I felt like there was something missing from this book for me, but I loved the representation and I loved reading a science fiction book in YA. I really don't think there are enough of it.

I tried, since I wanted to like this, I really did.
YA is one of my favorite genres, but that is books about young adults, NOT books written for young adults. And this was just too juvenile for me.
Well, at least I'm a minority here.

Nothing can go wrong with a badass woman in space accompanied with immense fantastical action. Surprising plot twists and an easy writing makes this a quick but memorable read. Definitely pick it up to enjoy the start of a great duology.

Wow. This book is just as beautiful as its cover, and that's saying something! Its colorful, and fun, and full of surprises that you never see coming.

confusing but interesting world building. love that the main character was of color. it felt a little mature at times(she felt like she should have been older) but still enjoyable

A must read fast paced science fiction novel. Some space reads over explain but this book had the right balance that gave the perfect flow. Also the character development was fantastic and made this a must read.

Ignite the Stars was such a treat! It’s no secret I love a space opera, and wish there were more in YA. This book is fast-paced, so well-written, and I love Brinn — I connected with her instantly. I find the outsider with a secret so relatable. Ia and Knives took me a little longer to connect to, but I really enjoyed their POVs. I did feel that we were told a little too often how dangerous Ia was, and I would have preferred to see it instead, however I really connected with her vulnerability. I will definitely be picking up the sequel!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ignite the Stars is a scifi/action YA book that is told from three different points of views. I loved the overall themes of friendship and the action was packed in this story. The main character La is a very strong character and easily my favorite. I felt that the plot was placed nicely and am excited for the follow up novel to this.

I snagged a copy of Ignite the Stars from NetGalley, not realizing it was a 2018 release (meaning I wouldn't be able to cover it other than here on GoodReads). That said, I'm really glad I grabbed it, because I really enjoyed it. Milan tackles some really complex issues, including acknowledging the faults of governing bodies while also recognizing the value of the people living inside those systems, and she does it well. Although Ia Cocha is the central character of the book--a criminal warring against the corrupt interstellar government that swallows up independent planetary governments, supposedly for the good of everyone--the two alternating POV characters help show why Ia's movement from enemy of the state to a person who no longer views the world in black and white makes sense. Brinn, the child of a refugee mother who passes as a citizen, hiding her heritage, goes through a complex journey from devoted to her nation (despite how it feels about people from her mother's homeworld) to developing a greater understanding of herself. Knives, the son of one of the government's most powerful generals, shelves all his ambitions because he feels his sister was betrayed by the very government they're supposed to serve. While the story develops a clear villain (whose identity was, to this adult reader, anticipated early on in the book), *good* is complicated throughout. There are good people, but never really a good *side* to belong to. And because of that, the characters (even side-characters) are really allowed depth, and given a chance to develop over the course of the novel.

While very little about the story surprised me, I very much liked the way that Milan introduced themes and didn't offer any easy answers. I'm looking forward to reading the second novel, and hoping she keeps that ambiguity to the world.

I received a Netgalley eARC for read and review after request, having accidentally gotten confused at trying to request the sequal, my bad, but it's a great book!

I would love to read Ia's backstory more, to see just how she's lived with those titles, because as it turns out, that's mostly just what they are, figurehead titles, someone has been manipulating Ia for a very long time and now, she's become disposable. Thrown to her enemies, the Bugs or Olympus Commonwealth, who she's rebelled against most of her career in the fringes of space.

Ia gets captured with a ship full of Tawny, people with blue hair and advanced mathematic minds and the strange ability to use their mind to heal themselves. Brinn Tarver is part Tawny and has hidden it away for most of her life, as in the Olympus Commonwealth Tawny are among the races discriminated against. Ia's capture catapults Brinn into joining the Royal Star Force, to prove her worth. Where she becomes roommates with Ia. There, at the Aphelion Academy, she learns that a school bully or a enemy of the Commonwealth can become a friend.

Ia, once captured, is "leashed" by General Adams a device that can stop or hurt her heart. With it, she's forced to join the Royal Star Force. The device is, amusingly enough as it turns out later, entrusted by the General by his son, a flight instructor at the school, Knives who still mourns for his dead sister.

Ia makes friends, finds love, and fights her true enemies in this the beginning of a new horizon where at the end of the day what matters is who you have at your side and who you can save.

Sci-fi books are often a hit or miss for me, however getting into this book was very easy which was a pleasant surprise. I thought the world was pretty easy to get sucked into. I thought the protagonist and the rest of the characters were really strong and I loved the friendships a lot more than the romance. Overall, I'd recommend this book!

A refreshing and brilliant YA discovery! I've always loved reading about heroines who kick asses and take names so I enjoyed this one to the boot. Exceptional plotline and engaging character development!

I've never read another book with this setting, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. There's a lot of action, and I was surprised to find a lot of humor, as well. The ending wasn't what I expected, which was nice. I think a bit more could have been done with the worldbuilding. I was a bit lost at times and could've benefited from a bit more explanations and details. I've never read another story set in space, so this was interesting from that angle. I liked the biracial alien characters and their parts in the story. There is a bit of romance, but the friendship is the bigger point. The reader will likely pick up on some connection to the real world in this book (such as a refugee crisis). Some parts, overall, felt a bit forced.

Ignite the Stars first popped up on my radar after I read a review from a fellow book blogger. I wish I could remember who, because I am so happy this underrated gem ended up on my TBR! I actually received a physical copy of Ignite the day after I received an ARC from Albert Whitman through Netgalley. This worked out because as soon as I finished binge-reading Ia's story, I immediately began harassing Mr. B to read it so I had someone to gush to. The great news is he enjoyed it too! Enough of the background story though, let's talk about this thrilling debut.

Probably most striking was Milan's ability to bring color and personality without utilizing flowery or overly technical language in this space opera. Easy to read along with a quick pace made this book tough to put down when faced with adult responsibilities. I found myself reading in every free moment I had, even if just an elevator ride, to see what would happen to Brinn, Ia, and Knives next.

The world-building was a bit lacking. I really wanted to know more about the background of the Commonwealth, Dead Space, and a deeper look at the different races though I'm confident we will see more of this in the next book. I did appreciate the inclusion of social justice issues that, unfortunately, are all to familiar to readers today. Our first introduction to Brinn actually prompted a long conversation with Mr. B regarding stepping in for the Tawnies targeted by the crowd versus the dangers of going toe-to-toe with a mob like that. 

What was missing in background for this reader, I found in the form of vibrant characters that were easy to cheer for and hiss at. Even a minor character like Med Bot 494 made an impression on me. I loved Ia's gumption, Knives and his complicated background, and even Brinn's frustrating character development. The romance angle was appropriate and didn't overtake the story arc as I've seen in some YA novels.

Overall, Ignite the Stars proved to be a solid debut novel and a gripping start to Ia's story. It is easy to see how this could be adapted to screen. Now we have to wait for our copy of Eclipse the Skies and then Mr. B. and I will have to have a duel to figure out who reads it first! Definitely put this book on your TBR!

**Review has been posted to Dream Come Review (link provided)
**Shortened review posted to: Goodreads (link provided), Bookbub, Amazon, and B&N.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Ia was definitely my favorite character. She was such a strong and assertive person. The plotline was clearly written out and there was a clear beginning and end.
I also really enjoyed the slow-burn romance that was happening, I can't wait to see where it goes in the next book.
There is one reason, however, that I won't give this a five-star rating, and that is Brinn. I didn't really enjoy her character arc as much as I think I could have. She seemed too whiny and she liked to complain a lot, I also didn't like how she treated her mother at all.
Overall, this book was great and I am giving it a strong four stars. I can't wait to read the next installment in this series.

AW Teen and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Ignite the Stars. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Ia Cōcha is an outlaw. Nevermind the fact that she is only seventeen, Ia has spent her young life trying to exact revenge on the Olympus Commonwealth for destroying her home. Captured and forced to train at the Commonwealth's military academy, will Ia be able to escape or will she have to rely on her fellow students for support?

From the beginning, Ia Cōcha reminded me of a mash up between Princess Leia and Tris Prior. The problem with the character is that she is so over the top, as Ia is smart, strong, and basically untouchable. The story does not flow naturally, as it just goes from plot point to plot point with not much in-between. Readers who like YA science fiction and fantasy, especially novels with strong female main characters, may like the world that author Maura Milan has built here.

This is an excellent scifi read! The slow-burn romance was delightful and and Ia is such a badass! I cannot wait to read the sequel!

I have read from this author a couple timesand love her books, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

<b>A fun ride in space! Reminded me of Red Rising.</b>

A few reviews have compared this book to <i>Throne of Glass</i> set in space, but I don't think that's fair. Celaena in TOG is described as a famous killer but doesn't kill anyone and spends the whole book talking about her looks, dresses, and boys. Ia, the famous killer in <i>Ignite the Stars</i> lives up to her killer reputation and enjoys it. Only Ia is the true killer.

The story benefits from two additional character perspectives. Ia isn't necessarily nice and uses those around her to get what she wants. Knives and Brinn's perspectives help flesh out the world and give us a reason to like Ia (beyond my initial love of all villains).

The story is fun in an escapist way. There's nothing taxing or complex. It's your typical YA fantasy/sci-fi story. But it does move and you'll be entertained. I appreciated the emphasis on female friendship over romantic love, which is a nice change from most YA books.

Huge thank you to Albert Whitman & Company and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book!

This may seem like a very strange and negative review for a book that I ended up giving four stars, but hear me out ‘til the end. I did generally enjoy the book; I just have a few issues with it, which is why I didn’t give it a full five stars.

Once you get past the very first action-packed chapter it takes a hard left into slow-mode and doesn’t really pick up again for a while, but the action is definitely worth the wait when it does. Then you need to get past the fact that the start of the book reads as though it was the second book in the series and I actually had to check several times that it wasn’t because there were a lot of things that were brought up but not explained, as though they’d been explained in a previous book and the reader already had prior knowledge of them. Most of those things were explained later on, but it was a little confusing at first.

Full (spoiler-y) review here: https://wmsreads.tumblr.com/post/187945762157/