Starlight Seized

by China Dennington

Two storytellers separated by decades.
Could the story of the past be the key to saving the future?

Maris Hall's name isn't spoken. Her writings were burned. Her images erased because of the horrendous thing she did. As a third-generation inhabitant of the red desert planet Erimost, Tessa Hall ironically knows precious little about her own family history, despite being the city historian.

When she discovers the journal of her grandmother, the first historian, she slowly comes to realize that the secrets of the past might be the key to saving the present. It speaks of aliens who feed on stories and devastating famines. Are the contents true or simply the ramblings of a madwoman?

Mysteriously cut off from communication with the home planet decades prior and with a limited supply of the medicine that helps them tolerate the harsh environment, the people of Erimost are in a precarious position. In a race to understand herself and the planet she's always despised, what secrets will Tessa uncover?

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

Published August 11, 2020

About the author

This author is also published under Quinn Elmsworth.

Quinn Elmsworth is a 25-year-old who majored in English and History at Emory University. She has always adored science fiction & fantasy. From mermaids to aliens, anything fantastical or related to space captures her attention! In her free time she enjoys crocheting wonky blankets and watching her favorite queer TV shows.

Reviews

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tessa grew up on a dusty planet where careers are passed down through the generations and she's destined to be the next historian. The lack of creativity that will be expected in her entries upon taking the post bothers her, even more so when she finally gets to read her grandmother's personal journal which is filled with wonders.

The grandmother, Maris, was branded a terrorist and the more Tessa reads, the more she's unsure of who to trust.

The settlement is having problems of their own, they lost contact with their home planet and supplies are running low. Their very existence is at stake.

Will Tessa manage to find a way to save the people of the future with the help of the past? And what about the old stories of alien intruders?

Firstly, the journal entries started off as, well, believable accounts, but not long after that the idea was abandoned and ended up being a past POV. Unless if Maris had a perfect memory or was writing things the very second they happened, there's no way she'd be able to remember all the conversations word for word. The beginning was confusing so if her good memory was referenced there I totally missed it, in which case that's my mistake.

Both POVs are very young sounding and even though it's Maris who does the growing up, Tessa seems more mature (by a smidge). And they're both so similar that I found myself forgetting whose POV I was reading, only coming to when I saw a name that didn't fit the time.

The stories and poems (especially those) featured should've been stronger, and a rhyme or two wouldn't have hurt.

The book was somewhat predictable, the plot felt like it was building up to something only to be resolved in no time at all, and rather weakly too.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it.

I really did like it, with its strange pacing, slight but effective world building and entertaining characters.

The most interesting character by far was Maris. Her entries were very addicting to read and she did get better development in matters of love than Tessa. For Tessa it was expected but also unexpected. For a moment I thought there'd even be a love triangle...

Ira was my second favourite. After him Cyrus.

The ending itself was soft, but not in a bad way. More in a "love triumphs over all / feel good" kind of way. You don't really see that outside of Disney movies.

And I also teared up a few times which is a plus.

So I'm going to round this up to four stars because I didn't want to put it down.

*Thank you to BookSirens for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

[Julie - One Book More · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Starlight Seized, a new YA sci-fi novel from China Dennington. The story focuses on Tessa, a young woman who wants to learn more about her disgraced grandmother. Maris, her grandmother, was tried and convicted of terrible crimes. When she obtains her grandmother’s personal journal, Tessa learns that things aren’t always what they seem, and what happened to Maris in the past could actually be the key to saving the inhabitants of Erimost.

The world-building is vivid and descriptive without feeling overwhelming. I think this is sometimes difficult, especially when the setting takes place on a different planet or in a unique universe. The dual narration is great as well. I liked that the point of view switched between Tessa and her grandmother, so, as Tessa reads and learns about Maris, and as Maris explores her new planet, so does the reader. Tessa and Maris’ stories are woven together well and make for an interesting read. I wondered throughout the book how the young, kind woman in the journal became a villainous murderer, and the story that unravels is not what I expected.

