This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met. Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the rebels. Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. His sister died in the original uprising against the powerful corporations that terraformed Avon. These corporations make their fortune by terraforming uninhabitable planets across the universe and recruiting colonists to make the planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion. Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war. As Flynn and Lee attempt to uncover the truth about Avon, they realize that there is a conspiracy on the planet that runs deeper than either of them could imagine, one that Lee's former commander Tarver Merendsen only scratched scratcehd the surface of two years ago. The stunning second novel in the Starbound series is an unforgettable story of love and forgiveness in a world torn apart by war.

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner is the second book in the Starbound trilogy and WHOA WHAT A DOOZY. Also, saying doozy makes me feel like an old. Anyways, this book is one that I absolutely should have read sooner like when I got it at BEA 2014 instead of holding off until March 2016 and April 2016 to finally dive in and finish it. So, This Shattered World is a companion sequel to These Broken Stars and it is INTENSE and I loved my entire time reading this book. I swear this series is going to make me a convert to science fiction.

Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s This Shattered World is a story told in dual point of view chapters by Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac. The two are from opposite factions on a new planet called Avon. Avon has not progressed through Terraforming and is still swampy and full of algae. It isn’t quite what it needs to be to produce and be viable in the intergalactic market place. Flynn meets Jubilee in this bar called Molly’s and abducts her, with the intent of getting information out of her regarding this mysterious facility that he’s found. Unfortunately, Jubilee has no idea what Flynn’s talking about. Pulled in different directions due to skirmishes on Avon, the two somehow against all odds end up as allies, friends, and eventually falling for each other. A thread of hope sparks and Flynn, who is ever the pacifist, hopes for an end to Avon’s rebellion and clear skies in Avon.

Jubilee Chase is a Captain in the military. Her fierce reputation as a warrior precedes her. Jubilee is known for allegedly having no soul. It’s why she’s the longest lasting soldier on Avon. You see, all other soldiers last about a month or so and then succumb to what is called the Fury where they go mad and kill civilians and then have to be shipped off world without a trial or anything, reassigned to another planet. Jubilee has quite the interesting past, I don’t want to spoil it for you, but I found her backstory to be one of the most compelling plot lines in This Shattered World.

Flynn Cormac is a native of the planet Avon, many there share Irish roots. His sister was infamous for being a leader of the rebellion and a group of people called the Fiana. However, she was executed and so now it is just Flynn. Flynn wants peace, he wants a better way. He wants Avon to thrive and survive. Unfortunately, there’s this leader now among the Fiana called McBride who basically just wants revolution and is thirsty for blood. Flynn’s influence only stretches so far. I knocked a star off my rating of This Shattered World, because while Flynn’s a good character, I thought that his characterization was not nearly as compelling as Jubilee’s. I felt like his character was kind of weak. It rankled me a little tiny bit while reading.

Okay, so if you’re expecting the high octane romance of These Broken Stars to be repeated in This Shattered World, you will find yourself sorely disappointed. What’s between Jubilee and Flynn is not on the same level as the feelings between Tarver and Lilac. That’s fine though, this is a different sort of love story. It’s one that takes a whole lot of time to develop and even then, it doesn’t quite ever reach Tarver-Lilac level. I didn’t mind this as I like occasionally seeing different types of romance. Also, I think I was sated by the cameo appearances in this book.

This Shattered World by Meagan Spooner and Amie Kaufman adds an interesting new chapter and dimension to the Starbound trilogy, especially with a new world. When I first started, I had zero clue as to how this book connected with These Broken Stars, but when the connection is finally made, it is perfect. Readers who enjoyed the first book in the series will like this addition. If you haven’t read the first book, I HIGHLY recommend you do so immediately.

Other reviews of This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner:

Reading After Midnight – “I fell in love with both characters from the beginning”

Love Is Not A Triangle – “The tension is high and the romance is yummy”

Bookish Lifestyle – “their relationship fell flat for me”

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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