To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini, narrated by Jennifer Hale.

DNF at 25% - I really wanted to like this book, but honestly, I was bored. That doesn’t bode well for listening to a book that is 32 hours in length.

From the beginning, I figured it would be a light read in nature considering the size. I kept listening and realized that it has no complexity, no original ideas.

Eragon is one of my favorites fantasy series, so my expectations were of similar caliber.

I do not like to rate books I do not finish. For NetGalley requirements I will give it 2 stars.

Published September 15th 2020

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This one was like a really long TV series binge that will not let you get up and leave the room. May have been better suited for a teen than for me. Sorry...

Started off really interesting but lost me somewhere along about the second hour...I think...

**Received this from NetGalley audio**

This book was absolutely amazon. I was originally frightened to crack open this book just for the sheer size of it but also because I'm fairly new to Sci-fi , but Paolini is truly a master. He made the book fun and fast paced. The climaxes came at really good intervals to keep you intrigued the whole time and the technical jargon and scientific ideas explored were presented in a really context driven way, meaning that it was fairly easy to discern the meaning of everything. I also loved all of the character developments and arc's for each and every person and even not two forms. The renowi (I probably spelled that wrong) were so interesting to speak too but my all time favorite character in this book by far was Gregorovich! Also the narration was absolutely stunning. The narrator was able to bring such clear life to each and every single character it blew my mind!

Although it's not a full 5 star read to me, just because some of the parts slightly closer to the ending, I am still blown away by how beautiful the story was and the heart of the story as well!

Perhaps surprisingly, this is my first book by Christopher Paolini. I've certainly heard of his Inheritance books, but I was drawn in by the synopsis of his first adult title, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars.

This book is not for the faint of heart. In print, it weighs in at just under 900 pages and a literal two pounds.

I'll be honest that sci-fi isn't always my favorite, but I am a sucker for strong world building, and Paolini is a master of his craft in this regard. I was captivated by Kira Navarez and her journey discovering planets, new civilizations, and an alien artifact that changes everything. It's a thought-provoking look at humanity at its core.

Jennifer Hale narrates this audiobook, and the run time is 32 hours and 29 minutes. (Think of it as a great value for that audiobook credit!)

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing a copy of this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

A chance finding of an alien relic during a routine space mission plunges Kira Navárez into intergalactic war in "To Sleep in a Sea of Stars," the latest book from Inheritance Cycle author Chirstopher Paolini. As he did in that earlier book series, Paolini painstakingly builds a detailed fictional world and couples it with a fast-paced and entertaining story. Given how much attention he devotes to setting and plot, it's not surprising that character development suffers a bit in this; I never really connected with Kira. That said, I enjoyed reading about the crew that Kira finds herself a part of, and appreciated that Paolini was branching out of fantasy and into science fiction in this latest effort.

I listened to "To Sleep in a Sea of Stars" in audiobook format, and I think I enjoyed it more than I would have if I had been reading the book--the book's pacing was a little uneven, but these slower sections were perfect to listen to as background to other tasks. And I applaud the narrator for managing to differentiate what was a very large cast of characters so that there was never any confusion as to who was speaking.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an Advance Audiobook of this title in return for my honest review.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars was an interesting read for me. The Inheritance Cycle is my favourite series, and what got me into reading when I was younger. This sci-fi novel is definitely a huge departure from Paolini's first series, bringing forth a new tone from him. He stuck to his elongated story telling, which I love. The story itself was interesting well orchestrated. I can't wait to see what else he has in store for us.

This book was such a journey. It broke my heart, made me think, and made me want it to never end! I think any sci fi fan would love this book and the ideas/story Paolini tells.

DNF at 25%

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

First of all, I listened to 8 hours and 20 minutes of this book - it's a BEAST. I believe it's like 32 hours and 29 minutes total, which is simply too much for this story. I think Paolini wanted to be descriptive and really explain the world he's created (an amazingly complex universe), but I also think certain aspects of the book could have been condensed. I also wasn't 100% sold on certain parts of the story, and wish character development had been more of a priority (especially at the start), rather than extensive descriptions of planets and alien life.

Unfortunately, that's not what ruined this book for me. Oh, it's much worse than that... the main character, Kira, vomited into her alien spacesuit - where it had nowhere to go - so she basically ate and then choked on her puke. The author follows that by going into GREAT detail about how her barf then goes up her nose when she inhales (basically suffocating AND drowning on her own upchuck), and I just could not anymore with this book. That was too much, Paolini. Too. Much. 🤢

I also thought the author based a lot of the "alien" on Venom and the other Klyntar from Marvel. There were SO MANY similarities. How the alien attaches to her skin, how the alien can feel the pieces of itself that are no longer connected, how it functions to protect its host, how it communicates - the backstories were too alike to be coincidental. I wish Paolini's alien had been unique and something unrecognizable. I'm actually really curious if anyone else has made this connection, so let me know if you had similar thoughts while reading this one. Additionally, Kira called the alien "Soft Blade," but I always heard "Soft GLADE," which lessened the appeal for me. Neither name worked, to be honest.

