I have a love-hate relationship with Christopher Paolini. Eragon was the first 500+ page book I ever read (I was in the fifth grade) and the first book I ever stayed up all night reading. It was also the first book that I remember ever scaring me. But as I look back as an adult, I can't help but cringe at the clunky writing, depthless characterization, and paint-by-the-numbers plot. I read all of the books. I even read the recent collection of short fiction. But my enjoyment of them has tapered severely the older I got. With this title, the clunky writing is still clunky. The characters lack the depth of many in comparable stories, but they aren't nearly so abysmal as those of the Inheritance Cycle. For a lot of the book, especially the opening, the plotting follows a very typical first contact formula. There are scenes that feel like they come right out of Ridley Scott's Alien franchise or James S.A. Corey's The Expanse. But they're all well rendered and, as the narrative continues onward, events become harder and harder to predict. It's not the best sci-fi novel ever written. But it was never going to be. It's also very far from the worst and is, in my opinion, Paolini's best offering to date.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

READ THIS BOOK.

Okay, now to the actual review. I first read Paolini when I was a teen and fell in love with Eragon, so I was so excited to see he had a new book coming out. I was unsure of how I would like it because I’m far more of a fantasy reader than a sci-fi one, but I couldn’t put it down. I was engrossed in the story and could envision the story in my mind’s eye, and it was epic. The idea of humans spreading out into far-flung corners of space was juxtaposed with very real characters. There were so many great aspects of the character, and the Kira Navaréz was certainly strong enough to carry this entire story. Every character had a depth that ensured they were not simply good or bad, but complex living beings. I actually cared about the characters, and that to me is always important and perhaps even more so when you’re investing time in a large book. I was so engrossed in the story and constantly trying to find time to read that it actually took me less time to read than a far shorter book I read recently. So, even if you’re not a huge sci-fi fan, PLEASE give this book a try because it will suck you in and hold you the entire way through.

#ToSleepinaSeaofStars #NetGalley

I'm sorry to say that the description of the story combined with the author's previous work really sucked me in. I looked forward to a different take on "aliens", some attention to the science and scientists, and refugees among the stars.

The writing was not clear, the storytelling seemed to get bogged down and the battle scenes were too extensive, murky, and I just did not connect with the characters. I felt that some stronger editing could have improved the story lines.

This book was received as an ARC from Macmillan-Tor/Forge - Tor Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a fan of Christopher Paolini and his Eragon series and his signature style of writing where the reader get transported away along for the ride. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars was no different. When an ancient relic is found by Kira and then she is sent away among the stars when war breaks out. As the "peacemaker" all of her fears come to light and she is now terrified beyond any means and she gets smacked in the face and realizes what it means to be human. I could not stop reading this book and was saddened when it ended. I was panting non stop and my mind was blown at the style and technique Christopher Paolini expresses in his book.

We will consider adding this title to our Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I have always loved Paolini's books. War in the stars. what could be better. Kira must be a new character or I have missed her? Good book

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for providing an earlier copy of this book to review. Everything is my opinion and my opinion alone.

This was a crazy ride! I absolutely love Christopher Paolini's Inheritance series. I have reread them a thousand times and I just click well with how he writes. I knew going into this book that it was an adult science fiction novel, not a young adult / middle grade (depending on who you talk to) fantasy with dragons. I still think I expected more from this book tho.

The main voice in this book is a woman scientist who pokes around where she shouldn't and there are major repercussions. The story itself is super interesting and I think it would translate really well to screen. The pacing was off to me though. There are these long times that the MC is by herself and everyone else is in cyro (frozen over along period of time on the ship to save energy and food) and she isn't because, er, she can't anymore (no spoilers!) and we stay with her like that for like whole, long chapters. It's the same thoughts, same things each time. I think it happens.... four or five times? I feel like those could have been cut down by a lot. I actually think a lot of the book could have been cut down because there are some pieces of information we never touch on again that we spent pages reading on. It doesn't strength the story and doesn't add to anything. It just... dragged some.

I also just feel like people just believed and did whatever the MC said? Which was weird to me. If someone came over to me and told me to do the exact opposite of what my commanding officers told me to do, I would at least start questioning things and not just be like "okay yeah let's do it!" or if someone told me to fly straight into enemy territory for an object I had never heard of before, I would at least ask for proof and not just take their word for it? Idk, I feel like we could have spent more time on THAT than learning about how the ship goes boom...

On the plus side tho, we are talking pirates in space which is pretty cool. I didn't really feel emotionally attached to anyone but the captain and the kid on board the whole book, but I was interested in the multiple alien species that the characters were dealing with. You could tell that Paolini did his research (which is good and bad.. again with too much information).

I had a lot of negative thoughts on this book, but all in all I did enjoy it. I actually think I would have enjoyed it more if I listened to it on audio-book.and I hear the narrator is going to be amazing.

