Thank you for the opportunity to read this title. Unfortunately, it just isn't for me. Since I didn't finish it, I won't add a review to Goodreads. Thanks again!

Honorine can’t remember anything from the time before Lord Vidalia brought her home with him to his country estate, but she knows that she’s fortunate to have found a home. Not all orphans are so lucky. Sure, the starching, dusting, and cleaning duties that fill her days as a maid aren’t intellectually stimulating, but she has Lord Vidalia’s library of curious books, and she has her mechanical inventions, and—until he left for boarding school after his father disappeared—she had her best friend Francis, heir to the Vidalia estate. It’s a perfectly fine life—that comes crashing to a halt one night when the mansion is invaded, and Honorine flees into the grounds to escape and plunges into an adventure she could never have imagined.

The constellations we know—Orion, Andromeda, Canis Major—are alive, and they’re being hunted by a mysterious Mapmaker in a fantastic, steampunk flying ship. The constellations have their own fantastic, steampunk flying ship, and Honorine’s torn between the constellations—with whom she seems to have a real connection—and their hunters, who include her old friend Francis. As she’s pulled into the adventure, she realizes that the constellations may also be able to help her solve the mystery of her parents.

The Star Thief is a middle grades fantasy novel with a premise that any star-gazer would love, and it’s full of complicated alliances and even more complicated machinery. It’s a totally fun, action-packed adventure story—it’s so fun that it may not even bother you that the characters get short shrift in this story. (Even Honorine feels one-dimensional most of the time.) The constellations’ living ship sometimes feels like it has more personality than any of the creatures inhabiting it. (The ship is pretty amazing and imaginative, so that’s maybe less of an insult than it sounds like.) If you can coast along on the plot and fantastic descriptions, you’ll definitely enjoy the ride, but if you’re looking for something deeper from a book, this one is likely to disappoint. I like a fun read now and then and I enjoyed The Star Thief, but I couldn’t help wishing for the book it might have been. I think it would be fun to do as a readaloud when you’re studying constellations or as a pool or park readaloud on a lazy summer day when you just want something with lots of action to entertain everyone.

Having taught students about constellations and their myths from various countries, I couldn't wait to read this book and it did not disappoint! Loved the cover graphics.

Such a fun take on fantasy and mythology! The constellations come alive and Honorine must choose sides in this adventure. I loved Honorine's character, as well as the other characters in this fun read!

I was not able to read this book before it was archived, due to technical difficulties with my laptop, Sorry!

Lindsay Becker’s The Star Thief is a magical summer read

THE STAR THIEF, by Lindsey Becker, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, April 11, 2017, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 9-12)

People have been seeing pictures in the stars for thousands of years. Ptolemy recorded the classic Greek constellations in the 100s A.D., and in 1922, the International Astronomical Union officially recognized 88 modern constellations. This April, those pictures in the heavens came to life in Lindsey Becker’s The Star Thief.

The Star Thief opens at the Vidalia mansion. Honorine is a maid, going about her mundane chores among the magical treasures once brought home by the famous explorer Lord Vidalia. Those chores are interrupted first by a small fire and then by two sailors ransacking Lord Vidalia’s study.

Just when Honorine thinks things might be settling down, a mysterious girl with wings swoops in, and Honorine finds herself following along. Before she can even blink, Honorine lands smack dab in the middle of a battle of epic proportions.

The stars in the sky — the constellations themselves — have come to life to defend their very way of life. The crew of an amazing steamship is after the constellations in a quest to harness their powers. At the center of the battle is Honorine herself, who may hold the key to bridging the divide between magic and science.

The Star Thief is unlike any other middle-grade novel I’ve read. It’s part magic, part steampunk and part mystery. Lindsey Becker’s prose is sophisticated and well suited for her audience. Though geared for middle-graders, I enjoyed it as an adult, and I know I would have liked it as a teenager as well.

Lindsey’s pacing is spot on, as is her world. This unpretentious adventure is fast paced and infinitely interesting. The story is complex and Honorine is a strong main character. The Star Thief is a good choice for a summer read.

What a super fun read! I'm so glad I was allowed to read this book. Of course the cover got my attention, but the book... it's great entertainment. The heroine is easy to love, and the book is a little steam-punk-ish, which adds to the fun. I have been hooked on constellations since childhood. This book was right up there in my mind's observatory. This would make a movie that would rival some other famous ones.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

A girl must decide what side to choose in a battle between the constellations and the man who hunts them. The difference between the two could mean learning about her identity or living forever with the knowledge that she’s an orphan. Debut author Lindsey Becker offers readers a strong start but ultimately a disappointing and hollow ending in her first book The Star Thief.

For as long as she can remember, Honorine has lived with and worked for the Vidalia family. Well, mostly Lady Vidalia; Lord Vidalia disappeared when his son, Francis, was a baby, and no one has seen him since. Lady Vidalia insists that the house stay clean and maintained, and under the watchful eye of the head maid Honorine carries out her duties.

One night Honorine finds an unusual book. This journal is different from the other books in the house. Honorine would know; as an amateur inventor, she’s spent quite a bit of time poring over all the books available. She realizes this is no ordinary journal. It’s the personal notebook of Lord Vidalia himself. But where did it come from? And who is this Mapmaker that Lord Vidalia keeps warning of?

Soon after she finds the journal, two mysterious sailors break into the house in the dead of night. Honorine tries to follow them, but she’s stopped by another unusual visitor: a girl. With wings.

The girl introduces herself as Astraea, and she helps Honorine escape the men. Then Honorine meets the Mapmaker as well as Lux and Corvus, all of them Mordant or the flesh form of the constellations. A man named Nautilus Olyphant is after them, the Mapmaker reveals. Nautilus has already captured several of the Mordant, and he’s also after Honorine. Honorine has a choice: to stay and wait for Nautilus to find her, or to go with the Mapmaker to help him fight Nautilus.

Honorine finds herself going with the Mapmaker with a great deal of reluctance; he makes her uneasy. But the longer Honorine spends with him and the other Mordant, the more she realizes that this quest isn’t just about saving the stars. It’s also about discovering who she is.

First-time author Lindsey Becker starts her story strong. Honorine is smart and resourceful, not allowing her job as a maid to trap her in a gender stereotype. The idea of turning the constellations into relatable characters, too, will draw in readers. Becker makes the idea of the Mordant believable. Thanks to the folklore behind the constellations themselves, the Mordant fulfill the necessary roles for an adventure story: the noble animal; the plucky girl; the cynical leader.

Much less successful is the plot. Early on Becker establishes Honorine so firmly into her nineteenth-century world that when Honorine decides to leave with the Mapmaker, readers will find the transition a little rough. Also, Honorine’s life in the Vidalia household is filled with tasks to keep her busy. Boarding the celestial ship with the Mordant leaves Honorine twiddling her thumbs. The characters discuss the passage of time—at one point, someone mentions they’ve been sailing for nine weeks—yet it doesn’t feel like Honorine has done much of anything other than talk to the others.

Honorine travels between the Mapmaker and Nautilus, and when she’s with one the other drops completely out of the story. There is no hint that the opposing party is concerned for her or wants her back or is even looking for her. As the book progresses, it starts to feel play-like. Only the characters on the page and in that particular chapter matter for the moment. At times, readers may even forget that other characters exist.

Nautilus’s reason for wanting to capture the Mordant comes across as weak. When he accomplishes his goal, some readers may shrug. The climax feels decidedly anti-climactic, almost too simplistic even for the target readership.

This lack of any complication in the plot will frustrate some readers, and the stream of narration leading to the rushed ending will only increase that frustration. At the end almost everyone is accounted for, but no one feels real enough to matter. What starts as a promising story ends up becoming a trite tale that feels propped up by stage sets.

I recommend readers Bypass The Star Thief.

From the very first pages, I was totally hooked on this book. I loved Honorine right from those first few lines. She’s smart but so compassionate. Her interest and talent at mechanics not only made her an interesting character but contributed to several key points in the story. At first I found the concept of the Mordant a little bit confusing. I felt like I missed something, but I read the first few chapters really late at night, so it could have been entirely my slow brain not processing them very well.

One of the interesting things about The Star Thief is the fact that Honorine finds herself caught between two men: a sea captain determined to capture the Mordant and the Mapmaker, a powerful Mordant who vows to stop the captain at any cost. Honorine loves them both, though she trusts neither, and wants desperately to find a way to save them both.

Sometimes stories where all the adults turn out to be disappointing or untrustworthy really bother me. I think that’s because my experience was so the opposite and I want so much for other kids to have good adults in their lives and value them. Someone very close to me did not have the same experience, though. Stories where the hero emerges from difficult situations despite a lack of trustworthy adults really resonate with him, and I wonder if it’s because it’s closer to what he went through.

What Honorine never knew about herself would turn her world upside down and force her to choose sides in a battle that could bring her the very thing that she had always longed for, family and belonging. When she finds huge footprints across the rug and a black feather with an iridescent shine which dissolves into fine dust when she picks it up, she knows something isn't right. However, when she actually meets the wolf who left the footprints behind and the flying girl whose feather Honorine found, she is thrown into a new world which will question her loyalties and her knowledge of reality. In a fight between her newly found father, Nautilus Olyphant, and the Mapmaker, the leader of the Mordant, powerful beings represented by constellations, Honorine must find her place and figure out how to make things right.

Lindsey Becker has created a new and interesting world where constellations come to life and adventures happen beneath the stars. She has given us a heroine who is brave, smart, and lovable and an meaningful, exciting adventure. Well done!

The Star Thief is a magical steampunk adventure for middle-grade readers!

Honorine is a maid in the house of Lady Vidalia. The household hasn't been the same since Lord Vidalia disappeared mysteriously. Honorine's life is a steady stream of dusting, cleaning and boring tasks, amid her dreams fueled by Lord Vidalia's dusty maps of the world, books and strange treasures. One night, Honorine finds magical black feathers and fiery footprints leading through the house. Hearing strange voices coming from Lord Vidalia's study, she discovers sailors ransacking the room. Suddenly she finds herself whisked out of the house by a girl with wings into the middle of a battle between living constellations and the crew of a floating steamship. Honorine discovers she is much more than a maid, and constellations are more than stars in the sky.

This is such a fun middle-grade steampunk adventure! The characters are sparkling and the action is out of this world! It is just a fun, exciting read. The plot is creative, interesting and well-executed. The characters are engaging and have depth. Honorine finds herself torn between both sides in this epic battle. I loved her as a main character because she followed her heart and conscience, forming moral decisions based on her own inner compass. She did not make decisions based on battle lines, but by what was right. She is definitely a strong, independent female character even though still a child.

This book is age appropriate for middle-grade readers, but also enjoyable for adults to read. The plot is original and the quick pace keeps the action exciting.

**I voluntarily read an Advance Readers Copy of this book from Little Brown Books via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.**

When I saw the cover for this book on NetGalley, I thought it was cute. I mean, two kids sitting on the back of Pegasus in star constellation form? Adorable!! When I read the synopsis, I went “Hrrmm”, would this be a book that my 9 and 11-year-old like?”. So, I requested this book and I was thrilled when I got selected to review it.

What I liked that there was a bit of steam punk in the book. If you have followed this blog, you all know how much of a fan I am of steam punk. So I was thrilled when I saw that there were airships and other steam punk elements in the book. The bees were probably the coolest part of the book. They were all mechanical and acted like real bees. Except they didn’t make honey, they tracked down the Mordant’s and reported where they were to Captain Nautilus.

I loved the use of the constellations in The Star Thief. What a great way to get kids to look to the stars and track the constellations. I even got into it, googling the names of the various characters and seeing what constellations they were attached too. There were a lot that I wasn’t aware of (not that I know a lot about constellations). Like I said, it was truly fascinating.

Honorine was a very spirited girl. She had been raised in the Vidalia (yes, like the onion…lol) household with her best friend, Francis, and worked there as a maid. She loved inventing and dedicated her free time to doing so. She was also very spunky and knew her own mind. So when the Mapmaker showed up to “save” her, she questioned him. And she questioned his motives during the entire book. She was a very smart girl.

I was a little shocked when it was revealed who Honorine’s parents were. Actually, a little shocked wasn’t the word for it. I did feel a disconnect when she actually met her parents. Maybe because they weren’t like “Oh my baby girl, I have searched for you” and smothered her with kisses. Instead, her father wanted to use her for his own agenda and her mother, well, she wasn’t very motherly….lol.

