*UPDATE 3rd time read in June, 2020*
I want to finally complete this series since the third book has been out for a year. I feel like people are sleeping on this series a bit. This first book especially is really interesting and fun. I love the dynamic between our two protagonists and their enemies-to-friends-to-lovers relationship arc. Also the discussion of A.I. and what makes someone human is done really well here, in my opinion. Now, maybe the way the third book ends the series will have an affect on my views about this overall as a series, but I do recommend this first book as a fun space romp.

***ORIGINAL REVIEW***
Noemi is a young soldier, training for a suicide mission to protect her beloved home planet of Genesis against attack from Earth. During training, her ship is damaged and she take refuge on an old abandoned Earth ship. To her surprise, she finds an AI (called a mech in this story) named Abel who has been trapped inside for nearly 30 years. Abel ends up becoming Noemi's to command, and together they work to destroy a gateway that constitutes Earth's road to Genesis.

This story is told in third person through both Noemi's and Abel's perspectives, and I thought it was really well done. For the most part, each chapter skips back and forth between the two main characters, and I think it's really successful. There are so many instances where an author will do that and it doesn't work because:

1. The characters don't have distinct voices so it becomes confusing.
Or
2. One of the characters' perspectives is far more enjoyable to read from than the other, so the balance and flow is off.

In Defy The Stars, I loved both of the protagonists equally. I loved their interactions and banter, and seeing them grow both together and separately over the course of the novel was really wonderful.

I love the discussion this book bring up of what it means to be human as well. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the arc of Abel's character coming into this book, but I really liked it. For being a sci-fi book, I found his story believable, and I attribute that to the quality of the writing.

Even though this book has quite a bit of action, the character development inside is wonderful. I found the action to be very character-driven. For one example, their entire mission is based on Noemi's desire to save her best friend and later her planet from attack. Her courage and determination inform her actions, which is what propels the story further.

As far as the world-building goes, I do wish we'd gotten more of the planets themselves. I think that Claudia Grey did a wonderful job setting up the basics of each planet and their role in the galaxy politically and culturally, but I just wanted a little more. I know this is the first in a series, so I'm hoping now that we know these characters she expands on the world. Maybe this is a little nitpicky...so be it.

I felt like the book ended in a great place. It's not all wrapped up in a neat little bow, but it felt like the end of the first act, and I could see the direction it was going but didn't feel cheated out of an ending.

I can't wait for the next book in this series. In the meantime, I need to go read this author's other work, as this was my first experience with her books.