I began my foray into this book with the "Sneak Peak" - here's my review from that:

"Holy space-thriller! I requested a partial galley of this book on netgalley not really knowing what I was going to get. I've never read an "Eragon" book and had no preconceived expectations for Paolini. Furthermore, the full publication page count of OVER 800 pages really dampened any desire to read the whole thing. All I can say is boy was I wrong. It is mid-June, the book isn't published until September, and I just finished this partial galley... OMG I NEED THE REST!

This book was so good. From a classic space questing scenario where scientists are studying a planet to ultimately rehab it for human colonization, I was sucked right into the lives of those aboard, immediately worried about anyone who loved another person, immediately concerned with any last minute fixes involving trekking back out of the habitat thing ... and then things get really good. I worried about how engaged I would be with alien stuff, because sometimes that very very sci fi genre can just be too strange, but Paolini masterfully intertwined the alien situation with the person with the science, etc. that I was all in. The chapter breaks of almost vignette style - a heading with sub-chapters - really worked to release pressure/build up then begin it again or take a look from another angle. I could go on, but so far I'm very impressed. Obviously I can't comment on how the whole thing comes together in the end, but I can't WAIT to find out."
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Cut to today, when I have just last night finished the ENTIRE whomping book. So, how do I feel about the whole dang thing?

Mind. Blown.

This book was an epic, space odyssey, with aliens, space ships, wars between life-forms (namely humans, Jellies, and Nightmares). It was "Firefly" meets "2001: A Space Odyssey" but also altogether it's own beast. This tome comfortably sits right inside of the classically *science fiction* genre, and is well away from anything fantasy-born or akin to Paolini's previous success in the "Eragon" series. Definitely no dragons, FYI! But but but but but ... there are *Ship Minds* - consciousnesses uploaded onto space ships (omg) to become key personalities and operators of said ships. There are also nanotechnology-alien-lifeform creatures created by ANCIENT ALIENS (omg). The actual story is expansive, epic, HUGE, long, and immersive. Paolini really created a perfect push-and-pull of action-vs-lulls so that, reading it, you never quite get bored or complacent about what might be to come. This book is super long, but after I was pulled into the plot and the characters and all of the interesting world-building and science, I actually became accustomed to reading this book nightly before bed, to the point that I already know I'm going to miss comfortably slipping myself into space each evening. As I said in my previous review, I'm not a typical reader of classically space-quest type of sci fi books, but this story and world just filled every corner of my brain with wonder. I'm also definitely someone to be put off by length, but I am so glad I dove into this gem.

Paolini also has an interesting afterword about how he came to be writing this book, his setbacks, how he nearly gave up, how much he had to learn to understand anything technical about the place he was building in fiction, and how it took him something like 7 years to get this book out.

I went into this book almost completely blind. I honestly didn’t know one thing about the plot. I’m not sure I’d even read the blurb but I knew it was an adult sci-fi from Christopher Paolini and that was enough for me. In hindsight I think that that might have been the best thing I could have done. At no point in this book could I predict what was going to happen next. This year I’ve started to really hit my stride with sci-fi and I think it might have finally beaten out fantasy as my favourite genre (blame Tor entirely for that, with Murderbot, Gideon the Ninth and this book). To Sleep in a Sea of Stars hit every single one of my favourite sci-fi features. First contact? Weird symbiotic alien relationships? Snarky ships? Check, check, check.

Kira is an xenobiologist working in space and her life is forever changed after she finds an alien ruins and a lifeform attaches itself to her by encasing her in a skin suit that works with her emotions and impulses. The being/suit called "The Soft Blade" takes some getting used to and it can send its memories to Kira's brain and cause great violence both a good thing and bad. It is an interesting partnership to say the least and one that will lead her and a ragtag spaceship crew to where another alien species is threatening to take out most of the Universe. This is a bit of a mashup between Star War's Princess Leia and the rebels meets superhero spacesuit meets the mind take over of Stephanie Meyer's THE HOST. There is enough action to satisfy the space junkies, wicked good banter of a ship's intelligence ( ala Hal from 2001 SPACE ODDESY) and Paolini does a good job of world building. I don't know if his earlier fans will be disappointed that there are no dragons here (spoiler!) but he has proven that he can write for an adult audience. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

I really wanted to like this book enough to give it a higher rating. It was creative and I enjoyed and was invested in the well-being of the ensemble cast but Paolini's editor needed to cut him off about 300 pages earlier. When you are at the climax of the book wondering how long it can go on, it's just too long with too much minute description.

