Earth has squandered all of it's natural resources and polluted the planet beyond all hope. Armed with the technology for space travel through Gates (which allow for speedy travel over long distances), Earth has colonized several other planets and but has not learned from it's previous mistakes. Genesis is just one of those colonized planets, but the citizens can see the danger coming and decide to do something about it. Noemi, a pilot from Genesis, is willing to give up her life to protect her planet and its people.

Then something happens. Something sad and amazing... and somewhere in the middle of that chain of events, Noemi meets Abel. As soon as Noemi sees Abel she can tell that he is a mech, a machine inside of human flesh. What Noemi doesn't know is that Abel is one of a kind - the greatest creation of Burton Mansfield, creator of all mechs. Abel has been trapped in the spaceship, The Daedalus, for 30 years, waiting and hoping for rescue. After Abel shares with Noemi a mind-blowing secret, they set off on a very grand adventure.

At the heart of this adventure are the questions: What does it mean to truly be human? What does it truly mean to love another? Sacrifice... willingness to sacrifice ones lives for the goals or the good of the other... sacrifice is a very vivid and touching picture of real love. And the ability to love is one thing that makes us human.

I really enjoyed Defy the Stars. The interactions between the two main characters drew me into the story as I enjoyed reading first-hand how their thinking about each other and the universe changed. Because of a slight amount of mature content, I recommend this for high school readers and above.

Defy the Stars is a solidly enjoyable book. The last 30% of the story found me not wanting to put it down. I read well into the wee hours of morning to finish it. It has a thought provoking premise, and the author was able to weave some strong contemporary sociopolitical messages within its futuristic environment.
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I described this book as not being "YA SciFi light" in the beginning (which delighted me, by the way) because it was pretty tech dense and had a fair bit of sciencey content, but that calmed down after about the first 20%. So if you start reading and feel you are wading knee deep, keep reading because the plot really takes off and the last third of the book is fast paced and action packed. There is not really any romance. There is only flirtiness, and one short kissing scene; although it did explore the theme of love and what love can be. Of course all of you who know me know I am not a fan of grunting and groping, so the low key romance was a plus for me. Ha ha. I also love AIs and this book delivered!
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My favorite YA books are the ones that weave insightful messages throughout the storyline about sociopolitical, morality, and environmental issues. You get all three with this book, so I was triply impressed!

**Live 4/14**

I picked up Defy the Stars mostly because I’d read a book by Claudia Gray I didn’t like. Maybe that sounds odd, but she’s so popular I thought maybe it was my chance to try again. I wanted to see if maybe my dislike was a fluke. At the same time, my feelings for that other book was so strong it made me push Defy the Stars back. I didn’t have high hopes at all, despite everyone else’s excitement and the absolutely gorgeous cover. (I mean, isn’t it incredible. These are the covers I like. I really hope it doesn’t get redesigned with some lame female model.)

I’m really glad I decided to request it, and also that I forced myself to get over my nerves, because I liked Defy the Stars. The biggest draw for me was the development between Abel and Noemi. Both of the characters were interesting on their own, but it was the way they interacted I enjoyed the most. They both come from opposing sides of a war, which automatically gives us conflict. Abel is also a mech, which basically means he’s a robot. He’s just the most advanced kind of mech, one with feelings, can rationalize, and understand abstract thoughts. I thought I would have a problem with the developing relationship between Abel and Noemi, but Abel was so perfectly human (and slightly mechanical too) that I didn’t. I felt for his situation far more than I did Noemi’s. I’m not saying I disliked Noemi, it just hurt my heart to read Abel treated badly because he wasn’t born, and instead he was made.

And that ending! Ugh, it killed me. It wasn’t a cliffhanger, I didn’t think. It felt complete, it tugged on my heartstrings. Clearly I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll say it’s made me really want the second book. I at least want the blurb. I need to know how this story is going to play out from where we were left.

It’s great that I loved the characters so much, because the plot of the story didn’t really thrill me. I wasn’t a fan of the war. I didn’t think the reasons Genesis was fighting for their independence was explored and explained enough. We were introduced to side characters who didn’t feel nearly as fleshed out as they should. Basically, when it came to everything outside of Abel and Noemi I was pretty lukewarm.

I also find most Sci-Fi stories feel too rushed to me. They’re so busy zipping every where, back to the ship, now to this planet, then fight their way back to the ship… sometimes it feels like my mind can’t keep up. The plus side, if I’m not liking where they’re at I know they won’t be there long. The downside, I’m not really connecting to the story the way I should. I want to fall into the story, and every time I’d start to fall the story would flip on me. It was like my trust building partner was letting me drop. Maybe it’s me though.

Despite my issues with the plot, I’m still giving the book 4 stars. To put it simply, Abel is worth every bit of 4 stars. And after that ending, I couldn’t possibly go any lower. I really can’t wait for the book two.

Defy the Stars is a very entertaining science fiction experience!

Noemi lives on the planet Genesis. Their enemy is on the attack and wants to take over their planet and ruin their peaceful, healthy way of life. In order to keep their enemy at bay, Noemi and many other fighters have volunteered for a suicide mission which will occur in twenty days. The kicker is that their enemy is Earth. It seems the people on Earth have ruined their planet and they are very overcrowded. They must seek other planets to take over so they have a place to go. Earth doesn't send people to do their fighting, they send robots called mechs.

I don't want to give away all the details, but Noemi eventually ends up on an old Earthen spaceship with Abel, a mech that has been stranded on this ship for years. Abel turns out to be a very sophisticated mech, so much so, that he seems to have feelings. So Noemi and Mech begin this quest across the universe to try to save Genesis and stop the war before the suicide mission takes place.

Defy the Stars is very exciting. The pacing is excellent, and each place they visit is different and offers unique challenges. They meet a host of good guys along the way. They must confront several moral dilemmas as they fight for survival. It kept my attention, and I was thinking about the characters when I wasn't reading.

I guess the whole "mech falling in love" premise is a bit unbelievable but Gray does a good job making you believe it. The ending leaves our characters in a safe place, but there are bigger issues that aren't resolved. I want to know! Defy the Stars is the beginning of a series, The Constellation Series, so I'm planning on continuing.

I'm excited to give this one to my teen science fiction fans!

Set somewhere in the future, other planets have been discovered and inhabited, and at least one is at war with Earth, attempting to keep Earth's polluted minds off their pristine environment. This other planet, Genesis, lives simply, employing thousands of fighters in their quest to save their planet. Noemi is one of those fighters.

I liked the initial premise of this book. There's an oh-crap-we-used-up-our-resources-what-do-we-do-now idea that is, whether we like it or not, extremely relevant to our lives today. There's also an artificial intelligence component. However, Gray takes these two interesting themes and kind of just runs around with them. Sure, we were able to delve into the brain of Abel (the mech) to see how he thought, how he malfunctioned, etc., but it seemed to be all she did with it. I also found it a little slow. It just took me awhile to get through it.

Since before she was born, Noemi’s planet has been fighting planet Earth to protect its resources from their greed. Not only has Earth ruined their own environment and pillaged planets from other galaxies, they have also created advanced technology that fights for them – AI humanoid robots called mechs.

At seventeen, Noemi is a soldier – a fighter pilot, and she and a group of other young soldiers are preparing to sacrifice themselves to give their planet a few months to rebuild their arsenals and gain strength to continue the fight. During a practice run, something goes wrong and Noemi finds herself face to face with a mech unlike any she has ever seen. This mech – Abel - could be the solution her planet was looking for. She has a plan, but the days are ticking away quickly, and she needs to get the plan executed before all those young soldiers needlessly sacrifice themselves. Yet as she spends more time with Abel, she starts to see there is more to him than she ever could have realized. And this realization begins to endanger her plan to save her planet.

Oh, how I wanted to love this book. Pretty cover. I enjoyed A Thousand Pieces of You. YA sci-fi. Kick ass female protagonist. It seemed certain it would be everything. Unfortunately, while there were things I did like about it, it was only meh.

On the positive side, I loved Abel. By far my favorite part of the book was getting to know him. His humanity was beautifully balanced, and his innocence wasn’t naïve. So refreshing that he wasn’t written in child-like terms. It was a pleasure to watch him bloom, to figure himself out.

The underlying message about the costs of ignoring our environmental issues was also much appreciated, and it was presented in a palatable fashion. Kudos.

However. This felt like a bunch of other stories I’ve heard, read, seen before, all mashed together to try and make something new. Instead, I kept thinking how much it felt like Battlestar Galactica, how the different worlds and mindsets felt like the divisions in the Divergent series. It just didn’t feel unique enough.

Maybe I was overexcited and that contributed to a higher level of disappointment. Ultimately, it was just a bit formulaic for me.

