The Blazing Star

<b>3.8 stars</b>

<i> I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A big thank you to the publisher for accepting my request.</i>


When I saw this on NetGalley I was instantly drawn to it. Time travel and ancient Egypt?? (I may or may not have an obsession with egyptian mythology). I expected a lot and thankfully it did not disappoint. The Blazing Star was full of action, kick ass ladies and the most heart warming romance. What do I forget? Oh right <b>MAGIC</b>.

Firstly, before I dive into the review I would like to give this book a shoutout. Not only does it have a vast kick ass female cast, it also has very good poc representation. To be honest this is the first book I've read with a black main and I didn't know how much I needed books like these in my life until I read one.

So, the plot. The plot was captivating and overall very very intriguing.
Magic abilities? Check.
Ancient Egyptians? Check.
Monsters? Check.
Female friendship? Check.
THE CUTEST ROMANCE? DOUBLE CHECK.

Really I don't want to say much for fear of spoiling it, I believe it is better going into this one not knowing much, trust me.

The writing style appealed to high school me a lot. Josey managed to capture the way teenagers speak, act and think. I especially liked how, when Portia was in ancient Egypt, she kept using the vocabulary from the modern world, which often bought confusion to everyone around her.

Let me just quickly say that I LOVED PORTIA as a character. She was funny and sarcastic, thought before she acted (most of the time), had common sense (for a 17 year old) and she was overall awesome. I also LOVED Sikara and to be honest every female presented. They were all unique and amazing.

I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL!!

Be sure to grab a copy of The Blazing Star which comes out December 6.

I love books on time travel. This one included ancient Egyptian culture, twins, plus magic . Mix that all together, and you get a great book. The characters were distinct from each other, and there was no insta-romance. The romance builds slowly, normally, with a crush and a relationship that can go further. I also enjoyed the twins' relationship. Alex is the annoyingly perfect one, while Portia seems more real with her emotions and desire to create a separate life. Ending the way it does, where Portia realizes she needs to fix her relationship with her twin, makes me hope that she'll be able to do that while making Alex understand her need to create her own identity. The Egyptian culture adds a lot of flavor with its rich history. Adding in magic made it even better.

I don't know how accurate this is on the position of women in ancient Egypt, but it was nice to see equal treatment here. In fact, all main characters are women, and the only important men are far outnumbered here. Go women with magical fighting abilities!

The writing did get a bit confusing at some points, but not enough that it took too much away from the experience. I rate this at 3.6 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sixteen-year-old Portia White is used to being overlooked—after all, her twin sister Alex is a literal genius.But when Portia holds an Egyptian scarab beetle during history class, she blazingstartakes center stage in a way she never expected: she faints. Upon waking, she is stronger, faster, and braver than before. And when she accidentally touches the scarab again? She wakes up in ancient Egypt—her sister and an unwitting freshman in tow. Great.

Mysterious and beautiful, Egypt is more than they could have ever imagined from their days in the classroom. History comes alive as the three teens realize that getting back to the present will be the most difficult thing they’ve ever done. Stalked by vicious monsters called Scorpions, every step in the right direction means a step closer to danger.

As Portia and the girls discover that they’re linked to the past by more than just chance, they have to decide what it truly means to be yourself, to love your sister, and to find your way home. (via Goodreads.)
I received an eARC from Netgalley courtesy of the publisher, Wise Ink Publishing. I also joined a blog tour through Rich In Variety Tours.

I first heard about this book on Twitter when I saw the cover. I have to give props to Steven Meyer Rassow who created the cover. It is absolutely breathtaking and so perfect for this novel. I've been sharing this cover and synopsis with everyone who will listen for the last month or so, and I'm so excited to finally share it with you guys.

As you may have guessed, I loved this book. It's magical, it's beautiful and it's stunningly written. All three of our main characters felt very real to me, and I liked them all. They're all brown girls, traveling back to ancient Egypt where they meet other fantastic and devilish people of color. Portia isn't sure what she wants to do with her life, even though her twin has everything planned out for them both.

I loved the way that we fell into the temple life with the, and how things actually took time to accomplish. The writing style was fluid and I look forward to the sequel. The ending literally left me begging Imani Jones for more on Twitter.

She says she's working on the next book, and I can't wait to read it! This was a five star read for me, no doubt about it. I loved it immensely, and if you read it I think you will, too.

Five stars

The Blazing Star comes out tomorrow, and I will be talking about this book for probably the next year, probably more. If this sounds like your cup of tea, you can pick up a copy on Amazon, Indiebound or your other favorite bookseller! I can't recommend it enough!

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Photo by Rhea Whitney
Imani Josey is a writer from Chicago, Illinois. In her previous life, she was a cheerleader for the Chicago Bulls and won the titles of Miss Chicago and Miss Cook County for the Miss America Organization, as well as Miss Black Illinois USA. Her one-act play, Grace, was produced by Pegasus Players Theatre Chicago after winning the 19th Annual Young Playwrights Festival. In recent years, she has turned her sights to long-form fiction. She now spends the majority of her time working on backstory, teaching dance fitness classes, and cuddling with her American bulldog, Thor. The Blazing Star is her debut novel.
Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound and Amazon are affiliate links, which means that if you buy through those links, I will make a small amount of money off of it.

The Blazing Star contains so many incredibly awesome components: time travel to Ancient Egypt and Egyptian mythology, a diverse cast of PoC characters, strong female protagonists, and a gorgeous, breath-taking book cover. I know, I know, a book cover in no way represents the quality of writing inside of a book, but LOOK AT IT. I bow down at the feet of the artist who designed it, because I love the cover THAT much.

Much of the story revolves around the twinning, or lack of twinning, going on between Portia and Alex, as they try to find out why they were pulled back in time into ancient Egypt, and how they can get home. It's a fun, original mash-up of fantasy, Egyptian mythology, and magic. Imani Josey truly did an amazing job of making me, the reader, feel as if I was back in Ancient Egypt with the girls. What makes the time travel plot work so well is the characters that Portia, Alex, and Selene meet. My favorites were definitely the Priestesses of the Temple of Isis: High Priestess Weret, Sikara, and Tasherit. The Prince of Egypt was exasperating.

The first half really held my attention, and did a moderately successful job of setting up the world and mythology that we learn about as the novel progresses. However, sadly, the story begins to lose its way in the second half, and in my opinion, starts to fall apart a teeny tiny bit. It became harder and harder to keep track of the timeline, and all the characters that come in and out of the story. The plot advances, but there are definitely some holes and gaps, and character's actions that don't make a lot of sense, which started driving me batty about 2/3 of the way through the book.

The ending is unresolved and definitely leaves room for a sequel, but also had me feeling as this was a case of lost potential. I really, really wanted to love The Blazing Star, but ultimately, it fell a bit short.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC of The Blazing Star!

THINGS I LIKED:

- Egypt! I have been obsessed with both present and ancient Egypt since I was a child, so any book that takes place there (and sounds promising) goes to my TBR immediately. And here's the thing: the setting was really well-done in this one! On top of that, the culture was presented in an interesting way, with the magic fitting into it perfectly.

- Diversity! I'm pretty sure this is the first ever novel I've read in which most of the characters are POC, which is crazy! #WeNeedDiverseBooks

- Portia and Alex's relationship was so well written - it was complex, realistic and not at all picture perfect, but their love for each other was clear all through the story. Also, they might have been #twinning sometimes, but they were in no way presented as carbon copies of each other - as twins often are in movies and books -, rather as two very different girls.

- Portia's growth was remarkable - she didn't only bathe in being able to feel important for the first time in her life, but she became more confident, grew a real strong spine and learnt to stand up for herself.

THINGS I DISLIKED:

- I wish we learnt more about various characters. Selene, for one, felt a bit underdeveloped and because of that I questioned why she was in the story in the first place. I guess she'll have a bigger role later on, but so far I'm having problems appreciating her character.

- The romance was so damn unnecessary. I'd say it's rare when I complain about romance being part of most YA books, because I'm a sucker for a good romance, but this is one of those times. It wasn't only poorly developed, but also felt out of place and, above all, awkward. I mean, the guy literally asked Portia how she would feel about becoming his Chief Wife, which refers to the principal wife... meaning, there are quite a few more.

Overall, I think The Blazing Star was a really great read - I debated between 3 and 4 stars, but ultimately I believe it deserves the better rating, because it was an exciting read with fantastic characters and great fantasy elements. RECOMMENDED!

The story idea: 5/5
The realization of the story: 3/5
The characters: 4/5
The cover: 5/5
Enjoy factor: 3.5/5
Final rating: 4/5

Imani Josef’s time traveling debut The Blazing Star was exactly what I needed after a slew of mediocre reads. It has all the elements to make for a really good read-magic, time travel, danger, adventure, love, friendship, and of course, kick ass heroines! Can we also talk about that gorgeous cover? I mean, it would be an auto-buy for me if I saw it in a store! Totally beautiful.

Portia and Alex are modern day twins who couldn’t be more different. Alex is the shining star of the family. She just won a major academic award while Portia is left in the shadows. That all changes when Portia touches an ancient Egyptian artifact and mysterious things start happening to her. And oh, she also gets transported to Ancient Egypt with her sister and a freshman when she touches it again. No big deal!

I really loved this take on time traveling to Egypt. I have a huge fascination with Ancient Egypt so Josef’s story really drew me in. The descriptions about clothes, scents, architecture, and food were so lush. Her characters were also well written, especially the struggles that twins go through.

While Portia may be Alex’s twin, she yearns to be her own person and make her mark on the world. Her sister Alex really does not understand Portia’s reluctance to break away from the twin brand, and the two often have heated exchanges about it. It was definitely realistic sounding when they had their fights. Portia completely changed from the shy introvert at the beginning of the book. She blossomed into a strong willed, confident young woman ready to take on whatever life (or Ma’at) dealt her.

There is very little romance in The Blazing Star, but that is not a bad thing. I usually cannot stand when characters fall in love so quickly, but happily there was none of that present in this story. The romance was very well done, and I am excited to see where it will lead.

So many things were revealed in the book. I thought I had a few things figured out, but the twists and turns kept me guessing for a large part of it. Some reveals were also pretty shocking. The ending though, is what got me. The next book is going to be HUGE, and I just hope everyone gets their happy ending, because some of the characters are having some big issues now.

The only reason I am not rating this one 5 stars is because it was a little hard for me to imagine that Portia, Selene, and Alex got used to being in Ancient Egypt so quickly. They seemed to acclimate very easily with very little issue. The Egyptian characters also did not seem too concerned with how different the girls were, especially when they were using modern language. It seems like it would have made some people suspicious or shocked. I mean, if I was suddenly thrust back into Ancient Greece, I think it would be a very difficult transition, that’s for sure!

Other than my small gripe, this was a wonderful debut with a ton of potential! I cannot wait to see where this series takes us. Check it out and see for yourself!

The Blazing Star is Imani Josey's debut novel and it's 1000% magical. There is so much in this novel that you'll feel blessed and loved and this is what you want in your fantasy stories. It has a biracial main character, mythology, a non-western setting (Egypt), time-traveling, sisterhood, characters of color, royalty, magic, etc. (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

"This was gods and goddesses, myth and legends, and very old magic."


I loved, loved all the characters. There is some serious girl power in this book. The woman are fierce and powerful and beautiful and magical. Seriously, check this book out for them if you don't like the other aspects. They are the main characters of this story and they rule. The. World.

There is also a friendship that maybe will turn into romance with an Egyptian prince. This is my SHIP, THIS IS MY SHIP. They really care for each other and will always be there for one another. I'm feeling this romance , guys ~

I requested a copy of NetGalley for this book and they graciously accepted!
I saw the cover: fantastic! Really, congratulations to everyone who has worked on that cover because it left me speechless.
Then I read the plot: meh. Do not get me wrong, the whole question of Egypt, of the sisters, it's all great. The thing with the plot that bothered me is that there isn't a love story. Here, this is a typical example of a deceptive plot. The love story is there. It is not at the center of the events but there is and to me that is enough.
But let's get to the plot. It is not easy. We talk about the present, about ancient history, about the past and further on and I must be honest I understood little. The main character is the strength to cling to not end up drowning in information and details.
Portia is also the only one that I can stand because I still don't know why Selene is there or her real importance and don't get me started with Alex.
I understand the importance they have but I remain nevertheless of my opinion: I don't like them. Especially Alex who as Portia's twin does everything to make her life "impossible": these two sisters are very united and Alex has always been the little genius school between the two so that Portia has always felt put aside, always with that feeling of never being enough. And Alex makes it worse because it's always her who decide what to do, how and when and where to do it, never giving room to her sister. Not with bad intentions, but always with the idea that twins have to do everything the same way.
The whole question of the ancient egypt escapes me. It is explained but I still don't get everything so I'm pretty sure I'll read the next installment.
Mine are not all criticisms. Not the first time I read a book about twins protagonists and I like it very much, especially because this time the book is centered on black girls (never read anything like this until now). I like that Portia is not the most gifted (although the magic flowing in her blood), as well as the romance with Seti is not the usual (the final speaks for itself).
Recommended? Yes. Beautiful reading, a convoluted plot thread but all in all the world where we dive is well built and we all have at least a minimum of basic knowledge.

I completely devoured this book like I discovered an oasis in the desert. I could not put it down.

Ms. Josey wrote real, relatable characters in Portia, Alex, and Selene; I feel like I know these girls and I need to know what they're up to now at the end of book one. [I'm calling this book one in the optimistic hopes that there will be a book two -- PLEASE let there be a book two!] The supporting characters were also wonderfully fleshed out, a real treat considering that the main conflict of the book includes discovering spies, and you really can't be sure of anyone.

I loved the setting and could really visualize what was happening. This would be an amazing movie.

I also appreciated that the magical elements of the book are well explained; oftentimes in fantasy we just have to accept that someone has crazy powers and just deal with it. Here, we get a good explanation, with just enough Egyptian mythology to make you want to hit Wikipedia and make some assumptions about further plots.

I could write a lot more. In sum: I loved this book so. I'll certainly read it again, and strongly recommend it to girls and ladies of all ages. Delightful.

A beautiful diverse novel with strong characters who have their flaws and a realistic romance where Portia finds her pair not in a cheesy way but in a really good one! I also loved the Egyptian setting paired with the magic that makes this history one of the best I know!

😍👸🏾 That cover! The art is beautiful and is actually what first drew me to the book. It's also great to see PoC on the cover. Get on my bookshelf now!

✨👯 There's so many things to love just in the premise. A black female protagonist, a central sibling relationship, time-travel, magic and Ancient Egypt.

📚 The pre-time-travel section feels a little long, and the boy related conflict with Alex paints neither girl in a good light. I could have done with a little less time spent in the High School, because it's all a little dull. The real action kicks off once Portia gets to Egypt.

🌴 Josey's Egypt is deep and detailed and so immersive to draws you right in. Little details about clothing, temple life etc. make it feel like a real place not just the Ancient Egypt stereotype. The author has clearly done her research but weaves it in without info-dumping too much at once.

👑 The three girl's are all very different characters, which I really liked, but are sometimes a little to simplistic. The secondary characters of the Priestesses came a across as a bit more interesting, with hints of their personal history and hidden depths. My favourite characters were Sikara, Weret and Princess Tuya.

👩‍👩‍👦‍👦 There were a few too many characters and too much going on at some points. I felt like we could have cut/combined some and given the main characters more development.

💘 The romance plot is low-key and doesn't take away from the rest of the plot. And Portia is absolutely right about Seti. He is brat, like she says, but he's also a bit of a babe.

A few things attracted to me to this book when I saw it go up on Net Galley (yes, I received a free copy, and no, it did not influence my review).

First of all, we have a woman-of-color heroine, and a black one to boot. In fact, this book is basically all non-white characters save maybe two or three minor ones in the beginning and I praise that heavily! I seldom run into YA books in the fantasy genre especially with so much diversity and with the leading point-of-view character being a person of color. Second of all, its plot line is all about time-traveling back to ancient Egypt (I am, to be blunt, somewhat madly in love with ancient history) and mixes in the fantasy element with magic. Overall, this seemed like it would have a good set up and I was very eagerly hoping it would be something I could love and praise.

So, what did I think of this book? To be direct, this was actually a very good book, and for a debut I’m impressed, and with that ending (it definitely feels like a cliffhanger with a lot left to explore) I’m praying this gets a sequel or two! I loved the setting and characters; Portia was very well written and is relatable. I liked the world building, though I think at times the author relies on the reader having previous knowledge of ancient Egypt since not everything was spelled out. It took me a second to grasp some of the terms. I’ve read a few books set in ancient times that got really complex really quick once priestesses and magic and royal affairs were introduced, but as a YA this book had a book balance between simple enough for the intended audience to enjoy but complex enough to keep readers interested. Overall, I think the plot was interesting and well developed.

As for the language, the author had a nice balance going; she showed that Portia, Alex, and Selene were modern girls, but still wrote things eloquently enough that readers can feel the ancient setting and get a feel for the tone of the story without being dragged down by overtly complex or wordy phrasing. There were even times when the way the author wrote sounded very poetic and beautiful.

I also want to mention that this book has a small dash of romance (which I hope very much develops more in the next book that I assume will exist because I have to know how the rest of the story unfolds) and while it’s not a book that seems to focus on romance so much as it does Portia and her role as The Star, I think it was a sweet little addition that made me smile.

I only have two small points of complaint: one is that I felt like we should have gotten some more time to explore Portia and Alex’s relationship. The author sets up a good scenario for Portia and Alex to really bear their feelings, the ones they’ve always kept hidden from each other, and to have a big emotional reconciliation or epiphany. Though I think it was necessary to not put too much focus on this because the book needed time to adequately involve the girls in this world and get the major plot of “evil people are trying to start wars and take the throne so by the goddess’s will we must stop it” in motion. If there is a sequel, I’m sure we’ll see more interaction between these two since it seems like a situation that is wrought with emotion and character development. My other complaint is that, at times, I had a little trouble following some things. There were instances where names seemed to get lost in the mix or I feel like I’d missed an explanation or something. I think the faster pacing might have been partially responsible or perhaps there just wasn’t much exposition. But regardless these aren’t really inherent flaws I can point out so much as they were just things that rose up that weren’t satisfactory for me personally.

Even though this is set in ancient Egypt, the overall tone and themes are tame, making this an appropriate read for someone younger. There’s no subject matter that would be disturbing or offensive outside of the swear words used (which weren’t very severe or frequent). I didn’t note anything that I’d consider problematic in its context, themes, or plot devices. Seal of approval in that department!

Overall, a very nice read. It was pretty quick, but nonetheless an interesting read that’s well written and enjoyable. I can’t seem to find any information that would suggest there is a sequel, but I am hopeful, and the way the book sets up so much but only resolves a few of the problems makes me think that there has to be more, and if so, I look forward to it! If not, I’ll still likely keep an eye on Imani Josey and anticipate more from her writing career in the future.

A book that surprises you in every corner and makes you travel to Ancient Egypt!!!

I must admit I didn’t expect it but I loved the book!!! The book is about Portia, an African American girl who is always shadowed by her twin sister, Alex. Where Alex is a genius and loves twinning, Portia was never excellent in anything. When Portia touches an ancient scarab from Egypt, she, her twin sister and a girl with strange vision-dreams, Celene, are suddenly in Ancient Egypt. While there Portia discovers that she has a kind of strange, ancient and very powerful kind of magic, called Hecka. She is being trained to use it by the priestesses in the Temple of the Goddess Isis where she lives and help in the temple. There the three girls are trying to get back home but while Alex in desperate and ready to do anything to get home, Portia is feeling like she is finally good at something, like she has finally found a purpose in her life.

Portia wants to use her powers to help all the people of Egypt. While she lives at the Temple of Isis she meets Seti, the son of Pharaoh. He is to be married with a foreign princess in order to preserve the peace of his country. But maybe Seti is more than just a devoted Prince. He is also a human who has no feelings for a stranger Princess but maybe he is developing some for Portia.
The first half of the book doesn’t prepare you nearly enough for what is coming in the second half and I mean that in a very good way!!! There are quite a few plot twists I didn’t see and I enjoyed them VERY much!! There are hints of romance that i also enjoyed very but it wasn’t the main focus of the book!!! I actually was very surprised with the direction it took and also very happy!!! I actually loved the book and since the release date was December 6th I definitely recommend it to everyone!!! The author left the and with a lot of room for a sequel so I hope there will be more!!!

3.5/5 stars

A very enjoyable time slip novel in which three teens are transported to ancient Egypt for mysterious reasons. The characters were enjoyable and offered varied points of view. The twins, particularly, went through a lot of challenging experiences, and I look forward to reading more from this author (view spoiler).

NAMES/TERMINOLOGY USED:
There are a few ancient Egyptian references that I felt were not completely accurate. The first thing I noticed was the name Tasherit. Tasherit is the female form of "junior." Typically it was used as part of a name. If Tasherit is living in the temple without her family, she would probably not be going by that reference. I don't know too many men who call themselves "junior" in their daily life instead of by their first names. Unless there's a secret to come, I was not a fan of the author's choice in this regard.

Another incorrect term used was "edubba," which references Sumerian schooling (in Mesopotamia). In ancient Egypt, schools for higher levels of society were called "The House of Life."

There is not a Pharaoh Anen that I know of, which is the current pharaoh during this story, though there have been advisers named Anen. While there have been pharaoh's named Seti (who is the prince during this story), none of these pharaohs' fathers were named Anen (both Seti fathers were named Ramses). There IS a Princess Neferure in the historical record, who's father is commonly believed to be Thutmose (also referenced in the book) and who had a brother named Thutmose, but Thutmose's successor was Amenhotep who's son was Ahkenaten, the ruler who proposed monotheism, and then Tutankhamun. So I'm not sure if Josey was just picking names out of a hat to use in her book, but the dynasty lineage is not historically accurate.

Josey uses the term "Iteru" as reference to the Nile, however, she does not use the correct term for Egypt, which is Kemet. Instead, she uses the modern name for the country. I found this a bit inconsistent. While she probably used "Egypt" as the shock-reveal to for her main character, I still was not a fan of this words use. In terms of "iteru," this is typically used in reference to a unit of measure during river travel. So when characters called the Nile "iteru," I was confused especially since Josey did not use the correct term for the name of the country. There were a few other words I could not find reference to include "rekhet" (hinted via context that this means the lowest class of people) and "kalasiris" which was noted as a form of clothing. This does not mean the words are incorrectly used, but as someone who has researched ancient Egypt extensively, if I couldn't find definitions for these words, others might have a more difficult time understanding them.

WRITING STYLE:
The author has a few repetitive references that needed to be re-written, particularly sucking air through a person's teeth. Everyone seemed to suck air through their teeth in every chapter. Editors should be catching this, so hopefully the repetitiveness was fixed before the book was released.

Josey has a great sense of humor. I loved the sarcasm of her MC, Portia. However, there were a few times that modern references were used in ancient Egypt that made me cringe. I mean, Portia should know better when to use modern terms to ancient peoples. Most people seem to shake off her odd references, but when she keeps referencing "we have to meet this guy," "do you trust this guy," it gets a little annoying and completely takes a reader out of the time period. However, Josey also has some great lines that I delighted in, like when an ancient person responds to Portia's sigh: "Blowing your air like a hippopotamus is unbecoming."

(view spoiler)

FINAL THOUGHTS:
I did enjoy the book. While the setting was only mildly brought to life for me (again, I read as many books set in ancient Egypt as I can, so I found the details in this book sparse compared to other books I've read), but the characters and the magic surrounding them captivated me. I would not recommend the book on its historical accuracy, but it does have goo character moments and "magical" intrigue. Josey is a talented author, and I look forward to more.

The Blazing Star is a strong debut albeit, as expected, one with flaws. Nevertheless, I would venture to say that this book as "un-put-down-able."

TBS was both character and plot driven, a book that feels like a mishmash of The Mummy and the Kane Chronicles, with hints of Brandy Colbert's style at points- it may just be the Chicago setting. The dynamic of a sibling relationship is very well handled in my opinion (but to be fair I am an only child). However, the repeated use of the word "twinning" was a bit offsetting and I do hope that word doesn't appear as often in upcoming books. I liked the multiple nerd references including Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings.

The secondary characters were also very interesting but their back stories were inconsistently developed. While there is a particular character appearance in the early part of the book, the details of this are never fully explored and are instead disregarded with a "more on that later" which is not resolved before the end of TBS. One can hope that this will be handled in the sequel.. With regard to the romance, it is age appropriate and not entirely predictable, which is something I did appreciate.

I do believe that the story would have been improved through the inclusion of multiple points of view, and even a point of view on how their father is adjusting to their disappearance. Speaking of father, I could not get over Portia calling her father Rich or Richard.....just odd. Additionally, the issues of the Scorpions felt a bit clumsy and never felt adequately explained. In that regard, TBS fell short of the required world building.

Despite these drawbacks I would not hesitate to recommend This Blazing Star. One cannot go wrong with a book that has diversity, strong female characters and family dynamics.

I was sold on time traveling back to Ancient Egypt. I loved the complex relationship that the twins had. The major fault of this is the ending being a little abrupt and that no one thought the main character was nutty was displacing.