No Ordinary Star by M.C. Frank | Re:View

An icy tale of romance and the discovery of new ideas.

*** 

I was intrigued first and foremost by this books cover--it's stunning! But then I discovered it was a sci-fi and knew I had to read it. I also took note that it was inspired by Ray Bradbury's short stories and was even more intrigued.

It's been a while since I've read Bradbury, but I did get the hint of his stories with this novel, as well as M.C.'s classic style.

The story itself has a very simple cast of characters. The soldier, the girl, and the polar bear. I really enjoy the way that M.C. creates tension between her main characters. There are a lot of things that come into play to do this (no spoilers here) but I enjoy the way they change as the story progresses.  I also loved the polar bear because, let's be honest, who doesn't love polar bears?

The plot itself felt a little slow in some parts, as if I was waiting for something big to happen and it never fully did. Then again, this is a series broken up into three shorter books and I think that things progress more slowly due to that fact. I liked the world that was created and described. Harsh, futuristic in some senses (mostly ideals and new cultural norms), and foreign and familiar all at the same time. The clock element still perplexes me, and yet I have a feeling we'll discover more about it on subsequent books.

The last readerly thing to note would be the point of view. This is written in third person present tense and, while I enjoyed it, I also found it a little confusing at times. To me, it creates a bit of a distant feeling to the characters in my mind. I liked that we were able to see from both main characters perspectives and to gain a perspective of their differing personalities, but it may take a little getting used to for readers who are not accustomed to this type of writing.

If you enjoy a Ray Bradbury-type tale with hints of romantic tension and a mysterious element to the story, you will likely enjoy this book! It's got a mild sci-fi feel but isn't hugely technical. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.

*A note for my clean readers: There are a few instances of language in the book.

My rating: 4*
Purchase: No Ordinary Star

Book Description
(from Amazon)

A soldier is summoned to the North Pole, days before the year changes, told to fix the great Clock for a celebration. He has no idea what to do. A girl, hunted for the crime of being born, almost dies out on the ice. She is rescued by the last polar bear left alive. A library waits for them both, a library built over a span of a hundred years, forgotten in the basement of an ice shack. The world hasn't known hunger or sickness in hundreds of years. It has also forgotten love and beauty. The year is 2524. Inspired by the short stories of Ray Bradbury, this futuristic novel is set in a world where Christmas -among other things- is obsolete and a Clock is what keeps the fragile balance of peace. Written in three installments, this is the breathtaking and sensual story of how two unlikely people change the world, and each other, one book at a time. Immerse yourself into the icy cold world of this scorching hot new novel.

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I received this book for free but was under no obligation to post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.