Quick Reviews

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice by Rebecca Connolly (2022)

A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice is a story of the Titanic disaster told from unique perspectives.  It is based on the true story of the ship Carpathia, which answered the Titanic's distress call and was able to save some of its passengers.  The narrative switches between the viewpoints of the captain of the Carpathia, Arthur Rostron, and Kate Connolly, a third-class passenger on the Titanic who is able to make her way to a lifeboat.  The Titanic has always been a fascinating topic to me, how this supposedly unsinkable ship didn't make it through its first voyage and what its passengers went through, so I eagerly read this book.  Having the POV of Captain Rostron was especially inspired - we see the heroism of him and his crew despite not knowing what they were headed into.  It's a part of the Titanic story that many people may not know about.  I did think the pacing was a bit off - some of the action happens off page and feels glossed over - and the writing style is very formal.  I think it captures the era well, but it also feels stiff at times.  Overall, though, an admirable addition to the Titanic historical fiction genre.  4 stars

Heir, Apparently by Kara McDowell (2024)

After surviving a near-apocalypse, Wren and Theo (now the King of England) are thrown back together when their reunion is caught by the paparazzi.  Theo's advisors need Wren to come back to England to determine what the next steps are, but of course, with these two nothing is easy, and their plane crashes on a deserted island.  With their friends and siblings, they face volcanoes, injuries, and tough decisions - what will their future hold, if they even make it out alive?  The first book in this duology was one of my favorites of last year, so I was so looking forward to the next chapter of Wren and Theo's story - and it was near perfection for me!  I don't know what it is about these two, but even with all the crazy antics, the misunderstandings, the rapidly changing feelings, I can't help but root for them.  McDowell adds even more layers to their story by bringing in Theo's siblings, so there are all these discussions about the monarchy and their duty to their country.  The action is practically non-stop; it felt like most chapters ended on some sort of minor cliffhanger, which made me want to keep reading.  Yes, it's over the top; yes, there's a lot of drama (these are teenagers, after all).  But it's a fun, funny, surprisingly tender at times story about a boy and a girl who always seem to find themselves in dire situations, falling in love despite the odds against them.  My only quibble is, as much as I love Wren, at times I wanted Theo's POV, only because he can be quite stoic and sometimes maddening, so to know what's going on in his head would add even that much more to the story!  4.5 stars

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