Audiobook Review: Defy the Worlds by Claudia Gray

Title: Defy the Worlds Series: Defy the Stars #2 Written by: Claudia Gray Published: April 3, 2018 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: This is the thrilling and romantic sequel to Defy the Stars from the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Lost Stars and Bloodline. An outcast from her home -- Shunned after a trip through the galaxy with Abel, the most advanced cybernetic man ever created, Noemi Vidal dreams of traveling through the stars one more time. And when a deadly plague arrives on Genesis, Noemi gets her chance. As the only soldier to have ever left the planet, it will be up to her to save its people...if only she wasn't flying straight into a trap. A fugitive from his fate -- On the run to avoid his depraved creator's clutches, Abel believes he's said good-bye to Noemi for the last time. After all, the entire universe stands between them...or so he thinks. When word reaches him of Noemi's capture by the very person he's trying to escape, Abel knows he must go to her, no matter the cost. But capturing Noemi was only part of Burton Mansfield's master plan. In a race against time, Abel and Noemi will come together once more to discover a secret that could save the known worlds, or destroy them all. In this thrilling and romantic sequel to Defy the Stars, bestselling author Claudia Gray asks us all to consider where--and with whom--we truly belong.

I was late to the party on reading the first book in this series and I wish I had read it sooner because it was a fantastic science fiction adventure. So when the second book came out, I didn't want to delay too long before diving back into this world. And I was not disappointed. This is another brilliant and engaging science fiction read from a master of the genre.

One of the things I was most excited about with this book was catching back in with the characters. I seriously loved the characters in the first book and I felt invested in their struggles. In the first book you really get to know Noemi and Abel so in this book we are able to just see them in action. An unfortunate side effect of that was that there wasn't really much character development here. But that was okay because I really do love these characters. Noemi is fearless and dedicated to saving her world and people who have been mistreated. That will always be a character that I love. But Abel is the more interesting one. He's so complex and interesting. How can an android with a soul not be complex.

The heart of this book too is their relationship. Usually I am not onboard for this kind of relationship but Claudia Gray has done such an amazing job with it. It's a great slowburn, so slow in fact that they spent most of the book apart and I kept hoping that they would find one another and get back together. They are so fun together. They have great back and make an amazing team. It's the foundation for a good relationship and I am actually interested in seeing where it goes.

I am also super interested in seeing where the plot of this book goes. The plot in this one was a lot more complicated. There is a lot going on and it didn't really all come together until towards the end of the book. Throughout the story there were tons of surprises and lots of action and adventure. There were daring escapes through space, exploration of unknown planets, battles on a spaceship, and lots more. The plot really built to an exciting climax with a completely mean cliffhanger. I cannot wait to see how it all ends in a final book in the series. But it was a bit slow at the beginning. There was a lot that still needed to be revealed and set up, which is fine, but I wish it got down to business sooner.

But I was okay with learning more about this world because it's a very interesting world in this book. In this book we got to explore more of the setting of the book by visiting Gensis. I loved seeing this element of the book and learning about and seeing that location. It was so different than the other planets. Speaking of planets, this world really has that the classic hard sci-fi thing going for it with spaceships, androids, new planets and any number of exciting science based elements. It has a Battlestar Galatica vibe which I am completely here for. Plus it has Claudia Gray's trademark way of incorporating a lot of science without overwhelming the reader with details. It could definitely fallen down that path but it didn't.

I really enjoyed this book it was an action-packed read with a fascinating world and complex characters. I have loved every YA science fiction book I have read by Claudia Gray. She really knows how to write a great story.

I give Defy the Worlds by Claudia Gray 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. I definitely recommend this book to fans of science fiction. It's a fun explration into the genre with great characters and an interesting world.

Have you read Defy the Worlds? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

Title: Defy the Stars Series: Constellation #1 Written by: Claudia Gray Published: April 4, 2017 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: She’s a soldier. Noemi Vidal is seventeen years old and sworn to protect her planet, Genesis. She’s willing to risk anything—including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she’s a rebel. He’s a machine. Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel has advanced programming that’s begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he’s an abomination. Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they’re not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they’re forced to question everything they’d been taught was true.

I am continually impressed by the science fiction books I read by Claudia Gray. Defy the Stars is just one more example why she is such a master of the genre. It’s a thrilling world with a fascinating world and has great characters.

The thing that impressed me initially about this book was the world. This is seriously such an amazing science fiction world. What the author does so well is make complex science accessible. She has created a world full of space travel, rocket ships, and artificial intelligence without overwhelming you with details and information. Instead it all worked together to create a truly fascinating world. It had this really great Battlestar Galactica feel to it. I really loved The world.

I also really loved the plot of this book. It was completely thrilling. I’m not sure that I would call it a space opera but it definitely had those kind of elements. Throughout the book the characters traveled through space in a mission to save their world. It was full of daring escapes and some pretty epic adventure scenes. Although if I’m being entirely honest, I was kind of hoping for more twists and turns. It definitely built to a thrilling conclusion but I wish there were more surprises. It was a really great plot though.

I also really loved the characters in this book. The book switches perspectives between Abel and Noemi. It was definitely a little jarring at first getting used to each of their voices but it helped that both of them were really great and complex characters. I think probably Abel was a little more interesting than Noemi. Because seriously, Abel was amazing. I always love books about AI and it’s always fun to be in the head in the AI. Plus you have the added bonus of his development throughout the book where he discovered his humanity. It was amazing! All the characters were really likable and interesting. In fact, I even think that the romance won me over in the end. I was incredibly reluctant at first but by the end I was into it. I think because I liked the characters that much that I wanted them to be happy.

I initially started reading this book but it wasn’t until I started listening to the audiobook that I really started loving the book. It had two different narrators and they both really got the characters. It made it easier to get into their heads this way. It also really played up the action. I love books like this in the audio format because everything is all the more thrilling and immersive when you listen to the books. If you are a fan of audiobooks I would definitely recommend this audio.

I really loved this book. It’s a fascinating and engaging read with a cool and complex science fiction world, a thrilling plot, and likable characters.

I give Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. I would absolutely recommend this book. Whether you like science fiction or not I think you will really enjoy this book. I know that I did.

Have you read Defy the Stars? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!