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The Star-Crossed Saga #1
Protostar:
A Star Is Born!The people of Proxima Centauri have traveled the galaxy utilizing the power of the Stars, but something more powerful stands between them and the fate of the entire universe. As the Torrian Alliance continues its age-old mission of hunting down Star-children, King Gregorio reluctantly agrees to send his only son, Bounty Hunter William Derry, to planet Earth on a mission to bring honor back to the Royal Family name. The Sydney, a young teenage girl unaware of her alien lineage. But when the Daedallus crash lands on the planet - delaying the assassination - William realizes a deeper connection to Sydney, and the truth behind her unknown heritage threatens to destroy everything he's come to believe about the wayward species. Soon, he must choose between following his orders or protecting the woman he loves. But time is running out, as a hidden menace emerges to secure a vested interest and possibly kill him and Sydney before his home-world of Fabricius is plummeted into an all-out Civil War.Book 1 of the award-winning StarCrossed Saga series, where teen romance blends with science fiction to open a new world of action, adventure, and discovery! It is rated one of the best space opera book series and sci-fi. The critically acclaimed space opera romance and sci-fi debut from award-winning author Braxton A. Cosby, The StarCrossed Saga is written in the spirit of The Hunger Games and The Expanse. Gold Medal Winner of Reader's Favorite and Literary Children's Classics Award for Sci-fi
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2011
20 people are currently reading
220 people want to read
About the author
Braxton A. Cosby
30 books171 followersMulti-Award Winning and #1 Amazon Bestselling author Braxton A. Cosby is a dreamer who transitioned his ideas on pen and paper to pixels and keyboards. He has penned over 18 novels and written several screenplays based on his works. He tells stories that evoke emotions and stimulate thought. THE STARCROSSED SAGA and THE CAPE are currently Young Adult and Superhero series he created, with spins offs for INFINITY 7: GODS AMONG MEN and his latest Bounty Hunter, scifi release, STEEL REIGN: FLIGHT OF THE STARSHIP CONCORD. THE STARCROSSED SAGA has won multiple science fiction and young adult awards, while THE CAPE has also earned recognition for its prowess as a literary fiction series. Braxton is the CEO of Cosby Media Productions and lives in Georgia with his amazing wife and a highly energetic Morkie named StarKozy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
December 1, 2015
Original Post: ProtoStar (Star-Crossed Saga 1) at FLYLeF (www.flylef.com) with 3.5/5
PROTOSTAR (THE STAR-CROSSED Saga 1), by Braxton A. Cosby, is a nicely paced science fiction and fantasy story. Young adult fans looking to read about love that transcends time and space, with a measure of action and suspense, will not be disappointed.
Young Prince William Derry, of the Torrian Alliance on Fabricius, accepts his first official mission to Earth to terminate the Star-child – a being with “an all-access pass to unadulterated, unstoppable, [and] uncontrollable power.” Upon contact with the Star-child, he discovers that this being is a smart and alluring 17-year-old female named Sydney. The closer he gets to Sydney, the deeper his feelings for her grow, and the more difficult it is for him to carry out his mission.
Meanwhile, back in Fabricius, King Gregorio Derry faces a different threat from warring fractions, namely the Dagmas Clan and Third Faction, both determined to overthrow the Torrian Alliance. William must destroy the Star-child to bring strength an honor to his family’s reign and crush any thoughts of treason. Can he?
Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I’d hoped. Mr. Cosby’s writing style, particular the diction, was an obstacle. The word “disgust” elicits a very strong visceral reaction for me. I felt that it was used too liberally and casually. “[Sydney] quickly looked away to hide her disgust.” “William’s face wrinkled in disgust.” This prevented me from connecting with William and Sydney. Thus, their passionate love story was just lukewarm.
I did enjoy the suspenseful conspiracy in his home galaxy. I also liked how the story wrapped up nicely towards the end with an exciting climax, and a conclusion with a mysterious cliffhanger to pique my interest as to the fate of these star-crossed lovers in SuperNova (The Star-Crossed Saga 2).
October 13, 2018
A lively compulsive read.
Deftly paced and skillfully controlled, the twisty plot of ‘The Star Crossed Saga’ is a cleverly constructed puzzle of intrigue and deceit.
With laudable blend of romance, emotions and struggle of survival and duties, author Braxton A. Cosby narrates an utterly absorbing YA scifi saga that brings forward Prince William of planet Ontarium to Earth on a mission to destroy the star child- Sydney. Determined to bring honor to Torrian Alliance and restore peace back home, Prince William is brutally torn between duty towards family, home and the love attraction he feels for Sydney.
Immaculately embedded in the sumptuous volume of adventure and emotions, that is well written and provocative, author Braxton A. Cosby keeps the fiction lively with many other secondary believable character. Destined to capture imaginations, immersive and intriguing enough to engage even the reluctant readers ‘Protostar: An Epic Space Adventure Series (The Star Crossed Saga)’ is an enjoyable coming of age scifi that dives deeper into characters and their commitments with a promise of re-energizing tropes in space adventures.
This 5 star lively, compulsive read is highly recommended to all and esp. to the fans of the genre.
Deftly paced and skillfully controlled, the twisty plot of ‘The Star Crossed Saga’ is a cleverly constructed puzzle of intrigue and deceit.
With laudable blend of romance, emotions and struggle of survival and duties, author Braxton A. Cosby narrates an utterly absorbing YA scifi saga that brings forward Prince William of planet Ontarium to Earth on a mission to destroy the star child- Sydney. Determined to bring honor to Torrian Alliance and restore peace back home, Prince William is brutally torn between duty towards family, home and the love attraction he feels for Sydney.
Immaculately embedded in the sumptuous volume of adventure and emotions, that is well written and provocative, author Braxton A. Cosby keeps the fiction lively with many other secondary believable character. Destined to capture imaginations, immersive and intriguing enough to engage even the reluctant readers ‘Protostar: An Epic Space Adventure Series (The Star Crossed Saga)’ is an enjoyable coming of age scifi that dives deeper into characters and their commitments with a promise of re-energizing tropes in space adventures.
This 5 star lively, compulsive read is highly recommended to all and esp. to the fans of the genre.
October 6, 2011
This story begins with a pretty exciting point, a Prince from another planet is forced to kill a character the reader will come to know as the "Star Child." The Star Child is a human whose very life unknowingly endangers Prince William's planet and people. This should be enough of a hook to draw the reader in...assuming the intriguing cover doesn't.
The Star Child's name is Sydney. She is only seventeen and, as expected, unknowledgeable about her potentially lethal destiny. Prince William makes the mistake of getting to know Sydney-she is a likable character-which makes it impossible for him to outright kill her.
I think it was pretty easy to connect to the characters, especially once I hit the half way mark. They were around my age and had similar mind sets. Their romance was a bit of a curve in the book, but I think it blended in well at the end. The ending surprised me, but I should have expected it as there were quite a few twists in the book.
The reader will enjoy watching their romance develop and the complications that ensue. The events are sometimes slow, but overall fun to read about. The ending is a huge cliff-hanger, there will likely be another book! This book is recommended to young adult/teen readers.
September 15, 2011
I won this book from "GREAT MINDS THINK ALOUD" BOOK CLUB ON FACEBOOK...which I adore!
Fabulous place to get great book recommendations & reviews. Good folks over there :)
I liked the story well enough. The meat of the story if you will. Liked the characters, thier delima's, the out of this world & different kind of story it was. Kudos to being different! Im a sucker for a good love story with a delima, twists, and turns. The one thing I didnt like about the story was the over kill in details. Im not one that likes an overage of details on all sorts of things. I think the story would have been just as good without paragraphs of details that I dont need. For some readers, the more details the better, Im just not one of those readers. Give me the details I need and skip the ones that are repetative or not needed. For those that like space ships, stars, sci-fi, romance, & controversy = then you will be good with this book. It was ok but not something I'd normally choose to read for myself. Not an OMG book but...average. Im greatful for the opportunity to have won / read it. I appreciate any book for sure! happy reading all!!
Fabulous place to get great book recommendations & reviews. Good folks over there :)
I liked the story well enough. The meat of the story if you will. Liked the characters, thier delima's, the out of this world & different kind of story it was. Kudos to being different! Im a sucker for a good love story with a delima, twists, and turns. The one thing I didnt like about the story was the over kill in details. Im not one that likes an overage of details on all sorts of things. I think the story would have been just as good without paragraphs of details that I dont need. For some readers, the more details the better, Im just not one of those readers. Give me the details I need and skip the ones that are repetative or not needed. For those that like space ships, stars, sci-fi, romance, & controversy = then you will be good with this book. It was ok but not something I'd normally choose to read for myself. Not an OMG book but...average. Im greatful for the opportunity to have won / read it. I appreciate any book for sure! happy reading all!!
September 17, 2017
Blog Rating - 3.5/5
Protostar by Braxton A. Cosby, the first book in The Star-Crossed Saga, is a nice starting to a promising new YA series.
Overall the story was good, quite engaging in fact, and the plot was well thought out. The writing was easy and flowed smoothly making this book an enjoyable and easy read. I liked the different cosmic concepts expressed in the story and enjoyed the romantic theme as well.
The book started out with a nice opening and I was pulled into the story right from the first page. It had a nice hook and the pace was easily set in the first few pages itself.
The characterization, though, felt weak and for some reason, I wasn't able to connect to the main leads, neither the male lead nor the female, though I did like them and cared just enough to read the entire story. The ending was good and fitting for a book that'll soon have a sequel, so all in all this book makes for a nice read.
Though I did feel that at places (however on only rare occasions) the sentence structures could have been better and the dialogues were not right. This can be due to the cultural difference in the use of English language in American English, but I couldn't help but noticing and mentioning it here.
I'd recommend this book to mainly Young Adult lovers but I'm sure that even Sci-Fi readers would enjoy this book.
You can also read this review at The Reading Bud
Protostar by Braxton A. Cosby, the first book in The Star-Crossed Saga, is a nice starting to a promising new YA series.
