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Letters From Across The Universe
Star Trek meets Orpheus & Eurydice
Though he was born as a symbol of interplanetary unity, Soren finds himself an alien to Humans and Orcans alike. Unsure of his place in the universe, or if he even has one, he reaches out into the void of space – and Christine reaches back.
Across the light-years, their ultimate long distance relationship develops into a bond that was thought impossible, not only by them, but by history itself. As they struggle to overcome all that comes between them— his people’s unforgiving traditions, the overwhelming distance and the escalating dangers of a darkening universe, will they finally be together, or does fate have other plans for them?
Though he was born as a symbol of interplanetary unity, Soren finds himself an alien to Humans and Orcans alike. Unsure of his place in the universe, or if he even has one, he reaches out into the void of space – and Christine reaches back.
Across the light-years, their ultimate long distance relationship develops into a bond that was thought impossible, not only by them, but by history itself. As they struggle to overcome all that comes between them— his people’s unforgiving traditions, the overwhelming distance and the escalating dangers of a darkening universe, will they finally be together, or does fate have other plans for them?
- GenresYoung Adult
270 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 22, 2017
8 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 4, 2017
Some of the first books I read when younger were Star Trek stories. So I was definitely thrilled when I came across the debut story from Lucy LeClair, as similar details with the TV show are scattered throughout the book. I loved when something mentioned in the story was close to an aspect in the long-ago series, as I have remained a huge fan over the years. But Ms. LeClair also adds in her own imaginative developments to make the story uniquely her own, and I was totally caught up in the innovative premise from its riveting start to the unpredicted ending. The Starcrossed trilogy has two more books to come out, and I am extremely eager for more facts to be revealed about the fascinating characters created by Lucy LeClair, especially since there are some huge unknowns to be disclosed. LETTERS FROM ACROSS THE UNIVERSE has riveting incidents and is very original.
Though Soren Renacxan has proven himself to be a competent student, no one on his home planet of Orcus thinks highly of him. In fact, they view him as being odd because he is human and Orcan, so he has no friends at all. His decision to try and get a pen pal from earth leads to many communications with a girl from Kansas.
While all the conversations between Soren and Christine Summerfield are never in person, the two teenagers come to learn much about each other and surprisingly feel close because many of their letters contain private thoughts. As they go through personal dilemmas, their connection becomes even more tight. Getting to actually met Christine would make Soren exceedingly happy, but he feels certain that event will never occur.
LETTERS FROM ACROSS THE UNIVERSE is believable and always engages your every thought. Being a teenager is never easy, and when a boy is unlike those around him, then his life can be particularly difficult. I remember wanting to fit in when I was in my teens, but being half human keeps Soren from ever feeling like anyone on planet Orcus will be his friend. Ms. LeClair had me experiencing not only his despair but also his joy when he gets a pen pal, thus giving him someone with whom to chat. Reactions are spot on when he talks with Christine, and I laughed at his more delightful responses as well as her candid retorts. These two are wonderfully written with much realism, and I really want them to actually exist. Background history for Soren and Christine is very captivating, and some of the circumstances are truly extraordinary. What the future holds for them is yet to be discovered, but I just know their journey will be compelling. An engaging story for young adults and anyone older.
4.5 Stars
Though Soren Renacxan has proven himself to be a competent student, no one on his home planet of Orcus thinks highly of him. In fact, they view him as being odd because he is human and Orcan, so he has no friends at all. His decision to try and get a pen pal from earth leads to many communications with a girl from Kansas.
While all the conversations between Soren and Christine Summerfield are never in person, the two teenagers come to learn much about each other and surprisingly feel close because many of their letters contain private thoughts. As they go through personal dilemmas, their connection becomes even more tight. Getting to actually met Christine would make Soren exceedingly happy, but he feels certain that event will never occur.
LETTERS FROM ACROSS THE UNIVERSE is believable and always engages your every thought. Being a teenager is never easy, and when a boy is unlike those around him, then his life can be particularly difficult. I remember wanting to fit in when I was in my teens, but being half human keeps Soren from ever feeling like anyone on planet Orcus will be his friend. Ms. LeClair had me experiencing not only his despair but also his joy when he gets a pen pal, thus giving him someone with whom to chat. Reactions are spot on when he talks with Christine, and I laughed at his more delightful responses as well as her candid retorts. These two are wonderfully written with much realism, and I really want them to actually exist. Background history for Soren and Christine is very captivating, and some of the circumstances are truly extraordinary. What the future holds for them is yet to be discovered, but I just know their journey will be compelling. An engaging story for young adults and anyone older.
4.5 Stars
June 18, 2017
Let me start off by saying that I am not a fan of science fiction books, television shows (could never get into STAR TREK, much to the dismay of my husband), or even movies (ok, with the exception of STAR WARS but only the original 3). So to say I was a bit skeptical when I picked up LETTERS is putting it mildly.
I started reading it, and bit by bit I thought to myself, hey, this isn't bad. The hero, Soren, is half human. I can relate to his human side. The story takes place on planet Orcus. So I continued to read.
The more I read the more Soren becomes just Soren, a bullied teen because he's different from the rest of his classmates and peers, and basically everyone else on his planet, who, like any of us, teen or adult, just wants to fit in, and have at least one good friend to call upon.
Soren finds that friend in the form of a pen pal. From planet Earth. Yes, a full fledged human named Christine. From Kansas.
And the messages that the two exchange are absolutely touching, funny, real. I smiled, chuckled lots, and yes, even sniffled a bit. Christine is totally awesome. Love this girl! She has a great sense of humour and tells it like it is.
Without giving away any spoilers (apparently people hate that), because this is the first of a trilogy, I have to echo my friend Lala (whose review is also on Amazon), I want the next part soon!! I couldn't believe I had reached the end of the book. It was that engrossing, that all-encompassing. Like all moms, I multi-task. I actually swore when I had to take the chicken out of the oven. I grumbled something like I suppose they want veggies to go with that. In fact, I was getting a little ticked when dessert was broached. I think I said they could have it for breakfast. All I wanted was to get back to Christine & Soren.
I loved how Ms. LeClair was able to write 2 totally distinct characters. Soren, a half Orcan half human 18-year-old, who has been bullied his entire life because he is different, even though he shows more Orcan traits, is literal and serious. Christine, a just turned 17-years-old partway through the book, is your typical teen, albeit a bright and sassy one. I love these 2 together. Together they bring out the best in one another.
Do yourself a favour and introduce yourself to a talented new writer. I for one am can hardly wait for the next installment to come out.
I started reading it, and bit by bit I thought to myself, hey, this isn't bad. The hero, Soren, is half human. I can relate to his human side. The story takes place on planet Orcus. So I continued to read.
The more I read the more Soren becomes just Soren, a bullied teen because he's different from the rest of his classmates and peers, and basically everyone else on his planet, who, like any of us, teen or adult, just wants to fit in, and have at least one good friend to call upon.
Soren finds that friend in the form of a pen pal. From planet Earth. Yes, a full fledged human named Christine. From Kansas.
And the messages that the two exchange are absolutely touching, funny, real. I smiled, chuckled lots, and yes, even sniffled a bit. Christine is totally awesome. Love this girl! She has a great sense of humour and tells it like it is.
Without giving away any spoilers (apparently people hate that), because this is the first of a trilogy, I have to echo my friend Lala (whose review is also on Amazon), I want the next part soon!! I couldn't believe I had reached the end of the book. It was that engrossing, that all-encompassing. Like all moms, I multi-task. I actually swore when I had to take the chicken out of the oven. I grumbled something like I suppose they want veggies to go with that. In fact, I was getting a little ticked when dessert was broached. I think I said they could have it for breakfast. All I wanted was to get back to Christine & Soren.
I loved how Ms. LeClair was able to write 2 totally distinct characters. Soren, a half Orcan half human 18-year-old, who has been bullied his entire life because he is different, even though he shows more Orcan traits, is literal and serious. Christine, a just turned 17-years-old partway through the book, is your typical teen, albeit a bright and sassy one. I love these 2 together. Together they bring out the best in one another.
