ARC Review: More Than Stardust (Wanted and Wired #3) by Vivien Jackson @Vivien_Jackson

Flora Reviews… More Than Stardust (Wanted and Wired #3) by Vivien Jackson. My thanks to the author, Vivien Jackson, for the ebook.

What’s More Than Stardust about?

[book-info]

More Than Stardust is the third novel (approx 266 pages) in Vivien Jackson’s science fiction fantasy series Wanted and Wired. However, it can be read as a standalone story as I’ve done. The book is set in various places on Earth but it’s an Earth of the future, the year 2059 to be precise.

What did I like about More Than Stardust?

Vivien Jackson is a new-to-me author. I must admit to being a bit apprehensive accepting this eBook as I have not read the previous books in her series and science fiction isn’t my usual genre. However, I really enjoyed this story. I thought her writing style was intelligent, the futuristic world she created was believable and yet fantastical at the same time, the plot was well constructed and thought out and developed at the right speed and her characters were complex and multifaceted.

I thought that the first chapter was really good, it grabbed me right from the first page and I was keen to keep reading. It took me a while to get to grips with the future technology, terminology and language in this sci-fi world and the myriad of characters but I loved learning more about it all; the heroes and the insane tyrants.

I was intrigued by our heroine, Chloe, from the very first chapter and fell in love with her fairly quickly.

I connect to a story more when the lead female character is intelligent, resilient, self-reliant and has plenty of gumption and I wasn’t disappointed here. Although Chloe is not human, she exhibited all of these traits and more. But it’s not just the heroine who has to win me over in a romance; the hero has to as well. Garrett is not my usual type of alpha hunk but he spoke to me and found his own place in my heart.

I became emotionally connected to Chloe and Garrett and although, at times I was unsure of the bigger picture I was invested in their story; I was never quite sure how, or even if, they’d get their “girl loves boy – boy loves girl – they live happily ever after” ending.

More Than Stardust isn’t just a romance, it’s an action packed story with a fair bit of tension and mystery too. I loved that it kept me on the edge of my seat, had me shouting at my Kindle in indignation, smiling and chuckling out loud at the humour and shedding a tear or two with emotion.

Was there anything I didn’t like?

As you can tell by my 4 star rating, I really enjoyed this book. So, why 4 stars and not 5?

As I mentioned above, I was a bit apprehensive accepting this eBook from Ms Jackson as I have not read the previous books in this series and science fiction isn’t my usual genre. I did feel a wee bit out of the loop and lost at times. Not quite fully comprehending some of the references, relationships or reveals due to the fact that I hadn’t read the previous books. However, my lack of first-hand knowledge didn’t stop me from being immersed in this story. Ms Jackson did a wonderful job at bringing the reader up to speed. Weaving relevant information into this story without detrimentally affecting the pace.

Basically, what I’m saying is…

I really enjoyed More Than Stardust and couldn’t stop reading. It’s got everything that I look for in a good story; action, romance, humour and a gripping story-line.

More Than Stardust has definitely piqued my interest to go back and read the previous books, Wanted and Wired and Perfect Gravity. I want to know the other character a bit more and find out how this story fits in with the time-line for the series as a whole.

Our heroine is not human.

Some of Chloe’s reactions and assumptions may feel jarring to some. There are also sexual references and some traumatic things alluded to in this book, i.e. violence and sexual abuse. Therefore, I would recommend More than Stardust to adults who are OK reading content of this nature. Fans of relationship and romance tales viewed from a slightly different perspective should pick this one up.

Has my review of MORE THAN STARDUST (WANTED AND WIRED #3) encouraged you to find out more? I really hope so. Click on any of the links to check out the book yourself.

Keep reading to find out more about this sci-fi series and its author.

[about-author]

Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read my review. This foray into science fiction has been very enjoyable. Enough so that I’ll probably go back and read the first two books in this series. 😉

Have you read any books by Vivien Jackson? Drop me a comment below.

Bye for now,

Flora x