. A space opera that halfway through decides it is also a romance novel. However, the main theme, that robots will come to enslave humanity, was interesting.
While compulsively readable, there were several plot points that felt lifted from various other space operas, specifically, Jupiter Ascending, Firefly and Star Wars: A New Hope. For example, in one scene, Talia actually records a hologram message that is very derivative from Princess Leia’s “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi” message.

Our Dark Stars
Audrey Grey and Krystal Wade
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Excellent story!!! Such a creative and emotional sci-do/fantasy novel. I am pretty picky when it comes to sci-fi books and this one bypassed all my expectations.



While she sleeps, the whole universe changes.

Princess Talia Starchaser has it all. Wealth. Status. Adoring citizens. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she’s forced to publicly betray her best friend, a companion mock she’s had since birth, setting events into motion that lead to the destruction of the humans, and the princess floating through space, a remnant of a time when humans ruled over droids.

One hundred years later, half-mock captain Will Perrault and his ragtag crew discover a device floating in space. When a very human Talia emerges from its depths, Will suspects she’s the key to buying his way back into the regiment he once commanded against the last remaining rebel humans—and the ruling mock queen’s good graces.

Both Talia and Will would rather get space-tossed than trust one another, but with the queen’s forces chasing them across the galaxy and the fate of both worlds hanging in the balance, they’ll forge the unlikeliest of alliances to survive.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I found Our Dark Stars to be a fun read that I read cover to cover once I'd started. The characters were interesting and the plot touched on some darker issues without letting the story become too heavy. I'd like to read more from this universe, but the story also works well as a stand alone novel and I was pleased to have most loose ends wrapped up by its conclusion.

Fans of The Diabolic and Ilkuminae will love this epic sci-fi space opera set in a well-developed world.

This book was just ok for me. I couldn’t really get into the story. It was slow, and hard to follow.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really liked it! The story was action packed, Despite being a sheltered princess, I liked Talia. She was quick on her feet and dedicated to saving herself. She wasn’t content to sit around waiting for things to work out, she was smart and took action to ensure her own freedom. I enjoyed the other characters and what they brought to the book. I wish I had liked Will a little bit more but his narrative did bring something to the book. The parallels of the slavery I thought were interesting, it did seem like the Mock’s enslavement of Humans was portrayed harsher despite them seeing humans as the savages. I thought they did very well not making romance a focus. There was a little bit but it was more a look at humanity rather than love I would say. It was barely there. I found it very interesting and I wish I could have learned a bit more about what the new society was like and what Mock life/slavery was like.

Mini review:

This was a trainwreck. I was really looking forward to reading this. I generally enjoy sci-fi. I did not enjoy Will’s point of view at all. Talia was much better but that couldn’t save the book. I didn’t care for any of the characters except Talia. She was the only one that was tolerable.

It was action packed and a fast read I’ll give it that.

I will not be reading the next books. Do not recommend.

Received a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

I do love a good sci-fi every now and then so trust me when I saw this.. AAAA...MAZING

Besides love a good sci-fi (or any kind of genre really) I do love a dual POV too. It just makes a book more interesting when there's a dual. Sometimes with multiple POVs one can get confused quite easily or you can get bored with just one POV. So I really like reading books with dual POVs - this book has it!

Once I finished doing my happy dance I wanted to dive into Our Dark Stars. At first glance, I fell in love with both Will and Talia pretty early on. Will is a starship captain while Talia is a princess. The duo forms an unlikely alliance after Talia wakes up from her cyosleep to a different world. I don't know how I would feel if I was woken up 100 years later (after I went to sleep) but shit would probably hit the fan. This also made me think of the movie Passengers.

Now I'm not saying this book was beyond perfect, because trust me it had some flaws, but I did really enjoy reading it. I really liked the characters and the overall flow of the story. I think I just really loved watching Talia and Will grow throughout the book.

