A Wilderness of Stars

by Shea Ernshaw Narrated by Ferdelle Capistrano

Overview

In this “slow-burning, atmospheric romance” (Publishers Weekly) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Long Live the Pumpkin Queen, an illness cursing the land forces a teen girl astronomer to venture across the wilderness in search of the stars' message that will, hopefully, save them all.

When all is lost, look to the stars.

Vega has lived in the valley her whole life-forbidden by her mother to leave the safety of its borders because of the unknown threats waiting for her in the wilds beyond. But when Vega sees an omen in the sky-one she cannot ignore-she is forced to leave the protective boundaries of the valley for the first time. Yet the outside world is much more terrifying than Vega could have ever imagined. People are gravely sick-they lose their eyesight and their hearing, just before they lose their lives.

But Vega has a secret: she is the Last Astronomer-a title carried from generation to generation-and she is the only one who understands the knowledge of the stars. Knowledge that could hold the key to a cure. So when locals spot the tattoo on Vega's neck in the shape of a constellation-the mark of an astronomer-chaos erupts. Fearing for her life, Vega is rescued by a girl named Cricket who leads her to Noah, a boy marked by his own mysterious tattoos.

On the run from the men hunting her, Vega sets out across the plains with Cricket and Noah, in search of a fabled cure kept secret by the astronomers. But as the line between friends and protectors begins to blur, Vega must decide whether to safeguard the sacred knowledge of the astronomers...or if she will risk everything to try to save them all.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

09/26/2022

Seventeen-year-old Vega, the Astronomer, must partner with the fabled Architect to save a world ravaged by a fictional plague in this slow-burning, atmospheric romance by Ernshaw (Winterwood). Vega’s mother is the Astronomer, a custodian of celestial knowledge whose powers are passed matrilineally through the generations. Vega, who has never left their isolated rural valley, knows she will one day inherit the mantle, but it occurs sooner than expected when, after a sign in the stars foretells an omen, Vega’s mother dies, leaving her alone to venture beyond the valley. Vega seeks the Architect, a man tasked with leading her on a destined quest to save humankind from the consumption, a lethal illness. While she was expecting the Architect to be a learned philosopher, she instead finds charming teenage Noah. Together the duo must contend with supply scarcity, extreme and dangerous weather, and violent fanatics who are hunting for the Astronomer. Mystery and romance unfurl at an unhurried clip, and Vega’s absorbing first-person narration lends immediacy to this existential tale, which evokes an old western feel and hints at a larger potential world. Vega is described as having copper-colored skin. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jess Regel, Helm Literary. (Nov.)

BookPage

"A Wilderness of Stars is an atmospheric adventure romance that pulls from a constellation of genres as author Shea Ernshaw crafts a world that seems both familiar and alien...[that] will delight readers who love soft science fiction, measured reveals and romances that are written in the stars."

New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor

Riveting, atmospheric thriller that messes with your mind in the best way.”

School Library Journal

★ 12/01/2022

Gr 7 Up—Vega, 17, lives in the valley under the protection of her mother; however, one day she sees a sign in the sky and is compelled to venture out of the valley to help save mankind. An illness is spreading and people are dying. After her mother dies, she and her father leave the protection of the valley. Her father carries medicine while Vega carries the secret that she is the Last Astronomer and must find The Architect to save the world from demise as Earth is no longer safe. Ernshaw wastes no time drawing readers into the story and creating tension as the plot thickens. With an ominous tone throughout as the characters meet outlaws, scavengers, and theorists, the story moves at breakneck speed. Readers will not leave this one on the shelves. The author has created an original idea allowing readers to think about astronomy and how it relates to the Earth in an easy-to-read novel with intriguing characters. This appears to be the first book of what has the potential to be a popular series. Characters are fair-skinned and described as freckled with dark hair. Others are not described but envisioned with weathered and rugged features. VERDICT Highly recommended. A great addition to any YA collection and for readers who enjoy wondering about the night sky.—Karen Alexander

Kirkus Reviews

2022-08-31
A girl carries a lifesaving secret on her skin.

Seventeen-year-old Vega’s life has been one of secrets whispered to her by her mother, mysteries passed down through generations of astronomer daughters and the marks of the Astronomer tattooed onto their necks. Vega and her parents live in a remote valley, hiding from the dangerous outlaw Theorists who believe the Astronomer has the answer to the consumption, a mysterious, rapidly spreading illness. But Vega’s mother is dying of the consumption, and after a century of waiting, a sign appears in the sky as two eastern stars finally align. As the Last Astronomer, Vega must find the Architect so they can travel to the sea and save humanity before it’s too late. But the Architect is not quite what Vega expected. Noah is young like her and equally haunted by the secrets they carry and the mission they share. As they run away from those who wish to do them harm, Vega and Noah’s journey and personal connection feel inevitable from the start. With a vibe reminiscent of old Westerns, this evocative, slow-moving novel unveils its secrets little by little with unconvincing worldbuilding that wobbles on the central reasoning for the Astronomer-Architect setup. The love story between Noah and Vega is rushed and unearned, and the characters are barely developed. Vega and Noah are assumed White.

Atmospheric but ultimately underwhelming. (Science fiction. 14-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940178917428
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	11/29/2022
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One


ORION, Gamma Ori +06° 20’ 58”

A hundred years ago, the first Astronomer looked up at the night sky and made note of what she saw: horseshoe nebulas and spiral galaxies and dying star clusters. But she did not yet know what lay hidden in the shadowy darkness between stars. She was not a seer, a fortune-teller, as was common in the old world but rarely talked about now. Instead she used the circular glass rings of her telescope to make sense of the dark; she used physics and chemistry and science. She drafted charts and measured distances and sketched formations like Pleiades and Andromeda onto wax paper.

Maybe if she had believed in fate. If she had listened to her gut—that hollow twisting beneath her lowest ribs—she might have feared what she didn’t understand.

She might have known that the shadow concealed more than dust and particles of broken moons.

She would have looked closer.

And seen.

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