Noemi is a soldier from the religious and rebellious planet Genesis, and is destined to die in 21 days to grant her people's temporary freedom from Earth's tyranny.

Abel is the most advanced mech in the galaxy who has spent the last 30 years cooped up in an abandoned ship waiting for the return of his creator/father.

They are enemies destined to meet.

Overall, this was a pretty good read. Not the typical YA (I'm talking romance/insta-love), although there is a HUGE element of lone heroine must save her people from a horrible government. There is the boohoohoo of the selfless heroine. There is a lot of talk about religion to the point it becomes a little overpowering. There is also a little grandstanding on the ruining and death of Earth.

So why four stars?

1. Adventure and the galaxy!
2. Different worlds and space travel
3. The never-ending question of what it means to be human.
4. Adventure and the galaxy!

This was probably knocked off 1/2 a star because holy guacamole religious kumbaya prattle, BUT bumped up 1/2 a star because NO INSTA-LOVE. Very refreshing. It's kinda (I stress the kinda) a YA-lite Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep...in ~space~.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Some interesting starting ideas, and nice fleshing out of the various planets' characteristics. Plot idea of human and machine in a relationship. But the whole book needs a lot of editing, particularly tightening it up. Way too repetitive especially about Able's rambling self-analysis -- we don't need all that, we can see what's happening from his actions. I read it to the end, just to see how things were resolved, but it was definitely on the tedious side.

Best friends Esther and Noemi have been raised like sisters on the planet Genesis. Genesis is at war with Earth over the control of Genesis. Earth has almost destroyed itself through an extreme reliance on technology and the abuse of its natural resources. The people of Genesis don't want the same things to happen to their planet. Genesis is losing the war and the planet's leaders have decided that the only way to gain time will require their young fighter pilots to make the most extreme sacrifice. Noemi has volunteered for this suicide mission, but during a preliminary practice flight Esther is injured. Noemi takes Esther into an abandoned Earth ship floating just outside Genesis's orbit. On entering the ship, she discovers that it is not completely deserted. A mech was trapped in a storage bay when the people aboard abandoned the ship thirty years ago. Mechs are cyborgs used on Earth for purposes ranging from groundskeepers to medics and fighters. Here Noemi's struggle for her own survival and that of her planet really begins along with the most eye opening adventure she never expected.

Didn't have a chance to read it before it was archived unfortunately.

This cover and synopsis are a winning combination for marketing! The cover alone got me interested but Sci Fi and I have a strange relationship so I was a little hesitant. What I find so interesting is that this seems to be the opposite of The Terminator, sort of. Which of course, is amazing.

Noemi is a fighter and will do anything, even sacrifice herself, for her people. What makes Noemi stand out from your average heroine, is the concept of choosing an obvious enemy to be her wing man. It isn't easy for the two of them to work together, they each have to make sacrifices, but those sacrifices are necessary for the survival of truth.

The concept alone is super fun. Even if you're not big into Sci Fi, or hesitatingly putting your toe into the baby pool, this is extraordinarily different and worth the risk. The fact that Earth is now full of AI that wants to kill us is hilarious on its own but then we meet Adam and Adam is more than special.

These two together are a recipe for disaster! They figure out how to fling themselves from one problem to the next, almost without missing a beat. All of these disasters help the two of them see who the other one really is, so while they may prefer to be safe and sound, it is helpful to their relationship. There was only one moment where I felt the need to be really skittish. I was ready to fast forward through the audio and move right past that part, but fortunately I, and other readers, were spared. I cannot say more, just trust me when I say I am not ready for that!

The fight that these two have to go into is noble. The plot itself was pretty fun. There were moments where it slowed down quite a bit and I had to keep myself on task but this type of Sci Fi is still pretty new to me, so I blame myself, not the author. I am sure there are many that will absolutely love this. As a matter of fact, I was lucky enough to receive this from the publisher and then I purchased it on Audible anyway because I think my hubby will enjoy it even more than I did. Although he isn't into YA, so that may be a little bit of a put off, but I think it is worth the shot.

In short: Fun, playful, albeit dangerous plot. A little slow in spots but the characters make up for that.

It is T minus 20 days till Noemi will sacrifice her life to protect her home planet, Genesis. She has been training to fight the machines that Earth is sending to attack them. Abel is one of the machines. He has been alone in space for three decades and during this time his programming has slowly evolved. When the two are put into a confrontational situation, the outcome is not what either of them expected. They both want the fighting to stop, even if that means working with the enemy.

