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A Wilderness of Stars
If magic lives anywhere, it’s in the stars…
Vega has lived in the valley her whole life—forbidden by her mother to leave the safety of its borders because of the unknown threats waiting for her in the wilds beyond. But after her mother dies, and Vega sees the fabled twin stars in the sky, it’s an omen she can no longer ignore, forcing her to leave the protective boundaries of the valley. But the outside world turns out to be much more terrifying than Vega could have imagined. People are gravely sick—they lose their eyesight and their hearing, just before they lose their lives.
What Vega keeps to herself is that she is the Last Astronomer—a title carried from generation to generation—and she is the only one who carries the knowledge of the stars. Knowledge that could hold the key to the cure. And so when locals spot the tattoo on Vega’s neck in the shape of a constellation—the mark of an astronomer—chaos erupts as the threats her mother warned her about become all too real.
Fearing for her life, Vega is rescued by a girl named Cricket who leads her to Noah, a boy marked by his own mysterious tattoos. On the run from the men who are hunting her, Vega, Cricket, and Noah set out across the plains in search of the cure the stars speak of. But as the lines between friend and protector begin to blur, Vega must decide whether to safeguard the sacred knowledge of the astronomer. Or if she will risk everything to try to save them all.
An illness cursing the land forces a teen girl astronomer to venture across the wilderness in search of the stars’ message that will, hopefully, save them all.
Vega has lived in the valley her whole life—forbidden by her mother to leave the safety of its borders because of the unknown threats waiting for her in the wilds beyond. But after her mother dies, and Vega sees the fabled twin stars in the sky, it’s an omen she can no longer ignore, forcing her to leave the protective boundaries of the valley. But the outside world turns out to be much more terrifying than Vega could have imagined. People are gravely sick—they lose their eyesight and their hearing, just before they lose their lives.
What Vega keeps to herself is that she is the Last Astronomer—a title carried from generation to generation—and she is the only one who carries the knowledge of the stars. Knowledge that could hold the key to the cure. And so when locals spot the tattoo on Vega’s neck in the shape of a constellation—the mark of an astronomer—chaos erupts as the threats her mother warned her about become all too real.
Fearing for her life, Vega is rescued by a girl named Cricket who leads her to Noah, a boy marked by his own mysterious tattoos. On the run from the men who are hunting her, Vega, Cricket, and Noah set out across the plains in search of the cure the stars speak of. But as the lines between friend and protector begin to blur, Vega must decide whether to safeguard the sacred knowledge of the astronomer. Or if she will risk everything to try to save them all.
An illness cursing the land forces a teen girl astronomer to venture across the wilderness in search of the stars’ message that will, hopefully, save them all.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published November 29, 2022
220 people are currently reading
22045 people want to read
About the author
Shea Ernshaw
10 books5,446 followersShea Ernshaw is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Indie Bestselling author of THE WICKED DEEP, WINTERWOOD, A WILDERNESS OF STARS, LONG LIVE THE PUMPKIN QUEEN, and A HISTORY OF WILD PLACES. Her novels have repeatedly been chosen as Indie Next Picks and A HISTORY OF WILD PLACES was a Book of the Month selection. She is also the winner of the Oregon Book Award.
She often writes late, late, late into the night, enjoys dark woods, scary stories and moonlight on lakes.
You can connect with her here:
www.sheaernshaw.com.
www.instagram.com/sheaernshaw/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 924 reviews
February 1, 2023
the genre is a little all over the place with this one, but its been awhile since ive read a good survival story, so i didnt mind that the lines were blurred when it came to tone and atmosphere.
i think the thing that kept my interest in the story was the star-crossed relationship between the astronomer and the architect. reading signs in the night sky, searching for each other, guiding one other, navigating to safety, while finding a cure to save everyone all have aspects that are easy to romanticise. so i was rooting for vega and noah every step of their journey.
however, i HATED the long chapters. in no good world should chapters be around 50 pages long. it got to the point where, even though i was interested in the story, fatigue started to set in and i needed to set the book down after reading only one chapter. its just not a quality you want in a book, so that was a downside.
but if you can make it past the slow pacing/drawn out chapters and find something in the story that captures your heart and mind, then i think this is a story that readers will find rewarding in the end.
↠ 3.5 stars
i think the thing that kept my interest in the story was the star-crossed relationship between the astronomer and the architect. reading signs in the night sky, searching for each other, guiding one other, navigating to safety, while finding a cure to save everyone all have aspects that are easy to romanticise. so i was rooting for vega and noah every step of their journey.
however, i HATED the long chapters. in no good world should chapters be around 50 pages long. it got to the point where, even though i was interested in the story, fatigue started to set in and i needed to set the book down after reading only one chapter. its just not a quality you want in a book, so that was a downside.
but if you can make it past the slow pacing/drawn out chapters and find something in the story that captures your heart and mind, then i think this is a story that readers will find rewarding in the end.
↠ 3.5 stars
September 6, 2025
Vega has been raised by her mother in a secluded valley. The two are completely isolated from the rest of their society, except for occasional visits from Pa, a medicine man, who travels around selling tonics and tinctures.
Her mother has warned her about the many dangers that lurk outside their safe haven. A rapid illness is sweeping the land, making people desperate, scared and fierce.
One night Vega sees an omen in the skies. It matches a legend she has been told; a prophecy of sorts. It calls for her to leave their valley.
Unfortunately, Vega's mother is very ill. She cannot travel and Vega refuses to leave her behind. Vega's Mom knows what the message of the skies means though, she knows Vega's time is limited, she must leave. So, her Mom dies.
Problem solved.
Officially on her own for the first time, Vega, secretly the Last Astronomer, knows what she must do. She needs to travel to the sea, a place neither she, nor her ancestors have ever been and she needs to find The Architect.
Within the two, the cure to their world's ills may be found. Hopefully. Vega knows her position is precarious, so keeping her identity secret is of the utmost importance.
This story follows Vega on her journey. There are a lot of obstacles standing in her way, but along with a couple of strong allies, she's hoping she can get to the sea.
If she does though, what will happen once she gets there? It's hard to decipher from the legends. All Vega knows is that the fate of her world rests in her hands. No pressure.
Objectively, I know that A Wilderness of Stars is a good, creative story with fantastic writing. However, it just was not for me.
It hurts my heart to write this, but honestly, I was bored throughout the entirety of the book. I didn't like the characters, I found the setting to be lackluster and I wasn't sold on the romance in the slightest.
It felt very low stakes and unengaging. I know you might be asking, how can the entire fate of the world being in one girl's little hands not be high stakes? And to that I will just say, I gave zero poops about the world. It could've burned out in a blaze of glory for all I cared.
I have read other reviews and I know that I am definitely in the minority opinion on this and that's okay. The writing is very lyrical and I know a lot of Readers love that. For me, the essence of the story sort of got overshadowed by all that beautiful writing.
Like, where you at plot, all I see is beautiful sentences...
With this being said, this is 100% personal opinion. I know the majority of people are going to read this and love it. It just wasn't suited to my tastes.
There's a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book. If the synopsis sound intriguing to you, absolutely give it a go. It could be a new favorite for you.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really appreciate the opportunity.
Although this wasn't my favorite, I still love Shea Ernshaw so much and will continue to pick up anything and everything she writes!
Her mother has warned her about the many dangers that lurk outside their safe haven. A rapid illness is sweeping the land, making people desperate, scared and fierce.
One night Vega sees an omen in the skies. It matches a legend she has been told; a prophecy of sorts. It calls for her to leave their valley.
Unfortunately, Vega's mother is very ill. She cannot travel and Vega refuses to leave her behind. Vega's Mom knows what the message of the skies means though, she knows Vega's time is limited, she must leave. So, her Mom dies.
Problem solved.
Officially on her own for the first time, Vega, secretly the Last Astronomer, knows what she must do. She needs to travel to the sea, a place neither she, nor her ancestors have ever been and she needs to find The Architect.
Within the two, the cure to their world's ills may be found. Hopefully. Vega knows her position is precarious, so keeping her identity secret is of the utmost importance.
This story follows Vega on her journey. There are a lot of obstacles standing in her way, but along with a couple of strong allies, she's hoping she can get to the sea.
If she does though, what will happen once she gets there? It's hard to decipher from the legends. All Vega knows is that the fate of her world rests in her hands. No pressure.
Objectively, I know that A Wilderness of Stars is a good, creative story with fantastic writing. However, it just was not for me.
It hurts my heart to write this, but honestly, I was bored throughout the entirety of the book. I didn't like the characters, I found the setting to be lackluster and I wasn't sold on the romance in the slightest.
It felt very low stakes and unengaging. I know you might be asking, how can the entire fate of the world being in one girl's little hands not be high stakes? And to that I will just say, I gave zero poops about the world. It could've burned out in a blaze of glory for all I cared.
I have read other reviews and I know that I am definitely in the minority opinion on this and that's okay. The writing is very lyrical and I know a lot of Readers love that. For me, the essence of the story sort of got overshadowed by all that beautiful writing.
Like, where you at plot, all I see is beautiful sentences...
With this being said, this is 100% personal opinion. I know the majority of people are going to read this and love it. It just wasn't suited to my tastes.
There's a book for every Reader and a Reader for every book. If the synopsis sound intriguing to you, absolutely give it a go. It could be a new favorite for you.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really appreciate the opportunity.
Although this wasn't my favorite, I still love Shea Ernshaw so much and will continue to pick up anything and everything she writes!
December 21, 2022
This book is a testament to the appalling state of science literacy in this country.
Some reviewers have described it as science fiction. I can confirm that there is ZERO science anywhere in this story. Ditto common sense.
Also, my bath towel has a stronger sense of self-preservation than the vapid MC, and the plot holes are so huge you could funnel entire galaxies through them.
Read this if you don’t believe in basic physics (like gravity) and hate even marginally believable characters or plot lines.
-4,000/5⭐️
Some reviewers have described it as science fiction. I can confirm that there is ZERO science anywhere in this story. Ditto common sense.
Also, my bath towel has a stronger sense of self-preservation than the vapid MC, and the plot holes are so huge you could funnel entire galaxies through them.
Read this if you don’t believe in basic physics (like gravity) and hate even marginally believable characters or plot lines.
-4,000/5⭐️
December 15, 2023
I am surprised by how much I enjoyed this one! 🤗 This is not a genre that is typically my jam, but I was sucked right into this story. 🤓 I found myself thinking about the characters throughout my workday- so it’s a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!!
February 23, 2024
I loved the plot and the story idea. I think it would have worked better for me if I didn't feel like Noah and Vega’s relationship was forced. The emotions conveyed by Vega were too intense, in my opinion, for someone she just met. She felt nothing close to it when she left Pa whom she knew for most of her life. Her sudden and intense attraction to someone she just met felt forced and unreal. I think Noah would still have been committed to her based on his personal mission and goals.
I will look out for a sequel, it may yet turn around into a fantastic tale. It was a two-star for me.
I will look out for a sequel, it may yet turn around into a fantastic tale. It was a two-star for me.
April 28, 2023
It's never a good sign if you finish a book thinking thank goodness that's over with.. And I'm so disappointed too because I really enjoyed Shea Ernshaw's The Wicked Deep and Winterwood. I enjoy astrology and I didn't think much could go wrong when combined with Shea Ernshaw's atmospheric writing and knack for unexpected reveals at the end. The honest truth is that I did not enjoy this book - neither the beginning, middle nor end and it was laborious getting through it. But I will give it the benefit of doubt: it might simply not have been the right book for me. Someone else might find that this is just their cup of tea. The blurb was very vague and the genre misleading, so to see whether or not this book is the right one for you, here are the reasons why it wasn't the right one for me:
1. The genre is all wrong. Fantasy is a broad term but this has absolutely minimal fantasy and should indeed be labeled as sci-fi. I would have already gone into this with different expectations had I known that from the start, but more likely I wouldn't have picked it up at all.
2. Where is Shea Ernshaw's atmospheric writing? It is one of if not the biggest thing I like about her writing and this just wasn't it. The writing felt repetitive and just nothing that really pulled me into the setting she was trying to create.
3. This book plods on for 400 pages but hardly anything happens. I feel like the same story could have been told in only 200 pages. And can we talk about the chapter length? I don't mind if there's an odd long chapter in a book but this consisted of almost only nothing but which left me with little motivation to start the next chapter.
4. Both The Wicked Deep and Winterwood received a bit of backlash saying they contained instalove. Personally, I really enjoyed the romance in those two books but not at all in this one. I don't know why they liked each other, there was no chemistry, not much time spent together to build a bond and no fantasy to at least excuse it away with it was fate. I just didn't care for their romance at all and as a result I found myself wondering how they have time to be all lovey dovey when everyone around them is dying.
5. The characters were largely boring or I simply didn't like them. I suppose we didn't get to see enough of them to form much of an opinion on most but, at the very least for the main character Vega, she really made some questionable choices that just didn't seem very... smart.
6. I have previously enjoyed Ernshaw's big reveals at the end and how her narrative is often unreliable. This was... different. For one thing, I felt like I was kept in the dark too much. Vega was on a quest but I didn't know why. I didn't know where she was going, why she was going there, why she was looking for an architect, why she lived hidden, why people are dying. Nothing, nothing, nothing was explained other than that she was making her way through the wilderness. It felt like: here's Frodo with a ring - why does he have the ring? No idea. Why is he travelling with it? No idea. Where is he taking it to? No idea. Why is he being followed? No idea. Why does any of this matter, why should I care about any of this? As for the reveals... I guessed half of them early on and those that were left didn't make an impression.
7. I don't think this was intentional but this felt like an Interstellar rip off. Let me tell you that I couldn't watch that movie in one sitting because it was slow and long. But unlike this book, Interstellar is atmospheric, aesthetically pleasing and has a worthwhile albeit slow plot that doesn't lose itself in a lacklustre romance. My point is, I think it's a good movie but I still struggled to watch it in one go - what does that say about my struggles with this book?
The end hints at that this might actually be a series unlike the standalone I thought it would be. If there is a sequel, I won't be picking it up - I simply don't care enough about either the characters or plot. I will still happily give Ernshaw's future books a try but probably not until verifying that they are more like her previous ones.
September 9, 2022
This was so good!! I’ve loved this author’s other YA fantasies and I’m so happy that I enjoyed this one just as much! Her writing and storytelling has always been amazing but this one really blew me away.
A Wilderness of Stars follows Vega, the last Astronomer, who is tasked with saving her people from an illness taking over the population. In order to do this, she had to find and team up with the Architect, the only person who knows the way to the sea she must travel to. Her journey won’t be easy, but this is a task her ancestors have been planning for over 100 years.
I can’t express how much I loved the writing. It was so pretty and immersive. There were so many beautiful quotes, I definitely want to get a final copy and tab the heck out of it. This is going to be such a perfect, moody read for the fall/winter. I was so drawn into this world and captivated by the descriptions. The stories woven through the stars were stunning.
I think this missed the 5 star mark for me because of some pacing issues. The beginning is a little slow, it took over 100 pages to get to the main things described in the synopsis. The chapters are also super long. There are only 13 chapters in the whole 400 page book. This isn’t a huge deal but I definitely prefer shorter chapters just from a pacing perspective.
The characters were really complex. Vega and Noah’s individual stories connected so well together. Their romance was really sweet and I’m so glad their loyalty to one another was so consistent throughout the story. I like how more about their pasts unfolded as the book went along.
The ending was…wild. I didn’t see the twist coming at all. It was such a sad ending but also left off an a hopeful note. I know that this author usually writes stand alone books for her YA fantasies but I’d love to see a follow up novel or novella to this one!
This was such a great mix of fantasy, adventure, magic and romance. With atmospheric writing, a strong western-like setting and authentic characters, this book has solidified this author as one of my favorites in the fantasy genre!
Thank you so much to Simon Teen for send me an early copy of this one!
A Wilderness of Stars follows Vega, the last Astronomer, who is tasked with saving her people from an illness taking over the population. In order to do this, she had to find and team up with the Architect, the only person who knows the way to the sea she must travel to. Her journey won’t be easy, but this is a task her ancestors have been planning for over 100 years.
I can’t express how much I loved the writing. It was so pretty and immersive. There were so many beautiful quotes, I definitely want to get a final copy and tab the heck out of it. This is going to be such a perfect, moody read for the fall/winter. I was so drawn into this world and captivated by the descriptions. The stories woven through the stars were stunning.
I think this missed the 5 star mark for me because of some pacing issues. The beginning is a little slow, it took over 100 pages to get to the main things described in the synopsis. The chapters are also super long. There are only 13 chapters in the whole 400 page book. This isn’t a huge deal but I definitely prefer shorter chapters just from a pacing perspective.
