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Stars and Soul: A Sci-fi Flash Fiction Collection
A scheming imperial family.
A bedraggled starship captain.
A runaway artificial intelligence.
A dying general.
Four small stories of stars and soul.
“A fun, thoughtful, quick read.” – Steve Rzasa, author of The Face of the Deep series
“Rosalie Valentine needs no more than 1,000 words to send your emotions stirring.” – Nadine Brandes, author of the Out of Time series, Fawkes, and Romanov
A bedraggled starship captain.
A runaway artificial intelligence.
A dying general.
Four small stories of stars and soul.
“A fun, thoughtful, quick read.” – Steve Rzasa, author of The Face of the Deep series
“Rosalie Valentine needs no more than 1,000 words to send your emotions stirring.” – Nadine Brandes, author of the Out of Time series, Fawkes, and Romanov
43 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 20, 2018
3 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 29, 2018
Loved this little set of flash fiction pieces and so pleased that I got to read them early!! Here's my official endorsement:
Rosalie Valentine needs no more than 1,000 words to send your emotions stirring. Her flash fiction is an art of storytelling blended with the human senses—leaving you both wanting more and yet extremely satisfied when you finish. I could lose myself in her writing all day.
Rosalie Valentine needs no more than 1,000 words to send your emotions stirring. Her flash fiction is an art of storytelling blended with the human senses—leaving you both wanting more and yet extremely satisfied when you finish. I could lose myself in her writing all day.
November 27, 2018
Such an amazing and intriguing collection of flash fiction! And this is coming from a non sci-fi reader!
October 9, 2019
Rosalie Valentine is a Q U E E N when it comes to flash fiction. She can fit beautiful characters, intriguing plotlines, and stunning worlds into stories the size of a thimble. And I love it. Would definitely recommend this collection of stories to anyone looking for a quick, short read with a sci-fi feel reminiscent of The Lunar Chronicles.
October 16, 2021
Writing sci-fi is hard, and satisyfing flash fiction is a feat. Metaphorical hats off to the author for writing both.
That Softness ⭐⭐⭐
A few too many character names for me to keep track of, but I felt the siblings dynamics and the humble nobility of Cicero so clearly.
CW: mentions of execution, strife
Captain-ish-ness ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Honestly the most relatable story ever. Definitely my favorite out of the collection, and I would take more of this character.
Nothing ⭐⭐⭐
A little confusing with the number of sci-fi terms and people groups introduced in such a small space, but the ending was beautiful.
CW: mentions of growing bodies and euthanasia
Star-Rise ⭐⭐⭐
I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but the tech and terms were a little dizzying. The end and the concept though. 🥺😍
Altogether, a great collection, and I hope to see more from this author.
That Softness ⭐⭐⭐
A few too many character names for me to keep track of, but I felt the siblings dynamics and the humble nobility of Cicero so clearly.
CW: mentions of execution, strife
Captain-ish-ness ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Honestly the most relatable story ever. Definitely my favorite out of the collection, and I would take more of this character.
Nothing ⭐⭐⭐
A little confusing with the number of sci-fi terms and people groups introduced in such a small space, but the ending was beautiful.
CW: mentions of growing bodies and euthanasia
Star-Rise ⭐⭐⭐
I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but the tech and terms were a little dizzying. The end and the concept though. 🥺😍
Altogether, a great collection, and I hope to see more from this author.
July 16, 2019
4.5 stars
// s t a r s . & . s o u l
A fast and thoughtful read. Also, I NEED more books from Rosalie Valentine STAT! (This book makes me want to read more sci-fi / space opera!)
// s t a r s . & . s o u l
A fast and thoughtful read. Also, I NEED more books from Rosalie Valentine STAT! (This book makes me want to read more sci-fi / space opera!)
February 25, 2019
I LOVED this little collection! Each story had its own surprises and left me with some thoughts and emotions worth pondering. I've never been a huge sci-fi reader, but I felt right at home in this little world of galaxies and space ships. "Nothing" was probably my favorite, mainly for the ending. <3
November 24, 2018
This collection is like sci-fi brain candy - I shoved it all in my face like a handful of peanut butter M&Ms (and then was sad there wasn't more)!! Captain-Ish-Ness was my favorite - I loved Fallon's voice and perspective so, so much. <3 But I also reeeeeeally want, like, a whole novel of That Softness. Eeep! Very fun, fast read!
December 5, 2018
This is a fun, short collection of sci-fi flash fiction. It starts with all the family drama of the Skywalkers, moves through the inventive seat-of-the-pants improvisation of Captain Kirk, and ends with all the political maneuvering of the Next Generation. And I loved every minute of it!
