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A Sacrifice of Blood and Stars #1
A Sacrifice of Blood and Stars
On a distant dwarf planet, a young soldier discovers her mortal enemy is her only tie to the world she left behind, in a high-stakes sci-fi romance.
Two months after her eighteenth birthday, scrappy Hikari Skye is ready to leave her ramshackle mobile home on Earth for icy dwarf planet Ceres and the underground bases that house Space Force. She’s trading her dingy trailer park; her baby sister, Bea; and her best friend, Rho, for the excitement of the Proxy Wars and the freedom of the galactic front lines―where her father once deserted his own platoon. And the most appealing part? She’s leaving behind Draeden Rache, the cocky, privileged bully who tried to kiss her last year.
Appealing, that is, until Drae and Kari are tied together by the Pairing Ceremony as Sympathetics. Each week, she’ll share everything with him and him alone: emotions, fears . . . and the sneaking suspicion that something is very, very wrong. As Kari struggles to survive life in a unit that can only see her as a defector’s spawn, Drae and Rho work to solve a mystery of their own back at a futuristic UC Berkeley while their professor is hunted down for daring to teach beyond propaganda.
With the California Federation’s proxy war with the Siberian Federation heating up and Raiders creeping closer by the day, Kari and Drae’s weekly interactions turn into a race against time, even as their feelings for each other grow. And there’s something both Kari’s tough drill sergeant and Drae’s wealthy father don’t want them to know . . .
Two months after her eighteenth birthday, scrappy Hikari Skye is ready to leave her ramshackle mobile home on Earth for icy dwarf planet Ceres and the underground bases that house Space Force. She’s trading her dingy trailer park; her baby sister, Bea; and her best friend, Rho, for the excitement of the Proxy Wars and the freedom of the galactic front lines―where her father once deserted his own platoon. And the most appealing part? She’s leaving behind Draeden Rache, the cocky, privileged bully who tried to kiss her last year.
Appealing, that is, until Drae and Kari are tied together by the Pairing Ceremony as Sympathetics. Each week, she’ll share everything with him and him alone: emotions, fears . . . and the sneaking suspicion that something is very, very wrong. As Kari struggles to survive life in a unit that can only see her as a defector’s spawn, Drae and Rho work to solve a mystery of their own back at a futuristic UC Berkeley while their professor is hunted down for daring to teach beyond propaganda.
With the California Federation’s proxy war with the Siberian Federation heating up and Raiders creeping closer by the day, Kari and Drae’s weekly interactions turn into a race against time, even as their feelings for each other grow. And there’s something both Kari’s tough drill sergeant and Drae’s wealthy father don’t want them to know . . .
336 pages, Paperback
Published September 17, 2024
11 people are currently reading
7318 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Brody
14 books185 followersJennifer Brody (Vera Strange) is a New York Times Bestselling Author and Stoker Award Finalist. Her books include The Continuum Trilogy, Disney Chills, and Stranger Things: Starcourt Mall Escape. She is the co-author of All Is Found: A Frozen Anthology and Star Wars: Stories of Jedi and Sith. A fan of all things dark, weird, and wonderful, she's always writing something new. www.jenniferbrody.com
You can find her on Twitter and TikTok @JenniferBrody, and Instagram and Facebook @JenniferBrodyWriter.
You can find her on Twitter and TikTok @JenniferBrody, and Instagram and Facebook @JenniferBrodyWriter.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 10, 2024
Kari is worried about finding out who her sympathetic is, the person that she will be bonded to for as long as she is in the military. When she finds out it’s Drae, a massive bully from her high school, she thinks that nothing could be worse. But as she goes through basic training and Drae goes through school, their relationship grows. But war is brewing and it may bring them closer together than ever.
The characters in this book were really well written. I really liked the way that different backgrounds were explored and how a militarized government affects characters. The one thing that I didn’t like about the characters was the romance. I just didn’t think it developed enough on the page.
The world-building was done amazingly. I thought that it was amazing the way that the world-building was sprinkled throughout was really well done. It was just really great. Except for the twist but I don’t want to spoil it.
The plot of the book was very reminiscent of Starship Troopers but more contemporary and with romance. But that changed in the last 100 pages. It was really disappointing and I’m not sure that I want to keep reading the series based on the twist.
Overall, an extremely well-crafted world with an underdeveloped romance and, for me, an aggravating twist. If you enjoy science fiction with alternate history and some romance, this book is probably for you.
The characters in this book were really well written. I really liked the way that different backgrounds were explored and how a militarized government affects characters. The one thing that I didn’t like about the characters was the romance. I just didn’t think it developed enough on the page.
The world-building was done amazingly. I thought that it was amazing the way that the world-building was sprinkled throughout was really well done. It was just really great. Except for the twist but I don’t want to spoil it.
The plot of the book was very reminiscent of Starship Troopers but more contemporary and with romance. But that changed in the last 100 pages. It was really disappointing and I’m not sure that I want to keep reading the series based on the twist.
Overall, an extremely well-crafted world with an underdeveloped romance and, for me, an aggravating twist. If you enjoy science fiction with alternate history and some romance, this book is probably for you.
October 2, 2024
A phenomenal read!
I learned more about the Art of War in this book than any other references. Prepare for a militarized dystopian society where the young and underprivileged are shipped off to space to fight skirmishes with the other Earth governments rather than engaging in war on Earth ever again. Kari, once a privileged child, but now the daughter of a deserter has signed up for an eight-year stint in the Space Force. As part of the program, she is assigned an Earthside sympathetic to exchange thoughts and emotions with during her deployment. The problem? Kari sees Drae as her ultimate enemy. He's privileged and a member of a gang of bullies. All preconceived notions aside, these two are perfect for each other. While Kari is off Earth doing training, Drae is settling into college with Kari's best friend. Things are interesting on both ends and make this story evolve wonderfully. By the end, I couldn't wait to see where this epic tale would take us. It seems it will be a bit of a wait until book 2 will be available. I'll be waiting.
I learned more about the Art of War in this book than any other references. Prepare for a militarized dystopian society where the young and underprivileged are shipped off to space to fight skirmishes with the other Earth governments rather than engaging in war on Earth ever again. Kari, once a privileged child, but now the daughter of a deserter has signed up for an eight-year stint in the Space Force. As part of the program, she is assigned an Earthside sympathetic to exchange thoughts and emotions with during her deployment. The problem? Kari sees Drae as her ultimate enemy. He's privileged and a member of a gang of bullies. All preconceived notions aside, these two are perfect for each other. While Kari is off Earth doing training, Drae is settling into college with Kari's best friend. Things are interesting on both ends and make this story evolve wonderfully. By the end, I couldn't wait to see where this epic tale would take us. It seems it will be a bit of a wait until book 2 will be available. I'll be waiting.
December 19, 2024
At the start of A Sacrifice of Blood and Stars, Kari is ready to leave her life behind, joining the Space Force and redeeming her family name in the process. She's especially happy to get away from Draeden, a classmate she despises. However, their fates are intertwined when he becomes her Sympathetic, and they are forced to share everything, thoughts and feelings included. Hopefully they can figure out a way to get along, as they have an important role to play in the future of their world.
This futuristic version of Earth was an interesting setting to explore. Not one I would want to be a part of, but it does draw you in. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers romance between Kari and Drae and how the story followed both Kari at basic training and Drae at his first year of college. The plot kept my interest and I happily await the next installment.
I received a free copy of this book via Podium Team and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This futuristic version of Earth was an interesting setting to explore. Not one I would want to be a part of, but it does draw you in. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers romance between Kari and Drae and how the story followed both Kari at basic training and Drae at his first year of college. The plot kept my interest and I happily await the next installment.
I received a free copy of this book via Podium Team and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 1, 2025
4 1/2 stars - This entertaining story is about of two childhood enemies, Hikari Skye and Draeden Rache, having to work together as they're paired up. While having to express and discuss what they experience during the week, they also have a mystery to solve as they find themselves growing closer. Loved the flipped coin as Hikari was poor and looking forward to getting a better life in the Space Force which her father was accused as a deserter and Draeden Rache was a rich kid from important parents wanting to be recognized by his own merits as he goes to college. I'd volunteer to read and review this copy I'd received.
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May 25, 2025Enjoyed it! A well written well edited indie book with relatable New Adult characters and fun sci fi world building.
See full review on my SCIENCE FICTION WITH HEART blog
See full review on my SCIENCE FICTION WITH HEART blog
June 20, 2025
I enjoyed this book. The originality and thought put into the world and tech and characters and politics was admirable. I was able to fall right in and care pretty quickly. I was pleased with the end, but hope to see Kari again! Seems possible...
i won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you!
i won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you!
October 13, 2024
Wow. This book was utterly amazing. The “Art of War” references compelled me to purchase that book too. I absolutely cannot wait for the second book. Such a great read. Truly. 🌎🤍✨
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews