Tag: space travel

REVIEW: Capture the Sun by Jessie Mihalik

REVIEW: Capture the Sun by Jessie Mihalik

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lexi is back on Valovia – a place she promised herself she’d never return to – because the price was just too good to ignore.

But before she can adjust to the double sunrise and sunset on Valovia, she’s on the run from the Empress once again.

Teaming up with Nilo hardly seems like a good idea, considering their history. But at least they both have a vested interest in seeing their friends on Starlight’s Shadow safe and successful in their shared mission to prevent a new war.

But when Starlight’s Shadow goes missing in Valovian space, Lexi will have to trust Nilo if she’s going to have any hope of saving her friends.

Review

This was a satisfying end to the Starlight’s Shadow series. But I’ve noticed that I tend to struggle with the third book in the author’s trilogies. I struggled with the third book in the Consortium Rebellion series, too (although that book has grown on me after subsequent reading).

Lexi was super hard for me to like early on. The trust issues she had make total sense considering the war. And the panic she feels with Nilo’s mental connection has a PTSD-ish quality to it. But instead of making me empathize with her, she came across as difficult and abrasive. Looking back at the whole story, I’m sure that was the point. I just struggled to click with her which made it harder to get into the flow of the story.

I was satisfied with the wrap up of the series-arcing conspiracy. Also I think that because this book had to both tell Lexi’s story AND wrap up the whole series, it made some sections drag at bit while I waited for the action to kick up again. But it all came together in the end.

I might re-read this series again. My re-read of Hunt the Stars and Eclipse the Moon in preparation for reading this was super fun.  I love the Valoffs and the world-building around them. They are my favorite part of this series. But given the choice, I would re-read Polaris Rising and the Consortium Rebellion series first. It was the better fit for me as a reader.

Series fans should definitely pick this up to wrap up the series. I wouldn’t start here. I think there’s too much backstory and worldbuilding that comes in the first two books to read these out of order. And if you’ve never read Polaris Rising, be sure to pick that up when you’ve finished this series – it’s AMAZING! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ =  Good+

 

REVIEW: Stowaway by John David Anderson

REVIEW: Stowaway by John David Anderson

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Walden Pond Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Leo and his brother, Gareth, live on board a science vessel called the Beagle with their father, Dr. Fender. At least, they did, before the Djarik came. They took Dr. Fender along with the fuel for the Beagle and stranded the rest of the crew in space. They don’t even leave anything pirates would want. Leo knows this because after the Djarik leave, the ship is attacked by pirates.

But those pirates give Gareth an idea. If the boys could stow away on the pirates’ ship, they could sneak off when they landed and find help for the Beagle. But the pirates’ hold only has room for one, so he sends Leo off to find help.

It doesn’t take long for the pirates to find Leo. And after some deliberation, they decide not to just push him out into space. But what started as a plan to look for help for Gareth and the Beagle becomes a fight for their lives. Leo might be with the pirates longer than Gareth had planned….

Review

I enjoyed this latest story from John David Anderson. Leo is a great kid, and I was rooting for him the whole time. I enjoyed the science fiction story and the ragtag group Leo finds himself with.

There are a lot of flashback scenes and moments of remembering for Leo. And while at times that filled the backstory in nicely, other times they interrupted the flow of the story and the momentum of the action. I think I would have liked fewer flashbacks – or maybe shorter ones. The action with Leo and the quest to find his family held my attention better.

I wasn’t sure I would read a sequel to this one, but the epilogue is great and sets up book two really nicely. There are some predictable developments here, but they were all enjoyable. I’d happily adventure with Leo and friends again.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

REVIEW: Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

After the Twenty-Five Year War, Emperor Atar Faroshi unified the quadrant. All of the prime families came together in peace. While the Emperor has never had children, he has also never named a successor. And now he is dying.

Captain Alyssa Farshot of the Vagabond Quest is an explorer. In fact, she just received accolades from the Explorer’s Society. Hungover from the celebration, she wakes to a communication from her Uncle Charlie, the envoy to the Emperor, also known as “Uncle Atar” to Alyssa.

Atar cannot name Alyssa Empress – even if she wanted the job, which she absolutely does NOT. Instead he names her crownchaser for the Faroshi family.

There hasn’t been a crownchase in hundreds of years. When there is one, a royal seal is hidden somewhere in the empire. Each of the prime families chooses a crownchaser to hunt it down. Whoever finds the seal and returns with it will be crowned.

While a religious zealot Alyssa trusts about as far as she can throw him holds the throne, six crownchasers, childhood friends and rivals, begin their quest to explore a 1,000-planet area, solve puzzles, meet challenges, and find the seal in order to become the new leader of the quadrant.

Review

Outstanding. Stunning. Perfect. Magical.

This could well be my top book of 2020. I loved every moment with this book. I would start reading it again right now if I didn’t have 70 ARCs waiting for my attention.

This is a science fiction story, which is the first mark in its favor. I love sci-fi. There are interesting planets, space battles, aliens, and futuristic technology. It was awesome!

The characters are another mark in the book’s favor.  I loved Alyssa. The early chapters of this have a Polaris Rising feel to them. (Another mark in the book’s favor.) The biggest difference is that while Ada (Polaris Rising) is all about masking her emotions and controlling her responses, Alyssa is more what-you-see-is-what-you-get. She’s just as smart and strong and skilled. But she’s more irreverent and impulsive than Ada. I love both characters.

Then there’s the stellar (pardon the pun) plot. It felt familiar, but I never could place what this reminds me of. There’s a reluctant royals piece – something I love and read often. Then there’s a competition. It’s not meant to be a last-one-standing deal like The Hunger Games, but the stakes are high. There’s also the fact that Alyssa doesn’t want to win. She competes out of obligation. She’s more focused on the process than the end goal. She wants a good outcome for the future of the quadrant. She cares about how people are doing and about fixing the problems she can. But she isn’t a win-at-all-costs sort of person. She mostly just wants to get back to her life.

The ending is excellent! I wanted book 2 in my hands immediately, but since the book just released two days ago, that is not going to happen for awhile. I had to settle for having my own print copy, which I ordered immediately after finishing this.

Science fiction fans, YA fans, reluctant royal fans, and competition story fans should snatch up a copy and clear their schedules for a few days (or a few hours) to dive into this one. I could go on and on about how much I adored this book! (Language, LGBTQ+, science fiction violence – blasters, space battles, etc.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

*♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best

REVIEW: Nightchaser by Amanda Bouchet

REVIEW: Nightchaser by Amanda Bouchet

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Tess and the crew of the Endeavor thought they were stealing vaccines. They were like Robin Hood in the fight against the Overseer. And if all they had were vaccines, they probably would have gotten them to the orphanage at Starway 8 without too much trouble. But the lab they took was full of something far more dangerous. The Overseer was desperate to get his hands on Tess – and that lab and its contents.

Shade thought Tess was just a naive visitor to Albion 5. She was sexy and interesting. And he could easily do the repair work she needed for her ship. But then he saw the bounty for finding her – 200 million in universal currency. And that was if she was dead. The bounty doubled for finding whatever she stole, with a bonus for bringing her in alive.

Shade could use that money to get his whole life back, the way it used to be. Tess was essentially a stranger. Would he give up the chance to regain his inheritance for a woman he just met?

Review

I have mixed feelings on this one. I am always on the lookout for a series like Gini Koch’s Alien series – sassy science fiction romance with awesome characters. This definitely hit the science fiction pieces, and there’s a romantic thread. But I didn’t love the characters. We get to know Tess and Shade to some degree. There’s less development of the rest of the cast – companions or historians for the rest of the story. And this felt more foul than sassy to me. Not much sarcasm, but a lot of the f-word.

There’s a big chunk of the story that takes place on Albion 5 that doesn’t move the plot forward very much. There’s a lot of action at the beginning and the last third of the book. But in between, the focus is on pulling Tess and Shade together and waiting for Shade to decide what he’s going to do about the bounty.

The last third of the book redeemed things. The action kicked up a lot, and the character interactions were more interesting. I was set to give this 3 stars until I got caught up in the engaging ending. I’m still undecided on giving a sequel a try after the mixed feelings on this one. Now that the characters are established, maybe book 2 will live up to the ending of this one. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Gordon: Bark to the Future by Ashley Spires

REVIEW: Gordon: Bark to the Future by Ashley Spires

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The adventure that started with Binky the Space Cat and FURST (Felines of the Universe Ready for Space Travel) takes a trip to the past.

Gordon the dog, part of PURST (Pets of the Universe Ready for Space Travel) finds himself alone when the aliens (insects) invade his “space station” (home). Binky has been captured, and their humans have been swarmed.

How can Gordon hope to defeat the aliens on his own? He’s not good with combat. His skills fall more on the science side. Their only hope is an untested time machine. Gordon only needs to go back five days to save his family. But one of the crafty aliens changes the setting to 5 YEARS.

One simple choice in the past threatens to undo everything Gordon holds dear. What will become of Gordon and his family now?

Review

I have been a fan of this series since the first book. A house cat who thinks he’s an astronaut, fighting insect “aliens”? Yes, please. When I was teaching, we had the whole series in the library, and they were often checked out for the majority of the school year. My teenager still keeps up with the new books in the series because he has been a fan since the begining.

This was a fun addition to the series with some great dramatic tension. The time travel piece was terrific. And the author does a great job on the details so even new readers can follow the story if they haven’t read the earlier books.

I recommend the whole series. Spires is one of my favorite illustrators. This is a graphic novel series that will appeal to animal lovers as well as kids who like some action and humor in their books. Gordon is a great main character (although Binky is still my favorite).

Thanks to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for the opportunity to read an electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Randoms by David Liss

REVIEW: Randoms by David Liss

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Zeke Reynolds is one of four Earth kids chosen to spend a year in space learning about the Confederation of United Planets. If the kids perform well, Earth will be invited to join the Confederation. The three other kids were chosen because of their skills – academic, martial arts, chess/strategy. Zeke was chosen by chance. He’s the “random.”

Historically, teams have chosen to ostracize the Random and try to win without him or her. Zeke tries not to care – he wants Earth to join the Confederation so his mom will get a cure for her ALS. He hangs out with the other Randoms and hopes to help his team as well as his new friends as he can.

But Zeke keeps running into obstacles. The Earth chaperone keeps trying to throw him under the bus and get him kicked out of the competition – or worse. Zeke saves a ship under attack and somehow becomes the villain in the story. One of the other delegates is out to get Zeke. And plenty of folks are keeping secrets. Zeke is going to have to prove himself in a lot of ways if he wants to save his mom.

Review

This is an excellent science fiction story with tons of awesome sci-fi references and lots of laughs. I read this on the recommendation of my teen, and he nailed this recommendation. This book was right up my alley!

The characters in the story are great. Zeke is funny, smart and sarcastic. His pop culture references – especially for Star Trek and Star Wars – are endearing (at least to this Star Trek/Star Wars fan!). The other characters – human and alien – are well defined with interesting quirks, alliances and agendas.

The story is compelling. I cared about Zeke’s success first because of his mom and then because I liked him. I wanted him to overcome the obstacles placed in his path. As the “mystery” developed, I kept flipping pages to see how Zeke and his friends were going to survive, much less if they would succeed in earning membership in the Confederation.

The story ended with something of a cliffhanger. Several loose ends were left dangling. I will obviously have to sneak the sequel, Rebels, from my teen so I can find out what happens next. Book 3, Renegades, releases this fall.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½