To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

How did this get past the proof reader and the publisher? Was it proof read by a year four? I managed to get to page 55 and realised that this author hasn't a clue about sentence construction. If you are not concerned about things likes sentence construction and grammar then read on. When I read a book I assume that the author will look after such technical issues i.e they have the the basic writing skills and I,as the reader, can concentrate on the main story, characters and ideas. Sentences and paragraphs should flow off the page through the mind of the reader without being read through twice because you cannot believe how badly formulated they are and thinking to yourself 'I would have constucted that differently'. I am no scholar but I have rarely been so aware of such poor writing in the many books I have consumed, it was such a distraction I had to 'throw in the towel'. From other reviews I have read the science doesn't stand up that well either. I cannot comment on this, I didn't get that far, but if the attention to the science is the same as the attention to the writing then I can quite easily believe it.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. Where do I even begin. The book is about a Xenobiologist who discovers an Ancient Alien organism on an unexplored planet. This fascination turns to horror as it moves around her, enveloping her.Kira is an amazing protagonist. She's intelligent, kind, she's shown to truly care about those she loves and she's been thrown into a literal nightmare. A Galaxy-wide war for survival. Her progression as a character, as a person, is rapid, yet comfortable to read. It doesn't feel rushed, or forced, it's natural and only when you're reading it and you look back a few hundred pages do you realise just how much she's changed. She goes from a frightened, lost, confused woman, battling with the guilt she feels after the suit manifests itself, to a strong, brave, and completely capable person. By the end of Part V she is completely changed, and definitely for the better. Part 6 is where the biggest changes happen, just not in the sense of "Character Development".The Jellies don't feel too over the top, or like they've been pulled out of a child fiction, like some people seem to think. They're introduced in a fairly normal way, and as the book progresses you realise that they're not all in fact, evil. The nightmares and the Maw, however, are the pure definition of such. Created in a moment of panic, it sets out to consume as much life as it possibly can. It creates an abomination of life, and of spaceships and travel. The corrupted Seed is an interesting species, and in beginning the book, they're not at all expected. Honestly, until they're first introduced, you just don't see it coming, it's an amazing twist, and shows just how much one mistake made in a high-stress circumstance can really f*** everything up.To Sleep is a fantastic book. It's an 880 page Epic, and personally, if anything in the book was taken out, it wouldn't feel right. There'd be bits missing, the characters wouldn't be as developed, some bits of the plot wouldn't make sense, and honestly, the same would've happened if things got added, too. In that sense, it's the perfect middle ground between not enough to make sense, and too much to the point it's boring, and doesn't make sense. It's well-written, the Exeunts and start of each Part have beautiful poems, quotes or song lyrics that really add to the book, make it feel that much more special.The ending caught me off guard, but in a good way. It opened up so many opportunities for Chris to write connected books, prequels, spin-offs, etc. But no sequel, unfortunately, even though there was quite the cliff-hanger.Chris intentionally wrote the last line the way he did to evoke emotion. To reach into the pits of your soul and hit that sense of awe, amazement and childlike wonder. And, it worked. Spectacularly. My jaw dropped at many points throughout, my eyes filled with tears of happiness, and shock, and sadness, and so much more. I felt like I was feeling so many emotions at once, all the way through, but especially at the very end.This book was impossible to out down, and I finished it all in 4 days. I spent a lot of time when I was not reading it, thinking about it, imagining what would happen next, how the characters would progress, and evolve. And I wasn't right in any of my theories. At all. But I was, however, blown away by all of it.I wholeheartedly recommend this book, and it will stay with me for years to come, I know that much.Also, if this feels like I'm only focusing on the good, and not the bad, you'd be correct. Because, for all of it's flaws, it still managed to be a near-perfect Epic, and I couldn't fault it if I tried.An absolute 11/10. It's long, but it's so worth it

Started well, characters were good and some of the ideas were well thought out.However, it seemed to be a bit rushed towards the end. Jumpy almost. It is as if the author wanted to finish it a certain way but didn't quite know how to get there, like there was a limit on the amount of pages that were allowed and wasn't quite sure how to tie it up.Ultimately it is a good book, but I won't be reading it again. Not one of those books that u can't put down, but good enough to borrow from someone if they have it. If that makes sense.

This is a big book - nearly 900 pages and each one a page-turner. The plot centres on a young woman scientist who accidentally sets in motion a train of events that spans the galaxy and awakes alien cultures to the long lost technology of even older species. The book is in several parts, each of which is divided into chapters, and the chapters are further sectioned into shorter passages. With such a big, complex book, it’s useful to have these short, sharp interludes.The characters are well-developed and interact plausibly with each other. There are a number of technological innovations that are inventive but not outlandish - the thread of present day theory can be discerned in much of this future time. Alien technology too is represented and retains the air of mystery for the humans.I won’t go any further describing the rip-roaring plot or how characters are introduced and in some cases altered, so as not to spoil the pace of the book.It’s the most inventive SF book I’ve read since Firefall or Children of Time. Highly recommended.

This book is long awaited by the amazing Paolini and this book does not fail to impress at all. This book dealing with first contact is absolutely spectacular on every level. I highly highly recommend this book.If you struggle with large books read alongside the audiobook as it builds on the atmosphere of the book and some parts become more sinister. It creates a whole different experience. As a book reviewer i got an advanced proof and then brought myself a finished copy and this really was absolutely brilliant.