Tessa and Maris are alike in many ways. They are both curious, intelligent, and willing to question authority. They are problem solvers who each deal with major obstacles. Tessa lives in a society that has been cut off from their home planet for decades, and the medicine that she and the rest of her society need to survive is running out. On top of that, Tessa is bound for a career that doesn’t excite her, and she lives with the knowledge that her relatives are considered murderers. This weight hangs heavily over her family.

Maris is one of the first colonists of the planet and encounters many problems she never expected. From making friends to falling in love to finding out more about the planet they inhabit, Maris encounters many dangerous situations and risks her life to help others. I don’t want to give much away, but people and situations in Maris’ story become significant in Tessa’s quest to help her people.

A story of love, redemption, the search for truth, and the power of words, Starlight Seized is great for readers who enjoy young adult sci-fi novels with dynamic characters and world-building. Thanks so much to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
https://onebookmore.com/2020/08/15/ar...

[Renae | Redhair_and_Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starlight Seized was so much more than I thought it would be. I rarely read science fiction, space-themed books, so that aspect alone was out of the ordinary for me. But beyond that, I was also thoroughly intrigued by the format of the novel itself, which was told through journal entries written by the main characters. Author China Dennington created an entirely new world with distinctive physical characteristics, a unique way of life, and even its own calendar with delightful names for the months (I’m a sucker for made-up names, so I loved that bit)!

There was so much that I enjoyed about this book, including how relatable the characters were. Despite the fact that I have yet to establish life on a new planet (minor detail), in so many ways I’ve felt just like Maris Hall, exploring new places in the world and trying to make impossible decisions for the good of everyone. She was quirky, thoughtful, quick-witted, and intelligent, and she had a love for words that was completely befitting of her role as historian on Erimost. Her adventures with Chance and Cyrus sucked me in and kept me coming back for more!

Both her love of words and her career as historian were passed down through the generations to Tessa Hall. Tessa’s endlessly inquisitive mind and her passion for discovering the truth of her people’s history was contagious, so much so that I found myself sitting in church wondering “what’s going to happen next?” instead of listening to the sermon! Through betrayal and loss, Tessa remained hopeful and continued to seek out answers to questions most people were too afraid to ask. Because of their depth and emotional vulnerability, Tessa, Maris, and their respective friends and family made up a cast of characters that I couldn’t help loving from page one (excluding Senator Rudolph, of course)!

Overall, this book was original and did a great job of communicating the value of words and personal expression. However, while the characters of the later generation described Maris’s writing as being rather awe-striking, I personally found that it fell short in that area and the author could have done more to fancy it up. Also, in the beginning, Tessa’s disdain for having her creativity stifled was a bit too repetitive for my liking. Nevertheless, the book as a whole encouraged me, as the reader, to go out and seize my own bit of starlight and I think it will do the same for you!

Content Warning: Brief violence

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for a fair review.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I jumped at the chance to read an ARC copy of this book as soon as I saw the lovely cover and title. It just caught my attention and did not disappoint. This was a beautifully written story told through three generations of women, grandmother, mother, and granddaughter and covers the journey to and settlement of the planet Erimost, as well as what life looks like several decades down the road and the struggles the current population faces.

The writing was beautiful and the characters drew me into their story easily, I really wanted to know what had happened both in the past during settlement and the early years, as well as how issues were resolved in the present day. There were a few twists I didn’t expect and it kept me on my toes. The author also did a wonderful job of weaving the power of story and word into her world building and the story overall.

This was a beautiful adventure and I plan to buy a physical copy, I look forward to seeing more from this author in the future!

As noted above I received an advance review copy of the book, and have left a review voluntarily. :)

[shahd hazem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you booksirens for giving me an earc of this beautiful book
I enjoyed reading it so much. The story was really amazing and creative and I Loved the whole idea. The writing was also so great and the author did the whole multipov thing in a great way it was really interesting especially that it goes to different timelines in the story. I'm giving it 4 stars as I don't think the plot was that powerful but other than that I loved everything. There was an amazing character development too.

[Tiffany Carlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book was well written. I rarely go for books written in the first person, but I had a good time. I absolutely LOVED the world-building in this book! I was so interested in the world that China built and the main characters she presented. I can't wait to see what she crafts next!

[Shahira8826 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and BookSirens for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. It has been published in August 2020.

"Starlight Seized" by China Dennington is an incredibly imaginative sci-fi novel, written in the form of journal entries on a double timeline: we follow Tessa's story and her grandmother's, Maris.
There are several things to praise in this book: the sheer creativity of the author, who has managed to create a whole new universe from scratch; the excellent use of language and vocabulary, so accurate and at times even lyrical; some great quotes, such as "All you have to do to see the future is use your eyes" and "Don't forget the dreams that have come through, the pain you've endured, and the fight you've put up against those that would wish to stifle everything you are. Keep seeing the wonder like you always do."
That said, there's also room for improvement.
The story would have benefited from a more consistent application of the "show, don't tell" rule.
The dialogues are a bit clumsy, unpolished: there's an instance in particular where Vera, a nearly introduced character, asks a question, then Tessa (who at that point is the first-person narrator) starts a long digression of hers describing Vera and their friendship, the social status of Vera's family, recounts multiple flashbacks from their shared childhood and talks about their people's customs... and then after 11 paragraphs finally answers the question. By then, I had totally forgotten what Vera's question was, and Tessa's answer is short and generic enough to not give much of a clue, so I had to skip two pages back and check what the question was again.
Besides, the journal entry was not handled in a credible way: it's not believable that a journal entry would recount every single word of multiple, lengthy conversations. If you want to record entire conversations word by word, you should choose a different form of narration, because journal entries just don't work like that.
Also, the two main characters, Maris and Tessa, have exactly identical voices. Now, it's one thing to be similar, quite another to be indistinguishable. They were born two generations apart, on two profoundly different planets: this alone should be enough to make their voices somewhat different, even if the two of them have a similar temperament.
Also, it's a bit weird how the author feels the need to describe which shade of brown every single character's skin is. This seems to be of no consequence to the story - there's no such thing as racism on either Dentroa or Erimost, as far as we know - but the different shades of brown are mentioned repeatedly in a way that calls the reader's attention to it, for no apparent reason at all.
Something else that didn't really make sense was the fact that an alien race called Unruan, who had never even known about the existence of humans, used human given names such as Cyrus and Annie (short for Anneline) for their young. Why would the Unruan use Greek and Hebrew names, if they had never had any contact with humans?
Then there's the use of commas. Punctuation use is excellent throughout the prose parts of the novel, but it's handled atrociously in the poems: there's a comma (or another punctuation mark) at the end of each verse, no matter the meaning, the grammar or the rhythm of the poem, like:

"Dear Assembly,
We are a people,
Yearning to explore,
Something more than,
What we know."
"We sailed for the stars,
Searching for a way,
To create new stories,
For our people,
To accomplish,
What has never,
Been done,"

...and so on. Please! Not every verse of a poem needs to end in a punctuation mark, and all those crazy out-of-place commas make me nauseous.
Concerning the content, there are way too many cases of info dump, and it's not only boring to read, it's also not very credible, given the journal entry format chosen by the author: the explanations about how society on Erimost works break the illusion to be reading a real journal entry by a typical teenage inhabitant of the planet--it's pretty obvious the author is inserting these explanations for the benefit of the reader, who doesn't know how life on Erimost is. If it were a real journal entry by a real teenager, she wouldn't bother with explaining her people's customs at all, she'd just take everything for granted and go on narrating facts, not explaining every single little rule of the only society she's ever known.
The "too much explanation" problem also relates to the "show, don't tell" rule: often, the narrator pipes up and describes other characters' disposition even when we've just witnessed a dialogue that shows exactly the same traits she's describing, like what happens here:

"Brooks was strange and awkward, but he somehow doesn't seem crazy to me. He would be an interesting man to meet," I say, surprising even myself that I'm willing to admit it.
"That can be arranged," Vera replies, already dreaming up ways of organizing an introduction.
"Wait, wait, wait, Vera," I reply with a laugh. "I meant eventually." Vera's a doer. She's quick to act. Usually, all I have to do is mention an idea and she'll run with it.

There was no need for the additional, boring explanation about Vera's character traits, we've just seen her *act* on them, which is far more interesting.
Finally, there are a few details that just don't add up: if it's such a secret, illegal thing to be a Transmissioner, why does Tessa even write about it in her journal, that anybody could snatch and read at any time? She's putting herself at risk for no apparent reason at all.
Last but not least, it's not really credible that the drug a whole city's population (a *growing* population, we get told repeatedly) have been taking nonstop for the past 60 years has lasted this long without any functioning manufacturing process or any shipment from the home planet. This sounds like a giant plot hole to me.
Overall, China Dennington is an undoubtedly passionate and talented author, with a gift for language and world-building, blessed with a treasure-trove of imagination, but this novel needed more editing.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost: I loved this book. It seemed to see into my soul and, regardless of how melodramatic this may sound, I felt like it was written specifically for me. The subject, the setting, the characters, the writing style - if I were to write a book, I feel like this would be it. I really enjoyed the brief philosophical tangents that the characters went on; every so often I would get sidetracked from the storyline because of a particularly good line that set me off on a train of thought. The last third of the book, full of discoveries and revelations about the story, had me riveted. Was this book perfect? No: the story takes a while to warm up and hold your attention and it can be a little bit of a slow read at times. But I'm giving this book five stars because I can't help but love something that's a kindred soul. Also, have you SEEN that cover?? I gasped out loud when I saw it. Stunning doesn't even begin to cover it! (...pun intended.) I would recommend this book to anyone who loves words, dreams big, and wants to touch the stars.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and BookSirens for providing me with a free ARC of this book. My review is uninfluenced and has been left voluntarily.

[Michelle Bibliovino · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful story of the triumph of life and love. The extra planetary colonization of a new world is doomed when humans and aliens come into conflict. Only the bravery of two young women can save them all.

I enjoyed the shifting perspective between the two generations of colonists in this science fiction novel. While the science was a bit shallow, the human element of the story was strong. At times the narration was a bit immature, but it did follow the age of the first narrator through late teens to early twenties. The only real criticism I had was of the quality of the poetic stanzas that were included. For the importance of poetry to the plot, I felt it was very weak. If the author were to have a poet contribute to the piece I believe the effect would be greater.

All I all, I enjoyed it. Thank you to Booksirens for the free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Amanda Sloan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Advance Reader Copy of Starlight Seized by China Dennington through Reedsy Discovery. You can view my original review over on Reedsy: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/sta...

The reason I picked it is because I was intrigued by a sci-fi story following two different people, a generation apart.

I will start by saying that Starlight Seized is one of the most wonderful books I have read in years. I couldn't put it down! The story is engaging, characters captivating, and author Dennington wove in just enough mystery and intrigue to keep me guessing and wanting more.

We follow the journey of young Tessa, third generation historian on the newly colonised planet of Erimost. Occupations on this new planet are inherited, meaning that Tessa's mother and grandmother were also historians

This story is told through journal entries. As the planet's historian, Tessa is responsible for keeping accurate, but no nonsense, records of important events. But she keeps her own journal on the side where she writes about so, so much more.

Like how her grandmother, Maris Hall, Erimost's founding historian who arrived by spaceship many decades earlier, was responsible for a terrorist attack and is now completely erased from the historical records.

When Tessa comes across her grandmother's personal journal, she sets about finding the truth of what happened. The timeline goes back and forth between Tessa's entries and Maris's, so be aware of this if timeline jumping confuses you at all.

The Erimostians have lost contact with their home planet... around the same time of Maris's attack. Is this a coincidence or is it connected somehow? Join Tessa as she moves with secret organisations, creates strong friendships, and navigates betrayal on her search for what actually happened to her grandmother.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in fictional memoirs, science fiction, and strong, captivating female protagonists. I honestly have zero criticisms of it.

Starlight Seized is fascinating and wonderfully written. There were times reading this book I found myself going back and re-reading paragraphs and pages of beautifully crafted words. Dennington is a master of her craft and I cannot wait to read more from her.

[Sarah Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story!
It's rare to find anything truly original in this genre, where there's great writing but a narrow range of plot lines. However, in Starlight Seized, I found something new. Okay, so colonisation of another planet is nothing special but there's a real depth to this society and the emphasis on creativity versus productivity is fascinating.
Add in some aliens with their own original features, and a crisis that develops out of a myriad of smaller crises, and then throw in corruption and intrigue and you have yourself a story that provides something to treasure every time you turn the page.
The pace varies throughout, with some fast-moving action, read with a sense of urgency, interspersed with slower character development and the building of this world. Together, these elements create a story with both depth and excitement.
I will admit that I wasn't sure when I started reading. Jumping time periods and narrators from chapter to chapter was difficult to follow at first until events slotted into place. There's also perhaps a weakness here in that the different narrators do seem to have extremely similar voices. Hopefully as the author develops her skill, definition of characters will become more pronounced. However, it didn't detract from the flow of the story so I'm unwilling to deduct a star.
I very definitely recommend Starlight Seized. I'm an avid reader and devour books by the dozen. Yet this is one that I enjoyed more than anything I've read in a while. I was lucky to get an ARC, which I finished in just a couple of days, and I decided to write this review in the hope it will help you if you're considering spending your hard-earned money on Starlight Seized. Go for it. You won't regret it!

[Elena Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tessa’s grandmother, Maris Hall, was part of the first generation that inhabited the desert planet Erimost, but now her name isn't spoken anymore. Tessa knows little about her grandmother history, and why everyone avoids talking about her, even all her historian entries were burned, together with all her pictures, and not even Tessa’s mother, Violet wants to talk about Maris, as she abandoned her when she was very young.
Tessa needs to take her job from her mother, to be an official historian, but it's not what she wants, what she wants are answers.
What did Maris did? Why nobody is talking about it? Was she really crazy as they say? And why did they lost the contact with their home planet? They are about to run out of medicine and food, and to reconnect with the home planet is the only solution, but how do they do that?
When Gran, one of Maris’s former best friends, gives Tessa her grandmother journal, all the answers are in there, but she must keep it secret as it's content is too dangerous. Can Tessa really believe what her grandmother wrote in the journal?
As everything crumbles around her, Tessa can't stay doing anything, she must find the truth and save the planet, her friends and family.
The story is told from Maris and Tessa view of point and that makes it fascinating and easy to read.
The book is a roller coaster full of emotions, full of moments that makes you smile and laugh and in equal measure sad and makes you wanna cry.
Such a beautiful book, I hardly could put it down. I loved the characters, so relatable and strong. The world-build is well developed and put your imagination in function, is full of unexpected events until the last page.
I highly recommend it.