The characters were really complex. Vega and Noah’s individual stories connected so well together. Their romance was really sweet and I’m so glad their loyalty to one another was so consistent throughout the story. I like how more about their pasts unfolded as the book went along.
The ending was…wild. I didn’t see the twist coming at all. It was such a sad ending but also left off an a hopeful note. I know that this author usually writes stand alone books for her YA fantasies but I’d love to see a follow up novel or novella to this one!
This was such a great mix of fantasy, adventure, magic and romance. With atmospheric writing, a strong western-like setting and authentic characters, this book has solidified this author as one of my favorites in the fantasy genre!
Thank you so much to Simon Teen for send me an early copy of this one!
June 10, 2023
DNF ~ 33%. This is the book that persuades me not to read any more YA for at least six months. It's not terrible for what it is, but I'm quitting right as the love interest is introduced thus:
...and I just cannot. This is a book that I was borderline about from the start, from its tenuous relationship with feasibility - a teenage girl digs a grave and buries her mother (by herself! with no blisters mentioned!) before the body starts to stiffen, which Google tells me is about three hours - to its purplish language that conflates abundance of figurative language with quality. I kept pausing to wonder if it makes sense that a "sharp liquor slithers down my throat" (can sharp things slither?), the heroine can "feel time tugging at me, pulling against my chest like a silver-spun thread made of the darkness between stars"(wait, silver made of darkness?), "a rattling fear scrambles up into my throat" (can fear rattle and scramble at the same time?). Good figurative language makes me see something familiar in a totally new way, but bad figurative language pitches me right out of a story. Also, I ask you: would you ever describe your own hands as "milk-white" or your own hair as "oak-brown"? Heroine/narrator Vega does.
And also, it's "hanged" and not "hung" with regard to people (in gallows, at least). Doesn't anyone have editors anymore?
The setting is somewhat interesting; it starts off as a generic, low tech fantasy world, and then there are hints of a 'before': battered postcards from a long ago time, a hoard of leftover aspirin that is now sold as a cure-all.
Although, I have to say, it doesn't make all that much sense that aspirin (of all drugs!) would be highly valued in this society. It's a synthesized form of a molecule naturally found in willow bark that also reduces fevers and alleviates pain. People have been using it since time immemorial, and there are still rivers in this story, and where there are rivers in North America, there are willows. If bits of astronomy survived whatever happened to 'before,' I'm pretty sure some herblore would have as well. Now, antihistamines...I could see myself swapping heirloom jewelry for levocetirizine in a post-apocalyptic world.
OK, impetuous girl on a quest, stars, unavoidable romance, things that have me furiously querying Google to verify...yup. I don't think I need to finish this, especially with the new T. Kingfisher book waiting for me.
[D]ark-as-night hair swept to one side, eyes lidded against the slanted sun, skin a warm copper. But there is no warmth in his gaze; he is hard-jawed and severe, surveying me coldly, his green, river-deep eyes sliding from my face down to my boots.
...and I just cannot. This is a book that I was borderline about from the start, from its tenuous relationship with feasibility - a teenage girl digs a grave and buries her mother (by herself! with no blisters mentioned!) before the body starts to stiffen, which Google tells me is about three hours - to its purplish language that conflates abundance of figurative language with quality. I kept pausing to wonder if it makes sense that a "sharp liquor slithers down my throat" (can sharp things slither?), the heroine can "feel time tugging at me, pulling against my chest like a silver-spun thread made of the darkness between stars"(wait, silver made of darkness?), "a rattling fear scrambles up into my throat" (can fear rattle and scramble at the same time?). Good figurative language makes me see something familiar in a totally new way, but bad figurative language pitches me right out of a story. Also, I ask you: would you ever describe your own hands as "milk-white" or your own hair as "oak-brown"? Heroine/narrator Vega does.
And also, it's "hanged" and not "hung" with regard to people (in gallows, at least). Doesn't anyone have editors anymore?
The setting is somewhat interesting; it starts off as a generic, low tech fantasy world, and then there are hints of a 'before': battered postcards from a long ago time, a hoard of leftover aspirin that is now sold as a cure-all.
Although, I have to say, it doesn't make all that much sense that aspirin (of all drugs!) would be highly valued in this society. It's a synthesized form of a molecule naturally found in willow bark that also reduces fevers and alleviates pain. People have been using it since time immemorial, and there are still rivers in this story, and where there are rivers in North America, there are willows. If bits of astronomy survived whatever happened to 'before,' I'm pretty sure some herblore would have as well. Now, antihistamines...I could see myself swapping heirloom jewelry for levocetirizine in a post-apocalyptic world.
OK, impetuous girl on a quest, stars, unavoidable romance, things that have me furiously querying Google to verify...yup. I don't think I need to finish this, especially with the new T. Kingfisher book waiting for me.
July 2, 2022
Have you ever requested a book without reading the description? I didn't need to know what this book was about. As soon as I saw it was written by Shea Ernshaw, I was invested. OMG YOU GUYS. THIS BOOK!!
Vega, a teenage astronomer, is the last of her kind. Her world as she knows it is cursed by a mysterious illness. In order to save everyone, Vega must leave the only home she's ever known in search of the stars. Her journey will be anything but easy, luckily she'll find some help along the way.
THIS FREAKING BOOK! I can't even begin to describe just how much I loved it! The word that keeps coming back to me is WOW. It had me feeling so many different emotions. What a storyline, seriously, just wow.
I highly recommend to anyone who has a love of astronomy or is just looking for a literary escape. This book will take you on a journey. It even has a few surprises in store...
Huge thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the gifted copy!
Vega, a teenage astronomer, is the last of her kind. Her world as she knows it is cursed by a mysterious illness. In order to save everyone, Vega must leave the only home she's ever known in search of the stars. Her journey will be anything but easy, luckily she'll find some help along the way.
THIS FREAKING BOOK! I can't even begin to describe just how much I loved it! The word that keeps coming back to me is WOW. It had me feeling so many different emotions. What a storyline, seriously, just wow.
I highly recommend to anyone who has a love of astronomy or is just looking for a literary escape. This book will take you on a journey. It even has a few surprises in store...
Huge thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the gifted copy!
February 27, 2023
Thank you to Book Club Favorites for the gifted copy.
WHAT?
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
Do y’all remember that scene from Friends when Joey is acting in a play and a spaceship ladder comes to take him away to safe the Earth (or something like that?). THAT IS HOW THIS BOOK FELT.
I was first very much confused by the time/era/or is this pure fantasy situation. I only barely grasped it at the end. It’s a slooowwww read. SLOW. And with a big lack of dialogue I spent most of my time skimming hoping some kind of action or anything of true note would take place.
Instead, our FMC spends the book running away from this one group of people out to catch her and make her help them survive. That’s it.
And then the ending????? I DON’T EVEN KNOW. At least I can say I was definitely shocked by how that unveiled itself and perturbed at how it ended.
Bleh, okay, I’m done.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy?? / Sci-Fi??
- Language: some strong
- Romance: very vague open door
- Violence: med-high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, weapons violence, kidnapping
WHAT?
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
Do y’all remember that scene from Friends when Joey is acting in a play and a spaceship ladder comes to take him away to safe the Earth (or something like that?). THAT IS HOW THIS BOOK FELT.
I was first very much confused by the time/era/or is this pure fantasy situation. I only barely grasped it at the end. It’s a slooowwww read. SLOW. And with a big lack of dialogue I spent most of my time skimming hoping some kind of action or anything of true note would take place.
Instead, our FMC spends the book running away from this one group of people out to catch her and make her help them survive. That’s it.
And then the ending????? I DON’T EVEN KNOW. At least I can say I was definitely shocked by how that unveiled itself and perturbed at how it ended.
Bleh, okay, I’m done.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy?? / Sci-Fi??
- Language: some strong
- Romance: very vague open door
- Violence: med-high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, weapons violence, kidnapping
January 26, 2023
DNF @ 31%
Welp. That was... weird. The TONE was just so ODD? Like a grungy dystopian western slash scifi fantasy mashup from H E double hockey sticks. Me no likey.
I tried VERY hard to get into it, seeing as this was one of my top ten most anticipated reads for 2022. I thought The Wicked Deep was one of the most beautiful books I'd ever read. The language in the book was definitely the best part (tho the plot was admittedly done before and forgettable). The beauty of her ability to make words so tasty on your tongue never left me.
Until now.
Cuz now I've read FOUR of her books and I've only loved one of them. The rest I genuinely disliked.
