Starswept

Maybe I'm feeling extra contemplative today, but Starswept is an incredibly deep book. I'm still kind of in post-exceptional-read shock, so I'm going to just give a summary of sorts of all that went on in these 400 pages of absolute genius.

Iris, our beloved MC earthling, lives for playing music. Without it, her life would be a heck of a lot harder, since the alien-but-human-like Adriyl value the arts so much that the music and dancing of Earth pave the way to success in life for humans, and success being an actual life. But only if you're insanely talented. If you can't claw your way to the best of the best, you're more or less screwed and in debt forever. She meets her first Adriyl, Dámiul, a charming but secretive teenage guy, who, via hologram, teaches her more than a couple of things, all while she fights her peers musically. Part II of the book, things spiral and Iris's world takes a bit of an 180. Classic "my life is a lie" stuff.

But back to the absolute genius part, because I'm not quite over it.

If I'm being honest, science fiction, although incredibly fascinating, isn't exactly my go-to genre, just because sometimes new worlds can give me a toned-down version of sensory overload. Starswept was absolutely worth it. I didn't get too caught up in trying to absorb all the politics of this fictional world, and the plot was irresistible.

PLOT. There was so much going on, particularly in the latter half of the book, and although I was marginally satisfied for select portions while reading, I kept on my toes. Insert other words that I can't seem to form because wow.

Character-wise, looking back, a lot of them had personality, but weren't all that complex. Even Iris. I do love my complicated characters, so it's a tad disappointing. The actual things happening did detract from them, and I guess it doesn't bother me too much because I got really involved in the plot.

Another abnormal thing is, I normally don't think too much about the deeper meanings of books I read for leisure for reasons I'd rather not dive into, but wow this book resonates with a deeper part of me, and I really didn't expect that it would.

The horrible things that the societies or subgroups accepted are absolutely terrifying and I feel like I'm more open-minded toward all that is going on in our world as well. Not to say that I'm more cynical, of course, because that's already a thing, but it's a little scary how much we don't know. How much people could be hiding. How much we could be missing. Hmmm.

Anywho, Starswept was the best read I've had in a while, so lots of thanks to Snowy Wings Publishing and Netgalley of course!

Starswept is a novel that should have blown me away: an East Asian protagonist, a far-flung future where humans and aliens co-exist, a tale about art and the people who are consumed by them. The book itself had a lot of potential, and I found the premise and world-building very interesting. Unfortunately, the execution of the plot left me largely dissatisfied, as it was weighed down by many tropes I personally dislike.

Iris Lei is a student of the prestigious performing arts academy, Papilio. In this alternate future, human artists have become highly sought after by an advanced race of sentient beings, the Adryil. While the Adryil have telepathic abilities and technological advances beyond humanity’s wildest imaginings, their people lacked the capacity to create. Papilio academy produces some of mankind’s most talented performers, and artists who manages to secure an Adryil patrons are rewarded with fame and riches. The trade-off is a militant and highly competitive environment within Papilio, where students alternate between fear and envy, or arrogance and self-doubt.

I found the book’s world building strongest while it remained within Papilio. I enjoyed seeing the interactions between the different students, along with the ingenious public ranking system through which they are graded. The book explored the student’s debts to the school in interesting ways, especially through stories of those who have either failed to obtain patrons or have simply surrendered against the exhausting routine of Papilio. Iris’s characterisation was also the most distinctive while she was in Papilio, the portrayal her constant insecurity and paranoia was particularly excellent.

What I disliked within the Papilio setting was the girl-on-girl antagonism. Although Papilio had students of all genders, Iris seemed to establish internal and external rivalry with only female characters. In one paragraph, she described a group of ballet dancers as ‘not quite human’ because of their thin physique. Her main rival at Papilio is a fellow viola player, Estelle – a ‘mean girl’ archetype with little depth. I wish the depiction of the rivalry within the school was a little more nuanced.

The weakest point of the novel lies within the book’s romantic plot. While I certainly understand the appeal of fictional beautiful and inhuman strangers, I felt detached from the romance between Iris and Damuil. Iris quickly became infatuated by him, and the text is littered with clichéd descriptors of his captivating eyes or sharp features. Their relationship is stilted and imbalanced. Like other Adryil, Damuil has the capability to read Iris’s mind as well as influence her thoughts and emotions. Within one of their first few encounters, he puts this ability to use – and while I found this as a gross invasion of her privacy and agency, the book was quick to excuse his actions. Given the true nature of the relationship between humans and Adryil, their romance made me incredibly uncomfortable, especially because the text did not explore the implication of this power imbalance.

I found that Starswept improved in the latter half of the novel, where the internal narration became less repetitive and the book tackled larger themes. There were also introduction of new female characters who were portrayed in positive light – and while their characterisation were underdeveloped – they were leagues ahead of the ‘mean girl’ trope employed earlier in the novel. The ending felt a little rushed and anticlimactic, but I found myself wanting to return to the world of Starswept.

In terms of diversity, I am glad to see a scifi with so much racial diversity. There is also a gay couple within this story, although they’re so peripheral to the plot it’s a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ inclusion. I found it odd that the aliens within this world, despite their technological advances and vastly different values, still upheld very traditional and outdated gender binary.

Overall, I felt Starswept had a lot of potential, and it is a universe that I would be happy to return to with future expansion on this book. However, this particular novel contained a few too many of my least favourite tropes for me to truly enjoy.

Starswept Review: Get Swept Away Into A Romance Spanning the Stars

STARSWEPT is a romantic science fiction set in the distant future where aliens known as Adryil have communicated with Earth and are beginning steady relations with each other. Told from the first person present perspective of Iris Lei, a young violist who just wants to succeed and see her family together, STARSWEPT was an enjoyable read despite the familiar tropes that the story utilizes. The world-building is certainly very interesting, and I liked the way the author explores the competitive nature of Papilio School, where Iris attends, and the way it pits budding musicians and other performing artists against each other. The latter half of the story is much more action-packed than the first, as Iris has a chance to go on Adrye and discover that what she grew up believing in may not be as clear cut as she expected.

“It’s more than a school – it’s a nebula. Where stars form from undisciplined dust, where talented children transform into performers the Adryil fly across the unverse to see.”

In the beginning of the book, we’re introduced to Iris and her best friend, Milo, who is a dancer at Papilio School as well. I was a bit weary of the set-up of competitiveness at the performing arts school. Artists set out to be the highest ranked so they can be hired by an Adryil family who they will perform for the next couple of decades of their life. If they’re not ranked high enough and subsequently not hired, they fall down to the bottom of the hierarchy and live in lower socio-economic conditions. Iris is desperate to pull a stunt that’ll make her rank higher so she gets hired and can reunite with her mother on Adrye. Sure enough, this stunt happens and the second half of the book transports readers to another planet.

Iris’s stunning performance of the violin piece, Butterfly's Lament, that lands her a trip to Adrye is galvanized by her developing feelings of a mysterious Adryil boy, Dámiul, who she befriends through a device that makes him appear as a hologram. A big focus of the story, other than the story, is about their romance, but I couldn’t really get on board. There’s definitely an insta-attraction feeling with Iris, but she starts developing feelings for Dámiul as they start interacting with each other more and more. The only problem is that despite Dámiul’s interest to be with her, there are so many parts of his character that she doesn’t know about. He remains a mysterious and elusive alien while she reconciles her developing feelings with their hopeless situation.

“For some reason, I want to protect him. I don’t know him, yet I can’t bear the idea of those heartless machines taking him away.”

There are many familiar concepts that Fan utilizes in this book: forbidden romance, going against the system, a hidden rebellion, the Chosen One, among a few. But I think she tied in these elements nicely within STARSWEPT. The plot was constantly moving as Iris navigates her constantly changing life. While she is loyal and naïve at first, I felt like some things were handed to her too easily. She is talented with the violin but it isn’t until her feelings with Dámiul develops when she gives a stellar performance. At Adrye, she is guided and given an info-dump explanation through dialogue of the atrocities that are actually happening behind the scenes. There isn’t even a mention of her family after arriving on the planet. What I liked about the world the most is the fact that Iris grows to challenge the competitive system that she was born into and wants to do something about it. Other than that, it really blends in with many other secretive governments whose details are skimmed through on a superficial level.

“‘Papilians are obsessed with standing out, and in their efforts to be unique, they blend into each other. I want the same things as they do, but… I often feel like I don’t belong, either.’”

I think the reason why I just wasn’t on board with the romance is because I didn’t really see much of Dámiul as a character. Readers only get Iris’s point of view with him, so we see him either as a hologram with sweet actions or a small glimpse in the latter half of the story. Because he felt more cardboard than character, I didn’t really share Iris’s infatuated feelings. But I thought it was cute, nonetheless.

Overall, I liked STARSWEPT but it does carry familiar elements throughout the story. The ending only provides a resolution for Iris and her relationship with Dámiul, but not much else within the world or for the other characters. I’m pretty satisfied with it though, since I liken this more to a romantic science-fiction than anything else. I would say fans of stories with intergalactic romances like ALIENATED by Marissa Landers and AMID STARS AND DARKNESS by Chani Lynn Feener will enjoy this one as well! The overall plot and world is very easy to follow, and Iris’s adventure was a fun one to read. While I myself wasn’t a fan of the romance, I do think it would be great reading material nonetheless.

ARC Copy for review...Along for me it felt slow and dragging to start but when the actual truth is revealed "oh this is going to tense-interesting" Liken the arts motif and the premise of exploitation of the arts, and the artists themselves. The alien species themselves and their culture are intriguing. Including a language guide helps with the alien culture depth too.

Some melodies reach across the stars.

In 2157, the Adryil—an advanced race of telepathic humanoids—contacted Earth. A century later, 15-year-old violist Iris Lei considers herself lucky to attend Papilio, a prestigious performing arts school powered by their technology. Born penniless, Iris’s one shot at a better life is to attract an Adryil patron. But only the best get hired, and competition is fierce.

A sudden encounter with an Adryil boy upends her world. Iris longs to learn about him and his faraway realm, but after the authorities arrest him for trespassing, the only evidence she has of his existence is the mysterious alien device he slipped to her.

When she starts hearing his voice in her head, she wonders if her world of backstabbing artists and pressure for perfection is driving her insane. Then, she discovers that her visions of him are real—by way of telepathy—and soon finds herself lost in the kind of impossible love she depicts in her music.

But even as their bond deepens, Iris realizes that he’s hiding something from her—and it’s dangerous. Her quest for answers leads her past her sheltered world to a strange planet lightyears away, where she uncovers secrets about Earth’s alien allies that shatter everything she knows.

I was blown away by this book. It started very slowly and I did wonder whether I was going to like it or not. But that soon changed. I loved Iris. She was able to look innocent and get away with things others couldn’t. I also loved Damiul. In fact I thought all the characters were very good – even the bad and not so good ones. Very well written and I was taken to new places (planets). I will recommend this book to everyone. 5*

Starswept by Mary Fan entices the reader into a world where questions are piled upon questions until they are finally answered. Sometimes all at once, sometimes through little inklings of Information.

The description included in the book details Starswept as "In 2157, the Adryil—an advanced race of telepathic humanoids—contacted Earth. A century later, 15-year-old violist Iris Lei considers herself lucky to attend Papilio, a prestigious performing arts school powered by their technology. Born penniless, Iris’s one shot at a better life is to attract an Adryil patron. But only the best get hired, and competition is fierce.


A sudden encounter with an Adryil boy upends her world. Iris longs to learn about him and his faraway realm, but after the authorities arrest him for trespassing, the only evidence she has of his existence is the mysterious alien device he slipped to her.


When she starts hearing his voice in her head, she wonders if her world of backstabbing artists and pressure for perfection is driving her insane. Then, she discovers that her visions of him are real—by way of telepathy—and soon finds herself lost in the kind of impossible love she depicts in her music.


But even as their bond deepens, Iris realizes that he’s hiding something from her—and it’s dangerous. Her quest for answers leads her past her sheltered world to a strange planet lightyears away, where she uncovers secrets about Earth’s alien allies that shatter everything she knows."

A chance encounter introduces Iris, a student at the Papilio School to Daimiul, an alien from the planet Adrye. Fan drags the reader in a confused journey with the main protagonist to figure out who this strange story, where he is from and whether he can be trusted at all.

A compelling read and a must-have for any science fiction lover!

Four Stars/Five Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I just love reading SciFi novels. This is the first book by Mary Fan that I have read and I really liked her characters and her writing style. It feels as if this book needs a sequel so fingers crossed. I enjoyed imagining how the earth and all the "tech" stuff looked like.
If you are into SciFi please don't hesitate to read this book.
Thanks to Snowy Wings Publishing via Netgalley for the copy

Starwswept by Mary Fan is a romance science-fiction that blew me away and stole my heart. It is not without its weaknesses; however, there are numerous strengths found in the author's characters as well as her world-building that more than make up for them.

Iris Lei, in particular, is the heart of this story. She is a young violist who holds a deep love for the arts. Music is her passion and despite the restrictive laws of Papilio (the performing arts school in which she resides), Iris finds great joy in creating music with her prized instrument. Iris is a fantastic character in the way she holds the performing arts in such high regard and also how she allows music to be an integral part of her identity. She is also a hopeless romantic and her fancies are both innocent and naïve, though she frequently acknowledges this.

In my opinion, Iris is very relatable as a young protagonist and is also very self-aware. She knows when she is being foolish and she also knows when she is in the right. Despite being fairly perceptive, she still makes mistakes and can be quite reckless in her actions. A few of her decisions were frustrating and impractical, but I suppose that can be a testament to her personality type. By the end, she proves to be extremely courageous and I very much appreciate how much her character evolves and changes for the better throughout the story. 

Despite Iris and her amazing character, I wasn't fully accepting of the romance, mostly because the love interest, Dámiul, is absent (in body) for the majority of the story. And when he was present (holographically present) he displayed traits that were quintessentially nice and well-meaning. Even though we see more of Dámiul in the end, I'm not sure he completely stands out as a character. Because of this, I can't really understand Iris's infatuation with him. Also, their love story is along the lines of insta-love, which usually bothers me; but because their developing relationship is so sweet and beautifully written, I could almost forgive an instant connection this time around.

While the romantic relationship between an Earthling and an Adryil is the main focus of the story, Fan also touches on various political topics concerning governmental control and international (or intergalactic) relations, as well as human trafficking and slavery. The story delves into something much more dark and serious as the story goes on, and the author does well to build up this tension and suspense, which eventually leads to a heavy moment of realization for Iris. 

As for the writing itself, Mary Fan skillfully demonstrates her knowledge of music through her lyrical descriptions and fluid prose. Instrumental music and dance are forms of non-verbal expression and the author manages to capture the essence of music through enchanting passages and vivid details. Her world-building is fairly strong, especially in her descriptions of Adrye; however, the setting felt somewhat limited. I really wanted to see more of future Earth. The first part of the story takes place in Papilio and the surrounding neighborhood, but not much else helps me to believe there is anything else outside of that little area. 

Besides those few issues, I greatly enjoyed this book. The romance was sweet if not a bit immediate, Iris Lei was a fantastic female protagonist, the writing and world-building were strong, and the political aspect of the story was well-developed. The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger in that it didn't really resolve any problems other than Iris and Dámiul's relationship, but at least the ending implies that something much more dangerous is about to take place. I can't wait to see how this story ends.

I got some Tiny Pretty Things vibes reading this, but of course the dystopian/sci-fi aspect took it down a very different path. The dystopian elements are grounded in real world systems of class inequality, so it wasn't hard for me to imagine such a world, even subtracting aliens out of the equation. The storyline of being an artist in a cutthroat environment where numbers make or break you resonated with me as an aspiring author, and Iris's passion, determination, and idealism in the face of hardship made her a sympathetic protagonist to me.

I recently joined Netgalley, and Starswept was my first approved book! I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover. When I read the description, I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous. I usually stick to the fantasy side of the Sci-fi/Fantasy genre, but I was intrigued by the idea of this story. A dystopian-future performing arts school? Sign me up! From the first sentence, “They tell us not everyone deserves to matter.”, I fully bought into Fan’s future world, and the more that was revealed, the more interested I became. As a performer myself, I absolutely loved the idea of Papilio. The arts world is cut-throat enough as it is, and the heightened competition was interesting and morbidly exciting. It started off a little slow, but I was so invested in the world of Papilio that I didn’t care. The world of the Adryil was also very intriguing. Fan did an amazing job of building it and I found myself actually becoming afraid of them and the idea of their powers. She created a great, sinister environment, that made me wonder “How did things get this way?” I did find the characters a little sterile and bland, but it almost worked with the style of the story. I wish we were shown more of the depth in their relationships though. I didn’t feel the strong connection between Iris and Dámiul, and their relationship was a little too insta-love for me to fully support. However; Fan’s writing style is absolutely gorgeous, and I found myself awed by certain sentences. The ending was really exciting, fast-paced, and maybe open ended? It definitely left room for a sequel. Overall, I liked this book, and appreciated reading something really original and different. The plot and the world building made for a very enjoyable and immersive read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read this beautiful story!

Lyrical, with elegant writing "Starswept", is a book about music, love and ambition. Told from the first POV, it explores the struggle of living in a futuristic society where the Arts count for everything and sometimes the love for music is lost. I liked the characters and the setting and I'd love to read more from Mary Fan!

This YA novel was impressive! It delved into such complex themes as conformity and success, with romance along the way. This book provides much needed commentary about our world.

Review

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

I really liked the idea behind this story and it got more intriguing the more I read. Iris lives in the future where talented musicians are collected by an alien race called the Adryil. I really liked the story telling, it was a slow build up, but it was so worth it, also it gave the story and the characters lots of depth by not jumping straight into the action.

I loved how the characters were all unique and diverse. I thought relationship build up between Iris and Damiul was really sweet. Iris is your typical dreamer, I found myself relating to her a lot particularly when she would day dream about her life. I also liked how much she genuinely cared for the other people in her life.

I’m really hoping that Mary Fan is writing a second installment to this story because I really really want to know what happens next. Also, I wanna take a second and show my appreciation for bloody beautiful the cover is for this book! I mean seriously its stunning and I only have an e-book version, I can’t wait to see what the real version looks like

The Bottom Line:

Read this book. I won’t disappoint, particularly if you like your YA mixed with a bit of alien romance. I would defiantly recommend this book.

My Rating: 4/5

I am very conflicted about this book. I’m not able to say if I liked it or not. Well, I definitely enjoyed it, but it has many flaws.

Let’s start with what I didn’t like about this book :

First, it was very, very, very long. The story began to be interesting when I was 50% into the book. I feel like so much could have been cut off the story. The first part of the book is supposed to set the world, the context, the characters etc, for the story to truly begin, with moments of actions etc. But with this book, I had the impression to read two different stories. In the first part, we are introduced to many characters (some are really useless to the story), and learn how the school Papilio works, how the competition is rough, and how the students are ranked. This part was quite boring and very long. It could have been way more interesting if it was shorter. Then , at the second part of the book, it begins to be interesting. Iris, the main character, meets some new (way more interesting and developed) characters. All the previous characters that we met in the first part of the book are completely forgotten (except one). Do you see why the first part was way too long for how it is useful for the story ? So that really bothered me and it impacted heavily on my rating. I could have rated it 4 stars if it wasn’t because of that.

Secondly, I had a hard time connecting with the main character. It wasn’t that it was bad written or a one dimensional character, there are just some that you cannot connect with. I just know that if I knew Iris, I wouldn’t be friend with her. She’s naive, and even though that doesn’t make her a bad character, it’s just boring to read her thoughts. But that’s my personal opinion and it could totally work for other people. Also, what I didn’t like was the romance. It seems quite like insta-love to me, and there was no real chemistry between the two. So reading about Iris and the Adryl boy she met was quite boring too.

Another point that didn’t really took part in the story but I really didn’t appreciate, was a comment made by Iris about the ballet dancers’ bodies. The comment was : « They’re beautiful on stage, but up close, their birdlike limbs, dainty heads, and lack of body fat make them seem not quite human. I’ve seen an actual alien, and he seemed less strange. »

Comparing someone’s body to something not human ? Ugh, no thanks. But this is an ARC and hopefully this will be removed, also because it was a useless comment with no correlation with the story.

So let’s get into the things that I actually loved about this book (it will mostly be about the second part of the book) :

What I absolutely loved about the story was the rebellion. People trying to bring down corrupted governments ? Yeeeees. The story in this point was very original, everything started to make sense, and we start to recognize that we’ve been fools just like Iris. It really surprised me and I loved it. Iris became a way more interesting character, just became more aware of her surroundings and became more fearless. She truly cares about others and is selfless, which make her a really strong character despite what we can read about her in the first part of the book.

But Iris wasn’t my favorite character. It was Cara, a girl just like Iris but with a way more fierce personnality, and a lot of sass (everything I love). It’s such a shame that we don’t read a lot about her, she could have been so much more. I really loved all the other side characters of this story. They all have traumas and they’re trying to help others, even though they’re different from them.

But that leads me to a question : Is this book the first of a series ? Because the end is not quite the end of the story, if you know what I mean, and it leaves us wanting for more. Goddreads doesn’t seem to think that it’s indeed a series and I’m very confused. I really hope that there will be more to this story because it has so much potential, for the story and the characters. So I keep my fingers crossed !

Fan’s intergalactic romance centers on a violist Iris Lei, who is part of a school that is training young Earthlings to become Artists for patronage on a distant planet. In the world of Starswept, the aliens from Adrye have a thriving commerce with Earth, with the former trading technology in return for the art from the latter. Iris’ school, Papillio is one of the many competitive academies for Arts where kids are pitted against each other for glory, and the chance to escape a life of drudgery on a futuristic low-manpower Earth. An Adryil boy, Damiul, breaks into Papillio and makes contact with her, despite the restrictions on communications between the two species. While yearning for him, she also prepares for her future ahead, hoping to attract a patron and also hoping that she meets him for real. Life on Adrye is not as promised, though, and it brings about a shift in what she believed until now.

The most lovingly rendered aspect of Starswept has to be the art itself. Iris, a violist, is a imaginative perspective to read from, her artist’s mind full of dreams, and hopes, and longing for a romance like the one she has heard of in the songs she hears and plays. Realistically, she also knows that none of it is for her, since the contract forbids the Artists from having a personal life in exchange for every comfort provided. For Iris, her music is the thing most important to her, and despite all the hardships and the constant tension in Papillio, she is devoted to her art. Her story plays on the harsh competitive world of performing arts, while also celebrating the creativity of artists. The writing brings out the beauty of music and performance, and the worries and doubts of Iris.

The romance is a significant portion of the novel, even when in earlier stages it does not seem so, because it explains the bond between Iris and Damiul. However, even before it is realized, you see the mutual respect and admiration they have for each other, even through Damiul’s mostly evasive conversations with her. His life is a mystery to her, which she discovers when she finally gets to Adrye and finds out his motives. I wouldn’t want to spoil the plot, so I would just like to say the telepathic aliens arc was played out pretty well. It feels a little like The Hunger Games, too, but only in that the people of Adrye feel like the people of the Capitol. It is also a bit slow to begin with, but by one-third of the novel the pace picks up enough that I couldn’t help myself from continuing till the end – I was nearly speeding through the book, nervous about what would happen next. Additionally, the plot has a diverse cast of characters of color, including Iris, who is described as East-Asian (well, you can already know that through the cover!). A minor grievance I had with the world-building of Adyre was that despite it being an alien world, it is too similar to Earth; it is also made hetero-normative (I was expecting the author to subvert that, but was disappointed) and the society pretty much mirrors the one on Earth.

Overall, it is a well-written start to a science fiction series, and I am interested in how Fan solves the problems of the world and where the plot will lead.

I really enjoyed this story, how two races (aliens and humans) entertwined. I enjoyed how prominent the arts was in this world. The writing was also lovely and flowed nicely.

However, the girl-girl hate/competition at the school made me lower the rating because I feel like the girls could've have supported each other and whatnot rather than bring each other down. I don't know if that makes sense.

They story however is fast-paced and the ending reveals secrets and mysteries I wasn't expecting. I'd recommend this is you're looking for a quick dystopian-like read!

In 2157, the Adryil—an advanced race of telepathic humanoids—contacted Earth. A century later, 15-year-old violist Iris Lei considers herself lucky to attend Papilio, a prestigious performing arts school powered by their technology. Born penniless, Iris’s one shot at a better life is to attract an Adryil patron. But only the best get hired, and competition is fierce.

A sudden encounter with an Adryil boy upends her world. Iris longs to learn about him and his faraway realm, but after the authorities arrest him for trespassing, the only evidence she has of his existence is the mysterious alien device he slipped to her.

When she starts hearing his voice in her head, she wonders if her world of backstabbing artists and pressure for perfection is driving her insane. Then, she discovers that her visions of him are real—by way of telepathy—and soon finds herself lost in the kind of impossible love she depicts in her music.

But even as their bond deepens, Iris realizes that he’s hiding something from her—and it’s dangerous. Her quest for answers leads her past her sheltered world to a strange planet lightyears away, where she uncovers secrets about Earth’s alien allies that shatter everything she knows. - Goodreads

Every main character isn't going to be the brightest of the bunch. They aren't also going to come with struggles of a childhood or for the most part have knowledge of some kind of world outside of their own bubble. For Iris, Starswept is her first struggle or test of growth. 

Iris is naive and painfully so. I strongly believe the author kept putting that character trait within the novel to remind the reader that Iris is a sheltered 15 year girl. My issue with this is it is so constant that my eyes was in permanent eye roll. It really makes it hard for me, at least, to like Iris. I get it she is young and not every character is going to be older than what they are but at a certain point it became ridiculous. 

I liked how the author tried not to do a insta love. It is dangerously close and hilarious how Iris has someone she is interested in and doesn't make a move but when she sees the Adryil boy, you never hear about her original interest. Another eye roll. 

Beyond Iris, the story overall was pretty decent. The idea that a advanced race is buying out Earthlings talented in the arts for their entertainment is creative and I appreciate the author opening that door. I loved the complexity of the surrounding characters and I did like the fact that the author didn't solely depend on them to push the story through. Although I felt the story was long, I can see why the author chose to stretch it out in order to fully develop and show Iris growth.

Surprisingly enough, I wish there was more music in the story. I think the stretching would have benefited from melodies being shown within the story line as well as Iris having other interest. But the story sucks in you because you know something is off about the whole world and you want to find out have a 15 year old naive girl shakes things up. It sounds cliche but the story really isn't.

I strongly believe that a book 2 would blow book 1 out of the waters because Iris has not passed the stage of doing things blindly at the cost of others. 

Overall, 

3 Pickles

I enjoyed reading this book. An interesting vision of the future and an alien culture with a core romance that fans of Twilight will enjoy.

I'm going to be honest, I wasn't sure what to think about this book because I'm not a fan of the cover. But, the synopsis interested me. My daughter is a violinist so the idea of a futuristic school of arts and aliens piqued my interest. I thought it was really cool that the story began in futuristic North Carolina—my home state!

This book reminded me of Divergent in a way. Only, instead of factions based on societal aptitude, students are divided by their Art.

All of this was really cool to me. Although it bothered me that ballerinas were described as birdlike and not at all human.

They’re beautiful on stage, but up close, their birdlike limbs, dainty heads, and lack of body fat make them seem not quite human. I’ve seen an actual alien, and he seemed less strange.


I'm not one to be overly offended by things but this felt fairly condescending and unnecessary to me. I'm not even a dancer but it just felt ugly to me.

I also feel that this book had the same cliched insta-love that seems to plague other Young Adults books. On one hand, insta-love makes me groan. On the other hand, this is a YA book and that seems the norm. And hey, I might swoon over a hot alien too—Maxwell from Roswell, anyone?

On that note, I do appreciate that the author slowed her roll and gave Iris and Dámiul time apart. I think this not only helped them sort out their feelings but it added some substantial depth to their relationship. Although I'm still not buying that a boy would endure what Dámiul had for a girl he met once. But, I'm not an expert in human/alien romance. So, maybe.

I also felt like the mild language was a bit archaic for the year 2157. You'd think they'd have a few new swear words by then.

Having said all that, this book is actually well written. Which really surprised me. Independent publishing is just so hit or miss for me. This one was a hit—much to my relief. I enjoyed the premise. The author did a fantastic job with painting a picture of futuristic North Carolina as well as Dámiul's home planet. I'm actually rather interested in the rest of the series.


A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. All opinions are my own.

This YA novel was impressive! It delved into such complex themes as conformity and success, with romance along the way. This book provides much needed commentary about our world.

I requested this book because I loved the title, the cover and the fact that the MC was of Asian heritage (diversity, yes thanks!). And also the music. Not that I have a lot of knowledge in terms of technicality but I like when there's musicians involved because I can relate to their love of music. You add sci-fi and aliens to this and I'm sold.

The worldbuilding is well done, and the plot had potential, but then nothing really happened for a loooooooooong time and when you think things are starting to get interesting everything happens TOO FAST. I reached the end of the book a little confused. Oh and when I started reading I thought it was a stand-alone so that made it even more confusing at the end. (I now know there's going to be at least a second book and that's good because there was too much left undone)

Overall, I want to give it a five because it's not bad at all but it had so much wasted potential. Cara and Milo (secondaries) were much more interesting characters than the main ones. Hoping there's more of them in the book(s) to come.

This is a nice science fiction / romance story.
The characters are interesting and the basis of the story is certainly different.
Unfortunately the story is overly long hence only 3 stars.