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The Chaos of Stars
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A captivating novel of first love, Egyptian mythology, and family, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken
Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up—which comes with the territory when you’re the human daughter of the Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris.
Isadora is tired of her immortal relatives and their ancient mythological drama, so when she gets the chance to move to California with her brother, she jumps on it. But her new life comes with plenty of its own dramatic—and dangerous—complications . . .
Fans of Kiera Cass’s Selection series or Cynthia Hand’s Unearthly trilogy will fall in love with this enchanting, heartfelt YA romance.
Book Actions
Start ReadingBook Information
The Chaos of Stars
Description
A captivating novel of first love, Egyptian mythology, and family, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken
Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up—which comes with the territory when you’re the human daughter of the Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris.
Isadora is tired of her immortal relatives and their ancient mythological drama, so when she gets the chance to move to California with her brother, she jumps on it. But her new life comes with plenty of its own dramatic—and dangerous—complications . . .
Fans of Kiera Cass’s Selection series or Cynthia Hand’s Unearthly trilogy will fall in love with this enchanting, heartfelt YA romance.
About the author
KW![]()
Reviews
Loved, loved, loved this book. Isadora and Ry are some of my favorite of Ms. White's characters. I was swept up in the well researched story from the beginning. The humor, the unique storyline,the research. I loved it all. I hope we have not seen the last of these characters.
This book although too quick (which I find most books ) is an amazing book that takes you on an emotional roller coaster. Modern mythology is my favorite type of books although it's not really a genre and the book loves up to the expectation I have.
Amazing book! Loved the fact that it was a new story line! Could not put this book down! Great story!
I am obsessed with Ancient Egypt (and Kiersten White's books) so when I saw this book, I snapped it up and dove in. I love White's writing; it's funny, serious, and completely draws you in. I enjoyed the way she introduces the reader to Ancient Egyptian lore: a little information at the beginning of each chapter, in her own unique, witty way. I completely blew through this.
I kind of want a sequel. Greedy, I know.
I kind of want a sequel. Greedy, I know.
I don't know a lot about Egyptian deities (the majority of my learning was from The Kane Chronicles), but this was fairly easy to follow and get a good understanding of how all of them interact, at least from this perspective.
Plot: 3 stars
Characters:3 1/2 stars
Style: 3 stars
Pace: 3 stars
About what I expected based on the others of her books- Plots that follow coincidence and perfectly timed "Oh I just happened to be passing by", along with a great deal of main character quips.
Characters:3 1/2 stars
Style: 3 stars
Pace: 3 stars
About what I expected based on the others of her books- Plots that follow coincidence and perfectly timed "Oh I just happened to be passing by", along with a great deal of main character quips.
Isadora is your sterotypical teen, even though she is the daughter of Isis and Osiris. She hates everything, nothing is good enough..blah, blah, blah. I sincerely disliked her. This was like a cross between a wannabe Percy Jackson-esque story and a cheesy reality show where a sheltered teen gets sent to LA to live the life.I struggled to finish.
This was one of the most excellent mythology-based texts I've read so far, staying true to the origins of the tales it is referencing, while taking on a life of its own.
I liked the premise of this book, but, once I started reading it, I found the story to be less than engaging.
Isadora is the mortal daughter of Egyptian gods, and she's kind of bitter about it. After all, what's the use of one mortal lifetime in comparison with her family's eternal years? In dealing with her moody teenage daughter while preparing for the birth of another child, Isis sends Isadora from Egypt to America to spend time with Sirus, Isadora's older (but also mortal) brother. But to keep her still involved with family concerns, Isis arranges for Isadora to volunteer at a museum that will be hosting an exhibit of art and sculpture belonging to Isadora's family. While working at the museum, Isadora makes friends with Tyler, a cheerful girl who is also volunteering there. She also meets handsome, brooding Ry -- but Isadora is determined not to fall in love, so she can just be friends with him, right? Life in California is not all parties on the beach and romantic tension, however: unexpected dangers await Isadora, and disturbing dreams point to trouble for her mother back in Egypt. Isadora is irritated at her mother, true, but she doesn't want any real harm to come to her . . . but who could harm a goddess?This is a light, fluffy read, but it does a lot of things well. I'm no Egyptian mythology buff, but Isadora's brief explanations of life with her crazy family made the complex myths interesting and comprehensible to even a casual reader. The romance aspect of the plot was predictable but probably still enjoyable for most readers, and the mystery not too terribly obvious. Characters are well-written and likeable -- I was particularly fond of Sirus and Tyler. The dialogue and Isadora's snarky inner voice are the real stars of the book. If you like light reads with romance and mythology, and don't mind just a little teen angst, give this book a try.
Okay, I will admit, got off to a confused start because I know nothing about Greek mythology much less Egyptian and the names and implications that I probably should know a bit about the backstory threw me for a bit, but I soon figured out the important pieces. I was sent for review though, so I kept reading, and boy am I glad that I did. Things really picked up for me once Isadora came to the US. I came to appreciate her voice even more, and I liked that she was tough, I loved her snark, and I also admired the vulnerability under it all. It is fun to see her adjusting to the culture, and always lends a light moment. I can't imagine coming here and really only cultural experience is from tv or a teen movie, lol. And oh man, do I wish there were a picture of Ry. My imagination does a pretty good job, but I feel for the slightly antisocial, hot and secretly sweet and amazing guy. It was hard to see how Isadora held love and friendship at arm's length though because she didn't want to get hurt and was convinced that love would end and wasn't worth it. Also, Tyler was amazing. She is also "working" at the museum and she takes Isadora under her wing. She is just this side of awkward which makes me connect with her immediately, because that could describe me. The characters are amazing, I loved every interaction, serious to funny, and always wanted more. Isadora was unique in her culture, the way she grew up with gods and goddesses but is not one, and also that she has a passion that comes through, her interior design. I love how that was a theme throughout the book and also kept Ry in the picture even when she decides that she is attracted but doesn't want to have a relationship but doesn't want to get hurt. There is action too, and that kept things moving. It was also a lot of fun to see the relationship between Isadora and her parents, especially her mom Isis evolve. They learn so much about each other, and that was a great plot element. The ending was well done, and glad it tied up things pretty well. I am still really eager to get the next in the series. Bottom Line: Great characters, so glad I picked it up.
Right off the back, I disliked the writing style of this book. Books written in first person are very common now, especially in YA, but I don't think every single young adult novel should be wrtten in first person. This particular book was painful to read at times. I cringed having to read every single one of Isadora's thoughts. They were so immature and naive. Of course, that was the point of the book, but it gets hard to follow when you yourself start to see how annoying the protagonist really is. The character development at the end wasn't even enough to justify her, to be honest it wasn't even character development. She simply finally saw the truth and because of her brattiness was almost too late. Her personality was just so...ugh I can't even find a word for it. It was all over the place I suppose. I don't understand how the daughter of gods that has literally known nothing but magic and impossible things, cannot spot danger right off the back. She was so immature and juvenile that she literally had to be physically attacked to finally break through her thick skull. And her weird hobby of interior design? It made no sense. It didn't match her personality at all and the parts where she was going into that "interior design" mode were so pathetic. It all felt so fake and forced. It's like she simply HAD to have this interesting little quirk and interior design was, apparently, the best choice. In reality, it didn't fit at all and the book could have done without it.
The way the gods and goddesses were handled was slightly offensive. First of all, this idea that nobody worships the old gods needs to stop. Many, many, people still do. And I feel as if the entire book was mocking them, making them seem like a joke. Isadora's family aside, I also disliked her friends. Tyler and her boyfriend annoyed me immensely, they seemed so forced and fake. And don't even get me started on Ry. I literally rolled my eyes the moment he was introduced. His entire personality and everything he did made me cringe. An unbelievably handsome, anti-social, greek poet that comes off as creepy at times. So ridiculous, I can see right through every character. They were so transparent.
I honestly don't know what it was that made me want to keep reading. Sometimes I'd sit down to read it and then when I felt like I had enough I had read a huge chunk out of it. It's definitely a fast read if you can get past all of the negatives. At this point, I can't remember any positives though. I am giving it two out of five stars because I did, somehow, finish it. So I guess it wasn't completely unbearable. I don't really recommend it to anyone, probably the best thing about it is that it's a stand alone novel, not part of a trilogy. That way, I don't feel obligated to read anymore of this story.