Noemi is a fighter in space out to protect her planet. She meets Abel, a machine that has been abandoned in space for years. Together they work towards a common goal although they're enemies at war. When Noemi first met Abel I immediately liked them together. Their banter along with quickly coming up with a plan to suit both their needs I enjoyed seeing the beginning of the relationship. But the whole newness of the story quickly developed into nothing new in the story department and this book became a chore to read. I spent almost a week reading this book barely getting to 10% at a time before it wasn't keeping my attention and I had to set it down. This is a first book in series and I'm not sure I care enough to continue.

I didn’t fully read the description of this one, and therefore didn’t know exactly what to expect when I started reading. What I found was a strong-willed, yet sympathetic protagonist with a bit of a chip on her shoulder, although not without reason, and an equally likable, and believable, android thrust together in an adventure spanning the galaxy.

Finding that as the only human around she is able to command Abel to do her bidding, Noemi orders him to help her find a piece of equipment that will aide her people in their was against Earth. Abel for his part would be happier to destroy Noemi, but his programming won’t allow it. There is some great character development as the two get to know each other and understand each others motivations. There is also more real science than I expected to get in a young adult scifi story, and that was a pleasant surprise.

This was my first encounter with author Claudia Gray, but if Goodreads is to be believed and there will be a sequel to Defy the Stars, then it will not be my last.

First off let me just say that I am so glad to see that this book is part of a series because I absolutely adored this story, this world and especially the main characters and I want to know more about all of them. Next, let me say that it was also very satisfying in its own right, no cliffhangers at all, but you will probably be like me and want more! It was a beautiful story and an exciting world to inhabit and I adored Abel and Noemi so very much.

So now that I have all of that out of the way let me tell you why I loved this book so much. The world building is amazing. I felt like I was right there in the story, traveling through space with Abel and Noemi as they go in search of a way to complete Noemi's mission. Each world they visited was real in my mind, the people they encountered were flesh and blood, each adventure they had was exciting and thrilling. When an author can create all of that in your minds eye, well that just makes them brilliant. Claudia Gray is brilliant.

I grew to love the characters in the book, especially Abel. He broke my heart a little with each page, he is just fabulousness. And Noemi is the kind of heroine I adore, smart and tough but human and tender too. I adored her. I can't wait to spend time with them again.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of fabulous writing, amazing space adventures and a little romance. And to lovers of new worlds to explore, new people to meet and some great fight scenes. I loved every page!

I loved it! Hands-down 5 stars.

This one is packed with both action and emotion. A great new twist on the AI conundrum. Reveal after reveal will shock you. I'm fascinated and a little in love with both MCs. I want more, more, more of this story.

This first book reads as a stand alone but leaves the story open to more intriguing action in future books. I can't wait!

Actual rating is 3.5 stars

As many of you know, space is 100% my jam. So when I saw a spacey book written by an author I'd wanted to check out, of course I had to read it. And overall, I thought this was a pretty good book. I loved the concept, although I think the execution could have been a little better. But, yeah. I liked this book and I'd definitely recommend it.

It took me a little bit to get into the story. While there was plenty of action and excitement, I felt a little removed from the action. I think my problem was I still didn't really understand what was happening, so I was less invested in the story. Later on, once I had a better idea about what was happening, I stared caring a looot more for the characters.

The characters themselves were okay. Abel was pretty awesome and I enjoyed watching his journey. But Noemi was just...eh. She wasn't a bad character by any means. But I kind of feel like I've already read her character a couple hundred times. There wasn't a whole lot that stood out about her. Although I did enjoy watching her learn more about the universe. That was pretty cool.

So, to sum it up, I liked this book. There were things I didn't care for, but I still had a really good time reading this. If it looks like something you'd like, I'd definitely say check it out!

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for providing this book in exchange for an honest review!

I remember my first foray into the world of Claudia Gray. It was the era of the Evernight series, and a part of my bookish life that firmly remains in the past. While not crazy about vampires in a creepy, Gothic boarding school, I went totally ga-ga over Defy the Stars. Space battles and butt-kicking mechs is part of what I love about science-fiction and a simmering romance on the side is icing on the cake! It's like iRobot and Battlestar Galactica met with Melissa Lander's Starflight and decided to have a party!

Claudia Gray gently rolls into the story by introducing Noemi Vidal in the heat of battle against a swarm of mechs and Abel, the first mech with advanced intelligence, is abandoned in an old Earth ship. In just a few scenes she defines the parameters of this world. In an effort to keep Earth from pumping Noemi's home world, Genesis, full of toxins and ultimately killing it they fight to remain free of Earth's control. They have planned a Masada Run to incapacitate the gate that allows travel between Earth's galaxy and Genesis', effectively giving them more time to regroup. However, one chance encounter with an extremely advanced mech gives Noemi the opportunity of a lifetime. With Abel's knowledge she will be able to completely destroy the gate and save her fellow young soldiers from the death run.

I wasn't immediately captured by the story until Abel and Noemi set off on their journey to save her world. As the two travel through the Loop to other worlds Abel explores his newfound sense of humanity. He desires to return to his creator, but his programming requires that he serve Noemi as the highest human authority in his vicinity. Noemi has been taught all her life that mechs are just machines, then she meets Abel who defies that logic. Their perspectives change as their experiences together cause them to question their beliefs and understandings. The war between Genesis and Earth has dire consequences for many in the worlds Noemi travels through. All the compassion and grace that she thought she couldn't feel spurs her to accomplish her goal even faster.

Where I expected just another interesting science-fiction read, Defy the Stars takes readers fruther than an action-packed space opera. Claudia Gray forces readers to place themselves in Noemi's shoes and wonder what Abel must feel as he ponders his own existence. I'm excited for the next flash installment in this series, I can't imagine where Gray will take us next!
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

Genesis is a planet that used to be a colony of Earth but has been at war with Earth for years now fighting for their independence. The humans of Genesis have lost many lives fighting the robotic mech army of Earth over the years. Now there’s a plan in motion that will cost more Genesis lives but hopefully turn the tide for Genesis.

Noemi Vidal is a teen soldier for Genesis that lost her family at a young age and now will do anything to protect the only person she is close to in her life. However during a training mission leading up to the Genesis plan that Noemi volunteered for there is a surprise attack and Noemi finds herself stranded on an abandoned ship where she comes across the most advanced mech she’s ever known, Abel.

While Abel should be Noemi’s enemy his programming forces him to obey her and the pair soon find themselves teamed up on the biggest adventure across the galaxy trying to save Genesis before it’s too late. After spending time with Abel Noemi comes to realize that he’s not only advanced but appears to have a soul and a mind of his own.

Defy the Stars was a fairly fast paced young adult science fiction fantasy mostly taking apart in space. The characters were absolutely wonderful in this one, Abel especially quickly became a favorite as he was often quite funny. Noemi however was a very strong and determined young lady that I couldn’t help but root for.

If I had to make any complaints about this story the only thing I could think of was I wish there had been a bit more build up in the beginning about Noemi, her past and her relationship with her friend. However, considering this book was over 500 pages and it didn’t lose my interest at any point I really can’t complain since I usually have a short attention span for lengthy novels. This however kept a good pace and I never felt it slowed down or got boring.

Overall, 4.5 stars for Defy the Stars, will be looking forward to seeing where the author takes this story in any future installments.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Steeped in adventure and intense sci-fi world building, Claudia Gray’s Defy The Stars takes us to new worlds full of spaceships and robots while adeptly telling a story about the power of humanity.

Genesis is one of four planets Earth discovered and colonized many years ago. But despite its scientific advancements, Earth remains wasteful and destructive, taking advantage and quickly depleting the natural resources of its new planets. Genesis fought back and won its independence in the Liberty War, but 30 years later, Earth is back once again. This time, they’re destroying Genesis’ young military with advanced robots known as “mechs.” Genesis is growing desperate, sending soldiers like 17-year-old Noemi Vidal into an impossible fight. So desperate, in fact, that Noemi is one of several soldiers due to die in an effort to temporarily disable Earth’s portal to Genesis.

Twenty days before her mission, Earth launches a surprise attack. Caught in a tight spot, Noemi is forced to board a disabled enemy ship in the debris. What she doesn’t realize is that Abel, the universe’s most advanced mech, is also on board. Despite once being companion to one of the most powerful men on Earth, Abel’s programming forces him to obey Noemi as his commander. With Abel’s vast knowledge of the world beyond Genesis, Noemi quickly concocts a plan to save her home planet. But on a strict timeline and with no practical experience of the universe, Noemi must work with Abel to complete her mission. Soon, she realizes there’s more to the mech than just programming.

