Review: Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis

And Ms. Lewis does it again. I really enjoyed this one! Her ability to spin a story (ha! ;) only grew stronger with this second book. There are some similarities to Stitching Snow, but it didn't take away from the pure fun of this universe. I do love the alien races and the tech that she created. The sheer imagination she uses so skillfully to come up with these characters and their secrets is well done!

Take a heroine who can't speak (dire consequences otherwise), a hero with a willingness to help, a mystery which begs to be solved, and add in aliens of all kinds, as well as a vast universe of interplanetary travel, and you have the makings of a really fun story. I loved watching Liddi and Tiav struggle to understand one another. They both have many expectations on their shoulders and even though it seems they're on opposite sides of the current situation, they have much more in common than they know. And their romance was cute!

But Ms. Lewis doesn't dwell on just a simple romance. There are mysteries to be unraveled, with lives hanging in the balance. I liked that there was so much going on! There were times that I got confused, most especially in the beginning, but it usually wasn't long until I understood what certain things meant and how this world works. There are a few slow moments, but once I hit the middle of the story, things rapidly progressed from there. Which is to say that I was involved in the story enough that the slow moments didn't bother me at all.

I absolutely loved the emphasis on family! The flashbacks were really helpful in understanding the background of Liddi and her brothers. And I loved how she was willing to go beyond all endurance for the sake of saving them! The protectiveness and genuine love and care they have for Liddi in return is so very sweet. They're a family who would do anything for each other and it's such a beautiful part of the story.

Though I know the basic storyline of The Wild Swans, I've never actually read it. So I can't say whether this is a great retelling of that fairytale or not. But as a stand-alone novel for itself, I say it's quite entertaining!

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I don't know what he is. I do know he's angry. He shouts at me with a series of grunts and clicks. I scoot myself back on the grass, getting some distance between us even if it means getting closer to the portal.
His unnaturally long arms snap out and grab me, hauling me off the ground. This time it's even harder not to cry out, because everything hurts and having my legs dangling in midair gives me vertigo and this strange person with too many teeth is still yelling things I can't understand and I want it all to stop. I want to scream and wake myself up from this nightmare.
"Kalkig, I told you to--what are you doing? Put her down!"