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Last Star Burning by Caitlin Sangster is such an original fantasy story that is filled with political intrigue and plot twists. The main character is so likeable and fierce, and the setting is incredibly complex. This book is one not to be missed!
Title: Last Star BurningSeries: Last Star Burning #1
Author: Caitlin Sangster
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Genres: Dystopian
Publication Date: October 10, 2017
Rating:
Series Rating:
To escape execution for a crime she didn’t commit, seventeen-year-old Sev is forced to run away from the only home she’s ever known in this exciting start to a brand-new fantasy series from debut author Caitlin Sangster.
Sev has been tattooed with the White stars of a criminal since she was eight. That’s the penalty for being the daughter of the woman who betrayed their entire nation.
Now her mother’s body is displayed above Traitor’s Arch, kept in a paralyzed half-sleep by the same plague that destroyed the rest of the world. And as further punishment, Sev must do hard labor to prove that she’s more valuable alive than dead.
When the government blames Sev for a horrific bombing, she must escape the city or face the chopping block. Unimaginable dangers lurk outside the city walls, and Sev’s only hope of survival lies with the most unlikely person—Howl, the chairman’s son. Though he promises to lead her to safety, Howl has secrets, and Sev can’t help but wonder if he knows more about her past—and her mother’s crimes—than he lets on.
But in a hostile world, trust is a luxury. Even when Sev’s life and the lives of everyone she loves may hang in the balance.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: Last Star Burning Caitlin Sangster
This book is so action-packed that it is impossible to put down! It tells the story of a girl wrongly accused of a bombing who flees from the city to escape execution. However, she is already branded as a traitor because of her mother’s past actions, making it even more difficult to survive. Sev meets many new people while on the run, namely the chairman’s son, and learns the truth about the frightening disease going around the nation. Last Star Burning is full of plot twists and intrigue, and is sure to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
❀ Perfect Main Character
Sev is the perfect main character for a dystopian like this one. She is orphaned, and her mother’s past follows her wherever she goes, but she stays strong. I liked how Sev is curious, but also cautious. She is willing to do whatever it takes to survive and fight for her rights. Sev is a character with an interesting backstory, and it is very enjoyable uncovering the truth about her past along with her.
❀ Amazing World
I adored the world of Last Star Burning! It is kind of like a dystopian China, and I found it to be very complex. Everything is so well thought out, including the government and the social class system. The setting is logical, but there is also a lot of secrecy and information to be revealed. There is a disease going around called Sleeping Sickness based on a real condition, and Last Star Burning doesn’t leave any holes. This world is so developed, and it is so easy to become immersed in it while reading.
❀ Unique and Complex
Last Star Burning by Caitlin Sangster is a brilliant dystopian novel with an intelligent and sassy main character. The world is so unique and adds so much complexity to the book. I would definitely recommend this one, even if you aren’t a big dystopian fan, since it is so captivating and will really stick with the reader.
About Caitlin Sangster
Caitlin Sangster grew up in the back woods of California and would rather go hiking, running, swimming, or general outdoorsing than just about anything else. If there aren’t any mountains, it doesn’t count as a real place. At eighteen, she moved to XinJiang, and at twenty-one it was Taiwan. She did eventually buckle down and graduate from Brigham Young University with a BA in Asian Studies and is now that person you avoid at parties because she'll probably start talking about Shang dynasty oracle bones.
Caitlin has been writing since middle school. She always thought of it as a silly sort of compulsive habit until she realized that people like reading stories and she liked writing them and there wasn’t much silly about that.
She currently lives in Utah with her husband and four children.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ Canadian YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, & professional bibliophile.
Great review. The characters sound amazing and so does the world! Can’t wait to get to this one myself 😂
I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did! 🙂
Sounds like my kind of read. Great review!
I really enjoyed your review. Sounds a great read!
It’s been ages since I read a dystopian novel too. I remeber a few years ago when the genre was all the rage but then I kinda got sick of it. I do like the sound of this one, though. It sounds pretty different from the usual books in this genre.
I know exactly what you mean. I read a ton of dystopian a few years ago as well. This is a fantastic book to get back into it! 🙂
Great Review! I have this book in my tbr but I haven’t read it yet. I’m so glad you loved it! This really sounds like an exciting read! I can’t to read it! 🙂
I hope that you love it when you get the chance to read it! 🙂
I’m like you, I haven’t read a dystopian in a long time. It is nice to hear that one is actually unique and entertaining!
Thanks for the review.
I enjoy sassy characters. I bet I’ll love Sev.