Friday, September 20, 2013

Book Review: Across the Stars


Across the Stars
Buy it Here
Age Appropriate For: All Ages
Best for Ages: 8 to 16

Description: A prince becomes king. A boy comes to grips with his mother’s death. A girl faces a difficult decision. A young man learns the consequences of his rashness. A rabbit travels through space. And in another part of the universe, five children begin the adventure of a lifetime. After a midnight journey through the far reaches of space, Sara, Charles, Jack, Hetty, and Lu Watson find themselves on Emoria; a planet ruled by wicked King Jorrid, and the home of an oppressed people, waiting to be set free. There they meet Felix Walker, the poorly treated son of King Jorrid’s general. Together with Felix, the Watsons put together a force for the purpose of freeing Emoria. But will their small band of farmers and children be able to stand against the king’s massive army?

It seems I go into every fantasy and sci-fi book thinking I’m not going to like it. This is probably due to the fact I have been given several books from those genres and been very disappointed. This book did not disappoint me. In fact, it far exceeded my expectations.

The whole story has the feeling of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe about it. It has the same charm as the C. S. Lewis stories, yet there is no doubt that this is a different tale. It is a very original story which combines science fiction and non-magical fantasy for a tale that will delight children and adults alike.

The children of the story are delightful, each with their own personality. They work together and use their combined knowledge of scripture, history, and strategy to help the people of Emoria win their freedom. Even the smallest children have a part in the plan.

Morgan Huneke has a wonderful style. She has a charming way of telling a story. She was able to incorporate flashbacks into her story in a very effective way. She also did a great job incorporating large amounts of scripture into the story in a very powerful way. Even I, who normally would roll my eyes at quite so much scripture being used in a book, found it refreshing and a blessing.

There were only two things that I didn’t care for. First, I found the Declaration of Emoria Independence was a bit long. I loved the idea, but it was a bit long for the book.  Second, the Gettysburg Address was also included in its entirety. Although it fit the situation, again it seemed a little long for the story.

At the end, there was a hint of a possible sequel. I hope there is, because I loved this story. I highly recommend this for a family read-aloud, or as a fun adventure for children.


I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

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