"Another engaging entry in this world of spies and international intrigue." — Kirkus Reviews on Icon and Inferno
Praise for Stars and Smoke:
*A New York Times bestseller!*
“Sexy, funny, action-packed, full of killer characters ready to break your heart and look good doing it. Marie Lu always delivers.” — Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times–bestselling author
“At once thrilling and poignant . . . a brilliant, breathtaking ride that will leave you clamoring for the sequel.” — Tahereh Mafi, #1 internationally bestselling author of Shatter Me
“A nail-biting thriller and a breathless romance, a keen character study and a wildly entertaining international caper . . with characters so charming and wounded and well-crafted that you’ll want them to walk off the page.” — Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of the Ember in the Ashes series and National Book Award Winner All My Rage
“A classic covert caper from one of YA’s brightest stars. If you ever wondered what would happen if a pop star joined Kingsman, this is the book for you.” — Ally Carter, New York Times–bestselling author of Not If I Save You First
"Marie Lu has done it again with an unputdownable, gorgeously written spy caper that will have you rooting for the spies to just kiss already." — Maurene Goo, acclaimed author of Somewhere Only We Know and Throwback
"A propulsive and thrilling joyride from start to finish . . . The dynamic romance will have your heart racing just as much as the mission itself. I haven't smiled through a mystery like this since Knives Out." — Adam Silvera, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of They Both Die at the End
"To my mind, Marie Lu can do no wrong and this may be my favorite novel of hers. Stars and Smoke is thrilling and wonderfully romantic and so much more than that. There is wisdom and real emotional depth pulsing through these pages that’s as gripping as the plot itself." — Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Sun Is Also a Star
2024-03-23
Pop superstar Winter Young is again drawn into the world of secret agent Sydney Cossette in this follow-up to Stars and Smoke (2023).
Though constantly on one another’s minds, Winter and Sydney have resisted making any contact with each other since narrowly surviving a mission in which Panacea, the secret organization Sydney works for, tapped Winter to use his megastar status to infiltrate a wealthy and powerful criminal underworld. Ratcheting up the tension in this enemies-to-lovers romantic thriller is the fact that Sydney is being sent to Singapore to extract Tems, a fellow agent who also happens to be her ex. Winter, who needs a plus-one for a Warcross Championship gala in order to better maintain his cover, invites his former girlfriend. Witty insults and crossed signals abound in the pair’s smoldering relationship, but this second installment is a bit darker than the first. If some of the betrayals and losses involved are easy enough to spot coming, they still pack an emotional punch due to the strong development of Winter’s and Sydney’s respective backstories, told in alternating third-person narratives, both involving abuse and psychological pain. Winter is Chinese American; Sydney is white, and there’s a diverse cast of supporting characters whom readers will likely see again—Lu has left the ending tantalizingly open for another installment.
Another engaging entry in this world of spies and international intrigue. (Thriller. 14-18)
