Tracing The Stars

For a debut novel, I am impressed. This story centers around two completely different lifestyles clashing together. It has both of the main characters, Marlee and Tyris, questioning what (and who) they thought they wanted for their futures. The relationship is well done and believable. The world building (both of Tyris's home world and Marlee's village) very well done. Grey creates believable backdrops to two very different planetary settings, each with their own pros and cons. It makes you question which you would choose if given the choice. Tyris's world is technologically advanced, but it has an overpopulation issue resulting in restricted pregnancies as well as the typical "first world" issues of nuclear family isolation. Marlee's world, on the other hand, is a technologically backwards planet (due to isolation from the main colonies) who rely on hard work, farming, animal husbandry and ingenuity to survive. On the flip-side they have a strong community in which everyone relies on one another out of necessity They live simply, but, one would argue, they also live richly.

The romance between Tyris and Marlee isn't a simple one, either. It is full of internal conflict as each questions what it is they really want for their future. Once they figure out what they want, they must then decide if they are willing to do what it takes to try and take it. Some would argue that the romance is a slow development in the book, but I found it to be sweet and the reasons behind the caution are justifiable.

There were a few plot points that I wasn't 100% on board with and my analytically mind did question some explanations, but the story does keep you guessing about certain things and characters until the final pages and beyond. It is a good, enjoyable story. This is a series and the story does continue into the next book.