How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse (The Thorne Chronicles #1), by K. Eason ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, Humor, Romance, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and DAW for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 8th, 2019

416 Pages

Synopsis: First in a duology that reimagines fairytale tropes within a space opera—The Princess Bride meets Princess Leia.

Rory Thorne is a princess with 13 fairy blessings, the most important of which is to see through flattery and platitudes. As the eldest daughter, she always imagined she’d inherit her father’s throne and govern the interplanetary Thorne Consortium.

Then her father is assassinated, her mother give birth to a son, and Rory is betrothed to the prince of a distant world.

When Rory arrives in her new home, she uncovers a treacherous plot to unseat her newly betrothed and usurp his crown. An unscrupulous minister has conspired to name himself Regent to the minor (and somewhat foolish) prince. With only her wits and a small team of allies, Rory must outmaneuver the Regent and rescue the prince.

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is a feminist reimagining of familiar fairytale tropes and a story of resistance and self-determination—how small acts of rebellion can lead a princess to not just save herself, but to change the course of history.

I’m pretty sure that you’ll all be with me on this when I say there are times I just want a book that’s fun. No deep meaning. No long, thoughtful discourses to make you ponder the meaning of life. Just pure, joyful, unadulterated fun. Well, How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is just such a book. As a matter of fact, I finished this yesterday and it’s still making me smile.

While the synopsis references The Princess Bride and Princess Leia, there’s also nods to Sleeping Beauty (no sleeping curse though), and even a little Ella Enchanted. Rory Thorne is a protagonist who’s easy to fall in love with. Intelligent, yet eager to learn more. Feisty yet able to be diplomatic, under certain circumstances anyway. And she shows vast amounts of love and loyalty to her friends and family. As this is a fairytale retelling in part, there’s a touch of romance but it’s not the main focus of the story. The secondary characters are just as well written as Rory, and I’ve already picked my dream cast for any future movie. 

The story is a marvelous mashup that easily could have gotten messy, but doesn’t. While the politics are complex and there are occasional info dumps that slow the pace down a few times, the storyline is mostly kept on a quick and even pace by the unknown narrator who also brings some welcome levity to the story. The ending, while not quite a cliffhanger has definitely left me wondering what the second book will bring.

How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse is an absolutely delightful read from beginning to end. It’s completely different than anything else I’ve read this year and I highly recommend it to readers who like fantasy and science fiction mixed with some sly humor.

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Vendetta In Death (In Death #49), by J.D. Robb ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to Edelweiss and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 3, 2019

368 Pages

Synopsis: The predator becomes the prey in the newest thriller in the newest thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling series featuring homicide detective Eve Dallas.

She calls herself Lady Justice. And once she has chosen a man as her target, she turns herself into a tall blonde or curvaceous redhead, makes herself as alluring and seductive as possible to them. Once they are in her grasp, they are powerless.

The first victim is wealthy businessman Nigel McEnroy. His company’s human resources department has already paid out settlements to a couple of his young victims—-but they don’t know his crimes go far beyond workplace harassment. Lady Justice knows. And in one shocking night of brutality, she makes him pay a much steeper price.

Now Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, are combing through the evidence of McEnroy’s secret life. His compulsive need to record his misdeeds provides them with a wide range of suspects, but the true identity of Lady Justice remains elusive. It’s a challenging case, made even more difficult by McEnroy’s widow, who reacts to the investigation with fury, denial, and threats. Meanwhile, Lady Justice’s criminal crusade is escalating rapidly, and if Eve can’t stop this vigilante, there’s no telling how much blood may be spilled…

I know I’ve raved about a lot of authors over the five years this blog has been online, but there’s one that I’ve severely neglected—J.D. Robb. Robb is actually the pseudonym Nora Roberts writes her bestselling In Death series under, and I was lucky enough to be approved for #49, Vendetta in Death.

Vendetta in Death is a perfect example of why this series continues to be so successful even after almost twenty-five years. In their 49th outing, Lieutenant Eve Dallas, her dishy multi-bazillionaire husband Roarke, her trusty partner Peabody, and the rest of the familiar cast of characters, take on Lady Justice, a vigilante who takes avenging women who have been assaulted, much too far. As Robb does in many of her set slightly in the future books, she takes a real world issue like the #MeToo movement, and puts her own unique spin on it. Although the identity of Lady Justice is evident early on, which took a tiny bit of the suspense away, most of the fun is seeing Team Eve get their man, or in this case, woman. 

As usual, the chemistry between Eve and Roarke is absolutely sizzling. They are hands down, one of my favorite fictional couples. The love and passion these two have for each other makes them true soulmates. And as entertaining as they are, likewise are the relationships Eve has with Peabody and the other secondary characters, who are so likable that they really each could have their own spinoff series.

Once again, Robb has spun a thoroughly enjoyable mystery that kept me utterly captivated for the three hours it took me to read it. Vendetta in Death will surely please her longtime fans. While I think this could work as a standalone, I do recommend you read the series in order. Eve and Roarke have a dense and complex backstory, as do most of the other characters, and this really adds wonderful layers to the story. I know you’re thinking “Kim! There’s no way I’m tackling a 49 book series. No author is that good!” Well let me assure you, Robb is indeed worth it. All the books are very quick reads and I guarantee that once you start them, you won’t be able to stop. Just in case, the first book is Naked in Death!

 

 

 

The Light at the Bottom of the World (The Light at the Bottom of the World #1), by London Shah ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Climate Change, Government Corruption, Mystery, Science Fiction, Terrorism, Thriller, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: October 29th, 2019

320 Pages

Synopsis: Hope had abandoned them to the wrath of all the waters.

In the last days of the twenty-first century, sea creatures swim through the ruins of London. Trapped in the abyss, humankind waivers between fear and hope—fear of what lurks in the depths around them, and hope that they might one day find a way back to the surface.

When sixteen-year-old submersible racer, Leyla McQueen is chosen to participate in the prestigious annual marathon, she sees an opportunity to save her father, who has been arrested on false charges.The Prime Minister promises the champion whatever their heart desires. But the race takes an unexpected turn, forcing Leyla to make an impossible choice.

Now she must brave unfathomable waters and defy a corrupt government determined to keep its secrets, all the while dealing with a guarded hotheaded companion she never asked for in the first place. If Leyla fails do discover the truths at the heart of her world, or falls prey to her own fears, she risks capture—or worse. And her father will be lost to her forever.

The Light at the Bottom of the Sea is a spectacular debut from author London Shah, and one that’s sure to be one of the most memorable YA novels of 2019!

Let’s begin with Leyla. She’s a British-Muslim teen who not only is deeply connected to her family, but to her faith as well. Reading about her devotion to her Afghan heritage and her religion was wonderful, especially in a science fiction setting. While naive, she’s also clever, brave, and resourceful, which drew me even more to her. I love the way she grows and develops throughout the course of the story, and I felt as though I was going on her journey right along with her. Her relationship with her family, friends, and her love interest, Ari, are tender and sweet. Leyla is someone who gives everything she has to protect the people she loves. This also includes her puppy JoJo, who completely had my heart melting. Which leads me to my one and only spoiler. There’s a fight scene where JoJo is hurt badly, but she does recover. It was tough for me to read though, so for anyone who has an especially difficult time with animal cruelty, you might want to skim this thankfully short section.

The imaginative world-building is simply phenomenal. Try to picture a submerged London in 2099, the victim of an asteroid and climate change. Underwater cities, without sun, under terrorist attacks by the Anthropoids, who look human but have the ability to breathe underwater, and whose citizens are now falling to a mysterious sickness on top of everything else. The way London Shah beautifully details this vast watery world, left me feeling as though I was there. Combining the majestic ocean scenery with the futuristic technology is a brilliant combination. Also included are images of how life was above the water, before the disaster.

The storyline itself is intriguing and exciting and Leyla’s and Ari’s quest to rescue her Papa absolutely captivated me. Adding to this are the real world social ills that plague us: government corruption, climate change, terrorism, and genocide. This all comes together in an entirely unique way which opens boundless opportunities for discussion with teens.

Overall, The Light at the Bottom of the World, is a brilliant introduction to a planned duology. The only reason I’m not giving it a full 5 stars is because as much as I love Leyla, Ari, and JoJo, I think the secondary characters, some of who play pretty important parts in the story, need to be fleshed out some more. But this is a relatively small complaint. I unhesitatingly recommend this to teens and adult fans of YA science fiction who are looking for a thrilling and mesmerizing adventure with fantastic main characters, an intriguing political conspiracy thriller, and beautiful imagery. I’m eagerly looking forward to not only the next book, but also any future books by London Shah.

Containment (Sanctuary #2), by Caryn Lix ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Horror, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Pulse for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 6th, 2019

496 Pages

Synopsis: They may have escaped Sanctuary, but Kenzie and her friends are far from safe.

Ex-Omnistellar prison guard Kenzie and her superpowered friends barely made it off Sanctuary alive. Now they’re stuck in a stolen alien ship with nowhere to go and no one to help them. Kenzie is desperate for a plan, but she doesn’t know who to trust anymore. Everyone has their own dark secrets: Omnistellar, her parents, even Cage. Worse still, she’s haunted by memories of the aliens who nearly tore her to shreds—-and forced her to accidentally kill one of the Sanctuary prisoners, Matt.

When Kenzie intercepts a radio communication suggesting more aliens are on the way, she knows there’s only one choice: They must turn themselves in to Omnistellar and destroy the ship before the aliens follow the signal straight to them. Because if the monstrous creatures who attacked Sanctuary reach Earth, then it’s game over for humanity.

What Kenzie doesn’t know is that the aliens aren’t the only ones on the hunt. Omnistellar has put a bounty on Kenzie’s head—-and the question is whether Omnistellar or the aliens get to her first.

Last year’s Sanctuary ended with a huge cliffhanger so I’ve been dying to get my hands on this sequel. After staying up until almost 2:00 in the morning reading Containment, I can honestly say that it’s even better than the previous book. 

While I enjoyed Sanctuary and thought it was action-packed, I did feel that character development was lacking. Well, Caryn Lix has certainly addressed that here. Not only does she fill in more details of Kenzie’s background, but she also fleshes out the backstories of some of the more involved secondary characters. The cast has also developed into a true United Nations of diversity, which I love. China, Egypt, Native American, Irish, and Russian cultures are represented here. And while those cultural differences are part of who the characters are, they don’t define them.

The plot itself picks up exactly where the previous book ended. The survivors who managed to scape the carnage on Sanctuary have been left utterly demoralized and traumatized. And now they’re being hunted by not only the monstrous aliens they barely managed to escape from, but also the sinister company known as Omnistellar who apparently has its own agenda for the survivors and the alien ship they’re flying. For a story where the actual monsters don’t appear until the last half of the book, the pace never slowed down one iota. Once I started this, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in less than 4 hours. The ending unfortunately is another cliffhanger, so I’m praying that the third book is no more than a year away because I’ve really become emotionally attached to Kenzie and her friends.

I highly recommend both Sanctuary and Containment for older teens and adults who love science fiction/horror along the line of the Alien movies. These pulse-pounding books are definitely not for the faint-hearted. Between the blood and gore, and the non-stop suspense, they are nightmare-inducing and will undoubtedly cause many a reader a sleepless night!

 

 

One Word Kill (Impossible Times #1), by Mark Lawrence ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

1980s, Cancer, Coming-of age, London, Romance, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to Netgalley and 47North for providing an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

201 Pages

Synopsis: In January 1986, fifteen-year-old boy genius Nick Hayes discovers he’s dying. And it isn’t even the strangest thing to happen to him that week.

Nick and his Dungeons & Dragons-playing friends are used to living in their imaginations. But when a new girl, Mia, joins the group and reality becomes weirder than the fantasy world they visit in their weekly games, none of them are prepared for what comes next. A strange—yet curiously familiar man—is following Nick, with abilities that just shouldn’t exist. And this man bears a cryptic message: Mia’s in grave danger, though she doesn’t know it yet. She needs Nick’s help—now.

He finds himself in a race against time to unravel an impossible mystery and save the girl. And all that stands in the way is a probably terminal disease, a knife-wielding maniac and the laws of physics.

