Emily R. King spins a tale of sailing and island exploration in her latest novel and first in a brand new trilogy, Before the Broken Star, making it the perfect summer read! There’s uncharted waters, a mysterious island to explore and a world conflicted by the gods. It has a storybook charm that makes it quick to read and ends with a cruel plot twist that will leave you reaching for its sequel! I want to thank Netgalley and Skyscape for the opportunity to read an early copy and review it.
“Could you become a monster to destroy one?”
This is definitely the constant question that Everley Donovan asks herself. This is a main character whose heart is filled with rage and revenge. Her story weaves much like the rumors surrounding Anastasia. She is the sole survivor of a targeted attack on her family, leaving her with one goal in mind; avenge her family by killing the very man who executed them.
“But I believe in monsters. I have seen them take and destroy, suffocate and shred, every sliver of light in the world. Monsters exist and Markham is the worst sort. He pretends he’s charming, but I have felt the coldness of his steel in parts of me that no man has seen or ever will see. He’s the vilest, most treacherous monster there is—the kind that feeds off the light.”
I liked how goal-oriented she was because it showed how committed she was in her mission. She didn’t flip flop which was really great because there’s nothing worse than a main character who can’t make up their mind. No, this girl had no doubt in her mind and the only time she second guessed herself was when those she cared for were caught in the crossfire. Her head was clear and her lust for revenge made her a treat to read. I wouldn’t call her an anti-hero but she was definitely different than most heroines because she wasn’t afraid to act to get what she wanted. She’s also not your typical 17-year-old girl hell-bent on revenge. She’s also working on borrowed time and that has everything to do with her clock for a heart. See when her family was killed, she looked straight into the man’s eyes as he drove the sword through her chest. Something that should’ve killed her and yet didn’t. Admirable and very Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. It was a great, unique way to cause more problems for her and she handled it with a stubborn grace.
“Neither of us would make a good wife. I’m not the doting sort, and you…darling, you’re as frosty as a blizzard.”
Her lust for revenge sends her chasing after Markham to this unknown island that only her father has explored. The Queen in this story has an idea that reminds me a lot of the tv show, The 100 where they send convicts (who are expendable) to sniff out and make sure that it’s actually safe and habitable and this is exactly what happens here. Convicts are sent to colonize this new island and Everley gets a first class ticket to the women’s ship and marriage was definitely not on her mind, but you know things never go according to plan. Enter Jamison Callahan, Lieutenant and second in charge. Oh and Everley’s new husband! I absolutely love the fake relationship tropes and this one was on point!
“Quinn, dance with Laverick and Claret. My wife needs to rest. ‘Don’t call me that.’ He winks at Quinn. ‘My wife is testy.”
Jamison is an honest, sweet, confident gentleman with a pretty great sense of humour. I devoured every scene with him because he was such a likable character. Most of the time the main character steals the show because they get the most time to develop but King was able to establish the same degree with Jamison. They were an evenly matched pair which I feel is rare. His relationship with Everley reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games power couple, Peeta and Katniss. Both of their personalities seem to be very closely matched and that dynamic made this an addictive read. This was naturally a slow burn romance due to their unconventional meet and abrupt marriage but if anything I think that made the story even better because it didn’t feel like an unrealistic insta-love story. These two took time and it definitely tries a person’s patience but it’s worth it. With the ending (don’t worry no spoilers here!) I definitely think he deserves better but he’s quite adorable and the perfect guy for Everley!
“You’re more than a girl with a clock heart. You’re Everley Donovan, born into this world to do great things.’ He tips his head against mine, his forehead to my temple.
His deep voice curls into my ear. ‘You are not broken.”
Sorry! I also forgot to mention that this guy is definitely swoon-worthy!!! (Yes, every one of those exclamation points are necessary haha) This is a love story where she hates everything he stands for and he’s blinded by a promise to protect her.
The only downside I found with this book was the sheer amount of creation story involved because it was definitely a complicated world to understand and the lengths that King went to to explain became a little overwhelming. It was like she was too caught up in her world that she created, she forgot to explain in a more structured, less sporadic way of the events that unfolded to establish it. This is a slight criticism because it could definitely be a ‘me’ only problem but too much lore can muddle the plot and that’s what happened here for me. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked this book and her world was fascinating and the creation of it with a fairytale-esque feel definitely got me hooked. I enjoyed all the easter eggs of famous fairytales hidden in here and I must admit, that was pretty clever of King. I finished this book eager to start the next!