Across the Broken Stars

Across the Broken Stars
Author: Jed Herne
Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Space Fantasy, Grimdark Fantasy
Amazon

The story:

On a distant planet, Leon tries to be inconspicuous in Paya. He is old, and a very sad hero. His day became worse when he helped a girl at the docks, and she was looking for him to begin with. Looking at the cover, I am sure you can guess that it has something to do with angels, the flying sort. In Paya, angels are extinct, cut down during the war by their colonisers, the Vahrians.

When a real angel tries to ask for his help to find the mystical Waverrym, Leon wants to part of it.

Characters

The main one is Leon, the battered man who wants to be out of Paya and disappear into the night. He has a lot of history and appears to be a coward. Much of his actions and decisions are avoidance and stay quiet as a mouse.

Elena is the angel who tries to recruit him to helping her escape Paya. As the last living being with wings, she draws trouble.

Drayton is the High Inquisitor for the Vahrians, and he hunts angels for fun. I think? Drayton is sinister and a sly fox who will stop at nothing to hunt down any remaining angels.

Thoughts

The story is not complicated: it is a journey to find a place, and Leon’s journey to find himself. Throughout the story, Leon teaches Elena about angel lore, and how to use her wings. The adventure is fraught with dangers, as they always do. But it is Leon’s growth from a cynical “coward” to an angel worthy of himself makes the story interesting. His decision changes, and suddenly he has a reason to fight.

Of course, Across the Broken Stars is not without its twists, but they are fairly predictable. It is good for the author to try to surprise the readers, just not the ones who reads too many fantasy stories.

Verdict

It is a nice light read; the writing is smooth and Leon makes a good character because he is complex. Overall, a good standalone for perhaps a younger reader who is just starting to go into Fantasy.

Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free. It does not affect my views and opinions about the book.