Audiobook Review: A Space Opera

Heavenbreaker by Sara Wolf

Narrated by Ashley Bryce

Summary from Goodreads:

Confession:

This ended up being quite an enjoyable book! I really had no expectations going in, mostly because of this really bad habit I have of forgetting what I know about a book before reading it. Usually I read a review or see a book and read the summary, and I think, ‘that sounds like a good book!’ And then I’ll either add it to my Netgalley list or put it on hold at the library. Then by the time I get the book I have totally forgotten what it is about. So I often go into a book blind, and this sometimes works and sometimes is doesn’t. But this was quite the pleasant surprise and was a lot of fun to listen to.

Ashley Bryce did an excellent job with the narration. She does a great job with communicating how angry Synali was throughout the book. She also does a good job with voicing the other characters, and with being able to create them through accents and different types of voices. I would definitely choose another book narrated by her.

Synali is the main character and narrated most of the story. There are a few other chapters by other characters, but she carries the majority of the story. I really liked her, even though she was an extremely angry and bitter young woman. But she is also incredibly brave, strong and smart. Unfortunately she does allow her anger to rule most of her decisions. But she is still a complex character who finds herself in the middle of something that is far beyond her.

Rax and Mirelle are two of the characters we also get part of the story from. Rax is a really interesting character, and I hope we get to see more of him in the next book. He is sort of a love interest for Synali, but that is a very minor part of the story. I do think he really cares for her though. Mirelle is more or less Synali’s enemy, but she also feels the need to look out for her as a fellow rider. They have a complex relationship, and she also has a very complex relationship with Rex. She felt a little more fleshed out than Rax, and even though I wanted to hate her, I just couldn’t.

Rain was perhaps my favorite of the secondary characters. We also get a few chapters from his perspective. He is the assassin that killed Synali’s mother, and his part of the story doesn’t at first seem to connect to the main story, but it does by the end. I hope to see a whole lot more of him in the next book.

The plot was well done, but could have used a tad more world building. I might have missed some of that at the start of the book, but I felt like I never really got an idea of what the space station they all lived on looked like. The scenes involving the mech suits were well executed and I really got a feel for what it was like to be inside one of them. I loved the quasi medieval feel to the world, and just loved the idea that they were holding jousting competitions out in the vastness of space. I also enjoyed the AI aspect of the story, and I really look forward to seeing how that all plays out in the next book. Lots of political machinations and intrigue as well that will keep everyone on their toes. The pacing was spot on with lots of action and then some slower spots that allow you to catch your breath.

Overall this is a book I would recommend you consider especially if you like space operas, a quasi medieval world with jousting in mech suits, and some characters that are morally gray but ones you will still find lovable and end up rooting for. The second book hasn’t been announced yet, but I hope we won’t have to wait too long for it.