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StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce
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StarCrossed (original 2010; edition 2010)

by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Series: Thief Errant (1)

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4702152,188 (3.87)26
In a kingdom dominated by religious intolerance, sixteen-year-old Digger, a street thief, has always avoided attention, but when she learns that her friends are plotting against the throne she must decide whether to join them or turn them in.
Member:carolyn610petersen
Title:StarCrossed
Authors:Elizabeth C. Bunce
Info:Arthur A. Levine Books (2010), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 400 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:***
Tags:magic users, nobility, theives, loyalty, conspiracies, kings, princes, inquisition

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StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce (2010)

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» See also 26 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 21 (next | show all)
I first read Star Crossed in 2013 and I remember loving it enough that I bought the sequel… but one thing led to another and I never read it. Since this was read in the time before I kept a steady blog, there’s no review for the book, but when I pulled it from my TBR jar, I knew I remembered liking it. I had just forgotten how much.

Star Crossed is a perfect blend of adult fantasy world building and plot woven into a YA book. There’s a complicated magic system, a corrupt political system, whispers of war, alliances… Bunce even took the time to build healing lore. All this was put together in such a way that there weren’t info dumps, one of the banes of adult fantasy. There was romance, but it didn’t usurped eh overall story. And the plot was complicated – things came into play that didn’t seem important or interesting at the time but were vital later in the story.

All this to say – reading Star Crossed was a refreshing journey into a YA fantasy world that didn’t make me roll my eyes at cliche tropes and copy-paste heroines and love stories that won’t end. As a character, Digger is interesting. She’s an adaptable person with an unfortunate past and no future. She is a little rash, but doesn’t realize it until she’s made major mistakes. She’s loyal and curious to a fault. And she’s smart and skilled – she’s not perfect at everything (a trait that I abhor in many heroines – nobody is that good) but she know-how to put her skills to good use.

There are a lot of things about Digger’s past we don’t know, but ultimately, they aren’t important to the story, so I kind of appreciate that they weren’t dumped on the reader. The characters surrounding Digger are interesting as well – I quite liked Meri and I thought Daul was a worthy villain. Lady Lyll and Lord Antoch have such potential for a spinoff prequel. I liked that we only knew as much about these characters as Digger did. While I yearn for the deeper story, I also appreciate how focused the book is.

At the same time, I think that is Star Crossed’s singular fault. While there is clearly a rich world and complex characters behind everything, much of it lives in Bunce’s head. The story only reveals the items the reader needs to know, and often they are revealed without too much explanation. There’s a fine balance between too much and not enough and while it’s a close line… I think I would have like a little more context for some of the lore. Just a little, mind you.

Still – I liked Star Crossed just as much now as I did eight years ago. Fantasy stories with a rogue protagonist are a favorite of mine, and I think Bunce did an excellent job of building a YA fantasy story that doesn’t rely on romance to propel it forward. It’s immersive enough to really grab you and after the first one-hundred pages while the reader gets situated… the story takes off. I enjoyed it as a world to disappear in, and I’m glad I have Liar’s Moon on hand because I will certainly be reading the sequel. ( )
  Morteana | Aug 23, 2021 |
This was such a fun, exciting read! I breezed through it really quickly, partially because it was a really easy read, and partially because it was also fairly gripping and I couldn't put it down.
I also liked the characters quite a lot, and the world was fascinating.

I would say though that for the most part I wasn't completely blown away by it. Maybe my expectations were too high. After all, I absolutely adored this author's other book, A Curse Dark as Gold. Or maybe it was just lacking something. I'm not sure.

But then the end rolled around, and WOW those plot twists! The ending was spectacular! ( )
  irisssssssss | Jun 17, 2020 |
I really enjoyed this. It's light fantasy (inasmuch as the world isn't heavy on magical difference), with some lovely legit day-to-day historical detail, and a charmingly believably journey for our savvy heroine to go on. (I could've done with a little more of the things that restrain her from making the smartest plot choice immediately; the things are there, but because it's deep psyche stuff and we're first-person here, she can't admit to them, can she? I feel that they could have been shown a little more explicitly, though, which would have lessened some of my frustration.)

That one niggle aside, this was a wonderful blend of fun and genuine serious business, and I found that both realistic and a delight to read. Definitely want to see more of this. ( )
  cupiscent | Aug 3, 2019 |
Really really enjoyed finding another series with a strong young female heroine, feisty and good with a sword, but still vulnerable and just trying to survive on her wits and skills. Digger is a delight and I look forward to learning more about her as the series progresses. ( )
  cjazzlee | Nov 13, 2015 |
This is one of those books I feel might have been written specifically for me, as a reader! It was such a fun book to read, too. It's got a well-detailed nifty fantasy setting, interesting characters, nice twisty plot, mystery, adventure, magic! Oh, and several different strong female characters! I ate it up. And I want more! This one has really crawled into my heart and stuck with me, too. It's a world and characters I want to go back to. Fortunately there's a sequel on the way, so I can do just that. ( )
  devafagan | Jan 2, 2015 |
Showing 1-5 of 21 (next | show all)
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For Christopher, my staunchest ally
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I couldn't think.
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In a kingdom dominated by religious intolerance, sixteen-year-old Digger, a street thief, has always avoided attention, but when she learns that her friends are plotting against the throne she must decide whether to join them or turn them in.

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