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Across the Broken Stars #1
Across the Broken Stars
★★★★★ “If you are looking for an epic fantasy that has a unique setting, this is it.” – Reedsy Discovery Featured Review.
LEON HAS A SECRET. He was once an angel – a winged warrior sworn to protect Paya, a realm where people live on discs that float in space.
He failed.
Now, Leon’s a broken man, trying to forget the past. He thinks he’s the last angel. But then a young fugitive stumbles onto Leon’s doorstep. She’s an angel, too. And she has a riddle leading to a place where angels still live. Or so the stories claim ...
Desperate for redemption, Leon begins a perilous quest through myth and folklore. But will Leon and the fugitive find their legendary destination? Or will Leon lose his last chance for salvation?
Brutal and gripping, this is a story about a flawed man’s search for forgiveness, set against the backdrop of an incredible world.
★★★★★ “The details that went into the creation of this world were fantastic. It is unlike any other sci-fi world I’ve ever read about.” – Darian Seese.
★★★★★ "Gripped me from the start. I loved that Leon, the protagonist, was kind of a screw up. His actions and emotions are so achingly normal which is something rarely seen in fantasy novels." – Jaimee Camilleri.
★★★★★ “The most unique part about Across the Broken Stars, and my favorite element hands down, is that the realm of Paya is made of discs in space instead of worlds as we know them. [...] The discs make for a unique setting and at times add great tension to the story. If you are looking for an epic fantasy that has a unique setting, this is it.” – Kate Valent, Reedsy Discovery Starred Review.
About the Author:Jed Herne is the fantasy and science fiction author of Fires of the Dead and Across the Broken Stars. His short stories have been published in The Arcanist, Scarlet Leaf Review, Flintlock, and more. He lives in Perth, Western Australia.
Genres:
space, stars, spaceships, colonization, colonisation, space travel, quest, fantasy, sword and sorcery, redemption, strong female lead, airship, flying, wings, space fantasy, academy, training, action, adventure, science fiction, space opera, military fantasy, mystery, spaceship.
366 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2020
87 people are currently reading
456 people want to read
About the author
Jed Herne
11 books367 followersJed Herne is a fantasy author from Perth, Western Australia. His books include
Fires of the Dead
, which readers say is "the perfect read for someone looking to be quickly immersed in a magic system unlike anything else," and
Across the Broken Stars
, described as "an epic fantasy that has a unique setting," and
The Thunder Heist
- an epic pirate fantasy tale, which forms the first book in the Twisted Seas series.
His short stories have been published in The Arcanist, Scarlet Lead Review, Flintlock, and more. He is currently developing an interactive fiction game for Choice of Games.
Outside of writing, he hosts the Wizards, Warriors, & Words fantasy writing advice podcast with Rob J. Hayes, Dyrk Ashton, and Michael R. Fletcher. He also hosts The Novel Analyst Podcast, where he deconstructs his favourite books to help listeners improve their writing. And because that isn't already enough podcasting, he also hosts the Half-Baked Stories podcast, an improv storytelling show where writers are locked in a room and given half an hour to combine three random ideas into a single story.
He loves hearing from fans, and you can email him at: jed.herne1 [at] gmail.com . He does his best to read and reply to every message.
His short stories have been published in The Arcanist, Scarlet Lead Review, Flintlock, and more. He is currently developing an interactive fiction game for Choice of Games.
Outside of writing, he hosts the Wizards, Warriors, & Words fantasy writing advice podcast with Rob J. Hayes, Dyrk Ashton, and Michael R. Fletcher. He also hosts The Novel Analyst Podcast, where he deconstructs his favourite books to help listeners improve their writing. And because that isn't already enough podcasting, he also hosts the Half-Baked Stories podcast, an improv storytelling show where writers are locked in a room and given half an hour to combine three random ideas into a single story.
He loves hearing from fans, and you can email him at: jed.herne1 [at] gmail.com . He does his best to read and reply to every message.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 45 reviews
July 13, 2020
There are some things done extremely well and some things which i really struggled with in this, the first full length novel by Jed Herne. Let's start with the good stuff: the world building is phenomenal in this book. The discs of Paya, each self contained and separate from one another, populated by angels who can fly across the voids of space between is a fantastic concept. The angel's having been overthrown by a people who grew up on a planet with higher gravity and are thus stronger is another great nod to science and grounds this fantastical world with some reality. The construction of the discs and the modes of transport between, the breathfung, a fungus that allows breathing in space, all give a certain 'hardness' to the setting. There are rules that have to be followed and obeyed. The angels themselves are not all powerful and wise, and the good vs evil is somewhat grey.
What jarred me when reading was the characters however. Everyone in the book is thoroughly unlikable and somewhat one dimensional. This comes out particularly awkwardly in the dialogue and thought processes of the main character, who seems like a petulant teenager most of the time. This does improve as we go through the book, but a lot the dialogue just comes across flat to me.
The questing story arc gives a slightly Lit-RPG feel to the book. The story did maintain my interest, with a few nice twists in it.
There is a lot of potential in here. The world building is first class, but the story is let down a bit by the characters and the dialogue. An intriguing read by a promising new author still finding his feet.
What jarred me when reading was the characters however. Everyone in the book is thoroughly unlikable and somewhat one dimensional. This comes out particularly awkwardly in the dialogue and thought processes of the main character, who seems like a petulant teenager most of the time. This does improve as we go through the book, but a lot the dialogue just comes across flat to me.
The questing story arc gives a slightly Lit-RPG feel to the book. The story did maintain my interest, with a few nice twists in it.
There is a lot of potential in here. The world building is first class, but the story is let down a bit by the characters and the dialogue. An intriguing read by a promising new author still finding his feet.
January 20, 2020
This book was graciously provided by the author for an honest review.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Usually I start with a short description, but I just need to say that I loved this book from start to finish. At no point was it slow, dull or unimaginative. The end had me shouting and yelling at my husband because it was surprising and I wasn’t ready. I said “WHAT the F***?!” and many other things, but it was such a GOOD ending. So, don’t let my expletives fool you. With that being said…
Leon, a broken man, is believed to be the last Angel (in hiding). He believes he betrayed his friends, lost everything and is submissive, until Elena finds him. She’s also an angel, to his surprise, fighting for the Resistance and searching for a lost disc that only Angel’s live on as a last hope for survival. They go on a journey through the universe to find this lost disc, but it’s really a journey of love, loss, betrayal, friendship and redemption.
World-building: The details that went into the creation of this world were fantastic. It is unlike any other sci-fi world I’ve ever read about. The citizens lived on disc’s instead of planets. Each had a different purpose or force field that fit the disc. Example, one disc was specifically for agriculture and the force field let in a different amount of sunlight to aid the vegetation. The heavier the gravity also meant the shorter a person would be compared to lighter gravity and being taller. There were also specific uses of plants and aircrafts that helped the world make sense. There wasn’t any confusion or gaps in information. I also loved the different descriptions/visualization of each disc they travelled to, from lush forests to scorching lava streams.
Writing Style: The dialogue flows well. It isn’t choppy or robotic. I loved the sarcasm. I was actually laughing out loud from some of the things Leon said. I also felt really connected with the characters, so some of the events that unfolded had me reeling.
Plot: Fast-paced, and enjoyable. I had to keep reading because each chapter filled me with anticipation at the high-stakes nature of the journey. I liked the inner turmoil with Leon and finding a way to redeem himself from the past that haunts him. I loved the puzzles that Elena and Leon had to solve to bring them closer to their end goal. I would say more, but I would give too much away and ruin everything. The only thing that I personally didn’t like was the relationship between Elena and Pierce. It did work with the forward motion of the plot, though, so it wasn’t random or unexplained.
I have so much more to say, but it would ruin the book because they’re all spoilers. Everyone go read this book so we can discuss it and rave about it together.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Usually I start with a short description, but I just need to say that I loved this book from start to finish. At no point was it slow, dull or unimaginative. The end had me shouting and yelling at my husband because it was surprising and I wasn’t ready. I said “WHAT the F***?!” and many other things, but it was such a GOOD ending. So, don’t let my expletives fool you. With that being said…
Leon, a broken man, is believed to be the last Angel (in hiding). He believes he betrayed his friends, lost everything and is submissive, until Elena finds him. She’s also an angel, to his surprise, fighting for the Resistance and searching for a lost disc that only Angel’s live on as a last hope for survival. They go on a journey through the universe to find this lost disc, but it’s really a journey of love, loss, betrayal, friendship and redemption.
