I’m a big fan of Marie Lu‘s Skyhunter duology [Buy Bookshop Amazon], so when the opportunity to get my hands on an early copy of her next novel came up, I jumped on it. My friend and I both got an advanced bound manuscript of Stars and Smoke at YALLFest, and decided to read it in the same month. She said there were some strange things with the ABM, so I got an e-ARC in hopes of enjoying it more than she did.

Spoiler alert: I did.

Stars and Smoke [Buy Bookshop Amazon] is a very different vibe than Marie’s prior books, since it’s set in a more realistic, modern day setting instead of fantasy. Our main characters are Sydney and Winter. Winter is a Chinese American music sensation. A video of him singing went viral and now he’s one of the biggest stars, but he still feels pretty lonely. He gave me major Jackson Wang vibes, so I went with that imagery. (You’re welcome 😉). Sydney works for a secret agency that is kinda black ops/off the books wing of the CIA. She’s got her own emotional trauma going on, and is not pleased with her superior’s plan to pair them up.

The agency is trying to get evidence on a bad dude, and that bad dude’s daughter happens to be a major fan of Winter’s. The dad hires Winter to perform a private concert for the birthday bash, so he’s picked up and convinced to be a spy, with Sydney posing as his bodyguard. But, no mission is really as simple as it sounds, right?

Overall, I enjoyed Stars and Smoke, but I took it at face value and didn’t read too much into it. Are there a bunch of details that don’t quite make sense? Yes. Specifically a motorcycle chase that just… nope. Physics don’t line up there. Was the twist predictable? Big yes, but whatever. A lot of thrillers are. The writing isn’t the classic Marie Lu, with its lush and beautiful descriptions, which I attribute to it being realistic instead of needing to paint a picture of a whole different world. But, I still found it to be a fun read. It’s fast paced and adventure-filled, with plenty of romantic tension. I am eagerly awaiting book two, because thank the Goodreads gods for posting it as a series with a book two on the way.

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