Do yourself a favour and introduce yourself to a talented new writer. I for one am can hardly wait for the next installment to come out.
June 12, 2017
I first picked up "Letters From Across The Universe” on a whim, because I was really intrigued by the cover and the blurb, but I was afraid it was going to be the usual teens stuff in space, with the usual world building standard for sci-fi books. But as I went in, I discovered this book was anything but usual. With each word I got captivated by the story that makes you wonder at the writer's vivid imagination. I was truly amazed...first at the unique idea…really, what an imagination....the way she has written her story, the world she created, the vocabulary used..the interaction between the two friends across space and their relationship development....etc. I was really wowed!
Though I'm not into sci-fi much, specifically because of the formula all books in that genre follow, I was attracted from the first moment, because this book broke it, then I was dragged deeper into the story by the fast events, the developing unique romance, the wonderful characters and their delightful exchanges and the growing stakes, and it was all thanks to Lucy LeClair’s writing. She made everything feel so real, as if this story was predicting how the future might be, not only between Earth and another planet, but rather galaxies communicating together if technology made another jump. Something else that resonated with me was how the Orcans have human traits more than they realize....they are spiteful, envious, vengeful and fond of hurting others and putting them down, which actually makes them ridiculous though they aren't aware of this, behaving as if they are above all creatures. Such a great portrayal of pompous, prejudiced people. But what really continued to wow me was the interaction between the two main characters Soren and Christine, that even without the change of font, the speaker would be known since the words reflect the character and their personality so well, until towards the end, they almost merged into one by the strong bond between them.
Even though sci-fi isn't my favorite genre, yet I consider “Letters From Across The Universe” it’s own new genre that mixes everything I like to read about, fantasy, reality, romance....which made me unable to put down the book till I finished it. And then there was that ending twist that was almost a real one to my heart and that makes me unable to wait to know what happens next and it makes looking forward to the other parts so hard! HURRY UP!!!!
Though I'm not into sci-fi much, specifically because of the formula all books in that genre follow, I was attracted from the first moment, because this book broke it, then I was dragged deeper into the story by the fast events, the developing unique romance, the wonderful characters and their delightful exchanges and the growing stakes, and it was all thanks to Lucy LeClair’s writing. She made everything feel so real, as if this story was predicting how the future might be, not only between Earth and another planet, but rather galaxies communicating together if technology made another jump. Something else that resonated with me was how the Orcans have human traits more than they realize....they are spiteful, envious, vengeful and fond of hurting others and putting them down, which actually makes them ridiculous though they aren't aware of this, behaving as if they are above all creatures. Such a great portrayal of pompous, prejudiced people. But what really continued to wow me was the interaction between the two main characters Soren and Christine, that even without the change of font, the speaker would be known since the words reflect the character and their personality so well, until towards the end, they almost merged into one by the strong bond between them.
Even though sci-fi isn't my favorite genre, yet I consider “Letters From Across The Universe” it’s own new genre that mixes everything I like to read about, fantasy, reality, romance....which made me unable to put down the book till I finished it. And then there was that ending twist that was almost a real one to my heart and that makes me unable to wait to know what happens next and it makes looking forward to the other parts so hard! HURRY UP!!!!
June 3, 2017
Good start to a series
A little bit different than most sci-fi romances. I will be glad to read a second book and the see where and how the rest of the story takes place.
A little bit different than most sci-fi romances. I will be glad to read a second book and the see where and how the rest of the story takes place.
May 29, 2017
In LETTERS FROM ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, author Lucy LeClair proves that epic things happen when science fiction merges with romance. This delightfully engaging novel brings both of these genres together in a masterful tale that will leave you captivated by Soren and Christine and eager for the next installment of their romantic adventure.
June 21, 2017
Let me start off by saying this is my first sci-fi romance I wasn't sure what to expect but let me tell you I was not disappointed. As the story developed it captured my heart from the beginning to the end. This is the story of Soren and Christine, they live in two different universes. They met through a pen pal app and from there their bond began to build stronger and stronger. Each one dealing with things in from the past. Soren on his plant is half human and half Orcus and being a half breed he has had to put up with a lot of abuse, bullying and being alone. This made me so sad but they way Lucy LeClair wrote it and had him in time overcome this abuse was awesome. I love Christine's character, she independent, straight-forward and funny and how she made Soren loosen up. I love the couples connection which defies all ties. The book has a cliffhanger and has me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book. I hope its comes out soon. This is a must read book and you will get caught up in the story. Have some tissue available.
June 9, 2017
rating is 4.5 stars,
I was a bit worried going into this that it would be just another throw-away YA romance. However, typos and grammatical errors aside, I loved this. There were two or three moments that the info-dumping kind of pulled me out of the story, but that's almost to be expected in a sci-fi novel. There were also two scenes that had very strange pacing that was a bit jarring . Definitely would benefit from a few beta readers, but the potential for an amazing series is for sure here! The characters were addicting, the relationship was hilarious and adorable, and the world-building was incredibly interesting. I hope the author continues the series because I'm dying to know what happens next.
I was a bit worried going into this that it would be just another throw-away YA romance. However, typos and grammatical errors aside, I loved this. There were two or three moments that the info-dumping kind of pulled me out of the story, but that's almost to be expected in a sci-fi novel. There were also two scenes that had very strange pacing that was a bit jarring . Definitely would benefit from a few beta readers, but the potential for an amazing series is for sure here! The characters were addicting, the relationship was hilarious and adorable, and the world-building was incredibly interesting. I hope the author continues the series because I'm dying to know what happens next.
August 18, 2017
I need the next book to figure out what happens to Soren and Christine!
This book's cover caught my eye and the whole space and planets and across the universe totally pulled me in. I enjoyed reading Soren's story and learning about new space aliens and planets and the history in this futuristic universe. It sort of reminded me of the aliens and other interstellar species that show up in Doctor Who, which I find is a good thing because of course aliens that are grey/green with a huge head and big ol' eyes is so cliché. At least for Soren's world, the different types of aliens and their histories are really interesting.
The whole idea of having a pen pal and writing letters to each other across the universe, where you can write to an alien or whatever you'd like, was so interesting and eye-catching. It was interesting seeing how Soren and Christine never actually met face to face, but we slowly got to see them fall for each other and their banter was adorable and really showed how great they are together, no matter the bond. Without giving the whole juicy bits, especially near the end that leaves the ending in a cliffhanger!, this book was well written and totally engrossing, really catches the reader attention and makes it hard to put down because you just have to find out what happens next.
Although there were a few minor mistakes I caught here and there-a few typos and sometimes words would be missing in a sentence that had me rereading and figuring out what the author meant to write, but other than that, it was great.
Anxiously waiting for the next book in this trilogy to (finally) see Soren and Christine meet in real life and bond! and of course for the space travel and space wars!
This book's cover caught my eye and the whole space and planets and across the universe totally pulled me in. I enjoyed reading Soren's story and learning about new space aliens and planets and the history in this futuristic universe. It sort of reminded me of the aliens and other interstellar species that show up in Doctor Who, which I find is a good thing because of course aliens that are grey/green with a huge head and big ol' eyes is so cliché. At least for Soren's world, the different types of aliens and their histories are really interesting.
The whole idea of having a pen pal and writing letters to each other across the universe, where you can write to an alien or whatever you'd like, was so interesting and eye-catching. It was interesting seeing how Soren and Christine never actually met face to face, but we slowly got to see them fall for each other and their banter was adorable and really showed how great they are together, no matter the bond. Without giving the whole juicy bits, especially near the end that leaves the ending in a cliffhanger!, this book was well written and totally engrossing, really catches the reader attention and makes it hard to put down because you just have to find out what happens next.
Although there were a few minor mistakes I caught here and there-a few typos and sometimes words would be missing in a sentence that had me rereading and figuring out what the author meant to write, but other than that, it was great.
Anxiously waiting for the next book in this trilogy to (finally) see Soren and Christine meet in real life and bond! and of course for the space travel and space wars!
July 17, 2017
For a first time writer, she did a wonderful job! it is so interesting I literally could not put it down. It is so refreshing to read a unique story centering an outcasted boy. Soren's story was so real and touching, I felt like I was experiencing all of the events with him. Keep it up!
July 11, 2017
The good: unique concept, good world building, likable characters
The bad: crude/vulgar language, quite a few typos.
The frustrating: it ends on a cliffhanger! I didn't expect this to be the beginning of a series, and I don't know if I want to deal with the bad just to see what happens.
The bad: crude/vulgar language, quite a few typos.
The frustrating: it ends on a cliffhanger! I didn't expect this to be the beginning of a series, and I don't know if I want to deal with the bad just to see what happens.
December 7, 2018
This one is a bit odd to review.
Spoiler warning.
I'm very intrigued by the plot line of interstellar pen pals who only have each other for support in the universe. The homages to Star Trek were coming left and right, and I didn't realize until a chunk of the way through the book that it was literally written as a Star Trek fan fiction and adapted for sale as an original work.
From what I've seen of the fan fiction, I feel the character of Christine works considerably better than Jim Kirk. A lot of her dialogue was intended to be delivered by Kirk, line for line, and it sounded nothing like him. Christine was just a great character and I much prefer her. Soren, with his pointed ears and literal neck pinching abilities, human mother, alien father, beloved boyhood pet, and bigoted friends was clearly harder to distinguish from Spock. (At least Christine didn't live in Iowa!) Those with a knowledge of Conscience of the King could see where this story was going, which was a little distracting, to say nothing of the cliffhanger ending. I'm hopeful Lucy LeClair continues with the story as I'm not sure I could transition to Jim Kirk to see how this one ends.
Severin presumably delivered Christine, which isn't directly referenced? One nitpick I did note. When Soren realizes that Christine's mother was the XO of the alternate Kelvin, he jumps to the correct conclusion that Seamus Church, Severin's crush, was the ship's captain who died in battle. Given that half of the crew died in the attack, I wasn't sure why Soren would assume he was the captain? I don't believe he was referenced as such.
Overall, despite being a little predictable once this Star Trek fan knew what to look for, and despite a few grammatical issues and typos, which aren't a huge deal, the underlying, original premise was so strong, and the ending so hopefully dark and angsty that I truly enjoyed the read. Hopeful for more.
Spoiler warning.
I'm very intrigued by the plot line of interstellar pen pals who only have each other for support in the universe. The homages to Star Trek were coming left and right, and I didn't realize until a chunk of the way through the book that it was literally written as a Star Trek fan fiction and adapted for sale as an original work.
From what I've seen of the fan fiction, I feel the character of Christine works considerably better than Jim Kirk. A lot of her dialogue was intended to be delivered by Kirk, line for line, and it sounded nothing like him. Christine was just a great character and I much prefer her. Soren, with his pointed ears and literal neck pinching abilities, human mother, alien father, beloved boyhood pet, and bigoted friends was clearly harder to distinguish from Spock. (At least Christine didn't live in Iowa!) Those with a knowledge of Conscience of the King could see where this story was going, which was a little distracting, to say nothing of the cliffhanger ending. I'm hopeful Lucy LeClair continues with the story as I'm not sure I could transition to Jim Kirk to see how this one ends.
Severin presumably delivered Christine, which isn't directly referenced? One nitpick I did note. When Soren realizes that Christine's mother was the XO of the alternate Kelvin, he jumps to the correct conclusion that Seamus Church, Severin's crush, was the ship's captain who died in battle. Given that half of the crew died in the attack, I wasn't sure why Soren would assume he was the captain? I don't believe he was referenced as such.
Overall, despite being a little predictable once this Star Trek fan knew what to look for, and despite a few grammatical issues and typos, which aren't a huge deal, the underlying, original premise was so strong, and the ending so hopefully dark and angsty that I truly enjoyed the read. Hopeful for more.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews