Friday, February 5, 2016

Starflight Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

STARFLIGHT
Starflight #1
Melissa Landers
Young Adult/Sci-Fi
358 pages
Disney-Hyperion
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She's so desperate to reach the realm that she's willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.

When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he's been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe...


MY THOUGHTS
Starflight gives us an exciting start to this new sci-fi series as we hit the ground running with Solara, pausing only occasionally to catch our breath before we're once again outrunning alien bounty hunters, dodging space pirates with wounded egos, and swooning over a slow burn romance.

Solara earns our sympathy and our unwavering solidarity from page one as she's passed over again and again for off-planet work, and that sympathy only increases when the only person willing to take her on is a spoiled heir to a fuel empire who takes pleasure in putting her in her place. Solara keeps her head high in the face of his cruel words and taunts though, never letting him see how much they hurt and clinging tight to her dignity and pride. Once both their lives turn upside down and they find themselves partners in crime with a ragtag crew of wanted men and women, Solara proves herself to be the stronger of the two again and again. Easily able to adapt to their new circumstances and gifted with anything mechanical, she makes herself a welcome asset to the crew of the Banshee.

Doran is someone who makes us genuinely question whether or not Ms. Landers will be able to redeem him over the course of the book, his entitled attitude and utter contempt for Solara in the opening chapters enough to have us wishing violence on sensitive parts of his male anatomy. Slowly but surely however, Ms. Landers proves herself to be more than up to the task of changing our low opinion of him, and the relationship that unfolds between Doran and Solara is nothing short of delightfully captivating. It takes a good long time before the antagonism between them even remotely starts to shift into something resembling friendship, and we have to wait a good long time after that before that friendship turns romantic, but the wait is more than worth it for a romance like theirs.

We're left in a good place in this first installment, the crew of the Banshee together and ready to face what comes next as we delve deeper into the mysteries of Doran's family and Spaulding Fuel.

Rating: 4/5
Find Starflight:


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MELISSA LANDERS


Melissa Landers writes romantic sci-fi for teens and the young at heart. ALIENATED and INVADED are now available from Disney Hyperion, and UNITED, the third book in the trilogy, will release in August, 2016. The first novel in her new series, STARFLIGHT, launches February 2, 2016.


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GIVEAWAY

Three lucky winners will each receive a finished copy of Starflight! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only. 
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
WEEK ONE
2/1: Fiction Fare - Review


WEEK TWO
2/12: Novel Heartbeat - Review



27 comments:

  1. I'm not a space fan so I don't really know but I'm happy to see you had a great time!

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  2. OOh nice review! This one's in my TBR pile as well and I am looking forward to reading it! As well as her first books too! They sound like a different kind of read for me and it sounds cool! Usually not a space book person, but I think its because I haven't read all that many of them! We shall see! Very nice review!

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  3. Since Melissa said that this one was part Firefly I was dying to get my hands on it and after your review, even more!! NEED!!

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  4. Fantastic review, Jenny! I am definitely intrigued by this one and would love to read a good sci-fi. Sounds like the start to a promising new series. Thanks for the great giveaway and have a good weekend!

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  5. I just bought a copy of this one, Jenny and I can't wait!
    I was a little worried when I read your description of Doran because he doesn't seem like a character I would particularly enjoy in the beginning, but it's good to know that the author slowly redeems him. I'm so curious to see what I think of him!
    Lovely review, Jenny!

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  6. I love your detailed review! I'm exciting that this book not only looks beautiful, but has been getting great reviews. I can't wait to read this author's work.

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  7. Love a slow burning romance and I think this is one sci fi that I won't struggle with. Wonderful review Jenny thanks for sharing it and I hope you have an amazing weekend!

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  8. Well, you had me sold at space pirates + slow burn romance (two things that I love)!

    Great review! I'll have to check this out.

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  9. Lovely review (as usual) Jenny^^ I vowed that 2016 would be a sci-fi year for me and so far I'm doing good - BUT - I am ALWAYS looking for new sci-fi books to add to my collection. I've seen some mixed reviews for this one but the fact that you enjoyed it so much is encouraging to me! I'll have to check it out :D

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  10. I have heard some great things about this book, and I am eager to check it out as I enjoy a good space setting and you don't get too many of those. I am so glad this one earned your stamp of approval, Jenny. Happy Friday.

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  11. Did you say Firefly? This browncoat needs to read this STAT!

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  12. Sounds like a great start to a new series. You had me cracking up about Dorian.

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  13. ..."wishing violence on sensitive parts of his male anatomy." Well, that is one way to put it. LOL I love it when an author can turn a jerk into someone we actually like and want a romance. That is growth! :D

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  14. Sounds like an awesome book! Thanks for the chance!

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  15. I loved this one! The romance was great and I loved these characters. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

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  16. I think I’ll wait for the next installment and look how it goes. Nowadays I binge read series, so I don’t have to wait. I love the sound of romance. Great review, Jenny!

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  17. I haven't read Melissa Lander's other series, Alienated, which I want to do before starting this one. But this also has me excited because the sci-fi world building seems like it was done so well! And the character development as well, come to think of it.

    My recent review and giveaway: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/2016/02/stygian-review-giveaway.html

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  18. I cannot wait to read this book! It sounds like the perfect sci-fi read!

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  19. I love antagonistic romances, Lol, and this sounds like Ms Landers is really going to make this couple work some ups and downs. Your review has me excited to try this new series.

    Lovely review as always!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Jenny :)

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  20. Sounds great! I really want to read this.

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  21. Thanks for your review! This book sounds really good and I can't wait to read it.

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  22. I'm curious to see what this book brings. Thanks for your review!

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  23. It sounds like I'll never be bored with this one. I've been keeping an eye on the reviews, and so far, it's been great. :D I can't wait to read it!

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  24. Ooh, this one sounds good! I'm way into SciFi right now...haven't heard of this one so I think I'm going to have to check it out. Score!

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  25. Really looking forward to reading this book; I like Landers' other series.

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