Review: The Gauntlet

The Cage: The Gauntlet | Megan Shepherd

Published by: HarperCollins, May 23rd 2017

Genre: Science Fiction, Space, Aliens

Pages: 352

Format: Ebook

Source: HarperCollins, via Edelweiss

The Maze Runner meets Scott Westerfeld in the final novel in the gripping and romantic Cage series, about teens abducted from Earth by an otherworldly race.

Cora and her friends have escaped the Kindred station and landed at Armstrong—a supposed safe haven on a small moon—where they plan to regroup and figure out how to win the Gauntlet, the challenging competition to prove humanity’s intelligence and set them free. But Armstrong is no paradise; ruled by a power-hungry sheriff, it’s a violent world where the teens are enslaved and put to work in mines. As Nok’s due date grows closer, and Mali and Leon journey across space to rescue Cassian, the former inhabitants of the cage are up against impossible odds.

With the whole universe at stake, Cora will do whatever it takes, including pushing her body and mind to the breaking point, to escape Armstrong and run the Gauntlet. But it isn’t just a deranged sheriff she has to overcome: the other intelligent species—the Axion, Kindred, Gatherers, and Mosca—all have their own reasons to stop her. Not knowing who to trust, Cora must rely on her own instincts to win the competition, which could change the world—though it might destroy her in the process.

That ending was SAD!!!! :(

One of the best damn YA sci-fi series I've ever read - strong from the first page of The Cage to the last of The Gauntlet. I don't know what I can say about this book other than it surpassed my every hope and expectation, and the shocks never let up from the beginning. It's hopeful and miserable and full of guts and determination. I love Cora, I love Cassian, I love the world, the story, the cleverness of the Gauntlet. We even got a sneaky A.I. which I adored. Thank you for this gift of a series. I'm really sad to see it go.

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★★

Review: Joyride, Volume One

Joyride: Volume One | Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Marcus To, Irma Kniivila

Published by: Boom Entertainment, October 4th 2017

Genre: Science Fiction, Comics

Pages: 112

Format: Ebook

Source: Boom Entertainment, via Netgalley

Earth sucks.

The stars have been blocked out for so long that people have forgotten there was anything else besides the World Government Alliance watching over them. Uma Akkolyte is a girl who shoots first, leaps before she looks, and is desperate for any means to leave her planet behind. And so she does. When Uma jacks an alien spaceship and punches through the stratosphere she sets forth on an adventure with an unlikely crew who are totally not ready for all the good, bad, and weird the universe will throw at them.

From writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly (Batman and Robin Eternal, Grayson) and artist Marcus To (Nightwing, New Avengers), Joyride is a rebellious love letter to the sci-fi genre, exploring what happens when nothing stands between a group of teens and their freedom amongst the stars.

Collecting: Joyride 1-4

Nooo, why did this have to end? I want more!!!

Awesome space badassery, cool aliens, a super cute alien, and THE BEST humans. The world building is A+, the story is SO GOOD, and the art is just perfect.  This is so fun and fresh and I'm so sad I ran out of book. My favourite graphic novel this year!!

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆

Review: A Closed & Common Orbit

Wayfarers: A Closed & Common Orbit | Becky Chambers

Published by: Harper Voyager, March 14th 2017

Genre: Science Fiction, Space

Pages: 464

Format: Ebook

Source: Harper Voyager, via Edelweiss

Lovelace was once merely a ship's artificial intelligence. When she wakes up in an new body, following a total system shut-down and reboot, she has no memory of what came before. As Lovelace learns to negotiate the universe and discover who she is, she makes friends with Pepper, an excitable engineer, who's determined to help her learn and grow.

Together, Pepper and Lovey will discover that no matter how vast space is, two people can fill it together.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet introduced readers to the incredible world of Rosemary Harper, a young woman with a restless soul and secrets to keep. When she joined the crew of the Wayfarer, an intergalactic ship, she got more than she bargained for - and learned to live with, and love, her rag-tag collection of crewmates.

A Closed and Common Orbit is the stand-alone sequel to Becky Chambers' beloved debut novel The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and is perfect for fans of Firefly, Joss Whedon, Mass Effect and Star Wars.

I didn't love QUITE this as much as The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet, but until I finished A Closed & Common Orbit, I didn't realise just how much I loved THIS book. It's one of those slow, quiet, full-of-heart books that sneaks up on you. The best thing about these books are the characters. They're so real and compelling and full of so many complexities and emotion and tragedy that it's impossible not to fall hard in love with them. I reaaally like the main characters, Pepper and Sidra, but my favourite has to be Blue, my precious stuttering, compassionate, thoughtful, totally endearing bae. I love him so much. Now here's a list of things this book does SO WELL: -Blue struggles with speech, and it's never once mocked or written as anything other than an accepted part of him. This means a whole lot to me. -Pepper (as Jane) is abused, and a huge part of this book is dedicated to recovering from it. It's not quick, and it's not easy, and it's ugly in parts. -Sidra, an A.I. is seen as a thing by most people, not a person, but her autonomy and her struggles with self-identity and discovery were handled so well. It's also nice to see characters realising they've been prejudiced in their past (about A.I.s) and changing their way of thinking (not without great effort too.) It's not easy to change the way you've always thought of something, and I appreciated this element of the book. -Tak, who changes between female and male genders, and whose pronouns change (and are USED accordingly by EVERYONE and it's not A BIG DEAL to make that little change.) -A gender neutral pronoun. This was just really nice. Really, really nice. Xyr/Xe used by pretty much everyone in the whole of space to refer to both people who don't want to use he or she, and also when someone's not sure of a person's gender. Really nice. Well done, book. Look, I love these books. Some books are forgettable and some stay with you - this is the latter. Perfect world building and alien species, welcome representation of different genders, sexualities, and abilities - and characters that feel less like characters than people who really exist.

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆

The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet (ARC Review)

The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet | Becky Chambers

Published by: Hodder & Stoughton, August 13th 2015

Genre: Adult, Science Fiction, Space, Aliens

Pages: 404

Format: Ebook

Source: Hodder & Stoughton, via Netgalley

Somewhere within our crowded sky, a crew of wormhole builders hops from planet to planet, on their way to the job of a lifetime. To the galaxy at large, humanity is a minor species, and one patched-up construction vessel is a mere speck on the starchart. This is an everyday sort of ship, just trying to get from here to there. 

But all voyages leave their mark, and even the most ordinary of people have stories worth telling. A young Martian woman, hoping the vastness of space will put some distance between herself and the life she‘s left behind. An alien pilot, navigating life without her own kind. A pacifist captain, awaiting the return of a loved one at war. 

Set against a backdrop of curious cultures and distant worlds, this episodic tale weaves together the adventures of nine eclectic characters, each on a journey of their own.

The Long Way... was a total impulse read for me. I wanted something sci-fi and spacey and I was hooked by the blurb. Reading it, though, I expected to like it. I turned out to adore it (spoiler: I immediately pre-ordered it upon finishing it - that's how much I loved it.)

The first thing that impressed me was the representation in this book. You have rep of different genders, sexuality (a f/f cross-species relationship!!), a bunch of people of colour, and the use of gender neutral pronouns. This book has it all, and I can easily recommend it based on that alone, but representation isn't all it has.

This book is so, so unique. It's a totally new take on aliens, with every species and culture being different and identifiable - it's clear the author put a LOT of thought into it. Every character had a story, a life - nobody was one dimension, even background characters. It's detailed without being info-dump-y and passion shows on every page. The relationships in this book are new and strange and heartfelt and a little heartbreaking (I mean, I cried over an A.I.) It was a little slow at the beginning, but oddly enough it didn't matter because it gave plenty of time to get to know the characters and the world and the ship and species.

A fascinating, impressive sci-fi novel I'm not likely to ever forget, with characters you care about as if they were real people and an emotional devastating end that sneaks up on you.

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆

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Inherit The Stars (ARC Review)

Inherit The Stars | Tessa Elwood

Published by: Running Press Kids, December 8th 2015

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Space

Pages: 304

Format: Ebook

Source: Running Press Kids, via Netgalley

Three royal houses ruling three interplanetary systems are on the brink of collapse, and they must either ally together or tear each other apart in order for their people to survive.

Asa is the youngest daughter of the house of Fane, which has been fighting a devastating food and energy crisis for far too long. She thinks she can save her family’s livelihood by posing as her oldest sister in an arranged marriage with Eagle, the heir to the throne of the house of Westlet. The appearance of her mother, a traitor who defected to the house of Galton, adds fuel to the fire, while Asa also tries to save her sister Wren's life . . . possibly from the hands of their own father.

But as Asa and Eagle forge a genuine bond, will secrets from the past and the urgent needs of their people in the present keep them divided?

Author Tessa Elwood's debut series is an epic romance at heart, set against a mine field of political machinations, space adventure, and deep-seeded family loyalties. 

I LOVE this book. Love it so much with every tiny piece of my heart. Everyone needs to read this book.

The romance, guys, the ROMANCE. It's a really slow burn love and you can literally see them falling for each other and I HAVE FEELINGS ABOUT IT. They're thrown together in an arranged political marriage (even though Asa isn't technically supposed to be the bride...) and I ADORE the forced marriage trope.

 I love the characters so, so much, literally a whole lot. Asa is a quiet character - she's not a take-charge badass action type, but she's awesome and fights for what she believes is right and I love her. She's easy to identify with, a normal clumsy, heartfelt girl. And EAGLE - he's even more complex and protective and everything to me. I love him so much. (Can you tell this is an emotion-driven review rather than an analytical one or...?) Also Eagle is a MOC and he's scarred, and he has a prosthetic arm!!!

It wasn't just characters I loved though. The world is amazing, and enough details were given about the different planets without overpowering the story. AND it felt natural and feasible, that each planet had its own strengths and products/services it was know for. Eagle's home was known for technology and medicine for example. There were politics too, enough to give high stakes and intrigue but without being overbearing.

All of that combined to make the Book of My Heart. I loved everything.

Characters ★★★★★

Setting/world ★★★★☆

Writing ★★★★☆

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Polaris (ARC Review)

Avalon: Polaris | Mindee Arnett

Published by: Balzer+Bray, January 20th 2015

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Space

Pages: 432

Format: Ebook

Source: Balzer+Bray, via Edelweiss

Jeth Seagrave and his crew of mercenaries are pulled into one last high-stakes mission in this breathtaking sequel to Mindee Arnett’s fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi thriller Avalon.

Jeth Seagrave and his crew are on the run. The ITA, still holding Jeth’s mother in a remote research lab, is now intent on acquiring the metatech secrets Jeth’s sister Cora carries inside her DNA, and Jeth is desperate to find the resources he needs to rescue his mother and start a new life outside the Confederation. But the ITA is just as desperate, and Jeth soon finds himself pursued by a mysterious figure hell-bent on capturing him and his crew—dead or alive.

With nowhere to run and only one play left, Jeth enters into a bargain with the last person he ever thought he’d see again: Daxton Price, the galaxy’s newest and most fearsome crime lord. Dax promises to help Jeth, but his help will only come at a price—a price that could mean sacrificing everything Jeth has fought for until now.

The conclusion to the story Mindee Arnett began in her acclaimed novelAvalon, Polaris is a dangerous journey into the spaces between power and corruption, life and death, the parts of ourselves we leave behind, and the parts we struggle to hold on to. 

I loved Avalon, LOVED it, so I heaped a bunch of expectations on this book. I think that's why I put it off for so long. And Polaris actually wasn't quite as good as the first book. But I did still love it, for the characters, the spaceships, and the plots. 

What I loved:

- The romance, oddly enough. I was never overly fussed on Sierra in Avalon but I really liked her in this book, and I loved her and Jeth's relationship, his she was a kind of moral compass for him.

- Avalon and Polaris themselves. I think they're probably my favourite ships in all YA sci fi.

- The relationships between all the crew and how they grew

- The high octane plot, the crazy high stakes, and the plot. Everything was action packed and thrilling and felt totally life or death. This series is one of the most exciting I've read.

What I didn't like:

- Empyria and the Pyreans. I mean, like, what the fuck? This was just so bizarre and weird and I didn't know what to do during those chapters. It just didn't fit in with the rest of this serious sci-fi series. It cheapened the ending for me.

- Marian. I'm not a fan of her at all and preferred everything when she was gone.

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world-building ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆

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The Cage (ARC Review)

The Cage: The Cage | Megan Shepherd

Published by: Balzer+Bray, May 28th 2015

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Aliens

Pages: 400

Format: Ebook

Source: Balzer+Bray, via Edelweiss

The Maze Runner meets Scott Westerfeld in this gripping new series about teens held captive in a human zoo by an otherworldly race. From Megan Shepherd, the acclaimed author of The Madman's Daughtertrilogy.