The way the gods and goddesses were handled was slightly offensive. First of all, this idea that nobody worships the old gods needs to stop. Many, many, people still do. And I feel as if the entire book was mocking them, making them seem like a joke. Isadora's family aside, I also disliked her friends. Tyler and her boyfriend annoyed me immensely, they seemed so forced and fake. And don't even get me started on Ry. I literally rolled my eyes the moment he was introduced. His entire personality and everything he did made me cringe. An unbelievably handsome, anti-social, greek poet that comes off as creepy at times. So ridiculous, I can see right through every character. They were so transparent.
I honestly don't know what it was that made me want to keep reading. Sometimes I'd sit down to read it and then when I felt like I had enough I had read a huge chunk out of it. It's definitely a fast read if you can get past all of the negatives. At this point, I can't remember any positives though. I am giving it two out of five stars because I did, somehow, finish it. So I guess it wasn't completely unbearable. I don't really recommend it to anyone, probably the best thing about it is that it's a stand alone novel, not part of a trilogy. That way, I don't feel obligated to read anymore of this story.
Isadora is the mortal child of Isis and Osiris, who currently hates her mother and wants to get out of the house. She is irrational and tired of being cooped up in the house, with her brother Horus, sister-in-law Hathor. Isadora’s passion has been interior decorating and her schooling seems to have been done by all her relatives (various Egyptian Gods and Goddesses). While Isadora is mortal, she does have some gifts like being able to speak just about any language in the world fluently. Isadora feels that she needs some distance between her and her mother, so she goes to visit her brother in San Diego. This is really the first time she has been around people her own age and she quickly makes new friends. Isadora is sort of weird and awkward, but that is probably because she has grown up being raised by Gods and Goddesses. Isadora ends up meeting a cute boy named Ry and becomes surrounded by danger that may have followed her from Egypt.This book had been sitting on my shelf since September and I am kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I thought it was really good. It was a wonderful mix of ancient Egyptian mythology and the modern world. There was mystery, romance and mythology in a combination that seems rather difficult to write as a YA novel. I think the author was successful in this. Several reviews criticized Isadora as being self-absorbed, irrational and petulant; however, I would say that this could be a fairly accurate description of a 16-18 year old girl. Her journey away from home allowed her to grow and develop into a confident, worldly young woman. I love the way that the dreams were woven into the story. Some reviews criticized this aspect of the novel, but I think it was a good way to weave the dreams into reality.I think this is a great addition to a school library. I would recommend it to students who are interested an ancient Egypt or who are looking for a good romance/mystery. It definitely targets girls, but might appeal to some boys. The cover art is beautiful and I like that they chose not to put a girl on the cover. This book would be a good choice for a book club or reading circle. There is nothing objectionable that I found. This is a stand alone novel, so you do not have to worry about keeping up with future release dates ;) Overall, loved it and I think your students will too!
Another element I love to read in book is mythology is God and Goddess. I think the whole theory is fascinating! When an author takes the books and throws a twist in there, I can’t wait to read it.Plot: What would you do if your parents were Gods? I think that be pretty cool. I really enjoyed getting into this plot and learning everything about them.The main character, Isadora is quite the gal. She is strong yet wants to be independent. Be her own person instead of who she is called to be. The daughter of a god, destined to die mortal and worship her parents. Each chapter lead up to growth of Isadore and her becoming who she wants to be. She learns more about herself and others around her. She begins to think differently.Love: I think that this is the coolest part ever! It is so neat how well this author pieced the entire story together using stars. I loved watching this friendship grow into more. Watching these two characters let down their guard and trust on another is a bog step. I think they both have characteristics that each can learn from. Still, I think the way this particular element of stars is super cool.Drama: Not only does this book have good use of stars but it also pertains lots of drama between the Gods. I mean, duh? How can you not. The struggle for power and worship is fierce in the book leading for some good action and plot twists.Overall, I love this book! It was a quick, easy read that I divulge instantly. The plot is simple yet contains so much in characters and plot. Held together with beautifully written tales of power and betrayal, The Chaos Of Star is awesome.
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: Great book filled with mythology, humor, romance, and adventure.Opening Sentence: When I was a little girl, I still believed I was part of the world’s secret magic.The Review:Isadora is your average 16 year old girl except for the fact that her parents are Egyptian gods. Her mother is Isis the goddess of motherhood and her father is Osiris god of the underworld. Even though her parents are immortal Isadora is not. Isadora grew up thinking she would be immortal, but once she learned that wasn’t ever going to happen she started to resent her parents for it. She felt that they didn’t love her if they didn’t want to keep her forever. After that Isadora vowed to never let anyone into her heart again so she could never be hurt like that by anyone else.Isadora’s mother is now pregnant again. Her mother has been getting dreams that prophecy Isadora getting hurt, so she decides that Isadora needs to leave Egypt until the baby is born. So she is sent to live with her brother Sirus who lives in San Diego. Isadora couldn’t be happier about leaving and she hopes to never return to Egypt ever again. Her mother has set up a job for her working at a museum that has a special section on Egyptian Gods. While working there she makes some new friends. While struggling to adjust to her new normal life Isadora starts to get haunting dreams as well. In her dreams her mother seems to be in danger but because of her bitterness towards her family she decides to not say anything, and the consequences could be greater than anything she ever imagined.Isadora is a great character. She has a funny, spunky attitude, and a great voice throughout the book. She has some really funny dialog and I found myself laughing at her character quite often. She is totally gorgeous, but she isn’t stuck up at all. She is very artistic and she loves interior design. She does have some flaws, one of them being that she has a really hard time learning to love others. Because of her childhood she has decided that she won’t let herself fall in love with anyone. As she starts to open up to her friends you get to see her vulnerable side. She grows and learns so much about herself. I really loved her as a character and connected well with her.Tyler is the first person to befriend Isadora once she moves to San Diego. Tyler is a girl that is about the same age as Isadora and she also works at the museum. Isadora instantly likes Tyler and her funny corky personality. Tyler is sweet and really funny. She doesn’t care what others think about her and she is very confident in who she is. She is a really great influence and friend to Isadora. I really enjoyed her character and I thought she was a great asset to the book.Tyler also introduces Isadora to the beautiful Ry. Ry is an interesting person. He is a total Greek hottie with olive skin, dark hair and striking blue eyes. He is always writing in a journal he keeps and seems to be oblivious to everything that is going on around him. He instantly takes a liking to Isadora, but of course she is cold and keeps her distance from him. But he is very patient and prescient with Isadora and I thought it was so cute. His views on love are very different from Isadora and he really tries to help her cope with the pain and hurt she has felt all these years. They have really cute chemistry and I just loved them together.I really enjoyed this book. The mythology was very interesting and different than most YA mythological books. I thought that characters were very entertaining and fun. The plot was intriguing and had some twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. The humor was great and I found myself laughing most of the book. The book flowed really well and it was a fast light read. I have read other books by Kiersten White and I have really enjoyed all that she has written, but this would be my favorite book of hers so far. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys mythology or a fun light YA read.Notable Scene:I follow her line of sight to a guy sitting in the curved hollow where two tree trunks meet, furiously scribbling in a black notebook. His hair is one shade away from midnight, worn a little long so that it curls just above his eyes. He’s wearing khaki pants and a pale blue button-up short-sleeved shirt, showing off some seriously beautiful olive-toned arms. Wires dangle from earbuds and he hasn’t looked up to see us yet.“Boyfriend?” I ask. I hope she doesn’t decide to have lunch with him instead. I definitely don’t feel brave enough to go buy something on my own.Tyler laughs. “No. In fact, I feel a little dirty because of my occasional lustful thoughts, since I’m taken. Still, I can appreciate beauty, right?” She leans forward, so far that I worry she’ll lose her balance and topple right off the bridge. “Hey, RY!” Finally he looks up.Floods, I have never seen such eyes.They’re crystal blue, a shade that shouldn’t exist on the human body, a shade I immediately crave, a shade that makes my heart beat a little faster—almost as if I recognize it. I want to steal it, paint it, throw it into every room I ever decorate. It’s the most perfect blue I’ve ever seen. Even from this distance his eyes are simply remarkable.He pulls out his earbuds and smiles, a dimple on one side but not the other, though it looks like he’s not quite focused on us, like his eyes are seeing just past us. He waves, and I have to admit Tyler is right about “appreciating beauty.”FTC Advisory: Harper Collins provided me with a copy of The Chaos of Stars. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.