So for this one, other than the weird ass tone that I could never get into, the pacing was very slow. Each chapter was like 30 to 45 pages, which is asking a lot from my attention spanless ass.
Then like, not a lot of sense is made. Your papa tells you to stay put and then leaves and you're like nah I think I should come with so you BURN DOWN THE HOUSE and Papa doesn't even once attempt to break your neck? Unrealistic. Girl would be dead. Dead girl walking.
The parts that I guess could make sense if I squint just don't interest a single hair on my ass. Like, they gots all this aspirin and they trade it for booze. Kay. Can I go to bed now, mama?
Welp. That was... weird. The TONE was just so ODD? Like a grungy dystopian western slash scifi fantasy mashup from H E double hockey sticks. Me no likey.
I tried VERY hard to get into it, seeing as this was one of my top ten most anticipated reads for 2022. I thought The Wicked Deep was one of the most beautiful books I'd ever read. The language in the book was definitely the best part (tho the plot was admittedly done before and forgettable). The beauty of her ability to make words so tasty on your tongue never left me.
Until now.
Cuz now I've read FOUR of her books and I've only loved one of them. The rest I genuinely disliked.
So for this one, other than the weird ass tone that I could never get into, the pacing was very slow. Each chapter was like 30 to 45 pages, which is asking a lot from my attention spanless ass.
Then like, not a lot of sense is made. Your papa tells you to stay put and then leaves and you're like nah I think I should come with so you BURN DOWN THE HOUSE and Papa doesn't even once attempt to break your neck? Unrealistic. Girl would be dead. Dead girl walking.
The parts that I guess could make sense if I squint just don't interest a single hair on my ass. Like, they gots all this aspirin and they trade it for booze. Kay. Can I go to bed now, mama?
February 20, 2023
La trama es lenta y muy básica, el final es raro, no es que no me lo esperase, es que no cuadra muy bien con el resto del libro, algo que supongo que es la intención pero a mí personalmente no me ha convencido.
Hay muchas escenas repetidas, párrafos casi idénticos y parece que haya leído el libro dos veces por la cantidad de repeticiones que hay.
La fantasía solo hace aparición hacia el final, las últimas 20 páginas.
En fin, un poco decepcionante pero no un cero.
Hay muchas escenas repetidas, párrafos casi idénticos y parece que haya leído el libro dos veces por la cantidad de repeticiones que hay.
La fantasía solo hace aparición hacia el final, las últimas 20 páginas.
En fin, un poco decepcionante pero no un cero.
August 24, 2023
3,75 ⭐️
J’ai trouvé le concept hyper original et l’histoire très addictive (vous l’avez peut être deviné si vous avez vu que je l’ai dévoré en une journée). Le style est hyper poétique et ça contribue à créer une super ambiance. En revanche, j’ai trouvé que c’était un peu déstabilisant au début, on ne savait pas du tout où on était et on on allait… et il y a pas mal de longueurs. C’est ce qui m’a le plus freinée et qui ternit un peu mon ressenti sur le roman : ça aide à créer l’ambiance, oui, mais c’est quand même un peu lent. 🙈
J’ai trouvé le concept hyper original et l’histoire très addictive (vous l’avez peut être deviné si vous avez vu que je l’ai dévoré en une journée). Le style est hyper poétique et ça contribue à créer une super ambiance. En revanche, j’ai trouvé que c’était un peu déstabilisant au début, on ne savait pas du tout où on était et on on allait… et il y a pas mal de longueurs. C’est ce qui m’a le plus freinée et qui ternit un peu mon ressenti sur le roman : ça aide à créer l’ambiance, oui, mais c’est quand même un peu lent. 🙈
July 17, 2023
I just have some questions.
December 14, 2023
This story makes zero sense.
The main female character is apparently the last astronomer who can apparently help with a cure to a disease that is plaguing her homeland, but it's never explained how she will help and she has no idea herself. It also isnt explained what the last Astronomer does. Do they have powers, magic? No clue other than they can chart stars. Well at the beginning she looks up at the stars and sees some sign in the sky that she is supposed to leave town to find someone called the Architect who she does find. After she finds him she apparently has to find an ocean for a reason that is not explained. Not sure how these people know where to go or why or for what reason? And why is he called the Architect? What does he do? Why is he important? It's never explained other than somehow this Architect is supposed to help her find a cure. Like the titles they're given have no discernible meaning. There's so many missing explanations, reasonings, and plot points that this entire story makes no sense to the reader. The characters are doing things but since I don't know the actual GOAL they are working towards I have nothing substantial to measure their success against.
This book is also set in an Earth-like world with no distinct timeline. There are references to Greek people, philosophers from real life, and the landmarks are similar to that of out west in the USA. But the world is never defined. Is this an alt Earth? Is this post-apocalyptic? Late 1800s? We have no clue. Because we aren't given the proper world building, it's impossible for the reader to understand what the heck the landscape is.
I do love Shea Ernshaw's writing style, so I will give a star for that aspect, but the rest of this book felt so unfinished. I loved her other books so I have no clue what happened with this one.
The main female character is apparently the last astronomer who can apparently help with a cure to a disease that is plaguing her homeland, but it's never explained how she will help and she has no idea herself. It also isnt explained what the last Astronomer does. Do they have powers, magic? No clue other than they can chart stars. Well at the beginning she looks up at the stars and sees some sign in the sky that she is supposed to leave town to find someone called the Architect who she does find. After she finds him she apparently has to find an ocean for a reason that is not explained. Not sure how these people know where to go or why or for what reason? And why is he called the Architect? What does he do? Why is he important? It's never explained other than somehow this Architect is supposed to help her find a cure. Like the titles they're given have no discernible meaning. There's so many missing explanations, reasonings, and plot points that this entire story makes no sense to the reader. The characters are doing things but since I don't know the actual GOAL they are working towards I have nothing substantial to measure their success against.
This book is also set in an Earth-like world with no distinct timeline. There are references to Greek people, philosophers from real life, and the landmarks are similar to that of out west in the USA. But the world is never defined. Is this an alt Earth? Is this post-apocalyptic? Late 1800s? We have no clue. Because we aren't given the proper world building, it's impossible for the reader to understand what the heck the landscape is.
I do love Shea Ernshaw's writing style, so I will give a star for that aspect, but the rest of this book felt so unfinished. I loved her other books so I have no clue what happened with this one.
December 18, 2022
What a disappointment.
A Wilderness of Stars had the potential to be a beautiful story, and yet it failed completely. It was basically the repetition of the same scene/description/dialogue over and over again. You can read the blurb and then jump straight to the last chapter and you won't miss a thing. The whole journey, from the valley to the sea, was flat and boring. The same goes for the characters, they were dull and without a strong characterization. I didn't feel anything towards them and the romance was insta-lovey, literally based on nothing.
I hoped to find a story full constellations' tales. Instead, what we have is a nothingness of stars.
A Wilderness of Stars had the potential to be a beautiful story, and yet it failed completely. It was basically the repetition of the same scene/description/dialogue over and over again. You can read the blurb and then jump straight to the last chapter and you won't miss a thing. The whole journey, from the valley to the sea, was flat and boring. The same goes for the characters, they were dull and without a strong characterization. I didn't feel anything towards them and the romance was insta-lovey, literally based on nothing.
I hoped to find a story full constellations' tales. Instead, what we have is a nothingness of stars.
May 28, 2023
چرا هیچ چیز این کتاب سر جاش نبود؟
وقتی شنیدم که پلاتش دربارهی چیه خیلی هیجان زده بودم براش چون به نظر میرسید که قراره خیلی جذاب باشه و با وجود ایدهی جالبش میتونست هم باشه! اگه دو بار دیگه خونده شده بود و ادیت شده بود!
شخصیت اصلی هیچ چیز خاصی نداشت و صرفا ادامه برای جلو بردن پلات بود. کل تمرکز این کتاب پلاتش بود (یا شاید حتی بهتره بگم پلاتتوییستش بود)...رابطهی عاشقانه، اگه حتی بشه بهش گفت عاشقانه، یه چیز کاملا اجباری بود. هیچ حس و کمستریای بین وگا و نوا نبود؛ حتی دوستیشونم قابل سوال بود چه برسه به حسی که بهم داشتن.
یه سری شخصیتا کشته شدن که هیچ احساسی توی این قضیه نبود و یه سری شخصیتا از وسط داستان کنار گذاشته شدن و دیگه هیچوقت برنگشتن و این اتفاق منهای هرگونه احساسی بود.
