Press Reviews


Dawn Among the Stars

“Samantha has created a world, a universe in fact that could be up there with some of the best sci-fi stories ever told. Her imagination seems to have no end and I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.” –Pete Cummings

“I’ve been scouring science fiction shelves since I was six, desperately searching for female protagonists and semi-realistic, relatable stories. Over the years I’ve found a few that inspired or impacted me, but none as much as Dawn Among the Stars by Samantha Heuwagen. I just finished it and my initial reaction is, ‘I can’t wait for you to release the next one!'” –Sam Hendricks, peakstoryreviews.com

“I really enjoyed seeying the world through these characters. They each had something to fight for and something to lose whilst trying to find themselves in the middle of war. The main plot deals with a dystopian/apocalyptic world and the struggles humans face to survive, but also deals with issues like mental health, friendship, the complexities of family and love. What’s not to love about, right?!” -Jane Kelsey, JaneKelsey.com

“The true variety of characters and diversity in the book both in terms of characters, point of views, experiences and problems, is sure to built appeal to an equal variety of audiences. In my opinion, Samantha has written a book that is intriguing and exciting, and takes the reader on a journey. For me, it really had me thinking about my own reactions, how I would handle myself in any of these situations, and how human kind is truly special. I think fans of The Lunar Chronicles, soft Sci-Fi and the likes will love The Starless Series.” –Mai Vabo, www.bookish-moments.com

“Whenever I read fantasy or science fiction, the story-line tends to focus on an individual and their coming of age story, but rarely do these books focus deeply on relationships between families, friends, or even with other worldly beings. Because of this, Heuwagen’s book stood out for me. It was interesting to read of how differently people handled the invasion on their planet; in fact, I would say, the book is also a portrayal of immigration and dysphoria. Dawn Among the Stars moves at a pace that allows readers a chance to understand how the world has changed and from different perspective. We meet a variety of people and aliens, and are shown how the initial appearance of the Shielders on Earth had changed their lives.” camilleareads.wordpress.com

“Dawn Among The Stars is a fast-paced Sci-fi/Fantasy novel that had me hooked from the first page. Aliens and humans somewhat co-exist on the same planet. Kayin is fearful that something will happen and as a result is plagued with panic attacks which she tries to manage. (I liked how this mental health aspect was handled). As the planet becomes under attack, chaos erupts on earth and we see how it affects our main characters differently. Recommend for Sci-Fi fans!” www.lifeofafemalebibliophile.com

“I’ve known Samantha for a while now, and she’s pretty spectacular. Add the fact that she’s going to be taking the Sci-Fi world by storm with all of the beautiful ways she weaves in humanitarian themes in her writing, and you’ve GOT to read this book. I was lucky enough to get an ARC, and it’s pretty dang impressive.” R.K Brainerd

“There’s a mix of description and dialogue. The world building is done well because the author doesn’t bombard readers with too much information all at once.” –Herminia Chow, AspiringWriter22.wordpress.com