Defy the Stars

By: Claudia Gray

Narrated by: Nate Begle

From the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Lost Stars and Bloodline comes a thrilling sci-fi adventure that Kass Morgan, bestselling author of The 100 series, calls "startlingly original and achingly romantic...nothing short of masterful."

She's a soldier--Noemi Vidal is willing to risk anything to protect her planet, Genesis, including her own life. To their enemies on Earth, she's a rebel.

He's a machine--Abandoned in space for years, utterly alone, Abel's advanced programming has begun to evolve. He wants only to protect his creator, and to be free. To the people of Genesis, he's an abomination.

Noemi and Abel are enemies in an interstellar war, forced by chance to work together as they embark on a daring journey through the stars. Their efforts would end the fighting for good, but they're not without sacrifice. The stakes are even higher than either of them first realized, and the more time they spend together, the more they're forced to question everything they'd been taught was true.

An epic and romantic adventure, perfect for fans of The Lunar Chronicles and Illuminae.

Critic reviews

Praise for Defy the Stars:
*"Nuanced philosophical discussions of religion, terrorism, and morality advise and direct the high-stakes action, informing the beautiful, realistic ending. Intelligent and thoughtful, a highly relevant far-off speculative adventure."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

*"Poignant and profound...a tale that examines the ethics of war and tackles questions of consciousness, love, and free will. Gray's characters are nuanced, her worldbuilding is intelligent, and the book's conclusion thrills and satisfies while defying expectations."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Replete with rebels, bots, and battles, this top-notch space adventure features a well-developed plot and an unexpected, satisfying ending. This is a complex and well-told tale about loyalty, love, and the meaning of life. A must-buy for sci-fi readers."—School Library Journal

"Defy the Stars is a unique and masterful sci-fi space opera that will take readers across the galaxy on a fast-paced thrill ride...Brilliantly done."—Romantic Times

"The story plays with themes of destiny, honor, and faith, while ultimately asking readers to consider what makes one human.Recommend to fans of The Lunar Chronicles and The Illuminae Files, or to romance readers wanting a sci-fi entry point."
—School Library Connection

"This first-rate STEM-packed adventure explores what it means to be human and whether people are truly their brothers' keepers."
—Booklist

"With a love story that sweeps across the galaxy and a heart-racing high-action plot, Defy the Stars brilliantly explores what it means to be human. This book shines like the stars."
—Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author of the Across the Universe series

"Startlingly original and achingly romantic, Abel and Noemi's adventure will linger in my imagination--and my heart--for aeons. Defy the Stars is nothing short of masterful."
—Kass Morgan, New York Times bestselling author of The 100 series

Defy the Stars

I really loved this book! If you like Brandon Sanderson Skyward Series or Marisa Meyers Cinder series, this is similar. Great characters and storyline.

Unique Sci-Fi Romance

I have been a long-time fan of Claudia Gray, and the premise of this series was just too good to pass up. It lived up to expectations, too. This was a fantastic, interesting romance that was truly unlike anything I've read before. The characters absolutely won me over, and I was immediately caught up both in the slow-burn romance and the overarching plot outside of the romance.

I will definitely be picking up the second in the series!

just loved it.

I absolutely loved this book. I am a huge SiFi gooroo. The story was quick moving, and very engaging. I would reccomend it to anyone.

Quickly added to the top of Favorites List

Claudia Gray has definitely and easily become one of my top favorite authors. Her Firebird series has been one of my favorites so it baffles me it took me so long to discover her other works as well. The Firebird series had me thinking on and exploring the possibility of other dimensions while this book/series had me contemplating the possibilities and extent of artificial intelligence. She weaves in a bit of romance but does not allow it to warrant a glass of wine with any cheesiness and not letting the romance dictate the storyline. Having a female character who is human with strengths and weaknesses (not overpowering them) and not having every other character seemingly fall in love with them (looking at you Mass) is a welcome trait this book presents.

The performance of the two narrators was excellent as well. Nate Begle balanced a pace of tone that kept a mechanical feeling without being overbearing to help illustrate his character fantastically.

Solid story, bad performance

A good romantic SiFy novel with romance, machine awareness and interplanetary adventure. However, it's tedious to listen to, esp. the male reader. Fortunately, the reading doesn't ruin the story.

With a good reader(s) my opinion of the story may have improved enough to give it 5 stars.