Sci-Fi

REVIEW: “Aurora Burning ” by Jay Kristof and Amie Kaufman

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Sarah S.

SUMMARY

Our heroes are back… kind of. From the bestselling co-authors of the Illuminae Files comes the second book in the epic series about a squad of misfits, losers, and discipline cases who just might be the galaxy’s best hope for survival.

First, the bad news: an ancient evil—you know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy deal—is about to be unleashed. The good news? Squad 312 is standing by to save the day. They’ve just got to take care of a few small distractions first.

Like the clan of gremps who’d like to rearrange their favorite faces.

And the cadre of illegit GIA agents with creepy flowers where their eyes used to be, who’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on Auri.

Then there’s Kal’s long-lost sister, who’s not exactly happy to see her baby brother, and has a Syldrathi army at her back. With half the known galaxy on their tails, Squad 312 has never felt so wanted.

When they learn the Hadfield has been found, it’s time to come out of hiding. Two centuries ago, the colony ship vanished, leaving Auri as its sole survivor. Now, its black box might be what saves them. But time is short, and if Auri can’t learn to master her powers as a Trigger, the squad and all their admirers are going to be deader than the Great Ultrasaur of Abraaxis IV.

Shocking revelations, bank heists, mysterious gifts, inappropriately tight bodysuits, and an epic firefight will determine the fate of the Aurora Legion’s most unforgettable heroes—and maybe the rest of the galaxy as well.

REVIEW

As I said in my Theme Party Tuesday post, I ventured out in a pandemic to get this book. So yeah, I think you could say I was pretty excited.

And OH MY GOULASH IT DELIVEREDDDDD.

If I’m being completely honest, I remember loving “Aurora Rising,” but it hasn’t stuck in my brain in a super intense way. I vaguely remembered the characters but not their distinct voices; I sort of remembered the plot but no specifics; I forgot a lot of key facts about the world it’s set in. I could probably have used a reread of the first book before diving into this one, but I didn’t care. I was going to get my hands on this book come hell or high water, and it was going to get into my brain as fast as it could.

And WOW. Even given the small amount of information I remembered from “Aurora Rising” to begin with, I knew enough to know I felt like I was reading a completely different series. Each character’s voice read incredibly fresh and new: I felt like I was meeting the characters all over again. The fun action set pieces, which were my favorite part of the last book, were just as fun and action-y as they were in AR. I fell in love with their found-family dynamic and individual friendships all over again, probably moreso for having already spent time watching that dynamic develop in the first book. I was swept up in the stakes, taken utterly CAPTIVE by that CLIFFHANGER (WHY????), came away with a few new ships…

Oh yeah. This was a RIDE.

This isn’t a super coherent review, I know, but I just had to gush, dang it, I LOVE this thing. A rare sequel that surpasses its original.

ENDNOTES

Short Summary: everything you love about “Aurora Rising” turned up to ELEVEN, and it WORKS.

Favorite Scene: there are many. The one in which we learn about Zila’s backstory was a highlight; literally anytime Fin is speaking; also, the scenes where Tyler and Saedii (new character, you’ll love her) are imprisoned together, and noooo, of course it’s not because I totally ship them, why do you ask? *side eye*

What Stood Out: a lot of sequels try to give the audience more of what it loved the first time around and fail miserably. This book tries it and hits it out of the park.

What Bugged Me: the cliffhanger ending, for one. RUDE. Also, my one small critique: some of the romantic scenes between Auri and Kal are…mind-numbingly cheesy. I LOVE cheesy stuff, and sometimes it was cute, but a few other times it was…yikes. I do like them together, but there is a reason that they weren’t my favorite pairing, implied or otherwise, in this book. (Scarlett/Fin slow burn? GIVE IT TO ME. Vaguely implied Tyler/Saedii that could or could not be romantic depending on how you read it? I WANT MORE. But Kal/Auri? Ehhh…)

Objectionable Content: three f-bombs (truthfully, I’ve never read a more well deserved f-bomb in my life…seriously), a small few other uses of strong language, a fade-to-black sex scene, and a lot of non-graphic violence.

Rating: 11/5 Supernovae ❤

Theme Tuesdays

Theme Party Tuesday: Favorite YA Sci-Fi

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Sarah S.

Hey guys! Today is a very exciting day in my reading life because I have obtained a copy of Aurora Burning. (I know – buying a physical copy of a new release, at full price, during a pandemic? Must have REALLY wanted that book. YEAH. I DID. AND 150 PAGES IN, I LOVE IT. I’d probably be done with it already if I didn’t have to stop to work out…

Anyway.)

In honor of the latest installment in one of my all-time favorite YA series, which happens to be sci-fi, I’ve decided to make that the theme of my latest Theme Party Tuesday and share five of my favorite YA Sci-Fi novels!

NOTE: although I adore “Aurora Rising,” I don’t want to repeat authors, so I’m going to talk about “Illuminae” instead because I love them equally, I’ve never talked about it on this blog, and I’ll be reviewing “Aurora Burning” soon anyway.

5. Most Thought-Provoking: “A Conspiracy of Stars” by Olivia A. Cole

What It’s About: an intrepid, curious young woman studying the wildlife of the alien planet she lives on becomes increasingly skeptical of the colonial government she lives under as her research leads her to unravel its sinister aims.

Why You Should Read It: “Conspiracy” was not my favorite of the books on this list, but none of them made me think more than this one did. I think a lot of what makes sci-fi so fascinating is its ability to take relevant, timely social issues and apply them to alien settings. This lets us detach the issues enough from the reality we experience them in to see them differently, and that’s exactly what this book does. By uprooting colonialism and plopping it down on an alien planet, Cole lets us see its brutality in a way that no history textbook about the Belgian Congo ever could. It also got me thinking about the rights of indigenous peoples, which don’t get even close to enough attention in literature, so that’s great too. This is about as thought-provoking as young adult fiction gets, and I recommend it for people who aren’t sure about sci-fi but are passionate about human rights and social justice – you’ll find enough to like in this book to be convinced that sci-fi isn’t so bad after all.

Where I Read This: on a sick day home from school in 11th grade.

4. Best Sci-Fi Retelling of a Non-Sci-Fi Story: “Last of Her Name” by Jessica Khoury

What It’s About: in this outer-spacey “Anastasia” retelling, a teenage girl from a rural backwater planet discovers that she is not who she believed she was.

Why You Should Read It: I know I’ve yelled about this book at least once on my blog, but in case you missed that post, here’s a rundown of reasons:

Anastasia. Duh. I will read anything that claims to be an Anastasia retelling. I am such a massive sucker for that story.
Fun space adventures! Action! Peril! Romance! Identity-seeking! Destiny-forging!
This has an absolutely fascinating mythos and I loved the worldbuilding.

But in the end…it’s just plain fun. This was one of the first new releases I’d ever read, and at the time, I’d never rooted for a character so hard. “Last of Her Name” was a huge part of what got me into YA. Read this if you want to fall in love with a character, and you can’t decide whether you want to read sci-fi, historical fiction, or fantasy, because you will, and it’s got all of them.

Where I Read This: while walking around in my backyard to get my 10,000 steps.

3. Sleeper Hit: “Rebel Seoul” by Axie Oh

What It’s About: a down-on-his-luck teenage boy in future Seoul, South Korea jumps at the chance to work on high-level government operations as a companion for Tera, a bionic teenage girl designed by the government as a weapon. What he doesn’t realize is that it’s going to be hard to separate business and pleasure with Tera around.

Why You Should Read It: I really didn’t expect to love this. Yeah, I did, but it had a lot of qualities I would usually dislike: the writing wasn’t nearly as strong as some of the other entries on this list; it had a slow start; and the secondary romance was shoehorned as heck. But against all odds, Rebel Seoul made me fall madly in love with its awesome worldbuilding, sweet camaraderie, fast-paced action, and touching romance. Tera and Jaewon’s romance felt very real (well, as real as a romance between an ex-gang member and a bionic human weapon can feel) and earned because their connection built over time. Jaewon had to earn Tera’s trust, then her respect, then her affection – I LOVED THAT, MORE, PLEASE. (We do not see that enough in YA.) By the end of the book, I was in love with Neo-Seoul, with Jaewon, and with the two of them together. And great news if you loved “Rebel Seoul” as much as I do: it has a sequel, which is also great 🙂

Where I Read This: frantically, over two days, wherever I could – be that before bed, during meals, or even in class. (When senioritis was hitting me hardest, I started taking whatever book I was reading to school. Yeah. I know.)

2. Sentimental Favorite: “Enchantress from the Stars” by Sylvia Engdahl

What It’s About: a college student from an advanced intergalactic civilization is sent to a small, less-developed planet to defend them from the incursions of an imperialist planet seeking to take it over for their own gain.

Why You Should Read It: lots of anti-colonialist books on this list, for some reason – I guess that subject just lends itself well to sci-fi? (You’ll see a little of that in my #1 pick, too.) While “Enchantress” is certainly thought-provoking, it’s on this list for sentimental reasons. At the time that I read “Enchantress,” this was my first sci-fi novel. I was in eighth grade, about a week shy of my fourteenth birthday, and thought I hated sci-fi. Getting wrapped up in the romance of this tale (the “lush, adventurous, transportive” sort of romance, not the love kind, although there’s some of that, too, and it’s great), I realized that I didn’t. It kinda blew my middle-school mind, and I loved every minute. Couldn’t recommend this more.

