This Shattered World

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Here is solid proof that two are better than one when it comes to Megan Spooner and Amie Kaufman and writing. This second book in the Starbound series gives us new characters in a different setting but within the same galaxy and the same basic bad guys.

Although there is a distinct tone to these authors' writing, the feel and atmosphere of this sequel is very different from the first book. Here we have a colonized world that's stuck in its evolution, colonists who've been denied what they were promised, a crushed rebellion trying to rise again. It's a nice package that plays out beautifully. There are themes of racism and prejudice here, but it's not the standard stuff. Rather than being a story of an oppressed people rising up to fight for their freedom, we have a situation much like the American Revolution. Government sends colonists and makes them unhappy by controlling the way they live. Colonists rise up in rebellion. War results. And then there's all that weird stuff with the whispering . . .

The characters were an absolute pleasure. They're really conflicted, which makes them complex, which makes them fascinating. The way they evolve, especially with regard to what they've been taught versus what's actually true, is probably the best part about this book. Additionally, there is a multi-cultural cast, and kudos to the authors for making it truly diverse.

One of the plot devices these authors use is an event written at the head of each chapter. In These Broken Stars it was an interrogator asking questions for a debriefing report. In this case, it's dream sequences related by someone who isn't having the dream. The dreams are very abstract, so they only added to the intrigue, and it worked far better here than it did in the first book.

Ultimately, it's not really fair to compare this book to the first one, since it's a completely different story. The main characters from These Broken Stars make a cameo appearance, but this is really Jubilee and Flynn's tale. That said, this book didn't have that jaw-dropping twist that made These Broken Stars so amazing. I kept waiting for some supernatural things to blow my mind and that just didn't happen here. It wasn't quite as original an idea this time. The goals of our protagonists seemed vague and didn't resolve conveniently. But don't get me wrong - there is some serious tension maintained in the story. I was never completely convinced that both characters would survive. The ending, while action-packed and full of suspense, leaned toward the predictable without becoming cliche. The romance remained in the background, which again gave ammunition to the tension.

Worth noting: Kaufman and Spooner have an amazing ability to write a scene. Whether it is one involving the characters having no options to escape the bad guy or being at war within themselves, it translates beautifully to print. Apparently these two authors play out scenes with each other in their writing process. If this is the result, then ladies, it's working!

The audiobook was narrated by Donnabella Mortel and Callard Harris, with the dream sequences done by Lincoln Hoppe. They embodied the characters beautifully. They distinguished the other character voices nicely. These narrators are true voice actors that brought the story to life.

This is such a unique series, a departure from the standard scifi/fantasy/dystopian. The voice of the story is so refreshing - it will be a long and painful wait for the next book in the series. As usual, we need that sequel now!



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