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syd_reads_books's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
wendy327's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy from Simon Pulse through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When the reader last left Marcellus, Alouette, and Chatine, Marcellus had agreed to help the Vangarde, Chatine was on her way to prison on Bastille, and the truth was revealed to Alouette about the Refuge. Plunging back into the epic, Chatine is forced to mine zyttrium on Bastille until forces align to assist in breaking out the most notorious prisoner on the moon. Taking her chance, Chatine hops a ride and finds herself on an unexpected adventure in the Terrain Perdu. Meanwhile, Alouette has left the Refuge to search for her mother, which leads her back to Montfer and the Jondrette, and Marcellus’s path sees him discovering his grandfather’s hidden plans for the Regime. And when these three characters collide, it’s only to discover a greater weapon that threatens to destroy all of Laterre.
Between Burning Worlds expands the universe that was created in Sky Without Stars. In terms of setting, there is more discussion of Usonia, providing a greater understanding of the system of planets surrounding Laterre. However, the best new location introduction was the planet of Albion. As this is often another name for England, it was not surprising that there was a great deal of enmity between these two planets since historically France and England had a contentious relationship. Heading to Albion also provided a look at the various technologies that govern these worlds.
Several new characters are also introduced and woven seamlessly into the lives of the three main protagonists. Gabriel Courfey (Courfeyrac his Les Miserables counterpart) and Cerise Chevalier round out the crew of four, which includes Alouette and Marcellus, as they infiltrate Albion to discover more about a potential weapon. In the Terrain Perdu, Etienne is an excellent addition to Chatine’s world, one that offers some hope for a better ending than her Les Miserables counterpart, Eponine. Roche also gets a larger role in Between Burning Worlds, and he seems to be an amalgam of Gavroche and the two unnamed Thénardiers boys from Les Miserables, creating an interesting scenario for Chatine to unravel. There are a few other names that appear with potential Les Miserables connections, including Grantaire and Jolras Epernay (counterpart Enjolras). As these final two get little page time, it will be interesting to see whether they have a larger role to play in the third installment.
Finally, in terms of the overall connection to Les Miserables, I would say that Between Burning Worlds leans more heavily into the young adult genre rather than that of a retelling. The story diverges heavily from the source material, turning instead to works like the Lunar Chronicles for inspiration. Additionally, Between Burning Worlds definitely felt like a middle novel. While new settings and characters were added, it at times felt like the story was spinning its wheels a bit in preparation for the climax of the novel. The ending was well written and certainly earned, and as a reader, I will be tuning in for the next installment eagerly waiting to see how all the pieces that have been lined up are resolved.
When the reader last left Marcellus, Alouette, and Chatine, Marcellus had agreed to help the Vangarde, Chatine was on her way to prison on Bastille, and the truth was revealed to Alouette about the Refuge. Plunging back into the epic, Chatine is forced to mine zyttrium on Bastille until forces align to assist in breaking out the most notorious prisoner on the moon. Taking her chance, Chatine hops a ride and finds herself on an unexpected adventure in the Terrain Perdu. Meanwhile, Alouette has left the Refuge to search for her mother, which leads her back to Montfer and the Jondrette, and Marcellus’s path sees him discovering his grandfather’s hidden plans for the Regime. And when these three characters collide, it’s only to discover a greater weapon that threatens to destroy all of Laterre.
Between Burning Worlds expands the universe that was created in Sky Without Stars. In terms of setting, there is more discussion of Usonia, providing a greater understanding of the system of planets surrounding Laterre. However, the best new location introduction was the planet of Albion. As this is often another name for England, it was not surprising that there was a great deal of enmity between these two planets since historically France and England had a contentious relationship. Heading to Albion also provided a look at the various technologies that govern these worlds.
Several new characters are also introduced and woven seamlessly into the lives of the three main protagonists. Gabriel Courfey (Courfeyrac his Les Miserables counterpart) and Cerise Chevalier round out the crew of four, which includes Alouette and Marcellus, as they infiltrate Albion to discover more about a potential weapon. In the Terrain Perdu, Etienne is an excellent addition to Chatine’s world, one that offers some hope for a better ending than her Les Miserables counterpart, Eponine. Roche also gets a larger role in Between Burning Worlds, and he seems to be an amalgam of Gavroche and the two unnamed Thénardiers boys from Les Miserables, creating an interesting scenario for Chatine to unravel. There are a few other names that appear with potential Les Miserables connections, including Grantaire and Jolras Epernay (counterpart Enjolras). As these final two get little page time, it will be interesting to see whether they have a larger role to play in the third installment.
Finally, in terms of the overall connection to Les Miserables, I would say that Between Burning Worlds leans more heavily into the young adult genre rather than that of a retelling. The story diverges heavily from the source material, turning instead to works like the Lunar Chronicles for inspiration. Additionally, Between Burning Worlds definitely felt like a middle novel. While new settings and characters were added, it at times felt like the story was spinning its wheels a bit in preparation for the climax of the novel. The ending was well written and certainly earned, and as a reader, I will be tuning in for the next installment eagerly waiting to see how all the pieces that have been lined up are resolved.
singsthewren's review
4.0
What a great follow up to the first book! I loved how it told me what happened last time, lol. But also where all of the characters ended up and the next phase of their journey. There were some fun references to the book and even the musical, which I appreciated, while still letting the story be its own thing. I loved all the twists and turns and how the characters came together. Great stuff!
_camk_'s review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
+New faces. Etienne, Gabriel and Cerise were welcome additions to the story.
+The story has action, intrigue and some good plot twists. How the stories are interwoven is interesting and keeps you hooked.
-Due to the peril all the mains characters are facing, they could be bland at time. Marcellus have a lot of pitiful inner monologues and Alouette is bland at times.
-The book is over 600 pages and some of the chapters are a little unneeded. They let you explore the world more but aren't often necessary specifically Chatine's chapter with defacteurs. Especially when you went from 100% action in Marcellus and Alouette's chapters to Chatine just chilling.
-
+New faces. Etienne, Gabriel and Cerise were welcome additions to the story.
+The story has action, intrigue and some good plot twists. How the stories are interwoven is interesting and keeps you hooked.
-Due to the peril all the mains characters are facing, they could be bland at time. Marcellus have a lot of pitiful inner monologues and Alouette is bland at times.
-The book is over 600 pages and some of the chapters are a little unneeded. They let you explore the world more but aren't often necessary specifically Chatine's chapter with defacteurs. Especially when you went from 100% action in Marcellus and Alouette's chapters to Chatine just chilling.
-
Spoiler
The authors seem to have discarded Etienne and Gabriel by the end so hopefully they will be back.peytonelysse's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
laurynturk's review against another edition
I lost interest in the back half of the book. The story became predictable and the characters kind of got stagnant.
bak8382's review against another edition
4.0
A lot happens in the 2nd book of this Les Mis in space trilogy. It's still from the perspectives of Marcellus, Chantine, and Alouette. I liked Chantine's storyline especially as she seemed to grow into her own. I also liked the direction they are taking Alouette and the build up to that was nicely done. I attempted to read this as an e-book on my phone and just could not build the momentum, but found reading the physical book to be much more satisfying. Looking forward to the conclusion.
disneydamsel1's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
livvthepig's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was definitely a step up from the first one, though I did enjoy both. This book had me always wondering what was going to happen next, even if I knew it was just going to inevitably end in failure (as it always does in books). I liked having more of a focus on Marcellus, but I did miss Chatine and was kind of sad that she was just put on the back burner for this book. She barely does anything apart from in the very beginning, but oh well. I know that she should be more prevalent in the third.
Overall, the action in this book was great and I’m glad there wasn’t… quite as much love triangle stuff going on, but it’s definitely still there. I still enjoyed it thoroughly and am ready to read the third and final book to see what happens!
Overall, the action in this book was great and I’m glad there wasn’t… quite as much love triangle stuff going on, but it’s definitely still there. I still enjoyed it thoroughly and am ready to read the third and final book to see what happens!