Everyone in the universe knows his name. Everyone in the universe fears him. But no one realizes that notorious outlaw Ia Cocha is a seventeen-year-old girl. A criminal mastermind and unrivaled pilot, Ia has spent her life terrorizing the Olympus Commonwealth, the imperialist nation that destroyed her home. When the Commonwealth captures her and her true identity is exposed, they see Ia’s age and … Ia’s age and talent as an opportunity: by forcing her to serve them, they will prove that no one is beyond their control.
Soon, Ia is trapped at the Commonwealth’s military academy, desperately plotting her escape. But new acquaintances—including Brinn, a seemingly average student with a closely-held secret, and their charming Flight Master, Knives—cause Ia to question her own alliances. Can she find a way to escape the Commonwealth’s clutches before these bonds deepen?
In this exhilarating edge-of-your-seat sci-fi adventure—perfect for fans of The Lunar Chronicles—debut author Maura Milan introduces our world to a thrilling new heroine.
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Get ready to meet Ia, a take-no-prisoners heroine who stole my heart from page one, and kept me cheering until the very end. Treat yourself to this book!
I loved this story, its characters, setting, social dynamics, everything.
Ignite the stars is told from three perspectives, Ia, Brinn, and Knives. These three characters are all so interesting and it was amazing to watch them grow throughout the story.
Ia is cunning, smart, fearless, and a fiercely loyal defender of others. I fell in love with her almost immediately and continued to like her more and more with every passing chapter. Ia handling her guilt and seeing things from both sides even when no one else will was one of my favorite things.
Brinn is brilliant, kind, and friendly, but also scared. She has the most growth and evolution through the story and I cannot wait to see her progression to come.
Knives is lost. He is smart and determined but also incredibly apathetic. Meeting Ia changes that and changes him.
The universal setting of this story is very well done. Milan has creating a universe of turmoil and strife. The cultural dynamic between the commonwealth and the refugees from the planets they have conquered is very well done and I am looking forward to more of that in the sequel.
I loved the creative augments and other sci-fi technology that Milan used. I also enjoyed the slang created for this universe.
There was very little in the way of romance but it never felt like it hindered the story. It felt like the perfect amount for the plot and characters.
My favorite thing in this story was the friendship between Ia and Brinn. They had ups and downs but they were both there when they needed each other most and their unlikely friendship is one of the best I have ever seen written.
I loved everything about this book but the characters were by far my favorite part and I am really looking forward to their progression in the sequel.
(4.5 rounded up)
Easy to read along with a quick pace made this book tough to put down. I found myself reading in every free moment I had, even if just an elevator ride, to see what would happen to Brinn, Ia, and Knives next.
The world-building was a bit lacking. I really wanted to know more about the background of the Commonwealth and a deeper look at the different races. What was missing in background I found in the form of vibrant characters that were easy to cheer for and hiss at. Even a minor character like 494 made an impression on me. I loved Ia’s gumption, Knives and his complicated background, and even Brinn’s frustrating character development. The romance angle was appropriate and didn’t overtake the story arc as I see in some YA novels.
Overall, Ignite the Stars proved to be a solid debut novel and a gripping start to Ia’s story. It is easy to see how this could be adapted to screen. Now we have to wait for our copy of Eclipse the Skies and then Mr. B. and I will have to have a duel to figure out who reads it first! Definitely put this book on your TBR!
**I voluntarily read and reviewed a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What a gem!! Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan is a bold, intoxicating and absolutely dazzling sci-fi story that had me holding my breath the entire time. I enjoyed every thrilling moment and all the achingly wonderful feels in this book. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year and I’m really excited to have new heroes I adore with all my heart.
Ia Cōcha is a brilliant pilot, a rebel, an outlaw, and to some… a protector. With a long history of causing chaos, destruction and death, Ia is not only well-known, but also extremely feared by everyone across the universe. When the imperialist nation Ia wants to destroy, Olympus Commonwealth, finally captures her, everyone is surprised to see that one of the most wanted criminal is just a seventeen year old girl.
Trapped inside the Commonwealth’s military academy and forced to be one of them, Ia never expected to see things differently from what she’s known all her life. Ia also didn’t plan on having acquaintances, let alone friends while plotting her escape. She begins to care about Brinn, a fellow student who’s hiding a secret, Geoff and Aaron, her guards who she seems to like, and Knives, the flight master who holds more than her freedom. Will Ia have a change of heart after getting to know her new friends, or will she find a way to escape and continue to avenge those mistreated by the Commonwealth?
This addictive and breathtaking space adventure has stolen a piece of my heart and to say that I LOVE this book is an understatement. The setting is gorgeously illustrated with vivid and detailed descriptions. I think the world-building is creatively unique, stunning, and utterly fascinating. The writing is effortlessly compelling and engaging. With plenty of edge-of-your-seat action, achingly touching scenes, a few light and hilarious dialogues, some really sweet moments, and shocking twist and turns, there’s never a dull moment in this book. I do have to say – I didn’t really expect to have such a strong emotional connection with the story or the characters, but I do and I love it. The last few chapters are so intense and affecting that by the end, I definitely shed some tears. Brimming with all the feels I always crave in stories, this amazing story truly shines from start to finish and I’m so in love with all the excitement, the anticipation, the swoons, and everything else in between.
Milan creates such interesting, wonderful and perfectly flawed characters with very real and relatable insecurities, fears, dreams, and personalities. Ia is reckless, stubborn and manipulative, but also smart, resourceful, brave, and selfless. Brinn is simply amazing and I will protect her at all costs. I’m quite smitten with Knives. He seems tough and all rough edges, but he definitely has a sweet side. I wholeheartedly adore these characters and really loved seeing them change, grow, and learn from each other.
A fantastic and enthralling debut novel from a talented and brilliant new voice, Ignite the Stars is such an emotionally stirring sci-fi story packed with plenty of thrills, surprises, twists, and all the feels I love. I enjoyed the writing, felt excited and engaged throughout the story, loved the characters, and swooned over the amazingly slow burn romance. This book kept me up long past my bedtime, had me tearing up a few times, and desperately left me wanting more. Maura Milan is an author to watch out for and I honestly cannot rave about this book enough.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Great YA Scifi!
The beginning 20% and the end 30% held me captivated, though the middle slumped for me, which is unfortunate as I really enjoyed most of the elements. The world building was amazing and character development was done well and relationships were built over a natural timeline across the board. I probably won’t rush to get book two, but I will likely buy it.
Great book from a debut author. I can’t wait for her next one!
I have only read one other book with outer space as a setting and I loved it. This book didn’t disappoint. It was a little dry in the middle but picked up in the end.
A good read.
Really enjoyed this; would give it 4.5 stars. Looking forward to the next one.
For those of you who love swashbuckling action, you’ll LOVE Ignite the Stars! Ia Cocha is the scourge of the stars. Fighting against the Olympus Commonwealth, Ia is part terrorist, part Robin Hood. When the story starts she is trapped on a Tawny ship and is being taken captive. When it is found out that she is just a 17 year old girl and not an adult man, it’s determined that it would be better to bury her in an Academy of students in an unknown location than to put her on trial and kill her. That would look bad, I guess? When she gets to the Academy she is a prisoner of sorts, but able to roam free. She is kept from flying but her mind is always looking for an escape.
Brinn, Ia’s roommate, has a secret. One that she is desperate to keep, but Ia figures her out pretty quickly and blackmails her into doing something for her. Through the sharing of this secret Ia and Brinn develop a friendship of sorts. Brinn, who is kind of prickly because she doesn’t let herself get close to anyone, can let Ia close because she knows her secret. It is this friendship that drives the book. We learn that no one is who we think they are. Ia the terrorist actually has empathy and fights for the underdogs and Brinn the loner comes face to face with her heritage and embraces it. When it finally happens, these two are a powerful team.
There are a whole other cast of characters in this novel. Heroic figures and villainous ones fill the classrooms. Flight Master Knives, just out of school himself, is Ia’s jailer and love interest. Not as gruesome as that sounds, I swear! He has his own issues with the Olympus Commonwealth, most notably his father who is an Admiral and a not so nice character. This love connection between he and Ia is PG rated, but it does allow both of their characters to show another side. I love a fast moving plot and Ignite the Stars was quick, emotional, and fun. It’s hard to believe this was Maura Milan’s debut novel. It seemed like every character had their own hidden battle they were fighting. I’ll admit that Brinn was probably my favorite character, but Ia was a close second. They were both underdogs, and I do like to root for the underdog.
Looking forward to the next one!
Difficult to read, due to wording, difficult character names and place names. A little anti-climatic, unless there is a book 2 coming out in this series. Does hold your attention, and keeps you reading on.
Despite its otherworldly setting, Maura Milan’s captivating debut has a compelling real-world quality that shine through her well-crafted characters and their fight for social justice. I can’t wait to read what happens next.