You may be thinking “Wait… Is this a love story between a human and a robot?” I know there’s a certain squick factor to that trope, and I felt it too among reading the description. But breathe easy, folks! This story is, in part, about relationships and the way we connect with others. Noemi and Abel are fascinating both as individuals and as a team. I absolutely rooted for them. But you will not be stuffed with whimsical descriptions of lustful pining and obsession. These two are on a mission! There is action, danger, and adventure! Ain’t nobody got time for romance and googly eyes!

Noemi was raised a soldier, so she’s definitely a capable character. However, it’s the attributes that sometimes make her stick out negatively in the military, like her extra feist and questioning nature, that make her the most interesting character. She’s brave enough to volunteer for a Genesis-approved suicide mission, but smart enough to risk everything for an alternate solution that will save lives. Childlike but efficient, Abel is not your regular robot. If anything, it seems he’s more cyborg. All “mechs” are part human, part machine, but Abel is an unique model whose one-of-a-kind design and strange circumstances lead his consciousness to outweigh his programming. If he doesn’t expose himself, everyone assumes he’s was human. His character absolutely brought smiles to our faces and added some unexpected twists. He struck more of a chord with us than Noemi, but both characters are great.

The two travel through “The Loop,” an interconnected ring of habitable planets in different galaxies. Beyond Genesis is Kismet, a resort planet for the uber wealthy. Next comes Cray, a planet designated for scientific study and technological advancement, then Stronghold, a harsh, icy planet that only accepts the strongest and most capable to share in its comforts. Stronghold leads back to Earth, and Earth to Genesis. Thanks to some carefully placed mines, no resident of Genesis has been to Kismet or beyond in thirty years. Noemi is the first, making her journey even more incredible.

Along the way, they meet up with some clever characters like Veronica, a tech genius who will trade just about anything for a chance to study Abel, and Ephraim, a Stronghold doctor who understands the complexities of the galaxy better than anyone might expect. Through them, Noemi discovers something important: Her home planet isn’t part of Earth’s exploitation game, but in cutting themselves off from other planets in need, they’re part of the problem.

I didn’t expect Defy The Stars to leave me as hopeful and impassioned as it did. Sure, it’s as fun as a rip-roaring space adventure can be, but there’s a lot of reflection involved. This is a novel about what it means to be human; what it means to find yourself through a greater cause, namely protecting humanity as a whole. It carefully weaves in talks of free will, religion, and the crux between helping others and protecting yourself.

I have some minor quibbles, like wanting to know more about Noemi’s life on Genesis and hoping for more secondary character development, particularly in the cases of Riko, Harriet, and Zayan. But overall, we really enjoyed this clever, well-written thrill ride with a contemplative streak. Things end on a very interesting note and we can’t wait to see how the next book plays out!

Noemi is a fighter pilot for the planet Genesis, colonized by Earth inhabitants after Earth was ruined by pollution. Genesis has rebelled against Earth's control and has been locked in battle for many decades. Earth's cybernetics genius, Burton Mansfield, created sophisticated robots for various tasks, including models designed to be soldiers. Earth takes a cowardly approach to war by utilizing robots as fighter pilots, thus sparing humans. Thousands of ships manned by Earth's robots stream through the wormhole connecting the two planets, while Genesis fights with a young generation of brave soldiers.

Noemi is part of a scouting mission for the planned Masada Run. In weeks, Genesis pilots will go on a suicide mission to self-implode at the mouth of the wormhole hoping to destabilize the wormhole for a few years buying time for Genesis to regroup. While on the scouting mission, Noemi's best friend is attacked so Noemi lands their fighters inside an abandoned Earth ship in the hopes there is a functioning sick bay. Noemi finds Abel, the most human of Mansfield's robotic creations, who was abandoned 30 years ago during an emergency evacuation. Abel's programming requires him to obey Noemi's commands. Abel divulges that there is a possible way of permanently destroying the wormhole, thus ending Earth's attacks forever. To accomplish this, the two travel to several Earth colonies and meet others determined to fight Earth's domination.

The author deftly relays Abel's inner struggles with his developing consciousness. I cheered at his ultimate act of defiance and acknowledgement of his own soul. The overriding themes of love and sacrifice support the daring action sequences. Abel and Noemi shared the starring roles with an enjoyable supporting cast that will surely have a recurring part in the sequel. The plot is set for the next book that I will eagerly read. Highly recommend.

eGalley review Publication date 4.4.17

Wow, what a pleasant surprise this book turned out to be! I’ve never read anything by Claudia Gray and so really had no idea what to expect going into Defy the Stars. I literally spent my entire weekend reading it and I regret nothing. Such a riveting adventure!

The premise of the story is that Earth has basically used up nearly all of its resources so the planet is dying and its inhabitants therefore need to find another home to move to as soon as possible. A few other planets have been made habitable, but they are not nearly big enough to hold Earth’s population. The planet Genesis is the ideal choice for resettlement, but Genesis isn’t having it. They have seen what the humans of Earth have done to their own planet and have no interest in letting them come, take over Genesis, and do the same thing to their planet. For this reason, Genesis and Earth are at war when the book opens.

In many ways it’s an unfair fight because Earth has developed an army of what are known as Mechs. Mechs are incredibly sophisticated robots and humans are just no match against them, especially humans on Genesis because they don’t have nearly the same technological capabilities that Earth does. When the story opens, Earth and Genesis have been fighting for decades and the people of Genesis are in real danger of losing the fight and therefore their planet.

The world building in Defy the Stars is quite fascinating and intricate. In addition to Earth and Genesis, there are also several other distinct planets, such as Kismet, which is a lush playground of sorts for the wealthy, as well as Cray, which is where all of the great scientific minds have been sent, and then Stronghold, which reminded me a lot of Mars in the way it’s described. These planets are aligned in a loop and travel between them is accomplished via Gates, which are basically wormholes, and in an act of desperation, the leaders of Genesis have come up with a plan to try to cut off Earth’s access to Genesis by damaging the Gate that lies between Genesis and Earth. They don’t believe they have the firepower to truly destroy it, but believe that they can disable it enough to buy themselves a few years of peace so that they can regroup and rearm themselves. The ultimate problem with the plan – the only way the leaders think they can do enough damage to this Gate to render it useless is to send 150 of their soldiers on what is being called the Masada Run, where they will each crash their ships directly into the Gate. It’s a suicide mission.

When we meet our protagonist, teenager Noemi Vidal, she is training to take part in the Masada Run. A surprise attack while the Genesis soldiers are making a practice run leaves Noemi’s half-sister, Esther, who was working as a scout, critically wounded. In an effort to save Esther, Noemi takes her aboard what appears to be an abandoned ship from Earth in search of medical supplies. It is here that Noemi comes face to face with, and is nearly kill by, Abel. Abel is a Mech, and as it turns out, a one-of-a –kind mech, the most sophisticated Mech prototype ever made, in fact. By virtue of his programming, he should inherently be Noemi’s enemy, but his programming also requires him to obey his commander, and as Noemi has basically commandeered the ship he is on, by default, she becomes Abel’s commander and he is therefore sworn to follow her every order. Once Noemi is reassured that Abel is, in fact, loyal to her, she begins to pump him for intelligence. She learns that Abel was traveling with his creator and a team of researchers who were examining the Gate between Genesis and Earth, looking for deficiencies in it that they could exploit it for their own benefit. As crucial as this intel is, what Noemi learns that is even more important, is that with a few key supplies that can be secured from other planets, there is another way to destroy the Gate. A mech could fly in there and destroy it and since a mech isn’t human, there would be no casualties. Because Noemi is now his commander, Abel of course volunteers to destroy the Gate and save his commander’s planet. This knowledge sets Noemi on a new course, with Abel by her side, in which she hopes to not only save her planet but also spare the lives of those who would all die in the Masada Run. The Masada Run is scheduled to take place in less than three weeks so it becomes a race against time…

LIKES

The Action: As you can guess by my lengthy lead in, this book is pretty intense in terms of the overall storyline. Pretty much everything I just laid out happens in the opening few chapters and I’ve barely scratched the surface. That race against time, coupled with the fact that Genesis is not viewed favorably by the other planets in the system because they feel like Genesis abandoned them to save themselves, leads to a lot of potentially hostile encounters as Noemi and Abel make their way across the galaxy in search of what they need to destroy that Gate. If you like action and adventure, you should enjoy this aspect of Defy the Stars.

Earth as the “Bad Guy”: I found it very intriguing that Earth is the one who must be stopped here. This idea seems pretty timely too, now that we have a U.S. President who apparently doesn’t believe in science. This fictional scenario could end up being closer to reality than we care to think about.

