#LoveOzYa Epic Finales - Their Fractured Light and Twinmaker: Fall

See my reviews for book one and two and This Night So Dark

Their Fractured Light Starbound Book Three
Written by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Science Fiction, Romance
Published December 1st 2015
400 Pages
Thank you to Allen & Unwin
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★★★★
A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck, now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen year old computer hacker, a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.

When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide.
Not a day goes by when Sofia isn't reminded of her broken father, his lifeless eyes as he walked into the military barracks on Avon with an explosive strapped to his body. Igniting a civil war between militants of LaRoux Industries and those who believe the gospel of Flynn Cormac, Sofia will stop at nothing to take the life of the man who destroyed her world.

Gideon is a computer hacker, able to infiltrate the most secure networks in the galaxy, include those owned by LaRoux Industries. He's an urban warrior on a mission to restore the sense of balance, his life having also been decimated by the power and greed that surround the LaRoux name. It isn't until he stumbles across Sofia and the two discovered as potential threats to LaRoux, the only way to survive is to combine forces, even if neither can trust the other.

Kelly's Thoughts

The Starbound series has been phenomenal and one of my favourite young adult series to date. Each installment introducing readers to a new couple of unlikely partners who form bonds and both having been touched by the devastation LaRoux Industries has inflected upon their worlds. Using deception and her cunning, Sofia can swindle her way into any situation, having shifted around between worlds since her father was killed. She certainly won't let her guard down for Gideon, the computer hacker that now has her on the run. Gideon has his own vendetta and through chance, the two reluctantly join forces.

Gideon is not only a hacker but a notorious keyboard warrior, keeping his online identity a mystery. Sofia wants more than to bring down the LaRoux empire and neither Sofia or Gideon can trust one another, keeping their own secrets of lies and deception. As the storyline progresses, the reader is reintroduced to the characters of previous installments, Lilac, Tarver, Jubilee and Flynn. It becomes apparent that LaRoux is on the verge of world domination and the team of unlikely heroes must find a way to coincide and save humanity.

Although I enjoyed their intense attraction, I felt Sofia and Gideon were more engaging as individuals and seemed to lose their identity once the romantic aspects of their partnership were introduced. Neither felt as developed as previous characters in the series. It isn't until the latter half of Their Fractured Light where the intensity increases tenfold. LaRoux Industries and the Whispers that were introduced in These Broken Stars are being used as a weapon against those on Corinth, before introducing the technology that ensures compliance to the rest of civilisation.

Suffice to say, the finale crescendo is absolutely epic. I gasped, laughed inappropriately, swooned, and felt the gauntlet of emotions before settling on utter contentment. Like previous installments, the storyline was intricate and beautifully paced. The world building is immaculate and vividly imagined, placing the reader among the stars with our young group of heroes. Even told in dual points of view, the chapters are seamless and show what remarkable authors both Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner truly are. Not many authors could create such a wildly imagined and beautiful series, that is also relatable through it's utterly charming and ragtag characters. The partnership they've formed is a forced to be reckoned with.

The Final Verdict

An epic finale to what has been not only a beautifully written, but incredibly engaging and lovingly created series. Although I would have liked to have seen deeper character development of both Sofia and Gideon, I loved it regardless. The Starbound trilogy is without a doubt, one of, if not the best young adult science fiction series to date.

Contains spoilers for book one and two in the series

Fall Twinmaker Book Three
Written by Sean Williams
Science Fiction, Dystopian
Published November 2015
400 Pages
★★★☆
Clair's world has been destroyed, again. The only remaining hope of saving her friends is for her and Q to enter the Yard, a digital world of Ant Wallace's creation. The rules there are the same as those of the real world. Water is real, fire is real, death is real. It all looks exactly the same as the world she used to know. But in the Yard there are two Clair Hills, and their very existence causes cracks that steadily widen.

Getting inside is the easy part. Once there, Clair has to earn the trust of her friends, including the girl who started it all, her best friend, Libby. But they don't know what's happened to the real world, and the other Clair is headstrong, impulsive, suspicious - just like Clair herself used to be. And that makes her dangerous.

