But when a practice run turns into a full fledged defensive engagement, Noemi’s best friend is injured and she takes a desperate chance to save her aboard an unknown ship who’s only occupant is a mech who’s been trapped for the last thirty years.
They form an unlikely alliance to find an alternative to suicide, which takes them across the five worlds humans have colonized, making new friends and alliances along the way. But when Abel starts to deviate from his programming, things get more complicated. And dangerous.
Characters
Noemi and Abel could not be more different, and it works so well. We get to see the full arc of enemy to friend (and more) and its such a gradual and organic progression that you can’t help but get swept up in their relationships. While Noemi definitely evolves throughout the novel, Abel’s critical self assessment of his progression helps highlight the inner struggle, and probably some of the themes around what it means to be human that I’m guessing Gray wanted to explore.
Defy the Stars is really a love story wrapped in a space ship, and our two protagonists shine in every way.
Plot
Noemi’s quest to find a way to save her friends, and planet, took her to every planet in the system, which was great because I really enjoyed getting to see all the planets. However, some of the reason to go seemed more driven by the need to show off said world than by any story element. Noemi’s contraction of cobweb in particular seemed a bit too convenient. In a world where everyone is scanned for a deadly disease, it just seemed off that she would have gotten it just in time for them to make it to the planet where they could get the cure.
That’s a pretty minor quibble, and I really don’t mind since I got to see all the different planets, but it did bother me a bit in a couple of instances. Definitely not enough to really dock any major points, just an observation.
Setting
The worlds in this future are familiar enough that I don’t have to crane my neck to see how we got to this point, but also fresh and new enough to bring out the kid in me when we see a new bit of tech. The struggle between Earth and Genesis is set up well and believable for the most part, though I was scratching my head at the Genesis people’s decision to give up technology in a world where they had to know they would eventually have to fight again.
Aside from that, everything seemed well thought out and I totally believe that this could happen in the far future (assuming that we can figure out wormholes and what not…)
Tone/Voice
The best part of Defy the Stars are Noemi and Abel’s polar opposite tones. As you’d expect, Noemi is emotional and passionate, while Abel is pretty much your stereotypical AI/machine. The duality of the tone propels the narrative since we get to see both sides of the equation, and both sides of the budding relationship.
Fun Factor
I’m always up for spaceships, but Defy the Stars did a great job of balancing the sci-fi with the narrative. The focus on the characters kept me engaged while the setting provided a fun backdrop to watch everything play out. The banter between characters was authentic and enjoyable, and the tension throughout kept me on my toes. If not for the “we’re going to planet X because the plot says to” feel, I’d probably have bumped this up to a 10.
Overall – Private Stock
Defy the Stars is all about the characters, which feels weird to say but is not always the case, especially in the Sci-Fi genre. I blew through it in about two days and can’t wait to pick up the next book (though I’m a bit upset that the third one isn’t out yet…).
Pairs well with…
Ol’ Major Bacon Flavored Bourbon. According to the Ol’ Major website, this is the first bourbon made with real bacon, not artificial flavors. I have no idea how this works, but I love bacon and I love bourbon. The diversity of flavors should make for an interesting combination that I’d imagine is as unique as Defy the Stars’ love story.