StarCrossed by Elizabeth C Bunce

StarCrossed by Elizabeth C Bunce

Book Stats:
Hardcover: 400 pages
Reading level: YA
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Release date: October 1, 2010

Series: Thief Errant #1

Source: Personal Shelf

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Kindle (2,99$) | Book Depository

Digger thrives as a spy and sneak-thief among the feuding religious factions of Gerse, dodging the Greenmen who have banned all magic. But when a routine job goes horribly wrong and her partner and lover Tegen is killed, she has to get out of the city, fast, and hides herself in a merry group of nobles to do so.

Accepted as a lady's maid to shy young Merista Nemair, Digger finds new peace and friendship at the Nemair stronghold--as well as plenty of jewels for the taking.

But after the devious Lord Daul catches her in the act of thievery, he blackmails her into becoming his personal spy in the castle, and Digger soon realizes that her noble hosts aren't as apolitical as she thought... that indeed, she may be at the heart of a magical rebellion.

War between Faiths brought an entire population to hide at all cost since King Bardolph won. The King believes in Celys de Goddess of Life & Harvest and hates everything magical. Showing your Faith to Sar, the magic Goddess, or even worst, having magic of any kind, can get a Sarist killed in no time. Digger doesn’t have any magical powers, but she can see magic and for that reason, she has been declared filthy and was shunned out by her brother, her last living relative. Roaming the streets as a professional thief to earn a living, she will run into trouble and will be forced to run away from Gerse. Little did she know, she will find herself in a far worst situation.

StarCrossed was a great fantasy novel and even though it was action-packed from the start I had a hard time getting into the story for one specific reason: The terminology. See, I read the book on my kindle and strived hard to figure out the Lore, to finally find a glossary at the very end, when I was finished *sigh*. So, if like me, you are reading it in ebook, be aware that there is a glossary available and that it will be pretty handy! Once I figured out the lore, I found it very original. In Digger’s world, there are seven moons, each representing a God or Goddess. The magical powers very few possess also sound very promising, even though we only get a glimpse of them, for obvious reasons. 

Bunce surprised her readers with an intricate story line and I liked the change of tones throughout the book. I particularly enjoyed the second part of the story because it’s full of suspense and intrigue. You do have a good idea of whom might stab you in the back, but you never know when they will pounce!

Elizabeth provided an array of great characters with shinning personalities. I wish we would’ve seen more of Raffin & Durrel because I quickly grew fond of them, but no such luck. Digger’s evolution was a show on its own and I’m anxious to see what Elizabeth Bunce will do to top that in the next installment.

The end was a maelstrom of emotions and I found the conclusion very satisfying. Thank God it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, but Digger sets in motion a whole new adventure and I’m really excited for the second round, Liar’s Moon.

Fantasy lovers will love this series, I’m quite sure. I would definitely recommend it to fans of Maria V Snyder & Kristin Cashore.

Read an excerpt

Posted by Tynga at 19:56

 Elizabeth C Bunce, Magic, Review, Scholastic, young adult  7 People left their mark

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

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