Never Too Many To Read : Blog Tour: Obsidian and Stars by Julie Eshbaugh...Review, Favorite Quotes, & a Giveaway!

Excited to tell you about a fascinating YA Fantasy today...

Obsidian and Stars by Julie Eshbaugh,

the beautiful sequel to Ivory & Bone.

Obsidian and Stars

(Ivory and Bone #2)
by Julie Eshbaugh
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Synopsis:

After surviving the chaotic battle that erupted after Lo and the Bosha clan attacked, now Mya is looking ahead to her future with Kol. All the things that once felt so uncertain are finally falling into place. But the same night as Kol and Mya’s betrothal announcement, Mya’s brother Chev reveals his plan to marry his youngest sister Lees to his friend Morsk. The only way to avoid this terrible turn of events, Morsk informs Mya when he corners her later, is for Mya to take Lees’ place and marry him herself.

Refusing to marry anyone other than her beloved, and in an effort to protect her sister, Mya runs away to a secret island with Lees. And though it seems like the safest place to hide until things back home blow over, Mya soon realizes she’s been followed. Lurking deep in the recesses of this dangerous place are rivals from Mya’s past whose thirst for revenge exceeds all reason.

With the lives of her loved ones on the line, Mya must make a move before the enemies of her past become the undoing of her future.

Julie Eshbaugh is the author of Ivory and Bone (HarperCollins, 2016). She used to have trouble staying in one spot, having lived in places as varied as Utah, France, and New York City. Julie eventually returned home to the Philadelphia area, where she now lives with her husband, son, cat and dog. Her favorite moments are when the unexpected happens and she cheers loudest when the pitcher gets a hit.

Title: Obsidian and Stars
Author: Julie Eshbaugh
Format: Digital ARC
Source: Netgalley

In this fascinating prehistoric YA novel, Julie Eshbaugh continues the story of Kol and Mya and the challenges they face as clans battle for supremacy and survival during the Ice Age.

If you enjoyed Ivory and Bone, then you'll probably enjoy the sequel. I do recommend reading the first book in the series before diving into this one. In both books, Julie Eshbaugh has created a interesting world and characters in a setting you rarely see in YA fiction and all in a way that is simply beautiful to read.

Set during the Ice Age, Obsidian and Stars takes place following the drama of Ivory and Bone as Mya recovers from events in the first book and looks forward to a life with Kol. However, things are not easy for this young couple, as circumstances and others work against them and Mya faces a difficult decision in order to protect her younger sister...a decision that could have a major impact on her relationship with Kol.  Conflicts, nature, and old enemies continue to threaten any plans the couple has for the future.

You get a bit of everything in Obsidian and Stars...action, adventure, romance, drama, history, etc...so it's a little hard to categorize this one. Nevertheless, whatever you label it, I want to read more!

It's difficult to talk about Obsidian and Stars without mentioning the first book. Both books are wonderfully written with characters I rooted for and fell in love with, but in a refreshing change, Mya is our storyteller in this one rather than Kol, who narrated Ivory and Bone. I absolutely loved getting Mya's perspective in this book. In Ivory and Bone, Kol is sharing his view of events that occurred following their first meeting and we don't really get to see her thoughts, emotions, and reactions to everything they experience and the world they live in. So the switching of narrators was a welcome and interesting change that gave the story a different feel. Both are such different characters and storytellers who come from very different clans, yet they somehow work as a couple and I liked the differing perspectives.

Also, setting a story during the Ice Age was such an interesting and refreshing choice made by the author. I am not sure I've ever read a series set during this time period...in fact, I know I haven't. I enjoyed the uniqueness of everything from the hunt for mammoths to encounters with saber-tooth cats. Every day was a quest to survive from both nature and humans, and Julie Eshbaugh managed to capture both the beauty and tension of the time.

In my opinion, Obsidian and Stars is a bit more exciting than Ivory and Bone, as there is more emotion, action and what feels like a faster pace to the story. I could feel the tension throughout the story and I got caught up in some of the heart-stopping and emotional events. My heart ached for the characters as I wondered what would happen next and how it would affect the characters I had come to love, both the main couple and secondary characters, as well as new characters we meet in Obsidian and Stars.

Another thing I liked about this book is that we do get to see characters in a different light and watch as various relationships are strengthened or changed. While the two books have different feels to them because of the change in perspective, pacing, and events, they both manage complement each other.

If you enjoy stories with intriguing characters and unique settings, then Obsidian and Stars won't disappoint. I certainly wasn't disappointed by the adventure the author took me on as the story of Mya and Kol progressed.

*I received a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*