The end of the story was full of action and I liked how everyone had a HEA….including the bad guys.

How many stars will I give The Star Thief: 4

Why: This is a perfect story for any child between the ages of 8-12. The storyline is great and keeps your attention and the characters are likable. The drawings at the beginning of each chapter are beautiful and I can’t wait to see them in paperback (I am pre-ordering for my son).

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Child

Why: some very mild violence and one scene where Honorine is hurt that might upset some younger readers. Other than that, a perfect children’s book.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

One of the problems of reading as much as I do is that it takes a lot to surprise me, to feel that a book is doing something new. And one might argue that The Star Thief is an astronomer's version of the Percy Jackson stories but... it feels new. It feels fresh. It read wonderfully.

The orphan-who-is-really-special here is Honorine, who learns that her life of drudgery is merely a ploy to keep her safe (from her father, no less). So far, so normal. But the who of her mother and father, the how of the adventure (and where they go) is what makes this special. I particularly loved that this wasn't all about the typical North/West constellations and I had to go to do research into some of the less-familiar (to me) ones.

I could see this becoming a series, but it could also be a stand-alone. I'm happy either way.

ARC provided by publisher

The Star Thief by Lindsey Becker is a fantasy story chapter book for middle grade ages but can be read by anyone who enjoys a good fantasy.

We loved all the characters, especially Honorine. The story moves fast and becomes an exciting adventure. The author is so imaginative to have created this story and the way she incorporated the constellations along with the detailed steamship makes it so fantastic and magical.

We loved the few illustrations that were included, but wanted more.

Looking forward to more from this author.

4****

This was a very fun, fast-paced middle grade steampunk fantasy.

About halfway through this book, I'm not so excited to read more that I look for extra reading time, though I do like the book. It's beautifully written, and the timelessness that Honorine feels is echoed to the reader: moments can take pages, and long spans of time pass in a sentence. This books so far would appeal to a select few readers.

Erratum:
"The Mapmaker took in and impatient breath." - presumably should be "an impatient breath"

This was an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher and author.

Don't be misled by the resemblance of this middle grade novel's title to The Lightning Thief. I'm not a fan of the Riordan series, but this is as different as you can get, and this author had me at the very first sentence, which is what all we writers should strive for, but few achieve! That first line read, "Honorine realized it was going to be a difficult night when she stepped into the east parlor to do a bit of light dusting and found it on fire." That struck me as hilarious and an awesome start. It's like she knew exactly how to begin this to bring me on board!

The book continued to impress as I read on. It's an easy and fast read which hits the ground running and never stops. It's something of a steam-punk fantasy for kids, and has the interesting premise that the constellations are really mystical animals who have powers, and with whom regular people can interact. There are also rather evil creatures in this story too, so in some ways it's like reading about angels and demons.

Honorine is a young housemaid who works for the wealthy Lord Vidalia who has disappeared. She's also something of an inventor. When odd events get going in the manor that night, starting with the fire and progressing to curious discoveries Honorine makes, and then to visits from two different factions on the same wild night, both of which claim that the other guys are the bad guys, Honorine has to choose who to trust. But she's torn. At first, she sides with the group which has her childhood friend and young lord of the manor, Francis, working with them. She had thought he was away at school. After this she gets to spend some time with the Mordant, which is what these constellations are called.

There are few mordant on their magical 'ship' and the reason is that there's a battle going on between two sides, one of which is trying to capture all the Mordant, and the other of which is trying to prevent that. Maybe both sides were bad! Yes, it was exciting, adventurous, action-packed and confusing, and my hope was that the author had it in her to keep up the pace. It turns out she did. There is never a spare moment, and always something new to find.

Like a seasoned professional, the author keeps on peeling back layers and just as you think you have a good handle on things, another layer strips away and reveals a deeper understanding. Honorine is thrown into the middle of this turmoil, and is constantly trying to determine who is right and who is wrong, what's really going on, and where she fits in. In the end, this strong young female figure takes things into her own capable hands, because she knows, ultimately that she's actually the only one she can trust to do the right thing.

I loved the story, the plot, and the characters, all of them, but especially Honorine, who is a true hero and a great role model. I recommend this book without reservation.