by Debbie Zaken
Oftomes Publishing Official Web Site
Genre: Sci-fi, Romance, YA
Pages: 380
ISBN: 9781999963309
*I received an ARC for free by Oftomes Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*
IMPORTANT: I was kindly given this book for reviewing. However, I’m not one for sci-fi and even less sci-fi romance. BUT this is NOT a negative review; it is quite positive, on the contrary! I just want to tell you that my opinion might not be trustworthy when it comes to the sci-fi romance in this book. So, I will focus on other interesting elements and simply skim the actual romance to make a fair review for everyone to read.
The Story:
Since Skye Reilly can remember, she has been looking up to the stars. With high school graduation upon her, her telescope in one hand and her college acceptance letter in the other, she has life as meticulously mapped out as her star chart. That is, until the Celeians arrive and she meets Ethan, an alluring alien. Ethan collides into her like an asteroid, causing a gravitational shift in Skye’s trajectory and hurling her life into a cataclysmic collision course of interplanetary proportions.
The Celeians promise many things. An end to disease, global warming, and famine. The knowledge to help humankind. Despite the suspicions surrounding the intriguing aliens and rising anti-alien protests, Skye gives Ethan her trust, and eventually her heart. The very heart he could stop with a lethal electrifying touch of his hand.
When the Magistrate, a council of alien leaders, threatens to put an end to their interspecies relationship, following her heart could cost Skye her life and the lives of everyone she loves.
Not even light can escape the pull of a black hole.
The Negative Points:
Let’s start with the two negative points for they’re few, as you can see. Best to go through them to better enjoy the positive ones. Whenever the story got a bit slow, new tension or problems arose from all sorts of situations. Also, the more we kept reading, the worse they became (a nice touch in my opinion!). The last point is how the romance sometimes looks… a bit too forced and quick. I mean, yes, there is development, but in a month? And for them to be willing to sacrifice everything for the other one? I sometimes find it too much for such a short time window. However, like I announced before the review, please take my opinion on the romance with a grain of salt.
The Positive Points:
Now, let’s dwell on the positive sides of this awesome story, shall we? First, it’s just marvelous! There, I said it. To me, who usually dislikes sci-fi books AND sci-fi romance even more, this is huge. I loved it so much that I talked my bestie into purchasing his own copy, can you imagine?! My jaw hit the floor when I realized my growing love for this book. You’re not surprised, I am! The main character, Skye, deserves praise. Not only is she courageous, she’s also brilliant! Something I rarely see in female MCs and I always complain about the lack of them. But no-oh in this story! Plus, she’s a real geek and loves all things astronomy and physics-related and I… I just love her, okay? Women are seldom shown loving things that have to do with numbers and such, so this was fun and refreshing. I’m a huge astronomy geek too so the references and the right terms used made me squeal with enthusiasm! No, seriously, Skye always means to call astronomic events by their real name and it makes my day, okay? She won’t settle for less than the truth. That’s my girl! As for Ethan, her interstellar love (a Celeian), he’s both amusing and loyal. He’s even got a funny side, though he can be extremely protective. I like him too. Nonetheless, I think he’s way too ready to give up everything for a mere human—the Celeians are a superior race, so this seems strange to me.
However, I liked how they’re depicted: gorgeous, calm and peaceful. Humans who meet them can hardly look away for they’re that stunning physically. They’re also quite intelligent, which could make or break it. Because are they on Earth for good or evil?
Something else that makes me adore this book? The humour! Actually, it was the first thing that caught my feelings and interest. It’s full of sass and intelligent twists. Speaking of twists, the ending is surprising! I mean, I saw some of the big ‘’revelations’’ coming, BUT the main character does get hurt (and a lot)! Can we all just appreciate that? Usually, main characters get lucky or they’re just SO good and skilled and awesome that they don’t even have a scratch on them at the end of the big battle. Realistic? Hm, no. But in Colliding Skies, let me say I was pleasantly taken aback! It deserves an award for this. The award for ‘’Finally, the MC Gets Badly Hurt Physically’’.
There’s more: it ends with a cliffhanger. A lot of you hate those, but I genuinely couldn’t live without them. They’re fun and only increase my need to know more, which is good for the author (and for me, if I care about the story). It’s nice—there are so few books with cliffhangers it makes me sad. But fortunately, there’s this one.
The Conclusion:
In conclusion, Colliding Skies by Debbie Zaken receives a rating of 5 out of 5 stars from me! It surpassed every expectation I had and it also made me enjoy something I (let’s be frank here) hate. So, if you ask me, it’s quite impressive. This sci-fi romance is, believe it or not, one of the best books I had the pleasure of reviewing. Congratulations, Debbie! Also, dear readers, buy yourself a copy and read it with an open mind, just like I did. You’ll see, it’ll be rewarding in both fuzzy feelings (for those who love romance) AND adventure (for those like me who love to explore the universe).
If you want to learn more about Debbie Zaken, head over to her Web site, Twitter account, Facebook acount or her Instagram account.
Ad Librum Aeternam 