Review: This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

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

The second installment in the epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

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 insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable 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 the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

Having really enjoyed the first book, I couldn’t wait to read this one. I am a big sucker for companion novels too because I love getting to know other characters in the same world, and knowing that I will get a glimpse of characters from the previous book or books. I adored the two main characters in this one and thought that they both had really strong personalities. They were also very loyal to their people and even knowing that they both will very likely die, instead of taking the easy escape, they want to make things right on Avon. The writing is fabulous too. I could easily visualize the world and feel the tension. This was a very pleasing companion novel.

Jubilee Chase is tough as nails. She is military on Avon and people both fear and respect her. She is the only one that is not affected by the Fury, which makes people snap and go all trigger happy on people. She is very loyal to the military and knows nothing other than that life. When she meets Flynn she realizes that things are not as they seem and though it’s hard for her, she goes against everything she has always known in order to save Avon. As she falls for Flynn, she fights herself to know what is right and wrong. She knows he is her enemy, but he doesn’t feel like the enemy. Her heart wants to be with him, but logically she knows that it can’t happen. I loved the struggle of seeing her go through it. It was heartbreaking, but if she wasn’t fighting it, it wouldn’t have seemed realistic. She knows that she is risking her life to save Avon, but she knows that her life and Flynn’s are not more important than their world. No matter what is happening, she must find the proof she needs in order to save it.

Flynn is one of the rebels. He is smart and strong. He also has a kind heart. While others in the Fianna would like nothing more than to start an all out war with the military, he wants peace. He would rather try to bargain than fight. I loved Flynn. He was such a great character to get to know. He loves his family, his people, but will always do what is right. He knows that Jubilee is his enemy, yet he knows that they both want the same thing for their people. He goes against everything he knows, the same way that she does, in order to fight for a bigger cause. What neither of their people know. My heart ached for him so much through this book. What he has given up and what he goes through. I was wishing and hoping that they would be able to save Avon and be able to be together. To get to know each other outside of all the fighting and war.

The romance between Jubilee and Flynn was done so well. It was very present, but never took over the story. The feelings that they are developing for each other were so important to the story and how it flowed, but it due to the circumstances of things, it was very tension filled. They can never just let themselves give into each other because that’s not who they are. No matter how much they both want it, they know that they can’t act on it until they have fixed what is wrong with their world. Even if that means they both die and can never explore what they might become. Their chemistry was good, but not explosive. It was enough to believe it and feel it, which was perfect for this book. If it had been off the charts, I don’t think it would have been convincing. They don’t know each other, so it would be unnatural if they were all about each other and said eff the other stuff. The emotions that filled the pages was amazing. It leaves no doubt that they are falling for each other, but they are still who they are and that doesn’t just go away because of a brewing romance.

The pacing of this was perfect. A good blend of action and slower bits to give us time to catch our breath. The slower parts are filled with emotion, and the action parts had my heart racing. I also loved the dream sequences between the chapters. I thought it really added a great atmosphere to the book. It is especially important as the end of the book gets closer because you understand it more. The character connection was amazing and I really felt for them. Character connection is so important for me while reading a book. This was a perfect blend of fabulous writing, great character development, and a great storyline. And the ending was great!! No cliffhanger. Just an end to Flynn and Jubilee’s current story. I was really excited for this one since I loved the first in the series, and it gave me just what I wanted. I will be impatiently awaiting the next book in this series. I can’t wait to dive back into this world again!

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Amy

I'm no good at this, but I'm a mom of one little girl who really thinks she is a princess. I love reading all sorts of books (horror being a favorite genre of mine), love meeting new people, drinking lots of coffee, and eating chocolate. If you want to know anything else about me, just ask.

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