World-building: The details that went into the creation of this world were fantastic. It is unlike any other sci-fi world I’ve ever read about. The citizens lived on disc’s instead of planets. Each had a different purpose or force field that fit the disc. Example, one disc was specifically for agriculture and the force field let in a different amount of sunlight to aid the vegetation. The heavier the gravity also meant the shorter a person would be compared to lighter gravity and being taller. There were also specific uses of plants and aircrafts that helped the world make sense. There wasn’t any confusion or gaps in information. I also loved the different descriptions/visualization of each disc they travelled to, from lush forests to scorching lava streams.
Writing Style: The dialogue flows well. It isn’t choppy or robotic. I loved the sarcasm. I was actually laughing out loud from some of the things Leon said. I also felt really connected with the characters, so some of the events that unfolded had me reeling.
Plot: Fast-paced, and enjoyable. I had to keep reading because each chapter filled me with anticipation at the high-stakes nature of the journey. I liked the inner turmoil with Leon and finding a way to redeem himself from the past that haunts him. I loved the puzzles that Elena and Leon had to solve to bring them closer to their end goal. I would say more, but I would give too much away and ruin everything. The only thing that I personally didn’t like was the relationship between Elena and Pierce. It did work with the forward motion of the plot, though, so it wasn’t random or unexplained.
I have so much more to say, but it would ruin the book because they’re all spoilers. Everyone go read this book so we can discuss it and rave about it together.
July 5, 2024
DNF at 40%
The pacing is the worst I’ve felt in reading a book and I’ve been through the depths of hell with ACOTAR. The whole book should have been much longer and it would have fixed most of the issues I have with it. There are segments that should have been cut short or not included at all (why did I need two paragraphs of Leon pissing?), and the more important-seeming ones were actually the ones cut short. The character exploration sequences or lack there of, specifically. You’re telling me four hours have passed with three people hiding in a very tight space that all have conflict and tension between each other and all you’re gonna write is “Four hours passed”. Really?
Using prose where prose is not needed or cutting short a moment that could have used the prose for a bigger emotional punch. I don’t need way #472 in which to describe the sky, I need to know the guilt that is the bottomless pit in which Leon has been drowning for decades over losing Julianna and everything else.
The dialogue was so unnatural and clunky it felt like an Oblivion NPC wrote it. Everyone is so stupid. Hi we’re the Resistance, we have no idea who you are and we think you might be spies but bahh who cares let em in. Let’s show em our hideout and tell em all our plans. It’s all very childish and speaking of childish, Leon acts nothing like a 40 year old.
And right after being accepted into the Resistance, they dive ahead to the next plot point cause the plot has to be constantly going forward at high speeds. They went into a mission with seemingly no other plan than talking about it for a minute to make it look like they were planning. The encounters were very sloppy.
The fight scenes were absolutely abysmal and the sentences never ending and putting an “and” instead of actually ending the sentence doesn’t make the fights more snappy and urgent and fast paced and makes it jarring and sometimes incomprehensible and I’m pulling my hair out and… should I keep going?
This is a book that falls victim to the constraints of its own length. From the very beginning up to the point I managed to slog through (despite its shortness), it insisted to push and rush forward with the plot and never stopped once to make me actually care about its unique world and people. This universe had so much potential but it was ruined by a youtuber who didn’t take his own advices.
The pacing is the worst I’ve felt in reading a book and I’ve been through the depths of hell with ACOTAR. The whole book should have been much longer and it would have fixed most of the issues I have with it. There are segments that should have been cut short or not included at all (why did I need two paragraphs of Leon pissing?), and the more important-seeming ones were actually the ones cut short. The character exploration sequences or lack there of, specifically. You’re telling me four hours have passed with three people hiding in a very tight space that all have conflict and tension between each other and all you’re gonna write is “Four hours passed”. Really?
Using prose where prose is not needed or cutting short a moment that could have used the prose for a bigger emotional punch. I don’t need way #472 in which to describe the sky, I need to know the guilt that is the bottomless pit in which Leon has been drowning for decades over losing Julianna and everything else.
The dialogue was so unnatural and clunky it felt like an Oblivion NPC wrote it. Everyone is so stupid. Hi we’re the Resistance, we have no idea who you are and we think you might be spies but bahh who cares let em in. Let’s show em our hideout and tell em all our plans. It’s all very childish and speaking of childish, Leon acts nothing like a 40 year old.
And right after being accepted into the Resistance, they dive ahead to the next plot point cause the plot has to be constantly going forward at high speeds. They went into a mission with seemingly no other plan than talking about it for a minute to make it look like they were planning. The encounters were very sloppy.
The fight scenes were absolutely abysmal and the sentences never ending and putting an “and” instead of actually ending the sentence doesn’t make the fights more snappy and urgent and fast paced and makes it jarring and sometimes incomprehensible and I’m pulling my hair out and… should I keep going?
This is a book that falls victim to the constraints of its own length. From the very beginning up to the point I managed to slog through (despite its shortness), it insisted to push and rush forward with the plot and never stopped once to make me actually care about its unique world and people. This universe had so much potential but it was ruined by a youtuber who didn’t take his own advices.
March 22, 2020
Across the Broken Stars is a good book. Not the best book, one that almost touches great but sadly doesn’t get high enough. Nonetheless a good book that really shines bright in some areas and is eclipsed in others.
The Good: A very well written protagonist. Amazing world building. Great action and adventure. An amazing ending.
The Bad: One dimensional characters. Some pacing issues in the beginning and in the non-adventure sections.
The Long [version]:
The book exists in a well-crafted science fiction universe where two races went to war and in the way wars are wont to go, one race won and conquered the other. The losers of this war, the Payans are now subjects to the Vahrians (the winners). The story follows one such ordinary Payan after the war, except that our protagonist, Leon de Valesco, is not actually an ordinary Payan, he is actually the last angel left, or at least he thought that he was until he encounters Elena, a very young angel who believes that with his help they can find Waverrym, the mythical land filled with angels. And so, the adventure begins…
In the moments where Across The Broken Stars is solely an adventure book, where Leon and Elena are solving puzzles and racing against time and obstacles, the book can be truly great. The author, Herne, is great at crafting problems and difficult scenarios for the characters to solve and figure out in ingenious ways.
The book isn’t solely an adventure novel though, as Leon and Elena travel across the universe, we get to learn more about the world that the characters exist in as well as the characters themselves. Leon is a great character to read. At the start of the story I wasn’t too fond of him but by the end of it, having gone on this journey with him and understanding his background and exactly who he is and why he does what he does, I think any reader would have a hard time not liking him.
Leon is a very well written character one that really comes to life and all of those deep dimensions to him are a stark contrast to most of the other characters in the novel, who fall a bit too flat. Elena can often feel like a plotting device, more a character written to drive the story forward than someone with her own arc, which is a bit sad because in her own right she could’ve shone as brightly as Leon did. The antagonist Drayton, though menacing and intriguing doesn’t appear enough for us to truly get to know him as more than just ‘The Bad Guy’ with ‘These Reasons’ for being bad. Most of the other characters serve as touch points for us to know either where Leon is in his internal journey or as plotting devices to drive the story forward. I reserve a special mention though for the Paracelsus-7 crew, characters who in a few pages Herne managed to flesh out and bring to life.
Across the Broken Stars held many worlds, known as Discs, such as Parcelsus-7, and though they were often populated with sometimes dull, one dimensional characters (my favourite being Don Paquito – I Love that guy) the worlds themselves and the universe they exist in were very colourful and alive. Each disc that the protagonists visit feel different and unique, with its own geography, climate, feel and culture. The history and lore of the world, its religion and the war, are expertly crafted into the narrative and told to the reader in bits and pieces that if paid attention to can come together to form a well thought out, realized and believable universe.
Travelling across the universe with Leon and Elena, we get to experience this universe. Along the way they meet different characters and need to solve puzzles to reach their next destination. In the moments when Leon and Elena are not solving puzzles and adventuring and they have to interact with other characters the book can experience some pacing issues. The book often reads like a fast-paced adventure novel, so in the slower moments, when the next big plot point needs to be set up, and other characters have to be introduced the story can sometimes rush past this, making those characters feel like nothing more than aids or obstacles that Leon and Elena have to deal with and not necessarily real characters.
Not all of the slower moments are like this though. In some of those ‘downtime’ moments, the relationship between Leon and Elena is developed as well as Leon’s character dynamic, through flashbacks and dreams of his past and people that he knew in his past.
