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A Place Between the Stars
A year after the sudden and devastating death of her parents, Liv Price faces the inevitable task of packing up her childhood home—on her twenty-first birthday, no less. Her plans are thwarted as disaster in the form of an earthquake strikes, and Liv is sucked into another world.
Alcatar, a land full of magic and mystery, awakens something within her that is wild and dangerous. Liv is desperate to return to Earth, but the powers at large only want one thing: her blood.
After clawing his way out of the slums, Commander Ryland Archard now works for the Overlord of Tessar, the most powerful man on the continent. As his personal assassin, Ryland is tasked with hunting and killing those who threaten the safety of his kingdom at any cost necessary. On a mission with his team, Ryland crosses paths with Liv Price, and his life is thrown into chaos, ripping apart the world he thought he knew.
His only goal: return Liv to Earth. If he can keep her alive long enough.
On the run for their lives, Liv and her befriended team of assassins uncover the truth about her past and discover just how deep they are in a scandalous war between nations.
Try as she might to deny it, Liv’s traitorous heart longs for this world—and a certain broody assassin. Liv must decide if she will embrace the powers that were gifted to her to save not only herself but a race of magical people desperate for a leader.
Alcatar, a land full of magic and mystery, awakens something within her that is wild and dangerous. Liv is desperate to return to Earth, but the powers at large only want one thing: her blood.
After clawing his way out of the slums, Commander Ryland Archard now works for the Overlord of Tessar, the most powerful man on the continent. As his personal assassin, Ryland is tasked with hunting and killing those who threaten the safety of his kingdom at any cost necessary. On a mission with his team, Ryland crosses paths with Liv Price, and his life is thrown into chaos, ripping apart the world he thought he knew.
His only goal: return Liv to Earth. If he can keep her alive long enough.
On the run for their lives, Liv and her befriended team of assassins uncover the truth about her past and discover just how deep they are in a scandalous war between nations.
Try as she might to deny it, Liv’s traitorous heart longs for this world—and a certain broody assassin. Liv must decide if she will embrace the powers that were gifted to her to save not only herself but a race of magical people desperate for a leader.
355 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 29, 2020
24 people are currently reading
773 people want to read
About the author
Morgan Adams
1 book44 followersMorgan Adams lives in Central Texas. She enjoys watching Marvel movies with her husband, singing (badly) to 2000s Nelly songs, seeing musicals with her mom, and drinking way too much coffee. When she is not writing, Morgan can be found teaching online, reading as many books as she can, walking her two yellow labs, and playing with her son.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 30, 2021
So I almost DNF’d this book because I saw a love triangle forming (which I hate) but ended up pushing through and I’m glad I did! The action at the end had me on the edge of my seat!
That cliffhanger though... not cool.
That cliffhanger though... not cool.
April 17, 2021
Literally this book was TO DIE FOR! I honestly would put this up there for me with books like ACOTAR and TOG. This book was the love child of TOG and the live action Alice in Wonderland. I instantly fell in love with the characters and the world building is amazing. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put it down. I was all in my feels for the last bit of the book! The main character is such a total badass. I cannot say enough good things about this book and I'm dying for the sequel to come out because I need more of this series!!!
June 14, 2021
I think I just read one of my favorite books of the year! This book is brilliant!! Oh my how much I love it. Writing is so engaging! I adore the world it is brilliant I love different realms. Liv is a sweet little badass and I adore her! I can't wait for more! This is how magical realms should be done.
March 15, 2024
3.75 rounded up!
Found it really really easy to read (easy to read as in the plot was engaging and it was well written) however I found myself doubting Liv a lot like she very easily accepts her place and rarely thinks about Earth or her friend Claire for most of the book. She’s not overly shocked by differences or missing anything from earth. I think this part of the world building could be fleshed out more
Also she’s described as TINY so many times. Alright she’s a delicate tiny human and beautiful she’s tiny and beautiful sooo tiny and soooo beautiful she’s so special
Anyways the romance was good Ryland is hot but oooh I was kinda hoping for a different guy to be the love interest
Found it really really easy to read (easy to read as in the plot was engaging and it was well written) however I found myself doubting Liv a lot like she very easily accepts her place and rarely thinks about Earth or her friend Claire for most of the book. She’s not overly shocked by differences or missing anything from earth. I think this part of the world building could be fleshed out more
Also she’s described as TINY so many times. Alright she’s a delicate tiny human and beautiful she’s tiny and beautiful sooo tiny and soooo beautiful she’s so special
Anyways the romance was good Ryland is hot but oooh I was kinda hoping for a different guy to be the love interest
November 26, 2020
a good book can take the reader into a world viewed like a movie on the screen of the imagination. This book does that. At first, I feared that I had made a mistake in reading this book as it starts in a dark place (cleaning out the protagonist's childhood home) and being transported to another realm. But the author managed to create a world that felt real, but it would help to know why they have embraced some technology but not others...
I look forward to more from this author.
I look forward to more from this author.
October 10, 2022
5 stars isn’t enough for this book. I loved it so much. READ IT. You already know what it’s about. You’ve read the blurb and other reviews. I won’t regurgitate it for you again. All I’ll say is that this book is freaking worth your time and money. READ IT.
June 23, 2022
Absolutely loved this story and the sweet slow-burn romance. I am here for all of this!! Such a great story!!
February 20, 2021
I thought for a long time about how I wanted to review this story. It's filled with 'almosts' and 'not quites' in terms of both writing and plot. The premise itself holds a lot of possibilities for character exploration, world-building (it is an alternate reality, so there should be quite a bit) and a fun play on an interesting troupe.
While there were plenty of good points in the story, namely with the ideas themselves, it often feels that Adams is playing it safe. The action scenes are almost clinical in their depictions and emotions tend to be stinted in such a way they never quite make it off the page and into the heart of their reader. There were moments when it felt that not enough research was put into the project as well. For example, while it could be argued that the character herself didn't know the proper terminology for certain things, it's never specifically stated, so things like 'sword holder' rather than sheath or scabbard stand out and pull at suspension of belief.
Questions arise quite frequently on other fronts as well, notably the question as to why Liv is so ungodly defenseless. It's obvious that her parents knew what was coming (I won't say, as it would be quite the spoiler, you have eyes, read the book), yet they did nothing to prepare her for the inevitable. This is either an oversight on the part of the author or an issue of questionable parenting. Even 'normal' people take martial arts. It makes no sense in the narrative that Liv wouldn't even have the fundamentals of self-defense. (Even fencing and archery are relatively commonly practiced in the United States, where the MC grew up.)
The most focused part of the story, as with many in the YA and NA genres, is the romance. It's very obvious from the start who the LI is. This is where the girls and women who love the tortured 'bad boy' with a 'heart of gold' will likely find their purchase. The romance takes up a fair bit of the narrative, and if that's what you're in for, you likely won't be disappointed.
There is magic, though I won't tell you in what form, and an interesting juxtaposition of Sci-Fi and Fantasy that I truly wish had been explored and commented on a bit more. While I did enjoy the story, a lot of it was told with wide brush strokes, overlooking smaller details that would've filled the world-building in more, as it lacked on both that front and in the development of secondary characters. Everyone feels very young except one character who is woefully underdeveloped, especially considering the massive part he plays in the final act.
Which brings us to the final act itself. I won't go into details as I dislike giving spoilers, but I felt that the 'moment of glory,' so to speak, that Liv experiences before the end of the novel was unearned. She's referred as 'regal' despite up to this point displaying no such quality. Frankly, the entire end was out of character for her. I understand making Liv into the woman Adams intends her to be, however it felt hurried, as though at the tail end the author became so focused on the end goal and got overexcited to complete the story in the way it was envisioned.
While there were plenty of good points in the story, namely with the ideas themselves, it often feels that Adams is playing it safe. The action scenes are almost clinical in their depictions and emotions tend to be stinted in such a way they never quite make it off the page and into the heart of their reader. There were moments when it felt that not enough research was put into the project as well. For example, while it could be argued that the character herself didn't know the proper terminology for certain things, it's never specifically stated, so things like 'sword holder' rather than sheath or scabbard stand out and pull at suspension of belief.
Questions arise quite frequently on other fronts as well, notably the question as to why Liv is so ungodly defenseless. It's obvious that her parents knew what was coming (I won't say, as it would be quite the spoiler, you have eyes, read the book), yet they did nothing to prepare her for the inevitable. This is either an oversight on the part of the author or an issue of questionable parenting. Even 'normal' people take martial arts. It makes no sense in the narrative that Liv wouldn't even have the fundamentals of self-defense. (Even fencing and archery are relatively commonly practiced in the United States, where the MC grew up.)
The most focused part of the story, as with many in the YA and NA genres, is the romance. It's very obvious from the start who the LI is. This is where the girls and women who love the tortured 'bad boy' with a 'heart of gold' will likely find their purchase. The romance takes up a fair bit of the narrative, and if that's what you're in for, you likely won't be disappointed.
There is magic, though I won't tell you in what form, and an interesting juxtaposition of Sci-Fi and Fantasy that I truly wish had been explored and commented on a bit more. While I did enjoy the story, a lot of it was told with wide brush strokes, overlooking smaller details that would've filled the world-building in more, as it lacked on both that front and in the development of secondary characters. Everyone feels very young except one character who is woefully underdeveloped, especially considering the massive part he plays in the final act.
Which brings us to the final act itself. I won't go into details as I dislike giving spoilers, but I felt that the 'moment of glory,' so to speak, that Liv experiences before the end of the novel was unearned. She's referred as 'regal' despite up to this point displaying no such quality. Frankly, the entire end was out of character for her. I understand making Liv into the woman Adams intends her to be, however it felt hurried, as though at the tail end the author became so focused on the end goal and got overexcited to complete the story in the way it was envisioned.
October 7, 2020
For the author's first book, this was pretty good. Sure, there were rough parts, but overall, the author tells a good story. The main character, Liv, is a strong-willed female character who does her best to deal with the out-of-this-world circumstances she lands in. The characters are well developed. The story does eventually grab you and you won't want to put the book down. Plus, there's a cute love story, and who doesn't love a good love story?
November 2, 2020
Such a wonderful story!
I loved this book so much! The storyline was so unique and the characters were very well developed! I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to see what happens with Ryland and Olivie in future books! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure and romance with a fantastical twist.
I loved this book so much! The storyline was so unique and the characters were very well developed! I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to see what happens with Ryland and Olivie in future books! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure and romance with a fantastical twist.
May 10, 2023
I listened to the audibook of this, and I found that overall it was okay.
The world building was interesting, but I felt it kept lacking. It was hard for me to quite picture this world, as they kept demeaning Earth for basically being primitive but I never truly got the sense of what made their world so much better. 90% of the time, it felt like a full medeival style fantasy world but then they'd do something like...open a fridge or turn on a light and it threw me completely.
The characters themselves were okay. Our MC took things very easily, to say her entire life gets upended, she is beaten and tortured and thrown into fights, yet she doesn't seem too bothered by it. It felt a little unbelievable that she didn't have any real signs of trauma from what was happening.
The side characters were okay, but looking back I realised that there was no real depth to them and I don't really know anything about then. Rhyland was okay, but he felt a bit cookie cutter in some places. I actually laughed when it said he was 23, because the writing for him made him seem like he was 40 and I didn't understand how he could have all this experience and be so good if he was so young.
Our MC also felt a little too conveniently powerful. She's not trained very well, yet somehow manages to do everything she does with relative ease. She also happens to gain useful powers that just happen to help them with situations by providing just the right information they need.
Would I read a sequel? Yes, the ending was interesting but it felt like a very middle of the road fantasy.
The world building was interesting, but I felt it kept lacking. It was hard for me to quite picture this world, as they kept demeaning Earth for basically being primitive but I never truly got the sense of what made their world so much better. 90% of the time, it felt like a full medeival style fantasy world but then they'd do something like...open a fridge or turn on a light and it threw me completely.
The characters themselves were okay. Our MC took things very easily, to say her entire life gets upended, she is beaten and tortured and thrown into fights, yet she doesn't seem too bothered by it. It felt a little unbelievable that she didn't have any real signs of trauma from what was happening.
The side characters were okay, but looking back I realised that there was no real depth to them and I don't really know anything about then. Rhyland was okay, but he felt a bit cookie cutter in some places. I actually laughed when it said he was 23, because the writing for him made him seem like he was 40 and I didn't understand how he could have all this experience and be so good if he was so young.
Our MC also felt a little too conveniently powerful. She's not trained very well, yet somehow manages to do everything she does with relative ease. She also happens to gain useful powers that just happen to help them with situations by providing just the right information they need.
Would I read a sequel? Yes, the ending was interesting but it felt like a very middle of the road fantasy.
January 6, 2024
For me I think the characters weren't fleshed out good enough to hold my interest, some of the book flew by while other parts dragged on. The tense of the wording changed a lot too, from present to past tense. The story was nice, it started off very strong, but didn't hold my interest like I'd hoped.
October 25, 2020
A good read!
I really liked this book and it’s characters. Like they say, by reading a book it can take you to different places and be different characters and this book surely did that.
I really liked this book and it’s characters. Like they say, by reading a book it can take you to different places and be different characters and this book surely did that.
February 10, 2021
Outstanding! I can not wait for the next book. The characters were great. Such an amazing first book!
February 26, 2021
This is a pretty good debut! Some parts I had trouble following/feeling engaged, but all together it was fun.
June 22, 2021
Pretty typical hero's journey tale, but well done. Characters and world-building were good, and the it was an easy read. I'll look forward to the next installment.
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December 30, 2023The premise of this novel was immediately exciting for me and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read the book in full. This book was a wonderfully rewarding read. I was able to lose myself in the writing in a way that I haven't been able to in a long while.
Liv, our protagonist, is a refreshing take on the YA protagonist. She is older than one would expect - orphaned as an adult - and doesn't immediately find her place when she awakes in a strange new world. Her character continues to grow and learn throughout the novel. She doesn't stagnate as I have seen with so many protagonists in this genre.
The world-building is extensive and I enjoyed the magic system we slowly come to understand as the novel goes on. This world felt so real for me and I put that down to Adams' excellent skill with world-building along with her depiction of the interesting and diverse cast of characters.
I often struggle to enjoy novels written in present tense, but that was not at all the case with this book. I loved how I was able to deeply engage with the text and characters as a result of this choice. The author is obviously comfortable in her writing style and uses her skills to keep readers engaged throughout the novel.
Adams also made very good use of multiple perspectives, allowing me to gain a wonderful insight into some of the supporting characters. I hope I will have the chance to learn more about them as she goes on to write the sequel.
This novel is high-stakes, fast-paced, and wonderfully exciting. I would recommend it to anyone who generally enjoys novels of this sort of genre, anyone looking into exploring fantasy novels that have great world-building that don't look to overcomplicate things unnecessarily, as well as anyone looking for something action-packed and thrilling.
Liv, our protagonist, is a refreshing take on the YA protagonist. She is older than one would expect - orphaned as an adult - and doesn't immediately find her place when she awakes in a strange new world. Her character continues to grow and learn throughout the novel. She doesn't stagnate as I have seen with so many protagonists in this genre.
The world-building is extensive and I enjoyed the magic system we slowly come to understand as the novel goes on. This world felt so real for me and I put that down to Adams' excellent skill with world-building along with her depiction of the interesting and diverse cast of characters.
I often struggle to enjoy novels written in present tense, but that was not at all the case with this book. I loved how I was able to deeply engage with the text and characters as a result of this choice. The author is obviously comfortable in her writing style and uses her skills to keep readers engaged throughout the novel.
Adams also made very good use of multiple perspectives, allowing me to gain a wonderful insight into some of the supporting characters. I hope I will have the chance to learn more about them as she goes on to write the sequel.
This novel is high-stakes, fast-paced, and wonderfully exciting. I would recommend it to anyone who generally enjoys novels of this sort of genre, anyone looking into exploring fantasy novels that have great world-building that don't look to overcomplicate things unnecessarily, as well as anyone looking for something action-packed and thrilling.
April 11, 2022
“We must take risks for the ones we love. We must take risks to create lasting change.”
This book hooked me immediately. Literally had me hooked at sexy assassin, enchanted forest, elves and other dangerous creatures. This book has a lot of the tropes I enjoy. I did see similarities with Throne of glass but I felt like the author did a great job of making it her own and adding different elements to the story to make it more original. The one thing that bothered me that was too similar to TOG for me is the nickname. Firespirit=Fireheart. I want these characters to stand on there own without them reminding me of Aelin. I still really cannot wait for book 2.
This book hooked me immediately. Literally had me hooked at sexy assassin, enchanted forest, elves and other dangerous creatures. This book has a lot of the tropes I enjoy. I did see similarities with Throne of glass but I felt like the author did a great job of making it her own and adding different elements to the story to make it more original. The one thing that bothered me that was too similar to TOG for me is the nickname. Firespirit=Fireheart. I want these characters to stand on there own without them reminding me of Aelin. I still really cannot wait for book 2.
May 7, 2024
Exciting From start to finish
An easy and enjoyable read. The characters are likable and I found myself thinking about them and what they would do next. The love interest is sweet and I appreciate how the heroine inspired the others to want to become better. The “other world” was very interesting and vividly described. And the ending had a twist I didn’t see coming! My only complaint is that the story is not over and the sequel is not available. Yet????
An easy and enjoyable read. The characters are likable and I found myself thinking about them and what they would do next. The love interest is sweet and I appreciate how the heroine inspired the others to want to become better. The “other world” was very interesting and vividly described. And the ending had a twist I didn’t see coming! My only complaint is that the story is not over and the sequel is not available. Yet????
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews