ending!  I loved the scene where Spensa realised a big truth about Kuna, and started thinking differently. I am probably spelling all these names wrong, having only heard them.

The power plays around her put not only her own subterfuge (and life) at risk, but that of the humans and her new friends she makes. It made for a really engaging story line and leads into the twisty ending that undercuts many common tropes. I love the way to main threat is handled, and what that promises for later books.

There’s not date set for the next book – other than a vague “probably 2021”. I’ve been lucky to listen to the first two back to back, and now the wait seems impossibly long after that ending!

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Read my reviews of other books by Brandon Sanderson:

Young Adult:

Skyward (this series):

• SKYWARD (#1)
• CYTONIC (#3)
• THE SKYWARD FLIGHT NOVELLAS (with Janci Patterson) (#2.1, #2.2 & #3.1)

Adult:

Mistborn:

• THE FINAL EMPIRE (#1)

Standalones:

• ELANTRIS

For reviews of the final Wheel of Time books Brandon Sanderson finished off, see Robert Jordan