Review: Inherit the Stars (Inherit the Stars #1) by Tessa Elwood

Inherit the Stars

(Inherit the Stars #1)
by Tessa Elwood

December 9, 2015

304 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Three royal houses ruling three interplanetary systems are on the brink of collapse, and they must either ally together or tear each other apart in order for their people to survive.

Asa is the youngest daughter of the house of Fane, which has been fighting a devastating food and energy crisis for far too long. She thinks she can save her family’s livelihood by posing as her oldest sister in an arranged marriage with Eagle, the heir to the throne of the house of Westlet. The appearance of her mother, a traitor who defected to the house of Galton, adds fuel to the fire, while Asa also tries to save her sister Wren's life . . . possibly from the hands of their own father.

But as Asa and Eagle forge a genuine bond, will secrets from the past and the urgent needs of their people in the present keep them divided?

Author Tessa Elwood's debut series is an epic romance at heart, set against a mine field of political machinations, space adventure, and deep-seeded family loyalties.

 

Review

I haven't heard great things about Inherit the Stars so I was nervous to open this one up. While it wasn't horrible, it definitely left me with mixed feelings. For most of the story I was confused. Oddly enough it was still addicting.

The biggest struggle with this book is its writing style. I found it very choppy and jumpy. Like I said, I was so confused. During parts of the story I had no clue how we went from one sentence to the next. The shift in story was very abrupt and irrelevant. I half overlooked this though because the story itself was interesting. I wanted to know.

Inherit the Stars literally jumps right into action from the first page. Asa's racing to save her sister's life only to realize it might be too late. A series of events happen that lands her in the House of Westlet. I really liked the concept of the royal houses, their technologies and the scientific advancements. It was a lot to take in but amazing to read about. I even enjoyed the political tug-of-war for power. Because if not for it, how would Asa and Eagle have had the chance to meet. Although not a big part of the story, the romance was the perfect blend of intensity and slow-burn. 

The characters ranged from amiable to outright loathsome. Starting with Asa, she was stupid and impulsive. Knowing there would be consequences to her every action, I don't know how she can act first and think later. The only commendable thing about this girl is her loyalty to her family and her people. Same with Eagle. He was quiet and stony but always dutiful. I hated Asa's parents. The father who's hard on her for no apparent reason (at least at first). The mother who waltzes back into her life after abandoning her for so long. The bombshell she dropped came out of nowhere. I really don't think any words they utter excuses them from their poor treatment of Asa.

Just when I thought the story was going to go one way, a 360 degree twist happens and changes everything. I'm hesitant to pick up the second book but I do want to know what happens next. So while I won't be anticipating it, I would give the next book a shot when it comes out.

*I received an eARC of this book from the NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way.