[Loretta Marchize · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Prose: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Prose:
Very elegant, flowing, and well-written! It is definitely one of the author's strong points. I enjoyed the poetry featured in both Tessa's and Maris' entries.
Romance:
Very subtle and well-fleshed out. It wasn't a romance novel by any measure, but it hinted so well at blossoming romance between various people and their relationships without distracting from the story.
Characters:
Another well thought out part of the novel. The characters are very complex and multi-dimensional. They all have various parts to them, rather than being two-dimensional. Because of the format of the novel, which goes through two different timelines, there is a rather large cast, but the author does a good job of keeping everyone straight in the reader's mind.
Plot:
The book started off rather slow, personally. The middle kept me interested and wanting to read, but then the ending seemed to come much too quickly. Although I did agree with the ending, I thought it could have been expanded a little bit.
Overall:
A really good novel! I enjoyed it way more than I thought it did. It had a few pacing issues, but it didn't detract too much from the overall story.
Content:
A few light kisses. Mentions of pregnancy, and having children. The book was pretty clean. It did deal with issues about war, poisoning, and government type issues, but nothing was graphic. It would have been fine for even a 12+

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Steve Koyasako · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this YA, coming-of-age, sci-fi story from an impressive young author. Although Starlight Seized employs some common speculative fiction tropes and plot devices, they were skillfully employed: the dual narrators, writing in journals; the book within a book, with the older journal becoming a doorway for the younger woman to understand -- in this case -- her grandmother, Maris Hall.

The younger woman, Tessa Hall, lives in the colony city of Astya, on the desert planet of Erimost -- unexpectedly cut off from their home planet, and essential supplies for years. (The cut-off colony planet -- another common trope.) For good measure -- and I hope that this is not considered a spoiler -- the author throws in a first contact story with aliens who possess what I would call magical powers. And this relationship with the human colonists is the key to the ultimate resolution to the book.

The story starts off at a leisurely pace, with Tessa just starting to read her disgraced grandmother's secret journal, and beginning to uncover the hidden truth that will reveal the treachery to her grandmother, and change the future of her colony. The pace of the narrative quickens in both timelines, as crises in the colony become more critical -- a blight and food shortage in Maris's time; and a shortage of a drug that is needed for humans to adapt to the harsh climate of Erimost. The sense of impending doom increases in both timelines, and I had to pick up the pace of reading to find out what happened next.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[El · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given the chance to review in exchange for a free copy from BookSirens.

I really, really enjoyed this. The writing style was really nice; poetic but not too convoluted and flowery that it was too hard to follow. The plot itself was really well thought out, and I really enjoyed the way that sci-fi elements were included, but the whole story wasn't about that. It was more of a character-driven story set against an interplanetary backdrop which I really enjoyed.

The characters were all really well-developed, and their own individual motives worked out well for them, and you could definitely feel for them all too. I will say I thought Tessa was often too fickle and flip-flopped between opinions a little too quickly, but that's more personal preference for the sort of internal monologue I prefer reading. They all developed really well over the narrative too.

The style the book was written in, with the journal entries and then the current narrative of Tessa really worked for me as well. It made it super easy to get through and also, really interesting! I think there's a part of a lot of people who want to stay connected to family even if they're not around anymore, and that aspect hit home for me.

My only minor criticism is that it felt like the reveal and tying together of all the information they had, as well as the resolution at the end, all came too quickly. They were only focused on in the last couple of chapters and things seemed to go down a little too easily in Tessa and Violet's favour. Again though, that's more personal preference, and the pacing up until the end worked out nicely.

I would absolutely recommend reading this and I am looking forward to what else the author puts out!

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book! Something that is very unique, and is very different!

1. Before I get started, please note that this book was not really my style of books I read very often, and something things may be effected by that!

2. WRITING STYLE. I liked the writing style that the author used in the book, I wouldn’t call it YA, because it was a complete over the top like that but it was not for kids, it is kinda in the middle.

3. CHARACTERS. The characters where amazing! One of the things I like to point out in reviews is the changing of POV which I love in any type of book! The author clearly spent time in crafting each of her characters and you can see that in there different points of view!

4. STORYLINE! The story line was great and something I have never really seen before, It is kinda like a mixture of almost other planets and space with history which is very enjoyable. To me at least it was something new and fresh because I have not really seen the two mixed together really

5. SOME NOTES. One thing to look out for is the changing between the years, some POVs are in complete different times and you can get mixed up with, something that I did too. Just look out for that!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[River · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

I was lucky enough to get an arc copy of this book from BookSprout and I definitely enjoyed it, although there were a few choices that made it a little weird for me.

