A Sea of Stars

2-2.5 stars. A reimagining of Jane Austen's "Persuasion."

I really liked the idea behind For Darkness Shows the Stars. A sci-fi retelling of a Austen book! Sounds awesome, right? Well, my expectations were obviously a little too high. And there wasn't as much sci-fi as I thought.

The book was very much about the politicalsocial schism among the Luddites, the Reduced, and the Posts. I never felt that the need for a explanation as too how exactly the Reduced became Reduced was met. It felt like the grievances betwixt the Posts and the Luddites could be fixed fairly easily if only the Posts and the Luddites tried to help each other help themselves. The Luddites could stop treating the Posts like crap. The Posts could stop experimenting with DNA manipulation. The Luddites could accept that they can make simple advancements in science and technology, etc.

Meanwhile, Elliot North is desperately trying to come up with a reason why her childhood best friend, Kai Wentforth, is alternating between ignoring Elliot and snubbing her after being gone for four years. I still don't quite think that what happened between them was enough to warrant him acting like a total jerk.

I really enjoyed the inventiveness of the story. But I needed more characterization and background on many of the characters. I wanted more explanation for the societies and various other plot points.

Overall, recommended for fans of Jane Austen and sci-fi.