Defy the Stars is the first book in a new series with the same title. Gray has created two main characters that are easy to relate to and situations that are easy to understand. It is hard to believe that a story about a human and a machine (in space) can be such an attention grabber. Abel spends a bit of his time evaluating himself and discovering he is more than the sum of his parts. Noemi learns that she doesn’t know everything about the machines and that she must reevaluate what she thought was fact. Defy the Stars is a strong science fiction read that will be enjoyable even if readers don’t normally try that genre.

in depth

The basics. This was my first Claudia Gray book and I can promise you it won't be my last. I've been making an effort to read more science-fiction (I watch it way more than read it), and Defy the Stars was exactly what I needed. It's an epic, sweeping sci-fi with rock solid characters and expansive worldbuilding. Despite being pretty long, it's well paced. I read it in about one sitting and had the hardest time putting it down. Even when I guessed some of the twists, it was more satisfying than annoying. And that ending destroyed me! In a very "I hope there's a sequel" way.

The set-up. I got a very Interstellar vibe from the plot. Humanity kills Earth. Humanity colonizes other planets in order to survive. In a time when we're rolling back EPA regulations in the US, it felt very topical to be reading about a pollution-filled, devastated Earth and the pristine colony of Genesis, which is, incidentally, at war with Earth because it decided it didn't want to be another planet for Earthlings to destroy. It seems very good-evil at first, but Gray does a great job of inserting moral ambiguity. As Noemi travels to other places and befriends the mech Abel, she learns about the plight of humans in the rest of the worlds: the landless space refugees, starving Earthlings, and privileged few smart or wealthy enough to live in prosperity.

The worlds. The planets weren't wildly different from other sci-fi, but they felt plausible. Genesis with its religious zealotry and collectivism. Earth, scarred and bereft. A resort planet paradise. A mining planet for collecting resources, where only the strong are accepted. A harsh planet with an underground palace of scientific research. I got a good feel of each planet and the array of technology, far advanced from our 21st century stuff but not ridiculous enough to raise eyebrows. The mechs are the most unique, but Gray clearly did enough research on neural networks and cybernetics to give Abel and his brethren adequate verisimilitude. Yeah, there were some parts of the worldbuilding that were kind of hand-wavey, but I loved the rest too much to perseverate on it.

The adventure. So much going on! Spaceship battles! Mech battles! Wormholes! Flying through asteroid fields! Being lost in the dark vacuum of space! There are very few lulls in this book, so much so that I actually wanted it to be a little longer. There are two POVs and several conflicting plot threads: Abel trying to reunite with his creator, Noemi trying to destroy the gate between Genesis and Earth in time to stop a suicide mission, the Resistance opposing the greed of Earth. Noemi and Abel collect allies along the way. Some of the characters were around too little to feel like more than stand-ins, like the refugee couple; I wanted more depth. Others, like their teen scientist bud and doctor pal, have a rich enough personality and backstory to pop off the page. It's a lot to keep track of, and some balls get dropped, but I was definitely never bored.

The romance. The true crux of the book is Noemi and Abel, and their changing relationship. They're enemies to start. Abel is the fanciest creation of the man responsible for Genesis-killing mechs. Noemi is a Genesis orphan willing to die to save Genesis from Earth. Obviously, they hate each other at first. Hate-to-love is my book-drug. But they're so complex and rich! Abel struggles with the new experiences he's having that feel like flaws in his programming: emotions, desires, things a mech shouldn't have. Noemi goes from seeing Abel as a machine and Earthlings as a threat, black and white, to developing true empathy for and understanding of both. Snarky delicious banter turns from alliance to friendship to a deep connection that develops quickly but organically. I was sold. OTP.