The plot of this story was just as promised in the synopsis; it was so imaginative and had many twists and turns. I really loved reading such an original sci-fi story and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes books about stories!

The way this novel was told was via journal entries, which is a style I love and I definitely liked how it was used to discuss deep moral ideas. However, this style does tend to lean towards doing more telling than showing. This didn’t really bother me, but it is always an element that doesn’t allow me to feel fully connected to the world of the book.

The main downside of this book for me was simply that the two main characters seemed a little too similar to me. Sometimes I would forget which POV I was reading from and have to remind myself. I know that part of the pot involves them being quite similar, but I wish I could’ve seen their differences shown a little more as well!

[anie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tessa grew up on a distant, dusty planet, in a tight community where is not much room for individuality. Every career is determined from the start, and Tessa's is to become a historian like her mother and her grandmother before.

Her grandmother Maris's name is not spoken aloud, she is considered a terrorist. Tessa is very curious about what when down when Maris and the rest of the people first came to the planet. When she comes across her personal journal she dives deep into the past and slowly unravels the truth.

The story is very complex, switching from present to past. I love the way the world is created, it's very vivid and unique, it just jumps out of the page. When I read it I felt like I was right there. :) I love the writing, it pulled me in initially, but I wasn't the biggest fan of the storyline. I wish the story was more concise because I often lost the thread of the story.

received from author

[Christan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a complimentary copy of this ebook by Voracious Readers Only.
I fell in love with this book from the very first paragraph of the very first page. I really enjoyed the different timelines and storylines; as well as how they all came really nicely together in the end to give the reader closure. This book had the best of everything I look for in a novel. Romance, suspense, intrigue, fantastical worldbuilding, and plenty of shocking things to keep the reader hooked. I really hope this author is planning on turning this into a series! I would love to see more of their homeworld in its lush blue and green glory. The writing flowed together seamlessly and painted an astounding vision. What a superbly crafted story. Bravo. This is a genre that I would typically read. I am a grown woman, and some of my most favorite novels are considered Young Adult. You will love this story if you are like me.

[Leah Kiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy from voracious readers to review *
I ended up really enjoying this book a lot. The setting was an interesting play on what humanity might be like on a future mars colony. The characters for the most part felt realistic, although sometime may have gotten a little poetic, but that was a main theme of the story. Creativity and what it means to be an artist, which I really liked. Just because you're in outer space doesn't mean you have to be an alien. I liked the mystery and thought the answer to it was perfect for a sci-fi. Sure, it might not have made the absolute most sense when you starting thinking of it, but that's not the point. At times the descriptions were a little but clunky, but acceptably so. Overall I really enjoyed this and will keep an out out for future dennington books!

[Brooke Templeton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been looking for something new, something different, and this is definitely it. Starlight Seized transports you to another world, another universe. In many ways it is an alternate Earth and Mars but so much more beautiful. Erimost (China Dennington's version of Mars) holds a secret, a mystery of the past and the answer to the future. While reading accounts in two different timelines you encounter human nature, aliens, a little magic and a hint of romance. It is a beautiful story the leaves the reader wanting more. At the same time the ending is so perfect, it could continue, or simply prompt the reader to go out and be creative. Personally, I want both. I'm feeling inspired to get back to my own writing but I'm also curious to see if China will give us another adventure involving Ms. Tessa Hall.

[Danai Christopoulou · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting premise.
Starlight Seized took me a while to finish, as the format (journal entries) took some getting used to at first. But soon I was intrigued by the multi-generational story and how the past and the present mirrored each other. And while I think the pace could have benefited from some tightening and editing at times and I found the resolution a bit rushed, there are parts of this book that were strong and raw and will stay with me. "Even words never read have power" the writer says many times throughout. I believe her. Plus by reading her bio I saw she's only 20 years old, so this is a very intriguing debut — looking forward to what her future holds!
P.S. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Arwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was going to be a three star read for me, but the ending pleasantly surprised me and upped the rating to 4 stars.

The story is put together very well and the plot was refreshing and new to me. I liked the personal journal aspect, and that you were able to see Tessa's insights in the life of her grandmother.

However, some parts seemed very rushed to me and I would have enjoyed the story more if it was slowed down a bit. Thats the only real criticism that I have.

It was a well put together story and I do recommend it. The science fiction element was also very interesting

I recieved this copy for free and read all og this volunttarily

[SallyAnn Mays · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maris says goodbye to the rain showers and green forests of Dentroa, to make a life changing journey to the dusty red planet of Erimost. That journey brings excitement, danger, rumours of alien life forms, love and intrigue.

Maris’ tale is told through her journal and interwoven beautifully with the story of her granddaughter and family in the present day. A land where every man started out equal but greed surfaced despite good intentions and things now begin to look rather bleak and a little desperate.

Switching seamlessly from past to present with many surprising plot twists that kept me on the edge of my seat, right to the end. Can Tessa change the future and right the wrongs of the past? I’ll let you find out for yourselves. The journey is worth it!

I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. The characters and new world of Erimost came alive for me. A thoroughly enjoyable and gripping read.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only and, in return, am giving an honest review.

[Cyrene Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a new colonization on a new planet is threatened by conflict, it could be up to Tessa to discover the secrets that can help save her people and the planet. Being the historian, she begins to unravel the past that has been erased from the books. But is what she’s reading true?

When I read scifi, I have a pretty high bar, and with the science part, this book falls a bit short. But it almost makes up for the lack of scientific knowledge/inventions and details by the characters. The characters are well flushed out and is told through multi-generations of women. I would have liked to know more about the past, and this author has an almost poetic way of writing that is very captivating.

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The story was 100% an original idea that dealt with the importance of stories and the people who hold the power over them. The characters were well-developed and the romance was very well-written and not rushed or overwritten. Dennington did an amazing just at world-building and bringing the reader into the story without overselling the idea. Overall, I would recommend this book for any reader who is into science fiction and immersive world building.

[Rhyann Dines-Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW - This book is brilliant
I was intrigued in the story based on the synopsis, but it doesn't even hint at half of what happens
Starlight Seized is written in a journal entry format skipping between the current day and the year that the first inhabitants arrive on Erimost
It covers everything involved in starting a new life in an alien planet as well as building a life with strangers, finding love, over coming loss, power hungry militia and alien encounters
Beautifully written and captivating xxx

[Annabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Starlight Seized, I love books told from multiple perspectives. I loved the way the different personalities of the characters were developed as they shared their part of the story. The story did seem a little disjointed at times, as characters seem to arrive at some plot points without any build up, I did however, really enjoy the twist and turns throughout the story. I would recommend Starlight Seized to anyone who loves an easy read and is a fan of sci-fi/fantasy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through Voracious Readers Only.

[N.otabene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thankyou for the advance review copy I received for free from booksiren.
The idea is amazing but a little bit draggy in the middle. Sometimes I cant even differentiate that they’re from different world. The characters kinda have the same traits as the other one. Maris identity is just like Tessa , Chance like Lorne. I know that they’re related to each other but can they be more distinct? And the explanation of the world timeline is lost to me. But still, I really am appreciating the author’s effort on writing this book. I still enjoyed reading it. All the best to you ❤️

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing plot told through generations of women. This novel took me on a creative journey I enjoyed through ups and downs in their lives and the life on the planet. The story is well told and I was interested to find out that the author is only 20 years old. I look forward to more from her expect her writing will mature and get even better.
If you like sci fi, strong female characters, intrigue and a little bit of politics. I would recommend this book.
It was kindly gifted to me by voracious readers in return for an honest review.