خب...
همونطوری که گفتم تمرکز کتاب روی پلاتشه ولی در اصل نیست. این کتاب یه پلات توییست خیلی خوب داره که میتونست خیلی بهتر باشه اگه توی ۱۰ درصد آخر کتاب نبود وقتی که ۹۰ درصد قبلی رسما هیچ اتفاق مهمی نمیوفته و پلات هم پر از نقصهای خیلی ضایعست.
یکیش که توی صفحات اول اتفاق میوفته: کتاب گفته که ستارهها هر ۱۰۰ سال یه بار توی اون حالتن (درست یادم نمیاد قضیهش چی بود)، پس یعنی وگا از اول زندگیش میدونسته این اتفاق قراره بیوفته و اون یه تایم خیلی کمی داره برای اینکه کاری که باید رو انجام بده که حالا اسپویلش نمیکنم...چطوریه که کوچیکترین آمادگیای براش نداشت؟! حتی یه کوله پشتی آماده؟ و مجبور شد وقتی اتفاق افتاد براش یه پلنی بچیده تازه؟
دومیش اسپویل خیلی شدید داره پس توی شروع و پایان چیزی که میخوام اسپویل کنم ستاره میذارم ***وگا میدونست که تهش فقط خودش قراره بره و جا برای دو نفر هم نیست پس یعنی خودش میدونست که هر دوستی یا رابطهای که داره شکل میده، مخصوصا رابطهش و عشقش به نوا، هرچند که غیرقابل باور بود و هیج احساسی نداشت، ولی اون میدونست که تهش قراره بره و همه این آدما رو ول کنه اونجا...چطوریه که این قضیه هیچ بار احساسیای براش نداشت؟
و اینکه کل پلن وگا این بود که برسه به اون سفینه، بره اونیکی سیاره و کمک بیاره تا بقیه رو نجات بده ولی خودش به زور تونست برسه با سفینه قبل از اینکه همه چیز بلعیده شه پس دقیقا کی رو میخواست نجات بده؟***
بعلاوه اینکه، من رشتهم فیزیک نیست ولی تقریبا ۶ ماه روی مسائلی مربوط به همین چیزایی که توی این کتاب بود (که بازم نمیگم اسپویل نشه😂) کار کردم تا یه مقالهای رو بنویسم و حقیقتا، بخش فیزیک این کتاب کوچیکترین پایهی علمیای نداشت و خیلی غلط بود...حتی برای کسی که کمترین اطلاعات رو از فیزیک داره.
وقتی شنیدم که پلاتش دربارهی چیه خیلی هیجان زده بودم براش چون به نظر میرسید که قراره خیلی جذاب باشه و با وجود ایدهی جالبش میتونست هم باشه! اگه دو بار دیگه خونده شده بود و ادیت شده بود!
شخصیت اصلی هیچ چیز خاصی نداشت و صرفا ادامه برای جلو بردن پلات بود. کل تمرکز این کتاب پلاتش بود (یا شاید حتی بهتره بگم پلاتتوییستش بود)...رابطهی عاشقانه، اگه حتی بشه بهش گفت عاشقانه، یه چیز کاملا اجباری بود. هیچ حس و کمستریای بین وگا و نوا نبود؛ حتی دوستیشونم قابل سوال بود چه برسه به حسی که بهم داشتن.
یه سری شخصیتا کشته شدن که هیچ احساسی توی این قضیه نبود و یه سری شخصیتا از وسط داستان کنار گذاشته شدن و دیگه هیچوقت برنگشتن و این اتفاق منهای هرگونه احساسی بود.
خب...
همونطوری که گفتم تمرکز کتاب روی پلاتشه ولی در اصل نیست. این کتاب یه پلات توییست خیلی خوب داره که میتونست خیلی بهتر باشه اگه توی ۱۰ درصد آخر کتاب نبود وقتی که ۹۰ درصد قبلی رسما هیچ اتفاق مهمی نمیوفته و پلات هم پر از نقصهای خیلی ضایعست.
یکیش که توی صفحات اول اتفاق میوفته: کتاب گفته که ستارهها هر ۱۰۰ سال یه بار توی اون حالتن (درست یادم نمیاد قضیهش چی بود)، پس یعنی وگا از اول زندگیش میدونسته این اتفاق قراره بیوفته و اون یه تایم خیلی کمی داره برای اینکه کاری که باید رو انجام بده که حالا اسپویلش نمیکنم...چطوریه که کوچیکترین آمادگیای براش نداشت؟! حتی یه کوله پشتی آماده؟ و مجبور شد وقتی اتفاق افتاد براش یه پلنی بچیده تازه؟
دومیش اسپویل خیلی شدید داره پس توی شروع و پایان چیزی که میخوام اسپویل کنم ستاره میذارم ***وگا میدونست که تهش فقط خودش قراره بره و جا برای دو نفر هم نیست پس یعنی خودش میدونست که هر دوستی یا رابطهای که داره شکل میده، مخصوصا رابطهش و عشقش به نوا، هرچند که غیرقابل باور بود و هیج احساسی نداشت، ولی اون میدونست که تهش قراره بره و همه این آدما رو ول کنه اونجا...چطوریه که این قضیه هیچ بار احساسیای براش نداشت؟
و اینکه کل پلن وگا این بود که برسه به اون سفینه، بره اونیکی سیاره و کمک بیاره تا بقیه رو نجات بده ولی خودش به زور تونست برسه با سفینه قبل از اینکه همه چیز بلعیده شه پس دقیقا کی رو میخواست نجات بده؟***
بعلاوه اینکه، من رشتهم فیزیک نیست ولی تقریبا ۶ ماه روی مسائلی مربوط به همین چیزایی که توی این کتاب بود (که بازم نمیگم اسپویل نشه😂) کار کردم تا یه مقالهای رو بنویسم و حقیقتا، بخش فیزیک این کتاب کوچیکترین پایهی علمیای نداشت و خیلی غلط بود...حتی برای کسی که کمترین اطلاعات رو از فیزیک داره.
February 3, 2023
I...am so very mad about the time I spent reading this book which I'll never get back.
If I could do it again, I would read the chapter-prefaces before each chapter and the last chapter. And skip everything in between.
Because here's the thing: this book is about 6x as long as it needs to be. You take the "constellation" stories at the beginning of each chapter and the last chapter, and it's a tight, neat short story or novella, maybe with a little bit of connective tissue. With a really cool premise. (Which, BTW, is Sci-Fi -- which is FINE. I love sci-fi. But I was 100% convinced that this was a fantasy book. And Amazon classifies it as "YA Dark Fantasy," so...no.)
But everything else in between?
Not for me. And kinda unnecessary.
Warning -- spoilers abound below.
I read Ernshaw's take on Sally The Pumpkin Queen and enjoyed it. I didn't *love* the writing style, but that's a personal quirk, and as I mentioned in my review of that book, it largely worked for the story she was telling.
Now, there's a similar writing style here -- which I had previously understood was a departure from Ernshaw's style, but maybe not? It seems the 2 books were written/revised concurrently, so maybe they just bled into each other? -- with lots of clauses and lack-of-conjunctions and endless repetition.
(No, really: the entire book is basically Vega saying "I shouldn't do this!" then "But i have to do this! There's no one else who can do this!" On repeat.)
And what frustrated me more was that Ernshaw is deliberately withholding information from the reader -- as in, Vega makes it *very clear* that there is more going on, but she can't tell anyone because it's too dangerous! And it felt to me like the literary version of a tween (or small child) smugly saying "I've got a secret!" and then you say, "What is it?" And they taunt you going "Not gonna tell!" Which is endlessly frustrating, because that information only gets dumped on you in the last 50 or so pages of the book. So that's 340 pages of dragging the story out, with a repetitive plot cycle where nothing *really* happens, just to get an answer which is, IMHO, still unsatisfactory.
After all, the plot/conflict hinges on two things: (1) the love Vega has for Noah and (2) the conflict between Vega and the Theorists, namely Holt.
Now, frustrating thing #1: Holt is near death like 3 times. And like a cartoonish Wiley E. Coyote, he REFUSES TO DIE. He might be on death's door from "consumption," but dadgumit if he somehow doesn't bleed out after getting a knife through the ribs. It just feels...convenient. (Like, there are no other villains, so this one will have to do.)
But -- frustrating thing #2. At the end, we learn that this planet was settled by a group of colonists.
Fine. Cool.
There's no indication that the planet is otherwise inhabited -- the implication is that these super-smart Earth people left Earth to find a new planet and their ship crashed here. So we assume that *all* these people are former Earth residents who came on this one ship.
Now, the ship did crash and I'm guessing we're supposed to believe that they were scattered across the planet, and just started building towns and farms where they landed.
But -- if they're all people fleeing Earth, wouldn't they have known each other? Wouldn't they have tried to find each other to pool their skills and resources? Especially since Vega finds Noah in like 2 chapters? It doesn't seem hard.
And wouldn't those people, I don't know, have worked together? Especially if they were smart people like doctors and scientists?
The biggest flaw in this story is that there is no valid reason why the Astronomer needed to hide in the Valley and hoard the knowledge. It would have made much more sense for them to find each other, have a conversation, and then set up towns like where Maybelle's hotel is, a few days away from the sea & mountains, so that when the twin suns appeared, they could get someone to the Escape Pod. It would take 3-4 days instead of however-long-it-takes Vega to get there, and there'd be enough time to get back and rescue them.
Without that valid reason -- especially in light of the "answers" we get at the end -- the whole plot falls apart. Like, I'm not saying that everyone would be Good and Honest and that men like Holt wouldn't have existed -- but having an honest conversation with each other might have alleviated a lot of their problems.
And the trope of "a-conversation-would-have-solved-everything" has got to be my least favorite, because while it does seem realistic in some contexts (e.g., if a character is supposed to be stubborn and refuses to be honest), it feels like most of the time it just leads to plot holes and frustration.
Other things that annoyed me:
✖️ -- NOT a fan of Holt and his violent, predatory nature -- especially directed against a 17 y/o girl. I'm definitely over that in YA novels, and in all stories, really. I get it makes him eViL, but again, if he'd had rational answers and everyone had a plan to survive the next 100 years together he may have had actual hope, rather than rabid, fervent misguided rage.
✖️ -- The Insta-Love. I get that it's supposed to be a tragic love story, but Vega's lived her ENTIRE LIFE sheltered in a valley with just her mom. Yet she swoons over the first boy she meets? Who she's known for a month, tops? This story didn't need a romance to be compelling, and the romance distracted from the more interesting parts of it.
✖️ -- Also, this may be a personal pet peeve but when there's an impending deadline -- like, say, we have to get to the sea before the twin suns disappear -- you don't stop to have Date Night. Again, the romance distracted from the main storyline.
✖️ -- Really annoyed by how naive and unprepared Vega was. I feel like if you have 100 years to prepare, you'd have a go bag ready, you'd have gotten some horses to travel on. You wouldn't just burn your house down and walk away without food or a canteen.
✖️ -- OR A SCARF. Why, on earth, if Vega has a sweater and clothes, does she not have a SCARF?! Or cloth she winds around her neck? Or a turtleneck? This just seems practical and obvious.
Between that, and questions of how they're surviving a month with no food, or didn't get frostbite in the snow-covered mountains (where Vega LITERALLY COMPLAINED ABOUT NOT HAVING WATER -- IN THE SNOW) I just found myself getting increasingly irritated and frustrated as I read. The premise is really, really cool -- but it just wasn't executed.
If I could do it again, I would read the chapter-prefaces before each chapter and the last chapter. And skip everything in between.
Because here's the thing: this book is about 6x as long as it needs to be. You take the "constellation" stories at the beginning of each chapter and the last chapter, and it's a tight, neat short story or novella, maybe with a little bit of connective tissue. With a really cool premise. (Which, BTW, is Sci-Fi -- which is FINE. I love sci-fi. But I was 100% convinced that this was a fantasy book. And Amazon classifies it as "YA Dark Fantasy," so...no.)
But everything else in between?
Not for me. And kinda unnecessary.
Warning -- spoilers abound below.
I read Ernshaw's take on Sally The Pumpkin Queen and enjoyed it. I didn't *love* the writing style, but that's a personal quirk, and as I mentioned in my review of that book, it largely worked for the story she was telling.
Now, there's a similar writing style here -- which I had previously understood was a departure from Ernshaw's style, but maybe not? It seems the 2 books were written/revised concurrently, so maybe they just bled into each other? -- with lots of clauses and lack-of-conjunctions and endless repetition.
(No, really: the entire book is basically Vega saying "I shouldn't do this!" then "But i have to do this! There's no one else who can do this!" On repeat.)
And what frustrated me more was that Ernshaw is deliberately withholding information from the reader -- as in, Vega makes it *very clear* that there is more going on, but she can't tell anyone because it's too dangerous! And it felt to me like the literary version of a tween (or small child) smugly saying "I've got a secret!" and then you say, "What is it?" And they taunt you going "Not gonna tell!" Which is endlessly frustrating, because that information only gets dumped on you in the last 50 or so pages of the book. So that's 340 pages of dragging the story out, with a repetitive plot cycle where nothing *really* happens, just to get an answer which is, IMHO, still unsatisfactory.
After all, the plot/conflict hinges on two things: (1) the love Vega has for Noah and (2) the conflict between Vega and the Theorists, namely Holt.
Now, frustrating thing #1: Holt is near death like 3 times. And like a cartoonish Wiley E. Coyote, he REFUSES TO DIE. He might be on death's door from "consumption," but dadgumit if he somehow doesn't bleed out after getting a knife through the ribs. It just feels...convenient. (Like, there are no other villains, so this one will have to do.)
But -- frustrating thing #2. At the end, we learn that this planet was settled by a group of colonists.
Fine. Cool.
There's no indication that the planet is otherwise inhabited -- the implication is that these super-smart Earth people left Earth to find a new planet and their ship crashed here. So we assume that *all* these people are former Earth residents who came on this one ship.
Now, the ship did crash and I'm guessing we're supposed to believe that they were scattered across the planet, and just started building towns and farms where they landed.
But -- if they're all people fleeing Earth, wouldn't they have known each other? Wouldn't they have tried to find each other to pool their skills and resources? Especially since Vega finds Noah in like 2 chapters? It doesn't seem hard.
And wouldn't those people, I don't know, have worked together? Especially if they were smart people like doctors and scientists?
The biggest flaw in this story is that there is no valid reason why the Astronomer needed to hide in the Valley and hoard the knowledge. It would have made much more sense for them to find each other, have a conversation, and then set up towns like where Maybelle's hotel is, a few days away from the sea & mountains, so that when the twin suns appeared, they could get someone to the Escape Pod. It would take 3-4 days instead of however-long-it-takes Vega to get there, and there'd be enough time to get back and rescue them.
Without that valid reason -- especially in light of the "answers" we get at the end -- the whole plot falls apart. Like, I'm not saying that everyone would be Good and Honest and that men like Holt wouldn't have existed -- but having an honest conversation with each other might have alleviated a lot of their problems.
And the trope of "a-conversation-would-have-solved-everything" has got to be my least favorite, because while it does seem realistic in some contexts (e.g., if a character is supposed to be stubborn and refuses to be honest), it feels like most of the time it just leads to plot holes and frustration.
Other things that annoyed me:
✖️ -- NOT a fan of Holt and his violent, predatory nature -- especially directed against a 17 y/o girl. I'm definitely over that in YA novels, and in all stories, really. I get it makes him eViL, but again, if he'd had rational answers and everyone had a plan to survive the next 100 years together he may have had actual hope, rather than rabid, fervent misguided rage.
✖️ -- The Insta-Love. I get that it's supposed to be a tragic love story, but Vega's lived her ENTIRE LIFE sheltered in a valley with just her mom. Yet she swoons over the first boy she meets? Who she's known for a month, tops? This story didn't need a romance to be compelling, and the romance distracted from the more interesting parts of it.
✖️ -- Also, this may be a personal pet peeve but when there's an impending deadline -- like, say, we have to get to the sea before the twin suns disappear -- you don't stop to have Date Night. Again, the romance distracted from the main storyline.
✖️ -- Really annoyed by how naive and unprepared Vega was. I feel like if you have 100 years to prepare, you'd have a go bag ready, you'd have gotten some horses to travel on. You wouldn't just burn your house down and walk away without food or a canteen.
✖️ -- OR A SCARF. Why, on earth, if Vega has a sweater and clothes, does she not have a SCARF?! Or cloth she winds around her neck? Or a turtleneck? This just seems practical and obvious.
Between that, and questions of how they're surviving a month with no food, or didn't get frostbite in the snow-covered mountains (where Vega LITERALLY COMPLAINED ABOUT NOT HAVING WATER -- IN THE SNOW) I just found myself getting increasingly irritated and frustrated as I read. The premise is really, really cool -- but it just wasn't executed.
June 20, 2022
This book was heartbreakingly beautiful in the best way. I found myself swooning in some parts and sobbing like a complete idiot at others. Reading this felt like an escape that I didn't even know I needed until I opened the book. It exceeded my expectations drastically.
Vega has never left the valley. The valley keeps her safe, her mother teaches her the stars and the skills and how to survive, but, she must never leave the valley. When the twin stars light up the sky and Vega's mother dies from consumption, she knows she must leave the valley and travel to the sea. She is the last astronomer and she is destined the save the planet.
The costellation tattooed on the back of Vega's neck makes her a target. Everyone think she has the cure to consumption and will do anything to get their hands on Vega, even if it means killing everyone that gets in their way.
Enter Cricket and Noah, two people who will protect the last astronomer with their life and get her to the sea. Follow these three strangers as they make their way to the sea with humanity's last hope at survival.
I didn't think I was going to like this book this much but I did!!! It isn't my usual preferred read but it was incredible and I HIGHLY recommend you preorder it!
Vega has never left the valley. The valley keeps her safe, her mother teaches her the stars and the skills and how to survive, but, she must never leave the valley. When the twin stars light up the sky and Vega's mother dies from consumption, she knows she must leave the valley and travel to the sea. She is the last astronomer and she is destined the save the planet.
The costellation tattooed on the back of Vega's neck makes her a target. Everyone think she has the cure to consumption and will do anything to get their hands on Vega, even if it means killing everyone that gets in their way.
Enter Cricket and Noah, two people who will protect the last astronomer with their life and get her to the sea. Follow these three strangers as they make their way to the sea with humanity's last hope at survival.
I didn't think I was going to like this book this much but I did!!! It isn't my usual preferred read but it was incredible and I HIGHLY recommend you preorder it!
February 10, 2023
I'm just gonna pretend the last 10-15% of this book didn't happen.
November 19, 2022
Review coming soon.
December 30, 2024
« I knew then that you were her… the one I’ve been looking for in the faces of every girl I’ve ever met. »
« I knew I would stay with you until the end » 🥹
This is such a magnificent and unique story🥺
« I knew I would stay with you until the end » 🥹
This is such a magnificent and unique story🥺
October 30, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
1⭐️
my first one star rating this year :/
never did i ever think that i was going to be this disappointed by this book. my hopes and enthusiasm for it were really high and in the end i dnf’d it at 35% and skimmed through the rest just to see if i missed something good (i did not).
what irritated me the most was the slow pace and not enough information about what was going on. the author did more telling than showing in my opinion and i couldn’t take it anymore.
the plot was boring (i almost fell asleep honestly), the characters were one dimensional and confusing.
the book had potential if we consider the summary but the execution was horrible and i wouldn’t recommend it to anyone since it’s just a waste of time.
1⭐️
my first one star rating this year :/
never did i ever think that i was going to be this disappointed by this book. my hopes and enthusiasm for it were really high and in the end i dnf’d it at 35% and skimmed through the rest just to see if i missed something good (i did not).
what irritated me the most was the slow pace and not enough information about what was going on. the author did more telling than showing in my opinion and i couldn’t take it anymore.
the plot was boring (i almost fell asleep honestly), the characters were one dimensional and confusing.
the book had potential if we consider the summary but the execution was horrible and i wouldn’t recommend it to anyone since it’s just a waste of time.
December 2, 2024
yes, this book was so confusing and all over the place and yes, nothing really made sense BUT I reaaaaaaally enjoyed it!!
December 16, 2022
A wilderness of stars by shea ernshaw book review
Hello everyone and welcome or welcome back to my account! As u can tell by the title it’s time to discuss another book I have read for tour. Once again thank u to Jamie from @rockstarbooktours for putting me on this tour for a wilderness of stars! Also thank u to @simon&schuster for sending me a finished copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!!!
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I was pretty excited when I saw that Jamie was going to do a tour for this book because it was on my most anticipated reads for 2022 and I actually read it! It really didn’t let me down either because I give this a 4/5 stars read it wasn’t a 5 star read for me because the chapters were a tad bit long for my taste. Other than that the writing was beautiful and made me realized why I love Shea’s writing and how creative she is with her world building and characters. I really got to fall in with our two heroins which are Vega & Noah! Their chemerstiry together was super cute and that make out scene though lol! Here is the first paragraph of the summary in case this book interested you like it did with me and without further a do there is my review for A wilderness of stars by Shea Ernshaw it was a fun time reading it and I will recomneded this to anyone who is looking for a fun/fast pace fantasy novel that doesn’t have a lot to the plot but will keep u on ur toes especially towards the end! Summary listed down below: If magic lives anywhere, it’s in the stars… Vega has lived in the valley her whole life—forbidden by her mother to leave the safety of its borders because of the unknown threats waiting for her in the wilds beyond. But after her mother dies, Vega begins to see stars falling from the sky. It’s an omen she can no longer ignore, forcing her to leave the protective boundaries of the valley. But the outside world turns out to be much more terrifying than Vega could have imagined. People are gravely sick—they lose their eyesight and their hearing, just before they lose their lives. #awildernessofstars #sheaernshaw #simonteen #rockstarbooktours #giveaway #booktour #yafantasy #yafantasybooks #yadarkfantasy #RivetedReaders #yalit #YAfiction #YA #youngadult #bookstagram #booktok #bibliophile #bookish #bookworm #igbooks #igreads
Hello everyone and welcome or welcome back to my account! As u can tell by the title it’s time to discuss another book I have read for tour. Once again thank u to Jamie from @rockstarbooktours for putting me on this tour for a wilderness of stars! Also thank u to @simon&schuster for sending me a finished copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!!!
——————————————————————-
I was pretty excited when I saw that Jamie was going to do a tour for this book because it was on my most anticipated reads for 2022 and I actually read it! It really didn’t let me down either because I give this a 4/5 stars read it wasn’t a 5 star read for me because the chapters were a tad bit long for my taste. Other than that the writing was beautiful and made me realized why I love Shea’s writing and how creative she is with her world building and characters. I really got to fall in with our two heroins which are Vega & Noah! Their chemerstiry together was super cute and that make out scene though lol! Here is the first paragraph of the summary in case this book interested you like it did with me and without further a do there is my review for A wilderness of stars by Shea Ernshaw it was a fun time reading it and I will recomneded this to anyone who is looking for a fun/fast pace fantasy novel that doesn’t have a lot to the plot but will keep u on ur toes especially towards the end! Summary listed down below: If magic lives anywhere, it’s in the stars… Vega has lived in the valley her whole life—forbidden by her mother to leave the safety of its borders because of the unknown threats waiting for her in the wilds beyond. But after her mother dies, Vega begins to see stars falling from the sky. It’s an omen she can no longer ignore, forcing her to leave the protective boundaries of the valley. But the outside world turns out to be much more terrifying than Vega could have imagined. People are gravely sick—they lose their eyesight and their hearing, just before they lose their lives. #awildernessofstars #sheaernshaw #simonteen #rockstarbooktours #giveaway #booktour #yafantasy #yafantasybooks #yadarkfantasy #RivetedReaders #yalit #YAfiction #YA #youngadult #bookstagram #booktok #bibliophile #bookish #bookworm #igbooks #igreads
dnf
January 28, 2023Might come back to this, who knows. Not really feeling this one. 🙈
July 25, 2025
Here we do not build worlds, we discover them.
On the first page of A Wilderness of Stars, Vega (our first-person narrator) writes:
Indeed they do. Andromeda and Orion are real constellations, and Rigel is a real star, and it really is a blue-white supergiant. These are constellations and stars visible from Earth. That is the first hint we are given about where A Wilderness of Stars takes place and who the characters are. Indeed, Shea Ernshaw's approach to world-building was what first caught my attention. We don't know where we are. There are people and deserts and horses and mules (thus presumably also donkeys), but right from the start there are hints that we are not on 2022 Earth as we know it. Is it a fantasy world, or a postapocalyptic Earth, a different planet, or a parallel world? There is mystery here. Ernshaw doesn't build a world, she discovers one, and you discover it with her. It drew me in.
