Mini review: Across a Star-Swept Sea (For Darkness Shows the Stars #2) by Diana Peterfreund

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

In this thrilling adventure inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine.

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Source: ARC provided by the publisher – Balzer + Bray via BEA

My thoughts: What a refreshing change of pace to have so many well developed, intelligent characters in a YA novel! Especially female characters. Oh this book made my heart sing with all the complex female characters!

Across a Star-Swept Sea has very little action but I didn’t really miss it because instead it delivered an intelligent examination of political strife, class discrimination, our treatment of the mentally disabled and equality.

All while throwing in cool things like palm ports, flutter notes, a sea mink (I want one!) and a sweet romance. 

Across a Star-Swept Sea gives you a story that you can sink your teeth into….and have fun while doing it. A difficult thing to balance but Peterfreund does just that.

Quotables:
“But I've decided you're in fact terminally brave. And that should never be snuffed."

“No one is innocent in the tides of history. Everyone has kings and slaves in his past. Everyone has saints and sinners. We are not to blame for the actions of our ancestors. We can only try to be the best we can, no matter our heritage, to strive for a better future for us all.”

“We can only be responsible for what we ourselves do. Bad things happen in this world, and we are judged on how we respond. Do we take part in evil, or do we fight against it with all we have.?”
“How odd that an array of gorgeous dresses and a few well-placed dumb comments were all it took to disguise her true self, Was it because she was a woman?”

Across a Star Swept-Sea is a stand alone – companion novel to For Darkness Shows the Stars.