Being able to cross off a title from my to-be-read list was certainly an indication of a weekend well-spent. In addition to that, the lighting was so pretty yesterday that I just knew then and there it was only proper if I eternalized the moment to forever remember that Spensa from Starsight by Brandon Sanderson was with whom I spent the first few days of this year's July.
Disclaimer: The passage below will contain spoilers for Skyward so I recommend you to read my review of the first book first.
Following where we left off in the first book, Starsight starts six months after the Battle of Alta Second. Now an official pilot for the DDF, Spensa learns the hard truth about her kind: they can hear the stars and it's terrifying. When an unknown creature crashes Detritus and it seems like she has the ability like Spensa does, she decides to go outside her planet to discover the secret of the Superiority and save humankind in the process.
First thing first, I must say that I can't wait for the third installment to come out in the upcoming November (so hey, what's the deal with November? Red Taylor's Version will be out that month too). For me, Starsight as a sequel was a work of answers and new questions combined: some of the revelations were shocking while the new mysteries seemed even more exciting. In other words, this book felt important enough as it bridged the world we had been first introduced to in Skyward and the galaxy-wide war that was likely to happen next, while at the same time could be considered rather ordinary as the most interesting events occurred only in the last few chapters.
Going through this book from Spensa's point of view was still as fun as before, though the spot specialized for a favorite was now miraculously held by M-Bot. Exactly like I had hoped earlier, our female main character got so much better here. Although, despite the creditable development, Spensa's training in Starsight didn't feel as interesting as her time schooling back in Detritus. It even felt a bit... dull at some point.
However, Starsight amazed me in a way that Skyward never could: the world-building and fictional creatures were definitely top-notch. The detailed description of Starsight kinda reminded me of how amazed I had been upon discovering Babylon Restored in Firefight. To sum up, it's totally fascinating. Didn't stop there, the unique fictional creatures like kitsen and dione did even more wonder. How could one come up with something as bizarre as a dione is beyond me. For this imaginative creature alone, Sanderson undoubtedly deserves another recognition.
But still, regardless of how amazing the world-building was, the thing I admired the most about Starsight was the fact that it reminded me to believe in myself. It's a very big world we're living in, and sometimes bravery is the only option we're left with. This book pushed the sentiment by manifesting courage in each of Spensa's decisions until it was stuck in my head like a plaster. And I, for one, wanted to welcome it with open arms.
Overall, I considered Starsight a necessary yet enjoyable sequel. I'm so looking forward to getting my hands on Cytonic as soon as possible so it's safe to say that I would certainly recommend this series to you if you love galaxy-related things and creatures.
Actual rating: 3.5★
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