Ex Libris Audio: Lost Stars

Ex Libris Audio: Lost StarsLost Stars by Claudia Gray
Narrator: Pierce Cravens
Series: Journey To Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Published by Disney on September 4, 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Goodreads
four-stars

Eight years after the fall of the Old Republic, the Galactic Empire now reigns over the known galaxy. Resistance to the Empire has been all but silenced. Only a few courageous leaders such as Bail Organa of Alderaan still dare to openly oppose Emperor Palpatine.

After years of defiance, the many worlds at the edge of the Outer Rim have surrendered. With each planet’s conquest, the Empire’s might grows stronger.

The latest to fall under the Emperor’s control is the isolated mountain planet Jelucan, whose citizens hope for a more prosperous future even as the Imperial Starfleet gathers overhead…

 

I have never read any of the books that were written for the Star Wars universe, but being a fan and loving Claudia Gray’s writing made this an easy choice.  Lost Stars is about two teens who both leave their small planet go into the Imperial Academy, which takes them in very different directions.  The timeline takes place right before and during the time of Episode IV (that’s the original Star Wars movie, for those who might not know).  You do have mention of Leia and Luke, and many other familiar characters, but Thane and Ciena will capture your attention just as much.  What made this story so great was the perspective. Did you ever wonder about the soldiers serving on the Death Star?  Did you ever wonder how it was that so many people served the Empire?  I loved the view from the other side that this story provided.  It brought more dimension to this world and the next time I watch any of these movies, I will see them just a bit differently. The lifelong friendship between Thane and Ciena was at the core of the story and as their paths diverged, you were able to see inside the conflicting emotions about their chosen paths and what it meant for their future.  I loved the writing and the pacing of the story, as well as the small references to other stories in the Star Wars universe.

I saw some criticism of the narrator’s voice because it was “too young sounding”. This didn’t bother me, although I will say that there wasn’t a lot of differentiation between male and female voices, which always irks me.  The narration was enhanced by Star Wars music and sound effects, which made listening to it so much fun.  When a ship flew overhead, you would hear the whooshing sound, or you you hear the hum of an elevator as the characters are going from place to place.  It really added to the auditory experience.  If you love Star Wars,  Lost Stars would be a great choice for an audio book!

four-stars

About Claudia Gray

I live in New Orleans. So far, in life, I’ve been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing.

Kate

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