Audiobook review: The narrator was PHENOMENAL. There are a ton of characters in this book, and she had a different voice for everyone. It was easy to keep the characters separate in my head, and I'm looking forward to listening to more books read by her in the future. (★★☆☆☆)

I was so excited to see Paolinis new work, growing up on his eragon books it felt so nostalgic. I love sci fi and space so when i saw this as his upcoming genre choice i was so stoked. he definitely did not let us down and the narrator did a wonderful job. this book is a total beast though and ive never been happier that i can listen to audiobooks at a faster rate because i just had to know what was coming next!

Christopher Paolini created a masterpiece with To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. His book is breathtakingly descriptive and adventurous and keeps readers on the edges of their seats throughout. There wasn't a dull moment in this book. It should be voted the sci-fi of the year, in my opinion. ."

We loved this book and loved the audio telling of it! Our customers grabbed these the second they were on sale and Paolini continues to be a Master crafter of stories.

3 stars.

This was LONG. As an audiobook it was 36+ hours. It was enjoyable but I sometimes found my attention drifting and never found myself dying to listen to it. If you're a fan of his work, I'm sure you'll love this one but it was just OK for me.

This book was alright. My attention wasn’t held throughout the whole time. I had high hopes for it. I know several others would love it.

I was so excited for this book, and absolutely thrilled to receive an advanced copy of the audiobook. The Inheritance Cycle was my first fantasy series and is still one of my absolute favorites and I’ve been hoping for a new series from Paolini for a while.
While this was, obviously, completely different I really enjoyed it. He created a very well developed world with well fleshed out characters. The female lead was well rounded without coming off a tropey. The pacing was a little odd and took some getting used to, but that’s really my main complaint. Overall, well done and I’m excited to read more from him in the future.

This book was daunting at first, I think my jaw hit the ground when I started it and saw that it was a 33 hour audiobook. However, it didn’t take long to get sucked into the blockbuster storyline centering on Kira Navárez as she accidentally melds together with alien matter. While trying to bring life to a new planet Kira instead leaves with a new life and mission altogether.

TO SLEEP IN A SEA OF STARS truly takes you on the space odyssey of a lifetime. It’s filled with deep thoughts, technical details, human and alien emotion, and finishes with a hopeful (or devastating) finale (depending on your POV).

This book is filled with the epic (out of this) world building you'd expect from a fantasy novel, yet sings with the familiar feel of science fiction. As Kira finds herself transformed into an alien version of herself she begins to see life differently. Through her own introspection I was left with the question of whether we become powerful by trying to control that which is outside of us or if we become powerful by mastering that which is inside of us (or is what is outside of us the same that’s within).


“We are made from the same stuff as heavens, we are the mind of the universe itself. We are self aware beings. We are the universe watching itself, watching and learning. This act of observation and learning -- the process we all share -- gives purpose to everything we do no matter how insignificant it may seem and from that purpose, meaning. For the universe itself, given consciousness through your own mind is aware of your every hurt and care. Take comfort then, that whatever you choose in life has importance beyond yourself.”

This is a space epic. I loved Kira. She is such a strong heroine. Gregorovitch, the shipmind was well done. Really enjoyed this novel.

Unfortunately this book was just not for me. I was really intrigued by the beginning...I’d say actually the first 1/3rd. Then it seemed to get so convoluted for no reason. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters and felt it could have had a bit more general explanation on things. There were times you were going back and forth between points of view with no explanation before or after. By the end I really didn’t care what was happening.

I thought I had already submitted feedback on this! Anyway, I'm a big fan of Jennifer Hale and I loved her performance here. Paolini has always been a little hit and miss for me, but I feel like this might be his strongest book.

I like it, Maybe I’m alone in this. My tween was not as much a fan as I was but I also loved the Eragon books, while he did not. I thought the science stuff would appeal to him as he usually goes in more for the faster paced funny or technical books where I tend to fall for character development and mystery. I’m not sure I would hand this over to a struggling reader but an avid reader who is looking for something a bit different to spend a good few afternoons with, this would do nicely.

3/5 stars

Thanks a bunch to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this e-arc

The story in itself was magnificent. I was listening to the book whilst reading the physical copy and that definitely helped me considering how i unfortunately disdained the narrators' voice