3/5

For fans of: mystery, astronomy, fated romance, star-crossed lovers, journeys

The Big Questions:

• What genre is this in? sci-fi fantasy, romance

• Are there any swoon-worthy characters? Noah is mysterious, secretive, and loyal beyond comprehension

• Is it spicy? Fade to black

• Is it violent or gory? Fights are described, but not bloody

• Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? If you’re a fan of Shea Ernshaw, borrow it.

Synopsis: Vega has lived in the valley her whole life--forbidden by her mother to leave the safety of its borders because of the unknown threats waiting for her in the wilds beyond. But when Vega sees an omen in the sky--one she cannot ignore--she is forced to leave the protective boundaries of the valley. Yet the outside world is much more terrifying than Vega could have ever imagined. People are gravely sick--they lose their eyesight and their hearing, just before they lose their lives.

But Vega has a secret: she is the Last Astronomer--a title carried from generation to generation--and she is the only one who understands the knowledge of the stars. Knowledge that could hold the key to a cure. So when locals spot the tattoo on Vega's neck in the shape of a constellation--the mark of an astronomer--chaos erupts. Fearing for her life, Vega is rescued by a girl named Cricket who leads her to Noah, a boy marked by his own mysterious tattoos.

On the run from the men hunting her, Vega sets out across the plains with Cricket and Noah, in search of a fabled cure kept secret by the astronomers. But as the line between friends and protectors begins to blur, Vega must decide whether to safeguard the sacred knowledge of the astronomers...or if she will risk everything to try to save them all.

Review: Shea Ernshaw is back with her signature special girl with special powers raised in solitude, but instead of witches in the woods, we have an Astronomer in a valley. Typically, I eat up her stories with a mystery girl and mystery boy in mysterious circumstances, but this turn into the sci-fi genre just wasn’t it for me. The vagueness of Vega’s journey and reason was too vague for me. I spent far too much time trying to fill the gaps with the very few clues given and the pay off just wasn’t as well done as I am used to.

Now I did love Vega’s relationship with her mother, her interactions with her father, and her slow-burn-yet-fated love story with Noah. I loved the tattoos that connect her to her ancestors and the stars, the use of legacy and folklore to set up the mystery of the Astronomer and the Architect, but the vagueness of who and what these two clearly very important figures in this world was more annoying and repetitive than intriguing. The setting was so lackluster, I miss her stories set in ominous forests with mysterious people. The plains were exhausting and the towns filled with sick people or roving bandits were a big no for me. What really killed it for me was the ending. While a clear ending to the story, it is vague enough to allude to a possible sequel yet at the same time completely undermines the entire reason for Vega’s journey throughout the entire book. If I understand it correctly, Vega’s journey was entirely unnecessary.

Hopefully this is a one time thing because I still love her work and I am looking forward to what she does next.