I’m a big fan of Mark Lawrence so when I saw One Word Kill on NetGalley I knew I had to request it and I’m so glad I did because it’s further convinced me that this prolific author can do no wrong. Why is this may you ask? Well, there’s the setting of 1980’s London, time-travel, Dungeons & Dragons, and except for the villainous psychopath, a lovable cast of characters. I swear, only Mark Lawrence could successfully combine a terminally ill teen, D&D, and quantum mechanics with a sweet, heart-wrenching, coming-of-age/love story. And, this is all accomplished in just over 200 pages! In essence, read this for the quality of writing, creativity, memorable characters, and page-turning, nostalgic storyline. I’ve already ordered the sequel, Limited Wish, which just came out on 5/28, and I’m preordering the third book, Dispel Illusion which is due out 11/14/19.

 

 

The Forbidden Door (Jane Hawk #4), by Dean Koontz ~ 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

480 Pages

Synopsis: “We’re rewriting the play, and the play is this country, the world, the future. We break Jane’s heart, we’ll also break her will.”

She was one of the FBI’s top agents, until she became the nation’s most-wanted fugitive. Now Jane Hawk may be all that’s left between a free nation and its enslavement by a powerful secret society’s terrifying mind-control technology. She couldn’t save her husband, or the others whose lives have been destroyed, but equipped with superior tactical and survival skills—and the fury born of a broken heart and a hunger for justice—Jane has struck major blows against the insidious cabal.

But Jane’s enemies are about to hit back hard. If their best operatives can’t outrun her, they mean to bring her running to them, using her five-year-old son as bait. Jane knows there’s no underestimating their capabilities, but she must battle her way back across the country to the remote shelter where her boy is safely hidden…for now.

 As she moves resolutely forward, new threats begin to emerge: a growing number of brain-altered victims driven hopelessly, violently insane. With the madness spreading like a virus, the war between Jane and her enemies will become a fight for all their lives—against  the lethal terror unleashed from behind the forbidden door.

The Forbidden Door is Dean Koontz’s 4th Jane Hawk book and is another perfect addition to this exciting series that shows no sign of slowing down. I think I’ve mentioned this in my reviews of the first three books that one of the biggest strengths of this series is the characters. I have become so invested in what happens to Jane, her precocious son, and the others on her team, that I find myself holding my breath as they face danger after danger. And the villains are so despicable and evil, that I want them to all die as slowly and painfully as possible.

There’s not much more I can say that I haven’t already said in my other reviews except that in my opinion the Jane Hawk series is some of Dean Koontz’s best work in years! The Forbidden Door ends in another nail biting cliffhanger, so I’m eagerly anticipating The Night Window which is coming out in May. 

The Raging Ones (The Raging Ones #1), by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie ~ 3.0 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

Thanks to  NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

352 Pages

Synopsis: In a freezing world, where everyone knows the day they will die, three teens break all the odds.

Franny Bluecastle, a tough city teen, dreams of dying in opulence, to see wealth she’s never known. Like the entire world, she believes it’s impossible to dodge a deathday.

Until the day she does. 

Court Icecastle knows wealth. He also knows pain. Spending five years in Vorkter Prison, a fortress of ice and suffering, he dreams of life beyond the people that haunt him and the world that imprisoned him.

Mykal Kickfall fights for those he loves. The rugged Hinterlander shares a frustrating yet unbreakable connection with Court—which only grows more lawless and chaotic as their senses and emotions connect with Franny.

With the threat of people learning they’ve dodged their deathdays, they must flee their planet to survive. But to do so, all three will have to hide their shared bond as they vie for a highly sought after spot in the newest mission to space. Against thousands of people far smarter, who’ll live longer, and never fear death the way that they do.

 I’ve read a few books centered around the deathday premise and I’m always interested in how an author is going to deal with the topic of people knowing when they’re going to die. I liked the way The Raging Ones inserted this into the story, but there were some other things that prevented this from being a perfect read for me.

The biggest issue I had was with the three main characters: Franny, Mykal, and Court. The chapters alternate between their povs, and I was frustrated, because I liked them, but their voices sounded much too similar. I also thought they could have been developed more, but the authors spend so much detailing on the world building, that there’s no time for anything else. That said, there’s no love triangle and I really enjoyed the relationship between the three and LOVED the bond shared by Mykal and Court.

