Nyxia Unleashed

Nyxia Unleashed
By Scott Reintgen

Emmett and his crewmates, the Genesis, arrive on Eden, where they begin Babel's mission for them--to mine Nyxia--and meet the planet's native inhabitants, the Imago. Having been lied to by Babel again and again, the Genesis crew goes in prepared for more deception--and they find it. They also come to realize that the Imago people haven't exactly been upfront with Babel, either, and Emmett and company will soon need to figure out what the truth is and try to figure out a way to get home.

Holy.freaking.cow. Fast pace? Yes. Twists, twists, and more twists? Yes. Awesome themes and discussion points? Yes. Same great cast of characters and some new additions? Yes. Pretty much everything you could want in a teen sci-fi? Yes. This was a thrilling read, with one heck of a cliffhanger ending. I'm dying here waiting for the third book! 5 stars.


I read an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Carve the Mark

Carve the Mark
By Veronica Roth

So, I love reading books in series because it means I get to spend more time with characters I love...but I don't always remember what happened in earlier books when the next book in the series is published. So, this post is going to totally have SPOILERS--tons and tons of SPOILERS. I'm going to pretty much summarize the entire plot and tell who's who, so that when the next book comes out, I can look at this post to remind myself of what happened and important details. So, here's my synopsis of Carve the Mark.

The are nine planets orbiting within the currentstream barrier, each with certain things that make it unique. Thuvhe has two groups of people--the Thuvhites and the Shotets. The Shotets, led by the Noavek family, are scavengers who visit other planets and scavenge there and bring back what they find to renew it and make it good again. They are pretty bloodthirsty and they mark their arms with "kills". They are also determined to rule their planet--but the Oracles have proclaimed that Ryzek Noavek is fated to fall to the family Benesit. Like his parents before him, Ryzek is determined to find a way to avoid his fate--although the whole point of a fate is that it is destined, seen in whatever future the Oracles envision, no matter what different scenarios play out.

Each person is given a different gift through the currentstream--and Ryzek, who has been twisted and warped by his tyrannical father, will use whatever means he can to change his fate, including his own currentgift of taking people's memories and replacing them with his, and his sister Cyra's currentgift of hurting--torturing--people by merely touching them. Normally fates aren't publicly known, but when the fates of several people are announced, Ryzek sends soldiers to Thuvhe to capture those who will interfere with his mission.

The Kesreseth family is one Thuvhite family that is attacked. Akos is captured, as is his brother, Eijeh, who is fated to be the next Oracle. Their sister Cisi is spared, but their father is killed, and their mother Sifa (the current oracle) does nothing to stop any of this. Akos and Eijeh are taken to Ryzek, who demands that Eijeh prophesy for him, but Eijeh doesn't know how to use his gift. Akos has been trained as a soldier but then he is given to Cyra as a servant--because his currentgift is interrupts others' gifts, which means if he touches her, she is no longer in constant pain. He is determined to escape and to take Eijeh with him--but once he tries, Ryzek starts taking pieces of Eijeh's memory, replacing them with his own (horrible) memories, until Eijeh is barely recognizable as himself. Cyra has always done what her brother demanded, hurting people, so that he wouldn't tell anyone that she had (accidentally) killed their mother, but as she spends time with Akos, who has a goodness about him and also seems to believe there is something good in her, she refuses to help Ryzek--until he hurts Akos to punish her. From that point on, Cyra is ready to work with rebels and exiles to get Akos away from her brother--even if it means making him go without Eijeh. Cyra tries to lead an assassination attempt, but it fails--and then Ryzek makes her touch Akos (who, in a severely weakend state can't use his currentgift to interrupt her) to torture him. In so doing, though, Cyra, who has never been able to control her gift, resists. She loves Akos and refuses to hurt him, pulling the pain back into herself. When she does so, Akos is rescued by her allies; they take him to Thuvhe, where he meets up with his sister, Cisi, and her friend Isae (who is destined to be the Chancellor that Ryzek falls to) and her twin sister Ori (who keeps her sister safe as very few people know which of them is fated to be the Chancellor--and killing them in the wrong order can change things that people don't want changed). Ori is kidnapped by Shotets, so Cisi, Isae, and Akos go meet up with Jorek, a Shotet rebel (and Cyra's cousin).
Meanwhile, Cyra has been skinned on her face by Vas, her brother's soldier who can't feel pain, and has been challenged to fight him. However, Akos and his allies (including Teka, Jorek, and more) get her out of the arena. Akos has realized he cares for her, too. Sifa joins their group--and Akos has mixed feelings about her, since she didn't protect them and manipulates people sometimes through her visions. Based on Sifa's latest visions, the group decides that Akos and Isae will rescue Ori before Ryzek can assassinate her and that Cyra will publicly challenge Ryzek to a fight that he can't back down from without losing face. Akos, hoping to force Ryzek to restore Eijeh's memories, wants her to keep Ryzke alive, but she says she can't. When Akos and Isae go rescue Ori, she isn't in the prison that Sifa said she was in (Akos kills Vas on the way to get there). Cyra has gotten a reluctant ally, Yma, to poison Ryzek; she makes it look like she stabs him but really he is only unconscious; however, as that happens, Eijeh kills Ori, his former friend and then sort of goes into a trance--possibly affected by Ori's gift (but Akos doesn't know what her gift is). They get Ryzek and Eijeh back to the ship, where Ryzek tells Cyra she's not really his sister and that HIS father (not her father) is still alive.
Isae directs their ship to go to the Assembly, to show them she is alive. Akos, with his mother and sister, and now Cyra, sees that maybe you can get some things back...at least for now.


So, this was a fascinating world to enter. Akos is a likable character; he's good and loyal and he hates hurting people. Cyra is complicated--which is good. She's an excellent character for discussion--is she good? Is she bad? Is she to blame for how she is? etc. (Ryzek and Sifa also make for interesting discussion points.)

This reminds me of Graceling by Kristin Cashore--with special gifts that a wicked ruler uses to maintain power and exploit others. I'm really interested to see where things go in the next book.

4.5 stars.

Their Fractured Light

Their Fractured Light
By Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner
 Sofia will do anything to get her revenge on Roderick LaRoux; he’s responsible for her father’s death, so she intends to repay him in kind. So she has learned how to read people, how to play on their sympathies and emotions, and how to reinvent herself to be whoever she needs to be in order to get closer and closer to LaRoux.

Gideon is a master hacker who wants to do more than just destroy LaRoux; he wants to take down all of LaRoux’s empire—and he’ll hunt down whoever is closest to LaRoux in order to exact revenge of his own. Used to hiding their true identities, neither Sofia nor Gideon is ready to bare all when their paths collide. But even as they can’t allow themselves to truly trust anyone, including each other, combining forces may be the only way to take down LaRoux and to save their entire universe from being destroyed.

I loved this book! I loved trying to guess what secrets Gideon and Sofia had and seeing what their motivations were and how they changed throughout the book. The plot was intense; there was so much action (but it wasn’t TOO much action), and it the book moved quickly. I couldn’t wait to see how things played out. I was also glad for the chance to see the main characters of the previous two books as they were brought into the story. Really exciting book; I couldn’t put it down!

The Drowned Cities

The Drowned Cities

By Paolo Bacigalupi

Little, Brown, and Company,2012. 436 pgs. Teen fiction (I read the ARC)

Summary:

In a future U.S., Mahlia is a castoff, the daughter of a Chinese peacekeeper who left her and her mother (a Drowned Cities resident) behind when the Chinese gave up their attempts to stop the various warlord groups from trying to wipe each other out. Mahlia has found refuge with a doctor in a village away from the Drowned Cities, but as a castoff, she's never been accepted by the rest of the villagers. Her one friend, Mouse, is a boy who has been orphaned by the war. When the two discover Tool, a wounded augment (a half-man, half-animal designed for war and killing), who is being hunted by a group of soldiers, Mahlia and Mouse are caught in the middle. As the bloodthirsty soldiers wreak havoc on the land and even force Mouse into their army, Mahlia must convince Tool to help her save her friend, even though the odds of success are essentially impossible.

Review:

There is a lot of blood, gore, and violence in this book, made all the more heart-rending by the fact that these are kids, not adults, who are fighting each other and trying to survive. Because of that, it's not an easy book to read, and some readers probably won't be able to stomach it. The violence continues pretty much to the very end, and while there's an element of hope at the end, I didn't quite feel like there was enough of an ending. This would be a good discussion book, as readers could delve into such topics as child soldiers and whether or not redemption is possible, but it's not one that I'd necessarily recommend for any sort of pleasure reading. It's gripping but disturbing.

3.5 stars. Language and LOTS of violence.

Cinder

Cinder
By Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends, 2012. 390 pgs/540 mins. Teen fiction

In a future world, Earth, after the Fourth World War, has been divided into five nations. While they haven't had any more wars with each other, they are constantly threatened by the Lunars, the people who live on the moon, and for many years, a horrific, incurable plague has been killing off many of Earth's citizens. Cinder, has the misfortune of being a cyborg and being hated by her stepmother, is the best mechanic in New Beijing, and Prince Kai comes into have her fix an android. As she hides her identity as a cyborg from him, Cinder and Kai begin to develop a friendship. At the same time, however, Cinder's stepsister, Pearl, who is Cinder's only human friend, catches the plague. Cinder is "volunteered" as a research subject for doctors to study the plague. However, it turns out that Cinder isn't an ordinary cyborg, and she isn't who she thought she was--and her true identity is something that could quickly get her killed if anyone finds out the truth.

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about a science fiction retelling of a fairy tale; it seemed like an odd combination. It turned out to be pretty awesome, actually. Cinder is a wonderful protagonist; I love cheering for the underdog and watching her try to deal with who she is and how to free herself from a pretty miserable existence. The developing romance between Kai doesn't get as far in this book as readers might like, but it leaves us something to hope for in subsequent books in the series. There's kind of a lot going on with the plot, but Meyer did a great job weaving all of the plot lines together. Highly enjoyable and an easy recommendation. I listened to the audiobook, and I recommend that as well.

4.5 stars. Clean read.

Insurgent

Insurgent
By Veronica Roth
Katherine Tegen Books, 2012. 525 pgs. Teen fiction

Now that the Erudite faction has wiped out much of the Abnegation factor, a society that once thrived on its five factions each filling specific rolls is thrown into chaos. With Dauntless split between those who support Erudite and those who don't,Tris, Tobias, and the others who have managed to escape the Eruite now appeal to the other factions--Amity and Candor--for help, but find that neither of them may be in the position to prevent Erudite from killing anyone who gets in their way. When the opportunity arises for an unexpected alliance with the factionless, who are more powerful than anyone realized, Tobias thinks it's their best option, but Tris has reservations. She thinks they might have to trust the unlikeliest of people in order to figure out why Erudite launched their attack in the first place and what they can do to stop further destruction--but doing so means she has to betray those she loves the most.

This second book in the Divergent trilogy takes readers on just as breathtaking ride as the first one. With palpable fear and tension as Tris is trying to understand more about what it means to be Divergent, who she can trust, and why her world has suddenly crumbled, readers are going to be on the edge of their seats, anxious to find out what is going on and why! There's a twist that's hinted at that unfolds into a cliffhanger ending; readers are going to be groaning that they'll have to wait another year or so to see how things play out. I don't think I liked this one quite as much as the first book; there is some tension between Tris and Tobias that isn't much fun for readers who loved the romance angle of the first book and I'm not a huge fan of cliffhanger endings (and perhaps because I'm just grumpy today). However, I think readers will devour it...and really, groan very, very, very loudly when they realize there's still quite awhile to go before the third book comes out (no date announced as of today, at least).

4.5 stars. There wasn't a lot of language but there is a LOT of violence and some making out.

Legend

Legend

By Marie Lu

G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2011. 305 pgs. Teen fiction

Summary:

Day and June come from totally different worlds, even though they are both citizens of the Republic of America. June has been raised as a privileged member of the elite class, a military prodigy who scored a perfect 1500 on her Trial--something that has earned her some special opportunities but also leaves her a little too precocious for her own good. Day, however, is a poor criminal, a Trial failure who escaped from the government and and now is working against them. While he's never gone so far as to defect to the Colonies (the Republic's enemy that makes crazy claims they used to be one united country) or joined the Patriots (a group within the Republic working against the military government), he gets in his punches when he can. His latest challenge, though, is finding a cure for the plague that has infected his little brother. As Day is trying to protect his family, June is hunting him, determined to bring him to justice for killing her beloved brother.

Review:

Told in chapters alternating between Day's point of view and June's, this book does a great job conveying the inequity in this society. Both Day and June are interesting characters, and this is a book that could appeal to both male and female readers. It's also a good dystopia for reluctant readers; some dystopias are kinda detail-overloaded (at least for a reluctant reader), but this one is deep enough without getting too deep (in a totally good way). I assume this will be the start of a new series, but it doesn't have a cliffhanger ending, either, so readers will be satisfied with it as a stand-alone, too.

4 stars. Clean read...I think. I can't remember any language and there is definitely no sex. Some violence, but not described in gory detail.