It’s Leon’s past and its relation to his present that really drive the story forward. Yes the plot of Across The Broken Stars is one of adventure about two angels trying to find a mythical land but on a deeper level, it is a story about a broken man, who cannot live with the decisions that he has made in the past and thus chooses to not really live in the present until he is forced to. The plot is interesting enough to bring you to the door but the story is what will make you stay.
Overall, Across The Broken Stars is a book that I enjoyed. One with a great protagonist, an interesting enough plot and a very fitting ending but also a book mired with bland characters and some slower jarring sections.
The Good: A very well written protagonist. Amazing world building. Great action and adventure. An amazing ending.
The Bad: One dimensional characters. Some pacing issues in the beginning and in the non-adventure sections.
The Long [version]:
The book exists in a well-crafted science fiction universe where two races went to war and in the way wars are wont to go, one race won and conquered the other. The losers of this war, the Payans are now subjects to the Vahrians (the winners). The story follows one such ordinary Payan after the war, except that our protagonist, Leon de Valesco, is not actually an ordinary Payan, he is actually the last angel left, or at least he thought that he was until he encounters Elena, a very young angel who believes that with his help they can find Waverrym, the mythical land filled with angels. And so, the adventure begins…
In the moments where Across The Broken Stars is solely an adventure book, where Leon and Elena are solving puzzles and racing against time and obstacles, the book can be truly great. The author, Herne, is great at crafting problems and difficult scenarios for the characters to solve and figure out in ingenious ways.
The book isn’t solely an adventure novel though, as Leon and Elena travel across the universe, we get to learn more about the world that the characters exist in as well as the characters themselves. Leon is a great character to read. At the start of the story I wasn’t too fond of him but by the end of it, having gone on this journey with him and understanding his background and exactly who he is and why he does what he does, I think any reader would have a hard time not liking him.
Leon is a very well written character one that really comes to life and all of those deep dimensions to him are a stark contrast to most of the other characters in the novel, who fall a bit too flat. Elena can often feel like a plotting device, more a character written to drive the story forward than someone with her own arc, which is a bit sad because in her own right she could’ve shone as brightly as Leon did. The antagonist Drayton, though menacing and intriguing doesn’t appear enough for us to truly get to know him as more than just ‘The Bad Guy’ with ‘These Reasons’ for being bad. Most of the other characters serve as touch points for us to know either where Leon is in his internal journey or as plotting devices to drive the story forward. I reserve a special mention though for the Paracelsus-7 crew, characters who in a few pages Herne managed to flesh out and bring to life.
Across the Broken Stars held many worlds, known as Discs, such as Parcelsus-7, and though they were often populated with sometimes dull, one dimensional characters (my favourite being Don Paquito – I Love that guy) the worlds themselves and the universe they exist in were very colourful and alive. Each disc that the protagonists visit feel different and unique, with its own geography, climate, feel and culture. The history and lore of the world, its religion and the war, are expertly crafted into the narrative and told to the reader in bits and pieces that if paid attention to can come together to form a well thought out, realized and believable universe.
Travelling across the universe with Leon and Elena, we get to experience this universe. Along the way they meet different characters and need to solve puzzles to reach their next destination. In the moments when Leon and Elena are not solving puzzles and adventuring and they have to interact with other characters the book can experience some pacing issues. The book often reads like a fast-paced adventure novel, so in the slower moments, when the next big plot point needs to be set up, and other characters have to be introduced the story can sometimes rush past this, making those characters feel like nothing more than aids or obstacles that Leon and Elena have to deal with and not necessarily real characters.
Not all of the slower moments are like this though. In some of those ‘downtime’ moments, the relationship between Leon and Elena is developed as well as Leon’s character dynamic, through flashbacks and dreams of his past and people that he knew in his past.
It’s Leon’s past and its relation to his present that really drive the story forward. Yes the plot of Across The Broken Stars is one of adventure about two angels trying to find a mythical land but on a deeper level, it is a story about a broken man, who cannot live with the decisions that he has made in the past and thus chooses to not really live in the present until he is forced to. The plot is interesting enough to bring you to the door but the story is what will make you stay.
Overall, Across The Broken Stars is a book that I enjoyed. One with a great protagonist, an interesting enough plot and a very fitting ending but also a book mired with bland characters and some slower jarring sections.
July 26, 2024
Jed is a phenomenal world builder but his characters just don't connect with me, this is the third book of his I've read and it's admittedly better than the others, but this is disappointing for someone who gives writing advice.
September 3, 2020
(4/5⭐️) “Dead heroes and dead cowards both rot in the same grave.” This SciFi Fantasy is an action packed adventure that will have you saying the same thing.
Leon is an angel with a broken past. He’s a coward, a traitor to his own kind, scarred from the decisions he made during the war. All he wants is to forget—everything. He spends years believing that he is the last angel; he’s okay with that. But when a fugitive seeks him out, offering him a chance to find Waverrym, everything changes. Waverrym is a place shrouded in myth, believed to be the home of other angels that escaped the war, a safe haven. At first Leon is indifferent, happy with being the last of a dead race, but he soon finds himself longing to find Waverrym just as much as the young fugitive who seeks him out. And so begins a quest that spans the stars as much as it spans the pages of this book. Will Leon find the mystical Waverrym, and in the process, a road to redemption?
Across the Broken Stars was a great example of how a broken character can still give us reason to hope. In terms of flawed characters, Leon fit the bill perfectly. There were so many times throughout his character arc where he continued to make bad decisions. He made it very clear to me in the first half of the book that he was a coward. Yet, as I grew to understand him more, I began to see the reasons for his decisions. By the end, I was rooting for him to make the correct decision. And when he finally did, I was cheering because I found myself both shocked and pleasantly surprised.
“You’re not a coward. You were, but now you don’t have to be. Forget the past. You’re who you choose to become.”
I will warn you that this book has a very large plot twist near the end. I admit that there were a few foreshadowing moments, but none of it sank in until it was too late. Now that I look back over it, I can’t believe it didn’t see it before! Facepalm! I really admire the way Jed Herne tricked me for the majority of the story, yet, found a way to make me happy with the ending. I felt extremely fulfilled watching Leon’s character arc progress and unfold up to its crescendo, when Leon was forced to make the ultimate decision.
“Let all remember, a full bucket cannot hold more water. Those who seek to know must first forget, and those who seek to be filled must first be emptied.”
The writing of this story was beautiful. The world building was quite creative. It took a couple of chapters for me to find my bearings, navigating “disks” rather than planets. The science aspects tied in for gravity, velocity, breathing in space, force fields, etc. were well thought out and realistic enough (coming from someone who has a PhD in physics) for the sake of the story. It’s easy to get those things wrong but Jed did a great job in setting the stage.
I really love it when an independent author surprises me, and Jed did that. He REALLY took me by surprise with this story. It was packed with action and adventure, moved quickly, with short chapters that kept you wanting more. The majority of the plot was taken up as a quest to find a location that had to be discovered by working out riddles and puzzles. Being a puzzle lover, I found that aspect engaging. Part of me wishes there would be a sequel, but the story ended in a way where that likely won’t happen. However, the ending was so satisfying, that I really don’t need one. I’ll just cherish the story for what it is and be happy that it’s “short but sweet.” Bravo Jed Herne on a wonderful story.
I highly recommend this for anyone who loves Sci-Fi adventure with a dash of fantasy—for anyone who loves to see a character overcome major flaws to a satisfying end. Thank you Jed Herne for giving me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Leon is an angel with a broken past. He’s a coward, a traitor to his own kind, scarred from the decisions he made during the war. All he wants is to forget—everything. He spends years believing that he is the last angel; he’s okay with that. But when a fugitive seeks him out, offering him a chance to find Waverrym, everything changes. Waverrym is a place shrouded in myth, believed to be the home of other angels that escaped the war, a safe haven. At first Leon is indifferent, happy with being the last of a dead race, but he soon finds himself longing to find Waverrym just as much as the young fugitive who seeks him out. And so begins a quest that spans the stars as much as it spans the pages of this book. Will Leon find the mystical Waverrym, and in the process, a road to redemption?
Across the Broken Stars was a great example of how a broken character can still give us reason to hope. In terms of flawed characters, Leon fit the bill perfectly. There were so many times throughout his character arc where he continued to make bad decisions. He made it very clear to me in the first half of the book that he was a coward. Yet, as I grew to understand him more, I began to see the reasons for his decisions. By the end, I was rooting for him to make the correct decision. And when he finally did, I was cheering because I found myself both shocked and pleasantly surprised.
“You’re not a coward. You were, but now you don’t have to be. Forget the past. You’re who you choose to become.”
I will warn you that this book has a very large plot twist near the end. I admit that there were a few foreshadowing moments, but none of it sank in until it was too late. Now that I look back over it, I can’t believe it didn’t see it before! Facepalm! I really admire the way Jed Herne tricked me for the majority of the story, yet, found a way to make me happy with the ending. I felt extremely fulfilled watching Leon’s character arc progress and unfold up to its crescendo, when Leon was forced to make the ultimate decision.
“Let all remember, a full bucket cannot hold more water. Those who seek to know must first forget, and those who seek to be filled must first be emptied.”
The writing of this story was beautiful. The world building was quite creative. It took a couple of chapters for me to find my bearings, navigating “disks” rather than planets. The science aspects tied in for gravity, velocity, breathing in space, force fields, etc. were well thought out and realistic enough (coming from someone who has a PhD in physics) for the sake of the story. It’s easy to get those things wrong but Jed did a great job in setting the stage.
I really love it when an independent author surprises me, and Jed did that. He REALLY took me by surprise with this story. It was packed with action and adventure, moved quickly, with short chapters that kept you wanting more. The majority of the plot was taken up as a quest to find a location that had to be discovered by working out riddles and puzzles. Being a puzzle lover, I found that aspect engaging. Part of me wishes there would be a sequel, but the story ended in a way where that likely won’t happen. However, the ending was so satisfying, that I really don’t need one. I’ll just cherish the story for what it is and be happy that it’s “short but sweet.” Bravo Jed Herne on a wonderful story.
I highly recommend this for anyone who loves Sci-Fi adventure with a dash of fantasy—for anyone who loves to see a character overcome major flaws to a satisfying end. Thank you Jed Herne for giving me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 26, 2020
I received this as an ARC and am giving it my honest review.
This is my second read by Jed Herne. This is both a good thing and a bad. Its good because I enjoyed the first one so much I decided to choose another by him. Its bad because its meant I have something to compare.
The concept was good: The last angel, a jaded older man scarred by both war and life, is approached by a young angel. (I don't count her as the last for reasons that would lead to spoilers.) She wants his assistance in finding the legendary homeland of the Archangels. It's a hidden place where they hope to find peace and respite from the world. The book follows their search for Wayverrym, their tribulations during that search. Of course, there is an enemy. He's Drayton, the High Inquisitor and Angel Killer. he wants to find Waverrym so he can kill all the remaining angels.
This is a story about redemption and hope in the face of extreme adversity. Leon, the elder angel who has lost his wings, has also lost his faith in everything. Elena, the younger angel, comes to convince him that Wayverrym exists and that he should help her find it so they can both go home. Both of these characters are well developed. He is old and jaded, but knowledgeable. She is young, full of ambition and believes.
Here's my problem with the book. First of all, I completely predicted the entire story arc as I was reading. I knew that certain things were going to happen and they did. That right there takes it down a star for me. Next, the character of Leon is very much like that of Wisp, the main character in Fires of the Dead, also by Jed Herne. and Thirdly, this story should have evoked emotion from me. It started to, but once I saw where the story was going, my emotional involvement ended. I should have had a strong reaction to the end of the story and I just didn't. I blame it on the first two things I have listed. That lost the other star for me.
I think Jed Herne has a future as a great writer. He has the tools. The world and character building was well done. The writing was good. (there were a lot of typos but this was an ARC and that happens). I think he just needs to keep writing, reading and researching. Even though I only gave this book 3 stars, I look forward to great things from this author.
This is my second read by Jed Herne. This is both a good thing and a bad. Its good because I enjoyed the first one so much I decided to choose another by him. Its bad because its meant I have something to compare.
The concept was good: The last angel, a jaded older man scarred by both war and life, is approached by a young angel. (I don't count her as the last for reasons that would lead to spoilers.) She wants his assistance in finding the legendary homeland of the Archangels. It's a hidden place where they hope to find peace and respite from the world. The book follows their search for Wayverrym, their tribulations during that search. Of course, there is an enemy. He's Drayton, the High Inquisitor and Angel Killer. he wants to find Waverrym so he can kill all the remaining angels.
This is a story about redemption and hope in the face of extreme adversity. Leon, the elder angel who has lost his wings, has also lost his faith in everything. Elena, the younger angel, comes to convince him that Wayverrym exists and that he should help her find it so they can both go home. Both of these characters are well developed. He is old and jaded, but knowledgeable. She is young, full of ambition and believes.
Here's my problem with the book. First of all, I completely predicted the entire story arc as I was reading. I knew that certain things were going to happen and they did. That right there takes it down a star for me. Next, the character of Leon is very much like that of Wisp, the main character in Fires of the Dead, also by Jed Herne. and Thirdly, this story should have evoked emotion from me. It started to, but once I saw where the story was going, my emotional involvement ended. I should have had a strong reaction to the end of the story and I just didn't. I blame it on the first two things I have listed. That lost the other star for me.
I think Jed Herne has a future as a great writer. He has the tools. The world and character building was well done. The writing was good. (there were a lot of typos but this was an ARC and that happens). I think he just needs to keep writing, reading and researching. Even though I only gave this book 3 stars, I look forward to great things from this author.
February 5, 2020
*3.5/5 stars*
**I received a digital ARC of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
I was excited to get a copy of this book to review because I read Herne's last book, Fires of the Dead, and really enjoyed it. I enjoyed this one as well! I think the Herne has a great writing style. It flows so well and his characters are always enjoyable.
This story is a story of redemption and hope. I liked our main character, Leon. He made me laugh out loud. He was just your basic grumpy old man that didn't want to be bothered. He was so complex, but also totally normal, and I felt like it was a refreshing main character perspective to read from. We find out so much of his story, and I enjoyed that. He was a strong character and really well written. I thought that Elena's character was also well written.
The story had a strong plot. I love that it was quest driven. It made it really fun to read. Some of the bumps along the way were resolved a bit too easily, but I still had a fun time reading the story! I think the concept of this story is very interesting. The last angel, or so he thought, is approached by a younger angel to help find the homeland of these angels that have been hidden since the War. I was very intrigued by the concept and the plot.
I think the world building for this was really great. It was such an interesting world. I do really wish we would have had a map though, so that I could follow along with the characters as they traveled. Not totally necessary, but I loveeee a map. Haha.
The only downfall for me with this story is that I felt like I should have had some emotional response to some things that happened, but that didn't come for me. It did at the very end, but not throughout. I was really shocked by the ending of this one, though.
Overall, I think this was a very well-written, fun, fast-paced story that throws a twist on the fantasy genre. The plot and world is super unique. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I think Jed Herne is a great author, and I'm excited to see how much more his writing improves with time. I can see him having some really big, hyped books!
Thanks so much, Jed, for allowing me to read and review your book!
Find this review and more: https://katelynpdickinson.wordpress.c...
**I received a digital ARC of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
I was excited to get a copy of this book to review because I read Herne's last book, Fires of the Dead, and really enjoyed it. I enjoyed this one as well! I think the Herne has a great writing style. It flows so well and his characters are always enjoyable.
This story is a story of redemption and hope. I liked our main character, Leon. He made me laugh out loud. He was just your basic grumpy old man that didn't want to be bothered. He was so complex, but also totally normal, and I felt like it was a refreshing main character perspective to read from. We find out so much of his story, and I enjoyed that. He was a strong character and really well written. I thought that Elena's character was also well written.
The story had a strong plot. I love that it was quest driven. It made it really fun to read. Some of the bumps along the way were resolved a bit too easily, but I still had a fun time reading the story! I think the concept of this story is very interesting. The last angel, or so he thought, is approached by a younger angel to help find the homeland of these angels that have been hidden since the War. I was very intrigued by the concept and the plot.
I think the world building for this was really great. It was such an interesting world. I do really wish we would have had a map though, so that I could follow along with the characters as they traveled. Not totally necessary, but I loveeee a map. Haha.
The only downfall for me with this story is that I felt like I should have had some emotional response to some things that happened, but that didn't come for me. It did at the very end, but not throughout. I was really shocked by the ending of this one, though.
Overall, I think this was a very well-written, fun, fast-paced story that throws a twist on the fantasy genre. The plot and world is super unique. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I think Jed Herne is a great author, and I'm excited to see how much more his writing improves with time. I can see him having some really big, hyped books!
Thanks so much, Jed, for allowing me to read and review your book!
Find this review and more: https://katelynpdickinson.wordpress.c...
January 29, 2020
My copy of this book was very kindly gifted to me by Jed Herne in return for an honest review.
It is hard to convey my feelings without giving away spoilers so if this review seems vague it's because I have other reader's interests at heart!
I finished Across the Broken Stars last night and I've been thinking about it all day which, is ultimately reflected in the rating.
This story gripped me from the start. I loved that Leon, the protagonist, was kind of a screw up. His actions and emotions are so achingly normal which is something rarely seen in fantasy novels. I also liked that he was older than most protagonists. It was a refreshing perspective.
I normally dismiss any book with "angels" as I feel it can hijack the plot with religious connotations and can lead to lazy world building. This was absolutely not the case. The author could have replaced the word "angel" with any other noun and the entire book would still make perfect sense.
The world building was wonderfully done and I kept wishing I had a map so I could keep track of our characters as they travelled.
I also loved the quest driven plot. It made things exciting and gave a lot of suspense to the story. I did find that some of the puzzles were maybe solved a little bit too easily but I'm really just nitpicking here.
Finally, I will talk about the ending. I totally did not expect this book to end the way it did. At first I hated it and had an overwhelming feeling of "What the hell man!!" Then as I thought more, I felt that it was the perfect way to finish things off. In light of all that happens in the book I thought the resolution was fitting for Leon and the book.
Again, nitpicking, but I also felt like some of the vilian motives could have been fleshed out a bit more. I am a sucker for a good vilian story.
I think I'm still a little salty though because I would have loved a sequel and I do hope there are more stories to come from this world.
Thank you for a wonderful read.
It is hard to convey my feelings without giving away spoilers so if this review seems vague it's because I have other reader's interests at heart!
I finished Across the Broken Stars last night and I've been thinking about it all day which, is ultimately reflected in the rating.
This story gripped me from the start. I loved that Leon, the protagonist, was kind of a screw up. His actions and emotions are so achingly normal which is something rarely seen in fantasy novels. I also liked that he was older than most protagonists. It was a refreshing perspective.
I normally dismiss any book with "angels" as I feel it can hijack the plot with religious connotations and can lead to lazy world building. This was absolutely not the case. The author could have replaced the word "angel" with any other noun and the entire book would still make perfect sense.
The world building was wonderfully done and I kept wishing I had a map so I could keep track of our characters as they travelled.
I also loved the quest driven plot. It made things exciting and gave a lot of suspense to the story. I did find that some of the puzzles were maybe solved a little bit too easily but I'm really just nitpicking here.
Finally, I will talk about the ending. I totally did not expect this book to end the way it did. At first I hated it and had an overwhelming feeling of "What the hell man!!" Then as I thought more, I felt that it was the perfect way to finish things off. In light of all that happens in the book I thought the resolution was fitting for Leon and the book.
Again, nitpicking, but I also felt like some of the vilian motives could have been fleshed out a bit more. I am a sucker for a good vilian story.
I think I'm still a little salty though because I would have loved a sequel and I do hope there are more stories to come from this world.
Thank you for a wonderful read.
October 29, 2020
Keep your faith no matter what is thrown at you.
Leon is an angel with a problem. He failed his friends in battle and felt like coward. He agreed to help a young angel find the safe haven where the angels reside. He goes through several places helping others and finding hidden ways.
He cannot believe his friend would betray him and lose the faith.
An excellent book that reminds one that faith is a great healer.
Leon is an angel with a problem. He failed his friends in battle and felt like coward. He agreed to help a young angel find the safe haven where the angels reside. He goes through several places helping others and finding hidden ways.
He cannot believe his friend would betray him and lose the faith.
An excellent book that reminds one that faith is a great healer.
March 3, 2020
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The story is sound, and the writing is pretty smooth. Leon makes a great reluctant hero, because he is so beaten down it is heartening to see him get up and going.
The ending was good, a little expected but it is a reflection of all the lessons coming back to him. I did find the ending a little bit rushed.
The ending was good, a little expected but it is a reflection of all the lessons coming back to him. I did find the ending a little bit rushed.
July 19, 2020
Stunning
As finely crafted as any I have ever read. The ending is absolutely the best. If you like fantasy this is one of the best.
As finely crafted as any I have ever read. The ending is absolutely the best. If you like fantasy this is one of the best.
November 21, 2024
The prose is sharp and the rapid pace compels you to keep turning the page. It’s like that Brandon Sanderson / Fonda Lee style, but more concise. He has poetic moments with his prose, but he’s not pretentiously trying to prove how good of a writer he is. This is probably the book’s greatest strength. Time is never wasted and Jed never bogs the reader down with verbosity. This makes it easy to assume the perspective of the characters and slip inside their world. It made me feel like I was watching some beautiful but gory sci-fi / fantasy anime in my head.
The most impressive part of this is that Jed doesn’t lose stamina as the reader delves deeper into the story. The intensity is maintained all the way up until the last page.
The book’s next greatest strength is its characterization. All of these characters felt very believable to me, and I think that’s because Jed had a clear understanding of their identities. You could tell he knew who these characters were when they were alone or around others, and who they were subconsciously. And while this story couldn’t afford to give all the characters a full length origin, Jed’s depiction of their motivations and how they went about fulfilling them did wonders for humanizing even the most minor characters.
Finally, the worldbuilding in this book was phenomenal. The way he wrote about the use of wings in this was incredibly imaginative. You could tell he did his due diligence to understand how a human with a pair of wings on their back would move through the world. Some of the sci-fi astronomy stuff went over my head, but Jed does a good job of balancing between fleshing out this aspect of his world without getting too geeky about it to the point of losing the reader. His knowledge of architecture definitely shines in this book and it enhances the rich, realistic history of the setting.
I could yap about how much I loved this book till the Archangels return, but I’ll spare you from that.
One thing I didn’t like about the book was the clunkiness of certain sentences. There were a few times when he would use too many synonyms or run a sentence on for too long. I didn’t notate the instances when I came across them, so I can’t give any specific examples off the top of my head, but they were definitely there. If it sounds like I’m nitpicking a little, that’s because I am. This was Jed’s first book, but this is practically the only flaw I could find with it, and it hardly happened all that much.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I was sad to see it end. The conclusion emotionally destroyed me, but I don’t think any other finale would’ve fit this story as perfectly as this one did.
This book was an easy 5/5 stars for me, it’s 100% worth your time and money.
Also I am a massive fan of Jed Herne’s YouTube channel and I highly recommend checking it out if you’re a writer.
The most impressive part of this is that Jed doesn’t lose stamina as the reader delves deeper into the story. The intensity is maintained all the way up until the last page.
The book’s next greatest strength is its characterization. All of these characters felt very believable to me, and I think that’s because Jed had a clear understanding of their identities. You could tell he knew who these characters were when they were alone or around others, and who they were subconsciously. And while this story couldn’t afford to give all the characters a full length origin, Jed’s depiction of their motivations and how they went about fulfilling them did wonders for humanizing even the most minor characters.
Finally, the worldbuilding in this book was phenomenal. The way he wrote about the use of wings in this was incredibly imaginative. You could tell he did his due diligence to understand how a human with a pair of wings on their back would move through the world. Some of the sci-fi astronomy stuff went over my head, but Jed does a good job of balancing between fleshing out this aspect of his world without getting too geeky about it to the point of losing the reader. His knowledge of architecture definitely shines in this book and it enhances the rich, realistic history of the setting.
I could yap about how much I loved this book till the Archangels return, but I’ll spare you from that.
One thing I didn’t like about the book was the clunkiness of certain sentences. There were a few times when he would use too many synonyms or run a sentence on for too long. I didn’t notate the instances when I came across them, so I can’t give any specific examples off the top of my head, but they were definitely there. If it sounds like I’m nitpicking a little, that’s because I am. This was Jed’s first book, but this is practically the only flaw I could find with it, and it hardly happened all that much.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I was sad to see it end. The conclusion emotionally destroyed me, but I don’t think any other finale would’ve fit this story as perfectly as this one did.
This book was an easy 5/5 stars for me, it’s 100% worth your time and money.
Also I am a massive fan of Jed Herne’s YouTube channel and I highly recommend checking it out if you’re a writer.
April 9, 2024
This book had so much going for it going in, but it squanders its potential so that even its strengths are dulled by everything else.