The writing. Gray has a tough job ahead of her: writing a plausible cyborg. She nails it. Abel's voice is distinct from Noemi's, more dry, calculated, and free from emotion-based descriptions. Most of the metaphors are mechanical, as you'd expect. Noemi's perspective is, on the other hand, rich, emotional, intense. The discrepancy narrows slightly as Abel develops humanity, but he never loses his clinical, pragmatic approach. The descriptions are vivid, the dialogue sharp and frequently hysterical (I laughed SO MANY TIMES when Abel was talking about sex and Noemi was just like OMG NO FLEE). Gray's technical skill is a solid scaffold for a thrilling story. Now I'm just dying for a sequel, because one isn't enough.


in a sentence
Defy the Stars is a sweeping sci-fi epic that explores the nature and fate of humanity with profundity, beauty, and humor.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the opportunity to read and review Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray! Noemi is a soldier for Genesis and she's very loyal to her planet and her friend, Esther. Abel is a machine made by an Earth scientist to be the culmination of all other machines that have been created. The scientist, Mansfield, wants Abel to be as human-like as possible, including feeling emotions and having conscious thought. Esther is injured and Noemi finds the functioning but deserted ship, the Daedalus, not knowing that Abel is on board. Noemi wants to help Esther by getting to the ship's sickbay. Abel does everything in his power to save Esther and he and Noemi become reluctant comrades while Abel treats Noemi as a commander. They are going together to destroy the gate between Earth and Genesis. On their trip they make discoveries about each other, such as integrity, loyalty and other values and skills. They also note each other's intelligence. The mystery of Abel's creation and purpose makes both of them more and more curious. They meet and befriend others while on their quest and the action and suspense continues to build. This story turned out better than I thought it would, since science fiction isn't my favorite genre. Claudia Gray built a complex, futuristic world full of diverse and dynamic characters, 5 stars !

Defy the Stars is sci-fi at its very best---it's exhilarating!

What Fed My Addiction:

Complex characters you'll love!
Noemi is the type of person you can't help but root for. She's a bit of an underdog---doomed from the start of the book to die, she's accepted her fate. After all, she doesn't feel like her life is worth much anyway. Her story is sad but compelling, and the first person to truly convince her of her intrinsic value is an android (with a soul, of course). Speaking of that android, Abel is fantastically complex. As the book progresses he realizes that he just might be "broken." After all, he has thoughts and feelings outside of his programming. Ironically, Abel is one of the funniest characters in the book---his sarcasm and his sometimes misguided understanding of human emotions make him a fascinating character. I loved every minute of him!

Action, pacing and worldbuilding.
This is the type of book that catches your attention from the very beginning and never lets up. I was enthralled, ready to follow Noemi and Abel to whatever exotic planets they led me to (there were a few, and they were all very distinct). The worldbuilding is incredibly complex and developed, but it never felt at all overbearing or confusing to me. I'm not a fan of over-complicated worldbuilding with tons of descriptions, but I want to have a good sense of the world and how and why it got that way---this book fits ALL of those criteria perfectly. Noemi and Abel encounter plenty of peril on their travels (and the heart of their mission itself is incredibly dangerous), so there's action throughout the book and the pacing felt perfect as well!

Religious undertones.
I was honestly a bit worried when I realized that this book had some religious undertones. As a Christian, those can be hit or miss for me (sometimes religion can be portrayed pretty poorly). But Gray manages to explore religious themes and the concept of religion without giving "right or wrong" answers and without making any one viewpoint look bad. She shows us good and bad sides to religion and she portrays a main character who isn't quite sure what she believes---she's searching for truth and for her own understanding of a religion that's been "given" to her. I think many people can relate to that concept. But, don't worry, if you don't like religious themes at all the book is very light on them---they're definitely there, but they don't overwhelm the plot in any way, shape or form, and they can pretty much be ignored if you prefer it that way.

What Left Me Hungry for More:

???
I can't think of a single thing. I'm sure there must have been something I didn't love, but if there was, it was completely overshadowed by the awesomeness.

With its amazingly complex characters, intense action, surprising twists and beautiful storytelling, Defy the Stars is a book you don't want to miss! I can't wait to read more Claudia Gray now---I've apparently been missing out!
This book gets 5/5 stars and I'm (somewhat hesitantly---only because it's the first in a series) dubbing it an All-Time Favorite.

4.5 Stars

FINALLY—my first 2017 read above 3 stars! I’ve been in a horrible reading slump since late 2016, really, and I’d started to worry that it would never end. Thank you, Defy the Stars for breaking me out of the slump at last!

I’m sure that I would’ve loved this book as much as I did based solely on its own numerous merits, but the way in which it reminded me of HBO’s Westworld, a show that completely blew my mind, just pushed Defy the Stars over the top. Abel, one of the novel’s two main characters, is a mech, a combination of organic parts and technology, modeled after his brilliant creator, Burton Mansfield. Mansfield’s genius is so acclaimed, he’s practically a mythical figure. I did feel that there were even a few parallels between Mansfield and Westworld’s own mastermind, Dr. Robert Ford.

I absolutely loved Abel and his story line. After Mansfield and the rest of the human crew on board the spaceship Daedalus abandon it, Abel is stranded in space, all alone for thirty years until the book’s other protagonist, Noemi, unintentionally finds both the Daedalus and Abel. Although Abel’s been programmed to protect Mansfield, the man whom Abel considers his father, Abel’s programming also directs him to follow the orders of the highest human authority on the ship. Noemi ends up being that human. On Genesis, Noemi’s home planet, mechs are seen as soulless killing machines; having to place her trust in a mech goes against every one of her beliefs and instincts. Abel, being as advanced in intelligence as he is, realizes that his rescue from isolation may be short-lived with his fate in Noemi’s hands.

Claudia Gray gives both of her protagonists so many layers to their characters and develops them wonderfully. Noemi is a fierce fighter, willing to do anything to save her planet from being destroyed by Earth. Although ensuring a future for Genesis remains close to Noemi’s heart throughout the book, traveling to other planets with Abel opens her eyes and mind to the possibility that Genesis’s strategy for ending the war with Earth might not be the only way. Abel and his evolving programming also challenge Noemi to question everything she’s ever believed about mechs, which she’s encountered in battle all too often. Abel, however, proves himself to be a different kind of mech. He is the only model of his type, programmed with the skills of the other mech models but possessing a continuously developing personality. Sometimes Abel himself pauses to wonder whether a new feeling he’s experiencing is merely a malfunction or part of Mansfield’s design. The line between man and machine becomes very, very fine, and Gray just nails this aspect of the book. One thousand percent. It is so, so, so easy to forget that Abel is not entirely made of flesh and blood. He’s even got some sass! Abel melted my heart, too, which is not an easy feat.

I’m kind of a reluctant sci-fi reader; previous sci-fi books that I’ve read were too heavy on the technical details of the world and/or contained lots of info dumps. Defy the Stars features the perfect amount of world-building, enough where I feel immersed in the world but without being overwhelmed by endless minute details. The best thing about the world-building here? It’s done through showing, not telling! My last few reads employed a lot of telling, and it was exhilarating to finally encounter some skillful showing.

I’m still thinking about how amazing this book was, which pretty much illustrates the amount of love I have for it. Defy the Stars is a thrilling sci-fi adventure that also stirs the heart and asks how human a machine can be. There are many facets to this book, and each one is highly compelling and engrossing to read about.

I don't read a lot of YA/sc-fi but tend to enjoy them when I take the plunge out of my comfort zone. I was a little uncertain how a book involving a "machine" and a fighter pilot would unfold, but it works, even better than I imagined. I was riveted from the beginning moments as Abel and Noemi cross paths in a fierce intergalactic battle.

"We were both looking for each other the whole time.."

While it's action packed, the book focuses on the complicated relationship between enemies. Watching Abel and Noemi learn to trust and rely of each other was the most fulfilling experience. Their chemistry and slow burning relationship is pure YA gold. Abel is childlike and innocent in many ways, and he completely melted my heart. Even though Noemi faces war with bravery and is a tough heroine, she's also pure and untarnished. There are no clear villains here, and Gray does an excellent job of conveying multiple sides of a complex war.

"A victory that comes from the sacrifice of an innocent isn't a victory. It's the end of us."

I've read a few books from Gray and this is hands down my favorite to date. I will be desperately awaiting the follow up installment for this one! (Thanks Hollis for talking me off the ledge with the duo update) I recommend Defy the Stars to any YA fan, even if you tend to shy away from sci-fi.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for my advanced copy.**

First of all, I must give a shoutout and a HUGE thank you to Netgalley for sending me an ARC of Defy the Stars (okay, okay, you got me: I won it in an email raffle, but you get my point!)

I’m not going to lie – I expected a lot from Defy the Stars. I absolutely adored Claudia Gray’s Firebird trilogy. In fact, A Thousand Pieces of You is one of my all-time favorites. That’s a lot of potential for this book to live up to…

and it totally did!

Let’s talk world building for a moment. As in incredible. It was compelling, precise, and easy to understand. The basic structure of this universe is Earth and its colonies. Planet colonies, mind you. Our main character Noemi’s home planet is Genesis, which is determined to secede from Earth and its planet-poisoning ways. That’s where the war comes in, which gives me a strange sense of déjà-vu with its parallels to the American Revolution. Think of Earth as Great Britain and Genesis as the United States in 1776. Only instead of taxes and tea-dumping, there are wormholes and robots. I know. Awesome.

All the scientific stuff was really interesting, from wormholes to blasters, this book knocked out the sci-fi elements, no doubt.

Our first main character Noemi, is just so refreshing. You know the usual fantasy/sci-fi protagonists: kick-but, ruthless, not afraid to punch someone. And that’s perfectly fine. Noemi on the other hand, has that pesky thing that most YA characters choose to shed: a conscience. She always ops to preserve human life, to cause as little damage as she possibly can while still running for her life. Don’t get me wrong, she is hard core, but she also has this constant need to help people, even strangers. She’s brave, compassionate, and unbelievable selfless.

Next we have our “mech” Abel. Mechs are like robots, but aren’t quite like a piece of machinery. Instead they appear to be completely human, with flesh and wiring at the same time. Abel on the other hand, after being in isolation for years, is much more man than machine and I have to say – it was an absolute joy reading from his point of view. Both protagonists have very different voices. Abel is always on the side of logic and probability, with his constant calculations. After all, he is a mech. But, he is still a huge sass-queen and I love him for it. Since he isn’t exactly a traditional mech, he has loads of sarcasm for our enjoyment.

“Abel may give his service to Noemi. He may give his very life for her cause. His programming offers him no other choice.

But if she’s determined to use him up and throw him away, he can at least make sure she doesn’t enjoy it.”

Now onto the fabulous, slow-burn romance. Romance?? But Jordyn, he’s a machine?? Well, you’re only half-right there. Sure, Abel is a mech born from wiring and science, but he’s more advanced than your average robot in really complex ways. For the first half or so, Noemi and Abel barely tolerate each other. Which really lets you focus on the plot and the action! Then, we slowly start to see that awareness of each other. I think the romance developed beautifully, if being a little last-minute on Noemi’s part. I thought their interactions were really sweet once they became friends, even if Abel isn’t the smoothest ladies-man ever:

“‘I’m programmed with a wide array of techniques for providing physical pleasure, via every activity from kissing to more arcane positions for sexual intercourse. Although I’ve never performed any of them before, I’m confident I could do so very skillfully.'”

Something that we definitely don’t see much of in YA that played significant a part in this book was religion. Not in the preachy sense, but Noemi often wondered about God and whether or not she deserved guidance or an entrance to heaven should she die. It actually tied in with the core of Genesis, her home planet.

“‘We all realized we needed to be searching for something more meaningful. Whether we were Buddhist or Catholic, Muslim or Shinto, we all needed to pay more attention to the old teachings. We needed to recapture that sense of responsibility toward the world we’d found. Our faiths gave us the one thing Earth couldn’t give anyone any longer – hope.”‘

My only problem with this book was something that happened near the end. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that it felt a little bit random and unnecessary. I think it was done in order to set things up for future books in the series, but it could’ve been implemented a bit more smoothly.

With all of that said and done, I can happily give Defy the Stars a wonderful 4.5/5 stars. It seems this book is set up to be a trilogy, maybe more, and I can’t wait to see what happens next with Abel and Noemi!

Another thanks to Netgalley for sending me this e-ARC!

“‘My programming is clear. You are my commander. Unless and until I have another commander, I will protect you no matter what. That means keeping you out of jail. That means fulfilling your mission. That means making sure you have enough to eat. Everything. Anything. I protect you.'"

After reading about a dozen YA fantasy ARCs, reading a sci-fi was a nice change. I was intrigued by the idea of a cyborg POV and Abel didn't disappoint.

The book opens with Abel, having spent the past several decades alone in an aging spaceship floating on the edge of a warring world, observing the latest space battle. He's hoping one of the fighters will get close enough that he can attract attention and then use its energy to get off his ship.

Noemi is one of the fighters from Genesis, a world that's isolated itself from Earth's politics and ever-expanding government. Outnumbered and outgunned, Genesis is slowly losing its battle for independence. When Noemi's sister's craft crash-lands on Abel's ship, the two protagonists meet.
What starts as a violent confrontation ends with Abel surrendering authority to Noemi due to his programming...a ground-breaking programming created by the author of cyborg life on Earth.

Abel's creator is also the reason why Genesis is losing. As a world that has eschewed cutting edge technology - including merging humans with machines - they cannot match the replication of or ruthless intelligence of cyborg soldiers. When Noemi realizes how valuable Abel is, she doesn't hesitate to pick his brain for the viability of her daring scheme to close a space gate and keep Genesis safe for several years from Earth's aggression.

