Name: Agustin P's review of Starsight by Brandon Sanderson
Item: Starsight
Rating: 4
Author: Agustin P

Brandon Sanderson

The #1 New York Times bestseller! From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Reckoners series, the Mistborn trilogy, and the Stormlight Archive comes the second book in an epic series about a girl with a secret in a dangerous world at war for humanity's future. All her life, Spensa's dreamed of becoming a pilot and proving herself a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned there were crushing. The rumors of her father's cowardice are true--he deserted his Flight during battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them. Spensa is sure that there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father that day could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars--and what they revealed to her was terrifying. Everything Spensa has been taught about her world is a lie. Humankind has always celebrated heros, but who defines what a hero is? Could humanity be the evil the galaxy needs to be protected from? Spensa is determined to find out, but each answer she discovers reveals a dozen new questions: about the war, about her enemies, and even, perhaps, about Spensa herself. But Spensa also discovered a few other things about herself--and she'll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to. "Sanderson delivers a cinematic adventure that explores the defining aspects of the individual versus the society. . . . Fans of Sanderson will not be disappointed." --SLJ "It is impossible to turn the pages fast enough." --Booklist "He's simply a brilliant writer. Period." --Patrick Rothfuss, author of the New York Times bestseller The Name of the Wind, on Brandon Sanderson.

Starsight

Agustin P

All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing. The rumours of his cowardice are true - he deserted his flight during battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them. Spensa is sure there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars - and it was terrifying. What she learned turned her world upside down. Everything Spensa's been taught is a lie. But Spensa also learned a few things about herself - and she'll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to. Praise for Brandon Sanderson's #1 New York Times Bestselling Reckoners series: 'Another win for Sanderson . . . he's simply a brilliant writer' Patrick Rothfuss 'Action-packed' EW.com 'Compelling . . . Sanderson uses plot twists that he teases enough for readers to pick up on to distract from the more dramatic reveals he has in store' AV Club

A bit confusing as there was so much introduced missed the simplicity of the first one

Nathan Rogers

All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing. The rumours of his cowardice are true - he deserted his flight during battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them. Spensa is sure there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars - and it was terrifying. What she learned turned her world upside down. Everything Spensa's been taught is a lie. But Spensa also learned a few things about herself - and she'll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to. Praise for Brandon Sanderson's #1 New York Times Bestselling Reckoners series: 'Another win for Sanderson . . . he's simply a brilliant writer' Patrick Rothfuss 'Action-packed' Entertainment Weekly 'Compelling . . . Sanderson uses plot twists that he teases enough for readers to pick up on to distract from the more dramatic reveals he has in store' AV Club

The trouble with Sanderson being Mormon is that his stuff are so good that you nearly forget about it, except when he writes romance into his novels (Vin and Elend, I still love you guys, but I was about 10 years younger when I read the first book. I should hope I am wiser now) or women, really (still have not forgiven him for writing a female character breaking the high heel of her shoe off to make the shoes more comfortable to run in. Sir, have you ever examined high-heel shoes up close?)

Regardless, this was still a lot of fun. I still love Spensa's spunk and her interactions with M-Bot continue to be the absolute heart and soul of this series. But then again, I love it when a cheeky female character has a weirdo partner in crime from another species.

The trouble with Sanderson being Mormon is that his stuff are so good that you nearly forget about it, except when he writes romance into his novels (Vin and Elend, I still love you guys, but I was about 10 years younger when I read the first book. I should hope I am wiser now) or women, really (still have not forgiven him for writing a female character breaking the high heel of her shoe off to make the shoes more comfortable to run in. Sir, have you ever examined high-heel shoes up close?)

Regardless, this was still a lot of fun. I still love Spensa's spunk and her interactions with M-Bot continue to be the absolute heart and soul of this series. But then again, I love it when a cheeky female character has a weirdo partner in crime from another species.

Luke Harkness

Obsessed with this series

As my title says. I love the characters, I love the writing, I love that every chapter is filled with action and intrigue. My favourite character didn't feature quite as much (M-Bot) as I'd have liked and he appeared to have a little bit of an existential crisis, but I guess it made their character a little more in-depth.

The story takes place in a much larger expanse and introduces you to some great new characters and species that made it feel like it has far more longevity and possibility for other sub-stories. Can't wait for the next one!

Christine

GUESS WHO FINALLY FRICKEN FINISHED THIS BOOK IMAGINE SPENDING A YEAR AND 3 MONTHS ON A BOOK COULDNT BE ME

Ok oKOK I REALLY NEED SKYWARD 3 BRANDERSON D:<

The sequel to the New York Times bestseller Skyward! From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Reckoners series, Words of Radiance, the Mistborn trilogy, and the Stormlight Archive comes the second book in an epic series about a girl with a secret in a dangerous world at war for humanity's future. All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing. The rumors of his cowardice are true--he deserted his flight during battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them. Spensa is sure there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars--and it was terrifying. Everything Spensa has been taught about her world is a lie. But Spensa also discovered a few other things about herself--and she'll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to. "[A] nonstop, highflying opener." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review "With this action-packed trilogy opener, Sanderson offers up a resourceful, fearless heroine and a memorable cast."--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review "Sanderson delivers a cinematic adventure that explores the defining aspects of the individual versus the society. . . . Fans of Sanderson will not be disappointed." --SLJ "It is impossible to turn the pages fast enough." --Booklist "He's simply a brilliant writer. Period." --Patrick Rothfuss, author of the New York Times bestseller The Name of the Wind, on Brandon Sanderson.

chloe rae

*4.5 stars

I loved this book ALMOST as much as I loved the first. Even though it was still pretty action packed, I found myself getting a little uninterested in the middle (even though I was TOTALLY INTERESTED.) Either way, I found this story to be smart and gripping and I love the direction he’s now taking the story in. I hope the third book comes sooner than we all expect!

Divisha 

I read Skyward and Starsight and am currently reading Cytonic!

Being a sci fi and space lover, I really really loved the first 2 books. Spensa was a great character! She was brave and ready to sacrifice herself to save her kin and her home Detritus. I also liked the AI, M-Bot a lot. He was really amusing at times and complemented the book very well.

I especially liked the times Spensa flew M-Bot. The way she maneuvered and took control of the situation was commendable. She was not scared to venture on the path of the truth. 

What I really liked about these books is that I can really relate to the situation of the characters.
The plot is so unique that as soon as you pick up the book you are immersed in it.
Can't wait to finish Cytonic!

Danny Werhane

C. J. Daley 

This story lost me at multiple points unlike the first of the series. It’s attempts to broaden the world with Starsight actually hurt it in my opinion. Taking the lead away from her friends and flight really took a lot of the more enjoyable parts away. 

However, the climax was big, enjoyable, and left off with enough to make me want a third. 

Audible did have another 5* performance from Suzy Jackson if that’s a route you would consider... 

4.5* overall.

Anum Memon

I personally thought one was better but this one was a whole another universe and whole other aspect which I loved. It was an exceptional execution with the book I just preferred the first one better.

Shiveen Pandita

** spoiler alert **
           yeah, that's a no from me dawg!

This book devolved from some cool concepts to the same old trope eldritch type entities terrorizing the galazy and some random person can suddenly save it. Don't get me wrong, I knew what I was signing up, however, I had to turn the disbelief factor a couple of notches to even get to the ending. This is unfortunate since I love the world building and characters from Sanderson and really was looking forward to reading the third book but I'm not so sure anymore.

Wow, i really liked that one a bit more haha.

In this book, we follow Spensa as she learns more about her power. To save her crew, she decides to go on a mission. It’s Spensa we’re talking about. Of course she has to go alone without any support lmao.

, just as good as usual when you’re familiar with B.S

: I love Spensa, and you should to enjoy the story since you mainly have her POV and you follow her actions and how it impacts on the story. Therefore, liking her does help a lot in my enjoyment of the story. She is compulsive but she tries her best.

But I have to say that I missed Jorgen here 😭

I think. We learn more about the politics of this world and all the motivations of each group. Also, we have a better background story of the previous war. Overall, it was really interesting.

but I have to say that I’m scared of reading 

because the majority of readers seems to agree that it’s the weakest of the series so far ? But we’ll see, also that’s okay if i might enjoy this one less. Pretty sure book 4 will be a great ending to the story :3

Amira BEN

Wow, i really liked that one a bit more haha.

In this book, we follow Spensa as she learns more about her power. To save her crew, she decides to go on a mission. It’s Spensa we’re talking about. Of course she has to go alone without any support lmao.

The writing, just as good as usual when you’re familiar with B.S

I can also, say that I liked the pacing better here than in Skyward.

Characters: I love Spensa, and you should to enjoy the story since you mainly have her POV and you follow her actions and how it impacts on the story. Therefore, liking her does help a lot in my enjoyment of the story. She is compulsive but she tries her best.

But I have to say that I missed Jorgen here 😭

The intrigue on this one is what made me enjoyed Starsight more than Skyward I think. We learn more about the politics of this world and all the motivations of each group. Also, we have a better background story of the previous war. Overall, it was really interesting.

A very good following story of Skyward but I have to say that I’m scared of reading Cytonic because the majority of readers seems to agree that it’s the weakest of the series so far ? But we’ll see, also that’s okay if i might enjoy this one less. Pretty sure book 4 will be a great ending to the story :3

Yeah call me biased

Rachel Kanyid

I really enjoyed the expansion of the universe in this book and getting to explore different cultures and ways of thinking. I found the world building and new characters absolutely fascinating. The book had solid paces and exciting plot development. The action sequences were well written and intense. Because of the losses I knew could happen from my experience with Skyward, I really felt the stakes and feared for the characters and potential consequences. I also loved how the main threat's motivation is caused by a very different point of view. It's horrific but understandable. Perfectly alien and fitting.

I really enjoyed the new cast of characters. They were all really interesting and well developed. It was easy to see how different their points of view were and how they made sense. Spensa's reactions to these different ways of thinking were also very fitting and realistic.

Spensa continued to be a great main character. I love that all of the development that she went through in the first book really stuck and she grew even more in this one. She feels very dynamic and reacts in ways that are consistent with her character.

I also really enjoyed M-Bot in this one. I am a sucker for AI figuring out who they are and whether or not they are alive and should have autonomy or not. M-Bot's self exploration is very interesting to read and it's so easy to care about him and his struggles.

I have two relatively small grievances with the book. The first is the convenience that happens towards that beginning of the book that makes the whole story possible. I did absolutely love the direction things went, but the kickstarter event seemed a little too easy and unlikely. My second issue was the romance, particularly its pacing. The first book kept it very slowburn and I expected it to continue that way into Starsight. Instead, it jumped ahead very quickly, only to then be immediately put on the back burner and not really mentioned again.

Personally I found this second book more enjoyable than the first, although I did still really like Skyward. That has a lot to do with my personal tastes in books and not necessarily because one book is objectively better than the other. I just have a massive love for nonhuman characters and exploring what makes them very different from humans, as well as finding what we have in common. The second book has more of a focus on those themes and I had a great time because of it.

Kayla

I really enjoyed the expansion of the universe in this book and getting to explore different cultures and ways of thinking. I found the world building and new characters absolutely fascinating. The book had solid paces and exciting plot development. The action sequences were well written and intense. Because of the losses I knew could happen from my experience with Skyward, I really felt the stakes and feared for the characters and potential consequences. I also loved how the main threat's motivation is caused by a very different point of view. It's horrific but understandable. Perfectly alien and fitting.

I really enjoyed the new cast of characters. They were all really interesting and well developed. It was easy to see how different their points of view were and how they made sense. Spensa's reactions to these different ways of thinking were also very fitting and realistic.

Spensa continued to be a great main character. I love that all of the development that she went through in the first book really stuck and she grew even more in this one. She feels very dynamic and reacts in ways that are consistent with her character.

I also really enjoyed M-Bot in this one. I am a sucker for AI figuring out who they are and whether or not they are alive and should have autonomy or not. M-Bot's self exploration is very interesting to read and it's so easy to care about him and his struggles.

I have two relatively small grievances with the book. The first is the convenience that happens towards that beginning of the book that makes the whole story possible. I did absolutely love the direction things went, but the kickstarter event seemed a little too easy and unlikely. My second issue was the romance, particularly its pacing. The first book kept it very slowburn and I expected it to continue that way into Starsight. Instead, it jumped ahead very quickly, only to then be immediately put on the back burner and not really mentioned again.

Personally I found this second book more enjoyable than the first, although I did still really like Skyward. That has a lot to do with my personal tastes in books and not necessarily because one book is objectively better than the other. I just have a massive love for nonhuman characters and exploring what makes them very different from humans, as well as finding what we have in common. The second book has more of a focus on those themes and I had a great time because of it.

tina

edit: lowering my rating to 4.5 just because... 

here's some of my thoughts: this book swerved into a direction so unexpected that it kinda threw me off. i get it, it's a massive universe, and it's brando sando so of course he was going to expand the world. but by doing that, the book kind of just left everyone and everything that i loved from the first book, especially since we're reading the story thru one perspective only. in addition to that, the book starts off with a 6-month time jump from the ending of the first book, so it seems that everyone has already moved on from the ending's revelations, but i wanted to know more. HOWEVER, i realized that even with all that, i still had a good time reading this book. furthermore, looking at it objectively, it is still a solid sequel-- it focused a lot on worldbuilding and it upped the stakes which i know will really help develop the story in the future books. another thing that i really loved about this is the political/philosophical themes this had. i think that was a really impressive addition to the story and makes it more of a thought provoking read. i still think skyward >>>> starsight. i miss the OG crew and i wish they had more page time. nevertheless, i still had a fun time reading about the new characters and thought they were very interesting to get to know and read about, and i'm really excited to see more of them in the coming books. it's a SOLID sequel with just the right amount of high stakes action-packed scenes, political intrigue, character development, incredible worldbuilding, and humor. I LOVED IT! and i'm really excited to see what happens next!

Elisa Bieg

Aaahh this series.
It is SO hyped and so beloved. And I do like a lot of Brandon Sanderson’s stuff, and I like sci-fi, so I was sure I’d love it too. So sure, that I ordered a book box last year just to have a specific edition with a signed plate and themed goodies. 
Alas, I was disappointed. I felt that the humor especially, was very dad-joke-adjacent, like someone trying much too hard to be funny to appeal to a specific audience and ending up, much like dad jokes, appearing fairly uncool in the process. 
(Yes, I know. I can hardly believe I just said that about Brandon Sanderson. Commence tomato-throwing sequence.)

Also, I really couldn’t connect with the MC, but I chalked that up to personal taste to a certain degree.

However... did I mention I 
  really
 wanted to like this series? So when I found the sequel as an Audible daily deal, I thought it the perfect chance to give the series another shot, without too much suffering.

And I did like this book more than its predecessor... for the most part, and until the last few chapters, which felt interminable. 

BUT
• the MC is basically a teenage Starbuck
• the ship’s AI humor is so, so cringey. Seriously, my dad would even be like “dude, no”
• the slug? And the revelation?? COME ON.

So basically it was more of what I found cringey, minus Spensa’s unlikeability, as she was a pretty good MC here (if you ignore all the “Scud!” which is really not as cool a slang as it wants to be IMO), and some decent running commentary about being open minded and avoiding preconceptions. Some cool alien races, too. 
And then a very drawn out ending. And a pinch of shark jumping. 

Soooo.... I’m going to go with 3 STARS here, folks. But I promise to stay away from the rest of the series so.... you can carry on without me ☺️

Catarina Silva

Well it took me a while to read this… the first half was good but for some reason I never get like I wanted to pick the book up once I put it down. So i just stayed at 50% for like a month. However, yesterday I just felt like I had to read it and here I am. The second half was amazing. The ending was crazy and I can’t wait to read the next book!

Julie Janis

Incredible! How does Brandon Sanderson do it? I loved the first book and this one did not disappoint. It did take me a bit to understand the politics, but I got the hang of it and MAN that ending!! I can't wait for third book!!

Savannah Winchell

3.5 to 3.75⭐️

I didn’t find this plot quite as compelling but there were lots of things I liked a lot
Still v fun tho
Also my ship barely sailed how dare

rylee m

it took me two months to read this but i’m finally done
i liked this a lot less than the first one and i think that’s why it was hard for me to get through. skyward is like my favorite book and this one didn’t have a lot of the features that made skyward my favorite book. still well written and i liked the characters jsut didn’t feel the same

"All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing. The rumors of his cowardice are true--he deserted his flight during battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them. Spensa is sure there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her"--

Livia

I have no idea where to start with this book... because my brain is still trying to process part 4 and then, by association, part 5. Brandon Sanderson had done it again. He had managed to up the risks, the challenge, the scope of the plot bigger and bigger, and even then, he's still planning for something more. I don't think I have ever reacted as violently as I did reading his books, I swear.

Let's start with our heroine, our reckless pilot, Spensa. She gets on my nerves, for goodness sake. Sometimes I wanted to smack her in the face for having terrible instincts when it comes to other living creatures, but what I do admire from her is her determination to never let anything get in her way. In this book, her character developed, even more, learning to be more empathetic yet still standing her ground, still trying her best to keep the people she loves safe. She took risks (albeit some are unnecessary) despite knowing the worst-case scenario. She's wholly human, and I respect that.

I like how much the world is being expanded, and how much more nuanced the creatures that are introduced, because we get to see them understand humankind and learning that maybe everything isn't always black and white. 

What I'm really sad about is how much I missed Skyward Flight. I missed the camaraderie and the simple truth that they would protect each other to the ends of the world. I am hoping they will get the chance to fight together in Cytonic.

Ale ♡

Once again, with Sanderson, 5 stars don't feel enough.


  “A hero does not choose her trials. She steps into the darkness, then she faces what comes next.”




As always, my review contains some spoilers, major or minor. If you haven't read the book and don't want any spoilers,  don't read further.

This was hell of a ride. A fucking rollercoaster of emotions. And I was (not) ready for it.

Like I said at first, Skyward just felt like a prelude. In Skyward there was action but here, oh gods, here Sanderson shows up something more. He shows to us the real deal with Detritus, the human race, the krells, with Spensa, Jorgen, M-Bot and Doomslug.

In Skyward I was like "why the hell M-bot is so obsessed with mushrooms? why doomslug is weird? why appears in random places? fROM WHERE IT CAME?" but these questions were answered and now many things make sense now.

I'm a sucker for character, plot and worldbuilding development, and what I got here in Starsight left me speechless. There are more characters (ones more likeable than others), more plots (some of them left me on the floor, others confused me aND I HOPE THAT CYTONIC ANSWER MY QUESTIONSSSS) and a new world (sort of, it's more of a big ass city, but you get me).

I need to know more about Alanik, but I already love her.

The pacing to me it was really fast. I didn't even feel time while reading this book (mind you, i love sci-fi, so maybe that's why), also I guess it's because Sanderson's writing is really good that grabs you since you start the book and keeps you reading until the book is over.

You know something I really loved? The fact that we didn't have the typical girl-on-girl-hate just because someone is better than the other in something.

Spensa meets Brade, who is a human too and a pilot. Brade is a really good pilot. And Spensa doesn't hate her for it, or feel envy or wants to humble her. Spensa admits that Brade is 
  better
 than her.

Here:

"She was good—even better than I was".

"And Brade was better."

"Seeing someone who was better was perhaps the most inspiring thing I'd ever experienced. I wanted to fly with her, chase her."

Also, Morriumur was amazing. skjdhdjf seeing them being shy, splited in two by two minds was something really interesting aND HOW THEY SAVED SPENSA TO THE VERY END, UGH, *CHEF'S KISS*

Anyhow, not much to say because I already fangirled so much and cried like a bitch when M-Bot begged to Spensa not to leave him. iF M-BOT IS NOT A SHIP AGAIN, I'LL RIOT AND SET THE WORLD ON FIRE.

I loved Starsight so much.



  previous review:

IT'S ALMOST 1 AM AND I'M SCREAMING INTERNALLY. HOLY SHIT. WHAT'S THAT CLIFFHANGER, SANDERSON??? MY THERAPY. NOW.

RTC!

Fraser Simons

More enjoyable than the first instalment. Lots of payoff, a better approach to “aliens” and communication/language/interactions, and all around more inclusive than most stuff in the genre. If you liked the first one, I would think you’d like this at least as much as the first one. It was more interesting to me because there’s far more worldbuilding and some more questions answered. 

Also the narration on audible is fantastic. Far and above what you generally end up getting, imo.

Nedu

4.5 Stars

“A hero…does not choose…her trials, Spensa… “Gran-Gran?” I asked, trying to pinpoint the location of the words. She steps…into the darkness, the voice said, fading. Then she faces what comes next…”

Scud! This was a thrilling sequel to Skyward and it somehow manages to be even better. Spensa’s character growth continues here and we see this manifests in her decision making to save humankind. She has come a long way from her starting point in Skyward. Starsight is more engaging and fast paced than Skyward and you are thrust into the story right away.

Without giving too much details out, the world building is great here and I love how new characters were incorporated into the story while also advancing the story threads for old characters.

Review originally published here

Genevieve 

4.75 ⭐

"The Superiority—and its minions the Krell—obviously knew to watch for people like me and my father... All of this raised a singular daunting question. What was I?"

Wow what an amazing follow up to the first book, this novel is both that, a follow up, and also a fantastic stand alone story. We follow Spensa's journey to learn what she is, what her cytonic powers can be used for, what the eyes in the nowhere are and what The Superiority and Krell want with her & the humans of Detritus. 

Starsight was jam packed with new worlds, new species of aliens, new enemies and new friends. Such an exciting and complex story of intrigue and politics, as well as awesome character development, self awareness and the "humanity" and realities of war. 

I loved it and I can't wait to crack on with the 3rd novel in this series!! 

"World beneath me, stars above, set against the backdrop of a terrible battle."

Agustin P &
Starsight by Brandon Sanderson

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