The first big gripe I have with Across the Broken Stars is that it doesn't read like a fantasy story, even though it should. And that alone contributes to several of its problems. The idea of angels protecting discs in the sky until they failed was a very successful tease, more than enough to lure me into wanting to read the story. And it did suggest a valiant and orginal attempt at worldbuilding. But that's all it ended up seeming like: an attempt.
Besides the existence of angels and other 'mystical' creatures (such as pegasi), nothing else is represented as magical. While it is hinted throughout the story that a greater power might exist, all of it is ground too firmly in realism for it to be a truly satisfying story. And that would be fine, had the theme of the book been to question the very existence of magic, but it never digs deeper into it than it has to. Which ultimately makes none of it worthwhile. It doesn't help that Jed Herne hampers his own story with a massive video game-style/Indiana Jones quest that requires considerable knowledge of his own worlbuilding. Therefore, most of the time, it requires a lot of exposition to explain it all away and fails to make it engaging. I skimread most (if not all) of those parts. Valuable time that could have been given over to character development was instead wasted on exposition and functional worldbuilding. Such a shame considering the idea of this world of floating discs in space, protected by angels, was what drew me to the story to begin with.
Now, that wouldn't be such a problem if that was the only issue. After all, stories with functional worlbuilding and video game quests can work quite well (just check out most of J.J. Abrams's filmography). But to make a success of it, the story needs to have strong characters to back it up. I wasn't overly concerned about that going in. My only other Jed Herne read was Fires of the Dead and, while I might have some issues with the story structure, the characters spoke to me... No such luck in Across the Broken Stars, sadly.
My first issues are surface-level, I'll be the first to admit. But they don't help. It starts with their names. Our characters are angels, and inquisitors, warriors and resistance fighters, figures who have either fought in a great war or been raised with tales of both it and magic. And their names are... Leon..., Elena..., Roland... Some of the most uninspiring name choices I've ever come across. The names completely took me out of the story. Ironic, because the name of the legendary Archangels were much more to my liking. Once again, if that had been all...
But...
Leon, as the main character, bears the lion's share of the blame. There were some interesting concepts tied to his arc, such as his spoken words contrasting with his inner voice (which would have been far more interesting if handled more consistently) or what I believe was a genuine attempt to make him a self-flagellating screw-up. However, neither of them really worked. The latter in particular. Leon doesn't come across as self-flagellating: instead, he reeks of self-pity. And that is not an appelling quality. His arc was destined to be that of the reluctant teacher and pessimistic cynic who eventually finds his faith. But it too fell flat. Nor does it help that he gets straddled with a dull backstory about him being 'common born' and 'a bastard', which just doesn't work because there's nothing new there to explore. They're just background, and it's been done too many times before for it to be truly interesting. Leon didn't need to be an underdog for his story to be sold. He just needed to be a screwup. But it seems like Herne is almost too gun-shy to go that far. Similarly, and once again, this is just surface level stuff: I hate Leon's way of speaking (especially his overuse of 'ain't'). It just feels too forced and desperate to hammer home the point that Leon is lowborn. How does that advance his story? It's just far too clumsy and on the nose.
Speaking of on the nose, the same goes for the other characters, especially one who has to deal with a very tired trope that features in Across the Broken Stars but which doesn't do anything to justify its existence beyond being... conventional. Nor does the villain work because he needs to explain himself rather than show what this is all about. And he might be the only character I really liked.
Ultimately, Across the Broken Stars is a valiant attempt at something. The only issue is I'm not quite sure what. There are flashes of a great story at time (the expository worldbuilding and setting on floating discs in space, Leon's time in the prison colony, and the poetic ending), but they don't really get a chance to do themselves justice. The biggest problem is that this is a book that gets proggressively better as you read it, too slowly and inconsistently for it to save this book, but maybe enough to see Jed Herne's evolution as a writer. And that give sme faith that when I pickup The Thunder Heist, it will live up to its potential.
The first big gripe I have with Across the Broken Stars is that it doesn't read like a fantasy story, even though it should. And that alone contributes to several of its problems. The idea of angels protecting discs in the sky until they failed was a very successful tease, more than enough to lure me into wanting to read the story. And it did suggest a valiant and orginal attempt at worldbuilding. But that's all it ended up seeming like: an attempt.
Besides the existence of angels and other 'mystical' creatures (such as pegasi), nothing else is represented as magical. While it is hinted throughout the story that a greater power might exist, all of it is ground too firmly in realism for it to be a truly satisfying story. And that would be fine, had the theme of the book been to question the very existence of magic, but it never digs deeper into it than it has to. Which ultimately makes none of it worthwhile. It doesn't help that Jed Herne hampers his own story with a massive video game-style/Indiana Jones quest that requires considerable knowledge of his own worlbuilding. Therefore, most of the time, it requires a lot of exposition to explain it all away and fails to make it engaging. I skimread most (if not all) of those parts. Valuable time that could have been given over to character development was instead wasted on exposition and functional worldbuilding. Such a shame considering the idea of this world of floating discs in space, protected by angels, was what drew me to the story to begin with.
Now, that wouldn't be such a problem if that was the only issue. After all, stories with functional worlbuilding and video game quests can work quite well (just check out most of J.J. Abrams's filmography). But to make a success of it, the story needs to have strong characters to back it up. I wasn't overly concerned about that going in. My only other Jed Herne read was Fires of the Dead and, while I might have some issues with the story structure, the characters spoke to me... No such luck in Across the Broken Stars, sadly.
My first issues are surface-level, I'll be the first to admit. But they don't help. It starts with their names. Our characters are angels, and inquisitors, warriors and resistance fighters, figures who have either fought in a great war or been raised with tales of both it and magic. And their names are... Leon..., Elena..., Roland... Some of the most uninspiring name choices I've ever come across. The names completely took me out of the story. Ironic, because the name of the legendary Archangels were much more to my liking. Once again, if that had been all...
But...
Leon, as the main character, bears the lion's share of the blame. There were some interesting concepts tied to his arc, such as his spoken words contrasting with his inner voice (which would have been far more interesting if handled more consistently) or what I believe was a genuine attempt to make him a self-flagellating screw-up. However, neither of them really worked. The latter in particular. Leon doesn't come across as self-flagellating: instead, he reeks of self-pity. And that is not an appelling quality. His arc was destined to be that of the reluctant teacher and pessimistic cynic who eventually finds his faith. But it too fell flat. Nor does it help that he gets straddled with a dull backstory about him being 'common born' and 'a bastard', which just doesn't work because there's nothing new there to explore. They're just background, and it's been done too many times before for it to be truly interesting. Leon didn't need to be an underdog for his story to be sold. He just needed to be a screwup. But it seems like Herne is almost too gun-shy to go that far. Similarly, and once again, this is just surface level stuff: I hate Leon's way of speaking (especially his overuse of 'ain't'). It just feels too forced and desperate to hammer home the point that Leon is lowborn. How does that advance his story? It's just far too clumsy and on the nose.
Speaking of on the nose, the same goes for the other characters, especially one who has to deal with a very tired trope that features in Across the Broken Stars but which doesn't do anything to justify its existence beyond being... conventional. Nor does the villain work because he needs to explain himself rather than show what this is all about. And he might be the only character I really liked.
Ultimately, Across the Broken Stars is a valiant attempt at something. The only issue is I'm not quite sure what. There are flashes of a great story at time (the expository worldbuilding and setting on floating discs in space, Leon's time in the prison colony, and the poetic ending), but they don't really get a chance to do themselves justice. The biggest problem is that this is a book that gets proggressively better as you read it, too slowly and inconsistently for it to save this book, but maybe enough to see Jed Herne's evolution as a writer. And that give sme faith that when I pickup The Thunder Heist, it will live up to its potential.
March 4, 2020
Across the Broken Starts is incredible!! I have never been particularly enamoured by the fantasy genre but I absolutely loved this book, it is one of my all time favourites! The space-bound setting, combined with a plot that finely balanced frenetic action with poignant moments, kept me on the edge of my seat and made me excited to turn the page. I was kept interested from cover to cover by a plot that contained twists that were unforeseeable in both their nature and occurrence. Perhaps the book’s strongest dimension is its character development, which is used to explore multiple perspectives on given issues. The main character is particularly relatable in the way he is eventually identified by his struggle to overcome his flaws rather than by those flaws themselves. In, Across the Broken Stars, the author has succeeded not just in creating an engrossing novel but also in building a diverse world that leaves the reader eager to explore further.
