Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Release Date: August 2, 2022
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Syfy / Romance
A YA novel set in a glittering new world, about a girl who discovers that behind the glamor and romance of high society, the world is teeming with conspiracies, secrets, and murder.
There’s always been a mystery to Vika Hale’s life. Ever since she was a
child, she’s had an unknown benefactor providing for her and her family,
making sure that Vika and her sister received the best education they
could. Now, Vika longs for a bigger life than one as a poor barmaid on a
struggling planet, but those dreams feel out of reach. Until one day
Vika learns that her benefactor was a billionaire magnate who recently
died under suspicious circumstances, and Vika has shockingly been
included in his will. Invited to live on a glittering neighboring
planet, Vika steps into a world she can hardly believe is real.
The
only blight on Vika's lavish new life is the constant presence of Sky
Foster, a mysterious young man from Vika's past who works for her
benefactors. She doesn't like or trust Sky, but when she narrowly
escapes an explosion and realizes someone is targeting the will's heirs,
Vika knows Sky is the only one who can help her discover the identity
of the bomber before she becomes their next victim. As Vika and Sky
delve into the truth of the attacks, they uncover a web of secrets,
murder, and an underground rebellion that may hold the answers they've
been looking for. But Sky isn't who he seems to be, and Vika may not
escape this new life unscathed.
Cristin Terrill's The Stars Between Us is a Dickensian inspired world where secrets are currency and love is the most dangerous risk of all. This story is set on an impoverished planet where people must work hard to pay for the smallest things like food. There’s always been a mystery to Viktoria Hale’s life. Ever since she was a child, she’s had an unknown benefactor providing for her and her family, making sure that Vika and her sister Lavinia received the best education they could. Now, Vika longs for a bigger life than one as a poor barmaid on a struggling planet, but those dreams feel out of reach.
Until one day Vika learns that her benefactor was a billionaire magnate named Rigel Chapin who made a fortune off his hydro fission reactor invention. Chapin recently died and shockingly, Vika has been included in his will. As always, there's a huge catch. Vika must marry Leo Chapin or Leo gets nothing and the next person in line would inherit Chapin's money. Tragically, it appears as though Leo was the target of an assassination attempt by a group called Philomeni Liberation Front and thus Vika's world has been twisted in ways she never realized.
Because of Leo's death, Rigel's new hairs, Hal and Mira, offer Vika a chance to stay with them on Ploutus where she quickly forgets she has parents and a sister and decides to become someone above her station. Even though Leo's dying rings alarm bells and it soon appears as though someone is trying to kill off Rigel's would be heirs, Vika’s only focus is adapting to her new lifestyle as a member of high society. She's going to do everything to keep her wealth and powerful position even if it means marrying someone who doesn't actually love her.
Here is where we need to sneak Sky Foster into the story. Sky decides that he wants to investigate who Vika really is and why she's been chosen to marry Leo Chapin. The more we learn about Vika, the more you will realize that she was pretty much an experiment by a man who had too much money and wanted to find a way to control his own son. Sky, meanwhile, has some serious secrets of his own which leads to his own adventure, and a meeting with Ariel who may be his only friend in a world so dangerous, nobody is safe from being targeted for killing.
Sky figures the best way to get close to finding out what happened to Rigel and better understand Vika, is to work for Hal and Mira. It is fair to say I liked Sky more than I liked Vika. Vika burns every single bridge to her home, while Sky is trying to find a new life without all the bondage and expectations. Vika is no more of a leading character than a canary bird buzzing around not realizing what's right in front of her fact. While Vika ends up being a likable character, it takes a very long time.
This book is apparently a retelling of Dickinson's Our Mutual Friend which I have never read. Thanks to a few "connections," I've been told that this is a simplified version of the Dickens work, dropping most of the secondary plots. The story borrows much from the original work, including some direct quotes, character names, etc.
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