Wildcard by Marie Lu

Wildcard by Marie Lu

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Hardcover: 341 pages
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Release date: September 18, 2018

Series:  Warcross #2

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo's new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she's always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.

Determined to put a stop to Hideo's grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone's put a bounty on Emika's head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn't all that he seems--and his protection comes at a price.

Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?

Emika Chen seems to be caught in the middle of a high-stakes match, one where she could pay her life as a price. Rather than repudiate Hideo for the revelations in the last book, Emika makes a different choice. Instead, she tries to understand the human emotions and motives behind Hideo and Zero, discovering a much bigger plot than she ever dreamed. Wildcard kept me on the edge of my seat in anticipation! Where the first novel was building the idea of the game of Warcross and Emika was discovering her team, her mission, and an entire new "arena" of players, this next novel went past the game and contemplated hard questions of morality, choice, freedom, and society's system of punishment. This had less worldbuilding and gamification of the first book and covered more exploration of the characters.

Emika, who had been very used to depending only on herself for most of her life besides her father and maybe her roommate, had become part of a team even if she was mostly working on her own. However, her choices and their effects come to pay a price on her team and they push Emika to open up, to trust them. Here, she finally has a chance to show them whether she does or not -- with the revelation of her "kidnapping", Hideo's plans for the Neurolink, and her adoption into the gang. Emika also has to question her feelings for Hideo. Do they change now that she knows his plans? Does she question his motives? For instance, does Hideo not realize the consequences of his actions? The effect he has had on the populace? The choice of life that he's taken away from people? Emika has to weigh who holds the real power? Is it Hideo? Is it Zero? Is it someone else? It's a new question of Machiavellian power--do the ends (Hideo's algorithm saving everyone from bad choices) justify the means (controlling them and taking away their capability of freedom)?

There are a lot of answered questions and strings wrapped up satisfyingly, like the identity of Zero and what happened with his kidnapping. I like that this goes deeper into questions of humanity and actions, but also contains a lot of twists I never saw coming. We get more Hammie, who I love for some reason, and more Tremaine and Roshan (I loved this subplot btw.)...

Without sharing any spoilers, the one thing I'm still not sure I followed well was the, er, villain of the series and the motives behind it and the hidden dots that Emika puts together. Maybe I just didn't anticipate things well, but I think there should have been a little more stitching together. Who knows? Maybe I just need a re-read! I will say that my husband is reading this series right now on audiobook, and it kept him engaged over 8 hours of driving so much that he grabbed his earbuds and is now reading this second book. It's incredibly engaging and I recommend to anyone who enjoys videogaming or who liked Martha Wells' recent Murderbot series or Ready Player One. Can't wait to see what series Marie Lu embarks upon next! What did you all think?

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by Kara at Monday, July 15, 2019

 G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, game fiction, Marie Lu, Science Fiction, Warcross, Wildcard, young adult  4 People left their mark

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Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen

Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Hardcover: 390 pages
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Release date: July 17, 2018

Series:  Nyxia Triad, #2

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

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 spaceship 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 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?

There's once again a lot of things going on in this novel (too many?).Our Genesis 11 and 12 crews have been dispatched to a new world on Babel's mission. There's an entirely new world we know practically nothing about, a new culture of the Adamites or Imago, an underlying mystery of the Imago, plus Babel's secret plot and then, what's happening on the Babel spaceship? Then you add in the insta-romance of Emmett and Morning, the feud between Isabelle and Emmett because of Roathy, a revenge plan by the Genesis crew for their fallen members and Babel's lies...this is a lot for a reader to process. I really wish it would have slowed down!

From the last book, the character development really seemed to improve, especially since we already know a lot of the characters. I was frustrated at the relationship between Emmett and Morning mostly because Morning seems like a Mary Sue. She's pretty perfect but her one weakness is the boy? Pah. There's one point in their story where Morning is really upset by calling home and she doesn't tell Emmett, and then you might realize that Morning actually never says anything about her past and her family. Why? I had trouble connecting with her. I did, however, absolutely love the character of Anton (even though we know little about him too), so I'm really looking forward to reading more about him in the last book. We only get to see a few glimpses of what he's up to in the latter half of the novel. One of the characters to really change is Longwei, from a silent, winning-is-the-only-thing-that-matters player to one of the team because of Emmett's friendship and support.

The worldbuilding in this novel gives me echoes of a few different things. The mining camps remind me of Fallout vault shelters (why is a spoiler). The rings and different walls of the Imago's city remind me of Gondor in Lord of the Rings. I loved the scene that played out in the Sixth ring with the talented chef. That was possibly my favorite part of this novel. Yet with the strange land I also see connections to C.S. Lewis's Perelandra series. Maybe this is due to the allegorical references to Biblical names in this novel with Babel, Genesis, Jerricho...

Lastly, I have trouble recalling all of the events at the end. There was such chaos and confusion between plots and subplots that I honestly don't remember what significance each event had. I'll have to read it over again for it to sink in... I will definitely be reading book 3 out in 2019. Give this series a try? What did you like? What did I miss? Which characters stood out to you?

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by Kara at Thursday, November 29, 2018

 Crown Books for Young Readers, Nyxia Unleashed, Penguin Random House, Science Fiction, Scott Reintgen, space fiction, Young Adult Fiction  Leave your mark

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Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Hardcover: 371 pages
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Release date: September 12, 2017

Series:  Nyxia Triad, #1

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

What would you be willing to risk for a lifetime of fortune?
Emmett Atwater isn’t just leaving Detroit; he’s leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family.

Forever.

Before long, Emmett discovers that he is one of ten recruits, all of whom have troubled pasts and are a long way from home. Now each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden—a planet that Babel has kept hidden—where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe.

But Babel’s ship is full of secrets. And Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won’t forever compromise what it means to be human.

Okay, so at last year's YALLFest (the current one is actually going on as I write this) I went to a panel all about scifi and Scott Reintgen was on it. A coworker's dad also has a connection to him, so I figured I needed to pick this book up pretty quick. It sounded interesting from his talks and the books were circulating pretty well at my library.

Two things I really liked about it:
1) My favorite character in this first book is Bilal -- he is just so nice and kind it defies logic and yet he is a decent human being. He still even comes off as human. I without a doubt loved him. Not to say I didn't like a few other characters, but it takes some time to get to know them due to them being Emmett's enemies for the most part. I also really liked Kaya, Emmett's roommate. I can't say any more about these two specific characters without spoiling the story. I'll talk about that in the next review. 2) Despite a few of the backstory/flat character issues, he really writes dialogue and multi-character interaction well. Although there are like 10-20 characters who all interact a lot with each other, they are easily kept separate and memorable. Additionally, there is a great degree of diversity here that I really appreciated. Most of it doesn't feel trope, but that you can really tell Reintgen traveled and talked with all sorts of people from different backgrounds and countries and cultures. I really loved that.

At times, it resembles The Hunger Games with its competitions and bloodthirstiness, but then there's the added individual matches plus a teamwork component that THG only picked up in Catching Fire as part of their alliance. It also bears comparison with Pierce Brown's Red Rising series with being a helldiver versus mining the nyxia. But where I would argue THG series and Red Rising series are rich and mostly original in their worldbuilding and plot, I almost felt like I had read parts of this before...

This is a book that despite its flaws, you'll probably still keep reading. It grabs you and forces you to wade through the different challenges that each member of the Genesis 11 team must overcome. I had a few issues with this book that made it just miss the mark for me. Many of the characters seem very flat and stock at times and a few of the Emmett's comments about culture or race or slang (or his mental filing system *sigh*) make this story seem like it tries too hard to make you like Emmett and care about him. The subplot and the prospect of what Babel might really be up to creates a problem of almost too much going on and yet, not enough substance to tie it together. If it had just slowed down a bit more to add in some more backstory and smoothed down some of the rough edges in transition, I think it really would be stellar. I certainly enjoyed it enough to keep reading. I think it might be suited for more middle grades and reluctant readers due to the fast pace and holes. Also,  Emmett being so old creates some conflict with the reader audience that I think will become more of an issue in later books. Still, the creation of nyxia and its capabilities is certainly very intriguing, and automatically you want to know more about the Adamites and how they use nyxia, but this must wait for the next book.

Happy Thanksgiving, United States readers!

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by Kara at Thursday, November 22, 2018

 Crown Books for Young Readers, Nyxia, Nyxia Triad, Penguin Random House, Science Fiction, Scott Reintgen, space fiction, Young Adult Fiction  Leave your mark

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Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner

Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Hardcover: 425 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release date: December 1, 2015

Series:  Starbound, #3

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now-infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness LaRoux Industries' corruption. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were the only survivors of the Icarus shipwreck, forced to live a double life after their rescue.

Now, at the center of the galaxy on Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players in the fight against LRI.

Gideon Marchant is an underworld hacker known as the Knave of Hearts, ready to climb and abseil his way past the best security measures on the planet to expose LRI's atrocities. Sofia Quinn, charming con artist, can work her way into any stronghold without missing a beat. When a foiled attempt to infiltrate LRI Headquarters forces them into a fragile alliance, it's impossible to know who's playing whom--and whether they can ever learn to trust each other.

With their lives, loves, and loyalties at stake, only by joining forces with the Icarus survivors and Avon's protectors do they stand a chance of taking down the most powerful corporation in the galaxy---before LRI's secrets destroy them all.

I was really excited Sofia got her own book! I really liked her from the last series. And from what I can remember, the Knave was mentioned in earlier stories too? Appreciated the strings of how they came together in this novel. With both of these interesting characters having, shall we say, layers of persona, it took some time to be able to tell what was fiction and what was truth with Gideon and Sofia. They've both put up so many walls that you had to wade through the plot action until they both softened a bit. I thought this book was possibly the most creative in the series because it shows a very futuristic business-oriented world with layers, from rich to poor and pristine to filthy, sort of a sci-fi picture of modern day Edinburgh with the vaults and streets buried underneath (you know, if people still actually lived underground).

One of the side characters I identified most with is Mae, the secret mom hacker, whose kids make her vulnerable to LaRoux. It's so true that your kids are your biggest weakness... Another character who stood out to me was the scientist Sanjana. I would have liked to see more of her since she's a tough, defiant woman and one of the few adults who helps the group of radical teens. What stands out about this book is the discussion around different emotions and sacrifice. While the characters do discuss these topics, the small interruptions in narrative, similar to the previous novels, also explore these emotions and even what it means to be human and to care about humanity.

The pace in this novel is possibly the fastest of the series what with LaRoux Industries having a countdown to some horrifying plan, and Gideon and Sofia seeming to be a step behind in thwarting it. Their flirty banter and comic escapades at times gives the reader a break from the high risk of discovery for Gideon and Sofia and their fight against LaRoux Industries. A high point in the book is when we get to observe the six main characters in the series join together in a weird but enthralling kismet of fate, and experience a devastating plot twist that changes everyone's plans. Then it's a dystopian battle for the end reminiscent of The Hunger Games at Snow's mansion, except the enemy isn't "Snow" like you would expect. Shocking. Twisted. I couldn't put this book down! That final plot twist...wow. I don't think I really saw that coming? Possibly the most thing that frustrated me at the end was how I was still craving what happened. I wanted more resolution. I wanted more books, what happened to the characters...Probably this is a really good thing for an author. Total book hangover at the end that I had trouble starting other books for a few days.

Have you read this series? What did you think? Should I start their newest series ASAP?

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by Kara at Thursday, November 15, 2018

 Amie Kaufman, Disney-Hyperion, Megan Spooner, Science Fiction, space fiction, Starbound, Their Fractured Light, Young Adult Fiction  Leave your mark

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This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner

 This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Hardcover: 390 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release date: December 23, 2014

Series:  Starbound, #2

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. His sister died in the original uprising against the powerful corporate conglomerate that rules Avon with an iron fist. These corporations make their fortune by terraforming uninhabitable planets across the universe and recruiting colonists to make the planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage against the military occupying his home, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape base together, caught between two sides in a senseless war.

The stunning second novel in the Starbound trilogy is an unforgettable story of love and forgiveness in a world torn apart by war.

A new planet, a new pair of heroes, and a new star-crossed love. Having been used to Lilac and Tarver from the first series, it was a bit jarring to start over with Lee and Flynn. Rather than being immediately sympathetic to the characters this time around, I, too, found Lee cold and living up to her Stone-face nickname. She was hard to trust. Flynn, by contrast, seems immediately likeable. Hurting him seems like kicking a puppy. It's easy to see why he was the one who cracked her hard exterior worn like battle armor throughout her military career due to her childhood trauma.

This is probably by far my favorite planet of the series. Avon reminds me of Dagobah from Star Wars. Murky, swampy, filled with plops and oozes, slime and sludge. I didn't notice any mentions of animal life in the book, which struck me as odd. Here we have an ecosystem of algae and water, and while there's a bit of a mention of fish, there's no crocodile or snake equivalent that present a danger to the populace. That and maybe the lack of swarming insects? However, I think it can be written off as a result of their unstable climate.

In this novel, there's a different literary device used to tell the story. The narrative element of third-person descriptive scenes breaks up the action between Lee and Flynn and tries to give the reader a different perspective of Lee through past, present, and future. Sometimes I felt it was really used well and other times it carried me out of the story when I just wanted to know what happened next and couldn't be bothered to figure out yet again why there was a third narrator. However, the concept is intriguing (especially once we find out the why of said perspective). It seems to be related to dreams or predictions or memories of Lee, but none of these seem to fit exactly. Once Lee has the incident in the cave that results in a very sad death, that was when I started questioning everything and really trying to figure out, was this girl going mad too? Have we been following a would-be murderer this whole time?

You tell me.

P.S. This isn't so much relevant to this novel, but it's really easy to see this narrative plot device  morphed into the dossiers, IMs, emails and various other mediums used in Illuminae. . . Fascinating to study Amie's earlier work and how it evolved!

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by Kara at Thursday, November 08, 2018

 Amie Kaufman, Disney-Hyperion, Megan Spooner, Science Fiction, space fiction, Starbound, This Shattered World, Young Adult Fiction  1 Person left their mark

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These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Hardcover: 374 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release date: December 10, 2013

Series:  Starbound, #1

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

It’s a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

I was interested in reading this book because I am such a huge fan of the Illuminae Files. Since I loved that series to pieces, I was curious about Amie Kaufman's other novels, especially since she and Megan Spooner have yet another series that is currently in publication. How was this different? How was it similar? A fellow librarian friend loved it after I turned her on to Illuminae and she'd been bugging me to read it.

I had two main complaints with this first book. But, just...bear with me a minute.

1) I wanted to know more backstory about Tarver and Lilac. They were such very interesting characters, but I somewhat felt the action continuously pulled them into the present and neglected telling us about their lives before the story. I kept figuring this was going to come in a later book, but it didn't. And I didn't realize this series would jump to new protagonists in the next novel. As far as problems go, it's a minor one, but I really wanted to see Tarver pre-military and Lilac have some more depth to her familial interactions, though some more details are revealed in later novels.

2) While I loved the idea of this planet and its inhabitants, I also had trouble with really seeing it in my head. Once again, most of the story is propelled through the characters of Tarver and Lilac and their interactions and thoughts, but not enough detail is spent on fleshing out the setting, making it fully realized. Perhaps the reader is supposed to see their own version, but since this was a planet  seemingly missing the inhabitants, the setting could/should act as a character. I didn't have this problem in the other novels, just this one. I guess I just wanted it to be a tad bit richer so I could love it more.

So, despite these few flaws, I genuinely liked this story. Tarver and Lilac are strong characters and I enjoyed their story continuing in later novels. In no way did I predict the twist at the end of this book because I just was still trying to figure out what was going on. The juxtaposition of the madness versus a ghost or something else kept you on your toes for what might happen. The most vivid scene I remember that I still love (writing about this months later) is where they find the disembowled juggernaut, Tarver becomes ill, and Lilac, already facing the prospect of insanity and hallucinations, has to explore inside the mass grave of a ship to find supplies. Wow. The sheer horror of the situation and the fierce need for survival and companionship makes this an amazing scene in a really good book. Hopefully coming soon -- This Shattered World where we continue the resistance against LaRoux Industries and meetJubilee "Lee" Chase and Flynn Cormac and revisit with Tarver and Lilac.

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by Kara at Thursday, November 01, 2018

 Amie Kaufman, Disney-Hyperion, Megan Spooner, Science Fiction, space fiction, Starbound, These Broken Stars, Young Adult Fiction  Leave your mark

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Pierce Brown's Red Rising Sons of Ares by Pierce Brown, Rik Hoskin, Eli Powell

Pierce Brown's Red Rising Sons of Ares by Pierce Brown, Rik Hoskin, Eli Powell

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Graphic Novel, Science Fiction, Space fiction
Hardcover: 152 pages
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Release date: March 13, 2018

Series:  Sons of Ares #1

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

From the world of the best-selling YA series Red Rising comes a story of love and loss and rage!

In the future, when mankind has spread across the stars, the hierarchy of man is dictated by the color of one’s caste. The Golds rule all, but what will happen when one falls for a lowly Red? See how a forbidden love will set the course of events for the future and lead to the formation of the formidable Sons of Ares!

This prequel graphic novel introduces us to Fitchner au Barca before his days leading the Sons of Ares. We recall Fitchner as being a tricky sort, with a crude sense of humor and gory (or "gorydamn") penchant for violence. That doesn't mean he's without morality, though, but more like he bats no eye at crossing the line from killing humanely to killing in an animalistic fashion, especially if it's someone who's betrayed him.

Beginning with a brief introduction to the world and it's social hierarchy and origins, this graphic novel sort of skirts around Fitchner's past, showing him in an unknown undercover operation and flashing back to his beginnings and then to his time at the Institute. Mostly, I think this flashback serves to show how Fitchner had a long history of being belittled by his own color, forced to commit atrocities, and thus gives him a new perspective when he takes his position in society. Fitchner shows he isn't like other Golds when he rebels against what his society has taught him and values the lives of others after the horrors he's committed. He saves the lives of Reds caught in an explosion, Reds he's responsible for.

This marks his biggest change, moving from a lonely outsider to being accepted by a family. Here begins what we've only heard barely mentioned by Sevro in the original stories, the talk of his mother, Bryn. It follows her meeting with Fitchner, their marriage, and Sevro's birth -- our sweet little Goblin as a baby (who apparently always was called a goblin). It's easy to see where Sevro gets his attitude after these flashbacks to his father's early life, and their similar experiences of being bullied and shamed by other Golds for their appearance and height.

It is at this point that the novel's present and flashbacks meet up to continue the story. And what a horrifying tale it is, especially for those of us who might be parents of littles and fellow Howlers. Poor Sevro and his mother have been captured by the Board of Quality Control. Bryn is being questioned about her baby's father and Sevro's life is threatened as they want to carve him up to see how he's alive. It's possibly the worst nightmare come true. I won't say how it ends (mostly we know a bit from the novels), but it's in this fight that reveals Fitchner's ascendance to Ares.

This is the first time the world of Red Rising has been captured in art form. Eli Powell creates this world dark and smudgy and shadowed, both with literal shadow and the subject matter. While I liked seeing the science fiction schematics, I sort of feel like we do miss the emphasis of the action that is brought to life so well in the text. It's sort of the age-old, what's in your head is better than portrayals, whether in future film or in this graphic novel series. Not that Powell's art leaves things to be desired, but that the format of a graphic novel doesn't capture the same quality of the novels. There isn't as much dialogue and description because things are shown to the reader. It leaves some things more ambiguous than they might have been otherwise. Perhaps too, it was the nature of this story itself, too, as there aren't many positives. It's truly a rebirth narrative, "out of the ashes of Gold rises a 'god'".

It was not how I pictured Fitchner. He looked more like he was not finely molded, like a block of wood contrasted with typical Gold picturesque carving. I thought he would have perhaps a bulbous nose or just features that were too big for his face. I was also picturing all Reds looking like gingers, but Bryn seemed to have brunette hair. Not a big deal in the long run, but just a different perspective. I enjoyed reading this and will likely continue when more are pubbed but don't expect the full-bodied flavor of the other series. It's just an all-too-brief glimpse into the past.

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by Kara at Friday, July 13, 2018

 Adult, Dynamite Entertainment Publishing, Eli Powell, Graphic Novel, Pierce Brown, Red Rising Sons of Ares, Review, Rik Hoskin, Science Fiction, space fiction  Leave your mark

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Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Hardcover: 624 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release date: March 18, 2018

Series:  Illuminae Files #3

Source: Purchased

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza--but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion? Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys--an old flame from Asha's past--reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heros will fall, and hearts will be broken.

I was so excited for this book, I repeatedly had to tell myself to calm down and breathe. I love everything about it. From the space adventure to the near-death escapades and the creative art mediums to the real-as-life characters, this is an amazing series and satisfyingly wraps up in this final volume. Our favorite characters from the last novels join newcomers Asha, Kady's cousin, and Rhys, once Asha's boyfriend, who are battling for their lives on opposing sides on Kerenza while the rest are in a battle for survival in space making their way to the mining planet.

Marie Lu's art has changed as Kady and the group are rendered in manga-like cartoon form in a few sketches. More than before, this story is split between the courtroom trial of Leanne Frobisher and BeiTech, Kady/Ezra/Nik/Hanna, and the action on Kerenza. You might think it would be hard to keep so many characters and storylines straight but Kristoff and Kaufman do it almost effortlessly. Our beloved Machiavellian AI is back as AIDAN and it seems to be evolving. It now experiences emotion and shows itself capable of deceit.

Some key changes have happened along the way from Gemina, and we pick the story up right after Nik, Hanna, and Ella have their close brush with an alternate dimension and the Heimdall waypoint is destroyed. The two groups struggle to come together, and the Hypatia is overloaded with refugees. As they decide to return to Kerenza to intercept BeiTech's Mobile Jump Platform Magellan and from there hopefully return to earth they face a seemingly insurmountable task as they must manage to overwhelm the last of BeiTech's dreadnoughts the Churchill. The two groups of the Hypatia and the Jump Station Heimdall face some conflict in leadership which brings up the age-old challenge of adult vs. teenagers as many don't think Kady/Ezra/Nik/Hanna (shortened to KENH, because this is exhausting to type) have any authority despite the fact that some of the choices they've made have saved everyone's lives.

Meanwhile, on Kerenza, Asha encounters her former separated boyfriend Rhys but bad news--he's on the side of BeiTech. For the first time we see the viewpoint of a BeiTech grunt and the orders they've given to the soldiers; in other words, we see the enemy become human. As each of them struggle with their situation, they become unlikely allies as each tries to understand the other, inviting more of a Romeo/Juliet comparison.

This is probably the part of the book that I was most frustrated with. The breakneck speed of the plot and circumstances really didn't allow as much time as before to really get to know Asha and Rhys since they're already fighting for their lives. It's certainly understandable why, but I just missed having as much of a connection to their part of the story as with the KENH part. It's simply for this reason alone that I didn't LOVE this book as much as I LOVED Illuminae and Gemina. I've no idea how they would've made it any better than it was, but because it was just so fast, I wanted there to be more "meat" or emotional connection with all of the characters, especially with the new ones. And like most series, I wanted more at the end. Maybe seeing more of the celebration and all interacting together, alive and safe, finally? Not sure. Maybe reading about the weddings? Absolutely, I would like to read about this group of teens (and a few adults) doing something more. However, the ending with AIDAN? Ahhhh-mazing. Blown away. How you inspire so much love for an electronic entity I don't know, but Kristoff and Kaufman have definitely given me feels for this Machiavellian machine monster.

Tell me your thoughts if you have them!

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by Kara at Thursday, May 31, 2018

 Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Science Fiction, space fiction, The Illuminae Files, young adult  Leave your mark

✎

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release date: November 22, 2016

Series:  Arc of a Scythe #1

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in this Printz Honor–winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.

A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control.

Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe—a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.

Scythe is the first novel of a thrilling new series by National Book Award–winning author Neal Shusterman in which Citra and Rowan learn that a perfect world comes only with a heavy price.

I've never read anything by Shusterman though I know he's had success with Unwind and it's series. Plus, last year they were planning the Unwind movie, but February 2018 the production company decided it would do better as a tv series and have started reformatting. 

I recently listened to this on audio, and the whole story and worldbuilding was very intriguing. In fact, I thought it super interesting that while I was listening to this audio, I was also re-reading the Red Rising series. So the "Reaper" was a connecting theme for both of them.

Whatever you kind of expect about this book based on the blurb is probably wrong. In fact, it's a very thought-provoking and philosophizing sort of book, but without pushing a bias or agenda. What it really seems to put into perspective (thank you, humanities education) is the idea of being human and what that entails when one's job is to "glean" or, in other words, murder people -- take lives -- euthanize, whatever you want to call it.

Citra and Rowan have been taken from their normal lives and asked to be scythe apprentices after their unusual responses to Scythe Faraday's recent gleanings. After their one year apprenticeship, one of them is expected to become a scythe but the other will return to normal life as if nothing ever happened. Neither Citra nor Rowan want the responsibilities of being a scythe, and this is Faraday's first test. As scythe apprentices, they learn how to kill and, in some cases, how to deal with death and grief and moral questions. They also find out about mass murders, the emotions experienced by repeated gleanings, and what happens when their body of government, the Scythedom, is corrupted. However these two are unique in that no other scythe has taken two apprentices, and Citra and Rowan form a bond from their experiences. This bond is tested in multiple ways, and it's rather a dance to see if they will survive the harrowing plot twists that spring up.

As I briefly talked about, this book embraces the leap in science that has discovered how to prolong life, "reset" life in years, and even "respawn" life when one experiences an event that would ordinarily cause death (falling from a building, commonly called 'splatting'). Another theme is that of mass murders as a prominent scythe and his cronies revere this form of gleaning and use it constantly and with delight. It's an inside, calmly scientific view of terrorism and despotism, one that can easily be taken one step further into potential genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Another element is of mystery as something happens to Scythe Faraday that causes Citra to dig further and hide her sleuthing, Rowan to become a sort of spy/assassin, and together their dynamic actions rock the very core of the Scythedom. Be prepared for this book to challenge your ideas, bring a new perspective, and make you want to read the next, Thunderhead as soon as possible.

{New Note 5/27/2018 -- I've recently been listening to a well-researched podcast about ISIS, and I'm just going to draw a controversial line here because while I was listening I was reminded about this book. The tactics that Scythe Goddard uses to teach Rowan about his version of gleaning - using dummies to illustrate precise methods of killing and gleaning in a group of other scythes - are the same, if toned down, versions of tactics ISIS uses to teach emotional deadening to killing. So while Scythe is a work of fiction and these people aren't real, there are people undergoing a similar training to kill and who go out and commit mass murders such as these. There are some people in the same shoes as Rowan who do not want to kill but are taught to and pushed out into the world to do more. Just some of my thoughts about the similarities with things in this book and our work today.)

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by Kara at Thursday, May 10, 2018

 Arc of a Scythe, Neal Shusterman, Review, Science Fiction, Simon amp; Schuster, young adult  1 Person left their mark

✎

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Hardcover: 672 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release date: October 18, 2016

Series:  Illuminae Files #2

Source: ARC, Purchased

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.
     The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.
     Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy's most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.
     When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station's wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.
     But relax. They've totally got this. They hope.
     Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.

[I covered this book on my blog earlier, and since it was missing from the archive, added a quick post for you all so you aren't missing the middle title in the series.]

This second file describes the events at the Heimdall waypoint, where the Kerenza survivors are looking to reach to survive. Daughter of the station's commander, Hanna Donnelly is planning for a party with her military officer boyfriend, Jackson Merrick, and trying to score some of the local drug known as dust (think marijuana rather than anything hard). Her drug dealer is Niklas Malikov, an outrageous flirt and nephew of the local crime lord who farms lamina, terrifying fast-evolving parasites that manufacture dust. On the night Nik and Hanna are supposed to meet up, a Bei-Tech undercover operative cons Nik and his family into intercepting a secret mission allowing Bei-Tech assassins into the waypoint. Luckily, Nik skips out on the destruction to meet Hanna while the rest of the jump station dissolves into chaos and murder. As the Bei-Tech assassins continue their mission, Nik and Hanna are left as the only two free people on the station, aided by the computer skills of Nik's cousin Ella. Through Hanna's lifelong training at strategy and combat due to her father's obsession and Nik's determination, wit, and heart, they must battle or outsmart their way through Bei-Tech's 24 assassins before a second Bei-Tech fleet arrives and their hope for a future is lost for a thousand years.

Hanna is the spoiled princess turned butt-kicking warrior after she's gotten pissed her off by betrayal and her father's murder. Nik is the flirty criminal with a good heart. Basically, they're today's reincarnation of Han and Leia. Ella is sort-of Chewie and C-3PO (after he's been blown to bits in Cloud City and carried like a sack of potatoes) rolled into one. 

Honestly, I am trying so hard here not to reveal epic spoilers. I loved every minute of this nail-biting series and want to experience it over and over again. My favorite bits were the IMs because so much of my teen years were spent forming relationships over IM/internet forums. The art and design elements of spaceship schematics, roster lists, visual design spirals, dossiers, IMs, etc. were unexpected but tied together the setting and feel of the story. Addictive. Terrifying. I want more.

While Illuminae was the real stand out, Gemina was not far behind as a solid sequel and may have equaled the first had my pre-pub edition contained the rest of the art intended for the final copy. (I later bought a copy when it released.)

My copies of Illuminae and Gemina are advanced reader copies (that I've been foisting on everyone I can). THANK YOU #alaac15, #alaac16, and most especially Penguin Random House for giving them out! Currently this series is tied with one other for my favorite reads of 2016!

Note: Language, violence, sexual connotations, and visceral descriptors.

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by Kara at Sunday, May 06, 2018

 Amie Kaufman, Gemina, Jay Kristoff, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Review, Science Fiction, The Illuminae Files, young adult  2 People left their mark

✎

Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction, dystopia
Hardcover: 596 pages
Publisher: Del Rey
Release date: January 16, 2018

Series:  Red Rising, #4

Source: Purchased

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

They call him father, liberator, warlord, Slave King, Reaper. But he feels a boy as he falls toward the war-torn planet, his armor red, his army vast, his heart heavy. It is the tenth year of war and the thirty-third of his life.

A decade ago Darrow was the hero of the revolution he believed would break the chains of the Society. But the Rising has shattered everything: Instead of peace and freedom, it has brought endless war. Now he must risk all he has fought for on one last desperate mission. Darrow still believes he can save everyone, but can he save himself?
               
And throughout the worlds, other destinies entwine with Darrow’s to change his fate forever:
               
A young Red girl flees tragedy in her refugee camp, and achieves for herself a new life she could never have imagined.
               
An ex-soldier broken by grief is forced to steal the most valuable thing in the galaxy—or pay with his life.
               
And Lysander au Lune, the heir in exile to the Sovereign, wanders the stars with his mentor, Cassius, haunted by the loss of the world that Darrow transformed, and dreaming of what will rise from its ashes.

Ever since I found out there was going to be more of Darrow's story, it's been harder than anticipating Christmas! We needed answers to see what happened to the broken-in-pieces Republic. Don't go thinking this is the "same story" as we've heard before. It's quite an adjustment from the last series since there are four narrators.

I found it hardest to get used to the switching viewpoints, though I do understand why it had to happen this way to understand the chronology of plot events. Just when you were really, REALLY interested in seeing what was going to happen next, the narrator changed and as a reader who basically reads for "what happened next", I was super frustrated. Doesn't mean I didn't like or appreciate the different viewpoints. In fact, I really enjoyed getting to know Lyria and Lysander. The one I was most frustrated with was Ephraim, but I also saw what he brought to the story. And I especially relished seeing him spar with Pax and Electra. I'll come back to that in a minute.

Let's talk about Darrow for a second. Darrow isn't our noble, "always think he's right/justified in his actions" hero that we've come to love. Here, he's garnered quite a bit of mistrust among the new Republic. Is he capable of stopping the bloodshed? Is he capable of acting like a man versus an animal? Is his way of thinking right, as we've been conditioned to assume throughout the first three novels, or is he paranoid? I don't think any of these get answered, but it'll be interesting to see how he redeems himself. (Or goodness, I hope he proves his credibility again...) There's also the question of his motivations regarding his family. Virginia is still Sovereign and Darrow's recent actions have called her leadership into question, jeopardizing everything they've worked for and potentially causing a civil war. Darrow also doesn't have a good relationship with his son, Pax, now a tween, making the same choices his own father did when Darrow was young. Additionally, he has made his niece Rhonna as one of his lancers to protect her from getting killed at the request of his brother, and though Rhonna has more than proven her capabilities, he's still holding her back from real responsibilities.

When we talk about Darrow, we also have to talk about some of our other beloved characters. Sevro and Victra are doing splendidly having had four daughters already, the eldest being Electra. Victra is very pregnant, and has some super memorable moments in this novel -- for good or ill. One impressive thing is how Victra crushes herself into battle armor while eight months pregnant and flies a ship AND has a dogfight in said ship. This is like Wonder Woman x4. I actually missed seeing more of Victra in this novel, but I expect that is definitely going to change in the next one due to some key plot developments. Back to Sevro, who is so much more emotional now that he's had four daughters. He really wears his love for his family on his sleeve just like his love for Darrow. It's sweet and endearing, but also entirely expected with his Howler/pack mentality. In fact, this love for his family comes into direct conflict with his love for Darrow and you'll see which side he chooses when all is said and done. I missed more of Sevro here too. His personality didn't have many chances to shine.

I also think Brown was trying to rectify some comments others had made about the first three books and include more world building, but I found it parts of it confusing, especially descriptions of the Syndicate. I actually didn't like very many settings in this novel except when Lysander and Cassius are on their spaceship. Maybe because they are so very different, or it was just hard to notice the setting since both characters and setting changed so rapidly. My final opinion? I don't love this as much as the first three but we'll definitely see where it leads. It had to change sometime, and actually, the very different plot structure reminds me of Gabaldon with her different arcs for each novel.

Saved the best for last! My absolute FAVORITE quote in this book was when we're allowed to finally see Virginia breathe a bit and grow some claws: "If you attempt to escape, or if you defect to the Syndicate, know this as a certain fact: your friend will die.  And be it on Mars, Luna, Earth, the Rim, or Venus itself, one night you will wake in the middle of the dark and find a shadow standing over you. If you are lucky, it will be me. If you are unlucky, it will be Sevro or my husband, and you will die shitting yourself in a foreign bed." YAASS QUEEN!

What did you all think?

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by Kara at Thursday, April 05, 2018

 Del Rey, Dystopian, Iron Gold, Pierce Brown, Red Rising, Science Fiction  Leave your mark

✎

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Science fiction, dystopia
Hardcover: 544 pages
Publisher: Del Rey
Release date: February 9th, 2016

Series:  Red Rising, #3

Source: Purchased

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society’s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.

Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender.

"Rise so high, in mud you lie" is taken to new levels in this final volume of the trilogy.

Betrayed by his friend Roque and the twisted machinations of the Jackal, our hero Darrow au Andromedus is taken captive while many of his allies are left for dead. [Darrow was actually kept in an eight foot stone table for nine months with tech to keep him alive and subjected to private torture sessions by the Jackal. Doesn't this sound like the lowest of the low?] A broken Victra au Julii is captive with him. In a secret mission Darrow is rescued. And Darrow insists Victra be rescued too, as she was only broken because of her strong loyalty to him. Even at the end of the massacre where she's crawling with spinal gunshot wounds, she only cared about Darrow knowing she had no part in the betrayal. Upon his return, Darrow finds a much different Sons of Ares, fitting because he himself is much changed. Sevro leads the Sons, and since his father's death, he's hell-bent on retribution and machiavellian elimination of his enemies.

Since Darrow's absence, the highColor rebellion -- led by Mustang, the Telemanuses and the Arcos clan -- and the lowColor rebellion -- led by Sevro and the Sons of Ares -- has permanently splintered into two different factions. Darrow is largely believed to be dead, though, and in his new state, is unfit to lead. It's definitely a new dynamic, him coming to depend on Sevro as Sevro once depended on him. Darrow must once again prove his readiness to lead, and this comes with some honest confessions and reckonings. It's another way Darrow comes full circle with his Red self. In Red Rising, he was the lowest of the low, broken, and brought high. In Golden Son, he's not as high as he thinks he is, is taken down a peg or two, and must figure out how to grow up in his new environment of politicos or make them dance to his tune. Here, Darrow is once again dependent and helpless, thanks to the Jackal, and Sevro and his friends have to build him up again. But Darrow doesn't have the same will, the same confidence, the same recklessness. Instead, his betrayal and new perspective have made him a bit wiser. [Don't expect his overconfidence and subpar communication to stop being his Achilles heel, however!]

Once Darrow and Victra are following Sevro's lead, Darrow tries to toe the line, but when they encounter Mustang and the Telemanuses again and he sees the unforgiving choices Sevro makes, he realizes the only thing that ever held them together was him. Therefore, only he can bridge the gap. It nearly gets them all killed, but it breaks Darrow out of leadership paralysis and, with a little encouragement, Sevro out of his raging grief [think fiery raging grief--one that destroys everything even as it tries to protect rather than hotheaded and heartbreaking tears]. With Darrow and Sevro equals again, their quest against the Jackal brings them new allies and a deal with Mustang.

At the very end of the last novel, Darrow had shared the truth of his Red background to his lady love, and she fled. Now, she promises to show him her loyalty even while he must show her that he can choose not to burn everything down as he remakes Society. It's a fascinating deal, and we don't learn the real reasons why, the outcome of the deal, or the significance Mustang's absence for a year and a half, until the very end of this book. [Did you guess why?! I did upon first reading!] If you recall, she did something similar in her relationship with Cassius...

We also see more of the world in this novel as Darrow travels to Phobos [one of Mars' moons], the unknown Rim [Jupiter and its moons plus the rest of that side of the galaxy], and Luna again.

The most heartbreaking part here is the loss of Ragnar. I still can't get over it. [Rest in Valhalla, Ragnar.]  After this upsetting end, the destruction of the Obsidians' "gods" are much welcome humor, even if it doesn't ever make up for his death.

The ending is epic, but did you expect anything less? I miss those twists every time I read even though I know what's going to happen. Like the last novel, this one is hard to explain in a summary, and you're just carried away by the rapid plot events. Sometimes trilogies are bleh. This one? 5 stars all the way around. Every bloodydamn time.

Can't WAIT to see what the new Iron Gold has in store! (I'm a third of the way through at this posting!)

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by Kara at Thursday, March 08, 2018

 Del Rey, dystopia, Epic, Morning Star, Pierce Brown, Random House, Red Rising, Science Fiction, Space  Leave your mark

✎

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Science fiction, dystopia
Hardcover: 464 pages
Publisher: Del Rey
Release date: January 6th, 2015

Series:  Red Rising, #2

Source: Purchased

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds—and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within.

A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love—but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution—and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.

He must live for more.

(I know Steph has covered this novel before, but this review adds some elements she didn't cover, so I thought I'd share!)

Golden Son starts with Darrow outside the small realm of the Institute and serving underneath the wing of his greatest enemy, ArchGovernor Nero au Augustus, and coincidentally alongside his former nemesis, the Jackal, or Adrius au Augustus. He's just finishing up his education at the Academy to learn to command starfleets. While Darrow might have been thrust amongst his peers in the Institute, he now must sway other Golds, non-Peerless Scarred, the politicos, and be a leader of them. His former band of followers has been split up and he's only left with Roque au Fabii and Tactus au Rath. Darrow's new ally is Victra au Julii, the older sister of Antonia au Severus-Julii, and of completely different caliber than her cutthroat sister. Darrow's bloodfeud with the Bellona has created problems for Nero, and when the Sovereign, unlawfully, supports the Bellona by secretly planning to murder the Augustans at a dinner party, Darrow spurs a civil war for Mars and in the Society. While he's been under Nero's (and Nero's politico Pliny's) thumb, he hasn't received any contact from the Sons of Ares. In the chaos of civil war, Darrow is given an opportunity to be different from other Golds, but he's also got to maintain his secret identity at large. Finally though, in this novel Darrow is able to open up to a few people about himself and the Sons of Ares. He's not yet ready to reveal himself fully because he worries of the people he'd lose, but in Sevro and new ally Ragnar, he finds true brothers to his wife's dream.

There are a lot of fabulous characters we're introduced to in this novel that I've loved:

1) Ragnar, the Stained Obsidian who is built like a giant and basically like the most elite warrior, is a slave and subject to the will of his masters. In Darrow, he finds an equal, a brother, as they are both searching for ways for their people to be free from slavery and lies. He is one of the few characters to ever see through Darrow past what he wants and instead what is good for him.

2) Orion, the Blue who pilots the Pax, is a brilliant pilot, bluntly honest, and unafraid to challenge even so intimidating a Gold as "the Reaper." I never feel as if I get enough of scenes with Orion. She doesn't have a big role, but she is a lasting character, and I'm so glad she's in Iron Gold.

3) Victra, the proud, fierce vixen amazon who has such a high sense of loyalty to Darrow, one that she seems to have from the beginning of the novel (and we never have this fully explained as to why). She's rather like a blade, all sharp edges, and it's hard not to love her for her inner character and her hatred of her vicious little sister.

4) Kavax and Daxo, the real Pax's father and brother, who are honorable and stalwart Golds to Mustang, and lend a bit of humor for their giant yet gentle ways (plus with Kavax's adoration of his pet fox, Sophocles).

