Short review, minor spoiler sectioned outlined below subtitles.
In truth, it has been a while since I read Starsight. This blog (and my booktok!) has been a tad neglected since I finally landed a full time job after three years of job hunting. I’ve been busy revelling in the peace of mind that only financial aid can provide.
While I may have been taking a break from writing reviews, however, I certainly haven’t taken a break from reading, and have certainly kept up with the sci-if reads in 2024!
Building On Skyward
Starsight is the second book in Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward series, and it expands Spensa’s universe in interesting ways.
Skyward brought our protagonist, Spensa, a lot of a curious revelations about who she is versus who she wants to be, and Starsight tests this further. It’s not long into the book before we meet aliens living within the empire that has ben trying oppress the human race, but where do their allegiances truly lie? Spensa is determined to find out!
Themes in the Cytoverse
Like Skyward, Starsight is still a coming-of-age novel for a young woman, and it still hosts a horde of self-realisations that an outsider is likely to consider looong before Spensa has gone through the necessary trials to determine these lessons for herself. Some might say the delivery can be a bit heavy-handed, and while I would agree, it also makes for some pleasant, easy reading. Especially when read alongside heavy tomes such as Dune.
Criticisms of Starsight
Some minor spoilers for Starsight
I really enjoyed Skyward and became quite heavily invested in its cast, so when Spensa casts off alone for greater adventures in space, I felt a little disappointed.
I had put all this effort in to learn and love her teammates back on Detritus, so to barely see them for a whole novel was quite difficult for me, and it caused me to pause my efforts in completing the series for other books (Once, Children of Dune).
That said, when I finally got around to reading Cytoverse 2.5, also known as Skyward Flight, my prayers were answered, so all I had to do was keep reading! Despite this, Starsight on its own was weaker for its lack of our favourite Detritus side characters.
Summary
My favourite part of this book was easily the description of Doomslug in space. I think about that moment regularly when I’m feeling down. The Cytoverse’s Starsight continued to be the easy YA sci-if read that I need this year, and I look forward to delivering my reviews of Skyward Flight and Cytonic on this platform in the next few weeks!
Beyond The Spine Reviews 
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