Not posting a review publicly as i did not read the book in its entirety. I read to 75% and then skipped to the end.

I liked the characterization of Mila. She was well rounded and kick ass.
Demitri was less so. (I'm agnostic and i disliked how wishywashy he came off compared to Mila's strong faith.)

I didn't enjoy how the areas were handled. I don't think it was meant in a disrespectful way (i was impressed with the handling of the clearly Muslim characters), but it seems weird that the whole world migrated to Russia and then all spoke in cliched broken English. It rubbed me the wrong way.

I enjoyed the world building (overall) and am curious to know about the old souls enhabiting some of the current living people.

I will definitely keep an eye out for the second novel!

A decent postapocalyptic dystopian work. Because of war and disease, most of the world is uninhabitable. Humans can live in only one place - a remote area of Siberia.

The world is introduced through heavy exposition dumps that occur in conversations, and in two narrators arcs. Despite some twists on the genre, the plot, characters and the world remain rather predictable.

An ok book for fans of the genre.

First off, thanks to the authors and publisher for a copy of It Takes Death to Reach a Star in exchange for an honest review. Receiving a free copy of this novel in no way, shape, or form influences my thoughts or opinions.

2018 DRAGON AWARD FINALIST – BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL
2018 SCIENCE FICTION WINNER OF THE NEW YORK BOOK FESTIVAL
2018 CYGNUS AWARD SHORTLIST

“…merging the best of apocalyptic fiction and sci-fi … compelling.” – Library Journal

“Cinematic, thought-provoking, immersive … in the manner of the novels of Philip K. Dick.” – Booklist

“[I] cannot fathom how Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington created this masterpiece.” – Reader’s Favorite.

You know, considering this book has been nominated for a few prestigious awards (and won one of them), and had some great coverage as far as early reviews go, I am surprised I haven’t seen this book talked about more.

If I had to blurb it, this is how it would go:

“Elysium meets Blade Runner in this high-octane dystopian thrill ride, set in the bowels of the Siberian wasteland. Jones and Worthington have created what can only be described as an all-too-plausible future covered in darkness, harsh temperatures, and monsters not only without, but within.”

The year sits at 2251. After the end of World War III, a new plague spreads across the world and wipes out everything in its path except one city – Etyom. Set in northern Siberia, Etyom was resistant to the plague thanks to its harsh climate and its citizen uncommon immunity, but its denizens still have their own conflicts to worry about.

In the upper metropolis live the Graciles – beings who were bio-engineered to resist the plague, sons and daughters of the wealthy and elite.

In Lower Etyom live the Robusts – offspring of the poor and homeless, somehow immune to the plague ravaging the rest of the world and living off what they can find to afford more time to exist.

(Sort of reminds me of the Reds and Golds from Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga.)

Mila Solokoff is a Robust who makes a living trading information, no matter the risk, in order to continue her meager existence. Demitri Stasevich is a Gracile, stricken with a sickness that could get him killed if found out; the only way to rid himself of this darkness is a drug found in the Robust-filled city.

In the most unlikely of scenarios, both of these figures become entangled with one another and must foil a plot that looks to destroy everything below what the Gracile’s hold dear. But something inside Demitri has… other plans.

One thing this book does well is that it never puts on the brakes. From page one, the reader is thrown into the thick of it, only coming up for air long enough to get roundhouse kicked in the face and forced back under. The fight scenes are some of the most descriptive I’ve ever seen, the world-building is expansive yet claustrophobic, and, while I can’t say you’ll fall head over heels for the characters, you’ll definitely be rooting for them from the get-go. It is a novel with plenty of heart at its base, and you don’t have to read too closely to see the religious undertones peppered in.

All in all, if you enjoy dystopian fiction with some hard science thrown into the mix, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this book. Definitely for fans of PKD and Pierce Brown, or those that enjoyed movies like Elysium or Bladerunner.

It Takes Death to Reach a Star depicts a dystopian future where the last of society is divided between the Graciles, genetically engineered individuals who live in luxury above, and the Robusts, the plague survivors who struggle in the frozen habitats below.  The Robust population of Eytom is divided into walled segments according to belief. Travel between is dangerous, as violent, cannibalistic outcasts live between sectors. The two central characters are Mila, a courier and Demetri, a gracile struggling to keep a secret that could lead to his death.  As you might expect, they end up working together to stop a plot that would result in the destruction of life as they know it.


I have mixed feelings about It Takes Death to Reach a Star.  I did like how the authors went counter stereotype, portraying the very real fear a person like Demetri would face being thrown into the Robust part of the city and experiencing violence for the first time.  I wasn’t comfortable with the representation of all Muslims except for one man and his sister as being radical, violent maniacs. The warlord leader and his minions played a major role, but they were pretty generic maniacal bad guys.  All but a handful of characters in It Takes Death to Reach A Star were two dimensional cardboard cutouts. I also think the science portion could have been made more believable. I had a very hard time reconciling the disposable/function oriented nature of the graciles with their leader’s supposed desire to make them immortal.  It Takes Death To Reach a Star had some interesting ideas, but there were definitely areas where additional work was needed.


3 / 5


I received a copy of It Takes Death to Reach a Star from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.


— Crittermom

A well written and very engaging book. I could not put it down and stayed p an entire night to finish it but it was worth the tired day that followed!

A very well-written story that will make you think. Expertly blends science and religion with timely topics going on in the world. The authors handle their characters and plot so well, it feels like this could actually happen.