As Clair struggles to find Jesse and make peace with herself, a surprising new ally emerges from the ashes of the world. Together they fight their way through the digital and political minefield in the hope of saving the world once and for all. This time Clair has to get it right or lose everything.
The world has turned to ruin and it's inhabitants all but lost. Clair faces an impossibly bleak future and is responsible for the decimation of millions of people worldwide when she destroyed the the booth technology in which humans travel instantly to anywhere in the world. The only landscape that now remains untouched is The Yard, a simulation created by the sinister Wallace, who wants nothing more than to destroy Clair. But now Clair faces an even greater challenge as she finds herself with a Dupe, a copy of herself that is seem as both illegal and immoral in her world. And she's isn't the only one.

To save the world, Clair must first gain the trust of those around her including her friends and members of the anti technology rebel group WHOLE. Her only companion is the artificial intelligence in Q, a girl who can infiltrate The Yard network. A series of glitches has not only left Q temporarily incapacitated but Clair seeing data ghosts. With her reality distorted, the fate of the world beyond the digital realm rests upon Clair's shoulders but will she sacrifice herself so that others can live?

Kelly's Thoughts

The Twinmaker series has been an incredibly unique world, lovingly created to keep readers on their toes and Fall is a worthy finale. But not without it's issues. Clair is back and out of favour with those around her, with most not able to trust the girl who destroyed the world. Although lost, she's determined to make a difference and leave behind a legacy so society can rebuild. The only respite lives with a virtual world simply known as The Yard, created by Wallace where he has not only manufactured a new reality, but has brought those who have passed back to life by creating Dupes, scans from a simpler time when society was naive. Friends and foes have been regenerated and most in the form of data ghosts, whispers that inundate Clair with warnings of a world lost. Not only does Clair appear to be destabilised, but those around her can no longer trust her. And with good reason.

This is where the storyline becomes far more intricate than I was able to fully comprehend. Clair has a Dupe, a copy of herself taken from scans shortly after the height of Improvement popularity and referred to as Clair One. Clair One is the more cynical, agitated and untrusting of the two. She is the version of Clair before the world was destroyed. But apart from Q and Clair's only ally in Peacekeeper Kari, her fellow characters seemed to prefer the company of Clair One, which begun to confuse me as to who the most original Clair was. Then enter Clair Three.

Three Clair's were two Clair's too many. It created confusion and seemingly slowed down what would usually be a fast paced and adventurous science fiction storyline, as readers discovered in both books one and two in the series. It felt much more masculine in nature than former series installments, which were softened by the romance between Clair and Jesse and while I did enjoy it for the most part, it did leave me frustrated and confused.

The final verdict

A worthy, although confusing finale to what has been an unique series driven by action and character development. Although I enjoyed it thoroughly for the most part, the confusion within the storyline left me slightly disappointed.

21 comments

  1. So I've heard quite a bit about Their Fractured Light but somehow I always thought it was a standalone?!? Ahaha -- but it sounds very interesting! Ragtag characters are my favourite, although I hesitate because anything with a strong romantic subplot is likely to turn me off. But the series has such gorgeous covers! I haven't heard much about the Twinmaker Series, so I'll add the first book to my considering-TBR pile first :D

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    1. It's actually the finale Alyssa and the series is incredible! It really instilled my love for young adult science fiction. The Twinmaker series really is one of a kind, so intricate for young adult, Sean Williams definitely doesn't dumb down his characters or storylines. Both brilliant series, you couldn't go wrong with picking up either of them.

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  2. I loved Their Fractured Light as well but I definitely agree that Sofia and Gideon's romance wasn't the best in the series. But I still really loved how the story unfolded and the writing was phenomenal.

    I haven't read the Sean Williams series but to be honest I can't say that I've been attracted to it in any way either. It does sound like the story gets really confusing with all those Claires.

    Lovely reviews, Kelly!

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    1. Sadly Fall does a little, which is a shame because the first two installments were incredible! But Their Fractured Light was brilliant. Everything I'd expect from a series finale, apart from wanting more Sofia and Gideon. I hope they at least can recapture their storyline with a novella, these two really deserve it.