Which brings me to my other issue. This first book is basically a huge info dump. On the one hand, I found it interesting, original, and creative. On the other, I felt like there was a ton of information being thrown at me, and between this and all the twists thrown in, it was too much at times. The ending is a huge cliffhanger which is fine, but there were a couple of things I wished had been answered that weren’t. For example, by the end of the book it was still a mystery to me how people’s deathdays are decided.

Despite my issues with The Raging Ones, I do think this series has loads of potential and I will definitely be picking up the sequel next year.

 

 

Lifel1k3 (Lifelike #1), By Jay Kristoff ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: May 29th, 2018

416 Pages

Synopsis: On a floating junkyard beneath a radiation sky, a deadly secret lies buried in the scrap.

Eve isn’t looking for secrets—-she’s too busy looking over her shoulder. The robot gladiator she’s just spent six months building has been reduced to a smoking wreck, and the only thing keeping her Grandpa from the grave was the fistful of credits she just lost to the bookies. To top it off, she’s discovered she can destroy electronics with the power of her mind, and the puritanical Brotherhood are building a coffin her size. If she’s ever had a worse day, Eve can’t remember it.

But when Eve discovers the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend Lemon Fresh and her robot conscience, Cricket, in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, infiltrating towering megacities and scour the graveyard of humanity’s greatest folly to save the ones Eve loves, and learn the dark secrets of her past.

Even if those secrets were better off staying buried.

I’ve read almost all of Jay Kristoff’s books and I’m happy to say that Lifel1k3 is his best yet! It’s original, creative, exciting, and is definitely going on my top ten list of favorite books of 2018.

The first few chapters are a little slow, but it doesn’t take long for the action to kick in. The characters are absolutely fantastic! While Eve is definitely the star as a badass fighter who’s suffering from PTSD due to a traumatic past, the others are equally interesting, especially her loyal BFF, Lemon Fresh, and Ezekiel who despite not being human, is head-over-heels in love with Eve. 

The world building is phenomenal and the plot has elements of Romeo and Juliet, Mad Max, and Terminator. I found it impossible to tear myself away and finished this in one day. The ending completely knocked my socks off and I can’t wait until the sequel comes out.

 

Sanctuary (Sanctuary #1), by Caryn Lix ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Horror, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

480 Pages

Synopsis: Kenzie holds one truth above all else: the company is everything.

As a citizen of Omnistellar Concepts, the most powerful corporation in the solar system. Kenzie has trained her entire life for one goal: to become an elite guard on Sanctuary, Omnistellar’s space prison for superpowered teens too dangerous for Earth. As a junior guard, she’s excited to prove herself to her company—and that means sacrificing anything that won’t propel her forward.

But then a routine drill goes sideways and Kenzie is taken hostage by rioting prisoners. 

At first, she’s confident that her commanding officer—who also happens to be her mother—will stop at nothing to secure her freedom. Yet it soon becomes clear that her mother is more concerned with sticking to Omnistellar protocol than she is with getting Kenzie out safely.

As Kenzie forms her own plan to escape, she doesn’t realize there’s a more sinister threat looming, something ancient and evil that has clawed its way into Sanctuary from the vacuum of space. And Kenzie might have to team up with her captors to survive—all while beginning to suspect there’s a darker side to the Omnistellar she knows.

I know it’s only July, but without a doubt, Sanctuary is going to be one of my favorite books of 2018! I started this yesterday afternoon, and finished it about 11:30 p.m. I swear, I was so stressed out that by the end of the book I almost started biting my fingernails, a bad habit I only recently stopped.

The reason why I didn’t give this a full 5 stars is because there’s insta-love between Kenzie and Cage (a personal pet peeve of mine), the leader of the superpowered teens and, except for Kenzie, I would have liked to see a little more character development. However, with all the action taking place I found I didn’t mind these two issues as much as I usually would. I really emphasized Kenzie as she struggled to accept that the world she grew up in isn’t as benevolent and protective as she thought, and that people with powers aren’t the monsters that she’s been led to believe. The story is filled with tension as the teens discover they’re facing an unimaginable horror, and that they’ll have to work together if they’re to survive. The fight scenes are bloody and gory and left me on the edge of my seat. The ending left me with some questions, but I didn’t mind as there is going to be a sequel.

Overall, Sanctuary is a spectacular debut by Caryn Lix. I think because of the violence, I’d recommend this to ages 13 and up. The book is chock full of action, horror and suspense, and it most definitely lives up to its exciting premise. I’m eagerly anticipating the sequel!

 

Nyxia Unleashed (The Nyxia Triad #2), by Scott Reintgen ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Diversity, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Crown Books for Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

400 Pages

Synopsis: Getting to Eden brought Emmett and his crewmates one step closer to their promised fortune. But surviving Eden may be the biggest reward of all. Discover book two in the trilogy Marjorie Lu called, “a high octane thriller.”

Emmett Atwater thought Babel’s game sounded easy. Get points. Get paid. Go home. But it didn’t take long for him to learn that Babel’s competition was full of broken promises, none darker or more damaging than the last one.

Now Emmett and the rest of the Genesis survivors must rally and forge their own path through a new world. Their mission from Babel is simple: extract nyxia, the most valuable material in the universe, and play nice with the indigenous Adamite population. 

But Emmett and the others quickly realize that they are caught between two powerful forces—Babel and the Adamites—with clashing desires. Will the Genesis team make it out alive before it’s too late?

Nyxia Unleashed picks right up after Nyxia’s cliffhanger ending. In the previous book, sixteen-year-old Emmett Atwater, an African American from Detroit, spent the last year with nineteen other disadvantaged teens from all over the world on Genesis, the Babel Communications spaceship. Promised wealth beyond their imagination in exchange for traveling to Eden to mine nyxia, the teens are promised that after a year or so they can return home. But they quickly discovered that Babel care only for their own wealth and power. While they embark on the year long journey to Eden on the spaceship Genesis, the teens are forced into a deadly competition for a coveted spot on the final team that would land on Eden. While the sequel shifts away from the life and death competition that was prevalent in the first book, for me it was even more exciting, as the Genesis teen survivors are now caught between the sinister plans of Babel and those of this new Adamite, or as they call themselves, Imago population.

The teens, caught between the dueling interests of Babel Communications and the Imago, also have to learn to trust one another if they’re to survive on this alien planet. I loved Emmett, the main character and narrator in Nyxia and my feelings remain the same here. While he justifiably harbors hatred and vengeful thoughts toward Babel, he also strives to remain the good person his family raised him to be. Although I wasn’t thrilled with the insta-love between Emmett and Morning, they truly are a perfect match. She’s so powerful yet is kind and compassionate. I don’t usually ship couples, but I’m making an exception in this case. The secondary characters are diverse in terms of race, religion and sexuality. In Nyxia I thought the diversity faded into the background at times, but here it’s front and center. While this is a work of fiction, seeing these young people from different backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities gave me hope. They’re well-rounded and add quite a bit to the storyline. 

The planet Eden/Magnia and its inhabitants have some creative qualities to them, but I wish they were a little more alien. The Imago are very similar to humans as are their society and culture. Additionally, they’re also able to communicate with each other thanks to nyxia, and even breathe the same air and eat the same food. This is a very minor complaint though.

Underlying the fictional story are the realistic issues of colonization and oppression. It also explores social classes with some fortunate to be born into the right families and with what is seen as physical perfection, and others who are seen as unequal.

Nyxia Unleashed is even more fast-paced as its predecessor and ends with an exciting cliffhanger, which has me anxiously anticipating the final book, Nyxia Uprising, which sadly doesn’t come out until April 19, 2019. In my opinion these books are for ages 16 and up due to its complex and dark themes. In addition to the previously mentioned ones, there’s also: PTSD, torture, genocide, animal death, loss of friends and loved ones. There’s also plenty of blood and gore. But balancing the darkness are themes of support, trust, loyalty, and love. Fans of Nyxia will not be disappointed by this phenomenal sequel, and if you haven’t read these books but you’re a fan of science fiction with wonderfully written, diverse characters and nonstop action, then I HIGHLY recommend you give these a try!