Book Review: Across a Star-Swept Sea

Title: Across a Star-Swept Sea
Author: Diana Peterfreund
Series: For Darkness Shows the Stars
Genre: YA/Retelling/Science Fiction>Post Apocalyptic/Romance
Goodreads rating: 4.05
My rating: 4.5

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

In this thrilling adventure inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine.

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I've always loved the Scarlet Pimpernel.  I haven't actually read the book, which I plan to rectify eventually, but I grew up watching the movie(Jane Seymour) with my mom and sister.  After reading For Darkness Shows the Stars, the first book in this series(retelling of Persuasion) I was ecstatic to see that the next book was a retelling of the Scarlet Pimpernel.  

I was really not disappointed in this book.  Next to a stunning cover and title is an equally stunning read.  The title of the books in this series are so poetically beautiful and aside from the gorgeous covers, just draw you in.  

This book begins shortly after the end of For Darkness Shows the Stars.  The setting is completely different but some of the issues are the same, yet different as both "countries" believe they are the sole existing humans left in the world and have dealt with the "reduction" in different ways.  In Elliot and Kai's explorations(occurring after the end of the first book) they come to an island in New Pacifica and cross path's with Persis and her friends.  Though Across the Star-Swept Sea isn't about the characters of the 1st book their arrival is a critical turning point in the book.  

I would be silly if I didn't mention the romance in this book.  I love Justen and Persis' relationship.  It was great reading as Justen's opinion of Persis' slowly changed from spoiled, flighty and stupid to loving and caring and generous if not at all serious and still spoiled and silly until he learned of her identity as the Wild Poppy who is daring and excessively smart as well as a little bit of everything else he discovered about her.  

I honestly can't wait to see where this series goes from here.  What retelling will be next?!  Whatever it is I'm sure it will be just as lovely.