As Noemi leads Abel through her plan, she grows to treat Abel like an actual human. The cyborg response is to become more human, with likes, dislikes and the ability to think around directives he must obey but doesn't agree with. The author takes a lot of liberties with the idea of cyborg programming - and why not? - but there were times my incredulity was stretched a bit when it came to Noemi and Abel's relationship. I kept thinking of Data from Star Trek. Abel's transformation is very similar and Noemi's experience seemed secondary to that of the cyborg.
Still, a fun, fast read.

Science fiction is not my favorite genre because it's hard to usually keep track of the world, the characters, the situation, the war or battle, and the allegiances, but I absolutely enjoyed the characters Noemi and Abel and what they brought to a battle in which Noemi is on a literal collision course to sacrifice herself for her world while Abel is a machine taking orders from others. It's their decisions and their ultimate romance that make the book.

While I won't read the second since it wasn't compelling enough for me to continue the drumbeat of reading series forever, it is a series I'd put on our shelves and recommend.

Rating: ★★★★ (4 STARS)

HUGE thanks to Little Brown Books, Netgalley, and Claudia Gray for the eGalley of Defy the Stars in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

PLOT

Defy the Stars is the story Noemi Vidal who lives on Genesis, the only planet left in the solar system to reflect what Earth used to be before it self-destructed. Genesis is a planet that has closed its doors to technology & maintains a green environment because of it. Earth on the other hand is only a shell of the planet it used to be, dying and desperate to get its people re-located.

Quick 411 On This World…

Defy the Stars takes place in the solar system, mostly in a ship but there’s plenty of traveling to the surrounding planets. Our main Protagonist Noemi is from Genesis known as the planet with the beautiful green lands, clean air/water with temperate climate. Abel the A.I. is from Earth which eerily enough is described as having self destructed & the opposite of Genesis. Kismet (my fave) described as a water-world with tropical weather & fun loving people/culture. Downside: only the privileged wealthy can afford to lay up on Kismet. Cray is where the smartest of the smart reside underground enjoying total nerdom (2nd fave haha!). Too hot to live on top, scientists live down below where they are spoiled with all the fun gadgets to make it a total nerd paradise *heart eyes* Stronghold is quite the opposite of Cray, here is a cold cold and gray planet suitable for the strongest (think military).

Back to the Plot…

Genesis has closed itself off from Earth to preserve their planet from a people they know will only continue destroying wherever they go. This in turn has kept these two planets at war with Earth attempting to conquer Genesis through a Galaxy gate. Genesis may not know how to destroy the gate, but they have an idea on how to temporarily disable it…a suicide mission to be carried out by their youth. Noemi Vidal is 17 & ready to die for her planet and the belief that her sacrifice will gain Genesis an advantage. In preparation for this mission she and the other youths engage in training however, things take a turn when their training turns into the real deal. Noemi finds herself in an abandoned enemy (Earth) ship unaware how much her life is about to change…

CHARACTERS

We get introduced to Noemi Vidal, a 17 year old of Chilean descent who was orphaned and taken in by her best friend’s family. A family she very much appreciates but still can’t help but feel like an outsider looking in. Noemi is very protective of her best-friend going as far as volunteering for the Massada Run aka the suicide mission aimed at helping Genesis. This would fill the requirement per family and her best friend wouldn’t have to be sacrificed. We often see female protagonists in YA playing the role of martyr, the difference here is that Noemi is just one of the many youths who believe it’s their duty (side note: this didn’t make sense to me & i’m glad its addressed in the story lol). Noemi sees herself as having a unappealing personality because she angers often however, I did not find her to to be as unpleasant as she sees herself lol. Smart & resourceful are more adequate descriptions of Noemi, I liked her just fine. However, the stand out character was Abel the machine/Artificial Intelligence left behind on the abandoned Earth ship. Abel has been stuck in a room on the ship since the last war 30 years ago. The 1st of his kind, he was made with superior intelligence & human like qualities. Over the course of 30 years however, Abel has continued developing & growing. I enjoyed Abel so much, i’ll even go as far as saying he’s up there with my other fave A.I. AIDEN (Illuminae Files). Abel’s sarcasm & self ego stroking had me shaking my head quite often. It’s funny because it makes sense that he would have these traits given he’s not human but quickly developing at the speed of one who is. He has learned human mannerisms but its his self awareness that trips him up. I really grew to love this character and often compared him to Gepetto’s creation minus the lying haha! Last but not least, the diversity in this book was absolutely one of my most favorite aspects. Not only does Gray give us POC’s but she also gave us robots (the setting is in the future) that were also made to resemble all people. The entire cast is diverse & it made my reading experience much more enjoyable.

WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS

I love me some gooooood world building & Defy the Stars delivered on this front and so much more. This being my first Claudia Gray book (still want to read the Firebird trilogy), I found her writing to be very enjoyable. Given that this story takes place in space, I didn’t go into it thinking I’m going to get a super fast paced story but was pleasantly surprised. So, what can you expect? adventure, humor, interesting diverse characters, action, and a bit of romance. The only reason I docked it a star was because I would’ve liked to have seen more from Earth being that they are the “enemy”. We meet leaders on Genesis but who is leading the war on behalf of Earth? and what of their people (other than Abel’s creator of course) The ending left me SO curious of what’s to come & a bit anxious for the sequel, I’ve even offered my housekeeping services to Claudia if it would help her any…jk but I so would haha!

Have any of my bookish peeps read Defy the Stars? Did you happen to get Illuminae vibes? If you had to choose a bestie…would you go with Abel or AIDEN?

I started this book with pretty high hopes. Right away, I liked the third person present tense writing. It kept the story feeling immediate, and especially made sense to me in Abel’s scenes. I loved both Noemi and Abel straight from the start. Like Abel, I respected Noemi’s willingness to sacrifice herself to save others and her love for her best friend Esther. I felt a bit skeptical of whether Abel’s scenes would really seem like AI or whether they would feel too human. Actually, I really liked him a lot, and I think the internal experiences—rational breakdowns and examinations of emotions worked really well. I liked that over time he experienced character development, too.

The plot took me to some places I didn’t expect. I liked that unexpectedness. On the other hand, I really struggled with the ending. I don’t want to give anything away. But. The whole story had a certain goal and then by the end it felt like that goal sort of got dropped. I didn’t really understand a couple of the details that led up to the goal being abandoned. I mean, I feel like I understood some of the reasons, but I don’t know. It was weird. It felt like a really solid story that took a detour at the end to allow for setting up the rest of the series. Normally that doesn’t bother me—I liked the characters so I’m not sad at all that there may be other adventures, but it felt a little bit like a bait and switch or something.

Still, I’m not at all sorry that I read it. I loved getting to explore so much of the intricate story world Gray created and her masterful characters had me hooked from the first page to the last.

If you liked the recent movie adaptation of Ender’s Game or Ex Machina, you want to add this book to your list. I think fans of Hayley Stone’s Machinations would also find this book appealing.

I was initially skeptical about a YA book with a human/AI plot mostly because I thought it would just be a trendy romance thing. I was SO wrong about that! I was pretty much swept off my feet by the characters and the story in Defy the Stars and couldn’t put it down.

Noemi is a young soldier in the decades long war between Genesis and Earth and she’s preparing for a suicide mission. Fortunately for her, this is disrupted by a surprise attack on Genesis’ ships during one of their last training maneuvers. In an attempt to save the life of her friend Esther, she boards an Earth ship that was damaged in a battle 30 years ago. Here she encounters Abel, an uncanny AI unit designed by the Earthen forerunner in cybernetics, Burton Mansfield. Abel can’t save her friend, but he does know the one weakness in the Gates that allow easy travel between distant worlds and Noemi is now his commander. Here begins their weeks-long journey between worlds to gather the equipment needed to destroy the Gate and hopefully stop the hostilities between Earth and Genesis.

I absolutely loved Noemi and Abel. Abel’s growing humanity and his coding are in an epic struggle and it’s really quite touching. Noemi struggles with so many things, from her feelings toward Abel (does he have a soul?), her duty, and her religion. It was refreshing to see Christianity portrayed positively and have a character that had a very believable internal debate within herself. I thought it was also really fantastic that all the worlds that were mentioned actually got page-time! Admittedly, the cultures weren’t terribly detailed but we got the gist and besides, there are plenty of opportunities in the sequels additional worldbuilding. The secondary characters, particularly Virginia, were pleasant additions to the cast and I can’t wait to see what (if any) roles they’ll play in the sequel.

Defy the Stars was such a pleasantly awesome book. It just made me feel good and when I got to the end I was pretty happy. Of course it’s got the classic “save the world” trope, but it doesn’t feel so heavy and dour as it sometimes can, though Defy the Stars retains the seriousness. Overall, I’d highly recommend this one, especially if you’re curious about YA science fiction.

Truthfully, I didn't love this book as much as I had hoped. While there were a lot of positives to the story, the execution fell a little flat for me.

The concept itself it awesome! The universe this story is set in is fabulous; it's complex and layered but easy to follow at the same time. I never found that aspect to be lacking the entire time I was reading. You don't have to be overly familiar with technology or other science fiction works to understand the plot. I actually think this is the perfect bridging book for those who want to break out of dystopian novels and try science fiction.

For me, the plot was far to slow. It reads more like an adventure book where you get little hiccups of excitement (often only a chapter or two long) along the way. Eventually, you reach a climax at the end where all the threads weave together. The last 25% of the book was fantastic and I can't help but wish the excitement happened earlier in the novel to keep me interested.

Which is a shame because I really did like Abel and Noemi as leads. Noemi is a strong heroine you can't help but love as she evolves to see the bigger picture of the universe and herself. Abel won me over from the start as well. His character development is probably my favourite part of this novel. Together they make a fabulous team that compliment each other supremely well.

In short, this book felt like a very extended prologue laying down the foundations for more exciting sequels and I'm curious to see where it goes from here.

First off, the book starts out with a bang:

"In three weeks, Noemi Vidal will die- here, in this very place."

THAT is how you start a book. My attention was captured from page one. And quite literally, never let go. But while the epic stakes and the level of plot awesome were huge, the biggest draw for me was the characters. I adored Noemi and Abel so much. A lot of the novel takes place with them, you know, doing space shenanigans (which is the scientific word for it, of course). Their banter is off the charts phenomenal, and I lived for it. And I would have probably been sad when other characters were introduced, except they were also amazing.

The world building is just as well done. It can be hard, often, for me as a reader to fully wrap my head around a world in space, but the author just did an absolutely masterful job of weaving a world that is both complex yet comprehensible. And Noemi and Abel have chances to make big changes in this world. There is so much happening in the universe around them, and they both have loyalties that lie beyond just themselves. I won't say anything else for fear of spoiling, but just know that I am basically counting down the minutes until the sequel.

Bottom Line: New favorite book alert.

*Copy provided for review
**Quote taken from uncorrected proof, subject to change.

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray is an amazing story where Ms. Gray creates an expansive sci-fi universe with interesting worlds, technologies and futures to explore.

Noemi Vidal is a young fighter pilot in the last weeks of prep for a suicide mission that will buy her world, Genesis, time to better prepare to fight the incursion of merciless Mech (terminator-esque battle drones) armies, sent by an Earth low on resources to exploit her home world.

When a minor battle causes her to make an emergency landing on an Earth ship, abandoned 30 years ago during the on going war, she comes face to face with her worst nightmare, the most advanced experimental Mech ever created. However, instead of killing her, it informs her that as the only human on board, she is now its commander. To top off the strange turn of events, Noemi finds it knows a way to destroy Earth's ability to attack them...

What is a girl to do? Obviously... go on a voyage around the circle of worlds in the known habitable universe, avoid getting blown up, get chased across said universe by battle Mechs, make new friends, have some narrow escapes, and of course...the most important bit and my favorite part... get an awfully lot closer to a surprisingly human android than she ever thought she would. Like I said from the start...amazing story! And that's barely touching the surface.

More than anything, what I liked about Defy the Stars was the growth of the characters. While Abel, a recently sentient AI has some obvious growth to do, both Abel and Noemi learn more about themselves and each other than they ever imagined. I wish there had been another chapter or two at the beginning to get a better feel for Noemi in her native environment, but we learn a lot about her as we go. I enjoy Abel's transition from a rather know-it-all android to a more human character and that Noemi is the one who causes this final development, from a machine which just barely did more than fake humanness, to one with his own feelings. I also liked how in many ways it brings out Noemi's own version of development as she learns more about herself, Abel, and the scope of the universe she is adventuring in.

In the end Defy the Stars gives you both a sense of satisfaction in the characters who you've spent chapters bonding with, but a serious case of wanting more. I'm ready for the next Noemi and Abel adventure and the ink isn't even wet on this one. I wholeheartedly recommend!

(I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book I received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review.)