Book Title:  The Brighter the Stars by Bryan Prosek
Category:  YA Fiction (Ages 13-17),  256 pages
Genre: YA Science Fiction 
Publisher:  CamCat Books 
Release date:  November 2020
Content Rating: PG. It’s very clean.

Caught between love and revenge, Jake has one chance to live up to the man his uncle was.

Earth crashed into interstellar politics as a lightweight, lagging so far behind other planetary weapons systems everyone feared they wouldn’t survive first contact with other worlds without quick action. By 2185, Earth had united itself into five geographic sectors and developed a defense system powerful enough to keep aggressors at bay—for now, at least.

Jake Saunders became a Legion soldier to honor the memory of his war hero uncle, who was brutally murdered in front of him when he was still a young teen. Fast forward a few years, and Jake and his best friend Cal have been tasked with escorting Cal’s older sister Diane to become Earth’s ambassador on a far-off planet. It’s the opportunity of Diane’s career, very likely a lifetime post. But for Jake, that could mean a lifetime’s heartbreak. He has loved Diane since they were kids, and every step closer to that ambassador assignment is a step closer to goodbye.

​But somebody is after more than Earth’s defense, and Jake, Cal, and Diane are on a trajectory to crash headlong into that dangerous plot. Somebody wants to play Earth against its most immediate threat, Craton, and convince both to develop super weapons—and he’s working with the person who killed Jake’s uncle all those years ago. When he reappears on Jake, Cal, and Diane’s journey to the ambassadorship, Jake is faced with difficult choices to look out for his friends and honor his uncle’s memory.

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My Review

I chose to listen to this book after receiving a free audio copy from iRead Book Tours. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

The Brighter the Stars begins with Jake when he’s a teen. He lives with his aunt and uncle because his parents died when he was little, so his uncle is like a dad to him. Horrifically, he witnesses his uncle’s death. This changes his life to the point that he’s obsessed with finding and exacting revenge on the murderer, a Cratonite.

Eight years later, Jake and his best friend, Cal, have enlisted and are tasked with taking Cal’s sister and Jake’s lifelong crush, Diane, to a distant planet which happens to be near Craton. That’s when the adventure truly begins with close calls, twists, fighting for their lives, and more.

The narrator was very good. His pace and voice worked for this story. I was able to tell the difference between the different characters by just a small change in his voice for each one.

I’ve always enjoyed young adult books and this one is no exception. It has young love, loss, action and more. I recommend The Brighter the Stars to young adults as well as adults who like sci-fi. I’m looking forward to listening to the next book, The Darker the Skies soon.

About the Author

Bryan Prosek is a science fiction writer and business attorney. Along with his debut The Brighter the Stars and the forthcoming A Measure of Serenity, he has published books and articles in legal trade journals and magazines. When he isn’t writing or practicing law, you can probably find him watching science fiction movies or television shows. He loves the big screen and the small screen. There’s a good chance that he’ll be watching one of the numerous Star Trek movies or series, but he could be watching anything from Guardians of the Galaxy to The Conjuring.

connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads

Giveaway

Enter to win a copy of THE DARKER THE SKIES

(2 winners/USA only)

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Nov 14 –Rockin’ Book Reviews – books spotlight / giveaway
Nov 15 –Cover Lover Book Review – books spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Nov 15 –The Momma Spot – book review of THE BRIGHTER THE STARS / giveaway
Nov 17 –Rockin’ Book Reviews – audiobook review of THE DARKER THE SKIES / giveaway
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