Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. This week I'll be talking about the debut authors whose second books I can't wait to read!

1. Sarah Ayoub




I really loved Hate Is Such A Strong Word, and so I was so excited to find out that The Yearbook Committee will be released next year! As a side note, that cover looks pretty awesome, I'm liking the vintage vibes.

2. Victoria Aveyard





Not everyone loved Red Queen, though personally I did end up enjoying it. That cliffhanger at the end makes reading the second book a must!

3. Amy Ewing





Another debut author, another dystopian series - I own The White Rose and can't wait to start it!

4. Kathryn Barker

This debut is one of my top reads of 2015 - seriously powerful and definitely in possession of some wow factor. I am so curious to see what Kathryn Barker will come up with next!

5. Fleur Ferris

There have been a few outstanding #LoveOzYA titles this year, and Risk is one of them. Chilling and yet so worth a read, this book has impressed me and so I can't wait to check out the next book from this author which will be released in July 2016!

6. Sandy Hall

For those cute, sweet romances, Sandy Hall nails it. I have Signs Point to Yes so will be checking it out soon! 

7. Maria Dahvana Headley

Magonia is a book that is as weird as it is wonderful. As the first book in a series, I am intrigued to see where on earth (or in the skies) the rest of the story will go. 

8. Thalia Kalkipsakis

Lifespan of Starlight tackled time travel in an Australian landscape, and from an angle which I haven't read before. Technically she's not exactly a debut author, but this is her debut series so I've put it on this list.

9. Stephanie Oakes

This book was another big hit for me, since it was so intense and thought provoking. As a debut it shines, and so I am eagerly awaiting the release of The Arsonist, a YA mystery novel by Stephanie Oakes coming out in 2016 .

10. Amy Zhang





Falling Into Place left me with SO MANY EMOTIONS, and I'm getting the feeling that This is Where the World Ends will be just as heartbreaking.

What debut authors have you anticipating their second novel? 

Review: Lifespan of Starlight by Thalia Kalkipsakis

Lifespan of Starlight by Thalia Kalkipsakis
Series: Starlight #1
Released: 1st April 2015
Published by: Hardie Grant Egmont
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Source: Publisher
Pages: 277
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Goodreads | Bookworld | Dymocks

The first in a thrilling new trilogy of epic proportions from best-selling children's author Thalia Kalkipsakis. A fresh take on the time tripping genre, The Lifespan of Starlight is Gattaca meets The Time Traveler's Wife.

It already lies dormant within you: the ability to move within time.

In 2084, three teenagers discover the secret to time travel. At first their jumps cover only a few seconds, but soon they master the technique and combat their fear of jumping into the unknown. It's dangerous. It's illegal. And it's utterly worth it for the full-body bliss of each return. As their ability to time jump grows into days and weeks, the group begins to push beyond their limits, with terrifying consequences. Could they travel as far as ten years, to escape the authorities? They are desperate enough to find out. But before they jump they must be sure, because it only works in one direction.

Once you trip forwards, there's no coming back.

Thank you to Hardie Grant Egmont Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Although Lifespan of Starlight wasn't exactly what I expected, it exceeded my expectations and impressed with a diverse futuristic world that not only had the element of time travel, but a wider scope of what life could be like in seventy years' time. With a side of hacking, conspiracy and some sci-fi drama, this debut has definitely caught my attention and I'm sure it will for you too.

All our lives, we've been moving with the flow of time because that's all we know...But in truth, time isn't flowing. Reality only exists in separate moments, like frames in a movie. 

Coutlyn (aka. Scout) is our protagonist, illegally living in a city where her mother has done everything for her, from saving food rations to share, to keeping her under the radar at all costs. It's the year 2084 and society has changed dramatically. However, this is no 'dystopia' as such, and Lifespan of Starlight certainly doesn't fall into any of those cliches. Instead, what you get is an Australian setting with the landmarks Sydneysiders especially will be sure to recognise; told from a whole new creative perspective. The worldbuilding in the story as a whole is excellent, and the balance between this and the other 'time travel' aspect is perfect.

Our sense of time changes because we control the passage of time within ourselves. 

While there isn't 'time travel' in the 'traditional' sense here, where kids go and try to save the world going back to different historical periods, I liked the author's original twist on it. The fact that this wasn't always the main focus of the plot didn't bother me either, as there was so much to explore further about Scout's character and how her identity (or lack thereof) shaped her experiences. Time 'skipping' was actually really interesting to read about, and a concept which I'm sure will be explored in more detail in the next book. In terms of the romance, though there was a hint at one point, it definitely took a back seat in this case - which worked. There's a whole lot more important things to worry about here!

FINAL THOUGHTS


Lifespan of Starlight is a compulsively readable debut which Thalia Kalkipsakis has truly impressed me with. I cannot wait to read the next book after that cliffhanger! If you're looking for something different in the Aussie YA sci-fi arena, then this book is definitely worth your while.