scifi books

Book Chat: The Last Hope is Now Available!!!

~ megs14malloy

Tuesday, August 13, 2019 was a good day.
It was on this day, this past Tuesday, that the concluding book in The Raging Ones duology was released.

Titled, The Last Hope, this YA-scifi novel written by the sister writing duo, Krista and Becca Ritchie, is one of my most anticipated sequels of the year. The first book in the duology, The Raging Ones, released in August 2018 and I was so impressed by it. I loved it so much and easily gave it a full five star rating. To see my full review on Goodreads, click here: Meg’s Review of The Raging Ones

Set in the very distant future, 3525 to be exact, we follow three main protagonists who have a very peculiar relationship and seem to be unlike any other individuals on their planet. To be clear, this story does not take place on Earth. Our protagonists, Franny, Court and Mykal, are all linked by their senses. They can feel, taste and smell what the others are experiencing.

This idea of sensory linking is so interesting to me. Although the trio struggles to get used to this phenomenon, they have no clue why this is happening to them. One thing they do know is that if anyone discovers their secret, they could be in very serious trouble.

As a trio, they enroll to compete for a chance to be a part of the Saga-5 mission, essentially a space mission that will get them off their planet and away from prying eyes. Accepted into the competition they are made to live in dormitories, undergo training and compete in challenges to prepare for the mission. Y’all know that a competition is one of my all-time favorite tropes. I love competition in real life and books are no different.

The end of the first book had a HUGE reveal and cliffhanger ending. Our young protagonists discovered something that shook their world to its foundations. When I finished that last page my jaw was legit on the floor!!! How the heck was I going to wait a year before getting my hands on the second book?

Well, lucky for me, I didn’t have to wait a full year. I was blessed to receive an early copy of the second book, The Last Hope, from the publisher, Wednesday Books. I very hearty thank you to them. Guys, guess what!?

I loved this one just as much. It starts off with our main three literally in a fight for their lives. Rescued by a cast of new characters they board a starship from Earth, where they begin to learn all things Earthling. It is at this time that they are made aware of the fact that the fate of planet Earth is on the line and they are amongst the only people who can do something about it. Dah dah dah….

Now on a quest against time, with the future of the universe on the line, Franny, Court and Mykal have to push past their limits and fight against all odds until the ultimate finale. As with the first book, this second is highly unique and wonderfully written. It kept me engaged from start to finish and I seriously did not want it to be over. It hurts my heart.

This duology will continue to hold a special place in my heart and I recommend it to YA scifi and romance fans. There is a heavy dose of romance in these books, the main romance being a male/male romance between Mykal and Court. The romance elements were quite well done, in my opinion. Both Krista and Becca are experienced romance writers so that makes perfect sense. This being said, although there is romance, it definitely does not over shade the scifi elements. At its core this is a scifi story that I feel is accessible to all levels of science-fiction readers. So, whether you are new to the genre, or an old hat like myself, I think everyone can enjoy this!

I hope the authors produce more in this genre as I really think they did an excellent job with this duology. They should be very proud of their efforts. Now that the completed duology is on the shelves, this is the perfect time to head to your local bookseller, or favorite online retailer and pick them both up for a binge session! I personally am planning a full ‘Scifi September’ TBR — perhaps you would like to join me!? These books would certainly be a perfect fit for that theme!

Cheers, my friends & Happy Reading!

 

Review: Nyxia Uprising (Nyxia Triad #3) by Scott Reintgen

~ megs14malloy

Nyxia Uprising (The Nyxia Triad, #3)Nyxia Uprising by Scott Reintgen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

MY BABIES!!!!

My sweet babies. From desperate kids to intergalactic space pirates. I love you all so much.

Guys, this action-packed YA scifi series is soooooo underrated. I loved each and every one of these books. It’s just the perfect series of events.

You watch these kids grow, from the earlier competitors that they were, to the strong and fearless young adults they become and it seriously added 10-years to my life.

As this is the third book in the triad, I won’t say too much on the plot, but I can scream from the rooftops that this was such a satisfying conclusion.

During the course of the series, you will become really attached to these characters. They are diverse, well written, each with their own distinctive voice…

That’s it. I am done. I’m not sure how much more gushing I can handle in one day.

I am so happy I made time for this. Finally! It has taken me way too long. I definitely plan to read this series again someday, back-to-back. I had forgotten some details in between Book 2 and this one so I would love to get a full immersive experience of bingeing them.