Crossed

Crossed
By Ally Condie
Nov. 2011. 367 pgs. Teen fiction (I read the ARC)

Cassia finds a way to get to the Outer Provinces, where she is intent on finding Ky, despite the fact that he's been given a work assignment that is almost certain to kill him. However, he manages to escape into the Craving, a series of canyons that could lead to freedom. Ky is just as set on finding a way to get back to Cassia. However, when the two mind each, Ky realizes that Cassia has found out about the Rising, a rebellion against their Society--something Ky doesn't want to be a part of and would like to keep Cassia out of as well.

I think fans of Matched will like Crossed as well. It can be a bit slow; there's a LOT of time spent in the canyons, both before and after Ky and Cassia are reunited--and they don't find each other until over halfway through the book, so that made things seem a little slow as well. I didn't necessarily love the first book, and again, this one was just likeable for me, but I think fans will enjoy it--and I might like it better if I weren't totally burned out on dystopias and love triangles.

3 stars. Clean read.

Divergent

Divergent
By Veronica Roth
Katherine Tegen Books, 2011. 487 pgs. Teen fiction


Chicago is divided into five factions: Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent). Each faction exemplifies the behaviors and attitudes that they think will most benefit the world and combat the problems of human nature. As teens reach a certain age, they are given an aptitude test that tells them which attributes they have, followed by a ceremony where they choose which group to remain with for the rest of their lives. Most people have one dominant attribute, but Beatrice Prior, who has been raised by her Abnegation parents and community, isn't sure she's selfless enough to stay with that faction. When her aptitude tests reveals that she has multiple dominant attributes, meaning she is divergent, she must choose which faction to join--as well as hide the fact that she's divergent, as she's been warned that her life depends on no one finding out her secret. Tris makes her choice, changing her name along with her alliances, and as she trains for her new faction, she struggles to know who to trust and starts to fall in love but also realizes that everything could be ripped away but a group that is ready to overthrow their way of life.

Some books just hook you, and some don't. For me, this one definitely did. I think this has the potential to be the new Hunger Games--the trilogy that everyone has to read and can't stop thinking about. With an intriguing dystopian world, engaging characters, action, adventure, romance, and more, there's not much that this book doesn't have. I will say that I thought the end of the book, where we see the conflict really unfolding, as the rebel group begins rolling out their plans, went by to quickly for me and was actually too easily resolved. Obviously, there's going to be a lot more going on in the next books, but I would have liked to see a little more in this one, as it all plays out in a matter of a few hours. On the other hand, Tris's training and personal growth and conflicts were explored in much more detail and over time, so the juxtaposition just made the larger, societal conflict seem glossed over. Still, I'm hooked, and I can't wait to see what happens next! A great choice for anyone who liked The Hunger Games, dystopia, romance, action, or kick-butt characters.

4.5 stars. As far as language goes, I think this one's pretty clean. There's a lot of violence, though. Sexuality is minimal; there's some kissing, a little sexual tension, and a discussion of how two characters might possibly at some point in the future if they're ready, sleep together.

P.S. (3/26/12) I listened to the audio version of this book last week. I was a little apprehensive at first, since I know a bad narrator can ruin a good book, but , I was quite satisfied with the narrator. Very well done.

Dark Life

Dark Life
By Kat Falls
Scholastic Press, 2010. 297 pgs. Teen fiction

In a future world, Ty has spent his whole life living under the sea, and he loves it there. However, problems threaten to change his way of life: a group of bandits, called Seablite, attack ships coming in from the government, and the government threatens to cut off all supply shipments if settlers don't form a posse and track them down. At the same time, Ty meets a Topsider, Gemma, who has some underwater to look for her brother, and Ty, who hasn't ever had any other teenagers to hang out with, quickly becomes involved in her search--and in trying to keep her, and others, from discovering that he has a dark secret: people have speculated that children of the sea settlers has special powers, and while Ty does indeed have a dark gift, he doesn't want anyone to know.

This underwater western-style book mixes in adventure, dystopia, and a hint of romance. The ending is resolved a little bit too quickly, with not quite enough attention and detail given to Gemma's brother or her future, and Ty and his sister both have a chance to display their special talents, but the climatic scenes where they do that are wrapped up in fewer than twenty pages, making it a little rushed for my tastes. Additionally, the romance could have been built up a little bit more; it's introduced rather abruptly, and while I believe that a 15-year-old boy has been falling for the girl all along, the story doesn't really show that. (Maybe that's a plus for male readers, but as a female reader, I'd have liked a little more to show that he's interested, rather than just a retrospective "oh, yeah, I've wanted to kiss her since I met her" thought.) All in all, though, readers looking for an adventure will like this one.

3.5 stars.