Nikki’s Review of Stars Like Fire
Started: 2/25
Finished: 3/9
Back Jacket Synopsis: Fighting for their freedom was only the beginning, now they must do the hardest thing of all, they must live. Three journeys and one destination will bring them all together.
Despite having never met in person, their years of communicating virtually cemented Eleanor's love for the woman who has her whole heart long ago. But when her love goes missing, Eleanor leaves the safety of Sandstone Estate to rescue her, and ends up finding more than she bargained for. An entire town has had their children stolen, and it's up to Eleanor to lead the fight to save them, along with the woman that she loves.
Theo can't remember his past, but begins to build his future when a family takes him in as a farm hand. But then the farm is destroyed, a young boy is orphaned, and Theo finds himself slipping into the role of guardian. When the boy receives an urgent message from a mysterious voice through the radio, Theo must guide him across a dangerous and barren landscape in hopes of finding a safe place to call home.
Téa and her infant daughter have traveled the continent to restore the land for a grateful nation, but when strangers arrive on her doorstep looking for help, Téa must decide if she can risk opening her heart again. Then tragedy strikes, and Téa is forced to confront her past and meet a new challenge that has the power to rip the Earth to shreds.
As Eleanor, Theo, and Téa's paths collide, the future of mankind is thrust into their hands, and they must work together to save not only themselves, but all of humanity.
Nikki’s Review: The Author, Marissa Lupe, explained to me that book one (Stars Like Acid) would break your heart, but book two (Stars Like Fire) will heal it. After finishing Stars Like Fire, I think that was a perfect description.
*Warning- this review contains spoilers for both books 1 and 2*
We start Stars Like Fire with an incredible prologue from Annabelle’s point of view, where she is in some sort of in-between ghost form. I was relieved to know that she was ok because she was one of my favorite characters in Stars Like Acid. Annabelle has a line in the prologue that I loved so much I messaged it to Marissa- “Terror unspooled like a giant white ribbon floating through space. She tried and failed to grab onto something.” The prologue is mysterious and intriguing and that line perfectly captures the feeling of it.
Chapter 1 starts with two new POV characters- Eleanor and Theo. Both were instantly likable, and their points of view showed what life was like on the new Dunamis. I enjoyed Theo’s point of view the most, though, and found him to be written incredibly charming. In the back of my mind, I wondered… could this possibly be Zephyr somehow? When his inner monologue revealed that he was missing some memories I started reading as quickly as possible to try and find out who he really was.
Téa’s POV starts a few chapters in and we see her grieving the death of Zephyr. She had their baby, Celia, and the two are happy together but feel the deep loss of Zephyr. Téa is now seen by many as the leader of the new Dunamis since she defeated the general.
Moving back into Theo’s POV, we learn about a little boy named Elijah who has sadly become an orphan and hears voices that Theo cannot. Elijah tells Theo that they need to find Téa at Sandstone, so they head in that direction together. I was so excited at this part, knowing that we would learn once and for all if Theo was somehow Zephyr.
Again- warning of major spoilers ahead!
When Elijah and Theo made it to Sandstone and it was revealed that Theo was, in fact, Zephyr, I was so relieved. I also appreciated that the author didn’t have Zephyr and Téa jump back into each other's arms right away. Even though Zephyr didn't remember Téa, the echoes of his love for her were still inside him. Watching him slowly fall in love with her all over again was breathtaking. We also learn that Zephyr and baby Celia have a soulmate connection. I loved how Marissa showed how the connection between Zephyr and Celia conflicted Téa. I think Marissa has a gift for writing interesting and realistic characters.
Through a series of action-packed chapters, Téa proves to be a capable leader and collected under duress. There are some horrendous moments relating back to the Connex experiments and we learn that the planet is in mortal danger. Elijah proves to be very special as well, as he has the power to connect with any soul, unlike the others who can only connect with their soulmates. Through this connection, he sees dark souls that are working against the resistance. It all culminates into an epic action sequence as Téa works to get as many people and supplies as she can to a new planet that Annabelle has found for them. This part was a highlight for me because the focus was on Téa and Annabelle’s deep connection. Their relationship as soulmates was so big in Book 1 that I appreciated it was just as important in Book 2. But don't worry, some great romantic moments do, in fact, heal the reader's broken heart from Book 1!
I know that Marissa will undoubtedly bring more great action sequences to the next story and I look forward to seeing what Book 3 in this series brings.
Great quotes from the book:
“Terror unspooled like a giant white ribbon floating through space. Annabelle tried and failed to grab onto something.”
“The new planet will not be built by shoving others in the dirt.”
“I’d wait a lifetime for you.”
“Movie” Rating: Somewhere between PG-13 and R for language. There are intense action sequences including torture, and some romance throughout but it is not explicit.
Overall Recommendation: If you're an adult reader who loves dystopian books with action, romance, and strong female leads, you will love Stars Like Fire! Stars Like Fire releases March 18 and you can pre-order by using this link
Disclaimer: *Our reviews are solely our opinions and not swayed by any outside factors. The reviews are for fun and not meant to be taken as a professional book endorsement, review, or advice.