May 17, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyable and original work. The last Angel is trying to survive and he is stuck in job hauling cargo. That is when Elena comes in and the adventures which start from there are completely unique and unpredictable. Enjoyable read.
May 18, 2020
I enjoyed this book. You could not foretell what will happen next.
August 25, 2024
2.5 stars
For a first novel it's not awful. It has a breakneck pacing which I think makes the novel suffer.
There's some pretty cringe dialogue as well. The ending was pretty good though
For a first novel it's not awful. It has a breakneck pacing which I think makes the novel suffer.
There's some pretty cringe dialogue as well. The ending was pretty good though
May 4, 2020
The
ending!
December 29, 2024
This novel is one that’s filled with a unique world and intriguing lore, an ornery main character with a dark past that guilts him through life, constant grappling with self-worth and insecurity, the joys of found family… and yet - its ending falls short after a steady build up that had so much potential to be great.
First, let’s talk about the good things.
There’s tension from the beginning of the story, enough so that it pushes you to keep reading to piece together the mystery of Leon’s past and whether Elena’s search for Waverrym will end with much needed hope or utter disappointment.
Our two main characters develop a sort of found family style bond, similar to that of a father and daughter and until the very end, it’s one of my favorite parts of this story.
The world is unique, taking place in a universe where cities/worlds exist within force fields on discs in space. Normally, this wouldn’t interest me, but it’s done well and I actually learned to appreciate how vast this world could be. Plus, I loved the angel lore and wished so desperately for the Payans and angels to find hope for the future.
On the negative side - while the pacing was consistent, there was odd spacing throughout the book (not sure this was intentional or if it was a formatting issue that was missed) and it was jarring when I came across it. Took me right out of the story. There were also odd run-on sentences during combat scenes that took up whole paragraphs with no punctuation between any actions. Even if this was intentional, it was distracting each time I came across it. Some scenes (or even chapters a time or two) felt a little too convenient or sudden - leaving readers with no build up to make these scenes more believable.
My biggest issue with this novel (spoiler) - the ending was poetic, but it left us with zero answers about Waverrym, left much to be desired regarding Leon and Elena’s relationship, and felt incredibly short and sudden. Instead of the ending feeling like it was up for interpretation on whether Waverrym truly exists (and we assume it does) - it just feels empty. And it feels as though Elena was thrown away to make the plot more interesting, regardless of the little hint thrown in 2/3 through the book. I’m disappointed the author made this choice. But I do love that Leon felt redeemed in some nature at the end. He deserved that after all he’d been through.
Overall, I enjoyed this read enough to recommend to others who like fantasy or sci-fi or sci-fi fantasy.
TW: violence, swearing, death, war, graphic scenes.
First, let’s talk about the good things.
There’s tension from the beginning of the story, enough so that it pushes you to keep reading to piece together the mystery of Leon’s past and whether Elena’s search for Waverrym will end with much needed hope or utter disappointment.
Our two main characters develop a sort of found family style bond, similar to that of a father and daughter and until the very end, it’s one of my favorite parts of this story.
The world is unique, taking place in a universe where cities/worlds exist within force fields on discs in space. Normally, this wouldn’t interest me, but it’s done well and I actually learned to appreciate how vast this world could be. Plus, I loved the angel lore and wished so desperately for the Payans and angels to find hope for the future.
On the negative side - while the pacing was consistent, there was odd spacing throughout the book (not sure this was intentional or if it was a formatting issue that was missed) and it was jarring when I came across it. Took me right out of the story. There were also odd run-on sentences during combat scenes that took up whole paragraphs with no punctuation between any actions. Even if this was intentional, it was distracting each time I came across it. Some scenes (or even chapters a time or two) felt a little too convenient or sudden - leaving readers with no build up to make these scenes more believable.
My biggest issue with this novel (spoiler) - the ending was poetic, but it left us with zero answers about Waverrym, left much to be desired regarding Leon and Elena’s relationship, and felt incredibly short and sudden. Instead of the ending feeling like it was up for interpretation on whether Waverrym truly exists (and we assume it does) - it just feels empty. And it feels as though Elena was thrown away to make the plot more interesting, regardless of the little hint thrown in 2/3 through the book. I’m disappointed the author made this choice. But I do love that Leon felt redeemed in some nature at the end. He deserved that after all he’d been through.
Overall, I enjoyed this read enough to recommend to others who like fantasy or sci-fi or sci-fi fantasy.
TW: violence, swearing, death, war, graphic scenes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2020
I received an advance copy of this book from BookSirens and provide this honest review.
This book has a very unusual setting with plenty left to the imagination. The story takes place in a world of "discs" (I presume man-made but not wholly clear), large surfaces with a metal base and a force field keeping oxygen in and gravity working, where single multi-purpose crops ("omnicrops") provide perfect sustenance, various fungi/mosses providing building materials, luminescence and underwater/outer space breathing apparatus.
Despite this apparent sci-fi setting, the technology is at a very early stage - weapons are limited to swords/arrows and vehicles are drawn by pegasi or wind power. Space travel is accomplished by launching oneself towards your destination and hoping to reach the other, orbiting, disc. Unless you're an angel/Pegasus where your wings can apparently help propel you through space (you know, air-less space, where wings wouldn't be of any use) - but hey this is fantasy lets not get bogged down with this.
The angels have been wiped out by the ruling race during a long and nasty war. Leon, a cowardly traitorous "former" angel, is in hiding living a simple life drinking and gambling his days away after back-breaking work unloading airships. He is approached by someone he starts to believe is an angel who has tracked him down. Unfortunately she is also being tracked by an Inquisitor, and the two are forced to run.
Elena, the last angel with wings, is determined to outrun the Inquisition and find Waverrym, the mythical hidden home of the remaining angels. The two (Leon reluctantly) embark on a journey to unravel puzzles and riddles to determine the location of their only haven.
Leon is quite an annoying protagonist, being a whiney, cowardly husk of a man. His role in the story is using his angel training and knowledge to solve the riddles they uncover, while training Elena along the way.
The story is well planned out with a decent plot and well-crafted dungeon-type areas (at times it felt a little D&D/LitRPG). While there was a definite lull to my mind around the halfway mark this didn't impact my enjoyment too much.
If you can accept the fact that angel wings / Pegasus wings can allow someone to fly through space, the world is well thought out and very original, and the story very enjoyable. Some of the dialogue was a little clunky but not overly annoying.
This book has a very unusual setting with plenty left to the imagination. The story takes place in a world of "discs" (I presume man-made but not wholly clear), large surfaces with a metal base and a force field keeping oxygen in and gravity working, where single multi-purpose crops ("omnicrops") provide perfect sustenance, various fungi/mosses providing building materials, luminescence and underwater/outer space breathing apparatus.
Despite this apparent sci-fi setting, the technology is at a very early stage - weapons are limited to swords/arrows and vehicles are drawn by pegasi or wind power. Space travel is accomplished by launching oneself towards your destination and hoping to reach the other, orbiting, disc. Unless you're an angel/Pegasus where your wings can apparently help propel you through space (you know, air-less space, where wings wouldn't be of any use) - but hey this is fantasy lets not get bogged down with this.
The angels have been wiped out by the ruling race during a long and nasty war. Leon, a cowardly traitorous "former" angel, is in hiding living a simple life drinking and gambling his days away after back-breaking work unloading airships. He is approached by someone he starts to believe is an angel who has tracked him down. Unfortunately she is also being tracked by an Inquisitor, and the two are forced to run.
Elena, the last angel with wings, is determined to outrun the Inquisition and find Waverrym, the mythical hidden home of the remaining angels. The two (Leon reluctantly) embark on a journey to unravel puzzles and riddles to determine the location of their only haven.
Leon is quite an annoying protagonist, being a whiney, cowardly husk of a man. His role in the story is using his angel training and knowledge to solve the riddles they uncover, while training Elena along the way.
The story is well planned out with a decent plot and well-crafted dungeon-type areas (at times it felt a little D&D/LitRPG). While there was a definite lull to my mind around the halfway mark this didn't impact my enjoyment too much.
If you can accept the fact that angel wings / Pegasus wings can allow someone to fly through space, the world is well thought out and very original, and the story very enjoyable. Some of the dialogue was a little clunky but not overly annoying.
July 5, 2022
"Dead heros and dead cowards both rot in the same grave."
Travel across an epic universe with Leon, the univers's greatest coward.
