This Shattered World A Starbound Novel

*3.5

I liked the first one a lot more, but this one was still SO GOOD..

Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn. This series isn't all action, all the time, but this particular slow burn is fun to read. Each little discovery working towards solving the puzzle that is Avon. If I were to compare this one to the first, though my heart beats for Tarver, I think this one is the better of the two. The love to hate romance that this series is known for works much better here than it did in the first. Their hatred/mistrust of each other made sense at the very least. There were a few moments in there that I didn't understand how Tarver and Lilac would be connected to Lee and Flynn and boy was I shook when it was revealed. The odd whispers/feverish flashbacks were puzzling until it finally made sense closer to the end and now all I want to do is see Roderick LaRoux burn. Can that please be arranged? Thank you. Oh, and #JusticeForMolly #JusticeForFergal #JusticeForAvon, that is all. KThnxBye

This book was really interesting to me. I can't wait for the third book!!!!

I'm rereading this series and even I feel like I've been sleeping on it. RTC

4.5

These character annoyed the hell out of me. I like the idea of where this story is going.

4.5

This was so good!! So different from the first. But I loved it!

I honestly have no clue what these women put in their books, but it’s addicting. The writing is so so beautiful and there are so many one liners I just wanted to keep forever. Also the forbidden/rivals to lovers trope, come on.

Ultimately I didn't love the characters of this book as much as I loved Lilac and Tarver, but I still thought this was a good story and is left me incredibly excited for the third one.

I loved this book, probably not as much as These Broken Stars, but very, very close. I think Tarver and Lilac had more chemistry and time to develop feelings and all, being stuck together. So If I'm comparing this to TBS, it was a tad less but on its own, this was mind-blowing too. I'm so, so excited to see how this all comes together in book 3 which I'll be reading ASAP! Lee and Flynn were lovely characters and w/ all the discoveries they do have some great character development. The eerie, creepy factor from TBS is present here as well, but here, the plot twists are pretty damn good. Except for the fact I knew them earlier than the characters. So a 4.8 - 4.9 STARS and an A for all the feels this book and this AMAZING novel and series brought with This Shattered World. - CAN'T WAIT TO MEET SOF AND THE KNAVE OF HEARTS AGAIN - EEEP!

I feel like the science in this book is still pretty confusing, but I loved Jubilee and Flynn, so I couldn't help giving this book a 4 stars.

[muffled wailing]

Please pardon me while I sweep my shattered emotions up off the floor. These two authors made me fall in love with Lilac and Tarver in These Broken Stars. Their story was a perfect mixture of tragic and beautiful, with the kind of romance that makes me all mushy inside. I was a bit upset when I found out that This Shattered World wouldn't focus on the same characters. Still, I had high hopes that Jubilee and Flynn would soon fill that void with their own gorgeous story. They did, my friends. They definitely did. Spooner and Kaufman have the tragic love story down to a science. Within the first five or so chapters, I was completely under their spell. Jubilee's hard demeanor, the way she lived her life with detachment, was heartbreaking. As I read, and learned where all of that stemmed from, it was all I could do not to want to hug her tight. She'd probably hate me for that. Then there was Flynn. A member of the rebellion, but with a pure heart and good intentions, he was undeniably likable. When these two met, and their personalities clashed, I just knew there would be sparks. I couldn't wait. The fact is that these two characters are the exact opposite of one another, yet perfectly matched. Once again I watched as a tragic and beautiful love story unfolded in front of me. I smiled as they stole moments together, was aghast as war threatened to tear them apart, and teared up when things looked bleak. Let me tell you, I was attached to these two wholeheartedly. I'm genuinely sad that their story is over. It was a Romeo and Juliette of sorts. Two souls, two different sides, tragically meant for one another. What I loved about this story more than anything though was that it wasn't all romance. Lilac and Tarver's story was very romance heavy. It was just the two of them on a planet, and so their romance was in the limelight during the course of the story. While Jubilee and Flynn definitely have a romance, there is so much more at stake. Lives lie in the balance. Secrets hide just out of reach. It's easy to get lost. Read this! It's worth it.

Review originally posted on my blog here- https://kelmacsbooks.wordpress.com/20... Well… Amie and Meagan have done it again. I was hesitant because this novel is centred around two completely new characters; Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac, and I didn’t want them to be less loveable and interesting as Tarver and Lilac were in the first one. Now it’s safe to say that I had absolutely nothing to worry about. This book was just as captivating from the first page, right to the very last word. The planet Avon was intriguing and the connection that formed between Flynn and Jubilee was intense, gradual and I am going to have to say beautiful. I loved the similarities it had with the first book, two people who should not even get along, let alone fall for each other find a way to work together and make their lives better, even if they have to live through serious hardships along the way. Ugh my poor heart. I also really really loved the link between Jubilee and Tarver. Subtle as to not draw us away from Flynn and Jubilee’s story, but obvious enough to remind the reader of the happenings of the novel before. And just like These Broken Stars, the ending was unpredictable and intense and I just could not put the book down for the last maybe 15 chapters. This book was captivating, spell binding and extremely intense from start to finish. So much happened, but there was never too much happening that could cause confusion or irritation. Jubilee and Flynn were just as intriguing to read about and they were written so uniquely but fit together so well. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into the final instalment of this superb trilogy which, no doubt, will be just as amazing as the first two.

Forbidden Love is my favorite. There's just something special about reading about two people who should hate their guts but instead want to eat each other's faces. In This Shattered World, not only are Lee and Flynn in opposite sides of a war, but also, they create other sides.   There's never two sides of anything.   And... That couldn't be more right. I liked how the book explored the fact that sometimes there really isn't a right, or wrong, just third parties. Third parties that influence the so-called two sides. There're always variables, and conflict comes when everybody wants something different. I love it. Because that's exactly how the world is. Lee Chase is a strong character that could really frustrate me sometimes, but I liked her, and the struggles she faced. For some reason, I wasn't as won-over as I was after These Broken Stars, but I can't say I didn't enjoy this book. Gorgeous cover again, simple, but powerful writing. And a plot that unfolds itself little by little. As for the romance, I would've liked more kisses, but I was satisfied by the process, because, they were aware that lay between them was a very nice attraction, and they were connected by their mutual problems. And it takes more than that to make people love each other, but it was enough for them to try to start something. And that's normal. That... That makes sense! Another point worth taking into account  is the fact that Lee isn't white, ivory, or pale-skinned. But if I'm correct, the book doesn't state she's black either. We only have one sentence that sheds light on the tone of her skin and it's barely there, almost unimportant compared to all the shit the girl is trying to sort out. So diversity, without referring to her skin as mocha, chocolate, or some other fancy simile is one big plus. Here's to Lee and Flynn, may you save many other worlds and have 2.5 children!   Find this review also at A Writer's Tales

4.0 I felt like this second installment really showed the authors' ability to write fairly different characters from the first novel, despite those characters having similar paths. Jubilee and Flynn's story is different from Lilac and Tarver's in that it builds at a more tentative pace and while there is some urgency to the growth of both relationships, the latter is built upon fear for their own lives, while the former is built upon fear for the lives of their people. As the story progresses, you're given a small sampling of what has been happening on Avon, as foreshadowed in These Broken Stars. I was also a little surprised with myself that I didn't see Tarver's connection to this story earlier, but was pleased with Tarver and Lilac's introduction and the contribution they provide. Plus, any taste of their banter back and forth is gratifying! We learn more in this sequel of the "whispers" - their wants and struggles - and what has been driving them all these years. There is a fair bit more world building in this installment than the first (though I certainly miss our beautiful planet) as well, in the sense that you see and feel for the way the people have been affected by the choices of someone they've never met. The authors do well at showing the hardships experienced by those that aren't privileged enough too experience the upper decks of a luxury spaceliner such as the Icarus (though I have a feeling they would not be disappointed about that) and how individuals choose different paths to deal with that strife. I really enjoyed getting more insight into the people of this world (after all, this sequel has a whole host of characters, unlike These Broken Stars) and learning more of what has been happening for the last ten years. I'm looking forward to starting the last book in this trilogy to see how our characters (and "new" ones to come) deal with what has been discovered.

Actual rating: 3.5 :) review coming soon