Testament of the Stars

A well-established religion based on star worship acts as a thin veil for and actively promotes racist classicism. Naive Einya struggles to see the plight of the Rask, despite being in love with a Raskian woman. And when politics sees Einya's lover Tollska married to a high ranking guard in the star cult (Einya's cousin Pearth), and as Einya curries favour as an astronomer, the levels of manipulation in the star religion ensnare them both.

Tollska has no doubts about the shaky ground she walks on, as a noble in a sector of the city her race visits only as humble servants. And her charming wife in a political marriage is so sweet and smooth in maintaining what Tollska calls her 'gilded cage' that Pearth is subtlety disconcerting. I was glad to find Tollska much more than the flower caught in the wind she initially appeared to be, and to see Einya wise up and choose her lover's people's side in the conflict brewing between the upper, and the lower classes.

Multiple characters would have benefited from further development, giving a clearer, deeper insight into their motivations throughout the story and a deeper insight into their changing understandings of their world. With that, I would have been able to move through the story with them, instead of, at times, scurrying to keep up with the action, without really understanding what's driving characters to act the way they do.

I found Pearth the best-informed, most intelligent and mature character and the most intriguing. But between Einya's prejudice against her, and the mask she wear's as Tolska's political bride and even with her limited, if open and honest dialogue near the end, I didn't feel like I could see the true Pearth or like I truly understood what drove her.

There was enough story tension, world-building and events to keep me engaged and entertained throughout, I just couldn't immerse myself as deeply in the story as I would have liked.