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The Starborne Saga #1
The Sundered Stars
Betrayal is just the beginning…
After a decade of hunting the Federation’s deadliest criminals, Mora “Mo” Cevi is done risking her life—but she needs a way out. So, when a lucrative military contract lands in her lap, she takes it despite her mistrust of the government.
Steadfast leader Ezra Lyre has dedicated sixteen years to the Federation Space Command, climbing the ranks to become one of the military’s most revered Vanguards. But when he’s assigned to protect a group of archaeologists on a remote dig, he’s confused. The Federation is at war, and he should be on the front lines, not babysitting scholars.
Mo has been fighting Ezra’s orders for days, until a group of traitors steal a treasured artifact, and he needs her to help him bring them to justice. With the Federation rejecting their concerns, they pursue the thieves on their own.
But as their manhunt tangles them in a web of dangerous conspiracies, Mo and Ezra find themselves racing to stop a threat that could destroy the Federation—if their enemies don’t destroy them first.
After a decade of hunting the Federation’s deadliest criminals, Mora “Mo” Cevi is done risking her life—but she needs a way out. So, when a lucrative military contract lands in her lap, she takes it despite her mistrust of the government.
Steadfast leader Ezra Lyre has dedicated sixteen years to the Federation Space Command, climbing the ranks to become one of the military’s most revered Vanguards. But when he’s assigned to protect a group of archaeologists on a remote dig, he’s confused. The Federation is at war, and he should be on the front lines, not babysitting scholars.
Mo has been fighting Ezra’s orders for days, until a group of traitors steal a treasured artifact, and he needs her to help him bring them to justice. With the Federation rejecting their concerns, they pursue the thieves on their own.
But as their manhunt tangles them in a web of dangerous conspiracies, Mo and Ezra find themselves racing to stop a threat that could destroy the Federation—if their enemies don’t destroy them first.
573 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2025
44 people are currently reading
1165 people want to read
About the author
H.E. Bauman
8 books90 followersH.E. Bauman writes fantasy stories with unexpected worlds, defiant heroines, and sizzling slow burns. When she’s not writing, you can find her playing tennis, immersed in a video game, or spending time with her family.
Follow H.E. on Instagram at @hebauman for book updates, character art, and more.
Follow H.E. on Instagram at @hebauman for book updates, character art, and more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
May 12, 2025
Pub date: May 19, 2025
I’m super intrigued that this book is like Star Wars!
Space, treasure hunting, a political system, spaceship flights. And heroes with magical abilities!🤌🏻
💁🏼♀️ I liked FMC Mo. She has a chronic illness and a toxic ex. The heroine tries to be independent, trusts very few people, and doesn’t show weakness.
💁🏽♂️ MMC Ezra is a military guy who loves to knit (how cute!), but he’ll also take out anyone who harms his loved ones.
We have that classic enemies to lovers vibe, but I love that it’s not a quick jump! It went from hate to trust, to friendship, and then to love! And it was slow, just how I like it! Plus, Mo is grumpy, while Ezra is a sunshine trying to help everyone.
There are also secondary characters that I wanted more of. It’s about found family, people brought together by pain.
At first, they’re working together short term to protect archaeologists searching for an artifact. But then things go sideways, and it turns into a long mission filled with secrets, political intrigue, betrayal, and a race to save the universe from war. Who’s the traitor, and who can you trust?
We’re always on the go, flying, walking, searching for something. The writing isn’t complicated, and it’s enjoyable. I liked that it’s told from two perspectives, which is super handy.
It’s a story about love, friendship, loss, betrayal, and trust. A story about hidden pain. About people who are different yet the same at the same time.
Major Content Warnings: Fantasy and sci-fi violence, including character deaths and suicide; references to past intimate partner violence; descriptions of injuries and chronic pain; casual alcohol consumption; loss of home world/planetary destruction; war and imperialism.
Thank you to H.E. Bauman and the publisher for the gifted ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
• Bounty hunter FMC with chronic pain
• Tattooed warrior MMC with healing magic
• Space empires at war
• Magic and energy weapons
• Divine artifacts & lost gods
• Ragtag found family
• Dislike to allies to slow burn lovers
• Epic battles
•She’s overly protective of her ship
• He falls first
• Dual POV
Instagram review
I’m super intrigued that this book is like Star Wars!
Space, treasure hunting, a political system, spaceship flights. And heroes with magical abilities!🤌🏻
💁🏼♀️ I liked FMC Mo. She has a chronic illness and a toxic ex. The heroine tries to be independent, trusts very few people, and doesn’t show weakness.
💁🏽♂️ MMC Ezra is a military guy who loves to knit (how cute!), but he’ll also take out anyone who harms his loved ones.
We have that classic enemies to lovers vibe, but I love that it’s not a quick jump! It went from hate to trust, to friendship, and then to love! And it was slow, just how I like it! Plus, Mo is grumpy, while Ezra is a sunshine trying to help everyone.
There are also secondary characters that I wanted more of. It’s about found family, people brought together by pain.
At first, they’re working together short term to protect archaeologists searching for an artifact. But then things go sideways, and it turns into a long mission filled with secrets, political intrigue, betrayal, and a race to save the universe from war. Who’s the traitor, and who can you trust?
We’re always on the go, flying, walking, searching for something. The writing isn’t complicated, and it’s enjoyable. I liked that it’s told from two perspectives, which is super handy.
It’s a story about love, friendship, loss, betrayal, and trust. A story about hidden pain. About people who are different yet the same at the same time.
Major Content Warnings: Fantasy and sci-fi violence, including character deaths and suicide; references to past intimate partner violence; descriptions of injuries and chronic pain; casual alcohol consumption; loss of home world/planetary destruction; war and imperialism.
Thank you to H.E. Bauman and the publisher for the gifted ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
• Bounty hunter FMC with chronic pain
• Tattooed warrior MMC with healing magic
• Space empires at war
• Magic and energy weapons
• Divine artifacts & lost gods
• Ragtag found family
• Dislike to allies to slow burn lovers
• Epic battles
•She’s overly protective of her ship
• He falls first
• Dual POV
Instagram review
May 27, 2025
love me a chaotic found family in space!!
May 27, 2025
5⭐️
1/5🌶️
YES!!! This was SO good. The Sundered Stars is an epic fantasy space opera with high stakes, meddling gods, found family and a slow burn romance.
Mo, a government-hating bounty hunter, is forced to work with Ezra, a soldier in special ops when a group of archeologists need security on a dig site. They find themselves smack dab in the middle of a high stakes conflict as they investigate a betrayal.
These characters are incredibly well written. I really connected to Ezra especially. He is a Captain America type hero. He’s a great leader who genuinely cares for the people he leads, maybe a bit naive at times but he has good intentions and learns quickly. He’s all around just a great dude. When his worldview flips upside down and his trust in the establishment he’s committed his life to is shaken he takes it all incredibly well. Overall he’s a green flag guy.
Mo is great as well. She is the grumpy to Ezra’s sunshine. Shes slow to trust because of things in her past but she warms up to Ezra eventually. I love the chemistry between them, they are genuinely so good for each other! There is no spice in book 1 but I believe there will be in the future of the series.
The world building is layered and detailed. There is so much lore to this world and it all just felt so real! Despite the detailed government system everything was easy to follow. I absolutely cannot wait until the next book in this series. I read this book slowly so I could savor every page! If you are a romantasy reader who also likes Star Wars I highly recommend checking this one out.
This is a planned series and there is no cliffhanger at the end.
Third person dual pov
Tropes; found family, allies who dislike each other to lovers, yearning, slow burn, mystery, suspense, unique magic systems, chronic pain rep, betrayals, healer MMC
1/5🌶️
YES!!! This was SO good. The Sundered Stars is an epic fantasy space opera with high stakes, meddling gods, found family and a slow burn romance.
Mo, a government-hating bounty hunter, is forced to work with Ezra, a soldier in special ops when a group of archeologists need security on a dig site. They find themselves smack dab in the middle of a high stakes conflict as they investigate a betrayal.
These characters are incredibly well written. I really connected to Ezra especially. He is a Captain America type hero. He’s a great leader who genuinely cares for the people he leads, maybe a bit naive at times but he has good intentions and learns quickly. He’s all around just a great dude. When his worldview flips upside down and his trust in the establishment he’s committed his life to is shaken he takes it all incredibly well. Overall he’s a green flag guy.
Mo is great as well. She is the grumpy to Ezra’s sunshine. Shes slow to trust because of things in her past but she warms up to Ezra eventually. I love the chemistry between them, they are genuinely so good for each other! There is no spice in book 1 but I believe there will be in the future of the series.
