A review by enchantedfiction
The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei

adventurous informative fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

*Thank you, Macmillan, for the audiobook copy!*

Maya Hoshimoto used to be a thief. She has since gone back to school as a grad student, more or less in hiding from a disastrous job she was a part of 10 years ago. But her heart isn't completely in it, and she feels as though she can't make connections like the one she used to have. So when that friend comes to her with a job to find an artifact she has seen in her dreams, she can't refuse. A new band of misfit races is formed, and Maya can't help but realize that as they get closer to the Grail, they might be getting themselves deeper and deeper into trouble, with both the unknown and with human kind.

I really enjoyed this story. I am a big fan of space opera style stories, and this one was fast-paced and interesting. Although there were a few things I might have missed to help understand the story, which may have been because it was an audiobook and not physical, I was still able to enjoy the story highly. I liked that a big focus on the story as it progressed was how little we still know about space, even in this fictional future. I felt like there were a lot of revelations in the story that were news to everyone involved, and that made it feel more believable and likable.

I felt this story was more plot driven than character driven, as there wasn't a lot of character growth. It felt more like Maya was finally getting back to what she was good at instead of just going through the motions of being a grad student. Which is not a bad thing, I just know some people are more about character driven stories than plot, so I always think it's worth mentioning.

I would recommend this one to lovers of space opera sci-fi with a more plot driven story and uncovering some of the fictional unknowns of space.