The story begins (as the publisher's blurb tells us) with the death of Vega's mother. Vega's mother dies of a mysterious wasting disease that is killing everyone on Vega's world. Vega's mother is a secret scholar called the Astronomer, and with her death, that title falls to Vega. Vega sees a sign in the sky that means she must leave her safe home. A dangerous journey follows. I'll avoid specifics, but know that Ernshaw is not a safe author. No one gets plot armor -- bad things can happen even to the characters you know and love. Eventually Vega's journey comes to an end. The mystery of what Vega's world is is revealed.
That was all very satisfying. I like the first half of the book and the ending most. I was not quite so thrilled with the late middle. To not give too much away, I will say only that there's a certain plot element that usually shows up in young adult novels, and it showed up in this one as well, to, I thought, the detriment of the story.
The final sentence is "Our story is not done yet." There will presumably be a sequel. I certainly intend to read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an Advance Reader's Copy of A Wilderness of Stars in exchange for an honest review. Book to be released 29-Nov-2022.
Blog review.
On the first page of A Wilderness of Stars, Vega (our first-person narrator) writes:
I count the constellations, naming them in my mind -- a ritual that Mom insists I repeat night after night so I won't forget -- and it calms me, the pattern of unaltered stars, their position always right where they should be... Beyond the row of blue spruce trees on the far side of the summer garden, above the valley wall, I trace Clovis and Andromeda with my fingertip. I find Orion, the hunter from Greek mythology, and Rigel, a bright blue-white supergiant shimmering near the horizon. Each one tells a story.
Indeed they do. Andromeda and Orion are real constellations, and Rigel is a real star, and it really is a blue-white supergiant. These are constellations and stars visible from Earth. That is the first hint we are given about where A Wilderness of Stars takes place and who the characters are. Indeed, Shea Ernshaw's approach to world-building was what first caught my attention. We don't know where we are. There are people and deserts and horses and mules (thus presumably also donkeys), but right from the start there are hints that we are not on 2022 Earth as we know it. Is it a fantasy world, or a postapocalyptic Earth, a different planet, or a parallel world? There is mystery here. Ernshaw doesn't build a world, she discovers one, and you discover it with her. It drew me in.
The story begins (as the publisher's blurb tells us) with the death of Vega's mother. Vega's mother dies of a mysterious wasting disease that is killing everyone on Vega's world. Vega's mother is a secret scholar called the Astronomer, and with her death, that title falls to Vega. Vega sees a sign in the sky that means she must leave her safe home. A dangerous journey follows. I'll avoid specifics, but know that Ernshaw is not a safe author. No one gets plot armor -- bad things can happen even to the characters you know and love. Eventually Vega's journey comes to an end. The mystery of what Vega's world is is revealed.
That was all very satisfying. I like the first half of the book and the ending most. I was not quite so thrilled with the late middle. To not give too much away, I will say only that there's a certain plot element that usually shows up in young adult novels, and it showed up in this one as well, to, I thought, the detriment of the story.
The final sentence is "Our story is not done yet." There will presumably be a sequel. I certainly intend to read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for an Advance Reader's Copy of A Wilderness of Stars in exchange for an honest review. Book to be released 29-Nov-2022.
Blog review.
December 5, 2022
Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
Any book that can make me cry is an automatic 5 star 😭💜 And boy did this one bring the tears.
This is my 4th book by Shea Ernshaw and this is my 3rd time giving her book 5 stars. So I think it's safe to say she is an all time favorite author.
There is something about her writing that just completely captivates me. Her prose is stunning, her worlds are lush and immersive, and her characters are always so easy to connect with.
This is a book that, on paper, shouldn't have been a favorite. I am an adult romance reader to loves and HEA. While this is a YA sci-fi with no guarantee of a happy ending.
But somehow it all worked.
One of the most impressive things about this book in my opinion, was Shea Ernshaw's way of leading you to believe you understood the story you were reading. Only to pull the rug from under you at the reveal. She did the same thing in A History of Wild Places and I think achieving that is extremely impressive.
I loved this story. I never knew where it was heading. And once I figured it out and that moment of - I should have seen this coming. But because I was so wrapped up in the world and plot, I did not.
I can't wait to see what Shea Ernshaw writes next. No matter the genre, age range, or synopsis, it will definitely be on my most anticipated list for the year.
Any book that can make me cry is an automatic 5 star 😭💜 And boy did this one bring the tears.
This is my 4th book by Shea Ernshaw and this is my 3rd time giving her book 5 stars. So I think it's safe to say she is an all time favorite author.
There is something about her writing that just completely captivates me. Her prose is stunning, her worlds are lush and immersive, and her characters are always so easy to connect with.
This is a book that, on paper, shouldn't have been a favorite. I am an adult romance reader to loves and HEA. While this is a YA sci-fi with no guarantee of a happy ending.
But somehow it all worked.
One of the most impressive things about this book in my opinion, was Shea Ernshaw's way of leading you to believe you understood the story you were reading. Only to pull the rug from under you at the reveal. She did the same thing in A History of Wild Places and I think achieving that is extremely impressive.
I loved this story. I never knew where it was heading. And once I figured it out and that moment of - I should have seen this coming. But because I was so wrapped up in the world and plot, I did not.
I can't wait to see what Shea Ernshaw writes next. No matter the genre, age range, or synopsis, it will definitely be on my most anticipated list for the year.
December 24, 2022
"The Astronomer and the Architect, fated like Perseus and Andromeda."
This was such a great story. I was instantly drawn in to the story. Of a girl in a meadow, trying to survive a consumption that is infecting everyone. Her mother is sick but she's okay. But she's not just any girl. She's been raised to know stars, the sky and has been fed a prophecy her whole life.
I liked the mystery of this, trying to solve the world and the mystery. I understood the idea of the Theorists, we gotta have our bad guys, but I thought the motivation made sense. I loved the ragtag group of misfits she found, loved her 'Pa' in the beginning and his snake oil. So many parts to this story to appreciate. I really hope there's a book 2.
Thank you to Rivited Simon Teen for giving free reads for the 25 days of Christmas. I loved getting to read this one!
This was such a great story. I was instantly drawn in to the story. Of a girl in a meadow, trying to survive a consumption that is infecting everyone. Her mother is sick but she's okay. But she's not just any girl. She's been raised to know stars, the sky and has been fed a prophecy her whole life.
I liked the mystery of this, trying to solve the world and the mystery. I understood the idea of the Theorists, we gotta have our bad guys, but I thought the motivation made sense. I loved the ragtag group of misfits she found, loved her 'Pa' in the beginning and his snake oil. So many parts to this story to appreciate. I really hope there's a book 2.
Thank you to Rivited Simon Teen for giving free reads for the 25 days of Christmas. I loved getting to read this one!
December 8, 2022
A Wilderness of Stars is a young adult novel by Shea Ernshaw. I have been meaning to read Shea Ernshaw's books for a while now. I have two of her last releases patiently waiting on my TBR, but when I saw the summary for A wilderness of Stars I knew I was really in the mood for this atmospheric, slightly supernatural read. I enjoyed it, and if you like reads that are a slow burn plot with descriptions that leap off the page and come to life before your eyes, you will really enjoy Shea Ernshaw's writing style.
In A Wilderness of Stars, we meet our main character Vega, who is an astronomer. This story follows Vega on a journey to try and find a cure for a mysterious illness that is sweeping the world, including her mother. You all know I love a good quest style adventure and this one did not let me down. Vega has a lot of obstacles in front of her as she tries to live up to her title as the last living astronomer, and tries to find the secret to the cure. I loved Vega, but she was really the only character that totally stood out to me.
I will say that this story has a very slow burn. The writing is stunning and beautiful but the actual plot takes a while to really take off. I wish the first half of the book was just a smidge faster paced, but other than that I enjoyed the story. If you are a fan of richly detailed writing that is a beautiful experience to read, and you don't mind a slower pace, I think A Wilderness of Stars is the perfect book for you to check out.
In A Wilderness of Stars, we meet our main character Vega, who is an astronomer. This story follows Vega on a journey to try and find a cure for a mysterious illness that is sweeping the world, including her mother. You all know I love a good quest style adventure and this one did not let me down. Vega has a lot of obstacles in front of her as she tries to live up to her title as the last living astronomer, and tries to find the secret to the cure. I loved Vega, but she was really the only character that totally stood out to me.
I will say that this story has a very slow burn. The writing is stunning and beautiful but the actual plot takes a while to really take off. I wish the first half of the book was just a smidge faster paced, but other than that I enjoyed the story. If you are a fan of richly detailed writing that is a beautiful experience to read, and you don't mind a slower pace, I think A Wilderness of Stars is the perfect book for you to check out.
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