Overall the story was good, quite engaging in fact, and the plot was well thought out. The writing was easy and flowed smoothly making this book an enjoyable and easy read. I liked the different cosmic concepts expressed in the story and enjoyed the romantic theme as well.
The book started out with a nice opening and I was pulled into the story right from the first page. It had a nice hook and the pace was easily set in the first few pages itself.
The characterization, though, felt weak and for some reason, I wasn't able to connect to the main leads, neither the male lead nor the female, though I did like them and cared just enough to read the entire story. The ending was good and fitting for a book that'll soon have a sequel, so all in all this book makes for a nice read.
Though I did feel that at places (however on only rare occasions) the sentence structures could have been better and the dialogues were not right. This can be due to the cultural difference in the use of English language in American English, but I couldn't help but noticing and mentioning it here.
I'd recommend this book to mainly Young Adult lovers but I'm sure that even Sci-Fi readers would enjoy this book.
You can also read this review at The Reading Bud
April 28, 2014
There is a disturbance in the universe, and it’s up to a bounty hunter to stop it. During his adventure, he will travel the universe with his favorite artificial intelligence sidekick to find and stop the villain. Does that sound similar to the plot of everyone’s favorite science fiction flick, who also happens to feature the world’s most beloved wookie?
Now I’m sure there are plenty of die hard star Wars fans who are in outrage right now. I’ll apologize in advance, I realize that I’m associating the two very loosely. However, I imagine that Braxton A. Cosby will be thrilled to see that I am comparing his novel Protostar to the (original) Star Wars trilogy. In this case, we have Prince William as a bounty hunter who is sent from his planet to capture and destroy the Star-child before she harnesses her full powers and begins her harsh reign over the universe. The biggest difference comes that the “villain”, in this case, is a teenage girl living here on Earth in the present time. The story is very relatable.
I think my favorite part of the story was IMPI. Sure, it might be nothing more than an advanced form of artificial intelligence. However, the story wouldn’t be the same without it. I loved the humor and wit it injected into the story. And the way it dealt with William made me often forget it wasn’t a human. But it plays a very key role in the entire book, and likely the entire series. It worries me that this is only the beginning of a series. Mr. Cosby, take this as a plea from a new fan: please don’t kill it off, or put it on the back burner!
I can’t say there is much I didn’t like about this story, but if there was one thing that confused me it was the climax of the story. I felt like the “final battle” went by rather quickly, but I can’t complain because I’ve read plenty of other novels that do the same. In fact, this story didn’t end right where you thought it would end. In fact, this story had a cliffhanger of the worst kind that nearly left you with heartache knowing it was over, but not over.
This story involved a lot of different genres, and so I can’t give you a specific group that I would recommend this to. I think that there are a lot of different types of readers who would enjoy this book, and so I recommend it to all. It gets five stars for being completely amazing, though I’d rather give it one for leaving me wanting more!
Now I’m sure there are plenty of die hard star Wars fans who are in outrage right now. I’ll apologize in advance, I realize that I’m associating the two very loosely. However, I imagine that Braxton A. Cosby will be thrilled to see that I am comparing his novel Protostar to the (original) Star Wars trilogy. In this case, we have Prince William as a bounty hunter who is sent from his planet to capture and destroy the Star-child before she harnesses her full powers and begins her harsh reign over the universe. The biggest difference comes that the “villain”, in this case, is a teenage girl living here on Earth in the present time. The story is very relatable.
I think my favorite part of the story was IMPI. Sure, it might be nothing more than an advanced form of artificial intelligence. However, the story wouldn’t be the same without it. I loved the humor and wit it injected into the story. And the way it dealt with William made me often forget it wasn’t a human. But it plays a very key role in the entire book, and likely the entire series. It worries me that this is only the beginning of a series. Mr. Cosby, take this as a plea from a new fan: please don’t kill it off, or put it on the back burner!
I can’t say there is much I didn’t like about this story, but if there was one thing that confused me it was the climax of the story. I felt like the “final battle” went by rather quickly, but I can’t complain because I’ve read plenty of other novels that do the same. In fact, this story didn’t end right where you thought it would end. In fact, this story had a cliffhanger of the worst kind that nearly left you with heartache knowing it was over, but not over.
This story involved a lot of different genres, and so I can’t give you a specific group that I would recommend this to. I think that there are a lot of different types of readers who would enjoy this book, and so I recommend it to all. It gets five stars for being completely amazing, though I’d rather give it one for leaving me wanting more!
April 26, 2014
“Amor Vincit Omnia” (Love conquers all); there could be no perfect example for the saying other than Braxton Cosby’s book, “Protostar”. Essentially a science fiction with the usual space and alien stuff, but the writer knows very well to create something entirely different and new. The hunt for the Star-Child is on and a ship lands on the Earth with the Prince of Fabricius, the bounty hunter from a distant galaxy. For a person from a place that values emotions the least, Prince William is new to the emotions he experiences here on Earth. Each time William feels emotionally brittle towards the Star child, Sidney, he is brought back on track by the menacing interference of his ship’s artificial intelligence, IMPI that is determined to make a grant success of the mission. With more bounty hunters on the trail of the Star child and William seriously affected by the emotion of love, the book takes its readers into new levels of confusions and adventures. Sidney who is still in the shadows regarding the truth of her existence is yet to find out and harness her powers; till then she is just another teenage girl, defenseless and hunted. .The pen pictures are simply fantastic and narration, as smooth as silk. There is a connection that the reader feels with the characters as we identify many of the emotions as real as ourselves. The writer provides a firm grounding leaving the readers no lose ends for assaults on the plot. There is but one thing that I found quite confusing. The connection between this space saga and the Greek Mythology leaves me not fully convinced. All the rest makes good sense in the story-point-of-view. The images, beautifully picturized, the dialogues, as lively as it can be and of course the romance sweeping through the pages is simply magical. There is also this allusion that I found on perusing the book; the star children are all supposed to be girls as per presented hints and this gives a particular respect and potential to the feminine considering the rest of the women characters as well. The hidden powers of the star child shows up only at instances of peril and agitation, all the other while they are as silly and feminine like any other girl; which gives a certain hint that every woman has in her a hidden potential. ‘Protostar, The Star-Crossed Saga Book one’ is the very thrilling, adventurous science fiction I would rate with a “four star” out of five and the cliff hanger is too painful to bear! My curiosity-meter is ticking at point high and am desperately waiting to dig into its second part.
“What is time but another moment lost” – Braxton Cosby.
After reading this book I am pretty sure that I contradict the author on this statement of his. My time was definitely not a lost moment reading his book.
“What is time but another moment lost” – Braxton Cosby.
After reading this book I am pretty sure that I contradict the author on this statement of his. My time was definitely not a lost moment reading his book.
January 11, 2012
The Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar is a YA Romantic Christian Science Fiction.
Civil war is approaching the Torrian Alliance as they strive to kill the "star-children" in order to suppress the evil spreading amongst the galaxy. Prince William has been ordered by his father, King Gregario, to hunt down a female star-child in order to restore honour and faith to his family.
When William meets seventeen year old Sydney, the star-child, he becomes to learn that she isn't an evil entity and falls in love with her. They spend much time getting to know one another until the Alliance sends out another party to deal with Sydney. Without her death, life as William knows it will end and order must be made to right in the Alliances view.
I found the The Star-Crossed Saga to be an okay read. I wasn't overly fond of the characters and couldn't really relate to them. I found them to be stiff, overly formal and more often than not, the dialogue fell flat.
I did like Sydney and found her the only focus in the story worthy of reading. I thought her innocence was a delightful asset to the plot, as she has no clue how she affects others off planet. I liked how she interacted with the other characters she comes into contact with.
I also enjoyed the back story of the plot, how and why this occurs was an interesting read and was befitting of the story. I also liked how the author was able to keep from the reader realizing who was actually doing good and who were the evil ones. He managed to keep the intrigue interesting which also helps keep the story moving forward.
I thought William to be a dry, a tad boring and way too formal for my liking. I just couldn't connect with him or his plight. I found his dialogue dull and several times I had to put the book down in order to return.
I did like the blend of romance with the science fiction but thought there was more emphasis on the love story than science fiction so any diehard sci-fi fans are not going to enjoy this book as much, unless you like romance novels, then you will find this blend to be intriguing. Author, Braxton A. Crosby, calls this Sci-Fance, though I think Sci-Mance is more in tune to the story.
I would give The Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar a three out of five stars. I can see potential in the author if he loosens up his dialogue a bit and finds a way to express his descriptives in a more flowing manner. I found the story lacked the momentum it needed to really flourish however, I would definitely give this a chance and look forward to more from Braxton A. Crosby, his potential is there with a bit more experience under his belt!
Civil war is approaching the Torrian Alliance as they strive to kill the "star-children" in order to suppress the evil spreading amongst the galaxy. Prince William has been ordered by his father, King Gregario, to hunt down a female star-child in order to restore honour and faith to his family.
When William meets seventeen year old Sydney, the star-child, he becomes to learn that she isn't an evil entity and falls in love with her. They spend much time getting to know one another until the Alliance sends out another party to deal with Sydney. Without her death, life as William knows it will end and order must be made to right in the Alliances view.
I found the The Star-Crossed Saga to be an okay read. I wasn't overly fond of the characters and couldn't really relate to them. I found them to be stiff, overly formal and more often than not, the dialogue fell flat.
I did like Sydney and found her the only focus in the story worthy of reading. I thought her innocence was a delightful asset to the plot, as she has no clue how she affects others off planet. I liked how she interacted with the other characters she comes into contact with.
I also enjoyed the back story of the plot, how and why this occurs was an interesting read and was befitting of the story. I also liked how the author was able to keep from the reader realizing who was actually doing good and who were the evil ones. He managed to keep the intrigue interesting which also helps keep the story moving forward.
I thought William to be a dry, a tad boring and way too formal for my liking. I just couldn't connect with him or his plight. I found his dialogue dull and several times I had to put the book down in order to return.
I did like the blend of romance with the science fiction but thought there was more emphasis on the love story than science fiction so any diehard sci-fi fans are not going to enjoy this book as much, unless you like romance novels, then you will find this blend to be intriguing. Author, Braxton A. Crosby, calls this Sci-Fance, though I think Sci-Mance is more in tune to the story.
I would give The Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar a three out of five stars. I can see potential in the author if he loosens up his dialogue a bit and finds a way to express his descriptives in a more flowing manner. I found the story lacked the momentum it needed to really flourish however, I would definitely give this a chance and look forward to more from Braxton A. Crosby, his potential is there with a bit more experience under his belt!
April 26, 2014
I’m going to start out by saying that Protostar is written incredibly well, and Braxton A. Cosby does a wonderful job of writing a story with multiple narrative perspectives. My review is a little bit skewed, however, because science fiction is not my genre of choice. The story has a lot to do with space and the beginning had a lot of technical type descriptions and dialogue that both bored me and made no sense to me. However Cosby writes with incredible description, enough so that it is very easy to picture everything as it happens. While the story didn’t really appeal to me, I feel like science fiction fans will be very pleased with the book.
Aside from writing well, Cosby also created a really intriguing space world that I am sure will only become more intricate and interesting with the next Star-Crossed Saga books. There is also, literally, a star-crossed lovers aspect to the story that will probably appeal to many YA readers. The main character, Sydney, reminded me of the literary Elena Gilbert from The Vampire Diaries series. At most times she, and her relationships, seemed very superficial. The romance was just starting to get interesting when it then became too cliché for me. As a preference, I like there to be a romance where I can ship the two characters and I root for them and I want them to fight together for a greater purpose, readers-favorite-award-winner-gold-medal-drunk-on-pop-protostar-braxton-a-cosbybut I don’t want them giving each other googley eyes and playing the “no you hang up first” kind of schtick.
For more: http://drunkonpop.com/2014/04/26/revi...
Aside from writing well, Cosby also created a really intriguing space world that I am sure will only become more intricate and interesting with the next Star-Crossed Saga books. There is also, literally, a star-crossed lovers aspect to the story that will probably appeal to many YA readers. The main character, Sydney, reminded me of the literary Elena Gilbert from The Vampire Diaries series. At most times she, and her relationships, seemed very superficial. The romance was just starting to get interesting when it then became too cliché for me. As a preference, I like there to be a romance where I can ship the two characters and I root for them and I want them to fight together for a greater purpose, readers-favorite-award-winner-gold-medal-drunk-on-pop-protostar-braxton-a-cosbybut I don’t want them giving each other googley eyes and playing the “no you hang up first” kind of schtick.
For more: http://drunkonpop.com/2014/04/26/revi...
November 14, 2020
While "ProtoStar" is a YA book, it should appeal to older readers, too. It's well-written, with some really engaging characters and an interesting story. I did find a few parts a little bit slow, but the over-all pace is good. "ProtoStar" is followed by "Supernova" and "Solstice" - which both sound like intriguing reads. There's also a prequel story: "Broken Prince". Give this series a try!
My thanks to the author and BookTasters. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author and BookTasters. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
November 16, 2020
I received book from BookTasters club. First book that I read by the author, Braxton A. Cosby. I haven't read any other reviews or opinions on it . Its an unusual love story. Gives a Sci-Fi RomCom feel . I imagine the scenes when reading, so it felt real good to watch it as series or movie. Story is intriguing, plot mapped carefully. Scientific concepts also presented clearly . I felt the characters an be a little more filled out, so that we can connect easily. Otherwise a good Young Adult read.
October 7, 2018
WARNING: LONG review with a few potential plot spoilers!
As a fan of both YA and science fiction writing, I really wanted to enjoy “Protostar” and get swept up in a new series. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen for me, for a number of reasons.
“Protostar” is an intergalactic love story between William, who is from another planet, and Sydney, a Star-child who has been living on Earth. William must kill the Star-child but falls in love with her instead, which she reciprocates. A conspiracy on William’s home planet and the difficult circumstances in which they find themselves threaten William and Sydney’s love, and the book ends not with resolution but with a set up for another book.
I think “Protostar” has numerous flaws that for me far outweighed the good things I will say about it. First and foremost, the writing was poorly executed, especially in the beginning. Large sections of the story read like a first draft of an obscure fan fiction rather than a published novel. I re-read so many parts because I couldn’t figure out what was transpiring. Here’s a long example that I’ll break down afterward:
‘Sydney gazed at Sarah as she hung up the phone. “What is it, Grandma?” “Well, it appears that there has been some sort of earthquake in the middle of Town Square,” Sarah replied, her words stained with disbelief. “What? An earthquake at the Square?” Sydney asked. Just then, the doorbell rang. Sydney’s heart raced. News, her friends, or maybe . . . She snatched the door open and raced outside. “Hey, what gives, Syd?” Lorraine asked, her eyebrows raised. A humming restlessness burst from the rest of the girls behind her. Sydney sighed heavily. Katie-Anne chimed in with a hushed tone. “Is this about the quake?” Sydney motioned her hands to quiet her friends as they made their way to the backyard. “Grandma’s already upset over all this. She just started to calm down. Crazy events like this always remind her that she no longer has Grandpa in her life. She always leaned on him for comfort. At least, that’s what she told me.” Sydney beat her head back and forth, folding her arms. “Now she’s busy comforting other people.”
Sydney and Sarah, Sydney’s grandmother, have JUST learned about an earthquake in town. It’s only been seconds. Suddenly the doorbell rings and people named Lorraine and Katie-Anne pop out of nowhere. This is the first time we’ve ever seen these characters in the story, and the author seems to think we should know who they are by only their first names. Sydney also makes statements about her grandmother that have no basis - that she “just started to calm down” after this earthquake news, and “now she’s busy comforting other people.” Again, Sarah literally just hung up the phone after hearing about this earthquake, and then Sydney immediately exits the room before she can see her grandmother’s reaction... what is Sydney talking about? The last thing we read here about Grandma Sarah is that her words were “stained with disbelief.” No mention of any other emotions or of comforting others. Sydney runs out the door and disappears into the backyard with her friends - who have suddenly apparated in front of her - leaving Grandma alone with the bad news. This entire scene is weirdly disjointed, and nowhere in the text do the characters’ actions and reactions match Sydney’s words. The beginning-to-middle of the book follows suit with this odd choppy style. The author frequently makes jumps and assumptions that left me perplexed at the gaps and noncorresponding details in the story.
Along with the writing, I never liked the main character of Sydney, and I never felt her relationship with William was compelling. In fact, their relationship feels forced and often shallow, as does Sydney herself. I don’t know why William falls in love with Sydney. She is remarkably juvenile. (At one point, she implies that the town’s earthquake is boring, unexciting, but in the same scene is full of excitement because her friend gifts her an expensive necklace - “something new, something pretty,” as she so profoundly puts it.) There are more than enough mentions of Sydney’s long legs and William’s “muscular backside” to make it feel like their love boils down to sexual attraction and teen hormones rather than anything we learn of them as actual people. Their instant love is convenient for the plot, not naturally grown from any deep connection.
It’s also my perception that illogical plot devices are employed too often, making parts of the story unbelievable and unrealistic, even for the sci-fi-fantasy genre. For example, Henry the town sheriff, and Sydney’s godfather, says the following:
‘Henry’s voice boomed from the car. “Yeah, Syd. You and William can go into town and address the last item, the one about inspecting utilities. I need you to make sure there are no external gas leaks, electrical or structural damage to any of the main properties....’
In an action used solely for a means of getting William and Sydney into a situation where they can be alone together, the author makes the town sheriff send two unqualified teenagers on a mission to assess structural building damage and sniff out gas leaks in an area that was just rocked by an earthquake. What professional law enforcement official who wants to keep his job would ever do this?! There are much more convincing ways to bring two teens together for some getting-to-know-you dialogue than by potentially blowing them up as they look for gas leaks near electrical damage.
There are still more farfetched occurrences where the story forces situations rather than unfolding organically: Sarah lets William spend the night with her and Sydney after he shows up (shirtless of course) on their doorstep and then - having known him for all of two days – she takes them all on a getaway to her cabin in the woods; no one sees any problem with her taking a teenage stranger on a vacation instead of getting him back to his family. One character, in what could have been a skillful twist, turns out to be a traitor, but just as suddenly as they are discovered, they decide not to be a traitor anymore and are forgiven by those they have betrayed. I could go on but I’ll stop here. I realize that nearly all stories make us suspend disbelief at some point, but there are too many character actions and situations in the book that seem to come from out of thin air, just to move the book forward, thereby making it difficult to truly enter the world of the novel and take it seriously.
Further alienating me as a reader were a number of misused word choices and dull dialogue. Some cases in point: After Sydney abandons her grandmother with the news of the earthquake (in the example used earlier) she and her friends hop in the car and ride right down into the middle of the damaged town. We read this exchange:
‘The car straightened, coming alongside a deep streak in the ground. Sydney slammed herself against the edge of the car door and peered out the window. “Yikes, that’s some pothole.” “Don’t know if I’d actually call it that. Looks more like a pot-crack, if you ask me,” Lorraine said sarcastically. “Joanna, did the earthquake do that to the road?” Sydney asked. “Umm, I’m not sure,” Joanna replied.’
Really, Star-child? She needs to ask if an enormous crack in the middle of the road was caused by the earthquake that just happened? And Joanna isn’t even sure?! (After this riveting discussion, the girls eat burgers and look for cute boys at the restaurant down the block, which is inexplicably open and fully operational after the recent natural disaster.) More text throughout the book follows in the footsteps of this artless discourse.
As far as the use of words that don’t belong together or make sense in the given context, some examples include:
‘William balked his fist vengefully.’
‘William loosened his snug tone...’
‘...every flippant opportunity he gets.”’
‘Sydney continued her exploratory fork romping...’
‘The silence chocked at Sydney.’
I don’t know what a ‘snug tone’ is or how one loosens it. I’ve never heard of an opportunity that had a rude attitude. And ‘exploratory fork romping’ isn’t a phrase I ever want to read again. All in all, the weird words and actions, disjointed writing, unbelievable plot points, and finally the superficial Sydney just ruined “Protostar” for me.
I’ve come down hard on “Protostar” up to now, so I‘ll quickly share a few things that I did like so that I’m not a total downer! There are several scenes that occur on William’s planet, and I thought the exchanges that took place between the side characters there were much more interesting to read than most of the interactions between the main characters. They seem to be better written as well, with less of the confusing choppiness found in the beginning and middle of the book. There are also some creative details that lend the story some novelty, like William having solar-powered panels under his skin that give him super abilities like speed, and crop circles denoting the locations of hidden spaceships. These were clever, fun features, and I wish the book had offered more of them instead of the flaws that dominated it.
Judging by the considerable (and shocking) number of 4 to 5 star reviews I’m seeing for “Protostar,” I realize my review is in the minority of opinions, but they haven’t swayed my original view of the book. Though there are some interesting ideas here, I ultimately found “Protostar” to be a less-than-stellar, unenjoyable, and clumsy read.
**I received “Protostar” from the author in exchange for an honest review. I want to thank Braxton A. Cosby for allowing me to read this story and for enduring my blunt opinion, and Booktasters for the opportunity to become a reviewer!**
As a fan of both YA and science fiction writing, I really wanted to enjoy “Protostar” and get swept up in a new series. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen for me, for a number of reasons.
“Protostar” is an intergalactic love story between William, who is from another planet, and Sydney, a Star-child who has been living on Earth. William must kill the Star-child but falls in love with her instead, which she reciprocates. A conspiracy on William’s home planet and the difficult circumstances in which they find themselves threaten William and Sydney’s love, and the book ends not with resolution but with a set up for another book.
I think “Protostar” has numerous flaws that for me far outweighed the good things I will say about it. First and foremost, the writing was poorly executed, especially in the beginning. Large sections of the story read like a first draft of an obscure fan fiction rather than a published novel. I re-read so many parts because I couldn’t figure out what was transpiring. Here’s a long example that I’ll break down afterward:
‘Sydney gazed at Sarah as she hung up the phone. “What is it, Grandma?” “Well, it appears that there has been some sort of earthquake in the middle of Town Square,” Sarah replied, her words stained with disbelief. “What? An earthquake at the Square?” Sydney asked. Just then, the doorbell rang. Sydney’s heart raced. News, her friends, or maybe . . . She snatched the door open and raced outside. “Hey, what gives, Syd?” Lorraine asked, her eyebrows raised. A humming restlessness burst from the rest of the girls behind her. Sydney sighed heavily. Katie-Anne chimed in with a hushed tone. “Is this about the quake?” Sydney motioned her hands to quiet her friends as they made their way to the backyard. “Grandma’s already upset over all this. She just started to calm down. Crazy events like this always remind her that she no longer has Grandpa in her life. She always leaned on him for comfort. At least, that’s what she told me.” Sydney beat her head back and forth, folding her arms. “Now she’s busy comforting other people.”
Sydney and Sarah, Sydney’s grandmother, have JUST learned about an earthquake in town. It’s only been seconds. Suddenly the doorbell rings and people named Lorraine and Katie-Anne pop out of nowhere. This is the first time we’ve ever seen these characters in the story, and the author seems to think we should know who they are by only their first names. Sydney also makes statements about her grandmother that have no basis - that she “just started to calm down” after this earthquake news, and “now she’s busy comforting other people.” Again, Sarah literally just hung up the phone after hearing about this earthquake, and then Sydney immediately exits the room before she can see her grandmother’s reaction... what is Sydney talking about? The last thing we read here about Grandma Sarah is that her words were “stained with disbelief.” No mention of any other emotions or of comforting others. Sydney runs out the door and disappears into the backyard with her friends - who have suddenly apparated in front of her - leaving Grandma alone with the bad news. This entire scene is weirdly disjointed, and nowhere in the text do the characters’ actions and reactions match Sydney’s words. The beginning-to-middle of the book follows suit with this odd choppy style. The author frequently makes jumps and assumptions that left me perplexed at the gaps and noncorresponding details in the story.
Along with the writing, I never liked the main character of Sydney, and I never felt her relationship with William was compelling. In fact, their relationship feels forced and often shallow, as does Sydney herself. I don’t know why William falls in love with Sydney. She is remarkably juvenile. (At one point, she implies that the town’s earthquake is boring, unexciting, but in the same scene is full of excitement because her friend gifts her an expensive necklace - “something new, something pretty,” as she so profoundly puts it.) There are more than enough mentions of Sydney’s long legs and William’s “muscular backside” to make it feel like their love boils down to sexual attraction and teen hormones rather than anything we learn of them as actual people. Their instant love is convenient for the plot, not naturally grown from any deep connection.
It’s also my perception that illogical plot devices are employed too often, making parts of the story unbelievable and unrealistic, even for the sci-fi-fantasy genre. For example, Henry the town sheriff, and Sydney’s godfather, says the following:
‘Henry’s voice boomed from the car. “Yeah, Syd. You and William can go into town and address the last item, the one about inspecting utilities. I need you to make sure there are no external gas leaks, electrical or structural damage to any of the main properties....’
In an action used solely for a means of getting William and Sydney into a situation where they can be alone together, the author makes the town sheriff send two unqualified teenagers on a mission to assess structural building damage and sniff out gas leaks in an area that was just rocked by an earthquake. What professional law enforcement official who wants to keep his job would ever do this?! There are much more convincing ways to bring two teens together for some getting-to-know-you dialogue than by potentially blowing them up as they look for gas leaks near electrical damage.
There are still more farfetched occurrences where the story forces situations rather than unfolding organically: Sarah lets William spend the night with her and Sydney after he shows up (shirtless of course) on their doorstep and then - having known him for all of two days – she takes them all on a getaway to her cabin in the woods; no one sees any problem with her taking a teenage stranger on a vacation instead of getting him back to his family. One character, in what could have been a skillful twist, turns out to be a traitor, but just as suddenly as they are discovered, they decide not to be a traitor anymore and are forgiven by those they have betrayed. I could go on but I’ll stop here. I realize that nearly all stories make us suspend disbelief at some point, but there are too many character actions and situations in the book that seem to come from out of thin air, just to move the book forward, thereby making it difficult to truly enter the world of the novel and take it seriously.
Further alienating me as a reader were a number of misused word choices and dull dialogue. Some cases in point: After Sydney abandons her grandmother with the news of the earthquake (in the example used earlier) she and her friends hop in the car and ride right down into the middle of the damaged town. We read this exchange:
‘The car straightened, coming alongside a deep streak in the ground. Sydney slammed herself against the edge of the car door and peered out the window. “Yikes, that’s some pothole.” “Don’t know if I’d actually call it that. Looks more like a pot-crack, if you ask me,” Lorraine said sarcastically. “Joanna, did the earthquake do that to the road?” Sydney asked. “Umm, I’m not sure,” Joanna replied.’
Really, Star-child? She needs to ask if an enormous crack in the middle of the road was caused by the earthquake that just happened? And Joanna isn’t even sure?! (After this riveting discussion, the girls eat burgers and look for cute boys at the restaurant down the block, which is inexplicably open and fully operational after the recent natural disaster.) More text throughout the book follows in the footsteps of this artless discourse.
As far as the use of words that don’t belong together or make sense in the given context, some examples include:
‘William balked his fist vengefully.’
‘William loosened his snug tone...’
‘...every flippant opportunity he gets.”’
‘Sydney continued her exploratory fork romping...’
‘The silence chocked at Sydney.’
I don’t know what a ‘snug tone’ is or how one loosens it. I’ve never heard of an opportunity that had a rude attitude. And ‘exploratory fork romping’ isn’t a phrase I ever want to read again. All in all, the weird words and actions, disjointed writing, unbelievable plot points, and finally the superficial Sydney just ruined “Protostar” for me.
I’ve come down hard on “Protostar” up to now, so I‘ll quickly share a few things that I did like so that I’m not a total downer! There are several scenes that occur on William’s planet, and I thought the exchanges that took place between the side characters there were much more interesting to read than most of the interactions between the main characters. They seem to be better written as well, with less of the confusing choppiness found in the beginning and middle of the book. There are also some creative details that lend the story some novelty, like William having solar-powered panels under his skin that give him super abilities like speed, and crop circles denoting the locations of hidden spaceships. These were clever, fun features, and I wish the book had offered more of them instead of the flaws that dominated it.
Judging by the considerable (and shocking) number of 4 to 5 star reviews I’m seeing for “Protostar,” I realize my review is in the minority of opinions, but they haven’t swayed my original view of the book. Though there are some interesting ideas here, I ultimately found “Protostar” to be a less-than-stellar, unenjoyable, and clumsy read.
**I received “Protostar” from the author in exchange for an honest review. I want to thank Braxton A. Cosby for allowing me to read this story and for enduring my blunt opinion, and Booktasters for the opportunity to become a reviewer!**
April 20, 2014
Sarah knew that there was going to be a meteor. What she didn't know was that there was going to be a car where the impact point was going to be. When the meteor struck the car it killed everyone in the car except one. William was fencing with his partner Arrion when they started to be watched by everyone. William just got back from one mission just to take on another mission to kill the star child. Madisonburg experienced an earthquake that knocked the clock tower over, it's also home to Sydney and Sarah. Sarah gave Sydney a photo album for her birthday showing her the exploits of her parents before she was born. Henry went to go see Dr. Jasmine Caruthers to see what she thought about the earthquake. Dr. Caruthers saw something on the camera that she couldn't explain. They went to the woods where the unknown object landed. The object landed by Sarah and Sydney's house. William goes to Sydney and Sarah's house telling them that he was in a car accident up the road. Sydney and Noella drove to find the car with William, but he couldn't find the car. Does William kill the Star Child?
Sarah is the grandmother of Sydney, she is very nice and considerate. She found Sydney in the car that was hit by the meteor. Sydney is Sarah's granddaughter, to me she is very nice and she cares about others. She is also the star child that William is hunting, A star child is a destroyer of galaxies. William is the Prince of Torrian Alliance. Arrion is William's friend and he wanted to go on the mission with William but he didn't want him to. Noella is Sydney's friend. Henry is the Sheriff, is Sydney's godfather. Dr. Jasmine Carurthers is an astronomer at the laboratory, helping Henry protect Sydney, William and Noella. There are more characters in the book.
While reading this book at the beginning I felt confused. Then it got better as the story went on and I could understand it a lot more. One of my favorite quotes from the story is “ It is true! William became infected by the Star child. But all is not lost. Noella and I will finish the job at hand. We are making arrangements to pick up the Star child later today with out much resistance. It's not what we expected. It appears that Noella, too, has turned against us. No matter, I now have the star child and am en route. I just need to secure the coordinates and fold back to home world.” “ Now I'm really mad. They have taken the girl back from me and I no longer have her in my possession. I will attempt to eliminate them by other means. What the oh no ahhhhhh!”
This book isn't my normal read, I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this book. I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next. I couldn't put this book down.
Sarah is the grandmother of Sydney, she is very nice and considerate. She found Sydney in the car that was hit by the meteor. Sydney is Sarah's granddaughter, to me she is very nice and she cares about others. She is also the star child that William is hunting, A star child is a destroyer of galaxies. William is the Prince of Torrian Alliance. Arrion is William's friend and he wanted to go on the mission with William but he didn't want him to. Noella is Sydney's friend. Henry is the Sheriff, is Sydney's godfather. Dr. Jasmine Carurthers is an astronomer at the laboratory, helping Henry protect Sydney, William and Noella. There are more characters in the book.
While reading this book at the beginning I felt confused. Then it got better as the story went on and I could understand it a lot more. One of my favorite quotes from the story is “ It is true! William became infected by the Star child. But all is not lost. Noella and I will finish the job at hand. We are making arrangements to pick up the Star child later today with out much resistance. It's not what we expected. It appears that Noella, too, has turned against us. No matter, I now have the star child and am en route. I just need to secure the coordinates and fold back to home world.” “ Now I'm really mad. They have taken the girl back from me and I no longer have her in my possession. I will attempt to eliminate them by other means. What the oh no ahhhhhh!”
This book isn't my normal read, I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this book. I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next. I couldn't put this book down.
May 2, 2014
I received a review copy of this book for my stop on the blog tour at Donnie Darko Girl.
ProtoStar was an awesome way to spend time reading. I love sci-fi, especially in the Young Adult genre, and this is a book I recommend to fans of the genre as well as those looking to give it a try. The characters, the writing, and the plotting all came together and delivered a great story.
Sydney and her grandmother were two characters I adored. Their relationship was close and made me miss my own grandma. I liked the way Sydney's grandma was there for her but also stepped back enough to let Sydney live her life and make her own choices. She's the kind of parent to Sydney I strive to be to my own children.
The relationship blossoming between Sydney and William was one I found myself rooting for even though I knew he had come to Earth to kill her. It was also frustrating at times because Sydney seemed to give him the cold shoulder for little to no reason - many times over situations that were misinterpreted by her. I just wanted them together no matter what but realized it wasn't going to be easy for William make the decision between giving up his family and life as he knew it for Sydney or killing the girl he had come to have feelings for.
I would have liked to have seen more of what was happening back on William's home planet earlier in ProtoStar. I wanted more action in the second third of the book and think knowing more about William's home planet might have been able to add that to the story; however, I'm betting there were specific reasons why we don't know about everything that's going on.
There is a touch of Christian themes you can tell were threaded through the story with love, and though I don't go for Christian stories, this one was well worth the read. There was nothing extreme - it had a light presence.
The time allowed in ProtoStar for Sydney and William to get to know each other and for feelings to eventually emerge made the story for me. If we hadn't been given time to get to know them and for them to get to know each other, the story wouldn't have worked. There was a big twist I didn't see coming, and I was happily surprised and shocked at its cleverness. I could feel the tension ratcheting up in the last third of the novel as things began to fall in place and action was taken.
I'm looking forward to the next installment!
ProtoStar was an awesome way to spend time reading. I love sci-fi, especially in the Young Adult genre, and this is a book I recommend to fans of the genre as well as those looking to give it a try. The characters, the writing, and the plotting all came together and delivered a great story.
Sydney and her grandmother were two characters I adored. Their relationship was close and made me miss my own grandma. I liked the way Sydney's grandma was there for her but also stepped back enough to let Sydney live her life and make her own choices. She's the kind of parent to Sydney I strive to be to my own children.
The relationship blossoming between Sydney and William was one I found myself rooting for even though I knew he had come to Earth to kill her. It was also frustrating at times because Sydney seemed to give him the cold shoulder for little to no reason - many times over situations that were misinterpreted by her. I just wanted them together no matter what but realized it wasn't going to be easy for William make the decision between giving up his family and life as he knew it for Sydney or killing the girl he had come to have feelings for.
I would have liked to have seen more of what was happening back on William's home planet earlier in ProtoStar. I wanted more action in the second third of the book and think knowing more about William's home planet might have been able to add that to the story; however, I'm betting there were specific reasons why we don't know about everything that's going on.
There is a touch of Christian themes you can tell were threaded through the story with love, and though I don't go for Christian stories, this one was well worth the read. There was nothing extreme - it had a light presence.
The time allowed in ProtoStar for Sydney and William to get to know each other and for feelings to eventually emerge made the story for me. If we hadn't been given time to get to know them and for them to get to know each other, the story wouldn't have worked. There was a big twist I didn't see coming, and I was happily surprised and shocked at its cleverness. I could feel the tension ratcheting up in the last third of the novel as things began to fall in place and action was taken.
I'm looking forward to the next installment!
August 6, 2015
Star-crossed Saga Protostar
By Braxton Cosby
“On the brink of Civil War, the Torrian Alliance continues with its mission to obliterate Star-children across the universe in order to suppress an intergalactic evil. Following the recommendations of his Council, King Gregorio Derry has agreed to send his only son William, on a mission to restore honor to his family. What starts out routine, becomes a lot more complicated as an inopportune crash landing delays the assassination. During this time, William begins to form a 'connection' with Sydney that challenges his inner being. But this conflict is the least of his problems, as a conspiracy back on his home planet Fabricius threatens the lives of those he loves and his father's royal legacy. Along with that, he must unravel a hidden threat here on Earth that seeks to secure a vested interest that threatens both his and Sydney's safety. Will William be able to complete his mission or will he choose love, sacrificing everything he stands for?”
Again, usually I write my own synopsis, but I thought this one fit it well. (other than there are some surprises in store that aren’t mentioned!) I loved this book. It was fantastic. Braxton said he wanted to create a new genre, so he did. It’s Sci-Fance, I science fiction romance. First, if you’ve been with me very long, you know that Science fiction is my favorite genre, even though I read more fantasy. I’m a total sucker. I have nothing negative to say about this book. It’s fantastic and I’m looking forward to the next one. It’s a science fiction that isn’t confusing and better yet, I think it will draw more girls into the genre. Many girls don’t read science fiction because they think it’s a ‘nerd’ thing or they just aren’t interested. To be honest, the books that created the genre are only for really intelligent people. Even I can’t read some of them. I get way too turned around. Well, This book takes a sort of classic outlook of science fiction, removes the ‘Whattt?’ factor and avoids cliché’s. well done. It’ll attract the usual group of science fiction readers and introduce new fans. I absolutely recommend the book.
http://www.rachelsbookreviews.com/sci...
By Braxton Cosby
“On the brink of Civil War, the Torrian Alliance continues with its mission to obliterate Star-children across the universe in order to suppress an intergalactic evil. Following the recommendations of his Council, King Gregorio Derry has agreed to send his only son William, on a mission to restore honor to his family. What starts out routine, becomes a lot more complicated as an inopportune crash landing delays the assassination. During this time, William begins to form a 'connection' with Sydney that challenges his inner being. But this conflict is the least of his problems, as a conspiracy back on his home planet Fabricius threatens the lives of those he loves and his father's royal legacy. Along with that, he must unravel a hidden threat here on Earth that seeks to secure a vested interest that threatens both his and Sydney's safety. Will William be able to complete his mission or will he choose love, sacrificing everything he stands for?”
Again, usually I write my own synopsis, but I thought this one fit it well. (other than there are some surprises in store that aren’t mentioned!) I loved this book. It was fantastic. Braxton said he wanted to create a new genre, so he did. It’s Sci-Fance, I science fiction romance. First, if you’ve been with me very long, you know that Science fiction is my favorite genre, even though I read more fantasy. I’m a total sucker. I have nothing negative to say about this book. It’s fantastic and I’m looking forward to the next one. It’s a science fiction that isn’t confusing and better yet, I think it will draw more girls into the genre. Many girls don’t read science fiction because they think it’s a ‘nerd’ thing or they just aren’t interested. To be honest, the books that created the genre are only for really intelligent people. Even I can’t read some of them. I get way too turned around. Well, This book takes a sort of classic outlook of science fiction, removes the ‘Whattt?’ factor and avoids cliché’s. well done. It’ll attract the usual group of science fiction readers and introduce new fans. I absolutely recommend the book.
http://www.rachelsbookreviews.com/sci...
December 17, 2011
The story itself is about a love that knows no boundaries that has time and space creating situations for the characters. Even though the outcome is laid out in the book, the journey itself is interesting to the end.
However, even with such a good concept for a novel, I couldn't feel a connection with the characters. It lacked those elements that makes up great characters, let alone for a young adult book. But in reality I felt it was less young adult actually and more science fiction in general for adults.
I did find some of the dialogue to fall a little flat through out the book. It could be that one or more of the characters were not pulled out into a much richer persona when being described or explaining their thoughts.
I think Cosby hit the nail on the head with the location for a sci-fi genre, that I do love. I can see the passion put into the details of that alone. I think that if there were to be a sequel, there needs to be something laid out about the characters that are magnetic to readers. I do find this sometimes happens in a first novel for writers when entering a young adult world, the character make-up is a hit or miss. Sometimes they come back out on top for the sequel. So maybe before it comes out I'll try to re-read the book and maybe attempt the second to see if I feel more of a relation to the characters, especially Sydney.
And the last thing i do have to point out, it's a pet peeve of books or just writing in general, but the type font is a big deal for myself. My eyes strain too much when the font is hard on my eyes. They literally hurt due to them constantly readjusting and focusing on it too much. I have this problem with reading too long and too much on my computer screen. This one of the reasons I pushed myself to get through this book because I knew if I didn't I would have never finished it and felt bad all because my eyes are "allergic" to type font lol
All in all, this novel wasn't something that I truly enjoyed. Sometimes this happens. Not every single book works for every single person. But I'm glad I've given it a try.
However, even with such a good concept for a novel, I couldn't feel a connection with the characters. It lacked those elements that makes up great characters, let alone for a young adult book. But in reality I felt it was less young adult actually and more science fiction in general for adults.
I did find some of the dialogue to fall a little flat through out the book. It could be that one or more of the characters were not pulled out into a much richer persona when being described or explaining their thoughts.
I think Cosby hit the nail on the head with the location for a sci-fi genre, that I do love. I can see the passion put into the details of that alone. I think that if there were to be a sequel, there needs to be something laid out about the characters that are magnetic to readers. I do find this sometimes happens in a first novel for writers when entering a young adult world, the character make-up is a hit or miss. Sometimes they come back out on top for the sequel. So maybe before it comes out I'll try to re-read the book and maybe attempt the second to see if I feel more of a relation to the characters, especially Sydney.
And the last thing i do have to point out, it's a pet peeve of books or just writing in general, but the type font is a big deal for myself. My eyes strain too much when the font is hard on my eyes. They literally hurt due to them constantly readjusting and focusing on it too much. I have this problem with reading too long and too much on my computer screen. This one of the reasons I pushed myself to get through this book because I knew if I didn't I would have never finished it and felt bad all because my eyes are "allergic" to type font lol
All in all, this novel wasn't something that I truly enjoyed. Sometimes this happens. Not every single book works for every single person. But I'm glad I've given it a try.
September 8, 2016
I would like to thank the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of his book in exchange for an honest review. Doing so does not sway my judgement in any way.
If you are looking for a good science fiction novel, minus the over-the-top fantasy elements, look no further. Protostar gives you elements of space and our modern world. A child dropped from the sky and the bounty hunter from light years away who goes after her, finding her just after her 17th birthday, and dealing with the distractions of love and romance when his original intention is to end to her life.
I did have some issues with the characters though. The wording for the characters were a little over the top at times. More poetic than realistic. There was also a chemistry with all of them that just didn't fit as well as it should have. The characters were a little rigid and with some changing of tones and word usage, I can see this novel truly soaring. There were also times while reading it that I had to go back and reread sentences and some time paragraphs because they just didn't fit well with the storyline.
The twists and turns throughout the book make up for the imperfections. Braxton A. Cosby is mastering his story telling skills and hooked me from the Prologue. When you get that hook in the beginning of the book and find yourself not wanting to put the book down, you know you are in for a ride and a good one at that. His descriptive writing set up the scenes well and you could imagine what you were reading with little to no problems.
I also enjoyed the multiple POV's. I was able to get a good sense of how each character was developed, and even when it wasn't told in their POV, I could picture them and sense their feelings and reactions. Being able to do that keeps a reader in tune with the story and creates a flow that is consistent and non disruptive. As the story went on and the truth behind different things and people came out, I find myself devouring the book.
A great science fiction novel for all ages, Protostar will not disappoint. I look forward to reading more in this Star-Crossed saga.
If you are looking for a good science fiction novel, minus the over-the-top fantasy elements, look no further. Protostar gives you elements of space and our modern world. A child dropped from the sky and the bounty hunter from light years away who goes after her, finding her just after her 17th birthday, and dealing with the distractions of love and romance when his original intention is to end to her life.
I did have some issues with the characters though. The wording for the characters were a little over the top at times. More poetic than realistic. There was also a chemistry with all of them that just didn't fit as well as it should have. The characters were a little rigid and with some changing of tones and word usage, I can see this novel truly soaring. There were also times while reading it that I had to go back and reread sentences and some time paragraphs because they just didn't fit well with the storyline.
The twists and turns throughout the book make up for the imperfections. Braxton A. Cosby is mastering his story telling skills and hooked me from the Prologue. When you get that hook in the beginning of the book and find yourself not wanting to put the book down, you know you are in for a ride and a good one at that. His descriptive writing set up the scenes well and you could imagine what you were reading with little to no problems.
I also enjoyed the multiple POV's. I was able to get a good sense of how each character was developed, and even when it wasn't told in their POV, I could picture them and sense their feelings and reactions. Being able to do that keeps a reader in tune with the story and creates a flow that is consistent and non disruptive. As the story went on and the truth behind different things and people came out, I find myself devouring the book.
A great science fiction novel for all ages, Protostar will not disappoint. I look forward to reading more in this Star-Crossed saga.
May 6, 2014
I have just really started to get into the YA Sci-fi genre with Across the Universe and These Broken Stars, so I thought I would give Protostar a chance. Plus, it is written by a male in a genre that is dominated by females. I really wanted to see his take on the genre.
Likes:
The story was original, I have never read anything like it and was intrigued on where the story was going to go.
I enjoyed both the main characters, William and Sydney. I enjoyed their chemistry and personalities. Sydney was funny, kind and caring. William was strong, but gentle at the same time.
I always love the Romeo & Juliet feel to stories, loving your enemy, crossing racism and discrimination. The world needs to come together and love each other, so I always love story lines like this J World peace, everyone.
The writing was really well-done. Although I have to admit, complex at times, it was good. I thought even his writing on really intriguing when he was writing from Sydney’s POV.
Gripes:
Sometimes the jargon was over my head, especially with space and space ship talk.
There were a few points, especially toward the end I felt the book got a little long-winded. I really wanted the action and to know the outcome quickly. I just might not have been in the right mood either and read it impatiently.
Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of the ebook was provided to me by the author and publisher in exchange of an honest review. The views expressed above are entirely my own and are in, no way, affected by the source of this book.
For more reviews visit
A Flurry of Ponderings
Likes:
The story was original, I have never read anything like it and was intrigued on where the story was going to go.
I enjoyed both the main characters, William and Sydney. I enjoyed their chemistry and personalities. Sydney was funny, kind and caring. William was strong, but gentle at the same time.
I always love the Romeo & Juliet feel to stories, loving your enemy, crossing racism and discrimination. The world needs to come together and love each other, so I always love story lines like this J World peace, everyone.
The writing was really well-done. Although I have to admit, complex at times, it was good. I thought even his writing on really intriguing when he was writing from Sydney’s POV.
Gripes:
Sometimes the jargon was over my head, especially with space and space ship talk.
There were a few points, especially toward the end I felt the book got a little long-winded. I really wanted the action and to know the outcome quickly. I just might not have been in the right mood either and read it impatiently.
Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of the ebook was provided to me by the author and publisher in exchange of an honest review. The views expressed above are entirely my own and are in, no way, affected by the source of this book.
For more reviews visit
A Flurry of Ponderings
July 29, 2016
This is a really fantastic story. I wasn't sure what to expect, was it going to be all scifi and futuristic? I kept my mind open and found Protostar really easy to get in to...to the point that I did not want to put it down.
This book is written by someone you can tell is maybe a Trekkie from way back, well at least some one who has unleashed his inner child who fantasised about space men and adventures in other galaxies!
But...this story has a lot of human feel to it. A young girl trying to find who she is, where she fits in, trying to make sense of the world around her. Then there is a young Prince who is striving to win the respect of his father by completing a mission to protect his home planet with a sense of honour and conviction.
If you separate the fact that William, the intergalactic Prince has some very non human attributes, he is your every day teen guy with the usual inner dialogues of "What do I want", "Is this what I believe" and "OMG I am in love with the enemy"
I guess the story line has a little hint of Romeo and Juliet, the forbidden love angle. Sydney plays it safe trying to keep everyone happy, yet her feelings toward William become quite the challenge. William really struggles all through his stay, as deep down while he is loyal to his father, he can't help but feel a stronger bond to Sydney which leaves him questioning what his life journey is all about.
Braxton Cosby has a great story telling talent, his writing is full of wonderment and hope, he manages to sneak in messages that encourage the reader to think about their own beliefs and choices. This story is complete with fantasy, moral dilemma, hope, dreams, growth and love. I truly cannot wait to read more of Mr Cosby's work!
This book is written by someone you can tell is maybe a Trekkie from way back, well at least some one who has unleashed his inner child who fantasised about space men and adventures in other galaxies!
But...this story has a lot of human feel to it. A young girl trying to find who she is, where she fits in, trying to make sense of the world around her. Then there is a young Prince who is striving to win the respect of his father by completing a mission to protect his home planet with a sense of honour and conviction.
If you separate the fact that William, the intergalactic Prince has some very non human attributes, he is your every day teen guy with the usual inner dialogues of "What do I want", "Is this what I believe" and "OMG I am in love with the enemy"
I guess the story line has a little hint of Romeo and Juliet, the forbidden love angle. Sydney plays it safe trying to keep everyone happy, yet her feelings toward William become quite the challenge. William really struggles all through his stay, as deep down while he is loyal to his father, he can't help but feel a stronger bond to Sydney which leaves him questioning what his life journey is all about.
Braxton Cosby has a great story telling talent, his writing is full of wonderment and hope, he manages to sneak in messages that encourage the reader to think about their own beliefs and choices. This story is complete with fantasy, moral dilemma, hope, dreams, growth and love. I truly cannot wait to read more of Mr Cosby's work!
June 15, 2015
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I’d give this book, ideally, 3.5 stars. I thought that the plot idea of this was really intriguing… and the cover was definitely one that caught and held my attention.
I really liked the concept of this book and it was pretty cool to see William’s confusion about things that were different in his experience on Earth. I would have liked to see a bit more of what was different for him… and also more about his abilities. I was a bit confused about what exactly he could do.
For quite a bit of the book, I didn’t really like Sydney. I felt she was quite rude and I didn’t exactly understand how William developed feelings for her. I did feel that the romance moved too fast. I would have liked to see more time developing the relationship between William and Sydney.
One of my favourite parts of this book was probably the AI in William’s ship. Some of what he/it came out with made me smile and it was really good to see the interactions between it and William.
It was interesting to see glimpses of life back on William’s home planet, but I noticed that the villains came across as evil… with no indication that they thought they were doing the right thing, which I felt was really quite disappointing.
I did think that Sydney missed the opportunity to find out more about herself and I would have liked to learn more about exactly what she could do. The hints of mythology were interesting, but I was disappointed not to see those further explored.
This book was quite well-written, with only a few mistakes that I noticed. I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel, though – Sydney’s just a little too cliched for my tastes. I couldn’t get behind her as a heroine.
(This review may contain spoilers).
I’d give this book, ideally, 3.5 stars. I thought that the plot idea of this was really intriguing… and the cover was definitely one that caught and held my attention.
I really liked the concept of this book and it was pretty cool to see William’s confusion about things that were different in his experience on Earth. I would have liked to see a bit more of what was different for him… and also more about his abilities. I was a bit confused about what exactly he could do.
For quite a bit of the book, I didn’t really like Sydney. I felt she was quite rude and I didn’t exactly understand how William developed feelings for her. I did feel that the romance moved too fast. I would have liked to see more time developing the relationship between William and Sydney.
One of my favourite parts of this book was probably the AI in William’s ship. Some of what he/it came out with made me smile and it was really good to see the interactions between it and William.
It was interesting to see glimpses of life back on William’s home planet, but I noticed that the villains came across as evil… with no indication that they thought they were doing the right thing, which I felt was really quite disappointing.
I did think that Sydney missed the opportunity to find out more about herself and I would have liked to learn more about exactly what she could do. The hints of mythology were interesting, but I was disappointed not to see those further explored.
This book was quite well-written, with only a few mistakes that I noticed. I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel, though – Sydney’s just a little too cliched for my tastes. I couldn’t get behind her as a heroine.
December 14, 2011
(3 1/2 stars)
For me, The Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar turned out to be a wonderful surprise. I have to be completely honest in saying that when I began reading, I had a hard time getting into the story. I think that the main reason for that was the simple fact that is was very "Sci-Fi" Yes, this is a Science Fiction book so you are probably thinking "well, duh!". I knew going in that this was of that genre and I do enjoy that genre, it was just a bit weird for me. However, after reading a couple of chapters in, I found myself settling into the story and enjoying it much more.
The path of the story line was well paved and the character development was very good. I particularly enjoyed Sydney. She fit into the story in an excellent way and added a great element to the plot. Of course, being the main character, that is a particularly important thing, lol. As I said, it was hard to get into in the beginning, but I am very glad that I stuck with it until the end. The Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar is told in a very unique and fresh way. Braxton A. Cosby shows a definite brewing talent and I look forward to reading more by him in the future. Protostar is the first in the series and is a great beginning in this genre of "Sci-Fance" created by Mr. Cosby. The mixture of Science Fiction and Romance will appeal to a broad audience range and it is tons of fun to read outside the typical "genre box". So for those looking for something a bit different to read, I do recommend The Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar. It may not grab you right in the beginning, but don't give up, I think that you will be glad that you didn't!
For me, The Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar turned out to be a wonderful surprise. I have to be completely honest in saying that when I began reading, I had a hard time getting into the story. I think that the main reason for that was the simple fact that is was very "Sci-Fi" Yes, this is a Science Fiction book so you are probably thinking "well, duh!". I knew going in that this was of that genre and I do enjoy that genre, it was just a bit weird for me. However, after reading a couple of chapters in, I found myself settling into the story and enjoying it much more.
The path of the story line was well paved and the character development was very good. I particularly enjoyed Sydney. She fit into the story in an excellent way and added a great element to the plot. Of course, being the main character, that is a particularly important thing, lol. As I said, it was hard to get into in the beginning, but I am very glad that I stuck with it until the end. The Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar is told in a very unique and fresh way. Braxton A. Cosby shows a definite brewing talent and I look forward to reading more by him in the future. Protostar is the first in the series and is a great beginning in this genre of "Sci-Fance" created by Mr. Cosby. The mixture of Science Fiction and Romance will appeal to a broad audience range and it is tons of fun to read outside the typical "genre box". So for those looking for something a bit different to read, I do recommend The Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar. It may not grab you right in the beginning, but don't give up, I think that you will be glad that you didn't!
April 24, 2014
I was hooked from the moment I started reading this book. I enjoy reading the kind of love stories where love knows no boundaries of time and space. The characters were really well thought out. The story follows William, a prince from where he comes from as he travels searching for a star child. His mission to kill the star child comes up out of ignorance of their true natures. He ends up on Earth where he meets Sydney. Here I’m sure you’ll think the story becomes the typical boy meets girl love story, but it does not. There are many twists and turns in the plot that will surely keep the reader’s attention. Sydney is your typical teenager who hangs out with her girlfriends as much as possible.
Just when you think the story might become predictable, a new twist is introduced. The author has done this so subtly that you won’t even notice the change of pace in the story but will continue reading all the same. A lovely story filled with enough action to keep the reader from losing interest. The most interesting part of the story is Sydney’s reaction to the truth about William and her true nature. How she handles this and the truth about some of her friends as well as her relationship form the crux of the story. The author has the ability to make us experience everything he has described making the reader believe that what he/she is reading is actually happening at that moment. At some points in the story it feels as if we are being shown a movie as the description is so graphic.
This is a wonderful story to read and I cannot wait to read the next book. I recommend this book for all those romantics and fans of Fantasy Sci-fi out there.
Just when you think the story might become predictable, a new twist is introduced. The author has done this so subtly that you won’t even notice the change of pace in the story but will continue reading all the same. A lovely story filled with enough action to keep the reader from losing interest. The most interesting part of the story is Sydney’s reaction to the truth about William and her true nature. How she handles this and the truth about some of her friends as well as her relationship form the crux of the story. The author has the ability to make us experience everything he has described making the reader believe that what he/she is reading is actually happening at that moment. At some points in the story it feels as if we are being shown a movie as the description is so graphic.
This is a wonderful story to read and I cannot wait to read the next book. I recommend this book for all those romantics and fans of Fantasy Sci-fi out there.
September 30, 2011
Reviewed by Dewey for RexRobotReviews.com
This Young Adult Sci-Fi Romance introduces you to a story of a Prince sent from a galaxy far away to Earth to find and destroy a being referred to as the Star-Child. This human apparently poses an extreme threat to Prince William's people and all hope resides on his success. Upon making contact with the Star-Child, Prince William finds it difficult to stay focused on his mission and ignore the feelings he is developing for the very thing he has been sent to destroy.
Sydney is a 17-year old girl in a small town and completely unaware of what she is or that she is considered a threat to anyone, let alone the new stranger that has come into her life and into her heart. Prince William must face the difficult decision of destroying someone he loves or failing and letting all his people down... in turn facing the dire consequences of disregarding his orders.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. It is rare for me to not be able to find something positive to say in a review, but that is the case here. I will say that the storyline has potential to be a very interesting tale; it just is not presented in a way that captures me- at all. There seems to be too much detail in areas that aren’t necessary and then other areas seem to lack enough depth to really entice the reader. The ending dropped off in a very high climax part of the story leaving me frustrated and confused. I assume the author intends this to be a series and I can only hope that the next story provides a more interesting tale for the reader.
This Young Adult Sci-Fi Romance introduces you to a story of a Prince sent from a galaxy far away to Earth to find and destroy a being referred to as the Star-Child. This human apparently poses an extreme threat to Prince William's people and all hope resides on his success. Upon making contact with the Star-Child, Prince William finds it difficult to stay focused on his mission and ignore the feelings he is developing for the very thing he has been sent to destroy.
Sydney is a 17-year old girl in a small town and completely unaware of what she is or that she is considered a threat to anyone, let alone the new stranger that has come into her life and into her heart. Prince William must face the difficult decision of destroying someone he loves or failing and letting all his people down... in turn facing the dire consequences of disregarding his orders.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. It is rare for me to not be able to find something positive to say in a review, but that is the case here. I will say that the storyline has potential to be a very interesting tale; it just is not presented in a way that captures me- at all. There seems to be too much detail in areas that aren’t necessary and then other areas seem to lack enough depth to really entice the reader. The ending dropped off in a very high climax part of the story leaving me frustrated and confused. I assume the author intends this to be a series and I can only hope that the next story provides a more interesting tale for the reader.
November 17, 2011
This book has a great story line. It's about a Prince named William from another galaxy who comes to earth to kill the Star-child Sydney. It's not easy to start a romantic relationship with someone you were sent to kill. . . just saying.
I liked William even though he came across too stiff for me at times. His language was a bit too formal using words like "Madame". I guess that wouldn't have bothered me so much if the other characters would have acknowledge his ancient vocabulary use. Sydney was also likable with her optimism and naivety to what was happening.
For some reason I couldn't completely loose myself in the story and connect with the characters. I found it confusing when the point of view would change from one character to the next in the middle of a paragraph. I like books where the point of view changes as long as each POV is at least a chapter long or at least between just two characters. The POV in Protostar was mostly between the two main characters, but sometimes it switched around between 6 or 7 other minor characters.
I wasn't a huge fan of all the sci fi talk at the beginning which is just my preference. I also think the book paused too much during the first half to describe characters and other things. It made it drag for me. More use of "show don't tell" would have kept the pace moving.
Overall, a good story line that shows promise for the series. I'm sure I'll read the second book when it comes out.
*I received an eBook copy of Protostar from the author. Thank you!*
I liked William even though he came across too stiff for me at times. His language was a bit too formal using words like "Madame". I guess that wouldn't have bothered me so much if the other characters would have acknowledge his ancient vocabulary use. Sydney was also likable with her optimism and naivety to what was happening.
For some reason I couldn't completely loose myself in the story and connect with the characters. I found it confusing when the point of view would change from one character to the next in the middle of a paragraph. I like books where the point of view changes as long as each POV is at least a chapter long or at least between just two characters. The POV in Protostar was mostly between the two main characters, but sometimes it switched around between 6 or 7 other minor characters.
I wasn't a huge fan of all the sci fi talk at the beginning which is just my preference. I also think the book paused too much during the first half to describe characters and other things. It made it drag for me. More use of "show don't tell" would have kept the pace moving.
Overall, a good story line that shows promise for the series. I'm sure I'll read the second book when it comes out.
*I received an eBook copy of Protostar from the author. Thank you!*
May 12, 2014
I really had fun reading this one. It was such a good mix of old & new, romance & science fiction and yes, there was a bit of mystery & intrigue thrown into the mix as well. I will recommend it to all young adult readers. This is a must read for you guys!
Prince William is a bounty hunter and he has come to planet earth in order to kill the Star-child. When he enters earth atmosphere, there is disturbance and it resulted in earthquakes which no one can find an exact cause of. His mission is to locate the star-child and kill her. He has been warned how difficult this mission can be because star-child posses strange powers which can be infectious. So he must be cautious at all cost and he must not fail....
Sydney is a teenage girl living in a small town. She lives with her grandmother Sarah. Her parents are deceased. When William reached planet earth he takes refuge with the two ladies. Who has no idea about his real identity but are hospitable. Sydney also starts thinking of him as her "Mr. Right". William also feels the attraction but his mission is clear, he has to eliminate star-child and the threat she posses to the universe. He has been taught that star-child can e very dangerous and he cannot let himself be distracted. With guidance from IMPI he will carry out his task in due time.
The best part of the story is its beginning, which is very exciting and mysterious. In the middle it got a little bit slow but the ending was no less interesting. I enjoyed reading it and hope that everyone else does too. :)
Prince William is a bounty hunter and he has come to planet earth in order to kill the Star-child. When he enters earth atmosphere, there is disturbance and it resulted in earthquakes which no one can find an exact cause of. His mission is to locate the star-child and kill her. He has been warned how difficult this mission can be because star-child posses strange powers which can be infectious. So he must be cautious at all cost and he must not fail....
Sydney is a teenage girl living in a small town. She lives with her grandmother Sarah. Her parents are deceased. When William reached planet earth he takes refuge with the two ladies. Who has no idea about his real identity but are hospitable. Sydney also starts thinking of him as her "Mr. Right". William also feels the attraction but his mission is clear, he has to eliminate star-child and the threat she posses to the universe. He has been taught that star-child can e very dangerous and he cannot let himself be distracted. With guidance from IMPI he will carry out his task in due time.
The best part of the story is its beginning, which is very exciting and mysterious. In the middle it got a little bit slow but the ending was no less interesting. I enjoyed reading it and hope that everyone else does too. :)
April 26, 2014
First of all I must say that I am not a great fan of science fiction and this probably is my first science fiction book. I gave in for it was in YA and Romance genre and also the amazing book cover. And yes I wanted to know how science fiction and romance go hand in hand. The blend was really good to my surprise.
The book is about Prince William, who is from another galaxy and is sent to earth to kill a star child. Killing this star child was an unfinished business and his predecessors have failed. Now William is their only hope since this star child is a threat to their galaxy. The star child here being Sydney,who has just turned seventeen, is all unknown about her potentially lethal destiny and lives her life simple.
While the task was to kill the star child and get back to his planet Fabricius, which is located hundreds of light years away, William makes the mistake of getting to know Sydney which eventually lands him in trouble because he is unable to kill this simple, lovable girl.
I loved almost everything - the writing style, the love story, the twists and turns and also each character. My personal favorite is Prince William and IMPI. The story is all about love which has no boundaries. The language is quite simple and lucid and very easy to digest as well. The thing that attracted me more towards this is book is the twists and turns in the story. I loved all the twists and turns.
Over all it’s a wonderful, heart-warming book about finding love in the least unexpected way and fighting for it.
Can’t wait more to grab the second part.
The book is about Prince William, who is from another galaxy and is sent to earth to kill a star child. Killing this star child was an unfinished business and his predecessors have failed. Now William is their only hope since this star child is a threat to their galaxy. The star child here being Sydney,who has just turned seventeen, is all unknown about her potentially lethal destiny and lives her life simple.
While the task was to kill the star child and get back to his planet Fabricius, which is located hundreds of light years away, William makes the mistake of getting to know Sydney which eventually lands him in trouble because he is unable to kill this simple, lovable girl.
I loved almost everything - the writing style, the love story, the twists and turns and also each character. My personal favorite is Prince William and IMPI. The story is all about love which has no boundaries. The language is quite simple and lucid and very easy to digest as well. The thing that attracted me more towards this is book is the twists and turns in the story. I loved all the twists and turns.
Over all it’s a wonderful, heart-warming book about finding love in the least unexpected way and fighting for it.
Can’t wait more to grab the second part.
December 15, 2011
I'm not going to lie, I was not as crazy about the book. It was interesting premise and I feel like it has a ton of potential if it was fixed around the edges. It felt like a very original idea, surrounded by the cliche notion that when a Prince goes to kill a Star-child he ends up falling in love.
I found myself putting this book down a lot and picking it up, and I just felt so disconnected from the characters. I don't know what it was but for some reason I could not lose myself in this book. I could picture it, because Braxton did an amazing job in the imagery but it didn't draw me in. It felt like he was explaining to me this is how it is and not here it is let me bring you in.
He does create likable characters though. I instantly liked Sydney, though I thought the author was trying too hard to point to the obvious of who she is. I liked her and I liked William. The characters are likable and, even sometimes, easy to relate to, but for me I just felt like I was watching a movie and not becoming a part of these characters.
I enjoy sci-fi and I feel like this has a ton of potential but right now it just didn't click well for me. It felt almost like the author was trying to give me too much in all the wrong places but too little in places that needed more. It's hard to explain but from the way it ended I have a feeling that the next book will be better than this.
It's rough, but still has the ability to be something great.
December 26, 2011
First of all I have to say I love the term Sci-Fance. It definitely explains the genre of this book.
The characters William and Sydney are well developed and the world building is fabulous. Bring on the details. I know a lot of people don't like details but I happen to be one that loves them. It made it easier for me to visualize their world. William is the son of King Derry and has been sent to earth to kill the Star-child, a threat to their world. William finds the 17 year old star-child named Sydney. Sydney has no idea she is a star-child or what that means. William finds himself torn between what he has been ordered to do and the feelings he has begun to accept for Sydney. When he defies the order he finds himself on the other side trying to protect Sydney. This is just the first in this series. I am so glad that there is another to come. I hate having to wait so long for it. If you are a lover of science fiction I believe you will really enjoy it. If you are not sure if you like science fiction then I would say this would be a good one to cut your teeth on. This type of science fiction will appeal to girls as well as boys. For once I have read a science fiction book that did not talk over my head science-wise. It is for this reason I will recommend this book.
The characters William and Sydney are well developed and the world building is fabulous. Bring on the details. I know a lot of people don't like details but I happen to be one that loves them. It made it easier for me to visualize their world. William is the son of King Derry and has been sent to earth to kill the Star-child, a threat to their world. William finds the 17 year old star-child named Sydney. Sydney has no idea she is a star-child or what that means. William finds himself torn between what he has been ordered to do and the feelings he has begun to accept for Sydney. When he defies the order he finds himself on the other side trying to protect Sydney. This is just the first in this series. I am so glad that there is another to come. I hate having to wait so long for it. If you are a lover of science fiction I believe you will really enjoy it. If you are not sure if you like science fiction then I would say this would be a good one to cut your teeth on. This type of science fiction will appeal to girls as well as boys. For once I have read a science fiction book that did not talk over my head science-wise. It is for this reason I will recommend this book.
April 23, 2014
This is a interesting book about how one’s perceptions can change and they can become alive by the help of the caring of one person. William is sent to kill the star child but as he gets to know her this becomes harder to do. He sees her for who she is, a kind caring sweet girl with whom he has a connection and begins to love. William isn’t a bad guy but he has been trained to think love is a disease and that the star child is a enemy. The star child Sydney is ignorant as to who she is. What she is is a kind caring young lady who perceives things differently. She changes the way people see and feel things without even trying. It is her and her Grandma’s compassion that does this.
As the story goes on we see William warring with himself over his objective versus how he feels. How he feels is alive for the first time. He sees Sydney for being a person and not a objective. Something dangerous on his planet. What is fascinating is his solar panels. I think Sydney is his salvation and that the star children are just that- salvation for his people. they can save them from dying.
A book of love and betrayal. Loyalty and finding oneself and who others are. It’s about seeing beyond an objective and making decisions to protect loved ones no matter the cost. A keep you on your toes book and I look forward to the second in the series.
As the story goes on we see William warring with himself over his objective versus how he feels. How he feels is alive for the first time. He sees Sydney for being a person and not a objective. Something dangerous on his planet. What is fascinating is his solar panels. I think Sydney is his salvation and that the star children are just that- salvation for his people. they can save them from dying.
A book of love and betrayal. Loyalty and finding oneself and who others are. It’s about seeing beyond an objective and making decisions to protect loved ones no matter the cost. A keep you on your toes book and I look forward to the second in the series.
September 6, 2016
Full Review at: What's Beyond Forks?
ProtoStar is the first book in the Star-Crossed Series by Braxton A. Cosby. I'm not normally a huge science fiction fan. At least not when it comes to books. I'll watch sci-fi movies all day long though. Go figure. With that being said, ProtoStar had just the right amount of Science Fiction mixed with Humor and Romance to fully keep my attention. William, the Prince/Bounty Hunter, is a dedicated character, so when he starts to feel more for the Star Child, who he is supposed to kill, he really tries to fight it. Sydney has no idea who or what she is, but she has some odd dreams and never really felt like she fit in with people. These two characters had a sweetness to their interactions from the beginning. I loved IMPI, an artificial intelligence that guides and helps William. He was a complete hoot. I hope he's around in the upcoming books. I'll miss him if he's not. There's a storm brewing in this series, and I'm curious to see where it all leads.
ProtoStar by Braxton A. Cosby was kindly provided to me by the author for review. The opinions are my own.
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