This book has definitely found a special piece in my heart, in fact, I'm naming it one of the best sci-fi books I have read in my entire life! I'm really not sure what to say?

EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT.

The plot was amazing, the worldbuilding was gripping and entrancing and didn't leave me running around in circles and the author's writing style was wonderful as well. I loved the sweet little romance going on between Ia and Knives and how it didn't take up a lot of space and wasn't super gooey which would have been quite unlike both of the characters' natures. Speaking of characters, this book has a formidable cast that continued to blow me away. Brinn was an amazing character who grew from a soft and fearful girl into a warrior who demanded to be acknowledged and respected. I am absolutely here for her character arc! I really loved the dynamic between her and Ia as well/ Knives was an interesting character as we never really know what decision he's going to make? He's a confused and unsure individual who lets himself be controlled by his father, the Genr=eral but hates it at the same time. He made a very interesting character for sure.

And now we finally come to Ia, the star of the whole story. Let's just say I would gladly lay down my life for her at any point of time. IA IS A BADASS WARRIOR QUEEN AND I LOVER HER TO INFINITY!!! It's been such a long time since I found a new, well-developed badass queen to worship! Watch me, I'm never ever going to stop talking about her!

So in conclusion, YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. I'm not a fan of sci-fi but wanted to read something different. I wavered between 2 and 3 stars. After a slow start, this was fast paced, full of action and strong characters. The writing was mediocre. It had trouble keeping my interest. Not sure if I liked it enough to read #2.
Thank you to Netgalley for releasing a copy to me for review.

Loves this book from the beginning! This book immediately jumped into the story. I like how the main character, IA, was strong and fierce from the start. I enjoyed the story of Brinn trying to hide who she truely was and the bit of social commentary through out the book.

I will definitely recommend this book to customers at work.

*2.5 stars*

Ia Cocha is a notorious outlaw whispered about across the galaxy. Ia has been involved with numerous terrorist acts, so it's a surprise to everyone (even her) when she is captured by the Commonwealth (the Bugs) and instead of imprisoned or worse, enrolled in their military academy.

Knives is legacy military, going through the motions because that's what his father expects. But Knives has experienced deep loss, and his heart isn't in training cadets.

Brinn is desperately trying to be patriotic, hiding the fact that she's a Tawny, a race despised by the Commonwealth.

These characters meet ... and space-stuff happens. Some of it implausible.

I liked the idea of these people, and of the drama unfolding. Even the instalove isn't as annoying as it could be. But I just couldn't suspend my disbelief.

Which governing force would enroll their #1 public enemy into their own military training academy, where she can freely mix with other cadets? Which takes me back to the very first chapter - Ia is a legend because of what she done, the war she has waged. How in the world was she so easily captured by the Commonwealth?

Brinn was also remarkably gullible, more so that I could believe, especially since she was supposed to be exceptionally intelligent.

This just wasn't the book for me.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. I've been interested in this series for quite a while and I am glad that I started it! The plot, writing, characters, and pacing was exactly what I was hoping for in a read. Loved it and I will continue on! Will definitely be reading more from this author in the future!

I enjoyed the plot and the heroine and pretty much caught my attention in the first chapter. But right in the middle it felt a little bit dragging. Then it picked up again, this time there were other characters introduced and the action elements were really good. The actual plot still felt a bit vague but the world building was great. A lot of sci fi space elements are part of the story so if you love things like these you would enjoy this book as well. There were some great socio political points that were intertwined in the story that makes it easy to interpose it in real world setting.

Solid read, interesting concept. I know students who would love this book, but the politics of the situation are somewhat convoluted.

Holy cow! Why did I wait so long to read this book?

It's got everything I love about YA scifi, and more. The idea of having a teenage warlord - the type of character we see from time to time in the genre - but to throw her back into a school/academy setting? Utter brilliance.

The buildup of the political climate was fascinating. The author's worldbuilding skills sure shines through in the moments where the characters are confronted with the reality of their perspectives. Propaganda and flat out lies - or willful ignorance - are at the center of this novel.

I didn't see the necessity of Knives' character. He seems a bit like a forced love interest (I ship Ia and Bryn!) and of the three POV characters, he seemed the weakest. But I loved this book so much i didn't let him affect my rating.

I am genuinely so mad at myself for taking nearly forever to finally pick this one up. A Filipino-authored space opera that’s led by an Asian teenage criminal mastermind? Complex sibling relationships? A love interest named after a kitchen utensil? God. Ignite the Stars is definitely A Ride and A Half — I don’t know what that unnecessary capitalization means, but I do know that I literally could not put this book down! I was so obsessed with finishing it immediately because it gave me all the chills and anti-imperialism feels and wow, what a rush! I could barely handle all the badassery in this book.

Full review to follow (and will be posted on my blog!).

This book was received as an ARC from Albert Whitman & Company - AW Teen in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is a must read for everyone! I could not stop reading this book and absolutely loved the concept and approach Maura Milan took with this book. La Cocha is the most known outlaw in the land but when she gets kidnapped by the military commonwealth she is destined to plan her escape but amongst her planning she develops bonds with some of the militia and an escape might turn into a situation that could be what the doctor ordered and that will change her life forever. I was so fascinated with the characters and the development of this book that EVERYONE should read at one point in their lives. I know this book will do well in our library and our teen patrons will go crazy for this.

We will consider adding this title to our YFantasy collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

E-galley provided by Netgalley and Albert Whitman & Company in exchange for an honest review. All quotations and opinions are based an uncorrected proof

"She had to get through this. She would find a way. They didn't call her the Blood Wolf of the Skies for nothing."

Space is torn up by war. Ia Cōcha made a choice about where she stood a long time ago. Against the Commonwealth, their hate, and their Royal Star Force. Regardless, when she gets captured, revealing her identity to her enemies, the Royal Start Force is where she ends up. She puts her efforts into escaping her academy, but soon finds people there worth knowing.

Knives: Youngest Flight Master at RSF, fresh off feeling like a failure to his father, his new task is too keep tabs on Ia as she makes her transition into life in the RSF.

Brinn: Tawny-citizen who just enlisted in RSF and wondering if it was the right thing to do after all. Hiding her Tawny origins seems to be more than just dying her hair. Especially, when she meets her new roommate, Ia Cōcha.

Can I just say that it's an absolute crime that this book doesn't have more attention! Why did I not hear of this book last year?! This book has so much of what I look for in a book. Great characters, amazing world-building, and smart storytelling. Also, just fun relationships between characters and space, lots of space.

To start with the characters in this book, I loved Ia right away. Like, right away. My love only grew as I got to know her. Overtime, you get to know the depths of her darkness and the extent to which she relies on herself. I was surprised by just how much she kept close to her heart and it only made me love her more.

Brinn was a more complicated journey. I was unsure of her at first, then I knew that I wasn't a fan. I didn't love how she turned her back on her mother because of their disagreements. I didn't love her self-assurances that she and her family would be fine because they were citizens. Which, is why I liked her as time when on. I think she's definitely the character that changed the most over this book, which I enjoyed reading. She just grew into herself and her changing relationship with Ia really reflects that.

Knives was easy to like. I liked the way he has way more to him then I expected and a lot of insecurities, which is super understandable. I liked how intelligent he was, but the additional layer of him constantly underestimating himself was there to make him really interesting. I also loved his chemistry with Ia, just the conversations they would have was fun to read.

Also, the pacing of this book was absolutely insane. One minute it would almost seem like a high school drama then switch to a huge space battle sequence. This book really was just a rollercoaster of intense to non-intense and back again. Yes, it made my head spin. Yes, it was awesome. It really just keeps you going all the way to climax of the book and does not let up. I was left needing more!

I'll just add as a side-note, that I really haven't read a lot of space academy books. I feel like I've seen some and this definitely feels like it is one, but for me, this was pretty original in its everything. The story, the world, everything about its mythos to its language felt really organic and interesting. And technically, this book was perfect. It introduced new elements that came back into play in clever ways and I love the composition of every twist and turn.

TL;DR Basically, this is the sci-fi action packed journey you didn't know you need in your life. It's fun, fast, and you'll burn through it in no time.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Albert Whitman and Company for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. First time reading this author. I enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure at first but.I got hooked and wanted to I ow how it ended. Some of it was pretty obvious but there were some surprises. A good fantasy/sci to read A little romance, some convoluted fun and you have a story. 4 stars

Ignite the stars has been a rare book that I was so glad to find. I there was alot more I loved about it than I didn't. This Sci-fi stay in it genre for the longest time without diving into romance or world building while they are still part of the book.

With more than 3 characters at centre we are sure to be bound by just the three which makes the book so much more enjoyable and exciting. We get to see Ia Brinn and Knives in their own world and how they are seen by others as well.

The end of the first in the duology gave it a closure as well as a spark to ignite the next book 'Eclipse the skies'

I found this book to be fascinating! The world this author created was exhilarating! It was so full of excitement and adventure, I felt like I was right there with the characters!
This is my first read from this author, and it definitely won’t be my last!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Let me just say that this book is absolutely precious and awesome! I don't know why it took me almost a year to get to this book, but I'm so glad I finally picked it up. Even though the reason I did was because I'm part of a blog tour for the second book and I obviously had to read this first... Anyway, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book.

OFFICIAL REVIEW

What a gem!! Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan is a bold, intoxicating and absolutely dazzling sci-fi story that had me holding my breath the entire time. I enjoyed every thrilling moment and all the achingly wonderful feels in this book. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year and I’m really excited to have new heroes I adore with all my heart.

Ia Cōcha is a brilliant pilot, a rebel, an outlaw, and to some… a protector. With a long history of causing chaos, destruction and death, Ia is not only well-known, but also extremely feared by everyone across the universe. When the imperialist nation Ia wants to destroy, Olympus Commonwealth, finally captures her, everyone is surprised to see that one of the most wanted criminal is just a seventeen year old girl.

Trapped inside the Commonwealth’s military academy and forced to be one of them, Ia never expected to see things differently from what she’s known all her life. Ia also didn’t plan on having acquaintances, let alone friends while plotting her escape. She begins to care about Brinn, a fellow student who’s hiding a secret, Geoff and Aaron, her guards who she seems to like, and Knives, the flight master who holds more than her freedom. Will Ia have a change of heart after getting to know her new friends, or will she find a way to escape and continue to avenge those mistreated by the Commonwealth?

This addictive and breathtaking space adventure has stolen a piece of my heart and to say that I LOVE this book is an understatement. The setting is gorgeously illustrated with vivid and detailed descriptions. I think the world-building is creatively unique, stunning, and utterly fascinating. The writing is effortlessly compelling and engaging. With plenty of edge-of-your-seat action, achingly touching scenes, a few light and hilarious dialogues, some really sweet moments, and shocking twist and turns, there’s never a dull moment in this book. I do have to say – I didn’t really expect to have such a strong emotional connection with the story or the characters, but I do and I love it. The last few chapters are so intense and affecting that by the end, I definitely shed some tears. Brimming with all the feels I always crave in stories, this amazing story truly shines from start to finish and I’m so in love with all the excitement, the anticipation, the swoons, and everything else in between.

Milan creates such interesting, wonderful and perfectly flawed characters with very real and relatable insecurities, fears, dreams, and personalities. Ia is reckless, stubborn and manipulative, but also smart, resourceful, brave, and selfless. Brinn is simply amazing and I will protect her at all costs. I’m quite smitten with Knives. He seems touch and all rough edges, but he definitely has a sweet side. I wholeheartedly adore these characters and really loved seeing them change, grow, and learn from each other.

A fantastic and enthralling debut novel from a talented and brilliant new voice, Ignite the Stars is such an emotionally stirring sci-fi story packed with plenty of thrills, surprises, twists, and all the feels I love. I enjoyed the writing, felt excited and engaged throughout the story, loved the characters, and swooned over the amazingly slow burn romance. This book kept me up long past my bedtime, had me tearing up a few times, and desperately left me wanting more. Maura Milan is an author to watch out for and I honestly cannot rave about this book enough.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book Series: Ignite The Stars Book 1

Rating: 5/5

Publication Date: September 4, 2018

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Recommended Age: 15+ (space, violence, gore, and new alliances)

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company

Synopsis: Everyone in the universe knows his name. Everyone in the universe fears him. But no one realizes that notorious outlaw Ia Cōcha is a seventeen-year-old girl.

A criminal mastermind and unrivaled pilot, Ia has spent her life terrorizing the Olympus Commonwealth, the imperialist nation that destroyed her home. When the Commonwealth captures her and her true identity is exposed, they see Ia’s age and talent as an opportunity: by forcing her to serve them, they will prove that no one is beyond their control.

Soon, Ia is trapped at the Commonwealth’s military academy, desperately plotting her escape. But new acquaintances—including Brinn, a seemingly average student with a closely-held secret, and their charming Flight Master, Knives—cause Ia to question her own alliances. Can she find a way to escape the Commonwealth’s clutches before these bonds deepen?

Review: Holy cow why are more people not talking about this book?? It's absolutely amazing and I loved it so much!!! The writing is fantastic, the plot is intriguing, the world building is well done, and the characters are well developed! Definitely excited for the sequel!

My only issue with the book is that I felt a spark between the main character and another main character and I'm mad they didn't act on it. Maybe it was supposed to just be a good friendship but damn throw me a bone!

Verdict: Such an underrated series.

I haven't read a lot of sci-fi novels especially the ones set in outer space so I really didn't know what to expect about this book. Fortunately, I enjoyed Ignite the Stars!

We have Ia Cocha, a most-wanted space criminal who everyone thinks is a dangerous guy but it turns out she's a seventeen-year old girl. She's definitely dangerous though. She gets arrested by the Commonwealth and force her to serve them. They put her in a military academy in an unknown location. She's plotting her escape even before her arrival. But her new acquaintances make her question her won loyalty and alliances.

The story is told in POVs of the three main characters. Ia is definitely brave, bad-ass, and smart. I enjoyed reading her perspective. Brinn, Ia's roommate, is biracial and extremely intelligent. Knives, the Flight Master, is the one in-charge to look after Ia. One of my most favorites in this book was the character development especially in Ia and Brinn. I also loved their friendship. To be honest I was low-key hoping for them to have a romantic relationship but Knives is an interesting character as well so I don't have any objection. I enjoyed their slow burn romance. I'm just hoping that we get to know more about Knives in the next book. Same with the worldbuilding. I would love to read more about the Tawnies, Ia's family, and Dark Space. There was a mention of Ancient Earth and I would love to know some details or background about what happened to it. This book explores political themes which are very timely so it's really helpful to know more about some historical events.

I thought some of the twists were predictable but I loved how the author executed the whole revelation. Some of fictional curse words in this book were quite ridiculous in my opinion and took awhile for me to get used to reading them. Overall, this was a very entertaining and fast-pace debut young adult sci-fi and I can't wait to read the sequel.

I've heard of this book before but I haven't seen many bookdragons gush about this one and now I am absolutely miffed because this book DESERVES MORE LOVE. This is written by a Filipina and it's one of the best space operas I have ever read. Now I will spend my life screaming about it at the top of my lungs.

MORE THOUGHTS ON IGNITE THE STARS:

• It's the kind of book that will grip you since page one

“The only way you can live with your past is to recognize that every decision you make in your life will make you stronger."

I usually check the remaining reading time on my Kindle but when I was reading this book, I wasn't even able to keep track of it because I was enjoying my reading experience very much. The pacing is perfect and it has a solid plot that sold me since page one. I have a lot of questions and this book does have a lot of minor plot holes but I don't really care at this point.

I also love the world-building. Ignite the Stars is full of spaceships, flight simulations, AIs, cyborgs, and more sci-fi goodness that I really appreciate. There's so much detail to this world and I just can't get enough of it.

• ‎I have so much love for the characters

Ignite the Stars features three character perspectives and I enjoyed reading every single one of them. I didn't feel the need to skip to another chapter because I didn't like one of the narrators. Ia, Brinn, and Knives gave so much dimension to this book. I adore their dynamics so much.

Ia (MY ASIAN QUEEN) is a punch-first-and-ask-questions-later kind of protagonist and I love that about her. She's the galaxy's most wanted criminal who wants to destroy the Commonwealth brick by brick. Her character development in this book is off the charts. I found myself rooting for her because she has so much angst and fire inside her soul.

"When a Blood Wolf has its teeth out, it doesn’t take much to make it snap."

Brinn is also one of my favorites. I didn't think much of her at first but as the story progressed, I found myself loving her more and more. In the book, she's a Tawny—a race that is despised by most—and she tries to hide who she is to avoid being judged and persecuted by others. She struggled to hide who she truly is and that really affected me. I think that's something a lot of people can relate to—pretending to be someone they're not.

Knives is also someone I really care about. He's a decent guy and I'm looking forward to reading more of him in the next book. I also love his chemistry with Ia. They gave me lots of feels and I'm just here wishing for their happiness.

The side characters are also easy to love. Some of my favorites are Angie, Geoff and Aaron. They give off a certain positive vibe that made me appreciate this book even more.

• YES TO FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS

I have to give Maura Milan a round of applause and a fifteen-minute standing ovation for giving me quality female friendship content in this book. She really gave an effort to cultivate Ia and Brinn's friendship and it ended up being one of my most favorite aspects in Ignite the Stars. Ia and Brinn make an iconic duo who lift each other up and occasionally blow up ships together. I have to stan.

"If Einn had been her anchor, then Brinn was now her sails. There was no point staying in one place her whole life. Things had to change."

• ‎There's so much action and it's very well-written

The action sequences in this book are just... *chef's kiss*

Maura Milan really knows how to write fight scenes that kept me at the edge of my seat. Ignite the Stars is an action-packed space opera that is perfect for fans of Illuminae and sci-fi in general. I don't know why many people compare this to Throne of Glass but I really think this one has more Illuminae vibes.

• ‎This book surprised me in so many ways

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. I also didn't expect to be taken by surprise by a lot of twists and turns in Ignite the Stars. This series has a lot of potential and I can't wait to see it grow. YOU NEED TO ADD THIS BOOK TO YOUR TBR. I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH.

Ignite the Stars satisfied my venture into sci-fi with a military flight academy, a very slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and snarky defiant characters.

Ia Cocha is the most wanted criminal throughout the galaxy and she is captured by the Commonwealth who had destroyed her home planet. As she tries to come to terms with her new schooling situation and how her criminal deeds causes her to be the most feared and hated student, Ia figures out how she fits into one of the most prestigious academies in the Commonwealth.

Told from multiple POVs, this sci-fi is filled with action and witty banter:
- Ia is our main character who is snarky and has very great fighting skills alongside being one of the best pilots in the galaxy.
- Brinn is uncertain of her identity and where she belongs in the Commonwealth. She's different from the other students due to her outstanding intellect.
- Knives is the youngest instructor at the academy and he is unsure of how to handle Ia. He goes on his own journey of questioning the morals of the Commonwealth and whether things are not what they seem to be.

This debut novel from Maura Milan, is not only very well-written, it includes themes of race/species, familial love, and female friendship. I was pleasantly surprised with this book with how good it was! It captured my attention right from the beginning. The attention to detail was great and the introduction to a new world didn't feel convoluted.

I've been seeing a lot of good reviews about this book since it was released last year and now that it's sequel is already scheduled for publishing next month, I finally decided to go with this space adventure.

The first thing that got my interest with this book is because the author, Maura Milan, is a Filipino author and I loooooove reading works by Filipino authors, be it own voices our not.

In Ignite the Stars, Maura delivered a strong and unique storyline focusing on Ia Cõcha, a teen girl space badass known for her sabotaging works against the Commonwealth. But her arrest led to a more complicated territory wars in space resulting to an upcoming war if the issue was not resolved. With her plan to escape the Commonwealth plan on transforming her into a unstoppable cadet of their government, Ia wasted no time in planning a step ahead and doing her best in working hand-in-hand with her brother, Einn Galantin, so she can return to All Black and be the infamous Blood Wolf of the Skies again. But things became different as Ia starts to learn the reality of the universe, with her failed escape plan and an upcoming intergalactic decimation from an unknown force, Ia had to choose on which side she should battle with.

This book seriously gave me Legend (by Marie Lu) vibes and I honestly love that series that's why I also devoured this read in two sittings. I can see Ia Cõcha's grit and determination similar to Daniel Altan Wing, and with that, I was completely sold. The storyline never lacked of action and intense scenes that'll surely make you flip the pages more and more.

I also love that this one was set in space and as far as I can remember, this is the only YA sci-fi I read that happened in this type of setting and Ignite the Stars did not disappoint. Though there were some points in the plot that you need to read twice and convince that this is doable since I'm reading a fictional story, the entirety of the book was enjoyable, overall.

Moreover, Maura writing this one with a strong and powerful girl as her MC was a plus one for me as well since we need more stories featuring badass girls and of course, Ia Cõcha did not disappoint too. Her skills in fighting and intergalactic battles is truly unquestionable and I need more of this story that's why I'm jumping forward to Eclipse the Skies tomorrow. But for now, ciao.

RATING: 4stars