Overall, I loved this book. I'm so happy that I found a new author. I'm beyond ecstatic that this cover looks freaking amazing. The story was entertaining and made me zoom through the book. I kind of feel guilty that I went through it so quickly.

I could totally see myself rereading it over and over again. Also, when it comes out I'm definitely going to go out and buy it for myself and everyone else I know.

I really enjoyed this. The characters were great and the world was so interesting. I just flew through this. However it didn't really do anything for me.

*thank you to Netgalley, Blaze Publishing and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3 stars.

While over all I enjoyed this, there were parts that didnt interest me much. I liked the main character Talia and her junior mock Ailat (Talia spelt backwards which I thought was really cool!) But about half way through it started to get a bit boring. I wanted more of the story to have been set in before the 100 years passed. That was the world and storyline I was most interested in. This defiantly has The Lunar Chronicles feel to it. I didnt really connect with Will and his team. They were ok, but I could take or leave them. I wasnt too fussed. But given all this, I did still like reading it and I am very thankful I was given an ARC of it. It is worth reading.

OMG, This book was really good! It took me by surprise and I really didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It was totally fast paced, action packed, and engaging YA sci-fi read. I’ve never read any of Audrey grey’s books but I want to give this a shot because I loved the premise and also not to forget the gorgeous cover that was literally calling my name. It kinda reminded me of defy the stars by Claudia Grey but they’re definitely not the same. After finishing the book, I was left wanting for more. I enjoyed every aspect in this book. The characters were pretty good and they’re the best thing I loved about it. The plot was a bit predictable but It didn’t hinder my enjoyment of it at all.

Princess Talia Starchaser is the sovereign to the Starchaser dynasty, ruler of the seven planets. In their world every human has a companion mock, human looking androids with emotions programmed inside them. Because of a virus, the mocks started to make their own decisions and they start to rebel against their makers because of the way they’re being treated as slaves. Eventually, the rebellion starts to get out of control. To save the Starchaser dynasty, a political wedding was set between Talia and a prince from another planet. Talia and her mock Companion Ailat have grown together and they’re best friends since forever but when she was forced to betray her on the eve of her eighteen birthday, a chain of events takes place which leads to a princess floating in space, an end to the humans authority and a start to the Mock’s reign over humans.

Hundred years later, half-Mock Captain Will Perault of the ship Odysseus and his scavenger crew discovers a floating device in the space surrounded by mines. He retrieves it by risking his life along with his crew members in the ship. Everyone gets surprised, when a flesher(a term used by mocks for humans) emerges from inside it. When the Queen’ s forces starts to chase after them, Will believes that she’s going to be the key to buying his way back to the queen’s regiment and also earning her good graces. Six months ago, he was kicked out from Queen’s regiment for getting away an alliance ship filled with humans. So in order get his old life back, he needs to hand Talia over to the Queen. Will and Talia can’t stand each other and they don’t trust each other either but to survive they both make an unlikely alliance. When Talia brings out the buried human feelings inside him, Will wants to get rid of her as soon as possible even though he feels guilty about it.

Talia and Will were pretty enjoyable characters! I loved Talia! She’s strong, stubborn, sassy, and also a bit spoiled. I enjoyed her character from the start. She loves adventure and deeply cares for her loved ones. She didn’t hated her family even when they arranged a political marriage with a jerk prince from another planet. Ailat, her companion mock is her only friend in her entire life and she always treated her like a sister. I liked the sisterhood between Ailat and Talia at the beginning and I felt bad when Talia was forced to betray her. Will is a very intriguing and also a bit complex character! He had a dark past that made him hate humans. After he was turned into a mock, he forgot about human emotions and how to feel them. I wish we had more glimpses of Will’s past so we could know a bit more about his childhood. I absolutely enjoyed the relationship between him and Talia. I’m so glad it wasn’t an insta-love. I’m always a sucker for slow burn romances. Talia and Will constantly clashed with each other at the beginning. She always gets on his nerves whenever she fails to obey his command. But eventually they start to trust to each other and feelings bloom. I loved their chemistry, their banters and the tension between them. As for the secondary characters, Will’s crew members Leo, Lux, Dorian and Jane are pretty likable too. I enjoyed their playful banters and how they cared for each other as a family. It would’ve been great if the authors focused a bit more on the side characters too.

I really liked the plot even though it was predictable. The story was pretty entertaining and fun, I was never left bored. It’s really a unique sci-fi retelling of Sleeping Beauty and I enjoyed every minute of it. The space adventure and action in the book made this book even more enjoyable. The pacing was good but some parts felt a bit rushed though. There are some interesting twists and turns in the book. Some were predictable but some came as a surprise for me too. The writing style was funny and captivating through out. I’m glad this book had a dual POV. I enjoyed reading the story from Will and Talia’s third person perspective. The world the authors created was pretty good and I want to explore more of it.

Overall, I loved this book! It’s an entertaining YA sci-fi read filled with adventure, action, humor, and light romance. For now, it’s a stand-alone novel but I really hope there’s more of this story.

I felt like this had elements of Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast mixed with great action, conscious AI, and space - which I loved!

This was about a war between humans and 'mocks', those who are basically conscious AI. In Princess Talia Starchaser's time, humans ruled the galaxy with mocks as their servants. But, due to Talia's actions, whose intentions weren't as awful as they seem, we see how the war gained momentum. In order to save the Starchaser line, Talia ended up in cryosleep, for around a century. Half-mock captain Will Perrault and his crew stumble upon her pod while searching for space treasure, and Talia awakens in a galaxy vastly different from the one she's used to. As they navigate through space it's clear they need each other's help. But how will they work together to save each other, and the galaxy, when they barely even get along?

Princess Talia Starchaser isn't the spoilt royal brat everyone assumes her to be, she's adventurous and capable of flying spaceships. She's loyal and does all she can in the moment to those she cares about. She's obedient and puts aside her feelings for the sake of her planet. 

Captain Will Perrault is a half-mock with a lot of inner demons. He was forsaken and nearly killed by his own kind when he was human, so now he hates everything that makes a human, human. Craving acceptance with his new mock 'family' he goes looking for something to appease the mock Queen, which is how he comes across Talia's pod. 

Talia and Will had alternating chapters so you could see things from their viewpoints and gain unsaid knowledge about their backstories. They were both great characters with valid reasoning for the ways they think and their intentions. I really enjoyed their banter and more serious scenes together, and totally shipped them. But, I'd have liked scenes with more chemistry between them? Because as much as they're obviously attracted to one another and enjoy each others company I felt like something was missing. Maybe that's just me though. 

The other mocks in Will's ragtag team were intriguing but I felt like they could've been fleshed out more. There was a nice scene between Lux and Talia where they spoke about their losses and related to one another.

The main villain of the story, the mock Queen, had valid reasons for her actions, and I understood why she became what she became. You feel somewhat sympathetic towards her when you realize her story. The Collector however, was just an asshole who wanted to see humans exterminated, and was just there to provide us our villain.

I really like that this story wasn't dragged out into a series, though it ends with the potential of having a sequel. My only complaint was that I felt like there were a few moments in the story which were a little too convenient, like the writers wanted something to happen so it just happened.

My overall opinion : I think Our Dark Stars had fast paced action, two main characters interesting enough to keep you invested in the story and certain interesting questions regarding ones morality. Would recommend it to fans of Sci-fi.

*** Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC! ***

This was a really fun read for me. I read quite a bit of science fiction but I don't read many books that are based in space. The authors incorporated a really great adventure through space with just enough detail to understand the basic mechanisms of things without bogging the reader down with inane facts. This story is told from 2 perspectives: Talia's and Will's. I really liked that the first part of Talia's perspective took place 100 years prior to the present (which is where Will's perspective takes place) because it allows the reader to understand what Talia was going through at that time and how she ended up where she was. It also allowed the reader to see the stark contrast in the political climate from the past versus the present. I liked both Will and Talia's character and appreciated the fact that the authors didn't spend too much time developing the romance between them. However, I did have certain issues with the story. While the story went along at a fast pace, I didn't necessarily think there was enough development of character and plot for the story to really cement itself; there was a lot of jumping around without enough grounding to let the reader believe in the direction of the plot. I also had an issue with the romance, which I know sounds hypocritical but hear me out: the novel is sold as a science fiction and romance, and yet the romance barely develops; I really didn't feel a romantic connection between Will and Talia so when they suddenly express their feelings for each other after such a short period of time, I was quite taken aback. Maybe the romance should have been left out of the story. I also thought that the ending was a bit too convenient and positive. After such a struggle in the beginning, things were resolved way too easily. 

Overall, this was a fun read with a good amount of action and good characters. However, I think the story and romance could have benefited from some depth, which could have been accomplished if the authors had made the story longer and taken the time to allow for some development. I'm giving this a 3/5 stars.

I wanted to fall in love with this book so badly, it has all the makings of something fantastic. However it fell short for me, only due to the way the book tells you everything, leaving no room for imagination.
Loved the Characters though

I thought this was an ok YA sci-fi. Many elements seemed very familiar, and the chemistry between the characters didn't do it for me. I think my hopes were too high due to the high ratings. <Note to self: stop reading reviews right before you read the book.>

I was so antsy to get my hands on this book not only for the cover, but for the story itself and I am so glad I got to read it through netgalley! I have grown to love split POV because i know at some point the two are going to meet and it's going to be awesome. I got a feel of both FIrefly and The Lunar Chronicles in this book, both of which I love so the reviews were not lying.

I have been loving YA sci-fi and this book is perfect for a light hearted fan. I enjoyed the characterisation with the dual perspective allowing a good understanding of motives and plot. The story flowed with a hint of fairy tale but completely rewritten and pacy. What could have been strung out to a trilogy made a good standalone while leaving the door open for future adventures.

Im not a fan of sci fi. This book keot my interest but im not sure if i woukd read it again.

I am still blown away by this book as I write this review. This was just phenomenal! 

Our Dark Stars tells the story of Princess Talia Starchaser, who on her eighteenth's birthday will confirm her position as the heir to the throne and to her Dynasty, but must also secure her betrothal to Prince Cassian, who she has never met. Cassian is a cruel person, and demands Talia kills her best friend, a companion mock named Ailat who she has known since birth, in front of an expecting crowd. In a fraction of second, Talia must decide what to do, with enormous consequences to her choice. A hundred years later, Mock Captain Will Perrault and his mock crew discover an object floating through space, and when Talia emerges from the container, she is now in their hands.

This is a fast-paced story full of adventure, space chasing, , a fierce Princess who must confront her past if she wants to bring peace between mocks and humans, a charming half-human half-mock Captain and a crew full of personality. I couldn't stop turning pages and finished this book in an afternoon, holding my breath during the last chapters.

This book is somewhere between Young Adult and New Adult, with the main characters being between 18 and early 20s. So maybe not entirely appropriate for younger teens, but it's hardly very steamy.

Our Dark Stars was just so good, the way I always have in my mind when I think space adventure with a bit of romance, you know? Such great fun to read.

Trigger Warnings: mentions of torture and rape (not explicit).

Our Dark Stars was really a good fast-paced Sci-Fi! Obviously, it is not the book of the year but I enjoyed it anyway! We have spaaace, sassy characters, a bit of romance (even if it could have been developed and deepened better), action and plot twists! It has a conclusion (since it's a stand-alone) but if the authors want, they could write a sequel because there are some things left open. All in all, if you adore YA Sci-Fi, you don't want to miss this one!