Starfinder by John Marco (Part 2)
Part One: http://shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com/2009/05/review-part-one-starfinder-by-john.html
Website: http://www.johnmarco.com/
Summary from John’s Site: Starfinder is the first book in my upcoming trilogy, The Skylords. Not only is it a story of coming of age for the two main protagonists, Moth and his friend Fiona, but it’s also about mankind’s coming of age.
The world of Starfinder is very much like our own at the turn of the last century, with steam trains and electricity and budding technologies. And thanks to the inventive genius of Fiona’s grandfather Rendor, humans have finally taken to the sky, not only in giant airships but in small, ornithopter contraptions called dragonflies as well.
Not everyone is happy to see mankind’s progress, however. For thousands of years, the mysterious and powerful race known as the Skylords have jealously guarded their heavenly domain. In all this time, an uneasy peace has existed between humans and Skylords, but Moth and Fiona are about to breach the magical boundary between the two worlds.
My Review (Part 2): After I started reading Starfinder, I came across a couple places that mentioned this book being targeted for the middle school age and I have to say that I disagree. Like Harry Potter, I think everyone can read these books…but the book in general hit me as a Young Adult with the vocabulary and set-up of the world. Keep in mind however, that Moth and Fiona are only 13 and 14 years old.
Anyway, now that I’ve finished the book, I honestly think I’d keep my opinion from the first half: I’d give this book 4 stars if I had to pick. There were moments that dragged on a bit and I just wanted to jump ahead to find out what happens next, but I believe there’s a good balance between those moments and the adventure, action scenes…or even the thoughtful, heart-wrenching ones. And the book definitely has a few of those, especially near the end, but I loved it because it shows that in every story not everything will turn out absolutely perfect and we do lose people in our lives (Moth and Fiona start out from the beginning as orphans) but no matter what, you have people that love you and care. So, maybe that sounds all lovey-dovey and you’re rolling your eyes now, but I’m just saying, that is only part of the book!
Starfinder is a mix of friendship, action/adventure, mystery/suspense, familial relationships, fantasy, and more. It’s worth a read if you love these type of books. I’m quite intrigued as to what will happen in Moth and Fiona’s lives next.
Song for this Book:
“A Whole New World” from Aladdin
Reason Why? Because in Starfinder, you are honestly brought into a “whole new world” no mattr how cliche or goofy that might sound. Moth and Fiona cross the Reach and find themselves face to face with centaurs, mermaids, and much more.
Video:
haha I like the song you chose.
I've been hearing/reading quite a bit about this one. At first I wasn't quite sure about it but now I'm more inclined to reading it especially since you say it's not just for middle school readers.
Robin: why thank you, sometimes the songs I pick are a bit random…but they always fit the book in SOME way to me.
Oh, definitely not. If it sounds good, I'd give it a shot as I really think it's something older readers would enjoy and younger readers would like too…but maybe with some help. I honestly couldn't see myself reading it when I was very young, but then again, maybe since I did like Harry Potter. You just get more when you're older.
-Lauren
This sounds like a really enjoyable read. I don't know why, but I really like the cover.
Kate: It is, definitely filled with action. I wasn't too fond of the cover myself, but it's pretty representative of the novel. 🙂
-Lauren
I like the song you picked out for this book! I was a bit on the fence about this one, but I do like fantasies that succeed in bringing me into a whole new world.
Belle: Thank you very much! Definitely, I know what you mean. I'm the same, and this book really did have me believing the world inside it was real. It was very believable.
-Lauren
I have to say that I really like the cover too. Maybe I'll have to check it out.
Emily: I would definitely give it a look, it's quite an interesting book (in a good way)
-Lauren