Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published May 2018
400 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
Alexa Donne's lush and enthralling reimagining of the classic Jane Eyre, set among the stars, will seduce and beguile you.
Stella Ainsley leaves poverty behind when she quits her engineering job aboard the Stalwart to become a governess on a private ship. On the Rochester, there's no water ration, more books than one person could devour in a lifetime, and an AI who seems more friend than robot.
But no one warned Stella that the ship seems to be haunted, nor that it may be involved in a conspiracy that could topple the entire interstellar fleet. Surrounded by mysteries, Stella finds her equal in the brooding but kind, nineteen-year-old Captain Hugo. When several attempts on his life spark more questions than answers, and the beautiful Bianca Ingram appears at Hugo's request, his unpredictable behavior causes Stella's suspicions to mount. Without knowing who to trust, Stella must decide whether to follow her head or her heart.
"A gripping examination of class, romance, and survival set in a dystopian future that feels chillingly relevant to our present times." - Kirkus
"One of the most anticipated YA debuts of 2018, Brightly Burning is a gothic, romantic mystery with hints of Jane Eyre, Marissa Meyer, and Kiera Cass." - Entertainment Weekly
"Brightly Burning delivers a brooding gothic mystery and a swoony romance, all set in space. Donne's atmospheric, twisty update of a cherished classic will keep you up late into the night!" - Elly Blake, NYT bestselling author of the Frostblood Saga
This information about Brightly Burning was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Alexa Donne is a Ravenclaw who wears many hats, including fan convention organizing, teen mentoring, college admissions essay consulting,YouTube-ing and podcasting. When she's not writing science fiction and fantasy for teens, Alexa works in international television marketing. Aproud Boston University Terrier, she lives in Los Angeles with two fluffy ginger cats named after YA literature characters. Brightly Burning is her debut novel.
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