Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis: a Review

Hey everyone! How was your weekend? I bought way too many books Saturday (I was comfort shopping, lol), but otherwise, I was pretty boring and responsible. 😂 Read a little bit, did some homework, etc.

Summary Info

Sixteen-year-old heiress and paparazzi darling Liddi Jantzen hates the spotlight. But as the only daughter in the most powerful tech family in the galaxy, it’s hard to escape it. So when a group of men shows up at her house uninvited, she assumes it’s just the usual media-grubs. That is, until shots are fired.

Liddi escapes, only to be pulled into an interplanetary conspiracy more complex than she ever could have imagined. Her older brothers have been caught as well, trapped in the conduits between the planets. And when their captor implants a device in Liddi’s vocal cords to monitor her speech, their lives are in her hands: One word and her brothers are dead.

Desperate to save her family from a desolate future, Liddi travels to another world, where she meets the one person who might have the skills to help her bring her eight brothers home—a handsome dignitary named Tiav. But without her voice, Liddi must use every bit of her strength and wit to convince Tiav that her mission is true. With the tenuous balance of the planets deeply intertwined with her brothers’ survival, just how much is Liddi willing to sacrifice to bring them back? (from Goodreads)

• Title: Spinning Starlight
• Author: R.C. Lewis
• Publisher: Disney Hyperion
• Publish date: October 6, 2015

Review

Ok, I don’t know if any of you saw my review of Stitching Snow by Lewis, but I really, really liked it. It was actually my favorite Snow White retelling (out of the five I read), so I was really excited to check out Spinning Starlight. And it did not disappoint! Now my only dilemma is trying to figure out which I liked better. Anyway, I have so few negative things to say that I might as well get the cons out of the way first.

The Cons: I should point out that most of these cons are more things I didn’t love than things I hated. First, there were portions of the plot that were a little slow. Not slow, exactly, but I expected the middle to move a little more quickly. I wasn’t bored at all, I just noticed that there was a bit of a lull as far as action was concerned. It wasn’t super long, but I wanted to point it out.
Second, the vast majority of Spinning Starlight is spent with Liddi and Tiav. We see some supporting characters throughout, but they are the only two to play a major role. I don’t necessarily have a problem with that, but the result was that her brothers and the villain were only very briefly in the story. I felt Liddi’s emotions really keenly, so I was fairly invested in her brothers’ fate, but I never got around to really hating the villain. Disliking, sure. But I wasn’t around him/her enough to actually hate them like an antagonist deserves.

Now, the things I did like.

The Pros: I love Liddi! Essie, in Stitching Snow, was a hard character to love at times (it was one of my only cons with the book). But almost immediately, you root for Liddi. I was worried about her being spoiled or entitled, but she isn’t. She is kind and so brave and smart. She is immediately thrust into a really difficult situation, and she handles it so well and bravely that I fell in love with her as a heroine really quickly. I also loved Tiav. Unlike in Stitching Snow, the romance develops relatively quickly. But it definitely isn’t the only thing going on, and their relationship doesn’t overtake the plot. Liddi’s number one goal is always saving her brothers.
I also really loved the sci-fi elements. Liddi ends up on a totally different planet from where she is from, and we get to learn about their customs and beliefs along with her. Their cultures were very well-defined and were really interesting. There is also an underlying plot point that really makes Liddi question her own beliefs; I think this was a great move, because it helped Liddi’s character develop.
Lastly, Liddi’s self-esteem and her relationship with her family were two important themes that I loved. This book explored them without getting too dark or deeper than I wanted. And Liddi’s thoughts about herself and her family just made her even more lovable and relatable.

Following Good

Very clean! Only fictional language and religion, no LGBT content, very minimal sexual content.

Rating

I really, really liked this one. And since I can’t choose a favorite between Stitching Snow and Spinning Starlight, I guess it deserves the same rating as Stitching Snow 😁. 4.5 stars.

Y’all, I found out that R.C. Lewis is between agents and uncontracted…which makes me really sad because I suppose that means it will be a very long time before another book comes. And I need more R.C. Lewis books in my life!

Anyway, I really want to read more sci-fi! The Lunar Chronicles are high on my TBR, but do you guys have any other recommendations for me??
Happy reading!
Hayden 💚