When Cora Mason wakes in a desert, she doesn't know where she is or who put her there. As she explores, she finds an impossible mix of environments—tundra next to desert, farm next to jungle, and a strangely empty town cobbled together from different cultures—all watched over by eerie black windows. And she isn't alone.

Four other teenagers have also been taken: a beautiful model, a tattooed smuggler, a secretive genius, and an army brat who seems to know too much about Cora's past. None of them have a clue as to what happened, and all of them have secrets. As the unlikely group struggles for leadership, they slowly start to trust each other. But when their mysterious jailer—a handsome young guard called Cassian—appears, they realize that their captivity is more terrifying than they could ever imagine: Their captors aren't from Earth. And they have taken the five teenagers for an otherworldly zoo—where the exhibits are humans.

As a forbidden attraction develops between Cora and Cassian, she realizes that her best chance of escape might be in the arms of her own jailer—though that would mean leaving the others behind. Can Cora manage to save herself and her companions? And if so . . . what world lies beyond the walls of their cage?

I left it WAY too long to write my review of this, and it wasn't in any way because this book is bad. It's because I loved it, for some reason I can't explain, and those are the hardest reviews to write.

So here's what I didn't love, first:

- Every other character but Cora and Cassian. UGH stop whining. I don't care about your teenage romance and your drama. You are all stupid, and how can you not see you're being manipulated??? It was SO obvious that the aliens were manipulating everyone into hating Cora, and yet they were like nah, it's not the aliens, IT'S CORA. Sure, buddy.

- Those two lovebirds, whose names I've forgotten because they pissed me off so much. You're kidnapped, put in an alien zoo, with a zookeeper who tells you to have sex and mate and ... you do it? Wow, okay, sure, seems legit.

- Diverse supporting characters, diverse side characters, but a blonde white MC. Okay, you tried, I see that, but it's not enough.

Here's what I DID love:

- Cassian, who was SO much more complex than I ever expected. So, he's a shiny gold alien, so what,  he's kind and mysterious and he shows Cora that she's strong (and he's evil for a good cause, which is 100% my thing)(and he's vulnerable underneath everything, which is 1000% my thing.)

- Cora, who was strong in a natural, human, weak way. I liked that she was hurt and cried and acted like a typical 'girl' but still stayed strong, got back on her feet, and got them the hell out of there. I really REALLY liked her, and I expected to hate her from the first chapter because she came off as whiny. Which she was - she whined, she despaired, and then she got the thing done anyway.

- ALIEN. FRICKING. ZOO.

- The menageries, the hint at what's to come in future books, the world, the bustling marketplace selling human kids. JUST EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS WORLD MEGAN SHEPHERD CREATED.

Just a side note to say there are plenty flaws in this book, and plenty I hated and skimmed pages of, but it wormed its way into my heart anyway, and I LOVE this book.

Characters ★★★☆☆ (take out the other characters and I'd probably rate this a high 4)

Setting/world-building ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆

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Glow (Review)

Sky Chasers: Glow | Amy Kathleen Ryan

Published by: Macmillan Children's Books, October 7th 2011

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Space

Pages: 375

Format: Paperback

Source: Purchased

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

Glow is the most riveting series debut since The Hunger Games, and promises to thrill and challenge readers of all ages. 

What I expected from Glow: a nice romance with some spaceship adventures?

What I got from Glow: a dark, brutal book that didn't hesitate to delve into difficult topics, pushed its characters to make impossible choices, and blurred the line between wrong and right.

THIS BOOK is exactly what I wanted from The 100 by Kass Morgan, which completely disappointed me because it had nothing that I loved of the TV series. The characters in Glow are tormented, torn, tortured, and they aren't good people - they're not bad people, they're simply kids trying to survive any way they can. This book was a shock to my system. It was gritty and relentless, unapologetic in its exploration of the human mind and mankind's darkest moments.

Highlighted by moments of friendship, high octane action, and thrilling science fiction, Glow goes deep into topics such as autonomy, gender roles, the good and bad sides of religion (hope versus indoctrination), sexual abuse and assault (in passing), fertility, and human rights. Holy hell, I loved this book. So much more important than I ever expected it to be. And all that IN SPACE.

Read this book ASAP. And if, like me, you were let down by The 100 book, try Glow instead!

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world building ★★★★★

Writing ★★★★☆

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