If you like YA scifi, if you like competition tropes, if you like found families, do yourself a favor and check this series out.

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Review: The Finder by Suzanne Palmer

~ megs14malloy

Finder (Finder Chronicles, #1)Finder by Suzanne Palmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fergus Ferguson is a repo man.
In space.

How cool is that!?

In this incredibly action-packed tale, we follow him as he tries to recover the stolen spacecraft, Venetia’s Sword. He ultimately tracks the ship down in the farthest reaches of human-inhabited space but due to complications, is unable to commandeer it right away.

Arum Gilger, the bad guy who stole the ship, transported it to a harvesting colony called Cernee. There he functions as a sort of criminal overlord and the locals aren’t happy with him or his bullying ways.

As Fergus arrives, the colony finds itself newly engaged in a civil war. Before long, Fergus ends up banding together with Gilger’s enemies and participating more than he would like in their local battles.

I had so much fun reading this book. Palmer’s world creation is incredible. I felt like I was part of the action which is literally, NON-STOP!!! At times, I was a little lost, I have to admit but once I refocused myself I was able to catch up pretty quickly.

Fergus Ferguson is a smart, creative, humorous, engaging and humble main character. I absolutely loved him!! I cannot wait to read more adventures with him at the helm.

There were great side characters in here as well who had well fleshed out personalities and motivations. I think this is a great start to a new series and y’all know, I will definitely be coming back for more!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group/DAW, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I know this series is going to keep getting better and better and I am totally looking forward to being along for the ride!

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Review: Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

~ megs14malloy

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)Illuminae by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I.
{ERROR}

AM.
IN.
{ERROR}

LOVE.

I would give a million stars to this if I could. Seriously, all the stars!!

I sort of feel like I was the last person in the universe to experience Illuminae. I call it an experience because, oh my stars, was it ever.

I wasn’t sure going in whether or not I would be able to handle the format. Scanning through the book before starting it seemed so chaotic. How would I ever keep track of it all?

In the end, it really worked for me! Something as simple as having a black page with white font makes the reading experience so unique. I was urged by quite a few folks to check out the audiobook but I didn’t want to miss out on any of the visuals.

Moving forward, I may switch back and forth between audio and hard copy for Gemina; see how I like it.

I won’t go into the plot here, as I feel at this point, we all pretty much get what this is about. One thing I will say though, is how impressed I was with the characters; including Aidan. They were so well done.

I felt extremely attached to Kady and Ezra but also, even the side characters, were well-fleshed out. At its heart, this story is an action-packed tale of love and loss. It tugged at my heartstrings, for real.

Even though it is a pretty chunky book, it went by so quickly. I didn’t want it to end. I’m not sure when I will be able to continue on with the series but am I definitely looking forward to it!!!!

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Review: The Girl in Red by Christina Henry

~ megs14malloy

The Girl in RedThe Girl in Red by Christina Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Red needs to get to Grandma’s house but this is no fairytale land she is traveling through.

This is a postapocalyptic war zone where a disease, known as ‘the cough’, runs rampant and has decimated the population. The world is a dangerous place with enemies around every corner, or so it seems. Most people have been rounded up into quarantine camps but Red would rather take her chances on the road.

Alternating between now and before, we get a pretty good idea of Red’s home life and family dynamic prior to the sickness. Red, who has a prosthetic limb, after being hit by a car at the age of 8, is used to people underestimating her. She becomes frustrated with this and constantly feels compelled to be tough and prove people wrong.

Highly risk averse, Red feels well prepared for this. Certainly more prepared than your average Joe. She knows the rules. She has been studying them via horror movies and other like media for years. I loved this aspect of Red’s personality. Hello, relatable.

Traveling with her whiny brother, Adam, Red feels like she needs to not only carry her weight but his too. Put simply, Adam was a huge pain in the ass. Red has the patience of a Saint, frankly, putting up with him as she did.

I loved how quickly the action in this kicks off and I thought that the postapocalyptic world was well imagine. The two timelines worked well playing off each other to reveal the entirety of the story. Watching Red’s character gain strength over time was so satisfying.

This being said, I did want a bit more. I know that not every book can be 500-pages but this was just so interesting and the ending, to me, felt rushed.

Overall, I think this is a very solid story. I enjoyed Henry’s imagination quite a bit. This is my first book from her but it definitely won’t be the last one I pick up.

A hearty thank you to the publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I would definitely recommend this to readers who enjoy darker content and women who kick butt!

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Review: Everless by Sara Holland

~ megs14malloy

Everless (Everless, #1)Everless by Sara Holland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In a world where the old adage, time is money, is more than just a saying, Jules Ember is watching her dear Father slowly waste away.

His remaining time is quickly being drained for things as simple as rent and sustenance. He won’t allow Jules to help but she refuses to stand idly by while his time slips through their fingers.

When an opportunity presents itself for Jules to make a lot of time relatively quickly, she jumps on it, even though it means returning to the kingdom they were forced to flee 10-years earlier.

The Gerling boy, Roan, is due to marry the Queen’s adopted daughter, so obviously they will need all hands on deck for a royal wedding.

Jules gets selected to be a part of the preparation crew and once inside the kingdom all sorts of memories begin to flood back to her. Jules once played with Roan in these very halls and upon seeing him again, a spark rekindles.

The past becomes clear as more and more pieces are revealed and Jules discovers her life is not at all what she thought. Buried secrets come to light that shake her to her core. Soon, Jules finds herself in a fight for her life and the sanctity of the kingdom, gaining unexpected allies along the way.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant surprise for me as I had heard some not great reviews.

Yes, I have watched the movie In Time with Justin Timberlake. No, it did not affect my enjoyment of this book in anyway whatsoever.

I feel like the concept of time as currency is not something that was first dreamed up with that movie. I feel like that concept, with the wealthy being at a startling advantage over the poor, is something that has been explored in various forms in the science-fiction genre for a while. I could be wrong though.

In all seriousness, I did enjoy this a lot. I thought it was fun to read and the writing kept me engaged throughout. I very much enjoyed the legends of the Alchemist and Sorceress at the heart of the story. Who else would love a prequel based on those legends?

I do have the second book, Evermore, gracing my bookshelves at home and plan to pick it up soon. I am interested to see where this story goes from here!

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Review: Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

~ megs14malloy

MiddlegameMiddlegame by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mind Melt Alert!!

What is Middlegame?
Admittedly, I stared at the wall for a good 20-minutes once I had finished.

I don’t even think I can begin to attempt a synopsis.
Can I just say, what an achievement for Seanan McGuire?!

A tour de force of science fiction. Expertly crafted from start to finish in order to make you feel like the secrets of the universe are being exposed to you.

There are so many intriguing concepts in here and the narrative is so vast, following our two main characters, Roger and Dodger, from the time they are children up through adulthood.

I can’t lie. It’s a challenging read but so worth the effort. You shouldn’t be multi-tasking whilst reading this. It needs deserves your full attention.

This gave me Dark Tower vibes a bit, a huge positive for me, in how prodigious and all-consuming the narrative was. I absolutely adore McGuire’s writing. Each and every word seems to have been carefully selected and placed where it would be most effective.

I am really excited for more people to read this. I am so interested to see what others think. I know it will not be for everyone but I know a lot of people are going to be just as impressed as I was.

At this point, I will read anything, ANYTHING, that Seanan McGuire writes. She is a gift.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor, for providing me with an early copy to read and review. I certainly feel blessed to have received it. I appreciate the opportunity and know it will be a huge success!

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Review: Artemis by Andy Weir

~ megs14malloy

ArtemisArtemis by Andy Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jazz Bashara lives on Artemis, a moon colony with its own social structure and commerce. Jazz, estranged from her father, has been making ends meet by functioning as a smuggler for the black market economy.

Mostly hustling smaller items, one day a very rich man makes Jazz an offer she can’t refuse.

What follows is a story of girl trying to make up for past mistakes and trying to survive the best she can, with a little corporate sabotage sprinkled in.

I really enjoyed this book. The world that Weir created. When you are reading about Artemis, it’s hard to remember that it doesn’t exist. It seemed real and the science is feasible, so A++. The details were described so well. ((applause))

Additionally, the characters all really worked for me. I loved Jazz. She’s super flawed but seriously trying her best and every once in a while, you just have to throw caution to the wind and say, f* it. I liked her attitude and I think she really came full circle over the course of the story.

I guess it is important to note that I have not read The Martian yet and frankly, I’m glad. I know a lot of folks read that first and then didn’t enjoy this as much. Now I think when I finally do get around to The Martian it will impress me even more, and trust me, that is still on the TBR.

I would definitely recommend this to any scifi fans out there who haven’t read it yet.

Who are we kidding though?
I am probably the only one left on planet Earth who hadn’t gotten to it yet!

I am happy to be crossing it off my backlist and thank my TBR Jar for making me read it!

P.S. This could translate into a fantastic, fast-paced movie! Please do, Hollywood. Please do.

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Review: The Anomaly by Michael Rutger

~ megs14malloy

The AnomalyThe Anomaly by Michael Rutger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Splendid!

I was so excited when I first heard about this book. Explained as a mix of The X-Files meets Indiana Jones — how could you not be excited by that?

This story follows rogue archaeologist, Nolan Moore, whose main profession is hosting an obscure web docuseries called, The Anomaly Files. Mostly watched by conspiracy theorists and people just searching for odd videos, Nolan holds fast to his belief that the truth is out there.

When we meet Nolan and his rag-tag crew, they are following in the steps of an intrepid explorer who in 1909 discovered a cave deep in the heart of the Grand Canyon. The descriptions he left lead Nolan to believe that the cave holds great mysteries and he is dying to get to the bottom of it.

Before too long, Nolan and his crew find what they seek and that is when the real fun begins…

Due to super unfortunate, Indiana Jones-esque circumstances the crew finds themselves trapped. The cave seems to come to life around them and become a character in its own right. Is it out to get them? Maybe. It’s a heck of a good time finding out.

This book is quietly creepy in the best way, playing to inherent fears such as claustrophobia and nyctophobia. It got under my skin, I can tell you that.

The second half gets deeper into some interesting sci-fi elements that were fairly well done. The pace did really speed up towards the end as well and I was satisfied with the ending. I would definitely read more from this author. There are a lot of creative ideas woven throughout this story and I enjoyed the characters quite a bit, even the unsavory ones.

I would recommend this to people who like a mix of horror and sci-fi, as well as to anyone who is into archaeology and unexplained history. The fact that this involved a crew for a web show was also unique and pretty fun. Well done!

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Review: Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

~ megs14malloy

Sal and Gabi Break the UniverseSal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sal Vidon is a magician. A young magician who has just lost his Mami, moved to a new school and is having a hard time fitting in.

Recently relocated to Miami, Sal quickly finds himself on the wrong side of the school bully, Yasmany.

To escape this run-in, Sal performs his trickiest of tricks yet. He makes a raw chicken appear in the bully’s locker! Take that!

Unfortunately, such antics have the opposite effect he is looking for when accused of being a brujo, the other kids at school become afraid of him. Of him! Sal Vidon, one of the kindest, most gentlest human beings in the world.

While pleading his case in the Principal’s office (again), Sal meets Gabi Real for the first time. Gabi swoops in like a hurricane. Smart, determined and funny, Sal thinks, this is somebody I could work with.

Over the course of the rest of the story, we get to watch Sal and Gabi’s relationship grow as they reveal more and more about themselves to each other and come to rely on one another for support. Sal is still struggling with the grief of losing his Mami and Gabi has an infant brother fighting for his life at a local NICU.

I was so impressed with this book. The writing style is fantastic, very fluid and easy to read. I LOVED the characters. Sal is one of the sweetest characters in any book EVER and Gabi is a true force to be reckoned with!

As a middle grade novel, I feel that this is an excellent introduction to the science-fiction genre. This explores the idea of multiple dimensions and travel between them. I loved that aspect of the story and thought it was really well done. There was just enough of that scifi feel without being overwhelming for readers who may be new to the genre.

My favorite aspect of this story: the humor!!
I was laughing out loud from the very beginning and never let up. The characters are so witty and fun. Very well done by Hernandez.

Another piece of this I really appreciated was the presence of such strong adult characters. I feel like often in YA or Middle Grade stories, the adults are either absent or not very nice people. All of the adults in this were really great, supportive influences in the kid’s lives and that was nice to see for a change. I think it sets a good example, not just for young readers, but for adults reading this as well.

This being said, even though this is a Middle Grade book and I am far from that, this has been one of my most enjoyable reads of the year. Keep in mind people,
there is no age limit on fun!
 Everyone needs to read this. Go ahead, now…

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Book Group and Rick Riordan Presents, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity and was truly impressed with this one!

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