asianamlitfans | Oct. 3rd, 2019

A Review of Maura Milan's Ignite the Stars (AW Teen, 2018)
By Heejoo Park

Maura Milan’s debut has already been reviewed on Asian American Lit Fans. However, I am posting this review as a lead-up to the one about its sequel, Eclipse the Skies, which was absolutely heart-wrecking in a good way.

As one might guess from the eye-catching cover, Ignite the Stars is a YA science fiction set in space that has the aura of Star Wars and / or Star Trek. Moreover, Ia Cōcha, who adorns the cover, is a badass POC female character with a dark sense of humor that will grow on the readers. It has almost become a norm in young adult fiction to have empowering female protagonists. Nonetheless, I personally loved that Ia is a character that I haven’t wanted to yell at in a long, long time. She has her flaws as is often the case with teenage heroes who believes they are invincible. However, I found Ia fascinating due to her complex moral compass and her ability to live with her sins, make amends, and learn from her mistakes. It’ll be interesting to follow how Ia and her relationships with two other POV characters, Brinn and Knives, develop over the course of the series.

In the world of Ignite the Stars, the known universe is mostly in control of the Olympus Commonwealth, which is an empire ruled by two queens. Although the Uranium War that decimated several planets has ended by the beginning of the book, OC is nowhere near ceasing its military expansion. It is at that precise moment that Milan pulls us into the world that she has built, which resonates so much with our current political climate. The influx of refugees (Tawnies, Makolions, Dvvins etc.) into the capital star system causes the conservative political parties of the Commonwealth to push for a racist and xenophobic agenda, which leads to mob violence against those who are visibly identifiable as a foreign other. In addition, there are rumors that a slaver nation called the Armadas are planning to wage a war against the Commonwealth. At this point, there is no clear good and bad side as innocent civilians in the Fringe are left to their own devices.

Upon her capture on a Tawny refugee ship, Ia is sent to the Commonwealth’s most prestigious military academy, Aphelion, to be used in the service of imperialist propaganda instead of being left to die in a prison camp. It is there at Aphelion where she meets Brinn and Knives. I loved the dynamic between this unlikely trio that consists of a rebel, an assimilationist, and a bystander.

* spoiler alert *

Especially, I appreciated the careful attention paid to Brinn as a character, who is a half-Tawny with a birth right citizenship. At first, she firmly believes in the values of the Commonwealth and tries to hide her heritage by dying her naturally navy blue hair into brown and making mistakes on her exams. Furthermore, she volunteers to become a soldier of the Royal Star Fleet in order to prove her loyalty. Yet, she gradually begins to doubt the empire’s values the more she spends time with her roommate Ia. Therefore, I absolutely loved her final transformation towards the end of the book.

As everyone would probably agree, Knives is the more predictable character of the two though nonetheless charming for it. I liked that he represents many of the bystanders who know enough to distrust the empire but do not confront their own complicities. However, he, too, is prompted into action when the crisis hits. I am very curious as to how the romance between Ia and Knives will survive this morally complex world. I hope it brings some unexpected twists. But I guess I’ll have to patiently wait for Eclipse the Skies to find out.

Review Author: Heejoo Park, PhD Candidate in English hpark054@ucr.edu

Buy the Book Here: https://www.amazon.com/Ignite-Stars-Maura-Milan/dp/0807536253