Where I Read This: on a spring break vacation to New Mexico in eighth grade.

All-Around Favorite: “Illuminae” by Jay Kristof and Amie Kaufman (all three, but I especially love the first one)

What It’s About: two teenagers who escape the destruction of their planet must survive repeated attempts by various parties to kill them off before they can discover their nefarious secrets.

Why You Should Read It: what can I say about “Illuminae” that hasn’t already been said? It’s clever, romantic, epic in scale, addictive, shocking, beautiful, terrifying – HOLY CRAP, THIS THING IS A TOUR DE FORCE. If you only read one YA novel this year, this would be one I’d suggest. (Now, not uncontested, mind you, but it would definitely be in the running.)

Where I Read This: I can’t even remember – I think it had something to do with drama practice?

What do you think of these picks? What YA sci-fi would have made your list? Have any theme suggestions? Let me know in the comments!

Reviews

REVIEW: “Aurora Rising” by Jay Kristof and Amie Kaufman

Posted on June 25, 2019 by Sarah S.

By the time I found out about this book, it seemed like everyone had read it except me. That’s what happens when you request a recent release from your library and there are 13 holds on it. So…was it worth the wait?

Completely.

SUMMARY

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…

A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates
A smart-a** techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder
An alien warrior with anger management issues
A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering

And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

They’re not the heroes we deserve. They’re just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.

REVIEW

I read almost no sci-fi.

Seriously. If you looked at my Goodreads lists of books I’ve read in the last two years, I think you would find exactly three sci-fi novels: the semi-well-known recent release “Last of Her Name” (AMAZING), an obscure YA novel called “Invictus” about time travel, and “Frankenstein.” So clearly, this is not my genre. Reading books like “Aurora Rising,” though, makes me wonder why that is.

Because, guys. This book was FRIGGIN’ AMAZING.

A short list of reasons:

SPACE ADVENTURES.
A team of misfits, a-holes, and overachievers, thrown together by the Powers That Be, crosses paths with more terrifyingly perilous adventures than you can shake a sickstick (read the book to get that one) at, and somehow manages to be hilariously snarky and unspeakably romantic while running for their lives.
All of said characters are incredibly endearing in their own ways; I grew quite attached to them. I love my space babies.
There’s a lot that teases potential for a sequel, which it is definitely getting by virtue of being part of a series. MORE SQUAD 312!
Many, many incredible twists, surprises, and refusals of the plot to follow expectations. And we get to experience all that through the eyes of characters who don’t know any more than we do (seriously, this team is SO in over its head…it’s great), which makes the twists seem even twistier.
This is the only futuristic sci-fi novel I’ve ever read that actually includes some element of religion: most people in this future believe in and seem to worship a vague higher power (not many specifics are given about the religion itself, but an entity they call the Maker is referenced frequently). This story takes the “science supplanting all forms of religion in the future” trope and flips it, explaining that discovering very similar bipedal, intelligent life throughout the galaxy (almost all of the alien species in “Aurora Rising” are humanoid) caused the spacefaring generations to believe in intelligent design and, hence, a higher power. I thought that was a clever trope-subversion.
The team’s banter is fantastic and I loved the snark and the way they played off of each other.

That’s a very noncomprehensive list, granted, but you most likely get the point. There was very little that I did not enjoy about “Aurora Rising”; I’d highly recommend it and can’t wait for the next book in the Aurora Cycle! …whenever that is…

RATING

Plot: 5/5 – gripping and so unputdownable that I read, no lie, the entire last 335 pages of it in a single day. It never takes its foot off the metaphorical gas and I found myself completely sucked into it.

Characters: 5/5 – all of them were absolutely delightful even though most of them were supposed to be total a-holes. The story is told from the alternating perspectives of the seven(!) members of Squad 312, which gives us a look into each of their brains – that helped to flesh them out.

Premise: 5/5 – TEENAGE SPACE ADVENTURER TEAM-UP? COUNT ME THE HECK IN. ‘Nuff said. It was like “Guardians of the Galaxy”-meets-“Star Trek”-meets-every heist movie ever-meets that “Plague Inc.” game where you’d try to invent a disease to kill the entire world that was super popular in, like, 2013. Uh…YUP.

Content: 4/5 – a smattering of salty language, sci-fi violence, a general air of impending doom, and the occasional presence of oblique sexual references that you’d expect in a group of teenagers. Nothing distractingly terrible.

Writing Quality: 4/5 – it was excellent but not !!!-special, so I’ll give it a solid 4.

Overall: 4.6/5 Befuddled Emu