Paolini's foray into sci-fi is nothing short of amazing. He takes just enough time to set up the characters, then everything kicks into high gear and carries you right through to the end on an adrenaline rush. Paolini is a natural storyteller and fans of science fiction will likely be pleased with this tale.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to the ARC. The Inheritance Cycle was one of my favorite series growing up, and hearing that Christopher Paolini was going to be writing a new book made me really excited. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars follows that journey of Kira, a xenobiologist who discovers an alien life form on a planet lightyears from Earth. This discover alters human civilization as we know it and leads to an intergalactic war between multiple species. Overall, I did enjoy the story, through the story starts of incredibly slow. The real action does not truly starts till at least 150-200 pages in. Kira is an interesting character, but at times some of her actions seem to contradict her core personality. The other main characters aren't really introduced until later in the story, making character introduced earlier easy to forget and almost seem irrelevant. Even with the rough beginning, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars was an excellent, action-packed read that is one that fans of space operas shouldn't miss. I am curious and hopeful that there will be a sequel.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book. It's so great to see Christopher Paolini writing books again. It felt like I was watching this whole book play out in a movie and he was able to suck readers into this story and develop a world that made it seem so real. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy science fantasy or space fantasy. I even convinced my dad to preorder this book! Thank you again. 5 stars!!!! Loved it!

During a scouting mission on a uncolonized planet, Kira finds a ancient place and is exposed to a odd dust that can move by itself. Things progress fast and furious from there, until war erupts from all sides and from beyond the stars. How can Kira make this right?

This is a action packed book full of wonderful characters that come together under a very unusual circumstances, one of which normally would not happen. Kira is a strong main character that finds a way to keep her friends safe. This is a wonderful book and a great come back for Paolini.

This review will appear on my blog on Sept 15th

After a routine survey at the end of a colony preparation mission on a planet goes wrong, xenobiologist Kira gets a first hand look at alien technology which quickly becomes a much larger issue when she can't seem to get rid of it and other parties start to take an interest.

With an overall action-heavy plot, a changing and entertaining cast of characters, and a journey that takes place across the galaxy, readers who enjoy science-fiction/science fiction-fantasy plot elements and are able to suspend their disbelief throughout the entirety of the story will find a lot to love in this book.

The book is somewhat slow at the start and the reader doesn't meet the people who Kira will be spending most of her time with until a little later in the plot, so it might be a rough start for more action-oriented readers until that point.

I think that this book gets started really, really slowly. In fact, I almost put it down because I didn't see it going anywhere and because I felt the relationship between Kira and fiance was forced and unrealistic. I also felt that no real scientist much less someone who had ever seen a dystopian science fiction movie would ever do the things that Kira does. But, if you can get through the beginning the book gets much better, Kira develops much more fleshed out relationships with other characters, and the action will eventually begin.

This is a fun, fast-paced adventure to read! As a fan of Paolini's Inheritance Cycle, I was pleased to see that his writing style has improved since that series. (Although there is still some room for improvement.) The story pulls you in and while Paolini borrows from other space/sci-fi stories (Alien, for one), there is a lot of originality. The characters are well developed and I felt really connected to them, especially Kira and the crew of the Wallfish. Kira is my favorite character, but there was a bit of awkwardness that I felt came from Paolini writing a female character (at one point she stops and sobs how ugly she is, which felt out of place), but while distracting, the plot is compelling enough to move past it and continue reading. The plot is quite action-heavy, which made it a fast read, yet Paolini was able to fit in believable character development among many of the main characters. I wasn't super happy with the ending, but I have hope that the next book will help explain why he went in the direction he did. 4 stars and looking forward to the next book.

I've never read any of this author's work, and I probably won't. I feel like it was a dud for me. It just didn't spark my interest.

So when I first heard about this book, it was the story that lured me in. I had read some of the Eragon series but the author wasn't the reason I wanted to read it. I then heard some negative feedback which made me hesitate momentarily about reading but boy am I glad I took the plunge. This was a fantastic, large scale science fiction story which I have not had the pleasure of reading for some time. The characters are well written, developed and relatable.
Kira, the main character was so great getting to know. She really ended up being a real bad ass super hero!
I felt like the Matrix soundtrack could be playing while she fought aliens! LOL
I really loved the crew of the Wallfish. When Kira met up with them and got them involved with her journey I really got a "Firefly" vibe off of the ragtag crew. The characters were funny and engaging. Their relationships were believable.
Without saying anything about how it ended, well it was mind blowing. I really felt that it left an opening for there to be more to the story but it could easily work as a stand alone story. I highly recommend this book.

Kira Navarez has clearly never seen the movie Alien. On a survey of an unknown planet, Kira find an obviously ancient relic. It’s all fun and games until the dirt and dust around Kira starts to move, Humans have always dreamed of reaching beyond the stars, of finding life elsewhere in the vast, empty universe. Be careful what you wish for. Paolini became a household name with the publication of Eragon and its sequel, written when he was just a teenager. His newest will enchant a new generation of readers and a female heroine is just what the world needs right now