Stone in the Sky
Tin Star #2
Science Fiction
Roaring Brook Press
February 24 2015
320
Received copy from publisher in exchange for an honest review
In this thrilling follow-up to Tin Star, Tula will need to rely on more than just her wits to save her only home in the sky.
After escaping death a second time, Tula Bane is now even thirstier for revenge. She spends much of her time in the Tin Star Café on the Yertina Feray—the space station she calls home. But when it's discovered that the desolate and abandoned planet near the station has high quantities of a precious resource, the once sleepy space station becomes a major player in intergalactic politics. In the spirit of the Gold Rush, aliens from all over the galaxy race to cash in—including Tula's worst enemy.
Warning! Potential spoilers ahead. If you’re curious about this book check out my review of the first book in the series, Tin Star.
Thoughts on Stone in the Sky
It was so easy to slide back into the dark and dangerous world of Tula Bane and her life on the Yertina Feray.
In Tin Star, the first book in this series, Tula was struggling to survive. Left for dead she was alone, with absolutely nothing on a strange hunk of metal in the sky. A hunk of metal which wasn’t particularly friendly towards humans. But survive she did. In fact she did more than survive – she thrived. She moved up through the social hierarchies of the Yertina Feray and bided her time, collecting favours and information, so that one day she would be able to take down her nemesis, Brother Blue.
I really admire Tula Bane. She’s not “the chosen one” or anything fancy like that. She’s just a girl. But she has personality, drive and a will to survive and something tells me that might count for more in the long run than if you happened to be the chosen one. And I find her easy to sympathize with, because when it comes to difficult decisions, she doesn’t always know what to do. She can be indecisive, or stubborn or simply confused. Simply put, she’s human. Which makes her the most compelling thing in this novel, despite being surrounded by aliens and spaceships. (This is a huge compliment since I love to read about aliens and spaceships.)
I don’t want to say too much about the plot of Stone in the Sky, partially because it’s the second book in the series, but also because I think it’s best to go into this story knowing as little as possible. Castellucci has worked her magic once again and created a brilliant, intricately layered story and the best experience is traveling through it, not knowing what’s behind the corner up ahead. And this story is wrapped up in the haunting prose I gushed over in my review of Tin Star. Castellucci’s writing is poetic and haunting. It’s full of the kind of quotes that make you stop reading and pause for a moment, just so you can truly appreciate them. If you’re the kind of person who marks up their books – have your highlighters and sticky notes ready!
If you’re a science fiction fan I can’t recommend the Tin Star series enough. It’s beautiful and captivating and full of adventure. This is one sequel that doesn’t disappoint.
About the Author
Cecil Castellucci is an author of young adult novels and comic books. Titles include Boy Proof, The Year of the Beasts (illustrated by Nate Powell), First Day on Earth, Rose Sees Red, Beige, The Queen of Cool The Plain Janes and Janes in Love (illustrated by Jim Rugg), Tin Star and Odd Duck (illustrated by Sara Varon).
Her short stories have been published in various places including Black Clock, Tor.com, Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine and can be found in such anthologies such as After, Teeth, Truth & Dare, The Eternal Kiss, Sideshow and Interfictions 2 and the anthology, which she co-edited, Geektastic.
She is the recipient of the California Book Award Gold Medal for her picture book Grandma’s Gloves, illustrated by Julia Denos and the Shuster Award for Best Canadian Comic Book Writer for The Plain Janes. The Year of the Beasts was a finalist for the PEN USA literary award and Odd Duck was Eisner nominated.
She splits her time between the heart and the head and lives north and south of everything. Her hands are small. And she likes you very much.
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