Starflight by Melissa Landers

Starflight by Melissa Landers
(Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads)Also by this author: Invaded
Published by Disney-Hyperion on February 2nd 2016
Genres: Action & Adventure, General, Love & Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC

Solara Brooks needs a fresh start, someplace where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. The outer realm may be lawless, butit's not like the law has ever been on her side.Still, off-world travel doesn't come cheap; Solara is left with no choice but to indenture herself in exchange for passage to the outer realm. She just wishes it could have been to anyone besides Doran Spaulding, the rich, pretty-boy quarterback who made her life miserable in school.The tables suddenly turn when Doran is framed for conspiracy on Earth, and Solara cons him into playing the role of her servant on board the Banshee, a ship manned by an eccentric crew with their own secrets. Given the price on both Doran and Solara's heads, it may just be the safest place in the universe.It's been a long time since Solara has believed in anyone, and Doran is the last person she expected to trust. But when the Banshee's dangerous enemies catch up with them, Solara and Doran must come together to protect the ship that has become their home-and the eccentric crew that feels like family.

I’m a huge fan of Melissa Landers and for good reason! She writes fun sci-fi YA that I just can’t seem to put down.

Starflight is the first in a new series for her and I was so excited when this finally arrived that I dropped everything to read it… and as I said above, it wasn’t even possible for me to put it down once I started.

Solara Brooks and Doran Spaulding are from two completely opposite ends of the life experience spectrum. Solara, who grew up in an orphanage, scrambles for everything she has but has a knack for mechanics and Doran, who’s never had to worry about food or money is being groomed to take over the family business and can’t seem to let go of a grudge he has with Solara to see the girl on the inside.

When Solara, desperate to get to the outer realm, a place where she won’t be judged by the tattoos that now grace her knuckles, has the opportunity to get on the last ship available for six months, even the prospect of working for Doran can’t keep her from saying yes.

To say friendship between these two appears impossible would be an understatement.

But then everything these two think they know comes crashing down around them. Suddenly they’re being chased around the universe by all kinds of people… For things they are struggling to understand. Doran now finds himself depending on people he never could have imagined.

Landers has created a fun and unique universe with characters that you’ll be desperate to know more about. I loved the secondary characters aboard the Banshee – From the Captain to Cassia, Kane & Renny, I’m excited to learn more about them in the next book. But the real draw here are our main characters and Landers spares nothing with them. I absolutely adore friendships and relationships that start where the two characters can’t stand each other and that is exactly what you get with Solara and Doran. There really is no other way to say it, but Doran is a total dick to Solara. But don’t fret… she gets some semblance of revenge on him… I can’t tell you at all about it, but you’ll kind of love it I promise! When these two start to look deeper and realize that the person they thought they were hating all that time really isn’t who they get when they are forced to spend time getting to know each other, I loved every second of it. Plus we get the start of a romance and if you’ve read Landers other books, it’s something she does incredibly well. There is absolutely NO insta-love here to worry about. This one is definitely a slow burn, and so totally fun to experience.

This book is also filled with action you guys, and a bit of mystery that will have you turning pages as fast as you can. From the crazy space pirates, to trying to get to the coordinates Doran’s father provided him with and wondering what exactly might be there when they finally do arrive, you’ll be on the edge of your seat! I had an inkling of what was coming, but I was still a bit surprised when it happened… I was expecting something but not exactly what it ended up being. HA and that’s all I’m going to say about that.

I can definitely see fans of the Starbound series by Megan Spooner & Amie Kaufman becoming big fans of this one. The Sci-Fi elements aren’t overwhelming and the characters are so incredibly well done that I buzzed through this book pretty quickly and I know you will too! If you’re looking for your next Sci-Fi series to obsess over this one should be on your list. I’m excited to get some answers in the second book but I know that this one will definitely be on my best of lists come the end of the year!

Thank you to Disney for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

About Melissa Landers

Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband and three kids. She lives just outside Cincinnati and writes adult contemporary romance as Macy Beckett.

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