Political SciFi | Book Review: Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood

“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?”

Disorienting-ly Charming

There is a lot to like about Inherit the Stars. It’s a scifi adventure complete with political scheming and star-crossed romance (see what I did there?).

But this is a novel that was often disorienting in its pace and confusing in its jumps in time. The storytelling stopped and started in fits and ended in a very odd way (especially if its a standalone).

I would have enjoyed this story so much more had there been more world-building and a backstory. Readers are immediately thrown into the politics of Asa’s ruling class family and the maneuvering that takes place afterward.

Shifting back to what I did like about Inherit the Stars: I found Asa to be a strong-willed yet vulnerable character. She makes some big decisions all in the name of sisterly affection and love.

Then there’s Eagle, the intended betrothed of Asa’s sister. His face is scarred and his demeanor seems to match – off-putting and gruff. Yet, as the story progresses, his personality and character shine through to become just as endearing and smart as Asa is.

I really wanted to enjoy this story more than I did. I mean, there’s intergalactic battles and surprise revelations. What’s not to love about that?!

But, I’m not exaggerating when I say that the story’s pacing was horribly off. I often flipped back to previous chapters trying to figure out what exactly I was missing, only to find there were no real answers.

Plus, like I already hinted, I’m not sure if there will be a sequel, but considering how things ended (major cliffhanger) there had better be!

OVERALL:

While this book has many merits including great main characters and wonderful intrigue and excitement, it suffered terribly from a lack of consistency in the storyline and a woeful absence of world-building. I would recommend Inherit the Stars to scifi fans with strong reservations.