A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia a Cole

A Conspiracy of Stars (Faloiv, #1)

by Olivia A. Cole

Enter the vivid and cinematic world of Faloiv in the first book of this dazzling YA sci-fi/fantasy series, perfect for fans of Carve the Mark, Red Rising, and These Broken Stars.

Octavia has always dreamed of becoming a whitecoat, one of the prestigious N’Terra scientists who study the natural wonders of Faloiv. So when the once-secretive labs are suddenly opened to students, she leaps at the chance to see what happens behind their closed doors.

However, she quickly discovers that all is not what it seems on Faloiv, and the experiments the whitecoats have been doing run the risk of upsetting the humans’ fragile peace with the Faloii, Faloiv’s indigenous people.

As secret after disturbing secret comes to light, Octavia finds herself on a collision course with the charismatic and extremist new leader of N’Terra’s ruling council. But by uncovering the mysteries behind the history she’s been taught, the science she’s lived by, and the truth about her family, she threatens to be the catalyst for an all-out war.

Reviewed by Amber on

2 of 5 stars

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A Conspiracy of Stars was so freakin’ dull, you guys. I went into it expecting action-packed science fiction, but instead what I got was what seemed like an encyclopaedia of alien species and biology. So much biology.


Now, I love science. I’m a nerd, and I love learning science-y stuff (that’s the professional term). But this… this was so boring. Instead of weaving the science stuff into the plot, the author info-dumped allllll of the information on these alien lifeforms. For pages and pages. There were whole sections with nothing happening but the main character waffling on about a certain alien species and how their digestive system worked. (The digestive system part isn’t a real example, but you catch my drift.)

I didn’t get a feel for the characters in this book because none of them were developed well enough. The main character had no personality, and I didn’t feel anything for her. Her friends all blurred into one as well. The only standout character was Octavia’s mother.

I do think the ending was intriguing enough to keep readers waiting for the sequel. I haven’t decided whether or not I want to read the follow up book when it comes out. I feel like the author’s writing might improve and develop with practise, and since things have switched up a bit, the sequel might contain less info-dumpy science bits. I’ll wait for reviews when the sequel is released before I make my decision.

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  • 6 October, 2017: Reviewed