The world building is layered and detailed. There is so much lore to this world and it all just felt so real! Despite the detailed government system everything was easy to follow. I absolutely cannot wait until the next book in this series. I read this book slowly so I could savor every page! If you are a romantasy reader who also likes Star Wars I highly recommend checking this one out.
This is a planned series and there is no cliffhanger at the end.
Third person dual pov
Tropes; found family, allies who dislike each other to lovers, yearning, slow burn, mystery, suspense, unique magic systems, chronic pain rep, betrayals, healer MMC
April 30, 2025
Thank you to H.E. Bauman and the publisher for the gifted ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
The setting reminded me very much of Star Wars and felt like a very immersive sci-fi world. It had lots of interesting planets, races and various space crafts. The political system and divide were also interesting.
The FMC Mo was well written and I appreciated the chronic illness representation as well the allusions of her freeing herself from abuse from a former partner. She still felt very strong and grounded despite everything she has to overcome. This gave her character both depth and realism. The MMC Ezra was a standard military guy but was very sweet in a way you wouldn’t expect from someone of his background as well. The supporting characters all felt a little similar to me at times. Just your typical crime fighting sidekicks with various allegiances.
The grumpy/sunshine trope was well executed in Mo and Ezra’s dynamic. The book captured several tender moments towards the end. The romance was a very SLOW burn but I believe that was the authors intention since there are more books to come. But may not be what everyone is looking for in a romance.
My one major note for this book was just the pacing. The beginning spent a long time on the political climate so the book felt slow to really get into the more intense parts of the plot.
Overall, a fun immersive sci-fi read for anyone who loves a good slow burn grumpy/sunshine romance with a side of mystery and war politics.
The setting reminded me very much of Star Wars and felt like a very immersive sci-fi world. It had lots of interesting planets, races and various space crafts. The political system and divide were also interesting.
The FMC Mo was well written and I appreciated the chronic illness representation as well the allusions of her freeing herself from abuse from a former partner. She still felt very strong and grounded despite everything she has to overcome. This gave her character both depth and realism. The MMC Ezra was a standard military guy but was very sweet in a way you wouldn’t expect from someone of his background as well. The supporting characters all felt a little similar to me at times. Just your typical crime fighting sidekicks with various allegiances.
The grumpy/sunshine trope was well executed in Mo and Ezra’s dynamic. The book captured several tender moments towards the end. The romance was a very SLOW burn but I believe that was the authors intention since there are more books to come. But may not be what everyone is looking for in a romance.
My one major note for this book was just the pacing. The beginning spent a long time on the political climate so the book felt slow to really get into the more intense parts of the plot.
Overall, a fun immersive sci-fi read for anyone who loves a good slow burn grumpy/sunshine romance with a side of mystery and war politics.
April 30, 2025
The Sundered Stars, Book 1 in H.E. Bauman's Starborne Saga, was my introduction to the space opera genre. And what an introduction it was! I loved every second of this fast-paced space adventure with high stakes, as well as the equally thrilling moments of love, found family, and eternal devotion.
Romance is more of a subplot in The Sundered Stars, but don't let that fool you—the longing, the slow-burn, and the relationship building were so sweet and beautiful to witness.
I truly enjoyed the way H.E. Bauman managed to mix and match all these different elements together; there was never a dull moment. The plot was intriguing and engaging, and I loved the mystery part of it all. The space travels, the hunt, the battles—everything was executed marvelously.
But this story is so much more than a space adventure filled with secrets and mysteries; it's a tale of people choosing to become a family, choosing to love and cherish each other while living in uncertain times with dangers all around them. It's a tale of love, loss, betrayal, and relearning to trust another. A tale of timid feelings and strong words. A tale of inner demons and hidden pains.
And it's a tale that has only just begun. There is still so much more to uncover and dig up, and I am here for it. I'm here for future adventures, dangers, and space hunts. But I'm also here for blossoming relationships and emotions surging forward. I'm here for it all.
Thank you, H.E. Bauman; I loved being your ARC reader and will hopefully continue this adventure with you!
Romance is more of a subplot in The Sundered Stars, but don't let that fool you—the longing, the slow-burn, and the relationship building were so sweet and beautiful to witness.
I truly enjoyed the way H.E. Bauman managed to mix and match all these different elements together; there was never a dull moment. The plot was intriguing and engaging, and I loved the mystery part of it all. The space travels, the hunt, the battles—everything was executed marvelously.
But this story is so much more than a space adventure filled with secrets and mysteries; it's a tale of people choosing to become a family, choosing to love and cherish each other while living in uncertain times with dangers all around them. It's a tale of love, loss, betrayal, and relearning to trust another. A tale of timid feelings and strong words. A tale of inner demons and hidden pains.
And it's a tale that has only just begun. There is still so much more to uncover and dig up, and I am here for it. I'm here for future adventures, dangers, and space hunts. But I'm also here for blossoming relationships and emotions surging forward. I'm here for it all.
Thank you, H.E. Bauman; I loved being your ARC reader and will hopefully continue this adventure with you!
May 2, 2025
4.5☆'s
ARC Review- Huge thank you to H.E. Bauman for letting me read this gem of a book to review.
The world-building is immaculate. There was such depth, and I felt as though we only touched on part of the entire world the author had dreamt up. I loved that our story was set in space, and had so many different yet discernable planets. We were given well thought out societies, alien races, an intriguing magic system, and gods. And it feels like there is so much more we can learn, but in a really good way.
The pacing in the story started out a bit slower, but picked up as our story developed. It never felt too slow or rushed. I have been super sick as I read this, so I was picking this up and reading it in a slower manner than I normally would. Overall, I would judge this to be a medium paced read.
The story is really interesting, and builds in such a great way as new information was woven into our plot. I saw another review that this book was over 500 pages (my kindle only showed me location or time info), and it read with the ease of a much shorter novel. And I could have easily read for another 400 pages the story was so engrossing. Her second book to this series will be so riveting based in where this story left us. The slow burn is very slow, I enjoyed it but if you prefer a faster burn you aren't finding that here.
I generally liked the characters in the story, but for some reason I really kept thinking they were a decade younger. I appreciated that they were near or over thirty, but I couldn't get over that mental hurdle of thinking they were younger. I also struggled with any perceived closeness between Ezra and his team. That being said, Ezra was a great character and I enjoyed seeing Mo grow throughout the book.
If you love Fantasy, and sci-fi with a hint of romance then this book is for you.
ARC Review- Huge thank you to H.E. Bauman for letting me read this gem of a book to review.
The world-building is immaculate. There was such depth, and I felt as though we only touched on part of the entire world the author had dreamt up. I loved that our story was set in space, and had so many different yet discernable planets. We were given well thought out societies, alien races, an intriguing magic system, and gods. And it feels like there is so much more we can learn, but in a really good way.
The pacing in the story started out a bit slower, but picked up as our story developed. It never felt too slow or rushed. I have been super sick as I read this, so I was picking this up and reading it in a slower manner than I normally would. Overall, I would judge this to be a medium paced read.
The story is really interesting, and builds in such a great way as new information was woven into our plot. I saw another review that this book was over 500 pages (my kindle only showed me location or time info), and it read with the ease of a much shorter novel. And I could have easily read for another 400 pages the story was so engrossing. Her second book to this series will be so riveting based in where this story left us. The slow burn is very slow, I enjoyed it but if you prefer a faster burn you aren't finding that here.
I generally liked the characters in the story, but for some reason I really kept thinking they were a decade younger. I appreciated that they were near or over thirty, but I couldn't get over that mental hurdle of thinking they were younger. I also struggled with any perceived closeness between Ezra and his team. That being said, Ezra was a great character and I enjoyed seeing Mo grow throughout the book.
If you love Fantasy, and sci-fi with a hint of romance then this book is for you.
June 9, 2025
Thank you to H.E. Bauman for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5 stars.
Genre(s): space opera, adult sci-fi romance.
Overall impression: a high-stakes space opera with plenty of mystery, political intrigue and adventure to faraway planets. My favourite parts were the world-building and character development, which led to a well-earned and adorable romance sub-plot. I can't wait for book 2 and hope we get to see the romance flourish.
Tropes:
➵ Military x bounty hunter
➵ Reluctant allies-to-lovers
➵ Slow-burn romance
➵ FMC with chronic pain
➵ MMC with healing energy
➵ Grumpy x sunshine
➵ Elemental magic
➵ Betrayal
➵ Found family
➵ Empires at war
➵ Space travel & world-hopping
➵ Hunting for ancient artefacts
➵ Race against the clock
➵ Gods & goddesses
➵ Not everyone survives
➵ Happy-for-now (HFN)
⤷ Plot:
I really like that the storyline evolved as the characters were faced with new challenges. Initially, they were working together on a short-term basis to protect archeologists looking for an artefact. But it rapidly evolved into a long-haul mission with mystery, political intrigue, betrayal and a race to save the universe from impending war.
Although it might sound intimidating, this novel would be suitable for readers with no experience with sci-fi novels - whilst also appealing to space opera fanatics.
⤷ Characters:
I really enjoyed the dynamics between Mo and Ezra. Mo was grumpy and fiercely independent. Whilst, Ezra was a golden retriever and walking green flag. Together, they were formidable and challenged each other to develop over the course of the novel. Mo slowly learned to trust Ezra, and he slowly learned that there was more to life than the military. I can't wait to see their relationship grow through the series, I can just tell that they're going to get even more loveable as time goes on.
Mo's team was really fleshed out out too. Each of the characters had distinct personalities and interacted with Mo and Ezra in their own unique way. They felt very realistic and I loved that they welcomed Ezra into their group and finally gave him the family he was searching for.
⤷ World-building:
I loved exploring the universe with the characters. We got to see lots of different worlds and landscapes, and it felt like I was on an adventure with them. There were also new species, cultures and politics - creating a complex but fairly easy to understand world.
⤷ Writing:
The pacing was similar to other sci-fi novels I've read - though I imagine it might be a bit slow for people that mostly read fantasy. I really liked the writing style though and was able to move through the chapters fairly quickly because I was so hooked on the world-building.
⤷ Everything else:
H.E. Bauman is officially an auto-buy author for me! I loved her writing style, world-building and uniqueness of the plot, and I know any future books will stay true to this.
Statistics:
➵ Date read: 13/04/2025-18/04/2025 (6 days).
➵ Page count: 583.
➵ Type: e-book.
➵ Volume: series.
➵ Special: direct from author ARC.
Social Media Links:
Instagram | TikTok | Threads
Follow for reviews, unboxings and book aesthetic videos.
Rating: 5 stars.
Genre(s): space opera, adult sci-fi romance.
Overall impression: a high-stakes space opera with plenty of mystery, political intrigue and adventure to faraway planets. My favourite parts were the world-building and character development, which led to a well-earned and adorable romance sub-plot. I can't wait for book 2 and hope we get to see the romance flourish.
Tropes:
➵ Military x bounty hunter
➵ Reluctant allies-to-lovers
➵ Slow-burn romance
➵ FMC with chronic pain
➵ MMC with healing energy
➵ Grumpy x sunshine
➵ Elemental magic
➵ Betrayal
➵ Found family
➵ Empires at war
➵ Space travel & world-hopping
➵ Hunting for ancient artefacts
➵ Race against the clock
➵ Gods & goddesses
➵ Not everyone survives
➵ Happy-for-now (HFN)
⤷ Plot:
I really like that the storyline evolved as the characters were faced with new challenges. Initially, they were working together on a short-term basis to protect archeologists looking for an artefact. But it rapidly evolved into a long-haul mission with mystery, political intrigue, betrayal and a race to save the universe from impending war.
Although it might sound intimidating, this novel would be suitable for readers with no experience with sci-fi novels - whilst also appealing to space opera fanatics.
⤷ Characters:
I really enjoyed the dynamics between Mo and Ezra. Mo was grumpy and fiercely independent. Whilst, Ezra was a golden retriever and walking green flag. Together, they were formidable and challenged each other to develop over the course of the novel. Mo slowly learned to trust Ezra, and he slowly learned that there was more to life than the military. I can't wait to see their relationship grow through the series, I can just tell that they're going to get even more loveable as time goes on.
Mo's team was really fleshed out out too. Each of the characters had distinct personalities and interacted with Mo and Ezra in their own unique way. They felt very realistic and I loved that they welcomed Ezra into their group and finally gave him the family he was searching for.
⤷ World-building:
I loved exploring the universe with the characters. We got to see lots of different worlds and landscapes, and it felt like I was on an adventure with them. There were also new species, cultures and politics - creating a complex but fairly easy to understand world.
⤷ Writing:
The pacing was similar to other sci-fi novels I've read - though I imagine it might be a bit slow for people that mostly read fantasy. I really liked the writing style though and was able to move through the chapters fairly quickly because I was so hooked on the world-building.
⤷ Everything else:
H.E. Bauman is officially an auto-buy author for me! I loved her writing style, world-building and uniqueness of the plot, and I know any future books will stay true to this.
Statistics:
➵ Date read: 13/04/2025-18/04/2025 (6 days).
➵ Page count: 583.
➵ Type: e-book.
➵ Volume: series.
➵ Special: direct from author ARC.
Social Media Links:
Instagram | TikTok | Threads
Follow for reviews, unboxings and book aesthetic videos.
May 22, 2025
4.5/5 stars
The Sundered Stars is everything I love in a space opera. It has political tension, a high-stakes mystery, a found family dynamic that hits juuuuust right, and characters you want to wrap in a blanket and protect at all costs. I’ve read Bauman’s previous work and enjoyed it, but this one? Easily my favorite so far.
Mo is a sharp-edged, emotionally scarred bounty hunter just trying to make it through, and Ezra is the cinnamon roll Vanguard who absolutely deserves a medal for patience. Their dynamic is fantastic. Gruff versus gentle, guarded versus open. And it’s so satisfying to watch them slowly build trust. Ezra is the kind of character who makes you believe in good men again, and how he cares for Mo (WITHOUT trying to fix her) is exactly what she needs after the abuse she’s endured.
I’m a sucker for “ragtag team stuck on a ship together,” and this book delivers on that front, too. There’s a real sense of camaraderie shaped by hardship, yes, but also by choice and affection. I also have to shout out the mental health rep and the theme of healing. These characters are actively working through trauma, through grief, through guilt, and it’s handled with care. No magical cure-alls, just progress and support and space to breathe. It made me so happy.
The worldbuilding here is layered but expansive and I enjoyed the sci-fi tech meets divine magic aspect. If you’re more used to fantasy, this is an excellent entry point to scifi because it is more science fantasy than anything else. I really enjoyed the divinity in here. The pacing is tight, the plot never drags, and a great story.
I didn’t quite get FULLY emotionally invested, even when the story went that way. Not because the stakes weren’t high or the moments weren’t meaningful, but there’s just the tiniest bit of distance still between the reader and the characters. I’m hoping that wall comes down even more in future books, because there’s so much potential here for even deeper emotional resonance. And I am hoping things get a little darker, but that's just a personal preference.
But truly? This is the kind of space fantasy that ticks all my boxes: complex but accessible worldbuilding, queer rep baked into the story, and rising stakes that promise even darker, more intense chapters ahead. I already miss Mo and Ezra, and I can’t wait to see how much more their universe is about to unravel.
Thanks so much to the author and R&R Book tours for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
The Sundered Stars is everything I love in a space opera. It has political tension, a high-stakes mystery, a found family dynamic that hits juuuuust right, and characters you want to wrap in a blanket and protect at all costs. I’ve read Bauman’s previous work and enjoyed it, but this one? Easily my favorite so far.
Mo is a sharp-edged, emotionally scarred bounty hunter just trying to make it through, and Ezra is the cinnamon roll Vanguard who absolutely deserves a medal for patience. Their dynamic is fantastic. Gruff versus gentle, guarded versus open. And it’s so satisfying to watch them slowly build trust. Ezra is the kind of character who makes you believe in good men again, and how he cares for Mo (WITHOUT trying to fix her) is exactly what she needs after the abuse she’s endured.
I’m a sucker for “ragtag team stuck on a ship together,” and this book delivers on that front, too. There’s a real sense of camaraderie shaped by hardship, yes, but also by choice and affection. I also have to shout out the mental health rep and the theme of healing. These characters are actively working through trauma, through grief, through guilt, and it’s handled with care. No magical cure-alls, just progress and support and space to breathe. It made me so happy.
The worldbuilding here is layered but expansive and I enjoyed the sci-fi tech meets divine magic aspect. If you’re more used to fantasy, this is an excellent entry point to scifi because it is more science fantasy than anything else. I really enjoyed the divinity in here. The pacing is tight, the plot never drags, and a great story.
I didn’t quite get FULLY emotionally invested, even when the story went that way. Not because the stakes weren’t high or the moments weren’t meaningful, but there’s just the tiniest bit of distance still between the reader and the characters. I’m hoping that wall comes down even more in future books, because there’s so much potential here for even deeper emotional resonance. And I am hoping things get a little darker, but that's just a personal preference.
But truly? This is the kind of space fantasy that ticks all my boxes: complex but accessible worldbuilding, queer rep baked into the story, and rising stakes that promise even darker, more intense chapters ahead. I already miss Mo and Ezra, and I can’t wait to see how much more their universe is about to unravel.
Thanks so much to the author and R&R Book tours for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
October 11, 2025
4.25⭐️
as a star wars super fan, i really enjoyed this book!
i love the characters
i love the pace & dynamic of the relationship that's being built
i love the weapons
i love the magic & excited to see it explored more
i love that an energy sword is ignited straight into someone's body bc star wars never does that LOL i was so hyped
there was a small stretch where it felt slow/dragged so i docked some stars but i was glad it picked up quickly after that
so yeah if you love star wars or space operas / adventures i highly recommend this!
excited for more :)
as a star wars super fan, i really enjoyed this book!
i love the characters
i love the pace & dynamic of the relationship that's being built
i love the weapons
i love the magic & excited to see it explored more
i love that an energy sword is ignited straight into someone's body bc star wars never does that LOL i was so hyped
there was a small stretch where it felt slow/dragged so i docked some stars but i was glad it picked up quickly after that
so yeah if you love star wars or space operas / adventures i highly recommend this!
excited for more :)
May 19, 2025
review to follow soon
May 10, 2025
What a book! From page one you are sucked into the story, you are thrown right into the action!
This book was full of action, mysteries and tension. Mo is such a badass bounty hunter, she is so strong and stubborn😅 but eventually she will warm up to you😊 she works amazingly well with her found family Cass and Kynn, for who she would do anything.
Ezra may have a harsh character on the outside, but inside he is a lot softer. He cares a lot, although he doesn't show it always.
The story itself was original, I loved the space traveling, the discovery of new places, to unravel the mysteries around the artifacts, the banter between the characters😅 this book gave me vibes of star wars, which I am not a big fan of the films but this book was amazing😊
The dual pov was also a plus in this book, to see what went through both their heads. I think we would have missed out a lot if it was in one pov.
Last but not least I want to thank the author for providing me with an earc.
This book was full of action, mysteries and tension. Mo is such a badass bounty hunter, she is so strong and stubborn😅 but eventually she will warm up to you😊 she works amazingly well with her found family Cass and Kynn, for who she would do anything.
Ezra may have a harsh character on the outside, but inside he is a lot softer. He cares a lot, although he doesn't show it always.
The story itself was original, I loved the space traveling, the discovery of new places, to unravel the mysteries around the artifacts, the banter between the characters😅 this book gave me vibes of star wars, which I am not a big fan of the films but this book was amazing😊
The dual pov was also a plus in this book, to see what went through both their heads. I think we would have missed out a lot if it was in one pov.
Last but not least I want to thank the author for providing me with an earc.
April 23, 2025
So, SO good. 1000% recommend. Will write a full review soon!
June 8, 2025
Thank you so much to H.E. Bauman for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Wow, this book was quite something. If you like Star Wars, anything concerning bounty hunters and meddlesome gods, this book will be right up your alley.
Our FMC, Mo, is an awesome bounty hunter, who struggles with chronic pains, but doesn't let it stop her from doing what needs to be done. Our MMC, Ezra, is a charismatic Vanguard, looking for answers he only trusts Mo to help him find. Or at least Mo and her two chosen siblings, Cass and Kynn. Between the four of them, a great friendship buds, forged in outer space.
The romance is an exquisite slow burn. If you like that, are you in for a ride here. The tension is there, but they're both so incredibly stubborn, in their own ways. Personally, I could eat this all up and have seconds.
This book is amazing, and I'm sure I'll read it again before too long!
Wow, this book was quite something. If you like Star Wars, anything concerning bounty hunters and meddlesome gods, this book will be right up your alley.
Our FMC, Mo, is an awesome bounty hunter, who struggles with chronic pains, but doesn't let it stop her from doing what needs to be done. Our MMC, Ezra, is a charismatic Vanguard, looking for answers he only trusts Mo to help him find. Or at least Mo and her two chosen siblings, Cass and Kynn. Between the four of them, a great friendship buds, forged in outer space.
The romance is an exquisite slow burn. If you like that, are you in for a ride here. The tension is there, but they're both so incredibly stubborn, in their own ways. Personally, I could eat this all up and have seconds.
This book is amazing, and I'm sure I'll read it again before too long!
May 12, 2025
If you take nothing else away from this review let it be this - you do not want to miss this book! This was a phenomenal start to The Starborne Saga, and I’m very impatiently wait for Book 2 already. 😅
H.E. Bauman’s world building is top notch in this book, and I can’t wait to see more of that in the books to follow. There’s an abundance of different planets, and we got visit a good number of those. This series already has the feel of being a super immersive sci-fi world, and we’re only in Book 1. There’s also so much political intrigue and unrest already in The Sundered Stars, and I’m dying to see more in future books.
This space romantasy did not disappoint! We get a delicious slow burn, and all the tension between our FMC and MMC had me kicking my feet throughout the story. Mo and Ezra have a bit of a grumpy x sunshine dynamic going on, and I ate up every second of it! They were super reluctant allies at first, and I loved watching Mo’s walls slowly crack and crumble under Ezra’s continued efforts to win her over.
If you’re looking for a romantasy outside of what you normally read, look no further than The Sundered Stars. In addition the slow burn romance and political intrigue, you’ll also get a fantastic found family, an epic hunt for divine artifacts, chronic pain rep, empires at war, and so much more!
Thank you so much to H.E. Bauman for the gifted ARC! I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to read this one early! 💜✨
H.E. Bauman’s world building is top notch in this book, and I can’t wait to see more of that in the books to follow. There’s an abundance of different planets, and we got visit a good number of those. This series already has the feel of being a super immersive sci-fi world, and we’re only in Book 1. There’s also so much political intrigue and unrest already in The Sundered Stars, and I’m dying to see more in future books.
This space romantasy did not disappoint! We get a delicious slow burn, and all the tension between our FMC and MMC had me kicking my feet throughout the story. Mo and Ezra have a bit of a grumpy x sunshine dynamic going on, and I ate up every second of it! They were super reluctant allies at first, and I loved watching Mo’s walls slowly crack and crumble under Ezra’s continued efforts to win her over.
If you’re looking for a romantasy outside of what you normally read, look no further than The Sundered Stars. In addition the slow burn romance and political intrigue, you’ll also get a fantastic found family, an epic hunt for divine artifacts, chronic pain rep, empires at war, and so much more!
Thank you so much to H.E. Bauman for the gifted ARC! I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to read this one early! 💜✨
November 4, 2025
This was such a unique and fascinating read!! It’s a mix of a fantasy romance and sci fi story that reminds me almost of the guardians of the galaxy meets high stakes bounty hunting x military with a bit of Star Wars vibes sprinkled in. There are so many different aspects of tropes I feel like we’re not as used to in the regular large romantasy or sci fi stories and it makes this read so freakin cool.
The writing is so incredible and the story line and plot is so strong. There is so much going on in regards to world building but it’s done tactfully and in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming. In all honesty, I can often feel like I get lost in the beginning of new stories when the world is being introduced and we’re learning about who the characters are, however this book did not make me feel left behind at all. I was able to keep up with the plot while simultaneously being able to actually enjoy the buildup instead of scrambling and re reading things I missed.
I fell in LOVE with the characters in this one. Our FMC is grumpy and tough and just a badass (which is probably my favorite personality trope in a FMC) and our MMC is a golden retriever freakin love bug (also my fav MMC trope I’m a sucker for yearning). The two of them have such an enthralling dynamic which keeps the book so exciting and fast paced.
Because of how incredible the storyline is, coupled with the amazingly written characters I didn’t want to put this one down until I finished it. It was so unique of a read and it was genuinely so refreshing to have such a complex and dynamic new, multiple planet book universe that is so easily digestible as a reader
The writing is so incredible and the story line and plot is so strong. There is so much going on in regards to world building but it’s done tactfully and in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming. In all honesty, I can often feel like I get lost in the beginning of new stories when the world is being introduced and we’re learning about who the characters are, however this book did not make me feel left behind at all. I was able to keep up with the plot while simultaneously being able to actually enjoy the buildup instead of scrambling and re reading things I missed.
I fell in LOVE with the characters in this one. Our FMC is grumpy and tough and just a badass (which is probably my favorite personality trope in a FMC) and our MMC is a golden retriever freakin love bug (also my fav MMC trope I’m a sucker for yearning). The two of them have such an enthralling dynamic which keeps the book so exciting and fast paced.
Because of how incredible the storyline is, coupled with the amazingly written characters I didn’t want to put this one down until I finished it. It was so unique of a read and it was genuinely so refreshing to have such a complex and dynamic new, multiple planet book universe that is so easily digestible as a reader
April 13, 2025
Thanks again for the ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!
If you liked popular books like “Fearless” and “Throne of Glass”, then you will like this. It has a similar writing style and fun, fast-paced story structure. The aliens and world building in this book are done exceptionally well, in my opinion. The writing style is not overly flowery and convoluted, making it easy to read.
My only small complaint is I felt most of the characters were too similar in personality. They all had cocky, sarcastic attitudes and dialogue. It created a lack of variety amongst the characters. Other than that, it’s a good first in a series!
If you liked popular books like “Fearless” and “Throne of Glass”, then you will like this. It has a similar writing style and fun, fast-paced story structure. The aliens and world building in this book are done exceptionally well, in my opinion. The writing style is not overly flowery and convoluted, making it easy to read.
My only small complaint is I felt most of the characters were too similar in personality. They all had cocky, sarcastic attitudes and dialogue. It created a lack of variety amongst the characters. Other than that, it’s a good first in a series!
May 14, 2025
I wanted to like this book and I did enjoy in it until 30-50% in.
Star Wars and guardian of the galaxy vibes was just so interesting to me, but unfortunately the book was DRAGGING. There was so much information, honestly too much, and so much happening but nothing happening. It was also just really boring and it was marketed as a slow burn with lots of yearning and I got none of that and didn’t feel like the characters had chemistry.
The ending of the book was fine but nothing extreme happened. It was just an okay book but very disappointing because I wasn’t expecting not to like it.
Giving this book a 2/5 ⭐️ because I loved the characters and the world.
Star Wars and guardian of the galaxy vibes was just so interesting to me, but unfortunately the book was DRAGGING. There was so much information, honestly too much, and so much happening but nothing happening. It was also just really boring and it was marketed as a slow burn with lots of yearning and I got none of that and didn’t feel like the characters had chemistry.
The ending of the book was fine but nothing extreme happened. It was just an okay book but very disappointing because I wasn’t expecting not to like it.
Giving this book a 2/5 ⭐️ because I loved the characters and the world.
July 20, 2025
Okay, HE Bauman got me with this book! I wasn't sure what I was stepping in to but I got everything I hoped for and more. This series has the emotional and romance vibes that I loved from the Darkened Skies series, but adds a new world that I fell for really fast.
I loved Mo as a character. HE Bauman does a wonderful job of creating this raw and real character in Mo, a woman struggling with the emotional and mental abuse of a partner, childhood trauma, a chronic illness, and other dark past experiences and really making this strong, prickly character that I really loved and rooted for. She has a strength that H.E. does a beautiful job of showing to the reader while also showing her vulnerability. And then there is Ezra...he is my green flag fire daddy MMC that leans heavily into hurt/comfort trope, supportive, challenging, and just a fun character. I loved watching Mo and Ezra push at each other's frayed edges and their emotional journey with each other. I need more - the slow burn these two are killing me with!
H.E. does an amazing job of one of my favorite tropes -- found family. I loved the cast of side characters of Cass and Kynn.
As for the plot of this one -- this story takes off with betrayal and murder and doesn't stop until you hit the end. Warring space empires, shady politics, and scheming villains are just the tip of the iceberg of what you will find this one. Mo, a bounty hunter, and Ezra, a commander in military, are on a mission of a sinister plot that has them tracking down ancient and powerful treasures with the hopes of stopping it from plunging their world in to chaos -- literally.
I need book two like yesterday and cannot wait to see what happens next.
I loved Mo as a character. HE Bauman does a wonderful job of creating this raw and real character in Mo, a woman struggling with the emotional and mental abuse of a partner, childhood trauma, a chronic illness, and other dark past experiences and really making this strong, prickly character that I really loved and rooted for. She has a strength that H.E. does a beautiful job of showing to the reader while also showing her vulnerability. And then there is Ezra...he is my green flag fire daddy MMC that leans heavily into hurt/comfort trope, supportive, challenging, and just a fun character. I loved watching Mo and Ezra push at each other's frayed edges and their emotional journey with each other. I need more - the slow burn these two are killing me with!
H.E. does an amazing job of one of my favorite tropes -- found family. I loved the cast of side characters of Cass and Kynn.
As for the plot of this one -- this story takes off with betrayal and murder and doesn't stop until you hit the end. Warring space empires, shady politics, and scheming villains are just the tip of the iceberg of what you will find this one. Mo, a bounty hunter, and Ezra, a commander in military, are on a mission of a sinister plot that has them tracking down ancient and powerful treasures with the hopes of stopping it from plunging their world in to chaos -- literally.
I need book two like yesterday and cannot wait to see what happens next.
August 6, 2025
The first book of The Starbone Saga series is a masterfully blends space exploration, treasure hunting, and politics with magical elements and heroic characters. The protagonist, Mo, is a compelling female main character with chronic illness and a complex past, showcasing her strength and independence. Ezra, the male main character, is a multifaceted military figure with a unique hobby and unwavering loyalty.
The slow-burn romance between Mo and Ezra is well-developed, transitioning from animosity to trust, friendship, and eventually love. The supporting cast adds depth to the narrative, particularly in their portrayal of found family and shared experiences.
The plot is engaging, with a mix of action, suspense, and intrigue as the characters navigate a complex web of secrets and betrayals. The dual POV narrative enhances the storytelling, providing insight into the characters' thoughts and emotions.
There are themes of love, friendship, loss, and trust are well-woven throughout the story, highlighting the complexities of human relationships. Within the book, there are some themes that were mature themes and violence.
Overall, this book offers an enjoyable blend of science fiction, fantasy, and romance, with well-developed characters and a compelling narrative. I look forward to reading book 2 in series! Thank you for the arc copy of this book as well to the author!
The slow-burn romance between Mo and Ezra is well-developed, transitioning from animosity to trust, friendship, and eventually love. The supporting cast adds depth to the narrative, particularly in their portrayal of found family and shared experiences.
The plot is engaging, with a mix of action, suspense, and intrigue as the characters navigate a complex web of secrets and betrayals. The dual POV narrative enhances the storytelling, providing insight into the characters' thoughts and emotions.
There are themes of love, friendship, loss, and trust are well-woven throughout the story, highlighting the complexities of human relationships. Within the book, there are some themes that were mature themes and violence.
Overall, this book offers an enjoyable blend of science fiction, fantasy, and romance, with well-developed characters and a compelling narrative. I look forward to reading book 2 in series! Thank you for the arc copy of this book as well to the author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2025
I was gifted an ARC copy of this book and I am so grateful!!!
I’ve gotta give this book 4 stars! I really liked it a lot!!
I was initially intrigued by the Star Wars/Guardians of the Galaxy type feel, and it did not disappoint!
At one point I told my husband “you know how I’m always confused in Star Wars because there’s so many planets and types of creatures that I just don’t really have any idea what’s happening and where they are until I get more familiar with it?! That’s just like this book!”
I think with a lot of fantasy books, it takes me a second to understand the world and the types of magic and stuff, and this book was just that! Initially I was like wait, where are they? Who is that? Is that group the good or bad guys?! But once I got a grasp on all of that, this book really captured my attention!
The plot was really interesting, I love how the characters just really dove into this wild adventure! What a ride. There was a LOT going on, and it was a lot to follow, but I really enjoyed the depth of this story, and how intense it got!
I love Cass and Kynn, they’re like the found family that everyone dreams of! Someone you can fully trust who loves you just for who you are?! Sign 👏🏻 me 👏🏻 UP!! Love those two!!
And Mo and Ezra, wow. Talk about SLOW BURN, goodness!! The tension between these two is palpable, and at points I literally was just like “COME ON JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY!!!” I’m such a sucker for some good tension, but I REALLY wanted more between these two! It was killing me!!!! Especially with some of the character art, I was thinking “ohhhhh yes sexy space scenes!!!!” And didn’t get much of that, unfortunately. Obviously they had A LOT going on, so I get it, but DAMN GUYS. I do really love how they obviously are getting closer at the end, and I actually cannot wait to see how book two looks for them!
Overall, this book was super heavy on the fantasy, which was initially a bit hard to follow just because there’s so much going on, and there’s not really much as far as romance goes, but I enjoyed reading it and diving into such a cool story! I will definitely be waiting for book two!!!
I’ve gotta give this book 4 stars! I really liked it a lot!!
I was initially intrigued by the Star Wars/Guardians of the Galaxy type feel, and it did not disappoint!
At one point I told my husband “you know how I’m always confused in Star Wars because there’s so many planets and types of creatures that I just don’t really have any idea what’s happening and where they are until I get more familiar with it?! That’s just like this book!”
I think with a lot of fantasy books, it takes me a second to understand the world and the types of magic and stuff, and this book was just that! Initially I was like wait, where are they? Who is that? Is that group the good or bad guys?! But once I got a grasp on all of that, this book really captured my attention!
The plot was really interesting, I love how the characters just really dove into this wild adventure! What a ride. There was a LOT going on, and it was a lot to follow, but I really enjoyed the depth of this story, and how intense it got!
I love Cass and Kynn, they’re like the found family that everyone dreams of! Someone you can fully trust who loves you just for who you are?! Sign 👏🏻 me 👏🏻 UP!! Love those two!!
And Mo and Ezra, wow. Talk about SLOW BURN, goodness!! The tension between these two is palpable, and at points I literally was just like “COME ON JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY!!!” I’m such a sucker for some good tension, but I REALLY wanted more between these two! It was killing me!!!! Especially with some of the character art, I was thinking “ohhhhh yes sexy space scenes!!!!” And didn’t get much of that, unfortunately. Obviously they had A LOT going on, so I get it, but DAMN GUYS. I do really love how they obviously are getting closer at the end, and I actually cannot wait to see how book two looks for them!
Overall, this book was super heavy on the fantasy, which was initially a bit hard to follow just because there’s so much going on, and there’s not really much as far as romance goes, but I enjoyed reading it and diving into such a cool story! I will definitely be waiting for book two!!!
May 4, 2025
Loved this book! It pulls you in early and keeps you hooked! Many times I was mad I had to put it down and get back to real life! With my normal genre being romantsy I thought there was going to be a little bit of spice but I was all for the slow burn of it all! I also really liked the content warning at the beginning so I knew kind of what was in store. Here is my list of favorite tropes and themes of the book… Star Wars/Star Trek,slow burn enemies(ish)to lovers he falls first she falls harder, knitting, Indiana Jones, epic fantasy… not for sluts.(sluts can read it but will be very disappointed in the 0🌶️ rating)
April 19, 2025
Thank you so much to the publisher and author for this gifted eARC copy! This book was such a fun read!!
Mo and her two best childhood friends are the trio of friends everyone wishes they had… being badass, intergalactic bounty hunters included. Against her better judgement, Mo listens to her friends and they take a quick contract to support the Federation’s top security team and protect a team of archeologists. Should be simple enough, right?
Top-paying jobs and easy work is always too good to be true. A couple of ambushes and assassination attempts later, Mo and her partners find themselves working for a top FSC agent, Ezra Lyle, and his investigation into finding out what the hell is going on.
Did I mention that Ezra is a “looks like could kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll” MMC who loves to knit but is also one of the deadliest men working for the Federation?? We love a multifaceted man!!
H.E. Bauman did a fantastic job of exploring topics like the every day realities of living with chronic illness, long-standing grief, and healing from abusive relationships. AND IT MUST BE NOTED, SHE WROTE HER MAIN CHARACTERS TO BE 28 AND 35 AND THANK GOODNESS FOR IT. It’s so refreshing reading characters who are in their late twenties and thirties who are actually at the top of their career fields and not 19 year old prodigies.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an action packed sci-fi/fantasy read with just a touch of slow burn romance!!
Mo and her two best childhood friends are the trio of friends everyone wishes they had… being badass, intergalactic bounty hunters included. Against her better judgement, Mo listens to her friends and they take a quick contract to support the Federation’s top security team and protect a team of archeologists. Should be simple enough, right?
Top-paying jobs and easy work is always too good to be true. A couple of ambushes and assassination attempts later, Mo and her partners find themselves working for a top FSC agent, Ezra Lyle, and his investigation into finding out what the hell is going on.
Did I mention that Ezra is a “looks like could kill you, is actually a cinnamon roll” MMC who loves to knit but is also one of the deadliest men working for the Federation?? We love a multifaceted man!!
H.E. Bauman did a fantastic job of exploring topics like the every day realities of living with chronic illness, long-standing grief, and healing from abusive relationships. AND IT MUST BE NOTED, SHE WROTE HER MAIN CHARACTERS TO BE 28 AND 35 AND THANK GOODNESS FOR IT. It’s so refreshing reading characters who are in their late twenties and thirties who are actually at the top of their career fields and not 19 year old prodigies.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an action packed sci-fi/fantasy read with just a touch of slow burn romance!!
May 11, 2025
This was so so so good! I’ve never read anything quite like it! I absolutely loved the space aspect of this. The plot was PLOTTING. Romance was definitely a very minor sub plot but I loved the tension. I can’t wait to find out what happens next in book 2!!!
I received an ARC of this and am leaving my review freely.
I received an ARC of this and am leaving my review freely.
August 5, 2025
Patiently waiting for book 2 because I didn't realize it wasn't out yet (pls I need it)
April 18, 2025
ARC review
This book gave me Stars Wars/Mandalorian vibes. It’s a space fantasy novel with a grumpy bounty hunter FMC and golden retriever, green flag MMC. It is a slow burn with a lot adventure, betrayal, and mystery. Fast paced novel that really draws the reader in. Fun read, highly recommend.
This book gave me Stars Wars/Mandalorian vibes. It’s a space fantasy novel with a grumpy bounty hunter FMC and golden retriever, green flag MMC. It is a slow burn with a lot adventure, betrayal, and mystery. Fast paced novel that really draws the reader in. Fun read, highly recommend.
April 25, 2025
Thank you H.E. Bauman for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. WOW, 5 stars. This has been my favorite read of the month! This is the first book in a sci-fi fantasy series. I loved the world building, slow burn romance and overall twists and turns that kept me on my toes for the whole book. I loved the grumpy x sunshine trope, found family trope, & overall Star Wars/romantasy vibes. I cannot wait for book 2, this is a definite must add to your TBR!
May 26, 2025
CW: violence, referenced DV, some gore, referenced loss of family
Thank you to the author for the ARC! “The Sundered Stars” is available now!
If you haven’t discovered sci-fantasy yet, I highly recommend you start with this one.
Mora Cevi is a bounty hunter. One of the best, really. Alongside hunting partner Cass, and occasionally their friend Kynne, Mo’s been content to excel at her jobs and earn enough to hopefully retire before her chronically pain-filled body fully gives out on her. When an easy security job for the Federation takes an unexpected turn, Mo and crew are hurtled into a chase they never expected alongside elite Vanguard Commander Ezra Lyre.
If there was ever a book that I simply did not want to end, this is it. Seriously, I had approximately 576 pages of excellence and was still disappointed that I reached the end. The author could have tripled the page count and I would have just refused to leave my chair until I’d finished.
Truth be told, I don’t usually read a ton of sci-fi. I enjoy it, but often I find myself lost in the technical jargon and sheer metric tons of chrome and lasers (do not ask me why I don’t have this issue with fantasy stories and their 87 different familial lines and 12 different deities; I simply *do not know*). But do you know what issues I didn’t have with this book? Getting lost in the technicalities and space dust. That’s not to say there weren’t a lot of the expected futuristic developments, intriguing weaponry, and unknown technical terms; it’s just that they were all written and presented so well that I found it all really easy to keep up with. The world building (or wolds, I suppose, since we get to visit lots of different planets) is insanely thorough and immaculately conveyed, and I could have spent another hundred pages just exploring all that these regions had to offer. That doesn’t even begin to touch on the history, or the magic (because, hello, sci-FANTASY), or the layers of government and rebellions and bounty hunters that all work so well together to make an incredibly solid backdrop for the rest of this story.
What’s a good world without interesting characters to drop in it? We have two MC’s here, Mo and Ezra, and our narrative bounces back and forth between the thoughts and experiences of each, which gives us a really well-rounded picture of what’s going on around them and in their heads (in third person, so we don’t lose track of who’s doing what and when). Mo’s a powerhouse in her own right, and I love her. She’s a wonderful example of someone dealing with chronic pain, but beyond that she’s just a really interesting person. She gets up and she does the thing because it needs to be done and she absolutely does not have the time or patience to wait on everyone else to get it done. Ezra is doing his very best to figure out what’s happening and how to rationalize it with everything he thought he knew. He’s kind and every bit as fierce as Mo and honestly he’s just a supremenly fun MMC to read about. The whole ‘reluctant allies to friends to ?’ structure is handled immaculately and at just the right pace. I haven't even touched on Cass and Kynne and the entire ‘found family’ dynamic that they have with Mo and I can’t because I’m running out of room but you just need to understand that it’s adorable and I love it.
Again, I’m running low on space (and probably your attention span) but that plot? Riveting. Easily could have kept me in a highly focused chokehold for another 500 pages at least and I would have been perfectly content. Did I ever know what to expect next? No. Did I have any clue as to how our characters would proceed? Absolutely not. Did I find delight and humor and a little bit of stress in every single chapter? Damn right. 10/10; no further notes.
I would willingly carve out a not-insignificant portion of my soul to be able to read this again for the first time, and I only finished reading it about 20 minutes ago as of writing this review. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that sci-fantasy as a (sub?)genre would have me in an absolute chokehold if I could find more that were written even half as well as this book. It’s managed to embody all the best aspects of both of those genres while carving out a storyline and structure uniquely its own, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to recommend this book to enough people. Even, or maybe especially, if you typically only read either sci-fi or fantasy, you absolutely need to go read this book. I don’t know if a singular book can completely shake a person out of their default reading preference, but this would 100% be the book to do it if possible.
Thank you to the author for the ARC! “The Sundered Stars” is available now!
If you haven’t discovered sci-fantasy yet, I highly recommend you start with this one.
Mora Cevi is a bounty hunter. One of the best, really. Alongside hunting partner Cass, and occasionally their friend Kynne, Mo’s been content to excel at her jobs and earn enough to hopefully retire before her chronically pain-filled body fully gives out on her. When an easy security job for the Federation takes an unexpected turn, Mo and crew are hurtled into a chase they never expected alongside elite Vanguard Commander Ezra Lyre.
If there was ever a book that I simply did not want to end, this is it. Seriously, I had approximately 576 pages of excellence and was still disappointed that I reached the end. The author could have tripled the page count and I would have just refused to leave my chair until I’d finished.
Truth be told, I don’t usually read a ton of sci-fi. I enjoy it, but often I find myself lost in the technical jargon and sheer metric tons of chrome and lasers (do not ask me why I don’t have this issue with fantasy stories and their 87 different familial lines and 12 different deities; I simply *do not know*). But do you know what issues I didn’t have with this book? Getting lost in the technicalities and space dust. That’s not to say there weren’t a lot of the expected futuristic developments, intriguing weaponry, and unknown technical terms; it’s just that they were all written and presented so well that I found it all really easy to keep up with. The world building (or wolds, I suppose, since we get to visit lots of different planets) is insanely thorough and immaculately conveyed, and I could have spent another hundred pages just exploring all that these regions had to offer. That doesn’t even begin to touch on the history, or the magic (because, hello, sci-FANTASY), or the layers of government and rebellions and bounty hunters that all work so well together to make an incredibly solid backdrop for the rest of this story.
What’s a good world without interesting characters to drop in it? We have two MC’s here, Mo and Ezra, and our narrative bounces back and forth between the thoughts and experiences of each, which gives us a really well-rounded picture of what’s going on around them and in their heads (in third person, so we don’t lose track of who’s doing what and when). Mo’s a powerhouse in her own right, and I love her. She’s a wonderful example of someone dealing with chronic pain, but beyond that she’s just a really interesting person. She gets up and she does the thing because it needs to be done and she absolutely does not have the time or patience to wait on everyone else to get it done. Ezra is doing his very best to figure out what’s happening and how to rationalize it with everything he thought he knew. He’s kind and every bit as fierce as Mo and honestly he’s just a supremenly fun MMC to read about. The whole ‘reluctant allies to friends to ?’ structure is handled immaculately and at just the right pace. I haven't even touched on Cass and Kynne and the entire ‘found family’ dynamic that they have with Mo and I can’t because I’m running out of room but you just need to understand that it’s adorable and I love it.
Again, I’m running low on space (and probably your attention span) but that plot? Riveting. Easily could have kept me in a highly focused chokehold for another 500 pages at least and I would have been perfectly content. Did I ever know what to expect next? No. Did I have any clue as to how our characters would proceed? Absolutely not. Did I find delight and humor and a little bit of stress in every single chapter? Damn right. 10/10; no further notes.
I would willingly carve out a not-insignificant portion of my soul to be able to read this again for the first time, and I only finished reading it about 20 minutes ago as of writing this review. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that sci-fantasy as a (sub?)genre would have me in an absolute chokehold if I could find more that were written even half as well as this book. It’s managed to embody all the best aspects of both of those genres while carving out a storyline and structure uniquely its own, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to recommend this book to enough people. Even, or maybe especially, if you typically only read either sci-fi or fantasy, you absolutely need to go read this book. I don’t know if a singular book can completely shake a person out of their default reading preference, but this would 100% be the book to do it if possible.
May 5, 2025
ARC review | ⭐️���️⭐️⭐️/5
OMG OMG OMG I don’t have the words to articulate how much I enjoyed this book! A huge thanks to H. E. Bauman for sending me an ARC of The Sundered Stars, I loved it 🫶🏻
The plot: in this thrilling space opera, bounty hunters Mora, Cass, and Kynn team up with Vanguard soldier Ezra to investigate a shocking betrayal. Their travels lead them to startling discoveries which leave them questioning their faith and history, and everything they thought they knew about their world.
The characters: every single character is lovable, funny, and with their own backstory that garners intrigue into their character.
Mora is your typical grumpy FMC with a no-nonsense attitude who doesn’t let people in easily, but once you’ve gained her trust, you’ll become like family to her. Her tragic backstory helps us understand why she’s so closed off and blunt.
Ezra, on the other hand, is the perfect sunshine MMC with all the qualities of a golden retriever boyfriend. He’s tough when it counts but he cracks easily and lets his softer side through quite easily, especially once he realises he’s found his true team with Mora and the others.
Cass and Kynn are such fun side characters who give us a deeper insight into Mora herself. These two are the only people Mora considers family after she lost hers, and they’ve been together forever. Cass is the BEST best friend to Mora because she is consistently checking up on her but also isn’t afraid to give her a reality check when she needs it. Kynn is like the older AND younger brother Mora never had, and their dynamic is so cute!
My thoughts: this book is inspired by Star Wars and I love Star Wars, so it was quite easy to get into this story and understand the different worlds and fantasy sci-fi terminology. Although there was quite a lot of traveling the characters were doing, there was lots of action involved and it was interesting throughout. H. E. Bauman really introduced the lore and history to us very well - it was so interesting reading about the Eternal Ones and the powers they gave to the people. The magic system was also unique, albeit not explored in enough depth, in my opinion. I would’ve loved to see more of the magic they were using.
The writing was perfect and the dialogue was funny and fun to read, too! Mora is so sassy and I loved seeing her put everyone in their place.
Mora and Ezra’s romance was the epitome of slow burn because it was SLOW; they went from dislike to reluctant allies to friends and finally to lovers, much to Mora’s chagrin 😂 However, I appreciated the slow burn because it really gave time for their chemistry to grow and develop because they were strangers at the start of the book. Also, with Mora’s trust issues, it made perfect sense that she wasn’t warming up to Ezra as easily as he would have liked.
The plot itself was intricate enough to be interesting but easy enough to follow along without getting overly complicated. There weren’t a ton of side characters being introduced every other chapter as that gets difficult to keep up with - there were just a few we were introduced to quite early on. There was a plot twist/reveal at the end which was a great climax to the story and I really enjoyed it!
I give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 overall because everything was perfect, except for the pacing which felt a bit slow at times and the length of the book which seemed about 100-150 pages too long.
OMG OMG OMG I don’t have the words to articulate how much I enjoyed this book! A huge thanks to H. E. Bauman for sending me an ARC of The Sundered Stars, I loved it 🫶🏻
The plot: in this thrilling space opera, bounty hunters Mora, Cass, and Kynn team up with Vanguard soldier Ezra to investigate a shocking betrayal. Their travels lead them to startling discoveries which leave them questioning their faith and history, and everything they thought they knew about their world.
The characters: every single character is lovable, funny, and with their own backstory that garners intrigue into their character.
Mora is your typical grumpy FMC with a no-nonsense attitude who doesn’t let people in easily, but once you’ve gained her trust, you’ll become like family to her. Her tragic backstory helps us understand why she’s so closed off and blunt.
Ezra, on the other hand, is the perfect sunshine MMC with all the qualities of a golden retriever boyfriend. He’s tough when it counts but he cracks easily and lets his softer side through quite easily, especially once he realises he’s found his true team with Mora and the others.
Cass and Kynn are such fun side characters who give us a deeper insight into Mora herself. These two are the only people Mora considers family after she lost hers, and they’ve been together forever. Cass is the BEST best friend to Mora because she is consistently checking up on her but also isn’t afraid to give her a reality check when she needs it. Kynn is like the older AND younger brother Mora never had, and their dynamic is so cute!
My thoughts: this book is inspired by Star Wars and I love Star Wars, so it was quite easy to get into this story and understand the different worlds and fantasy sci-fi terminology. Although there was quite a lot of traveling the characters were doing, there was lots of action involved and it was interesting throughout. H. E. Bauman really introduced the lore and history to us very well - it was so interesting reading about the Eternal Ones and the powers they gave to the people. The magic system was also unique, albeit not explored in enough depth, in my opinion. I would’ve loved to see more of the magic they were using.
The writing was perfect and the dialogue was funny and fun to read, too! Mora is so sassy and I loved seeing her put everyone in their place.
Mora and Ezra’s romance was the epitome of slow burn because it was SLOW; they went from dislike to reluctant allies to friends and finally to lovers, much to Mora’s chagrin 😂 However, I appreciated the slow burn because it really gave time for their chemistry to grow and develop because they were strangers at the start of the book. Also, with Mora’s trust issues, it made perfect sense that she wasn’t warming up to Ezra as easily as he would have liked.
The plot itself was intricate enough to be interesting but easy enough to follow along without getting overly complicated. There weren’t a ton of side characters being introduced every other chapter as that gets difficult to keep up with - there were just a few we were introduced to quite early on. There was a plot twist/reveal at the end which was a great climax to the story and I really enjoyed it!
I give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 overall because everything was perfect, except for the pacing which felt a bit slow at times and the length of the book which seemed about 100-150 pages too long.
May 13, 2025
Firstly, I want to thank H.E. Bauman for providing me this eARC (ebook Advanced Reader Copy) in addition for an honest review.
“The Sundered Stars” by H.E. Bauman is an absolutely amazing, immersive, and fun sci-fi adventure. Witty banter, betrayal, action, space travel, sabers of light, and mysterious gods/artifacts. It had some moments that reminded me a bit of Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars while still being its own unique story. Mo and Ezra are the two main characters. One is a bounty hunter and the other an elite soldier. Through odd assignments and contracts, they end up working together with their teams. This ultimately ends up saving them both from a group of traitors and they begin a new contract, along with Mo’s friends Kynn and Cass, to find out what’s really going on.
The first thing I loved about this story was the ages of the characters. So many action packed books are written about characters in their late teens and early 20s. Whereas our main characters are 28 to 35. This was refreshing because I feel as if variety in reading is so important. Also, they had real problems that someone would potentially have at that age. Another thing I am a sucker for is witty banter (thank you Han Solo). There is a lot of it between all of the characters. It is absolutely wonderful!
The setting is, of course, in space so we get to experience quite a few different planets and settings. Bauman did an amazing job at describing each without overloading the senses. Also, it did not feel as if she was just copying from other science fiction stories, but creating her very own worlds. This is so important when writing a story to stand out from the crowd. Also, her descriptions of the different ships was well done, although it would be cool to have some drawings done of them.
I mentioned the age and banter of the characters, but I did not go into detail about the attributes of the characters. Each and every one had their own story, personality, background, and desires. This created a more full cast of characters that allowed the story to have more depth. Even the way in which each character chose to accept (or not accept) each other was unique to every story. Bauman also did a good job at giving us emotions from each character so that they came off as real people.
Another thing I feel the need to mention is the editing was phenomenal!!!! Anytime I read an ARC, I’m prepared for grammatical errors as it usually still has some editing to go through. I cannot recall a single error in this book! In fact, my only actual complaint about the book is that there was an excessive amount of cursing. However, I am not reducing my rating as the main character’s professions would typically come with this level of cursing. (Bounty hunters and soldiers).
Overall, “The Sundered Stars” by H.E. Bauman was an absolute science fiction masterpiece. It is perfect for those who love action, adventure, comic relief, betrayal, and slow burn romance. As there is a lot of cursing, I would only recommend it for adults. As far as romance, this first book only has kissing, although the author mentioned there may be more later on in the series. I am extremely excited to continue this series and I will also be checking out her fantasy series that has already been fully released!
“The Sundered Stars” by H.E. Bauman is an absolutely amazing, immersive, and fun sci-fi adventure. Witty banter, betrayal, action, space travel, sabers of light, and mysterious gods/artifacts. It had some moments that reminded me a bit of Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars while still being its own unique story. Mo and Ezra are the two main characters. One is a bounty hunter and the other an elite soldier. Through odd assignments and contracts, they end up working together with their teams. This ultimately ends up saving them both from a group of traitors and they begin a new contract, along with Mo’s friends Kynn and Cass, to find out what’s really going on.
The first thing I loved about this story was the ages of the characters. So many action packed books are written about characters in their late teens and early 20s. Whereas our main characters are 28 to 35. This was refreshing because I feel as if variety in reading is so important. Also, they had real problems that someone would potentially have at that age. Another thing I am a sucker for is witty banter (thank you Han Solo). There is a lot of it between all of the characters. It is absolutely wonderful!
The setting is, of course, in space so we get to experience quite a few different planets and settings. Bauman did an amazing job at describing each without overloading the senses. Also, it did not feel as if she was just copying from other science fiction stories, but creating her very own worlds. This is so important when writing a story to stand out from the crowd. Also, her descriptions of the different ships was well done, although it would be cool to have some drawings done of them.
I mentioned the age and banter of the characters, but I did not go into detail about the attributes of the characters. Each and every one had their own story, personality, background, and desires. This created a more full cast of characters that allowed the story to have more depth. Even the way in which each character chose to accept (or not accept) each other was unique to every story. Bauman also did a good job at giving us emotions from each character so that they came off as real people.
Another thing I feel the need to mention is the editing was phenomenal!!!! Anytime I read an ARC, I’m prepared for grammatical errors as it usually still has some editing to go through. I cannot recall a single error in this book! In fact, my only actual complaint about the book is that there was an excessive amount of cursing. However, I am not reducing my rating as the main character’s professions would typically come with this level of cursing. (Bounty hunters and soldiers).
Overall, “The Sundered Stars” by H.E. Bauman was an absolute science fiction masterpiece. It is perfect for those who love action, adventure, comic relief, betrayal, and slow burn romance. As there is a lot of cursing, I would only recommend it for adults. As far as romance, this first book only has kissing, although the author mentioned there may be more later on in the series. I am extremely excited to continue this series and I will also be checking out her fantasy series that has already been fully released!
May 13, 2025
Being as this was my first introduction to a romance set in space, I'm not at all disappointed! I absolutely loved that this book has a very Star Wars kind of a feel to it, which made it feel very familiar and different all at once.
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the found family. You can genuinely feel how much these people care about one another and respect each other. They don't try to push someone else too hard, they all know their strengths and weaknesses and work off of that. I only wish we knew more about some of the side characters, as their backstories would prove to be an interesting read and add more depth to them. Hopefully in the future of this series we'll see more of them and where they come from!
Now onto our FMC and MMC. I absolutely adored the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, even more so because our FMC was the grumpy one. Mo (our FMC) has such an intriguing history behind her, events that made her who she became and influenced her actions throughout the book. I love the chronic illness representation, especially how you can still be an absolute badass while dealing with your body not always listening to you. You can do anything you want to, just maybe a little differently than others. Our MMC, Ezra, I fell in love with from the first time we met him. He has just the right amount of charm and sarcasm that makes me want more of him. The grumpy/sunshine trope works incredibly well for these two, and I already want more.
My only issue was with the pacing, and it's not even a huge deal. For me personally, the beginning was a little slow. It is definitely a slow burn when it comes to the romance (but it's so sweet once you get there!) and the plot takes a little bit to develop as well. There's a lot of world building, which I do appreciate, and it takes a little bit of time to get to where the story was heading. Though if I were to reread it, I think it would make sense as to why all of that was necessary in the beginning. There are a lot of plot twists going on beneath the surface, and various chess pieces being at play when it comes to the political climate.
All in all, I wound up loving this book and I actually really want to have the sequel already to see where this founded family of theirs ends up. Plus, I need more of Ezra in my life.
Thank you so much to the author for trusting me with an ARC copy of The Sundered Stars, I seriously cannot wait for more! (Ezra, give me more Ezra.)
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the found family. You can genuinely feel how much these people care about one another and respect each other. They don't try to push someone else too hard, they all know their strengths and weaknesses and work off of that. I only wish we knew more about some of the side characters, as their backstories would prove to be an interesting read and add more depth to them. Hopefully in the future of this series we'll see more of them and where they come from!
Now onto our FMC and MMC. I absolutely adored the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, even more so because our FMC was the grumpy one. Mo (our FMC) has such an intriguing history behind her, events that made her who she became and influenced her actions throughout the book. I love the chronic illness representation, especially how you can still be an absolute badass while dealing with your body not always listening to you. You can do anything you want to, just maybe a little differently than others. Our MMC, Ezra, I fell in love with from the first time we met him. He has just the right amount of charm and sarcasm that makes me want more of him. The grumpy/sunshine trope works incredibly well for these two, and I already want more.
My only issue was with the pacing, and it's not even a huge deal. For me personally, the beginning was a little slow. It is definitely a slow burn when it comes to the romance (but it's so sweet once you get there!) and the plot takes a little bit to develop as well. There's a lot of world building, which I do appreciate, and it takes a little bit of time to get to where the story was heading. Though if I were to reread it, I think it would make sense as to why all of that was necessary in the beginning. There are a lot of plot twists going on beneath the surface, and various chess pieces being at play when it comes to the political climate.
All in all, I wound up loving this book and I actually really want to have the sequel already to see where this founded family of theirs ends up. Plus, I need more of Ezra in my life.
Thank you so much to the author for trusting me with an ARC copy of The Sundered Stars, I seriously cannot wait for more! (Ezra, give me more Ezra.)
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