To Sleep in a Sea of Stars: Christopher Paolini

Breath-taking, relentless and action-driven; an epic science fiction novel.

Release date: Sept. 15, 2020

Best selling author of Eragon and the Inheritance Cycle series, Christopher Paolini debuts his first Sci-Fi novel with To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. Kira Navarez, main protagonist, is a xenobiologist that has pursued her life’s dream of exploring new worlds. During one typical and banal excursion, Kira discovers, by happenstance, a relic unseen by human eyes. As this one relic changes humanity’s existence forever, Kira struggles with loss, pain, and survival.

I received a partial ARC of this book and FELL IN LOVE. Unfortunately, I would like to finish the entire book before I do a complete review. As of now, I think the writing is engaging and Paolini, once again, transports to readers to a completely different time and place. I think he truly has a gift for creating magical, science-fiction realms that one can imagine perfectly, without confusion.

I cannot wait for the book to be completed and published! The ten-year-old in me, who adored Eragon, is screaming. And, as an extra bonus, the cover art is beautiful. To all my non-human-intelligence and space/science geeks, this sci-fi is for you!

Along with posting on Net Galley, I will be posting my review to Goodreads, Amazon (when it becomes available), my Instagram (which has over a two thousand book review followers) and my blog. Please find the link to my blog post below. I am very grateful for the opportunity to review such an inspiring novel. Thank you very much.

Link to Blog Post: https://ifyoucanreadthisdotblog.wordpress.com

Link to Instagram Post: https://www.instagram.com/ifyoucan_read_this/

Link to Goodreads Post: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3284258060

Respectfully
Chanel Johnson

*I would like to give a shout out to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a partial galley for review*

This was a fantastic read! The characters were fleshed out, the story was captivating, and the world-building was awe inspiring. I couldn’t stop reading it and was sad when I remembered I didn’t have the full book! Readers of sci-fi will not be disappointed by this! I can’t wait for the full novel to be published this fall.

Rating: 10/10

Note: I was given an early ARC access via Netgalley. Thank you to Stephen, Pan-Macmillian, Tor, and Jamie-Lee Nardone – Links will come when it goes live.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars Part 1 needs to be put in a televison show. It is like the Expanse season 3-4-5 and Star Trek Discovery Season 1 put together. What an amazing concept. It does contain some sterotypes of characters, but it works and I’ll tell you why. This whole concept of a woman discovering an alien space station in the outer edges of space, and then having the alien called the Soft Blade inherit her and kill the remaining members of her station, including Alan…is well amazing!

Why is this not a Netflix show? Amazon? This is the stuff that most hardcore sci-fi fans would want to see. It’s a realistic avenue of what actual human contact with aliens would be. It had so many Expanse moments that I was shocked by the number of references or themes that I got out of it when I read it. The UMC are the worst corporation ever, including the politicans that sent Kira and her team to Adrasteia, an earth-sized moon that contains a lot more secrets. Carr is the worst doctor in existance.

I almost felt rage at the UMC and it’s nebulous ways of wanting to get rid of Kira’s team. Kira and Alan are such a great couple…you’ll see what I mean. The world-building is enormous, and the grasper aliens are some of the best original creations of all time. I did feel that the Soft-Blade Alien and the Grasper conflict was shown relatively well. I also loved that Kira had an idea of the langauge, but not enough to fully understand their conflict. This needs to be a TV show with John Williams as the composer. This already has the ambitious make up of an excellent sci-fi tv show that already needs to be made.

There’s so much more…that will leave you wanting to discover what happens in part 2. I do like this concept of partial galleys though my preference is towards full galleys. It really got moving fast when I read on.

From me? 10/10. You’ll enjoy this a lot.

Amazing world-building, breath-taking descriptions of high-flung galaxies and tentacles….fast and witty dialogue.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher TOR for allowing me to receive this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars
by Christopher Paolini


This is a review of a small excerpt from the novel and not a full review of the book!

So far so good! I think I am really going to enjoy this and I am glad that I have it pre-ordered to finish it! The characters and world seem like they are going to be interesting and unfortunately need to finish the final book at release to know more about my feelings!!

Predicting this could be at least a 4 star read!

I have waited so long for another Christopher Paolini book, and let me tell you, he did not disappoint. I wasn't expecting a sci-fi novel, since Eragon was fantasy, but this book is still just as exciting. From the beginning, I was so caught up in this book. I am so sad it is only a preview. Paolini did a great job of building his main character Kira. She is relatable, smart and strong. You feel all her joy and sadness. She is a great character. I am intrigued by the alien storyline and excited to see where it goes, as well as how Kira's character grows and develops in the face of adversity. I am hooked and can not wait to finish the story!

This is a review of the partial galley provided on NetGalley.

I have fond memories of reading the The Inheritance Cycle, so of course I jumped at a chance to read a partial ARC of Christopher Paolini’s newest book. The sample clocked in at 175 pages on my ereader and contains the first 10 chapters, each named and containing separate numbered sections, some around a page and some substantially longer.

It’s hard to articulate exactly what I was expecting from this, but it definitely exceeded my expectations. This definitely has a very Alien feel, complete with body horror and a kickass heroine. The world building was interesting and felt organic, and the characters, especially Kira and her reactions to her change in circumstance, felt realistic. After setting up Kira and her crew in the first chapter and a half, the action quickly picked up the pace with space battles and a nail-biting escape. Alas, no space dragons (yet!) though there were other appearances of space aliens both helpful and decidedly unhelpful.

As for cons, there’s some clunky language and some amusing nonwoman-writing-a-woman quirks, but, as in his previous books, Paolini’s excellent storytelling makes it easy to shrug off.

Overall, I finished the sample definitely wanting more. Luckily, I’ve already preordered the book, but it’s going to be a long time until September!

I was intrigued to find news of a new title from Christopher Paolini. Even though I only had the chance to review an excerpt, I am pleased to report that this book is engaging and made me want to keep reading more. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars may be a fresh universe, but what we readers love about Paolini's work is here, perhaps with even more authorial development. A most enjoyable excerpt of what is sure to be a wonderfully entertaining book. Thanks to the publisher for sharing this segment with me so that I could talk about it with other readers.

Christopher Paolini's "To Sleep in a Sea of Stars" is very different from his "Eragon" fantasy series, and it's very good.

Its heroine is xenobiologist Kira Navarez, who has a much too close encounter with an alien entity. It changes her, but significantly enhances her chances of survival - and that of her species - as it comes upon a very hostile alien threat.

Paolini' gives readers an engaging lead in an impossible situation, with constant action and suspense throughout. How much will the entity that has become a part of Kira change her? How great is the threat to humanity?

I only had access to a portion of this exciting novel and am left anxious to read the full story (which should be available September 2020!

Paolini continues to show why he is a power in the realm of SFF with his next novel, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. Much as he highlighted in The Inheritance Cycle, Paolini again showed his skill at writing from the perspective of a non-human intelligence. Though only a partial ARC, his characters are emotional and deep, forcing you to care about their choices and fates almost immediately. His worldbuilding has advanced, with bits and pieces of the history and science of his universe doled out with plot advancements rather than exposition. Paolini has been skilled at writing action scenes since Eragon, but he shows that ability isn't limited to swords and magic as his protagonist is unwillingly thrust into a violent confrontation, almost beyond her understanding. Finishing the partial ARC left me wanting more, which is the highest praise I can give to the beginning of a story. I eagerly await the finished novel, and look forward to seeing more of Paolini's universe (and the history and stories of the denizens therein) unfold.

This is exciting! When Christopher Paolini came onto the scene it was with his Inheritance Cycle series. It was a hit with our family. We read each book with the kids and eventually they read them on their own. The anticipation for the release of any new book in the series was unequal to anything else at that time. Now, he has written another novel separate from those days. Having received a partial ARC of “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars”. It captured my attention from the beginning. It shows the writing maturity of Paolini and how much he has grown in his creativity. The characters are believable and you grow to appreciate them. Paolini’s writing creates a world that one can visit each time you open the book. It is truly something special; I cannot wait to read the entire book when it is released.

Wow. I mean...wow! Just from the sample alone, I know I've got to read this book. It was engaging, witty, frightening, and exhilarating. A xenobiologist explores a cave, and what she accidentally discovers changes the course of hers and others' lives. This is one of those books that moves at a quick pace yet is able to ground itself in calmer moments without them feeling like they're bringing the book to a standstill. All in all, I think I'll definitely be reading the whole book.

Kira Navarez is a scientist with a passion for exploring new worlds. On a routine check of equipment on one of these worlds, Kira finds an artifact that ends up transforming her life forever...and the universe.

I just have to say, I literally could not put this book down. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and read this partial galley in one sitting.

While the synopsis gives hint that there is a malevolent force or beings in the universe, I was unsure starting the book what the tone would be. To my surprise and pleasure, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars feels like classic sci-fi thriller/horror, like Alien. There’s even a colony that is called Weyland, which I feel is an intentional reference! Kira is the Ripley of the story, and she does not disappoint. Kira kicks butt and is a person to be reckoned with, but she is vulnerable and so very human as well. The tone of the story lulls you into a sense of complacency, before everything hits the fan. When the action happens, it’s delightful and disturbing. There’s a scene that makes the chest burster part of Alien seem almost less terrifying in comparison. Not sure how that’s possible, but it happened, and that’s just a taste of the tone in the book. It’s fantastic!

I really love the fact that I’ve read what I assume is a decent piece of this book with the partial galley and I still don’t know a single thing about these aliens that are apparently out there wanting to annihilate everything. Or I assume they are wanting to. I like that. Don’t show all your cards at once. Leave us hanging on every word to know what comes next. I say that and know some stories do this wrong. They don’t show all their cards right away and you get bored and annoyed. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars doesn’t allow you the opportunity to get bored. If there’s a lull in the narrative, it’s just the calm before the storm.

This was such a pleasure to read, and I really cannot wait until the full novel comes out! Thanks again to NetGalley and to Tor for allowing me to read this partial galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for the free ARC. I was glad to see another book from Christopher Paolini, but this one does not involve any dragons. In this story, Kira, a xenobiologist unearths the relics of another civilization and not a friendly one. I have a feeling there are more books to come. Fun and quick read, I think this book will appeal to the young adult crowd.

I absolutely loved Christopher Paolini's Eragon series and was unsure of how I'd feel about another. Although this genre is completely different than dragons and their riders, it does not disappoint! Paolini provides an alluring story set in another world with intriguing characters.
I will be adding this to my TBR in September on release day as I want to know how this adventure ends! Plus, the stunning cover alone will be a beautiful addition to any library or collection.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillian- Tor/Forge with this excerpt ARC!

3.5-4 stars

I received a partial eARC courtesy of Netgalley. eARC was approximately 100 pages long.

I'd like to go on record and say my lack of interest may perhaps stem from the fact that sci-fi is not at all my go-to genre. That being said, I also enjoy sci-fi. I'm simply picky about what I read.

Content warning ('cause I know some of you don't like this stuff): This is an ADULT book, and as such, it's obviously about people in their mid twenties/thirties. There is language. I wouldn't say it's a lot, but it's decently spread throughout every three-five pages. There's also sex in the first few chapters--nothing graphic, it's simply mentioned. So do with this info as you will.

The premise of this story isn't wholly original, and having never read nor watched The Expanse, I can't tell you if it's a little too similar to that or not. As someone going into this that reads more fantasy and Star Wars than anything else, I found it interesting, but not enticing. I liked Kira, but she didn't fully click with me. I'm hoping reading the rest of the book will make me like her more. As it is, I'm fairly indifferent to her, but I do wish her well.

I was really struck with how much worldbuilding we got within such a small amount of the book. I felt like Paolini did a good job spacing out the information and letting us know where we were and about how ships and the technology worked. It did feel sometimes like the information broke up the story a little too much or seemed a bit out of place in where it was, but as a whole, it didn't bother me that much.

This is a slow plot with intense moments to add to the feeling of time passing. But it's slow. There's a lot of waiting around and staring introspectively at walls or into the distance. It makes sense why that's happening considering the circumstances in the book, but it gives for a LOT of info dumping about Kira and the world/space she's lived in. It makes the plot drag near the end of the eARC, leaving the reader with a slight boredom because it ends on that.

SPOILERS BELOW



The alien reminds me so much of Venom from Spider-man, in that it has a symbiotic relationship with the person it bonds itself to. It's black, and it has conscious thought of it's own. Oh, and it has spikes. so it's Venom, but perhaps a nicer one.

I found the aliens a little too classic sci-fi alien. They reminded me of the descriptions of aliens from War of the Worlds with tentacles and wanting to kill things.

Part of me feels like the symbiote having all these super powers is a little too convenient. The story feels a little too contrived in how oh, gee, Kira was a normal human before and after meeting some aliens, she can do weird things. I know it's the symbiote doing everything since it has bonded to her, but parts of it feels a bit too much like a superhero movie. I'm not entirely sold on how the alien mythos will mix with the "human extermination" tagline of the blurb for this book--which is yet another contrived plot point. But again, this was a partial ARC so there's no telling what will happen in the next 600 pages.

Talk about the edge of your seat reading! Straight off the bat, Christopher Paolini delivers an action-driven plot. Kira is a likable protagonist, who is forced into a fight for her life after a mission goes bad. My only complaint is that I have to wait until September to read the rest of it!

Nooo! I have to be honest, I hadn't realized this was a partial sample when I got it. I'm on a sci-fi kick, and though I haven't read the Inheritance Cycle, I knew there was a ton of hype surrounding this book.

This is exactly what I wanted! Easier to digest hard sci-fi with fast pace adventure and a little romance on the side. September can't come soon enough!

I was excited to see this on NetGalley even if it wasn't the full book. I remember enjoying this author's YA series back then when I had read it and I plan to do a reread of it soon. This is definitely different for many reasons but it does have an interesting premise.

From what I did read, I think that this is a pretty solid read. Sci-fi can be a bit iffy for me but I am intrigued by the story that he is telling. The characters seem interesting and of course, there is a lot going on. Plus, aliens!

There is a lot of action and plot twists in this one. I'm curious to see how this will all turn out. Time to wait until September!

I appreciate having had an opportunity to read this preview. The appeal of this particular book was not evident to me, and if I cannot file a generally positive review I prefer simply to advise the publisher to that effect and file no review at all.

Plenty of ink has been spilled about Christopher Paolini's dreadful/wonderful fantasy series (depending on who you talk to). When I was a teacher, I read everything my junior high and high school students read. The younger ones in particular loved Eragon--to them the clunky prose, cliche characters, and undigested swathes of various popular movies plus Bruce Coville's work were invisible. Though I couldn't make it through the first book, I knew that if I'd encountered it as a kid, I too would have adored it--and as for the prose and the obvious borrows, this was a kid writing. It's how young writers learn.

It was also clear that though Paolini didn't have an ear for prose, he was a natural-born storyteller, probably visually oriented. So I was curious to see the sample of a new sf series coming out later this year.

So far this is a solid entry in the new iterations of the space opera extravaganza. It starts off with our heroine Kira, a xenobiologist, finishing up a stint on a planet before she, her lover-turned-fiance, and tight-knit crew are about to blast off. She and fiancé are tired of being sent all over the galaxy, but hey, let's finish the job. One last thing to check . . .

You know of course that that last thing is going to kick off the plot and woo boy, does it! From there the action kicks into high gear and never lets up. I don't doubt that this will sell to HBO or one of the biggies before the book even comes out--the screenplay practically writes itself.

Prosewise it's an improvement over the fantasy. A tendency toward pleonasm and the easy much-used metaphor keep it firmly this side of the brilliance of Adrian Tchaikovsky or Mark Lawrence, but that's a pretty high bar. I was sorry to reach the end of the segment--I really want to read the rest of this story.