Review: "Umbra" and "Parallax" by Amber Toro

Jesse Lawrence
12 minutes ago
3 min read

Books One and Two of the "Sentient Stars" by Amber Toro are great examples of what Sci-Fi can and should be. The only downside is that Book Three isn't out yet. Long story Short: Add it to the top of your to-be-read list.

I just finished the Audibles of Umbra and Parallax, the first two books in Amber Toro’s Sentient Stars trilogy, and I’m still riding that particular high that only a really good space opera can deliver. You know the one. It's the kind that leaves you staring at the ceiling after the final chapter, already missing the characters and the ships and the whole messy, hopeful, high-stakes galaxy they live in.

NARRATORS

I’ll be honest: I usually steer clear of audiobooks with multiple narrators. Something about the back-and-forth can pull me out of the story. Megan Carver and Benjamin Farmer proved the exception. They handled the three main points of view with clarity and heart, giving each character a distinct presence without ever feeling showy. The performances clicked so well that I stopped thinking about “who’s narrating” and just lived inside the story. That’s rare, and it kept me listening.

THE GALAXY

Umbra sets the stage beautifully. Earth That Was is long gone, faded into myth. Humanity has spent millennia among the stars and settled into twelve tribes under the United Tribal Axis. Then a mysterious signal starts whispering from the dark, and everything begins to fray. We meet Skyla, the rogue who just wants her ship, the stars, and some peace after the Navy; Hinata, the honor-bound commander whose carefully ordered world is about to get wrecked; and Freyja, the admiral who’s tired of being a pawn in larger games. Circumstance throws them together. Duty keeps them moving. And the slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tension starts to crackle.

SOMETHING UNIQUE

Toro does something special with the sentient starships. They aren’t just cool tech or plot devices — they have personality, loyalty, and emotional weight. I went into this series expecting solid space adventure. I did not expect to get attached to the ships themselves. While my emotionally stunted personality didn't cause me to cry over a ship, more than one reader admitted to it.

You can find out more about Amber Toro here:

X: @AmberRaeToro W: ambertoro.com LT: linktr.ee/amberraetoro

BOOK TWO

Parallax raises the stakes in the best possible way. Alliances fracture. War escalates. Someone vanishes. Hinata and Freyja have to decide how much they’re willing to risk — rules, positions, everything — to bring her home. The action is sharper, the emotional threads tighter, and the found-family vibes stronger. You feel the weight of duty versus heart in every major decision these characters make. The banter lands. The tension builds. And every time you think you’ve got a handle on the bigger mystery of that signal, the story opens another door.

BREADTH & DEPTH

The books have a balanced approach to the main three characters and the setting. The world-building is rich without ever becoming homework. It can be particularly difficult to follow overly complex fantasy worlds in audiobook format. The political intrigue and militaristic society have real texture, but they never drown because of the personal stories. The romance is slow-burn done right. It was earned, charged, and woven into the larger plot instead of sitting on top of it, which is something I struggle with as an author. Like any good cast, the characters grow and change as the story progresses. You watch them get knocked down, question everything they thought they stood for, and still choose to keep going.

RUINED MY SLEEP

I tore through both books and immediately wanted the third. The sign of a great book is when it gives you insomnia. I stayed up way too late, risking the fallout that poor sleep causes because of my chronic illness. The series is clearly building toward something big, and the way Parallax ends left me equal parts satisfied and desperate for more. Book three isn’t out yet, and I might lose more sleep waiting for it.

CONCLUSION

If you like a good space opera with heart, fully realized reality, strong found family, slow-burn romance that actually matters, and a mystery that keeps pulling you deeper, this series is for you. It sits comfortably in that sweet spot of big galactic stakes and intimate character moments.

Five stars, no hesitation. Highly recommended. Now somebody please tell me when the next one lands so I can prepare for a couple late nights.

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