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  3. I haven't gotten around to reading Their Fractured Light but I've heard great things about it. I read This Shattered World a few months ago and while I didn't love as much as These Broken Stars, it was still really good. I agree there are very few decent sci-fi books for YA. I'm either really confused by them or have no interest half way through, luckily I've enjoyed this trilogy so far. I can't wait to read this one. Also, these books have to be the most gorgeous book covers in the world (with The Winner's Trilogy a close second, lol). Great Review!!!

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    1. Ohh, the covers are absolutely gorgeous aren't they Taylor, so deliciously lovely. I loved These Broken Stars, but I loved the dystopian type warzone even more in This Shattered World, but missed the snark and banter between the characters. Just wait until you read this one Taylor, they're all back and join forces. It's glorious. I can't wait to see what you think of it.

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  4. ABSHAJ KELLY. This is one of my favorite series of all time as well, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of this. It makes me so happy to hear that this lived up to the awesomeness of the first two books. Holding in there until it arrives at the library! Thanks for sharing Kelly and, as always, fabulous review! <3

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    1. Thanks Zoe and YES! You must get your hands on a copy as soon as humanly possible. I can almost guarantee you'll absolutely love it. There might even be a few happy tears thrown in there too.

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  5. I'm so looking forward to reading the final Starbound book. Though I don't really remember any mentions of Gideon and Sofia. But I can't wait to meet them. As far as the Twinmaker goes, I haven't read the books, unfortunately. :/ Brilliant review, Kelly. <3

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    1. Gideon I don't, but Sofia you'll remember in passing from This Shattered World and the storyline reminds you of her backstory. Both series have been incredible, for both young adult and Aussie authors as well.

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  6. Their Fractured Light .... NEED. Well, I need to read the second book first, but gah, I can't wait.

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    1. Oh yes, you really do Christy. And now with the last two having been released, you'll have to whip them out and get stuck into them. You definitely won't be disappointed.

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  7. I have Jump on my TBR waiting for me to get to eventually... It sounds like a really interesting series.

    Their Fractured Light!! That was such a good finale. I loved seeing all the characters working together in person. Plus Gideon's sass and sarcasm was amazing! I'm sad to see the series end but cannot wait to see what Amie and Meagan's come up with next.

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    1. It really is poppet. So intricate and really surprising for a young adult series too. I know! It's only just ended and already I need more! But on the plus side, we have the Illuminae series to keep us occupied now too.

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  8. I preordered Their Fractured Light and I'm anxiously awaiting for it. It's been 2 weeks already. I could cry. I'm glad to hear it's a good finale! Disappointing about the romance but I'm sure it's still going to be a good book!

    Awesome review!

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    1. Thanks Marianne. It was still awesome, despite the storyline not devoting enough time to the young couple to develop. I love this series, it's just been such a pleasure to read. Can't wait to see what you think of it and hope it arrives soon!

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  9. Yesss I'm so glad you loved Their Fractured Light Kelly! It's definitely a favourite trilogy for me! I completely agree with what you said about Gideon and Sofia though, they were really engaging at the start but somehow kind of faded in interest when everyone else appeared. I haven't heard great things about the Jump series and I have the full thing to read here, a shame it kind of changed tone.

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    1. The Jump series is actually really good Jeann, it'll keep you on your toes and is really science fiction heavy which increases with each installment. I was left a bit confused by the finale though, it was a bit too busy and I couldn't engage as much as I have with the previous installments. Looking forward to you starting it and seeing what you think of it.

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  10. Great reviews Kelly, I enjoyed reading them both. I really should start the Starbound series very soon! The other one I'm not really familiar with, it's a bit of a bummer it was a little confusing though; that must have been disappointing for the final instalment of a series.

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    1. Thanks Wattle. It was a little, but overall I really enjoyed it and would still gladly read it again. The Starbound series is phenomenal. So beautifully written and one of the best young adult series I've read. I really hope you pick up a copy Wattle, I'd love to see your thoughts.

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  11. I enjoyed first two books in Starbound series, so glad to hear you loved the final book. So often series starts really good, but crash and burn in the end. Wonderful review, Kelly!

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