I was sent an ARC for free through work as #indigoemployee in exchange for an honest review.

This was a 4.5 star read for me. It reminded me of all of the best parts of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The 100. We have a post-war setting, highly regimented and divided societies, and very "us" vs the Other mentalities in all groups we encounter.

It was set in a non-Western setting. The author's notes mention her passion for Chinese history, the research she's done, and places for readers to find more historical information on the historical events she uses as inspiration, and I really appreciated that.

I liked the ties to fairytales and the value placed on storytelling. It was fast-paced, the narrator was interesting, and the ending subverted my expectations. I'm excited for the next book.

A more in-depth review to come on my YouTube channel (link in my bio).

DNF at 21%.

This year, I have decided that I shouldn’t push myself to read books that I can’t get into or that put me into a slump... so here’s one, unfortunately.

Unique world, but I struggled a little to connect to the characters and care about what was happening. Overall an interesting start to the series, but I am uncertain if I would come back for book 2.

This novel may have been branded as a fantasy story, but it is more of a science fiction one. Normally, I find most YA fiction stories to all be the same. However, I really enjoyed this one. There were a lot of things that the author did that made this novel work. For one thing, Sev is pretty smart. Unlike most protagonists, she doesn't just let her heart take over; she understands the consequences of certain actions and is smart enough to make logical decisions. I really liked all of the characters that the author created for this story; they were all unique and had their specific part to play. Sev's interactions with all of them were very interesting and the author did a great job of creating a tense atmosphere whenever Sev was deciding if someone could be trusted or not. The premise of the novel was also very interesting; I liked that the sickness in the novel was based off of a real disorder, and I thought that the author had really thought through the various twists and turns that were introduced. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the second book in the series!

Last Star Burning is a layered story, a story of fear and sickness and rebellion. A story about a girl wanting to prove she's more than her traitor mother and the places she's forced to go in order to stay alive.

Sev knows her place in the City, even as she hates it. Hates what her mother did years ago. Hates that no one can look past her name, her scar that marks her as a traitor, her face that looks so much like her mother's. But she's hoping that one day, maybe, she'll prove her place as someone useful. But then there's an attack and Sev's on the run to stay alive, afraid the City will finally punish her like they did her mother. But then she meets Howl, who knows more about her and her mother than she expects, and discovers so many things she thought she knew were lies.

This was interesting to read. I could see where the author drew inspiration from Chinese history and culture, but it's very much set in a slightly ruined futuristic fantasy dystopian setting. I kept waiting for something different to happen, something to happen to Sev because of her illness and her delusions. It's a story that seems to be all about the people in it, their decisions, their plots and plans. Some twists were predictable, but some weren't. There were times when I felt it dragged, where it was slow. It was something a little different than past dystopian books, and I was interested in some parts, but it was a bit too slow for my tastes.

This book was so awesome! The world was so fascinating, and I really enjoyed reading about Sev and her life! There was a lot going on, given that she had to run away from the only life she knew because she was falsely accused of bombing the town. Not fun!

Things start off OK, though not the best. To have your mom betray your city, be the reason why people are dying, yeah. The opposite of good. But to branded as a traitor, and be a four star, that is just awful!

The way that the town was set up, espousing equality, it's like, no, people are separated into ranks to "help" the town, that is not equality. And being told that it was all because of a lie, or a series of lies, that's not fun at all!

I really enjoyed her with Howl, because they had lives that, at times, were similar circumstances, but totally different in the way that they were raised. Well, as kids before everything happened. And yeah, they were really interesting together! Which is what made that ending just so evil! I need the next book, I need to know what's going to happen to him, and the rest of the characters!

This book was just so amazing, I enjoyed it so much, and I can't wait for the 2nd book!

Sleeping sickness is the scourge of the land. While the government fights to keep it's citizens safe and healthy, the enemy from Kamar continues to further spread the infection.

Jiang-Sev is the last member of her family. Her mother's body is displayed in perpetual sleep as a warning to the citizens; she had been accused of bringing the sickness into the city. Sev's status has been striped and she is being punished for the sins of her mother. When a bomb explodes in the city, Sev is labelled guilty of the crime and must flee or die.

I found it hard to get into the story and figure out what was going on in this stratified society. While I did enjoy reading about her escape from the city and her journey across the outside, it wasn't enough to overcome the confusion of the plot. There was too much subterfuge among leading characters. Too many times I felt I could love or hate a character only to find out a few pages later that their history was a lie or fabrication. I didn't form an attachment to Sev as she, herself was confused much of the time.

I wanted to like this dystopian novel, but it didn't connect with me. I didn't care about the characters, whether they lived or died. I did like the dancing and the explanation of why they danced.

It was a fast paced, original story. Definitely an easy recommendation for fans of 5th wave.

A great start to what promises to be an intriguing new YA series.

I went into Last Star Burning expecting a fantasy read. It this was more Dystopian/ Science Fiction, which isn’t a bad thing since I believe fantasy is really blowing up in the YA genre. So this was a nice breath of fresh air. This was filled with political intrigue and very action packed. This book is very plot driven and not necessarily character driven which has a tendency to forget character growth. But I will say that it will attract a lot more readers. I loved the romance it was a slow burn and didn’t take over the story which sometimes can happen to non romance focus intended books. I would definitely recommend and staff pick.

It has been a while since I’ve read a dystopian, but I’m glad I picked up Last Star Burning. This is such an original story that is filled with political intrigue and plot twists. The main character is so likeable and fierce, and the setting is incredibly complex. This book is one not to be missed!

This book is so action-packed that it is impossible to put down! It tells the story of a girl wrongly accused of a bombing who flees from the city to escape execution. However, she is already branded as a traitor because of her mother’s past actions, making it even more difficult to survive. Sev meets many new people while on the run, namely the chairman’s son, and learns the truth about the frightening disease going around the nation. Last Star Burning is full of plot twists and intrigue, and is sure to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

Sev is the perfect main character for a dystopian like this one. She is orphaned, and her mother’s past follows her wherever she goes, but she stays strong. I liked how Sev is curious, but also cautious. She is willing to do whatever it takes to survive and fight for her rights. Sev is a character with an interesting backstory, and it is very enjoyable uncovering the truth about her past along with her.

I adored the world of Last Star Burning! It is kind of like a dystopian China, and I found it to be very complex. Everything is so well thought out, including the government and the social class system. The setting is logical, but there is also a lot of secrecy and information to be revealed. There is a disease going around called Sleeping Sickness based on a real condition, and Last Star Burning doesn’t leave any holes. This world is so developed, and it is so easy to become immersed in it while reading.

Last Star Burning is a brilliant dystopian novel with an intelligent and sassy main character. The world is so unique and adds so much complexity to the book. I would definitely recommend this one, even if you aren’t a big dystopian fan, since it is so captivating and will really stick with the reader.

This. Was. So. Good.
It's been a while since I've read a dystopian novel (I think Divergent was the last and that series ending made me feel like I had wasted my time), and this hit all the marks for me. The story was engaging and clever, the world unique and fully developed, and the novel as a whole has just enough to make me wonder if this couldn't happen in future. The characters Sangster brings to life are wonderful. Sev is someone I would love to be friends with and I feel her thoughts with acute sympathy. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book. It was nice to see a book set in what we are to believe is a future version of Asia, and where the blonde characters were the minority. Last Star Burning reminded me of The Hunger Games meets The Handmaids Tale, and I thoroughly look forward to the next in the series.

Very imaginative, great world building, interesting disease. The characters didn't feel very original to me personally. It was like reading a copy and paste of a lot of dystopian characters but overall, it was very good. I would definitely recommend this book at my store and to my coworkers as well. It is a really good dystopian.

This book was a little slow to get into but once I did, I couldn't wait to get to the end. I didn't want the book to end but I also had to know how it was going to finish. And it finished in a way that has me very excited for the sequel. Sev was a great character who I was rooting for the whole time. I liked the dynamics between her and the other characters in the book, most of whom look at her as a traitor. The pacing, other than the beginning, was very well done and kept me turning the pages. The world-building was very descriptive and I could picture it easily in my mind. I can definitely see why it's one of the choices for the Indigo Teen Spotlight pick.

3.5 - 4 stars.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Last Star Burning though - it's been a while since I've read a dystopian novel that I really enjoyed - and this one surprised and delighted me.

It was really reminiscent of Marie Lu's Legend trilogy - which I loved!

The main character, Sev, was a little too passive, but a lot of the other characters were really interesting - and I can't wait to get more from/about them. It was really really refreshing to have a predominantly non-white cast - and I thought it was really cool how the author tried to incorporate elements of Chinese culture & history, as well as Mandarin language - into this story.

You could definitely tell it was a debut - this is not a bad thing by any means... it was an impressive debut! However, there's some room for improvement with the writing (there was a lot of convenient "oh btw I forgot to mention that this really complex thing was explained to me beforehand so that's why I know how to do this" - but I imagine, with time, this will get better. I hope the next few books also have more world building, because I am fascinated by this dystopian future that Sangster has built, and I am so curious about some of these characters - I just want MORE!

This book really kept me at the edge of my seat - I'm excited for the next one (although I can't believe I have to wait so long for it!!!!) I was pretty impressed by this debut, and I can't wait to see the amazing things the author is going to continue to accomplish!

I think that the author is a very well written author, saying this though I found the book to be very similar to Divergent. I still enjoyed it but I think that stopped me from loving it as I felt like I've already read it.

This feels very much like The Hunger Games and Divergent, withe some of The 100 mixed in for good measure. It moves quickly and is very readable, though I found myself losing some interest during the last half. By the end, though, I was definitely ready for the next book - though I don't know if that interest will be sustained until the publication of the next book in the series. While the plot is interesting, there is so much betrayal, so many twists and game-changes, that it's difficult to feel really attached to any characters. The characters themselves aren't as well fleshed out as they could have been. This is a pretty solid book, but it feels so much like the days of The Hunger Games and Divergent that it comes across as a bit of "been there, done that" and may prevent people from truly loving it. The initial environment was compelling, but the diversity aspect of the book fails when you realize the Asian characters and world are written by a non-Asian author, giving rise to the issue of cultural appropriation.

This book drew me in like quicksand; with surprise, quickly and surely. I have nothing to give but praise for the plot and characters, all of whom i loved instantly. This book definitely falls into one of my top ten books of the year.