Review: Umbra: Sentient Stars by Amber Toro

Blurb:

Umbra is the first book in the Sentient Stars trilogy, an intergalactic, space opera, adventure story, with a slow burn enemies to lovers romance, told from 3 POV’s with fully sentient starships, a militaristic society, alien worlds, and a signal in the darkness that threatens to destroy humanity.

Earth That Was has faded into myth. After millenia spent wandering, humans are no longer nomads. Twelve tribes stand allied under the United Tribal Axis; but there is a signal in the darkness that threatens to destroy everything.

All Skyla wanted after leaving the Navy was to be left alone. Just her ship, the stars, and a new adventure. But when a strange virus disables her ship, she is thrown into the middle of a conflict she doesn’t understand, forcing her to take on responsibilities she swore she never would again.

Hinata always followed the rules, honor above all else. He always won, until he didn’t. Sentenced to exile for his failures, he is determined to prove himself, until a mysterious woman arrives on his station and chaos threatens to break already fragile alliances.

Freyja was always angry, an outcast, playing the part of admiral and black ops operative. But she is tired of being a pawn in the Empress’ games and when she’s stranded on the wrong side of enemy lines after a vengeful battle, she’s forced to ally with her adversaries to clear her name.

A Rogue.
A Commander.
And an Admiral.

Brought together by circumstance, held together by duty.
Can they find a way to work together to save humanity?

Review:

This debut space opera had me at page one. Umbra has everything I love about classic sci-fi with its own unique twist and a modern lit feel. The moderate pace struck a nice cadence while allowing the depth required for a well thought out galactic adventure. 

The world that unfolds is an interesting, diverse, politically rich intergalactic future. You encounter a wide array of cultural influences throughout the book, but instead of getting cliche representations of familiar cultures, Toro backs her galaxy's diversity with a logical path and sound lore. This gave me a world that felt authentic and possible, even if a little expected. The political landscape offered a good assortment of loyalists, rebels, scavengers, and explorers navigating ruling houses, crime syndicates, and alien threats, which leaves a lot of gray area for all those trying to survive after the world that was.

I loved the military vibes and the styles of training and combat, weaponry and crafts (who doesn't want a good sword fight in space). The tech was really fun and leaves you with it's own questions for future books. The fully sentient ships, and how they bond with their fated captains, adds a unique dynamic. The AI avoided classic pitfalls of a programmed machine, and their spunk was chefs kiss.

I loved the character development over the course of the story. They all wove together quite naturally and I was left feeling like I connected with most of them. Even the most despicable among them was an awesome character, maybe a favorite. I think in some characters there's room to grow and in some ways it feels purposeful for the series. The relationships are done well, with a good assortment of camaraderie, tension and everything in between. The will-they-won't-they romance subplot was probably the least annoying I've read in a while and I mean that in the best way. It didn't consume the story, while still making me bite my lip now and again. The animal and sentient ship sidekicks were the icing, and I love a good corner piece.

All this led to a plot that was really engaging. As the cast of characters made their way towards each other, getting pulled from different angles and motivations, I was thoroughly enticed by the mysteries that lay beyond the known galaxies and the troubles brewing within. I walked away with more theories than answers, yet so satisfied with the story that unfolded. Toro let the characters take much of the lead, for better or worse, in their intertwined destinies and the logic and relationships I was left with have me wanting more. 

That was the great part of the writing. It was an easy read with strong prose that stayed out of its own way. Toro struck a cinematic feel without getting too in the weeds. It gave me hints lf BSG, Star Wars, and Firefly. The story let me breathe in the world and become totally invested without info dumping or stringing me along, and I was left delightfully entertained.

While risking over-hyping it, this book really did all the important things right for me. Umbra was a great, easy, satisfying read. It was just enough of all my favorite aspects of the genre without requiring much of me. I absolutely recommend this to both the sci-fi newbie and veteran alike. I for one will be first in line for the next book!

CAWPILE Rating: 58/70