The Characters: As exciting as the storyline is, what really captured my attention and made me love the read are the characters themselves. I loved both Noemi and Abel. I loved them individually and I especially loved them working together as a team.

Noemi – I really loved Noemi from the first moment we meet her. Claudia Gray has created Noemi with this wonderful combination of fierce determination and selflessness that drew me in right away. We learn early on in the story that Noemi has volunteered to take part in the Masada Run, not just to save her planet, but also because the mission will only allow one representative from each household to volunteer to die and she is determined to protect her half sister, Esther, whom she has deemed the more worthy of living. As much as I was already intrigued by the idea that this teen soldier was willing to sacrifice herself for the good of her planet and to save Esther, her belief that she was somehow less worthy of having a chance to live her life just added a layer of vulnerability to her that made her all the more compelling of a character.

I also love the growth that Noemi undergoes both as she begins to meet citizens from these other planets and as she learns more and more about Abel and realizes that he may actually be more human than robot. She becomes much more reflective as the novel goes on as she begins to question the actions of the leaders of Genesis as well as her own plans. Was Genesis right to isolate itself and leave the other planets to fend for themselves against Earth? Wouldn’t they be stronger and better able to resist Earth if they banded together? If Abel is truly more human than he is robot, can she really let him sacrifice himself to save Genesis? So many big questions for such a young person to have to even think about.

Abel – As much as I loved Noemi, I absolutely adored Abel. Even though he is made up to look like a human, with hair, blood, skin, and even neurons, Abel reminded me so much of C3PO from Star Wars or maybe even Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. He’s just charming and funny, and sometimes says things that are so annoying, I half expected Noemi to dismantle him to shut him up. I found him especially amusing when it became clear that he even has a bit of an ego. He’s proud that he’s the ultimate Mech prototype and that he’s the only one of his kind. He toots his own horn, so to speak, quite frequently on that subject!

In addition to being such an amusing character, Abel also comes across as so human from the moment we meet him that it’s heartbreaking to learn he has been trapped on this ship for 30 years, just floating around all alone. He tells Noemi that his creator and the crew were preparing to abandon ship and sent him to the airlock to complete one final task before departure. He became trapped there and they just left without him. He has no idea what happened to them – if they made it back to Earth or if they all perished – but it never really dawns on him that they didn’t think of him as a life and so thought nothing of leaving him there to try to save themselves. He even thinks of his creator as his “father” and doesn’t realize that even though he’s one of a kind, he is still viewed as ultimately disposable.

What also makes Abel a truly fascinating character is that he too, even though he is supposedly mostly just a machine, undergoes tremendous growth throughout the story. Those 30 years all alone caused the neurons in Abel’s body to make new connections and begin to evolve in ways Abel’s creator may never even have thought possible. Even though Abel still has programming, he is supposed to follow at all times, he has developed the ability to occasionally override that programming. It’s as though he is developing free will or as Noemi starts to wonder, maybe even some form of a soul. Once Noemi starts to question just how human Abel has become over the years, it takes their relationship to a whole new level and it’s wonderful to watch how loyal they become to each other.

ANY DISLIKES?

I can’t really call it a dislike but there was a lot of information to sift through at the beginning with the different planets, the explanation of the cybergenetics and that Abel was a prototype for 25 other models of Mechs, etc. I love science fiction so I can’t say that it bothered me too much, although I’ll admit I stopped to take a few notes along the way because there were a lot of details to keep track of, but I could see it potentially making it difficult for some readers to get into the story. My advice would be to push through the beginning though because once you get past that initial worldbuilding and on to where Noemi and Abel meet, the story just flies along from there and you’ll breeze right through.

FINAL THOUGHTS?

If you like a book that is action-packed, filled with compelling characters, and that asks big questions about ethics, religion vs faith, the environment, technology, politics, and so much more, I’d highly recommend Defy the Stars.



RATING: 4 STARS

Thanks so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and of course to author Claudia Gray for allowing me to preview this book in exchange for my honest review.

YA sci-fi is always a tricky genre for me because I either really love it....or really don't. But I can safely say that I loved Defy the Stars! This is exactly the kind of space adventure I never knew I needed but couldn't get enough of!

Noemi is a soldier from the planet Genesis, seventeen and ready to give her life to provide Genesis with a little more time to prepare against attack. Instead, she ends up on an abandoned ship with Abel, a mech, not human but with some human tendencies. Cue space travel and lots of world-building goodness.

The first hook of this book is the writing. You're immediately thrown into the midst of the action with a fast pace and short chapters to keep you on your toes. I liked the alternating perspectives, and when I saw that this book has been related to Illuminae that made sense. I loved AIDAN and Abel reminded me a lot of the AI but a bit more...human? If that makes any sense. It's hard for me to not compare these two books because both feature non-human characters that have a bit of snark and a bit of otherness to them that instantly draws me in, while the female protagonists are tough, independent, and so beautifully created within an expansive world.

So yes, I definitely recommend Defy the Stars to any and all fans of Illuminae and Gemina.

Noemi was that steadfast sort of heroine that really grounded me in the story. She's fiercely loyal and determined to do whatever it takes to help her planet. Hers is a tale of discovering who she is beyond a soldier originally sent to her death. Abel, on the other hand, isn't human, but has an unusual grasp on humanity that he struggles to deal with, forming a tension between his programming and his own mind that has formed over the years.

I think Gray truly excelled with their relationship, drawing out both of their flaws while allowing them to strengthen each other. Theirs were stories that transcend space and planet saving and the uncertainty of a future on a ship. And just as she crafted their characters with such detail, she did the same with the world.

I'll be honest, I'm not one for sci-fi generally because the world-building can get pretty technical, causing the story to become dense and slow. Defy the Stars had a good balance of description without delving too deep into the jargon of the genre, appealing to me as an infrequent sci-fi reader but also anyone who tends to shift away from the genre because of the language.

Now I can't say this book was perfect. I had questions at the end that makes me glad there will be a sequel because I feel like there is so much more here to explore. But for the first in a new series, Defy the Stars was an action-packed, fast-paced read with a stunning world and characters that you can't help but like. Regardless of whether you normally read science fiction or not, you need to read this book!

3.5 stars!

*

Defy the Stars is a fast-paced and action-packed YA Sci-Fi novel. It has an interest premise that is well-executed, layered characters with unique voices, and lots and lots of space fights. The story is engrossing for the most part and it brings up a lot of existential questions along the way, although the musings and talks about religion and the rushed ending are a little bit of a bummer.

Claudia Gray knows how to write good Sci-Fi. She did a fantastic job with Lost Stars, and this follows along similar lines. The world-building is complex and intriguing. The concept of ‘mechs’ is truly one of the most fascinating parts of the novel, especially with the development of one of the main characters, Abel.

Defy the Stars starts with a bang. One of my statues update right when I first started reading this said: “what a rollercoaster of a beginning”. That is the best way I can describe the first few chapters of this novel. The story starts with an explosion and blows you away, haha. It is very easy to get into the story, and the pace holds steady throughout most of the book.

Our main characters are also great! Noemi is strong and brave, and reading about her questioning her values as she got to know more about the world is an enriching experience. And Abel? Well, Abel is a favorite. It’s a delight reading about his journey and seeing how much he changes from the point Noemi found him to the end of the book. He really discovers who he is, and that’s one of my favorite parts of the book.

I did have a hard time with all the religion talk. Noemi’s faith is important to her, but I guess I couldn’t really reconcile God with a book about space robots. It felt very odd-placed to me, and at times disrupted the flow of the story.

There’s a very light and slow burn romance in this novel. It builds up and it is developed throughout the story, but only really gets addressed later on. It’s sweet and well written, and it makes for a really nice moment between the two main characters. It’s one thing I’m looking forward to reading about in the next installments.

Another small problem is the ending. It’s open ended, although I don’t really consider it a cliffhanger, which makes sense since this is only book one in a series. It feels so rushed, though. There is all this buildup of tension through the story, but when it comes time for the resolution? It kind of falls flat on its face a little bit. It doesn’t have the desired impact on the reader, or at least it didn’t on me.

Overall, Defy the Stars is a good and entertaining read. I definitely recommend it to YA Sci-Fi fans, especially those who enjoyed Gray’s own Lost Stars. I’m curious about what comes next for Abel and Noemi. :)

I loved the universe of this book - Earth has exhausted its resources and has expanded to other planets, and eventually the citizens of these planets are not so happy about Earth. The differences between the planets caught my imagination and I would have loved to see more of them. The main characters were also good - we have a teenage girl working to save her world, and an advanced AI who wants to return to his creator. I zoomed through the book - and I would like to read more in this universe.