Orion and the Starborn is the first book in the Orion Rising series. K.B. Hoyle takes her young readers on a great ride in this sci-fi fantasy.
The Story
Orion Kim has never felt like he belongs. But when an assassin from another planet shows up–along with a mysterious protector–Orion finally learns why. He’s not from Earth at all. He is Starborn. He was placed on Earth to protect him from those who seek to kill him, but now he must return home, yet without knowing his true identity.
Orion makes friends and enemies as he begins school at the Stellar Academy and learns how to use his innate gifts as a Starborn. And slowly, he begins to find his place in this world in a way he couldn’t on Earth. Yet the mystery of his identity plagues him. He and his friends Aurora and Apollo will stop at nothing to discover who he really is.
What I loved
The world feels filled-out. We go to explore a lot of this world with Orion in this first book, and there were hints of more world-building that we haven’t seen yet. Overall, the world building was satisfying and made me eager to see more.
It’s science fiction, but it feels more like fantasy. In fact, iff Harry Potter had discovered he were an alien instead of a wizard, this might be the type of story you would expect. There’s no magic use, but the kids do have hereditary powers. And of course, there’s cool alien technology.
Orion makes friends and enemies. He learns how to use his innate gifts as a Starborn. And he finds his place in this world in a way he couldn’t on Earth.
Overall, the pacing and sense of mystery kept me reading.
Parents Should Know
Like most middle-grade, expect a certain amount of peril and a bit of mischief from Orion and the Starborn. The kids also learn about a previous affair that led to some children.
*I received an advance reader copy of this book to review from the publisher. I was not required to review it (y’all know I only review books I like), and all opinions are my own.
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