Once again Jed Herne grabs the reader from page one and propels them through a fast paced high action adventure, all the while showing an amazing well thought out fantasy world. Angels, floating disks through through space, swords, castles, and plenty of action kept me rivet to this book. The world building is thorough but subtle, with elements of Sci Fi and fantasty, that artfully work together! If you are looking for a fun and exiting read, this book is for you!
If Indiana Jones was a cowardly angel living in space, this would behis story!!!
Beware, this book is hard to put down! I truly enjoyed it an dlook forwar to reading more of this author's books!
Travel across an epic universe with Leon, the univers's greatest coward.
Once again Jed Herne grabs the reader from page one and propels them through a fast paced high action adventure, all the while showing an amazing well thought out fantasy world. Angels, floating disks through through space, swords, castles, and plenty of action kept me rivet to this book. The world building is thorough but subtle, with elements of Sci Fi and fantasty, that artfully work together! If you are looking for a fun and exiting read, this book is for you!
If Indiana Jones was a cowardly angel living in space, this would behis story!!!
Beware, this book is hard to put down! I truly enjoyed it an dlook forwar to reading more of this author's books!
August 10, 2020
Not what I expected; I thought it would be a series so didn't see the end coming. It was a good summer read and while not many fantasy-elements were explained about the discs for example it didn't hinder the story. You could still follow and understand it.
SPOILERS
I found some of the riddles too easy, I had figured them out before the characters had. The story was fast-paced and skimmed a few things that could have been developed into much longer parts of the story, or issues were too easily fixed (Leon's coat must have been stuffed with omniroots!). But this might be because I'm thinking of a series; this story could have been stretched and beefed up to be a two or three book series with a lot of intricacies, characters, betrayal, love, suspense etc.
SPOILERS
I found some of the riddles too easy, I had figured them out before the characters had. The story was fast-paced and skimmed a few things that could have been developed into much longer parts of the story, or issues were too easily fixed (Leon's coat must have been stuffed with omniroots!). But this might be because I'm thinking of a series; this story could have been stretched and beefed up to be a two or three book series with a lot of intricacies, characters, betrayal, love, suspense etc.
June 13, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The world building really pulled me in and was an easy escape.
Leon’s character development had a realistic timeline with the external and internal challenges that were set before him. I loved that we got to see him really argue against the narratives he had about himself in his head.
My hopes kept going up when side characters would reappear in the story or become semi-important for the plot just to be killed off. I had to just put the book down and look at the ceiling for a moment…It’s safe to say as a reader my emotions were toyed with, which is a win for me.
The dialogue can feel a bit janky in areas but I think that fine tuning and flow is easily obtainable for this authors skills. I’m excited to read more of their books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2020
I loved this book -a perfect match between fantasy and sci-fi-. The plot is original and well built. I loved especially the relationship between Leo and Elena, different from many others. The age difference creates an almost father/daughter relationship that I appreciated so much. Their journey to the Waherrym it’s never boring and full of adventures. I found the end of the novel perfect. This book deserves 5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2024
A very fun world and a good read. There are some typos that sort of broke my immersion at times, but Jed pulls you right back in. But the only read bit that took me down was the sudden drop in the book's crescendo. The book builds and builds, and then collapses under its own weight to an abrupt ending. That being said, the ending is very satisfying and I would wholeheartedly recommend this book
May 12, 2020
Angels might exist but not like you know them
Inquisitioner, angels, discs to live on. A coward and rebel, and the battle begins. One a traitor and the other a hero
Inquisitioner, angels, discs to live on. A coward and rebel, and the battle begins. One a traitor and the other a hero
February 6, 2025
Interesting worldbuilding, insufferable characters and a flawed journey.
It was one of the strangest reading experiences I've ever had. I was as miserable as Leon all the way through, and didn't want to see puzzles or fights, for neither of them appealed to me in this book. I tried to diagnose why I wasn't liking to read it at all. The only thing that helped me to force my way through was the fast pace and the praise other reviewers gave to the ending. But what was wrong? It could be the fact that the protagonist was a coward and powerless middle-aged man trying to survive in a world so hostile that it would break even the strongest, and it was no surprise that it did break him. It could be that Leon could be me or anyone. It could be the fact that the author wasn't writing a traditional heroic novel and wanted to subvert our expectations.
It could be that I wanted to see something else based on its premise.
First of all, I want to discuss what I expected from it. The cover is gorgeous. The name is evocative and could entail so many tales that we couldn't even start to fathom. It could be an adventure through space in a quest to find a kind of lost paradise while a broken man develops a father-daughter relationship with a young orphan of his kind, with touches of self-discovery and healing through the beauty of the cosmos and human bonding. It would test their bound and new-founded motivations and demand courage, sacrifice and a realization about the best part of life. It would teach them (and us, the readers) that to be an angel isn't about soaring through the skies, but first of all, being noble of heart and rising above other men by virtue and strength of soul, even with our failures to meet ideals.
Instead, we get a pitiful tale that is borderline grimdark.
I wanted to say that it should be Elena's story. Now, I know it's Leon's, and that's the problem. Leon is a well-written unredeemable character, and this is what makes him so unbearable. And the worst part is that he is the only POV — at some point, it should be expected that we would be cheering for him, but this moment never came, at least for me. His arc is interesting, but I wasn't invested at any point. I have nothing to say about Elena or the other characters. The ending is fine as a pay-off, but the worst part is to get there.
Worldbuilding is unique and has some Christian influence, but it soon lost its magic. I think the War-invasion and resistance-faction cliches dragged it down, and they are at the centre of the narrative. But the Spanish names! They just broke my immersion.
In the end, there was so much death and gore that I just didn't care that much about the final revelations. I'm happy I reached the ending, but I don't want to think about it anymore.
My verdict is that the novel works as a standalone of the sort that you read for entertainment but don't want it to stay with you. However, character-driven readers will have a hard time and may prefer to stay away from it at all. As for me, I get that the broken stars are a metaphor for the broken soul of Leon and his journey to redemption. I get it.
But, oh my! When will I get to read the next chapter of Frieren?
It was one of the strangest reading experiences I've ever had. I was as miserable as Leon all the way through, and didn't want to see puzzles or fights, for neither of them appealed to me in this book. I tried to diagnose why I wasn't liking to read it at all. The only thing that helped me to force my way through was the fast pace and the praise other reviewers gave to the ending. But what was wrong? It could be the fact that the protagonist was a coward and powerless middle-aged man trying to survive in a world so hostile that it would break even the strongest, and it was no surprise that it did break him. It could be that Leon could be me or anyone. It could be the fact that the author wasn't writing a traditional heroic novel and wanted to subvert our expectations.
It could be that I wanted to see something else based on its premise.
First of all, I want to discuss what I expected from it. The cover is gorgeous. The name is evocative and could entail so many tales that we couldn't even start to fathom. It could be an adventure through space in a quest to find a kind of lost paradise while a broken man develops a father-daughter relationship with a young orphan of his kind, with touches of self-discovery and healing through the beauty of the cosmos and human bonding. It would test their bound and new-founded motivations and demand courage, sacrifice and a realization about the best part of life. It would teach them (and us, the readers) that to be an angel isn't about soaring through the skies, but first of all, being noble of heart and rising above other men by virtue and strength of soul, even with our failures to meet ideals.
Instead, we get a pitiful tale that is borderline grimdark.
I wanted to say that it should be Elena's story. Now, I know it's Leon's, and that's the problem. Leon is a well-written unredeemable character, and this is what makes him so unbearable. And the worst part is that he is the only POV — at some point, it should be expected that we would be cheering for him, but this moment never came, at least for me. His arc is interesting, but I wasn't invested at any point. I have nothing to say about Elena or the other characters. The ending is fine as a pay-off, but the worst part is to get there.
Worldbuilding is unique and has some Christian influence, but it soon lost its magic. I think the War-invasion and resistance-faction cliches dragged it down, and they are at the centre of the narrative. But the Spanish names! They just broke my immersion.
In the end, there was so much death and gore that I just didn't care that much about the final revelations. I'm happy I reached the ending, but I don't want to think about it anymore.
My verdict is that the novel works as a standalone of the sort that you read for entertainment but don't want it to stay with you. However, character-driven readers will have a hard time and may prefer to stay away from it at all. As for me, I get that the broken stars are a metaphor for the broken soul of Leon and his journey to redemption. I get it.
But, oh my! When will I get to read the next chapter of Frieren?
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