The key relationship between Darrow and Mustang that was so prevalent in Red Rising is much changed. For some reason, she's been with Cassius au Bellona, and once witnessing the Sovereign's dishonesty, she turns from helping the Bellona to protecting her father and her house. This doesn't mean she's abandoned Darrow or the Bellona, but she's more impartial, and really only relies on House Telemanus. Mustang is, at times, a hard knot to unravel. I still love her, but I don't always know why she does what she does. She, possibly because we're in Darrow's narrow viewpoint, seems enigmatic and yet impossible for him to resist her magnetic pull.

Missing the fallout with Mustang, plus the relationship with Victra and Mustang's relationship to Roque etc. etc. show that the one omission from Red Rising to Golden Son is the gap in time and Darrow's lost experiences with other characters. We also don't really get to see how the Academy works, but maybe that's not as important. It's hard to notice the flaws since the book is super character driven, and if you're listening to the audiobook, you're probably hard pressed to put all the events of this book into a succinct summary. I certainly had trouble keeping it all straight! (If you listen to the audiobook, big bonus is hearing how to correctly pronounce the names!)

The final beauty of this novel is seeing some truths about Sevro and Fitchner (I have a deep abiding love for filthy, smart-mouthed Sevro. I don't understand it either.) and the sense of coming full circle as Darrow is able to visit his family on Mars. However, with this ending comes a shattering revelation that will leave you wondering how anything could possibly be hopeful in Morning Star. If you're a devotee of sci-fi, you don't want to miss out on this series if you haven't before. Epically brilliant.

Key quote in this novel? "Rise so high, in mud you lie."

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by Kara at Monday, March 05, 2018

 Del Rey, dystopia, Epic, Golden Son, Pierce Brown, Random House, Red Rising, Science Fiction, Space  1 Person left their mark

✎

Warcross by Marie Lu

Warcross by Marie Lu

Book Stats:  

Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Hardcover: 353 pages
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Release date: September 12, 2017

Series:  Warcross, #1

Source: Library

Reviewed by: Kara

Order: Amazon | Book Depository

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

If Marie Lu wrote it, I'll probably read it, so I've been waiting on this book for months, especially since it is a virtual reality gaming book. And look at this beautifully designed cover! I am blown away. It looks like a maze or block or symbolic for interlocking code.

Before I go further into the review of this book, I'll also say I recently completed Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, which you've probably heard about because the movie's coming out in 2018. (For years, I've also heard everyone rave about this book). For the sake of comparision, it is about young man who plays another virtual reality game called OASIS and goes on a scavenger hunt within it for the recently dead creator's "keys" to his vast fortune.

Right off the bat, it's hard to not draw similarities from Warcross to Ready Player One.  Warcross might be about virtual reality, but it draws less off of games we have played before (unlike RPO, which mainly talks about games from the '80s) and creates its own world and game. The game part that is actually Warcross is complicated to explain. Warcross the game is rather like a version of ultimate capture the flag but "you" are a real player, and there is vast world-building and special abilities you can obtain in-game and trade. (Side note: when explaining this, I get an image of versions of old Halo games for capture the flag.)

Another difference is that Warcross virtual reality can be a lens through which you can interact and exist in the real world. Things are revealed in your surroundings as you go about your daily life, and Warcross points are awarded for doing things in life. (RPO has this too, but on a much smaller scale.) This is about where the similarities begin and end between the two books. If you're a big fan of RPO, sure, you might like this. If you hated RPO but are still interested in gaming books, it's different enough that you really might like it.

I really enjoyed the creativity of this book! The hardest thing to grasp for me though was the visual representation of the hacking. I'm a gamer too; I understand that there are limitations for describing video games in print. I think this is one thing that will divide readers. It's harder to relate to and see in your mind because the game and the representation of hacking within it are brand new.

Emika is an creative, determined, yet uniquely vulnerable heroine. She has no family because her father has died and her mother left them some time before. She is crawling with debt, mainly left from her father, and due to an infraction at school, is banned from computers for two years, unable to work at something she's actually gifted at: hacking. Instead, she is a bounty hunter within Warcross and her captures keep getting taken out from under her. Her luck, though, has finally run out and she's facing homelessness and extreme poverty until she performs a hack within the Warcross Championship game. This accidentally glitches her into the game where everyone can see her instead of her [null] hacked character. Emika is whisked off to Tokyo where she's facing multiple new experiences and challenges she's never encountered before. She's part of a team, which functions like a family of sorts, she's got a steady job with money though it's a secret, and she's romantically interested in Hideo Tanaka, the wealthy enigmatic creator of Warcross. Because of her loss and her self-reliance, she is a strong female character, but then, for such a strong female, you might be wondering why she falls so hard and so fast for Hideo, an insta-love situation. As a reader, I thought this was off-putting, but when you consider it, it still can be believable. Emika's rather a loner, having had few friends growing up and still fewer in her poor state, plus with the loss of her family. It doesn't change her strong character, but it does allow that she has areas with little experience and obvious vulnerability. No spoilers, but Emika does gain some perspective by the end of the book and grows emotionally.

Speaking of the ending, the twist at the end I guessed, but still very much enjoyed reading and understanding some character development. In the next book in the series, I would like to see Emika have more interaction with her teammates and have them grow to be more well-rounded characters. Not that they were flat, but they didn't have as much depth because Emika wasn't opening up to them. I thought they were intriguing side characters and want more! I'll be looking forward to reading the next installment and seeing what new exploits in virtual reality Marie Lu is able to dream up.

Favorite quotes:

"No one chose you," I snap.
"And have people been so great at choosing their leaders?" he snaps back.
"But you can't do that! You're taking away something that makes us fundamentally human!"
Hideo steps closer, "And what is it that makes us human, exactly? The choice to kill and rape? To war and bomb and destroy? To kidnap children? To gun down the innocent? Is that the part of humanity that shouldn't be taken away? Has democracy been able to stop any of this?"

Favorite Easter egg moment:

"Serene would be nice, Mr . . . Car."
"Fred," the car says.
"Fred," I reply, trying not to feel weird about talking to a bottle of champagne in an ice block. "Hi."
. . .
"I'm George," the bodyguard says as the car starts to drive us forward.

Read an excerpt.

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by Kara at Thursday, January 04, 2018

 G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, Marie Lu, Science Fiction, Warcross, young adult  4 People left their mark

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