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  Starfinder by John Marco 400pp (Hardcover) My Rating: 6/10 Amazon Rating: 4/5 LibraryThing Rating: 3.85/5 Goodreads Rating: 2.86/5 |  | |
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Moth, an orphan, is cared for by Leroux, a sickly former Eldrin Knight who tells crazy stories about the land beyond the Reach. On Moth's thirteenth birthday, Leroux tells him he has a very special gift for him that he will tell him about after his party. That night Leroux reveals that Lady Esme, his pet kestrel, is not actually a bird at all but rather a woman from the land beyond the Reach who was transformed by the Skylords. Leroux loved Lady Esme and has unsuccessfully tried to find a way to turn her back. Now he tells Moth he must use his gift to do what Leroux could not - take Lady Esme to her homeland, find the wizard Merceron, and turn her back into a woman. Moth eventually agrees to get Leroux to stop ranting and raving but dismisses the information as yet another one of the elderly man's tall tales.
In the morning, Leroux is dead, having finally succumbed to old age. Moth goes to visit a neighbor then comes home to find the apartment being ransacked by Rendor, the governor and a great inventor. Rendor leaves without finding what he is looking for, and Moth finds a place to hide out where he is found by Lady Esme, who brings him a strange device. Moth decides to go to the the land across the Reach and his closest friend Fiona, the fourteen year old daughter of Rendor, insists on accompanying him on his quest to free Esme.
Starfinder is a short, quick read containing lots of short paragraphs and dialogue. The writing did seem choppy at times with somewhat short sentences that didn't flow together well, especially toward the beginning. As I got further into the book, I didn't notice this quite as much, although the writing does remain more simplistic than the average young adult novel I've read.
The story moves at a good pace and is entertaining. The main characters do not have an overwhelming amount of depth but they did not seem completely shallow or lacking in individual personalities, either. The two main protagonists balance each other nicely - Moth is a dreamer and an optimist who wants nothing more than to fly while Fiona is hot-tempered and has a more pessimistic outlook on the world. The two children were the more believable characters in the book (and not just because some of the others were birds who used to be women). There were a couple of characters who had a change of heart or turned out to be different than they had initially seemed and I found the way they were handled rather unconvincing.
Starfinder combines steampunk with a more traditional fantasy setting. Calio, the city in which Moth and Fiona live, is on the cutting-edge of technology with the invention of the dragonfly and other flying machines. The land the two children end up in on their quest to rescue Lady Esme from her fate contains mermaids, centaurs, dragons, and of course the Skylords.
If I were a young adult, I believe I would have loved this novel. It's still an enjoyable tale, but the combination of the overly simplified writing style and the feeling that it doesn't stand out from other books read before may make it appeal to older readers less. Starfinder combines elements that will feel very familiar to someone who has read a lot of fantasy - the quest, a magical object that can only be used by one person, the mythical world thought not to exist is real, orphaned children play a large role in events in a fantasy world. There were some parts that reminded me of fantasy books in general and there was one section that immediately made me think of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. However, I do think Starfinder would be a fantastic book for
Starfinder is an entertaining adventure story reminiscent of many other fantasy stories. Its may not be as engaging to an adult reader due to its average characterization, very simple writing, and overly familiar plot elements, but it is a great book for a younger one.
6/10
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9 comments:
This is the only fault in YA fiction somtimes, depending on what YA we are talking about, because a 16 year old would react differently than a 11-13 year old to the same story, even if it is categorized as YA. I am so ashamed to admit that I avoid YA for the same reason, but it's good that there are books suited with the ability to brainwash.. ugh I mean educate kids about fantasy *smirk*
Thank you Kristen. I also read the Book Smugglers review and while this might not be my kettle of fish, I have recommended it to someone who I think might like it :)
Harry - To be honest, YA is not my favorite genre, either, so I understand where you're coming from. Sometimes there is one strikes a chord with me, though. There are several YA books I'm glad I didn't miss - Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, Jane Yolen's Pit Dragon trilogy, and anything I've read by Robin McKinley. Neil Gaiman also does a good job of writing books for younger readers that adults can find highly enjoyable - but then, is there anything Neil Gaiman doesn't do well?
Orannia - I hope your friend enjoys Starfinder!
Gaiman is like the philosopher's stone in literature. Just put his name to any project and ka-ching it turns into the fountain of prosperity, so I am not surprised. I still have so much to read from Gaiman it's impossible to list.
Anyways I agree. I had really good times with Inkheart and I read it recently. The book is quite thick for a child and though it was written for YA I found it as one of the most fascinating books I ever had the pleasure of reading.
Harry - Have you read the Sandman comics yet? Out of everything I've read by Gaiman (which is definitely not everything - I'm ashamed to say I have yet to read American Gods), those are my favorite. There is a blend of so much - history, mythology and literature.
What is Inkheart about? I've heard the name but I don't know anything about it.
Seriously, I am ashamed to say that I have partial glimpses of his works and I have no idea why... I mean I do have his anthology Fragile Things, but other than the Dreamhunter special Sandman issues, Gaiman is unknown to me and I hate myself for it.
Oh, Inkheart the book is amazing and it's about a father and his daughter, who can read things out of books and bring them in our reality. The prose is so concentrated on allegories and comparison to books. It' a delight for the imagination.
Harry - Don't feel too badly; I have both Fragile Things and American Gods and have yet to read either. Or the two Death comics that are sitting next to Sandman on the bookshelf. And I have books by several authors that I haven't read anything by yet - it happens to all of us who hoard books at a rate faster than we can read them. ;)
Inkheart sounds wonderful - I think I might have to add that one to the ever-growing list. Thanks for the information on it!
I read this book recently and had the same thoughts as you. While I enjoyed a little of the plot line I felt there was choppy convos and sometimes they didn't fit. I thought something was wrong with me as everyone else raved about the book.
Anonymous - No, you're definitely not alone in thinking some of the book was choppy. There's nothing wrong with you. ;)
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