Kyro is a wonderful character. He only wants to help his father return fallen stars to the sky. Star Shepherds. What a whimsical story with beautiful writing. The world building was really well done and this magical world was beautiful. I loved that as an adult I enjoyed it as much as a middle grade kid would.

Thousands of years ago, when the night was bathed in nothing but darkness and fearsome shadow monsters roamed the land, the ancient council of Seven Elders determined that the best way to protect their people and banish the monsters was with light. They blanketed the sky with stars, even going so far as to give pieces of their own hearts to the heavens. In the present day, eleven-year-old Kyro and his father, Tirin, live on the outskirts of the small village of Drenn, where they are employed as Star Shepherds. As Star Shepherds, they have sworn a sacred oath to monitor the night sky, protect the stars, and return any that may fall to earth to their rightful place. When the stars begin to fall in greater numbers and there is evidence to suggest they are being torn from the sky rather than falling naturally, Kyro’s father goes to investigate, only to disappear soon after. Now Kyro, along with the help of his beloved dog, Cypher, and his dear friend, Andra, will have to embark on a harrowing adventure to save the stars and rescue his father as he treks across a black sand desert, stows away aboard a pirate ship, and braves the mysterious Radamak Mountains, filled with fire-breathing spiders, mechanical giants and untold secrets simply waiting to be discovered.

I’ll be the first to admit that I was a little apprehensive when I was first contacted by Sourcebooks and agreed to read and review The Star Shepherd on Pop! Goes The Reader. As those who have read the blog for a number of years now know, I’m most familiar with the contemporary and realistic fiction genres, so a fantasy story filled with a combination of magic and steampunk elements was a little intimidating. That said, I needn’t have worried, as Dan Haring and MarcyKate Connolly’s The Star Shepherd is an exciting, creative, action-filled fantastical adventure that is thrilling and accessible even for those relatively unfamiliar with the genre, like myself.

Many of the characters are broadly drawn and familiar archetypes, but this does not make them any less loveable or easy to root for. I was particularly pleased to see the inclusion of two tenacious, admirable female characters. This includes Andra, Kyro’s best friend and the village baker’s daughter who is brave, determined, and knows her own mind, and Salban, a captain who is strong enough to command her own band of pirates but is also filled with a great deal of grace and mercy. The novel’s protagonist, Kyro, is an equally exemplary character, as he is both courageous and responsible enough to protect the stars at great cost to himself but also given the space to be vulnerable and even sad about his distant relationship with his father, who is mired in grief over Kryo’s mother’s death.

The Star Shepherd is complimented throughout with both full-page illustrations as well as smaller illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. The latter are a particular highlight as they offer the reader an intriguing glimpse of what’s to come in the following pages. The majority of the novel’s illustrations are alternatively bold, atmospheric, evocative and even charming, although I did find that the chosen art style was not quite as effective and expressive when it came to the rendering of the human characters.

The conclusion of The Star Shepherd seems to imply that this may only be the first in a series of books set in this imaginative and dynamic world of Dan Haring and MarcyKate Connolly’s creation and I would happily join Kyro, Andra, Captain Salban and the others for further adventures! There is a great deal to love about The Star Shepherd, not the least of which includes the book’s touching, heartfelt messages about using light (both literal and figurative) to combat the darkness and the beauty and power of teamwork to achieve a common goal and fight for the greater good.

This was such an adorable story I thoroughly enjoyed it and found myself flying through it within a couple of days. Kyro is a sky shephard, his job is to help fix fallen stars and put them back in the sky, but as more clusters of stars are falling and his father goes missing, kyro and his friend Andra must try and find out what's happening. I found the story so whimsical and the illustrations are beautiful I would highly recommend you give it a go.

What a unique, original, and interesting story about the stars! Eleven year old Kyro helps his Star Shepherd father retrieve stars that have fallen so they can return them to the sky. The stars were originally put there by the Elders of their civilization, to keep the dark creatures away. When more and more stars begin falling, and glimpses of the dark creatures begin to occur, Kyro's father goes to investigate and disappears. Kyro is now left with the responsibilities of shepherding the stars back to the sky, finding out what happened to his father, and saving his world before the dark creatures take over.

Kyro is a likeable and sympathetic hero that readers will root for. His friend Andra is a loyal and true friend who does not allow the prejudices of her elders stop her from doing the right thing. The author does a good job showing the effect grief and loss can have on both the young and old, and how important it is to share and communicate. I feel like there could be a sequel to this story in the future, and I look forward to reading it.

Wonderful middle grade tale of dedication to family. Kyro lives with his father and tends to the stars that fall from the sky, using machines to send them back where they belong. It has a very unique plot and was well-written. This is sure to become a favorite for many younger readers.

I knew this book would be all kinds of adorable. And it very much was so. I have been waiting and wanting to read it for so long, as I have adored MarcyKate and her books for years. It is the first I have heard of Dan, but he seems amazing too. I simply adored this story they created together. And it was all kinds of incredible.

I have decided to give it four stars, even though I pretty much loved every part of this book. The writing was perfection. The artwork included so very beautiful and fitting with the story. All the characters were so very cute and great to read about. But four stars as I loved the first half more than I loved the second.

But this is not a bad thing. Because I found the ending of this book to be the most perfect thing. Happy and a little sad too. I truly wouldn't mind even more books about these too precious characters. There is so much I enjoyed about this book. It was such a great read and I adored these characters beyond words. The book is told from the point of view of eleven year old Kyro. Whom I loved the very most. He was way too adorable and so very loving and brave. But so sad too. And I loved that more than anything. For the past five years Kyro have been helping his father to save the stars. His mother was a star shepherd, but then she died. And now his father is doing it. But gosh, how I disliked his father. He should have taken better care of Kyro.

This book is a story about stars and stories and friendships and family. I loved reading about the history of everything. Kyro is a star shepherd with his father, rushing to save the stars when they fall down. They take them, put them in new castings and shoot them up in the sky again. There is a story about it all and it was so fun to read about and learn more about. I loved everything about the stars and how special they were and loved the work that Kyro had to do to save them. He was so good at it all too. I so loved his job.

He has been living a mostly quiet life with his father for years. With no friends, no other family. Except for Andra. She is the only person in the village that is nice to him, the only one that want to be his friend. Oh. Which was all kinds of heartbreaking to read about. As the other people in the village treat him so badly. It hurt my heart. Because Kyro was the sweetest person and deserved all the best. Sigh. But he had Andra. And that was the very best thing. She was sweet and kind and the very best friend. I adored her the most.

Reading about the friendship between Kyro and Andra was so good. They were mostly just so adorable together, haha. And I loved it so. I loved how she helped him with so much in this book. I loved how they were together, working together, talking together. It was the cutest. Kyro also had the most adorable little dog, Cypher. He was in the book the whole time and it was the very best thing. There are also a few other characters in this book, some that I adored, others that I did not. Hmph. But all interesting to read about.

There is so much going on in this book, even though it was not all that long. I will not be writing too much about it. But gosh, this story was all kinds of fun. I simply loved reading about Kyro and getting to know him more. He and Andra were the best. And everything about the stars were so interesting and exciting too. Different, and so well written. It was magical and so perfect to read about too. The only thing that I wanted more of in the second half of the book was the main characters, but I adored it all, despite that.

There were not only magical stars in this book. There were also some magical creatures. Some of them all kinds of horrible. It was so much fun to read about. I loved how Kyro dealt with everything, in the best way that he could. I'm having trouble finding the words to describe this book. Simply because I enjoyed it so much. And had such fun while reading it. It was so sad and a little heartbreaking at times, and I loved those moments so much. There was a small mystery too and it was written so good. I enjoyed everything.

The Star Shepherd was everything that I wanted it to be. This was such a fun and adorable middle grade story. Filled with stunning characters and an exciting plot. I loved the stars and the magic. I so adored the cute little dog. I'm so glad that I had the chance to read this book early, thanks to a trade. I cannot wait to get my hardcover copy of this book too. It's simply stunning. You all need to buy this book too. Because it was so adorable and sad at times too. I pretty much loved all of it and I need you all to read this one too.

This is the story of Kyro, who is a star shepherd in training. In Kyro's world, stars occasionally crash out of the sky and need to be re-hung in order to protect their world from the dangerous creatures that lurk in the dark. Kyro's dad has taken over the job from Kyro's mom, who died. Except Kyro's dad has some pretty strange ideas about why all the stars are crashing out of the sky. He is eventually asked to leave the Star Shepherd's guild and Kyro wants to prove that his dad is right. This is an exciting adventure story that has big themes of family. loyalty and treachery. It also has some amazing robots and scary evil creatures. It's a fun story.

I enjoyed the basic premise of this book as well as MarcyKate Connolly style of writing. I thought the steampunk style clockwork aspect was creative and unique, even if it didn't completely make sense with the world. I liked both Kyro and Andra's characters. Some parts were predictable which is why I didn't give it 5 stars. The ending is clearly set up for a sequel/series and I can see many of my students reading more of these books.

What I Liked
The overall world building is very unique and fun! The myth behind the stars and the star shepherds are wonderfully unique, and the monstrous creatures that hunt the stars are appropriately scary for the audience. Kyro and Andra are a great pair of friends, and Andra's kindness toward the village outsider is such an important lesson. The illustrations are wonderful for kids as they read through this!

What I Would Have Liked to See
Nothing comes to mind. It was a fun MG adventure!

My Favorite!
The cool inventions Kyro's dad has built really make the setting a lot of fun!

TL;DR
Village outsider Kyro rescues fallen stars with his father, but when his father vanishes one night, Kyro must use every ounce of strength within himself to find his father and save the stars--and the world--from the dark threat advancing over them.

Kyro and his father are star shepherds, they help stars who fall to the ground by sending them back to the sky. But more stars than ever are falling and Kyro’s father disappears. Kyro and his friend Andra have to find out what’s happening to save his father, the stars, and their works from the darkness that the stars hold back.

Kyro is a very likable character who is eager for more responsibility. Andra is a strong friend who doesn’t care if the other people in the town don’t like Kyro, who she calls “Starboy.” Together they’re the perfect adventuring pair.

The mythology of their world is such a unique conglomeration of stars, mythical creatures, ancient robots, and normal people.

The plot has plenty of twists and exciting action. Kids will eagerly join Kyro on his adventure to save the falling stars.

So difficult to review. The idea and the the promise are fantastic, A star - shepherd, an amazing idea. Dark beasts, giants, family loss through death and difficult relationships, travel across unknown lands, a sea adventure, a friendship that survives parental objection and more. Sadly though it all feels a little rushed and not totally rounded. I loved Kyro and was excited by his mission, but a lot of the story just did not have enough detail or reason. Middle grade readers will love the concept, but will want more. Just as well there is obviously a sequel in the plans.

I have invested time in Kyro and, yes, would read the sequel to see where his story goes, to see if the author adds more flesh to the plot and to see if the story flows better in book 2. A good read, but not as great at the cover and blurb promised.

Star Shepherd

This is a lovely, touching story with a courageous protagonist in young Kyro, the son of a troubled star shepherd. I really enjoyed the story’s premise of stars crashing to the ground and the discovery that this was deliberate. I found the relationship between Kyro and his father in the aftermath of the loss of both wife and mother heartbreakingly realistic as they try and survive together. Their lack of wider community because they are regarded (as star shepherds) as meddling and untrustworthy by the locals adds another layer of loss to their relationship. Luckily Kyro has friendship- his trusty, steadfast dog and Andra, who believes in ‘Starboy’ when no one else does.
I found various parts of the story less well thought through. The dark monsters seemed a bit two dimensional, apparently lacking motivation other than being present and fairly scary. Geography was slightly crazy- deserts crossed and mountains climbed in less than a day! While I’m sure the target audience will be far less judgemental, camping out along the way would have cost the narrative very little.
The giants were brilliant and the ending was good but didn’t feel complete. It seems clear there more to come, so I’ll look forward to, and happily read the next instalment.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my views.

Ah, well. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by this one. It seemed to have everything going for it--the cover is STUNNING, the premise is utterly fantastic, and I've loved MarcyKate Connolly's previous works--but the content was underwhelming at best.

I think it's because, somehow, STAR SHEPHERD felt empty. The characters had the same amount of depth as a piece of paper, and I didn't care for any of them. Kyro is a typical protagonist, desperate to prove himself and ... that's about it. No further complexities or flaws or dreams. Andra, his friend, was similarly flimsy. The rest of the supporting cast sort of flickered in and out of the picture, and even now, having just finished, I can't remember who they all were. Everyone spoke in the same formal, to-the-point way, whether they were kids or adults or giant robots. The 'villain' appeared out of nowhere during the final act, cited weak motives, and was gone almost as quickly as he appeared. (What *did* happen during that climax?? I'm confuussed)

And that ties into my other major criticism. The plot....well, I hate to say it, but it felt like a draft that hadn't yet been fleshed out. The premise itself is wondrous, obviously, but I wanted it to be pushed so much further. Most conflicts arise from the prejudice of villagers against star shepherds, but their reasoning is just SO forced. How does a society forget the function of the stars? How can you claim not to believe in demons when there are demons literally everywhere? (Sidenote: vissla sounds way to much like the dog breed to me). Would you really not understand what a star shepherd does? Why has this divide opened, when the collection of stars hasn't diminished in importance? Why would the Council of Star Shepherds be so harsh and unfair with their own members, when they have nothing to gain by Kyro's failure? Why wouldn't the Council try to regain respect/trust with wider society? Why would actual Star Shepherds not believe in demons? If there are giants flying about, why has no one seen one? Why are the giants hidden?

*Deep breath.* Anyway, in short, it seemed like most of these prejudices existed only to stand in Kyro's way, not because they actually fit into the world. And when it wasn't people, it was nature: random sinkholes and giant spiders and deserts that ended up being conquered in the span of a page, before Kyro continued with his journey. It was a connect-the-dots of random events that, had they been more developed, would have been fascinating and tense. But, combined with the weak characterization and worldbuilding, it all just felt messy.

Nevertheless, there were some beautiful moments. Some of the descriptive passages were lovely. I appreciated the imagination that went into this book, and perhaps, younger readers will be more forgiving of its shortcomings. It breaks my heart to leave a negative review, because I wanted SO much to love this book, but in the end, I can't offer more than 2/5 stars.