It has been a long time since we've seen anything by Paolini. However, his ability to curate new environments and cultivate fantasy worlds is evident and in full speed.. Paolini's fist venture into adult sci-fi is different enough to be disconnected from his previous works and well=written enough to truly fascinate and amaze. The book is beautiful and completely engaging.

Christopher Paolini's SF epic, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, is very different from his Eragon fantasy series and quite extraordinary.

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

Paolini gives readers an engaging lead in an impossible situation, with constant action and suspense throughout.

This book is a true epic adventure in Science Fiction. It's clear from the detail and research that must have gone into this book that it was incredibly well thought out and developed. I loved all the details from the science involved to all the descriptions. The main character was extremely well developed and easily relatable. If you are into science fiction, particularly alien and first contact stories then definitely give this one a try!

If you are an audiobook listener than I highly recommend the audio version. The narrator does an amazing job bringing Kira to life and I really enjoyed listening to the story. Her voice had all the right inflections and was soothing at the same time.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars begins on a happy day in Kira Navárez’s life. She and her fellow pre-colonization expedition are wrapping things up after studying a planet to verify it is safe for colonization. They’re ready to leave, her lover Alan has asked her to marry him and they are even hoping to come back and help settle this planet. However, a drone saw something puzzling and she jets off to check it out. She discovers an alien artifact or, it could be said an alien artifact discovers her. From there, the story spirals into a an existential battle for the survival of humanity.

This is a massive sci-fi adventure that happens well after we have learned FTL (faster than light) technology and the use of cryogenic stasis for long-term travel. We have been colonizing planets for three hundred years with only one sign of extraterrestrial intelligence, a huge construct that was certainly created by alien life, but those who built it are long gone. But once Kira finds the artifact, suddenly colonies are under attack by not one but two kinds of aliens, the Jellies and the Corrupted. What role did her discovery play in this new threat to humanity.



Sleep in a Sea of Stars is an exciting and gorgeous book. I love the world-creation and the imagination that gives us aliens who are not the usual bipeds. They are truly alien. I love how different their language is and how completely different their understanding of free will and existence is. Paolini imagines such a vibrant and different species with the Jellies that I am blown away.

It was hard to put the book down and I stayed up into the wee hours more than once. I hate to tell you anything because I don’t want to spoil any of the surprises and excitement of discovery. I love that this story is very much about Kira vs. Kira as much as about Kira and humanity vs. the aliens. I loved so many characters, most of whom were far more complex than most secondary characters. Exciting plot, well-developed characters, and a strong sense of place in places we have never been come together in a phenomenal book.

I received an e-galley of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars from the publisher through NetGalley.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars at Tor/Forge Macmillan

Christopher Paolini author site

I didn't really know anything about this book going into it, and it was pleasantly surprising in a lot of ways. I am going to try my best not to spoil anything in this review, so details on plot will be as sparse as can be. Here's the deal. Our heroine, Kira, is a xenobiologist a couple of hundred years into the future. She goes to investigate the disappearance of a drone, and things happen. They happen in a way that, throughout the book, puts a clever and enjoyable spin on what could be some tired old cliches.

At one point Kira finds herself on a ship with a crew I instantly hoped would play a large role in the story because they seemed pretty great. There's also something called a "ship mind", which is essentially a giant brain that used to be inside a human, but chose to expand itself and run a spaceship, amongst other things.

It's a story that has a lot of great science fiction ideas in it, from aliens to faster-than-light travel. It also has action and some heartfelt moments. Peace, love, and understanding (as the song goes) plays a pretty big role at some parts, which was nice to see in a sci-fi book.

It is a long book. There were some parts that slowed things down here and there, but I was always curious to see what Kira et al would have to deal with next. Another thing to note: This is (seemingly) a stand-alone story. Or, at least, things seem to be pretty neatly wrapped-up in the end. There are definitely other stories to be told in this universe, and I hope they are at some point (specifically I'd like to see more about the Entropists), but there aren't any cliffhangers that I feel like I'm going to have to wait an agonizing couple of years for another book to come out and resolve. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a lengthy series of books, but it's nice to have a stand-alone once in a while.

My Review:⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

I am not usually a sci-fi/fantasy reader in terms of aliens and space travel. However this colossal, epic (880 pages) book sold me. Paolini just builds up the world beautifully and in an understandable way (to the sci-fi newb like me anyways). It was action packed from beginning to end - easily a trilogy story but all in 1 book. I find this a positive in that it allows you to fully immerse in this whole world/solar system that is created. When they are in FTL travel, the book’s pace slows and gets a bit lonely and dark to really set the tone. There were times when I didn’t think I could make it through the entire 800 + pages, but I had to know what happened. Brief premise: Kira Navárez is a great heroine as she transforms from a xenobiologist about to settle down with her fiance to being in front of all the action after her encounter with an ancient relic. The story reminds me of the original Alien movies meets comic book character Venom. My favorite characters besides Kira is “jelly” Ithar and Ship mind Gregoravitch - which interestingly enough are not the human characters. The only negative for me is that when there are parts that slowed down, the length of the book was a bit overwhelming. This epic novel is definitely worth it - even for those that do not usually read this genre, but its definitely not for faint of heart in terms of a “light read.”

Thank you @netgalley and @torbooks for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review! It is out on Sept 15!

Launching the Fractalverse: Christopher Paolini's 'To Sleep in a Sea of Stars' an epic space opera

Christopher Paolini began world-building at the age of 15, crafting an empire filled with dragons, riders and the adventures of a teenage boy. That world, “The Inheritance Cycle” tetralogy of novels, would earn the writer a Guinness World Record as a the youngest author of a bestselling book series.

More than two decades later, he’s still at it, although this time the world he’s constructed is built on more than pure fantasy. “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars” (TOR) is Paolini’s first foray into science fiction, and what a fantastical launch it is.

The new book is epic in both substance and stuff. An advance copy landed on a reviewer’s desk with a thud despite its cheap pulp pages and soft covers — the substance of critical reading copies not designed to last, unlike the story, eons — because the book is massive. The final hard copy will weigh in at nearly 900 pages and more than 2 pounds. The audio version, read in a publisher’s coup by Jennifer Hale, runs more than 30 hours.
But this is Christopher Paolini, an author who needs such an expanse to fully flesh his ever-burgeoning worlds. You’ll recall “Eragon” began as a trilogy, and even now the author has vowed to write a fifth Alagaesia story once his nearly decade-long work on “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars” is behind him.

And such is the promise of his new novel: Paolini has called the work a space opera, and one that will spawn future stories. “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars” opens with xenobiologist Kira Navarez unearthing an alien relic on an uncolonized planet. The relic will consume Navarez’s life, and is the beginning of a galactic epoch that will launch interstellar wars between some of the most unique species and technology in the genre. And more, not only is Paolini’s world-building complete, his characters are real and the science behind such subjects as spaceships traveling faster than light (FTL) consumes an entire appendix of its own.

Oh, and there is Gregorovich, the Wallfish’s ship mind. You’ll love Gregorovich— and the idea of a ship mind takes HAL 9000 to an all-new level.

But because this is a Christopher Paolini novel, the story is not only the story. There is something more the author is trying to tell us, and not just about the Fractalverse — the universe that encompasses “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars” — but of life, existence and the really big questions that consume our day-to-day. Paolini has said that metaphor is the “highest form of expression,” and in its sum and parts, “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars” offers such articulation.

Paolini recently offered to share his expression — and all things “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars” — with Mountain Times. The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Tom Mayer: I understand that your journey from fantasy to science fiction took some interesting turns and the better part of a decade. Would you talk about how you took a break from Alagaesia to craft the incredible Fractalverse and “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars?”

Christopher Paolini: Sure. First of all, I grew up reading science fiction as much as I read fantasy, so it felt like a very natural transition. I love science fiction. To me it’s often the fiction of the future, as fantasy is often the — I don’t want to say the past, but it often is colored by nostalgia and a longing for how things were. So, I wanted to write about where I thought humanity might be going and the future we might have once we expand out about the stars, which I do think should be our future. And, I wanted to have fun, too. I wanted to tell a big, entertaining story for readers that would take them on a journey that hopefully would entertain them, and give them a bit of heartache, excitement and perhaps a few bad jokes along the way.

TM: You’ve said that this novel is a love story to the genre.

CP: I did, and I mean it. There have been quite a few stories about aliens and first contact and all this other stuff, but I wanted to put my stamp on that and say the things I wanted to say with regard to a big science fiction space opera. I was very much inspired by a lot of the greats in the genre like the “Hyperion Cantos” by Dan Simmons, “Dune” by Frank Herbert, (Robert) Heinlein, (Isaac) Asimov, (Arthur C.) Clarke, (Ray) Bradbury, the “Alien” films, Ian M. Banks, who is a great British science fiction author. All of these and more gave me a love of the genre and helped inspire me to want to write my own science fiction story.

TM: Your hero in the story is a female. Kira Navarez is strong, smart and, like most heroes, ultimately flawed. To me, her Achilles' heel is her self-doubt and a sometimes lack of confidence. She boosts and overcomes both by the friendship and trust she develops with the crew on the Wallfish. Would you agree?

CP: I would. She does have a number of flaws, and the thing is that, too, there is a stereotype in fiction whether it’s books or movies or what have you. You know, the lone wolf character who keeps to themselves and manages to do amazing things, but they’re not really a team player. That sort of character can be a lot of fun to read about, but especially as I’ve gotten older, I don’t think that human beings operate particularly well all by themselves. There’s a reason why solitary confinement is considered punishment.

TM: That’s interesting, because a major theme I see running through the epic is the emotional damage of isolation and loneliness. There is Gregorovich, of course, whose forced isolation led him to a level of insanity and to comment, “to be alone and without purpose is to be among the living dead.”

And Kira, herself, faces such trials. As you write: “She didn’t want to be alone, not then. She needed to see another person, to hear their voice, to be comforted by the nearness of their presence and know that she wasn’t the only speck of consciousness facing the void.” I love that line, “the only speck of consciousness facing the void.” The fear of being alone permeates the novel, Christopher. Is this a comment on the human existence?

CP: To a degree. There’s the quote that “no man is an island,” but that’s only true if we make the effort to reach out to others. Of course, if you look at us on a cosmic scale, you know, here we are as a species on this tiny, little speck of dirt floating through the universe, and you know, what’s ultimately important is each other. Life is important. There is only one of you, or one of me or each of our readers in the entire universe. So, whether or not you believe in a higher power, the very fact that we are unique and alone in the universe makes every one of us living on this planet incredibly special. That’s why the theme of preserving life and companionship was something I kept returning to in the story as a major theme because, what else is as important?

TM: If that’s so, then Kira’s suffering decision at the end of the novel is a true hero’s act. She does what Gregorovich would not. Agree?

CP: I agree. But she also has an advantage that Gregorovich doesn’t have in that she’s not entirely alone. She has a “sort of” companion with her, joined with her, and she’s been given the gift of life, the ability to help spread and protect life — which is a responsibility that gives her purpose. You can endure anything if you have a sufficient sense of purpose.

TM: Other themes in the novel I sense are the ideas of unity and respect on myriad levels. Not only is the story populated with various sentient species, but even among those are some with disabilities of their own. Again, a reflection of our culture?

CP: Everyone faces challenges in their own lives, whether those are physical or mental or emotionally. None of us gets a free pass in life, and you can look at people who seemingly have everything in life, but you never know what’s going on in their head. You never know what personal challenges people are dealing with.

I found it interesting the question of, how do you relate and deal with your body when it no longer behaves or acts like the way you want it to be? It’s something we all have to deal with at some point, as we move out of adolescence. Just because your body isn’t the way you want it to be doesn’t mean that you’re a bad person. It doesn’t mean you are morally compromised, or anything of the sort. When that sort of thing happens you have to learn and grow and hopefully become stronger as a result. So, that was a very conscious thing I wanted to deal with in the story.

TM: Your allusions to Genesis, “The Farthest Shore,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Wizard of Oz” and so many others are seamlessly sown into this and your other novels. Why is it important for you to continue those earlier conversations and incorporate them into your own work?

CP: Culture is a conversation, especially creative works. It’s a conversation between what is and what has been done. I could not have written this book without all of the science fiction and other books I’ve read over the years, just like (J.R.R.) Tolkien couldn’t have written “The Lord of the Rings” without all of the European mythology and folklore that he was exposed to. But he grew and built upon it. And other authors built and grew upon what came before; especially with this book, because “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars” and the Fractalverse encompass the real world. If all of real history exists in the universe, then it felt disingenuous to not acknowledge some of those references, or make a sly wink at them and say, hey, you did this, but I’m doing this, instead. And, I love those sorts of things when I’m reading, also. I love seeing authors weave in side jokes and Easter eggs, and I think my readers enjoy them, also. It’s a nice way to say in a non-obvious way to the reader, I’m aware of what I’m doing and here’s the conscious acknowledgment of that.

TM: And along that vein, you’ve acknowledged your earlier novels with this one, have you not?

CP: There is a significant Easter egg between “The Inheritance Cycle,” the “Eragon” novels, and this book, yes.

TM: Well, we’ll leave that for readers to find. But, beyond this book, you have an interesting virtual book tour coming up, including one at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh. Would you talk about how those are going to work?

CP: Sure. First of all, all of the information on my tours are posted on my website, paolini.net, and all my social media. The way it’s going to work is that people can register with these different book stores for the different events, and the first hundred people — and you do have to pay to attend, essentially the price of a book — to register are going to get a signed bookplate for their book, and then at the event itself I’ll be in conversation with various other authors and interesting personalities and we’re going to be talking about the writing process of “To Sleep.” I’ll be reading from the book, telling interesting stories, hopefully making everyone laugh, doing Q & A and essentially having a good time.

TM: And speaking of virtual, you have Jennifer Hale reading the audio version of the novel. What a coup. And what a challenge for her, voicing more than 50 characters, including some who communicate through scent. Not all authors are happy with their audio release, but you must be pleased with this one.

CP: You’re right on. It’s like 52-53 characters. She did a wonderful job. This is her first audio book. She has the Guiness World Record for the most prolific (video game) voice actress and she’s done stuff for “The Lord of the Rings,” for Disney, a lot of video games, like Overwatch. I could just go on. She’s been doing stuff for so long it’s amazing.

I actually met her on book tour back in 2012 in Australia. We ended up chatting, and it turned out that she had done some uncredited work on the Eragon video game, and I threw out this offhand comment, “Well, I have this sci-fi book I’m working on and I’d love for you to read the audio book someday.”

You say a lot of things at conventions about wanting to work with people but schedules don’t always align and it doesn’t often actually happen. But when we were looking for an audio book actor to read “To Sleep,” we were all tearing our hair out trying to think of who would be good. And, it was actually my dad who said, 'Hey, you need somebody like Jennifer Hale.' And I said, 'Duh.' So, I hopped on Twitter and sent her a direct message and said, 'I don’t know if you remember me, but the book’s coming out and I’d be honored if you read it.' Well, as I said, it’s her first audio book and she just knocks it out the park.

TM: She did. I listened to all 32 hours of it, and the result is a phenomenal story experience.

CP: Wow. Yeah, and I do believe that people who order the audio book get a pdf download of all of the interior art from the book, also. There are seven pieces of art in the book that are maps and other cool diagrams. I did two or three of the maps and the others were done by my amazing assistant Immanuela (Meijer).

TM: Christopher, I have rarely seen an author who has had more apparent fun with a book launch. From releasing weekly excerpts and social media interactions to the excellent and really weird RTC newsfeed on your website, I want to thank you for the journey. 

CP: I’m glad it comes across that way, because I really am having fun with it. I’ve had the advantage of doing this a few times now, and I’m at the point in my career, in my life, that I know what I’m doing with it, I’m having fun. I want the readers to have fun. My goal is, not just with the book itself, but over the Fractalverse as a larger concept, is to just keep giving people interesting things from the universe that I hope they’ll enjoy, that I know I enjoy making. Because that is what all of this is about. It’s not like, "you have to buy this, you have to read this." No, it’s me telling a story that means a great deal to me personally, and hoping that it’s going to mean as much, or more, to readers all around the world.

TM: So, more fun, more stories coming out of the Fractalverse.

CP: Yeah, this is the setting that I want to tell essentially all of my future stories that are not exclusively fantasy. That’s why I put so much work into developing it, figuring out the science in it and generally thinking through what I wanted this to be. There are probably a few stories that aren’t fantasy that won’t fit in the Fractalverse, but the absolute majority of them are going to. And readers won’t have to wait very long to see more in the Fractalverse because I’ve already written a very long sequel novella, which will be released at some point. And, I’m currently working on revising a short prequel novel, which I actually wrote back in 2013. But it needs some decent work, so I’m picking that up now.

TM: You certainly did some extensive world building in “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars.” You have several appendices, and one just on the science behind the universe.

CP: I didn’t want to dump that on readers in the main part of the story. That’s not why they’re reading the story; it wouldn’t be fair to them. What I did want to do was to sort of show my homework so that if anyone is interested in the stuff the way I am, they can look at it and say, 'Oh, yeah, I see where you’re going. I understand why you made the choices you made.' And, it helps to make the universe feel more real in a concrete sense. But, yeah, trying to edit that very technical science was quite a challenge.

TM: Beyond the Fractalverse, you’ve promised readers another story from “The Inheritance Cycle,” haven’t you?
CP: I have. Once I finish this prequel novel, which shouldn’t take too long, I’ll step back and pick my next project. But, after doing a lot of science fiction like this, it would be nice to do a fantasy. 

TM: Last question: You were famously homeschooled as a child. Any advice to parents during this time of global pandemic with schools at least partially shuttered or pushing classes online?

CP: Sure, a couple of points. Within reason, try to make sure that your children have resources to do things they might be interested in. They might be interested in playing a musical instrument, and maybe there’s one in the house they could pick up if they’re so inclined. Maybe there’s some art supplies. Some tools. Maybe there’s a program so they can practice computer coding. They don’t need expensive equipment. Just enough for them to figure out if this is something they want to pursue as a career.

On top of that, I would say, figure out how your children learn. Personally, I do very badly when my attention is split over multiple subjects.

And, there are tons of resources available on the internet. And if you have younger children, and this is going to be a shameless self-promotional plug here, but my mom is a trained Montessori teacher and has developed her own educational methods and has a website called paolinimethod.com.

Last year, she released a couple of books, and the biggest book is called, “Read, write and spell.” In this book is exactly how she taught me and my sister to great success. It’s what I would hope to do with any children of mine in the future. Homeschooling can be a wonderful thing as long as parents are engaged with the process. Just as with anything in the world, custom is always going to be high quality if you can do a good job on it.
Now, you can get a wonderful education with the right public school, but if you can mange to provide a handcrafted education for your children you’re going to be leaps and bounds above everyone else — mainly because you know your children better than anyone else.

TM: I, and many parents, thank you for that. Before you leave, any last comments?

CP: Just this: I wrote “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars” in an attempt to capture the sense of awe and wonder I feel when I look up at the stars at night — and I look at the future that man may have out in the galaxy. I poured my heart and soul into this story over quite a few years, and I hope readers will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Ultimately, when they reach the end of the book, my goal would be for readers to finish that last chapter, that last paragraph, that last scene, that last line and for the story to leave them with a tingle up their spine, and that sense of awe and perhaps even a bittersweet ache that the story has reached a conclusion.

I wasn't at all sure what to expect from this book, because it is obviously very different from the Inheritance books! No dragons, but not we have space squids. I do love space squids. This was an original idea, and I was quite impressed with the plot and characters. I do think it started off a bit slowly, but by the time you get half way through or so, it starts getting more action oriented and exciting.

This novel was a wild ride from the start to the end. If you're a fan of plot-driven books with lots of action, this is definitely it. So, in To Sleep In A Sea of Stars, we follow Kira, a xenobiologist who works on foreign planets analysing and collecting their biological flora and fauna. To her immense surprise, she ends up finding a massive discovery on the planet she's currently on that changes her life. This crazy alien dust ends up being an alien lifeform that completely changes the universe as humans know it as more is uncovered as a result.

I know I'm being super vague but that's because there are so many spoilers and so much to learn that you simply have to read it to find out! In general though, this book and Kira's story is about her experience as she makes first contact with aliens. Throughout the book, this story really solidified the difference between science fiction and science fiction fantasy for me. I had never given it that much thought but what really makes this science fiction is that it is set in our world; a world where we lived hundreds of years before and the characters we meet are living in a future that spans from now. Everything within this story is based on how humans expand their technology and reach to live on other planets and continue exploring; to find these other intelligent signs of life and aliens themselves.

First off, Paolini set up this world so well. I was entranced and needed to find out more about how Earth had changed and evolved as I kept reading. Technological advances are heavily involved in this book like travelling on ships by the speed of light and science-y goodness I can't even begin to fully comprehend, that any science nerd will relish. The back of this book is also filled with scientific research papers and such, so it's clear Paolini put a lot of work and research and effort into this book and it really shows.

When it comes to the story itself, I really enjoyed it! Kira was a great protagonist that had an interesting character development. While I never really connected to her well, I admired her actions and her perseverance and she gets put through some very tough situations (many life or death instances) and manages to pull through believably. I never felt I was disliking or even seeing any particular trope, Kira could have definitely been put into a position where she was the Chosen One but the book also made it very clear that anyone could have found what she did and who knows how they would've reacted and where things could have gone from there. The highlight of this book was definitely the side characters, I loved learning more about them and having a great spaceship crew with banter and team chemistry. It increased the stakes as things got more dangerous and filled with action, and it added so much more depth to the story. These characters didn't necessarily have a lot of character development per se, but I also felt like they didn't need it either.

The best and worst part of this book is the pacing. First off, the plot was written so well in that I had no idea what was going to happen next. I was always on the edge of my figurative seat, not knowing what else Paolini would throw at me in these pages. However, this book was like a science fiction novel incorporating the pacing of a K-Drama. At least for the first half of this book, it was a bit crazy how things would go from 0 to 100 then back down to 0. There were many peaks and high action moments with insane plot twists then suddenly sections that slowed down dramatically. It made it a little hard to get into the book because the pacing wasn't consistent nor had a specific end goal to the plot until 50-60% in when things really got going. That being said, it did manage to keep my attention and keep me reading because I wanted to get to the next part and find out what happens.

The pacing of this novel also made it apparent that this book is almost definitely 2 books in one. At 880 pages, Paolini could have easily cut it in half and sold it separately. The book was SO long, and with the decision to keep these two intertwined parts together, this novel could definitely have been cut down more. There were certainly parts of the book that bored me a little, but what I appreciated was that after the first perhaps 20-30%, Paolini's writing style became a lot easier to read.

The first chunk of the book was naturally more content-heavy as we were thrown deep into this futuristic setting. His writing style was similar to Eragon (from what I can remember), and I didn't spot any particular flaws except perhaps some action scenes that could've been written a little smoother at the beginning. What did strike me was the jarring writing style he sometimes switched to during visions/flashbacks. The style was so different and came off like he was trying to write in prose; with beautiful sentences and descriptions. Sure those excerpts added some flare but overall I wasn't a fan of the change, it was too jarring for me but I understand its purpose as a whole for the story too.

Despite all of that, this book was really enjoyable but as an adult science fiction novel, it was also quite exhausting. As someone that usually reads YA, it took more effort to immerse myself in this story at the beginning but I found myself seriously hooked by midway and itching to finish it by 60%. Even YA readers would enjoy this spectacular tale, and the idea that this is just the first book in this world is exciting because there is so much more to learn and discover about it. Unfortunately, the ending wasn't really totally my cup of tea. It was heartbreaking when one of my favourite characters didn't do so well, and how the story itself concluded and alluded to more in this world, but it will be interesting to see what others think of the ending and theories for what is to come next. Highly recommended for science fiction lovers and even science fiction fantasy fans alike. I'll definitely be on the lookout for the next book in this Fractalverse.

I grew up with the Eragon books and I appreciate that this author has the opportunity to try to work in a new genre. I am always more critical on sci fi and I went into this novel expecting to be disappointed. I do think most sci fi and eragon fans will be pleased with it.

I’ve got to be honest here and admit that I was never a big fan of Eragon or any of the rest of the books in the Inheritance Cycle when I was growing up. So I was a little bit surprised at just how excited I was when I found out earlier this year that Paolini was going to be releasing a science fiction book. I’ve been trying to read more of the genre these days so I knew I was going to have to give this book a try and boy am I glad that I did. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini was a fantastic read that I was unable to put down once I had started listening to it.

So once of the things I’ve discovered over the last couple years is that it’s not science fiction that I’m not really a fan of but more specifically “hard” science fiction. So I was glad to find that To Sleep in a Sea of Stars was fairly light on the science aspect of the genre and instead focused more on telling a fun and interesting story. While I don’t have many preferences for the genre one of the things I really do enjoy reading about is first contact and how humanity might respond to discovering they weren’t alone in the universe. Add to that great characters like Kira Navarez and some really great worldbuilding and it’s like this book was written just to rope me in.

I do think that one of the reasons I was so excited to receive this book is because it’s one of the first audiobooks I’ve been sent to review. I don’t think I’ve listened to anything narrated by Jennifer Hale before and I’m going to have to remedy that quickly because I thought she was fantastic. She really managed to bring this book alive for me by somehow giving every character their own unique voice and breathing a lot of life and emotion into them with her narration. I can easily see her becoming one of my favorite narrators.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to anyone looking for something new to read or listen to and I’m really hoping that we get more books like this from Christopher Paolini in the near future.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this a few hundred pages and just cannot seem to stick with it at this time. I think it has to do with my current mindset in tackling a book with A LOT going on within it. I generally really enjoy Fantasy novels that are out there with their concepts, so I know I will probably enjoy this at another juncture in my life. Especially with all of the raving reviews surrounding it. It's just not for me right now, but that does not take away from the amazing amount of time that was put into every single detail surrounding the worlds/planets, alien lifeforms, magic, and crazy insane battles and invasions. You can tell Paolini poured everything he has into this novel, and I look forward to the experience eventually. Thank you very much for the advanced copy and opportunity to read it, Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley. I will save my review for my sites when I do finish it.

This is Space Opera in all its Space Opera trope glory!
This is my first Paolini book, I say that to inform other readers of my ignorance of Mr. Paolini's style previous to this book.
But I was engaged and the action keeps coming fast and furious.
Like a certain classic Space Opera, the story is loaded with religious / mystical overtones and certain characters sole purpose seems to be to spout mysterious phrases and encourage our protagonist with popular philosophy.
Our protagonist along with a motley band of smugglers set forth on an epic quest to save the galaxy, by means of finding an object of great power. Our reluctant heroes are pulled along via alien visions and pushed into fulfilling an enormous destiny. Humankind face a possible extinction-level threat, and only one person can save them! This is not fully a "chosen one" story, as our protagonist becomes chosen by accident and has to learn how to be not-quite human, but something else, maybe something more, to pull off what she must do.
This setup reminds of me strongly of many epic fantasies that I've read.
Paolini did seem to struggle with writing a woman's point of view at times, as Kira's feelings didn't strike me as realistic or genuine at certain parts, and I am not a woman either. Also, I didn't fully buy into the choices many of the characters make at different times, but I can forgive it as it was a lot of fun to read.

I got an ARC of this from NetGalley. I was really excited for this book when I first heard about it Spring 2020. I loved Eragorn and the Inheritance series (the third book was slow and a bit predictable, but the happens with a lot of series). So, I was very excited to get this and jump in.
Immediately it was a struggle. The main character is a xenobiologist on a survey expedition, so I was excited to get some good science-based SciFi. They immediately start disregarding years of training and experience in order to have things happen to move the plot along. Strike one. They are somehow able to talk people they have just met who would have no discernable interest in doing anything other than just shuttling them to where they were told to take them into risking their ships, crews, and lives to help a stranger who has lied about the very dangerous alien symbiotic suit they are wearing. Strike two. Then I hit a patch of dialogue that was lifted straight out of Star Wars. Strike three. It just completely pulled me out of the story. I tried to struggle on, but it was just too much. If the main character hadn't supposedly been a scientist with years of field experience, I could go with some of the choices they made but it was just too much to believe they would do many of the things they did.
The style of the writing kept pulling me out of the story as well. I don't know if it was just written with the idea that most people reading it wouldn't be able to read into what the characters were doing, but it was almost overly descriptive and written for a much less aware reader than I apparently am. It may get better and be more interesting in the last two thirds, but it shouldn't take that long to grab my interest. Maybe I'll try to pick it up again in the future, but with so much other choices out there, I probably won't. I found this almost as big a letdown as the movie adaptation of Eragorn.

I am immensely biased. Let's establish that from the get go. I can usually get over my bias when reviewing books. Yet, apparently that's not the case with anything connected to Paolini and/or the Inheritance Cycle. While this book is entirely separate from the Inheritance Cycle, and stands completely on its own, Paolini makes use of some of his most fantastic writing traits in To Sleep in a Sea of Stars.

To start off, the character development is pretty solid. Kira and the crew members of the Wallfish are easy for me to associate with. While the dialogue seems forced and/or awkward at times, the overall complexities of relationships and individual growth are legit present in this reading. Additionally, I've always been a fan of Paolini's storytelling. It's captivating. I was unsure as to if his storytelling would be as accessible in a work of sci-fi compared to his fantasy writing, which is always easy for me to jump right into. Yet, even with the more technical sci-fi terms utilized, due to his leaning on traditional genre tropes, it's super easy to follow. Typically, identifying his use of tropes wouldn't be high praise. However, Paolini puts his own spin on some of the more oft-used sci-fi elements. So, let it be a compliment, alright?!

Another piece of Paolini's style that I tend to appreciate is his use of verse and/or poetry to propel the story forward. The odd thing is, I am not a big fan of poetry. Still, for some strange reason, I'm a huge advocate of how he incorporates it into the overarching mission of his stories. Well, it's probably not all that strange of a reason. Paolini's verse is ultimately grounded in objective experience or reasoning--something I tend to appreciate, due to my tendency to "want to know what is going on" versus merely "theorize what is going on."

Now, this won't be everyone's "cup of tea." It's not a super fast read. It traverses a lot of ground--err, space?! It is also falls into a corpus of a specific genre,--a genre that definitely has its critics. However, if you're into solid storytelling, rich character development, and a well versed hint here and there, this book might be exactly what you're looking for.

DM

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Eat the path" is a quote of guidance given to the protagonist. "Devour the book" is my guidance to you! The characters are flawed and relatable. Plot twists and arcs drive you deeper into the story. Paolini has hit it on the head for his first adult novel. As a sci fi lover, I'm over the moon, asteroids, and out of the solar system.

I was really excited to read the new Paolini series, but I just could not get into it and did not finish it. I'm sure with the right audience of sci-fi fans, it will be highly acclaimed, but it was just not the book for me. I wish it great success in the literary world!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with an advanced copy of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting over ten years for Christoper Paolini's next book was not a great experience. However, I am thrilled to be able to say it was worth the wait. The years he spent honing this story are evident in the character development, world-building, technical information, and just attention to detail. This book is a tomb at nearly 900 pages, but I enjoyed most of every moment.

The beginning of the book introduces the reader to the main character, Kira, a xenobiologist who studies lifeforms on planets to determine if they are a good fit for terraforming. Things are going well and we see Kira making plans for her future. Then, in a moment, everything changes, and life for Kira gets turned completely on its head. Humans are not as alone in the universe as they thought; and the discovery of alien relics and lifeforms turns out a very different result from the one Kira envisioned.

I enjoyed this book. It is outside of my normal genres, and it definitely took a few more brain cells to digest and comprehend all the technical and scientific jargon. But, I am grateful for the technical and scientific aspects as they were necessary for me to buy into this sci-fi world. The book is not perfect; and I'm not sure a book should ever be perfect. I have an inkling that the moments I could have done without are the moments another reader craved. I am excited to see what Paolini tackles next, although I have my fingers crossed for another foray into fantasy.

An excellent Sci Fi, space opera reminiscent work of fiction. The main character is strong without losing the voice of a damaged woman, intelligent while still able to listen to others, and brave. There is a wide diversity of representation without feeling pandering to any agenda. The side characters are well developed while maintaining a single viewpoint.

The prose is excellent, and the illustrations and maps helpful. Overall an excellent story, with good twists and a deep plot.

So let me start off by saying that if you are a sci-fi fan this is a MUST READ. Sooooo good.

We start off with Kira, a xenobiologist studying a planet for colonization in a futuristic society where many worlds have been colonized by humans. No aliens yet, though a single alien relic has been found from a Vanished society.

Kira discovers another alien relic which infects her, and all of a sudden multiple species pop out of nowhere, all more advanced than humans and all trying to exterminate humans. It’s the worst case first contact scenario.

Kira adventures forth trying to find out, well, anything that will help humans survive.

This book is looooooong. Usually I don’t mind that but sometimes it takes so long to get to the point that I actually miss it and have to go back. The devil is in the details. And in this case, it’s in too many details. Sometimes, the author takes for granted that all the readers know sci-fi terminology - for example there was talk of a Dyson sphere without any explanation as to what that is. I mean yes, I know what a Dyson sphere is, but it would have been nice to have not only a reminder, but confirmation that the author meant what I thought he meant.

The story, however, is worth it. It’s an epic sci-fi adventure with a motley crew of supporting miscreant characters I adored. Really, the characters carried the story sometimes when Kira’s constant repetition of guilt got old. Really, sometimes the vulnerable heroine needs to grow a pair.

So all in all, this was definitely a 5 star read that I would recommend if you love sci-fi and want a nice long standalone book.