Blood of a Thousand Stars Review

Synopsis from Penguin Young Readers:

War tears the galaxy apart, power tests the limits of family, and violence gives way to freedom in this exhilarating sequel to Empress of a Thousand Skies.

Empress
With a revolution brewing, Rhee is faced with a choice: make a deal with her enemy, Nero, or denounce him and risk losing her crown.

Fugitive
Framed assassin Alyosha has one goal in mind: kill Nero. But to get his revenge, Aly may have to travel back to the very place he thought he’d left forever–home.

Princess
Kara knows that a single piece of technology located on the uninhabitable planet Wraeta may be the key to remembering–and erasing–the princess she once was.

Madman
Villainous media star Nero is out for blood, and he’ll use means necessary to control the galaxy.

Vicious politics and high-stakes action culminate in an epic showdown that will determine the fate of the universe.

About: Blood of a Thousand Stars is a young adult fantasy written by Rhoda Belleza. It was recently published on 2/20/18 by Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Random House, paperback, 358 pages. The genres are young adult, science fiction, and fantasy. This book is intended for readers ages 12 and up, grades 7 and up. According to Penguin’s website, “Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin Random House, is committed to taking risks and exploring new ways to tell stories. Razorbill is home to a broad-ranging young adult hardcover fiction, middle-grade titles, and nonfiction.” Penguin Random House is the world’s largest trade book publisher and its mission is “to foster a universal passion for reading by partnering with authors to help create stories and communicate ideas that inform, entertain, and inspire, and to connect them with readers everywhere.” Please see below for more information about the author and publisher.

My Experience: I started reading Blood of a Thousand Stars on 3/26/18 and finished it on 4/6/18. The final installment of Empress of a Thousand Skies is an excellent read! I love that there are three POVs. I like following Alyosha’s views the most because he has experienced so much in his life. He’s blunt with honesty about what had happened and what he’s left with. He’s so hard on himself when comes to love. He’s so adorable when comes to love too! I like the connection to love & loss between Aly and Rhee. Their realization to the people that are close to them is heartbreaking. The misunderstanding with Kara and Aly is heartbreaking as well. It reminds readers to cherish the time we have with each other because we may not have another chance to say the things we want to say.

This book is told in the third person point of view following Kara (Josselyn (Joss) Ta’an, the lost older sister, Kalu princess) as she and Aly (Alyosha, a Wraetan revolutionary boys that was wanted for murder of princess Rhiannon in book 1) follow Julian to find a way to get in touch with the Lancer (Veyron – Julian’s dad and Rhee’s trainer) to find and destroy the overwriter technology that have the ability to steal, suppress, and alter to create new memory. Another point of view is Rhiannon (Rhee) Ta’an, empress of Kalu. After book 1, she announced to everyone that she’s in fact still alive. She now knows Nero, ambassador to the late King was behind her assassination. He has a large number of followers due to his presences on the DroneVision, a TV personality that citizens love to tune to night after night. Nero stepped in to be King when the planet thought that the last Ta’an heir, Rhee, was killed. Now that Rhee is back and taking back the family’s throne, the homecoming erupted with protests & attacks on neutral territories. Rhee’s rise to power is rocky right from the start. The final point of view is of Aly. He’s angry for what’s taken away from him. At times, he wants to hide away with Kara, but the mission to destroy the bad is too great. He can’t live life freely because he’s a foreigner. Currently there is a dangerous weapon out there that could cause havoc if gets into the wrong hands. Kara is in danger of being discovered by the wrong people. Rhee is challenged in her new position and may be force to work with her #1 enemy.

A well written story, this book has actions, romance, humor, and challenges that keeps me turning the pages. I like the turn of events when Aly was invited to join a new mission. I like all the things that Kara’s mom Lydia taught her and how she obtained knowledge based on her mom’s profession. I like Pavel’s personality, a robot with humor. Following Kara’s personal battle of who she is or was and how she wanted to have control on her life is interesting. I was hoping for a little romance between Rhee and Julian at the end but Rhee spent too much time crying over Dahlen. I thought Rhee has the hots for Julian because of her obsessive study on Julian’s jaw at their unconventional reunion. Other than that, Rhee prove herself in this book with her fighting skills that she trained so long for. I highly recommend everyone to read this book!

Pro: easy to read, fast paced, page turner, humor, romance, adrenaline rush,

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

Buy it here for free shipping: Book Depository  or Penguin Books

About the Author:

Rhoda Belleza was raised in Los Angeles, where she grew up writing X-Files fanfiction and stuffing her face with avocados. She’s a children’s editor at a publishing house and writes from a sunny Brooklyn apartment stuffed with far too many bikes and far too many shoes. When she’s not writing, Rhoda obsesses over nail art tutorials, watches kung fu movies, and sews together crooked things that pass for clothes. Empress of a Thousand Skies is her debut novel.

More Information about Razorbill

Website: http://www.penguin.com/publishers/razorbill | Twitter: https://twitter.com/razorbillbooks | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/razorbillbooks | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/razorbill.books/

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to Penguin Young Readers for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine