Categotry Archives: science fiction
Pierce Brown’s Red Rising: Sons of Ares
Pierce Brown's Red Rising: Sons of Ares
Red Rising
Dynamite Entertainment
March 13, 2018
Hardcover
152
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!
Written by author Pierce Brown (The Red Rising Trilogy) and Rik Hoskin (Heroes of Skyrealm, Brandon Sanderson’s White Sand), with art by Eli Powell (Yakuza Demon Killers, The 13th Artifact), comes the in-continuity story of revolution and Red Rising!
Review:
“Red Rising: Sons of Ares” is a must for any diehard Red Rising fan. The backstory of how it all began is interesting, and I hope it continues. One of my favorite touches was that the text bubbles matched the color of whoever was speaking. Anyone who hasn’t read the books first probably won’t find it enjoyable, so please read the wonderful series first!
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Freefall
Young Adult Fiction
Simon and Schuster
September 26, 2017
368
Cam is eager to leave Earth with the rest of the elite 1% until he connects with one of the 99%, Sofie, and joins her in the fight for Lowerworld rights.
Review:
I am definitely in the minority with this, but “Freefall” felt blah to me. There was a good story and good world-building in there, but it feels like it moved at a snail’s pace getting to anything exciting. I also felt disconnected from the main characters. This is one of those where I can neither recommend nor not recommend it.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence
Nyxia (The Nyxia Triad, Book 1)
Young Adult Fiction
Crown Books For Young Readers
2017
384
Emmett accepts an interstellar space contract but learns en route that to win the promised fortune he and nine other recruits face a brutal competition, putting their very humanity at risk.
Review:
I’ll say right off the bat that “Nyxia” borrowed quite a few elements from other science-fiction and dystopian works. That being said, it didn’t diminish my enjoyment. It was a quick read that left me wanting more. Emmett is complex, as are the secondary characters, and there are definitely deeper things going on that I want to know about. Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait for the second book. The cast of characters is extremely diverse. This is a good setup to the rest of the trilogy that I can easily recommend to those who enjoy science-fiction or dystopian novels.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence
Zero Repeat Forever (Nahx Invasions, Book 1)
Nahx Invasions, Book 1
Young Adult Fiction
Simon and Schuster
August 29, 2017
496
Sixteen year-old Raven, injured and still grieving over her boyfriend's death by the invading Nahx, crosses paths with Eighth, a Nyx warrior who has deserted his unit and abandoned his directives, and as the world falls apart around them, the two learn to trust each other in order to survive.
Review:
I really wanted to like “Zero Repeat Forever.” It has so much that I love: aliens, survivalism, nightmare-inducing scenarios. Unfortunately, it fell very flat. The chapters featuring Raven seemed to drag on in an effort to make the “forever” in the title seem literal. I also did not find her character likable at all. The only redeeming parts of the book were Eighth and diversity. I can’t recommend it to even the biggest of alien invasion fans.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence, Underage Drug and Alcohol Use
Omega (Infinity Division, Book 2)
Infinity Division, Book 2
Young Adult Fiction
Entangled Teen
August 1, 2017
Paperback
320
One mistake can change everything. Ashlyn Calvert finds that out the hard way when a bad decision leads to the death of her best friend, Noah Anderson.
Only Noah isn’t really gone. Thanks to his parents’ company, the Infinity Division, there is a version of him skipping from one dimension to another, set on revenge for the death of his sister, Kori. When a chance encounter brings him face-to-face with Ash, he’s determined to resist the magnetic pull he’s felt for her time and time again. Because falling for Ash puts his mission in danger.
But there’s more going on in Ash’s alternate universe than either of them knows: a mysterious project called Omega. A conspiracy spanning multiple Earths and revolving around none other than Ash. Its creators would do anything to keep Omega secret…
Anything.
Review:
“Omega” is a fun follow-up to “Infinity.” It expands nicely upon the science fiction aspect and adds more depth to the original characters. It also introduced new characters and points-of-view that were entertaining and expanded the universe a great deal. If you enjoyed “Infinity”, then you are most likely going to love “Omega.”
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence
Enigma (Schrodinger’s Consortium, Book 2)
Schrodinger's Consortium, Book 2
Juvenile Fiction
Entangled: Teen
July 4, 2017
304
What's worse than having half of your secret race wanting to kill you? Having both sides want to control you. Feeling something for Reid Wentworth is not part of the plan. Josie Harper doesn't have time to think about hot boys when she has to help unite the Resistance against the Consortium. To say her life has changed since discovering she's an Oculus would be the understatement of the century. The Consortium is out to enslave humanity—yeah, they aren't fooling around—and as an Oculus, she's one of the few people capable of altering reality and thwarting them. In the largest Resistance hub in North America, Josie learns she doesn't only have the strongest abilities to Push and Retract reality, she has gifts no other Oculus has. When they get word that the Consortium is flying in a world-renowned tech researcher to their headquarters who may have the knowledge to enslave humans, Josie and Reid assemble a team to intercept the researcher and to bust out Reid's best friend, Santos, who was taken hostage until they get Josie. But the Board won't let them leave. The lines have blurred. The only person Josie can trust is Reid.
Review:
After a long wait, it was nice to see what happened to Josie and Reid from “Anomaly.”
Unfortunately, I feel a little let down by the resolution. We got to meet secondary characters that were important but not very developed, and the ending seemed very rushed. To be honest, it was confusing to me. In spite of this, I did enjoy it, but not as much as I hoped. There seems to be an opening in the ending for possible further adventures, and I think that opening holds promise for more character development and an easier to follow plot.
If you read and liked “Anomaly,” be sure to pick up “Enigma!”
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
Content Warning:
Language, Sexual Situations, Violence
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