BY NMESOMA OKECHUKWU

I’ve never read a book by Christopher Paolini before, so I went into reading without prejudice or any sort of preconceived notions. I have, however, previously heard of Christopher Paolini, though I can’t name any of his other titles. 

Starting the book, the first thing that caught my interest was the idea of colonies. I have read about colonies before, but I haven’t seen the concept so extensively manifested. The idea that human beings are trying to spread out across the stars is huge.

The story isn’t similar to Star Wars, where there’s multiple sentient species involved; this is only human beings. That is, until it isn’t only human beings. 

Readers are thrilled with bits and pieces of advanced science and technology as the plot progresses. It’s enough to make you feel that you’ve stepped into the future, with the protagonist Kira at the reins of this suspenseful read.

Unlike many protagonists that I’ve come to admire in sci-fi, there’s a defiant quality to Kira, enough so that it’s almost irritating. But she grows on you, and that strong will makes her more relatable in my eyes. 

For someone like me who has grown tired of selfless heroes, Kira’s instinct for self-preservation was a welcome balm for me in a time when I’ve been belabored with stories of “chosen ones” driving headfirst into danger for the sake of the “greater good.”  

Kira has spent much of her life fascinated by the stars and by the unknown universe. In a galaxy so vast, who would have thought that it would be the “little dreamer” to find the second alien relic? What’s worse is that it happened when her life was going as planned.

Paolini did a great job drawing on several elements of science fiction works to create a plot that seems perfectly different and, somehow, old and nostalgic. The world building is impressive. If someone told me that Christopher Paolini spent decades building a time machine that transported him to the future, and he was able to get a perfect mental picture of the year 2257, I would believe it. 

When I was done with To Sleep in a Sea of Stars and thinking about the next thing to do with the rest of my day, I felt a deep urge to go outside and gaze at real stars. Staring into space, I felt like I was looking back into the past, not the future.

But then it dawned on me: Kira is probably doing the same thing, looking at me from the past and sailing in a sea of stars. The story created that feeling.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars isn’t hard sci-fi, so if you’re new to the genre, you’ll still be able to follow along with everything that’s happening. There’s a sprinkle of romance, comedy, and gory action that’ll keep you guessing until the very end.

Rating: 9/10

To purchase To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, visit Amazon.

CONNECT WITH NMESOMA: Twitter