Book Review: Their Fractured Light
Their Fractured Light (Starbound #3)
By: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Published by: Allen & Unwin (Aus), Disney-Hyperion (US)
Publication Date: 1st December 2015
By it at Amazon.com.au, Booktopia
Source: ARC courtesy of the Australian publisher
Audience/Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
The best sci-fi uses technology, alien worlds and futuristic elements to shine a light on the human condition. From reading about the other, we learn about ourselves. Their Fractured Light is an excellent example of this.
In These Broken Stars we met Tarver and Lilac. In Their Shattered World, Lee and Flynn. Their Fractured Light picks up the story of Sofia, an orphan who fled Avon a year earlier, and Gideon, perhaps the galaxy's best computer hacker. When their paths cross they discover they both have the goal of bringing down LaRoux Industries, but their plans for going about it are very different - Sofia is looking for revenge for her father's death, Gideon wants justice. Despite their differences, the two will have to work together to bring down the corporation. This time it's not just a ship or planet that's at stake, but the entire universe.
While These Broken Stars remains my favourite of the trilogy, Their Fractured Light is a close second. As well as the alternating viewpoints of Sofia and Gideon, we also get a small snippet between chapters from the whispers. These tie everything together and show the big picture. The links between the six main characters are made clear, and everything falls into place. These paragraphs may be my favourite part of the book.
I love that we get to see more of Tarver and Lilac and Flynn and Jubilee in this one. A few other characters also reappear, but I will let you discover them for yourselves.
I really enjoyed seeing Sofia and Gideon slowly open up to each other. They've both survived so long through deception that trust comes hard, and there are setbacks along the way, but you know that ultimately they are made for each other. Sofia has learned to survive by scamming people. She reads them, makes them trust her, and then gets what she needs. Gideon is bold and brave, but keeps himself emotionally isolated. Letting Sofia in is a massive risk, and he can't help but worry about the consequences.
This book gets my vote for the most beautiful cover of the year, and yet again, the gorgeous dress actually does make an appearance in the book, although perhaps inevitably, it doesn't stay gorgeous for long. These authors really like blowing things up!
Their Fractured Light is a fitting conclusion to a great series. You do need to read the first two books to really understand what's going on, but there's enough information that you won't need to do a re-read before this one, unless you really want to. This is a series that you need in your life.
A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.
Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.
Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.
When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide.
In These Broken Stars we met Tarver and Lilac. In Their Shattered World, Lee and Flynn. Their Fractured Light picks up the story of Sofia, an orphan who fled Avon a year earlier, and Gideon, perhaps the galaxy's best computer hacker. When their paths cross they discover they both have the goal of bringing down LaRoux Industries, but their plans for going about it are very different - Sofia is looking for revenge for her father's death, Gideon wants justice. Despite their differences, the two will have to work together to bring down the corporation. This time it's not just a ship or planet that's at stake, but the entire universe.
While These Broken Stars remains my favourite of the trilogy, Their Fractured Light is a close second. As well as the alternating viewpoints of Sofia and Gideon, we also get a small snippet between chapters from the whispers. These tie everything together and show the big picture. The links between the six main characters are made clear, and everything falls into place. These paragraphs may be my favourite part of the book.
I love that we get to see more of Tarver and Lilac and Flynn and Jubilee in this one. A few other characters also reappear, but I will let you discover them for yourselves.
I really enjoyed seeing Sofia and Gideon slowly open up to each other. They've both survived so long through deception that trust comes hard, and there are setbacks along the way, but you know that ultimately they are made for each other. Sofia has learned to survive by scamming people. She reads them, makes them trust her, and then gets what she needs. Gideon is bold and brave, but keeps himself emotionally isolated. Letting Sofia in is a massive risk, and he can't help but worry about the consequences.
This book gets my vote for the most beautiful cover of the year, and yet again, the gorgeous dress actually does make an appearance in the book, although perhaps inevitably, it doesn't stay gorgeous for long. These authors really like blowing things up!
Their Fractured Light is a fitting conclusion to a great series. You do need to read the first two books to really understand what's going on, but there's enough information that you won't need to do a re-read before this one, unless you really want to. This is a series that you need in your life.
Summary:
A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.
Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.
Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.
When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide.
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