SPOILER FREE
Lost Stars is the first Young Adult novel released in the new Star Wars canon. It was written by New York Times Best-Selling Author, Claudia Gray.
After reading Lost Stars… I’m really looking forward to Claudia Gray’s next book!
Summary: Lost Stars starts off with our two main characters, Therin and Ciena as eight year old children. They watch as the Empire makes its first appearance on Jelucan to declare the planet as part of the Galactic Empire. Tarkin’s inspiring speech gives hope to the poor and security for the wealthy. The children are in awe and hope that one day they may serve the great Empire, as pilots.
Over the years our main characters become best friends, they study and practice flying together, preparing for the day they’ll have a shot at applying for the Imperial Academy. The day comes when Therin and Ciena are welcomed into the Empire, and through those years, their friendship goes through trials but the love they have for each other, flourishes.
The events unfolding in A New Hope have now crossed into Lost Stars. We celebrated with the rebellion when the Death Star blew up, now we get to see the affects the destruction has caused through different eyes. One character eventually sees the “true” colors of the Empire, and must get as far away from it as possible. While the other character, must stay true to their honor. They can no longer be with each other, but it doesn’t mean they can’t love each other.
Characters: Claudia Gray does an excellent job introducing us to two new characters and a planet we’ve never heard of. Both Therin and Ciena are from this new planet, Jelucan. Jelucan is a beautiful world with grey skies, valleys, and a mountainous terrain – reminiscent of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Our lead male character, Therin, comes from a wealthy family that lives in the mountains. Our female lead, Ciena, is from a poor family that lives in the Valley. We have plenty of side characters, written just as well as our leads, everyone in this book feels like a real individual.
Overall Review: Lost Stars is now my favorite Star Wars book. Although the original trilogy ties into the tale, it works perfect. The dialogue is great; it doesn’t fall flat at any time. The love story works, it feels organic and it’s not a total cheesefest. Plenty of other Star Wars books in the new canon and in Legends have love stories, Lost Stars gets it right. The book begins before the events of A New Hope and by the end of it; we’re on our journey to The Force Awakens.
Rating: I give this book a 5 out of 5