Wandering Star by Romina Russell – a Review

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Description:
Orphaned, disgraced, and stripped of her title, Rho is ready to live life quietly, as an aid worker in the Cancrian refugee camp on House Capricorn.

But news has spread that the Marad–an unbalanced terrorist group determined to overturn harmony in the Galaxy–could strike any House at any moment.

Then, unwelcome nightmare that he is, Ochus appears to Rho, bearing a cryptic message that leaves her with no choice but to fight.

Now Rho must embark on a high-stakes journey through an all-new set of Houses, where she discovers that there’s much more to her Galaxy–and to herself–than she could have ever imagined

Review:

Wandering Star by Romina Russell is the 2^nd book in her Zodiac series. Though this is considered a Young Adult book, the concept and story is truly for everyone. In the first book, Zodiac, where we met our teenage heroine, Rho, we learned about the different houses in the 12 galaxies. We learned about the evil Ochus, of the long lost 13^th Galaxy, who was slowly destroying them. However, Rho was the only one who saw him in her visions. With the destruction in her Galaxy, causing the death of the Guardian, Rho was elevated to become the Guardian of House Cancer, due to her powers. She took on the mantle to alert all the houses with the help of a select few, but distrust and failure cause everything to backfire, and Rho was sent home in disgrace.

In Wandering Star, we find Rho working quietly in House Capricorn with her brother and their friend Aryll. A month has passed, when friends from House Sagittarius come to Rho and ask for help. War is on the horizon, and the Marad are threatening to destroy all. To her surprise, during her mediation, Ochus comes to her for help and a warning. Does she believe him, after all he has done to her, her friends , family and other houses?

Rho, with Aryll and Hysan (I really love him, but she is still stuck on her feelings for him and Mathias), leave for Sagittarius to meet up with her friends, Nishi and Deke. What follows is an exciting, action filled and interesting adventure that will be filled with betrayals, danger, death and mistakes that Rho must learn to rise from. Rho has a hard time accepting the challenge, especially after the shaming at the end of Zodiac. But there are those still out there who believe in her, and it is this trust that will allow her to rise again to unite all the houses in the face of this war.

There were many surprises and twists throughout the book, especially with all the deaths and betrayals, some of which was very sad. Rho, who works hard to bring the houses united, must also learn to believe in herself, in order to win this war. Most of all she needs to resolve her own dilemma of loving two men; one from her own house, and the other from a different house. I know who I would choose 🙂  but much will depend on the outcome of the war, and her freedom to be able to choose.

Romina Russell amazes me how she does this world building, with all the galaxies, the different characters, complicated rules, and yet make us believe in it all. Wandering Star was a very good read, and I look forward to the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher