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Stars and Smoke by Marie LuStars and Smoke #1
Published by Roaring Brook Press on March 28, 2023
Age Group & Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Young Adult
Representation: Chinese American protagonist
Format: Physical
Source: Library
This smoldering enemies-to-lovers novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu puts a superstar global phenomenon and a hotshot young spy on a collision course with danger – and Cupid’s arrow – in an electric new series perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Ally Carter.
Meet Winter Young – International pop sensation, with a voice like velvet and looks that could kill. His star power has smashed records, selling out stadiums from LA to London. His rabid fans would move heaven and earth for even a glimpse of him – just imagine what they’d do to become his latest fling.
Meet Sydney Cossette – Part of an elite covert ops group, Sydney joined their ranks as their youngest spy with plans to become the best agent they’ve ever had. An ice queen with moves as dangerous as her comebacks, Sydney picks up languages just as quickly as she breaks hearts. She's fiery, no-nonsense, and has zero time for romance – especially with a shameless flirt more used to serving sass than taking orders.
When a major crime boss gifts his daughter a private concert with Winter for her birthday, Sydney and Winter's lives suddenly collide. Tasked with infiltrating the crime organization’s inner circle, Sydney is assigned as Winter's bodyguard with Winter tapped to join her on the mission of a lifetime as a new spy recruit. Sydney may be the only person alive impervious to Winter's charms, but as their mission brings them closer, she’s forced to admit that there's more to Winter Young than just a handsome face...
Trigger & Content Warnings: blood, death of a parent, gun violence, child abuse, murder, poisoning, kidnapping, alcoholism
Stars and Smoke was fun to read — I liked Marie Lu’s take with an idol-featured story going undercover as a spy and teaming up with one of the youngest spies in a group hoping to become one of their best agents.
The story does take time to really start picking up, so depending on preferences, this might feel slow. A good early half focuses on setting things up and delving into the main characters’ (Sydney and Winter) backgrounds and personalities as they prepare to head to London to infiltrate a crime boss’s inner circle through a private concert Winter is invited to for his daughter’s birthday. I personally thought this worked well, especially with the dual POV, and I thought Lu’s writing was engaging enough that I mostly ignored the story not picking up.
I also just loved Sauda and Niall! For the very few page time they received (given they’re like the handlers of the mission Sydney and Winter are on), Lu makes the most of it and I loved their dynamic much more than our mains — I’d read a whole book on their agent days.
Really there were only two things bothering me: the acronyms Sydney used, which didn’t feel like something most teens use (but maybe every teen I know just uses acronyms sparingly?), and the romance between Winter and Sydney felt unnecessary, but these two issues really boils down to personal preference.
Ultimately, Stars and Smoke was light and fun with compelling writing that was addicting to read, and I’m looking forward to continuing the duology with Icons and Inferno.
Sophia started blogging in February 2012 for the hell of it and is surprisingly still around. She has a GIF for nearly everything, probably listens to too much K-Pop and is generally in an existential crisis of sorts (she's trying her best). More of her bookish reviews and K-Pop Roundups can be found at The Arts STL.
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