February 15, 2019
What a neat little collection! I've seen this around on social media, and loved meeting the author briefly at Realm Makers, so I simply had to pick up a copy. I'm so glad I did! The paperback is SO TINY AND CUTE. I love it. :D
The four flash-fiction stories in this bite-sized collection are each interesting and well-written, little glimpses at what is clearly a far bigger sci-fi world (or should I say galaxy?) and story. I'm now interested to read more!
My absolute FAVORITE one was Captain-ish-ness--I adored the easy, witty style and the voice of the main character, Fallon, and the HUMOR. XD IT WAS THE BEST. I enjoyed the other three as well; I'd give them 4 stars and Captain-ish-ness 5 stars. :D
Even though I'm not a big sci-fi reader, I quite enjoyed these tiny stories, and will have to watch for more by this author! :)
A lovely 20-minute read. ^_^
The four flash-fiction stories in this bite-sized collection are each interesting and well-written, little glimpses at what is clearly a far bigger sci-fi world (or should I say galaxy?) and story. I'm now interested to read more!
My absolute FAVORITE one was Captain-ish-ness--I adored the easy, witty style and the voice of the main character, Fallon, and the HUMOR. XD IT WAS THE BEST. I enjoyed the other three as well; I'd give them 4 stars and Captain-ish-ness 5 stars. :D
Even though I'm not a big sci-fi reader, I quite enjoyed these tiny stories, and will have to watch for more by this author! :)
A lovely 20-minute read. ^_^
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October 22, 2018I CANNOT WAIT TO GET THIS OUT INTO THE WORLD!!
January 1, 2019
Stars and Soul is so riveting, fun, and imaginative!! Rosalie wraps four incredible worlds and stories into these flash pieces. At the end of each chapter, I was left wanting more of these fabulous and explorative stories—I feel like they all hold entire sagas within their brief but magnetic pages.
December 30, 2018
For being such a tiny book, it was amazing!! I received a copy from the author in a giveaway and hadn't gotten around to reading it until now. Guys, it literally is only 24 pages long and so amazing. I really want the stories to be longer. Rosalie definitely has a gift in writing!
May 24, 2019
These four brief stories held more heart, soul, and stars than I thought possible! They all touched me in a different way and are stunning, poignant works of fiction. And I'm not even a sci-fi reader! I can't wait to read more (hopefully longer) pieces from this writer.
February 6, 2019
INCREDIBLE.
February 6, 2019
ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL! These four exciting flash fiction stories will leave you wishing for more. The characters are wonderful - round and real; the plots are grabbing and engaging; the setting is so foreign and well imagined that you wonder how you can become so attached in a few pages. This little collection is perfect for a quick and exciting dive into the universe of space and all the intrigue found therein.
November 29, 2018
Stars and Soul is a galaxy of of heart, surprises and intrigue. I recommend to everyone who has watched the stars rise, to anyone who received unmerited mercy, to those who need an amazing, encouraging read. <3
December 30, 2018
Ahh! I love this little collection so much.
I've never been one to seek out flash fiction, but Rosalie Valentine has captured my heart with this little anthology. Each short story can stand on its own but it all connects inside one story universe (or, rather, galaxy) in this heartwarming, soulful, comedic, galactic adventure.
I've never been one to seek out flash fiction, but Rosalie Valentine has captured my heart with this little anthology. Each short story can stand on its own but it all connects inside one story universe (or, rather, galaxy) in this heartwarming, soulful, comedic, galactic adventure.
January 1, 2019
It was good, but not amazing (and the stories were all too short xD).
November 26, 2018
oh my gosh...I loved this so much. It was so refreshing after hours of homework to just sit down for 20 mns and enjoy these little stories. I love the writing style, and since I love sci-fi in general it was a plus! It gave me lots of Lunar Chronicles vibes and I loved how all 4 of the stories are set in the same world and somewhat connected.
January 11, 2019
Like a chocolate truffle: short, sweet, thoroughly enjoyable.
November 21, 2018
Run out and get this amazing collection of flash fiction stories that will transport you to the stars!
Rosalie Valentine has created stunning worlds with compelling characters. Each story is fresh, unique, and fun. I loved all the loose connections between people groups/planets as I read through. My only complaint would be I WANT MORE!! Hopefully Valentine will make other stories available soon to fulfil our demand!
Rosalie Valentine has created stunning worlds with compelling characters. Each story is fresh, unique, and fun. I loved all the loose connections between people groups/planets as I read through. My only complaint would be I WANT MORE!! Hopefully Valentine will make other stories available soon to fulfil our demand!
January 21, 2020
As a sci-fi lover, I really wanted to like these, but I never really felt a connection to any of the stories. I felt like there was a bit too much of an info dump in some of them, and not enough story.
Captain-ish-ness was by far my favorite. I liked the spin on typical sci-fi captains.
Captain-ish-ness was by far my favorite. I liked the spin on typical sci-fi captains.
January 30, 2019
Love this quick read! Flash fiction is very tricky to write, but Rosalie Valentine excels at it! Quick glimpses of another world and fully-developed characters, disparate yet related through four different stories. Left me wanting to read more! This collection is like tasty little morsels; you can't have just one.
December 31, 2018
My only complaint is that it wasn't longer! I need more from this fabulous author. Go see for yourselves! It's definitely worth the read.
December 10, 2018
Rosalie Valentine has crafted an intriguing universe of flesh and machine that expands with each story told. STARS AND SOUL is sci-fi with heart and endings that leave you wanting more!
If you enjoy scifi and like bite sized stories that interconnect to form a larger tale, this little book is for you. And do I even have to mention how pretty it is? 😍
If you enjoy scifi and like bite sized stories that interconnect to form a larger tale, this little book is for you. And do I even have to mention how pretty it is? 😍
March 12, 2020
Interesting little sci-fi collection...and these little bite-sized stories were even more unique coming from a genre that usually involves extensive worldbuilding. I did have questions--a lot of them--but I thought the author did a good job of balancing "enough" knowledge to get by within what is obviously a rich fictional universe. Here are my thoughts on the individual stories:
That Softness - 3.5 stars
This one took me from "what is happening?" to "not sure if I like this" to an ending that satisfied, even if it was still bittersweet. I can't say much about any of these without spoiling them, but let's just say--power-hungry, feuding siblings, not my favorite, but enough good included to give it that extra half-star bump. :)
Captain-ish-ness - 3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this one and really, really wanted to love it! The issues with the ship and Fallon's hilarious and way-too-relatable inner monologue and what we got to see of the crew--I really loved them all. <3 My only complaint is that I felt like the story cut off before anything actually happened; I feel like there was probably a point somewhere, but I missed it. That may be entirely me, but I needed a bit more clarity here. ;)
Nothing - 3.5 stars
A little on the weird side with the AIs-assuming-human-form element (although I did love the way the author worked with that concept within the narrative), but I really liked the very end and the exploration of the possible outcomes of "doing nothing".
Star-Rise - 3.5 stars
This one had me a little confused for a while, trying to figure out if I was supposed to be able to string together more of the history than I was able to (I wasn't). But the ending was adorably sweet! <3<3<3
Yes, I guess I could have just rated the whole thing 3.5 stars and been done with it, but I hadn't decided on my rating before I wrote my review of each, so I didn't realize they were all going to end up the same. :) Overall, this was a fun collection for a sci-fi fan!
Content--mentions of aliens; mentions of murder and threats
That Softness - 3.5 stars
This one took me from "what is happening?" to "not sure if I like this" to an ending that satisfied, even if it was still bittersweet. I can't say much about any of these without spoiling them, but let's just say--power-hungry, feuding siblings, not my favorite, but enough good included to give it that extra half-star bump. :)
Captain-ish-ness - 3.5 stars
I really enjoyed this one and really, really wanted to love it! The issues with the ship and Fallon's hilarious and way-too-relatable inner monologue and what we got to see of the crew--I really loved them all. <3 My only complaint is that I felt like the story cut off before anything actually happened; I feel like there was probably a point somewhere, but I missed it. That may be entirely me, but I needed a bit more clarity here. ;)
Nothing - 3.5 stars
A little on the weird side with the AIs-assuming-human-form element (although I did love the way the author worked with that concept within the narrative), but I really liked the very end and the exploration of the possible outcomes of "doing nothing".
Star-Rise - 3.5 stars
This one had me a little confused for a while, trying to figure out if I was supposed to be able to string together more of the history than I was able to (I wasn't). But the ending was adorably sweet! <3<3<3
Yes, I guess I could have just rated the whole thing 3.5 stars and been done with it, but I hadn't decided on my rating before I wrote my review of each, so I didn't realize they were all going to end up the same. :) Overall, this was a fun collection for a sci-fi fan!
Content--mentions of aliens; mentions of murder and threats
November 29, 2018
Eep! This little flash fiction collection lived up to all the hype of other reviewers and ratings! Each snippet clearly points to a much larger story even though they don’t even begin to directly touch! I would love to see these turned into a series that shows all the intersecting pieces, back stories, and how everything plays out! Bravo to Rosalie for making me actually interested in science fiction!
February 16, 2023
I was instantly sucked in and convinced of the characters/family dynamics (would seem like a hard think to do in under 1,000 words)! I loved that each story is a part of the same sci-fi world. Ya done did good Rosie! <3
March 5, 2020
I LOVE THIS BOOK.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews