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I don't even know if it's going to be possible for me to form coherent sentences about this book, you guys. I loved it. I loved it so much.
But I'll be honest -- This Shattered World wasn't exactly what I was expecting, in one regard especially. After These Broken Stars, I think I expected This Shattered World to be just as swooony and romance-centric. I won't say flat-out that it wasn't, just that the romance in This Shattered World worked out a lot differently than I expected. And actually, that's one of the things I loved most about it.
But before I get into the romance specifically, I want to deal with a few other things. First off...
The Feels
I live for feels. I want a book that's gonna grab my heart from the first page and not let go until the last. And if there's some heart-crushing going on somewhere in there, all the better. Oh man, I was not disappointed. And the feels aren't even just ship-related (though that was a big part of it). This planet's people are hurting, and I felt it. Nobody on Avon has it easy -- neither the rebel Fianna nor the military stationed there to keep them in check -- and it's a seriously bleak situation all-around.
One of my favorite things about this book was seeing two sides to this conflict. There aren't "good guys" or "bad guys", really. There's the military, who are there to keep the peace; and the Fianna (the rebels), who just want to take control of their own lives and futures on this dismal planet -- which means finding out why Avon's terraforming has stalled, and fixing it so they can become full citizens of a self-sufficient planet.
"We have no sun, no stars, no food or medicine, no power or entertainment for relief, and no one will tell us if it's ever getting any better. They've swatted a fly with a sledgehammer."eARC, pg 117
The Characters
Flynn Cormac is the somewhat unofficial leader of the Fianna, though others are vying for the position, dissatisfied with how Flynn doesn't want to use excessive violence and start an all-out war between the Fianna and the military. And Captain Jubilee "Lee" Chase is, of course, a captain in the military stationed on Avon. She's been there longer than almost anyone else -- because she's the only one who isn't affected by something called the Fury, which causes soldiers to have episodes during which they become terribly violent, with no memory of it afterwards.
I have to admit, I was skeptical about our main characters going into this. We've got the tough, somewhat jaded military captain who's been on Avon for years. And then we have the freedom fighter who's not really a freedom fighter but who just wants peace for the Fianna. I'm not sure why I was skeptical -- I just was.
BUT, GUYS, YOU SHOULDN'T BE SKEPTICAL. Omg. These characters... omg. I'm not going to do them justice at all if I try to go into tons of details as to why I love them. Really, it boils down to this: I believed them. I found them both to be so realistic, believable, and well-rounded.
Lee wasn't just a strong female character, she was a strong person, and I believed in her strength, because it was so deftly based in her personal history, her emotions, and her way of dealing with everything life has thrown at her. (I think we've established that there are FEELS, right? Lots of feels.)
Watching her in the meager light from the window, I don't know what I would say, except that there's a pain in her words as deep as ours.eARC, pg 117
Flynn wasn't just a character who wanted to see an end to the fighting and violence -- he 100% stood up for what he believed in. He might've been trying to stop all the violence, but dang it, if you don't call what he was doing fighting for his home and his people, you're crazy. And his heart... oh my gosh his heart is just HUGE, and I just wanted him to end up being happy at the end of all of this.
I can see her struggle despite the dim light; I feel it like my own. Because it is my own. Trodaire. Fianna. Fighters, both of us -- tired of fighting.eARC, pg 120
The Ship
Okay, now we can talk about the ship. Because guys, THIS SHIP.
I'm just gonna say it. I know we all loved Lilac and Tarver. I still love Lilac and Tarver. I will always love Lilac and Tarver. ...BUT YOU GUYS, JUBILEE AND FLYNN. Ohhhhh, my heart.
However, as I said earlier, this romance was not what I was expecting. If you're expecting swoons on every other page, you're not gonna find that here. What you WILL find is a story of two people wh grow to know each other in these intense situations, and who make such an amazing team, but who are so focused on saving their people, on fighting for what's right, that their relationship has to take the backseat, because hello, priorities. AND I JUST HAVE ALL THE FEELS.
What, did he think I was just going to melt into his arms? Start a tragic and dramatic tale of star-crossed lovers on a war-torn planet?eARC, pg 125
I'm also totally not sorry for not being able to keep this review capslock-free. Because I just... I just... I can't even.
The Pacing
I promise this is the last thing I have to discuss! But it's important. This book almost 400 pages long. It had the potential to drag. Did it? OH HECK NO. So much happens in this book, from the moment Lee is kidnapped to the very last page when... well, I can't spoil it for you. Let me just make it abundantly clear that there will never be a point at which you go, "Oh, things are slowing down, this is a good place to stop." X_X
In conclusion...
Just... yes. All of the yes. For me, This Shattered World was even better than These Broken Stars. These characters and their situations pulled on my heartstrings (and punched me right in the feels) from beginning to end. The plot and pacing were amazing, and I just... I didn't want this book to end. I cannot wait for book 3 in this series. GAH.
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There were books involved...