teen, science fiction - 17 y.o. Vega must leave the safety of the secluded valley where her mom has raised her, find the Architect (whoever that is, turns out he's a hunky teen boy with a troubled past), and fulfill her destiny to save everyone from the mysterious illness plaguing the planet. CW: knife/gun violence, very vague adult content.

this was ok, a little slow, and lots of bits didn't make sense--if no one else knows where the ocean is, couldn't the first Architect and the first Astronomer both just hide out there on the coast together, at least until one of their kids needed to leave/expand the gene pool? ( )

That novel is extraordinary. The story, the characters, the atmosphere, Shea Ernshaw’s writing style, the cover : everything is totally perfect. Vega, the heroine, has grown up in an isolated valley, far from the human world. Of it, she only knows the stories told by her mother. But her world collapses when her mother suddenly dies of a sickness. As she leaves on a long journey to find the Architect, she learns that the fate of the world rests on her shoulders.

The stars play a very important role in this novel. They are the map that will allow Vega, the last Astronomer to find the way to the Sea and save humanity. The world she encounters is full of danger : sickness is killing every human left on Earth and little hope is left.

A Wilderness of Stars is a perfect mix of fantasy, adventure, magic and romance. I would also add it has a western atmosphere and an interesting pinch of astronomy. It was a very deep and interesting read. I highly recommend. ( )

What you might expect when this begins is far from what you find at the end. That's what makes this so interesting. Yes, you could say this about many books, but it works very well in this one. ( )

Review and star rating to come once I’ve gathered the SHATTERED PIECES OF MY SOUL and glued them back together.

I didn’t know I needed this, thank you.

The next day...
After reading this story, I didn't know where to land with my thoughts. I adore Shea's other books, but this one hit me differently...it left more of an impact and for that, five stars.

A Wilderness of Stars isn't for everyone. It has a slow pace and a melancholy undertone. It's a journey to get to the ending. There are lighter moments, but this is overall a pretty heavy story. Vega is really put to the test trying to fulfill her destiny. I swooned, I sobbed, and I was completely shocked by the ending.

Shea Ernshaw really knows how to tug at your emotions. She can effortlessly create a whole world in just the first few pages of a story. The relationship Vega had with her mother really stuck with me, I connected very heavily to that and for me, it drove the story.
"She was both the soil and the sky..."
"But even the anatomy of the stars are woven with memories of her."
As usual for an Ernshaw book, it is beautifully quotable!

Overall, I do think this book will find it's readers. I would consider it more YA Dystopian with a hint of SciFi rather than Fantasy or Romance.

"The stars belong to you now."

HUGE thank you to SimonTeen for the ARC to read, enjoy, and honestly review. ( )