Review Detail

"This Shattered World" follows Jubilee (Lee) and Flynn, who live on a planet that has failed terraforming, leaving it with a constant smoky sky- they cannot see the sun, moon, or stars. Lee and Flynn are on opposite sides of a brewing war between the military (Lee) and the rebellion (Flynn). To add to all this, a lot of people are unable to stay on the planet long without losing their minds- perhaps because of the failed terraforming (though the real reason becomes clear later). Lee seems to be one of the only people who can live there for a long time from the military side.

When Lee and Flynn first meet, Flynn is seeking answers but takes the opportunity to capture her to use for bargaining with the military. When he realizes what the rebellion would do with her (kill her), he decides to save her life, and then they are both on the run. At the same time, they are seeking answers about the mysteries of the planet and what has really happened. This leads them back to Tarver and Lilac, who I was glad to see make an appearance in this book. The current of the overall story continues and progress is made in terms of getting answers and beginning to pinpoint the real "bad guy."

In terms of the story, I was very interested in the planet, new characters, and the wisps/mysteries that threaded from the previous book (I am being intentionally vague to avoid spoilers). In terms of the romance, I felt pretty meh about the characters and their chemistry. Considering the way they met/interacted (with the capture/hostage-type situation followed by "rescue"), I really need to be convinced that feelings are not a result of circumstance, and I just personally did not really get there. I had really high hopes considering how much I enjoyed the first book, so it is also possible my expectations were just too high. I am not saying I disliked this book, but it didn't hold as much appeal or gushing for me, mainly to do my so-so feelings about the romance.

Overall, it was a solid continuation, and I am curious to see where the overall story arc will go in the next book!