Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood Review

"Three royal houses ruling three interplanetary systems are on the brink of collapse, and they must either ally together or tear each other apart in order for their people to survive.

Asa is the youngest daughter of the house of Fane, which has been fighting a devastating food and energy crisis for far too long. She thinks she can save her family’s livelihood by posing as her oldest sister in an arranged marriage with Eagle, the heir to the throne of the house of Westlet. The appearance of her mother, a traitor who defected to the house of Galton, adds fuel to the fire, while Asa also tries to save her sister Wren's life . . . possibly from the hands of their own father.

But as Asa and Eagle forge a genuine bond, will secrets from the past and the urgent needs of their people in the present keep them divided?

Author Tessa Elwood's debut series is an epic romance at heart, set against a mine field of political machinations, space adventure, and deep-seeded family loyalties."

NetGalley. Thanks for the copy.

Inherit the Stars (by Tessa Elwood) isn't going to be out until later this year (December 8, 2015), and doesn't possess a cover (though I'm sure it will be beautiful). YA Science Fiction, the book is really interesting with a special format and awesome... Oh, darn. Because of how far away the publication date is, I'm not going to go into the spoilers very much and spoil the book for the rest of you. But I assure you that there is some space traveling. No Jedi, though. 

Asa is the youngest of three daughters in the House of Fane. Desperate to save Wren, her sister (who is on life support and may be taken off by her own father), she pretends to be Emmie (her other older sister, who is younger than Wren). She comes up with the craziest plans (a definite skill of hers). Personally, I love Asa. She is passionate, and she voices her opinions without thinking of the consequences. Her mouth gets her in trouble many times. 

Eagle, the Heir to the House of Westlet, is her brand new husband (though the book doesn't call him that). Scarred (and reminding me of the Beast, only in the physical sense, not characteristically) and amazing (in his own way), Eagle ignites sparks in Asa. He has this... Okay, I can't mention any spoilers. But I will tell you all that Asa and Eagle's romance is pretty awesome. It starts with a reluctant friendship (and alliance) that slowly evolves over time. Those two grow closer and closer together. 

Because of the politics and the royalty involved, you can be sure there is a lot of drama. There is this sort of Revenge (tv show on ABC) feeling I get whenever I read about Lady Westlet or some other titled person. Along with the plentiful drama, there is also this wonderful space. I mean, space. Space space. What NASA spends decades studying. I absolutely love the way Tessa Elwood explore the space-y setting, but I also wish she defines the politics of the houses better. 

The story goes by very quickly, and if you don't have your seatbelts on, you are going to fly out of the book without a clue to what is going on. The pacing is much quicker than expected, and it takes a long time to adjust. There are plenty of twists (most of them surprising enough to sideline me), and most of the plot shows hurried storyline. 

With space travel and planets, Inherit the Stars has a dizzyingly wonderful romance with strong characters who are remarkable in their own ways. The world of this book has its highs and lows, but possesses much more highs. The plot is paced quickly, so if you want a book that goes by fast, this will do. 

Rating: Four out of Five