Inherit the Stars

by Tessa Elwood

Overview

LOVE AND LOYALTY. As the youngest daughter of the House of Fane, Asa lives every day of her life in honor of both, for herself and her people. But as her kingdom's food and energy crisis peaks, Asa must find more to fuel Fane's survival.
Taking the place of her older sister in an arranged marriage with Eagle, the heir to the prosperous House of Westlet, seems like a straightforward solution. Forging an unforeseen bond, however, leads to an unavoidable division of loyalties. One simple truth lies at the heart of the matter, and only Asa can decide which one to tell.
Romance, politics, and space adventure intersect in this first book of Tessa Elwood's addictive debut duology.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762458417
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	12/08/2015
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Tessa Elwood is a web designer obsessed with stories, coffee, and running shoes. Inherit the Stars is her debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

Elwood's solid debut ably presents a complex society in shambles due to political corruption, environmental destruction, and widespread poverty.”
Booklist

“The characters live and breathe, floating off the pages to haunt readers' dreams… This book will find a wide range of fans, even those who usually spurn science fiction.”
–VOYA

From the Publisher

This debut novel immediately commands attention, transporting readers to other worlds as it follows the exciting life of Asa, the youngest daughter of the House of Fane. Asa risks her own life to save her sisters and everyone on her planet as well. The writer’s style may not be a hit with some teens, but the plot is action packed and exciting. Reviewer: Mary Kusluch, Teen Reviewer; Ages 12 to 18.

VOYA, December 2015 (Vol. 38, No. 5) - Mary Kusluch

Asa fights to steady her sister Wren’s medibed against the bucking Flightwing that deftly avoids the bombs exploding around them. Asa, thinking of nothing but saving Wren, sets course for a city that is renowned for its medical care, only to find that Medi Sansa’s doctors have been evacuated. The Med Techs do their best, but Wren plunges into a coma from which she never awakens. Asa is so determined to heal Wren before her father shuts off Wren’s life support that she impersonates her sister, Emmeline, during an arranged marriage ceremony because the House of Westlet, which Asa intends to marry into, has access to better medical care. Asa does not know that her act of devotion and courage will change the destiny of two interstellar houses and reshape the future. How could she guess that her marriage to Eagle Westlet might lead to something so right for both of them? First and foremost, this is an exquisitely written love story. The characters live and breathe, floating off the pages to haunt readers’ dreams. Asa’s intensity is obvious from the first page. She remains exquisitely tender yet unbreakable at the same time. Her devotion to a family that has not always had her best interests at heart is both admirable and pathetic. The author skillfully guides us through the rubble of Asa’s life, devastating blights and famines, and horrible interplanetary wars and deftly constructs an amazing ending filled with light, redemption, and hope. This book will find a wide range of fans, even those who usually spurn science fiction. Reviewer: Nancy Wallace; Ages 12 to 18.

VOYA, December 2015 (Vol. 38, No. 5) - Nancy Wallace

11/01/2015
Gr 7 Up—Asa is the youngest daughter of the House of Fane, a ruling family that presides over several planets with a food shortage. Political relations with neighboring interstellar kingdom Westlet are precarious, but Fane's only hope of survival is to form a marriage alliance between the kingdoms' heirs. The true Fane heir, Wren, is in a coma after an accident, so the marriage is instead arranged for her middle sister, Emmie. Asa, fearing for Wren's life, schemes to replace Emmie in the ceremony so that there is no temptation to make Emmie the true heir too quickly. By the time Asa's machinations are discovered, her marriage to Eagle Westlet is already binding. What follows is light but entertaining royal intrigue with a few surprising twists. Unfortunately, Elwood's series opener suffers from weak world-building. Not enough information is presented to give readers a solid sense of Asa's family history or the conflicts in Fane. Characterization is also lacking, causing potential confusion. Discerning readers will cringe at contrived plot devices, such as a binding marriage contract with one convenient loophole. On a positive note, Asa is a strong and clever heroine who is unwaveringly loyal to her family and her people. The romance between Asa and Eagle is sweet and gains more depth than expected. VERDICT An additional purchase that would be a good choice for fans of Kiera Cass's "The Selection" series (HarperCollins).—Liz Overberg, Zionsville Community High School, IN

School Library Journal

2015-08-05
The fates of two interplanetary kingdoms hang upon the success of an arranged marriage in this futuristic romance. In a universe where entire planets are being strip-mined for fuel, the House of Fane has finally created a sustainable energy source for their people. However, they've paid a high price for this achievement. Uprisings have left the House's heir in a coma, a key agricultural planet has been destroyed, and starvation and invasion are now very real threats. Sixteen-year-old Asa is the youngest of the House's three daughters. When Asa learns her father's solution to their troubles—a marriage alliance with a rival House—also involves removing her eldest sister, Wren, from life support, she tries to protect Wren by taking their middle sister's place in the marriage. Predictably, no one is pleased when they discover what she's done. While this debut is ambitious in scope, neither the characterization nor the worldbuilding feels fully fleshed out. Though Asa's motivations are well-explored, her new husband, Eagle, remains mostly a cipher, and their eventual attraction and romance seem to be driven primarily by narrative convenience. Much of the science seems implausible, even for a sci-fi setting, and political intrigue and melodramatic family secrets only further muddle the already-busy plot. Better in concept than in execution. (Science fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews