The Brighter the Stars is a great start to the Earth United series. It is a wonderful way to be introduced to the writings of the talented Bryan Prosek. It was a fun journey to go one hundred and sixty years into the future. I am not a huge fan of the science fiction genre but I was quickly interested in this story. I was quite the adventure to take with the main characters, Jake, Diane and Cal. There were a lot of plot twists and turns that I could not have predictable. I liked the build up of some suspense in a few scenes. I never knew what would become of the characters from page to page. I had fun going on this adventure and the take what the Earth could possibly look like many years from now. It was entertaining read and nice surprise to try something new to read.

I am giving The Brighter the Stars four and a half stars. I believe readers who enjoy reading science fiction and young adult genres, will want to read this one. I am looking forward to reading the next book from the Earth United series, The Darker the Skies to see what happens next in the series and what else the talented author, Bryan Prosek has in store for his characters.

I received a paperback copy of The Brighter the Stars from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. ( )

The Brighter the Stars is a story that spans from the late 2100s to the early 2200s.Earth has become a part of a universal alliance. Jake's Father was killed while in military service when Jake was little more than an infant. His mother died, too. His Uncle Ben and Jane were the only parents he knew. As a young boy, he also watched his Uncle Ben shot down and killed. He swore then he would revenge his Uncle's killer when he grew up.

Jake's best friend, Cal, was like a brother. Cal's sister, Diane, did not feel like a sister. She was jake's love all of his life. He just did not know how to tell her and feared she did not feel the same about him.

They all worked hard training in government programs. One mentor, and an officer, took Jake under "his wings" and became more of a father figure than an officer. He was in a government position to give assignments to them. One particular assignment changed many lives, including theirs.

Thus, the crux of the story "takes off".

The narrator, Joel Simler, did a very good job in narrating the book. He was mostly consistent with the use of the various voices for each character, he was effective in placing emphasis in all the right places.

The point of confusion I experienced. is that I get I was listening to the very same book as Darker the Stars. There is only a slight variation between the two books with the same story.

I did prefer The Brighter the Stars over Darker the Skies, because it began from the eariest part of his life and systematically moved forward. Dsarker the Skies was more back and forth through time, as Jake reflected on earlier life and experiences. It felt more disjointed whie Brighter the Stars was "smooth sailing" and never confused the reader/listener.

Again, the characters are well-portrayed and feel realistic. The scenes were defined well and quite easily visualized.

I offer a Four and a Half Stars rating for the story.

I offer Four Stars rating on Joel Simler's performance.

This audiobook was gifted me with no pressure for a positive review. This is my honest review

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