Tag: Young Adult (Page 10 of 157)

BOOK REVIEW: The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2) by Holly Black

February 9, 2022 / Jen / 4 Comments

The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2)
by Holly Black
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.
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Review:

It seems hopeless to fight something so vast. It seems ridiculous to believe we can win.

Traps are set, plays are made and so much is shrouded in shadows. The Wicked King was a fabulous follow up to The Cruel Prince and I couldn’t put this book down! I would feel giddy one moment and terrified the next, I was constantly left reeling with my thoughts and emotions. With traitors, tricks and betrayal cutting deep into the pages, this book was a fabulous addition to this series!

“For a moment,” he says, “I wondered if it wasn’t you shooting bolts at me.”
I make a face at him. “And what made you decide it wasn’t?”
He grins up at me. “They missed.”

Jude had to use blood, sweat and tears to survive in the world of Fairy. So of course I loved the fight and fire within her! She went on so many times when others wouldn’t. But at the same point, she had her limits. So I was cheering her on when she would take a stand against Cardan and the others, I loved that she refused to be controlled. But I also loved that Jude was smart and cunning. As she slowly started putting pieces of the puzzle together, I was terrified what would become of her. Because even when the odds were against her, she was brave, true to herself and fought like a warrior! She did not back down. In some situations, she had to play along with their deadly games just to survive. And my heart felt like it was cute open and bleeding for her. I just wanted her to have allies. But most of all, I wanted that allie to be Cardan. Yet I never truly knew where he stood.

Our eyes meet, and something dangerous sparks.
He hates you, I remind myself.
“Kiss me again,” he says, drunk and foolish. “Kiss me until I am sick of it.”

Months later of Cardan being High King, he still tried to hurt Jude with his words. With partying and not seeming to take his job seriously, he could be such a little shit. But at the same point, he wasn’t. So while I didn’t always understand the meaning behind his actions, many of them still made my heart happy. Like when he would stand up to someone for Jude, or put someone in their place or even when he was training and learning tricks from the Roach. Because so much of Cardan seemed like a facade. And underneath it we saw that he could be sensible and logical. We saw that he could be loyal. So some of his sacrifices brought me to tears. He slowly grew into someone that I not only loved but respected. And I didn’t think respect and Cardan would ever go together after how he was in The Cruel Prince. But regardless of whether Jude wanted to acknowledge it or not, Cardan always seemed to be thinking about her.

I hate you,” I whisper before he can speak.
He tilts my face to his.
“Say it again,” he says as the imps comb my hair and place the ugly, stinking crown on my head. His voice is low. The words are for me alone.

So many times when Jude and Cardan were together, they made me smile, laugh and feel giddy. Yes they both tricked the other. But it was almost the nature of their relationship at this point in their story. And while he did try and help, Jude was overcautious. In Fairy words could always be seen in another light, and so much could not be trusted. But as the story unfolded, so did their relationship. Things changed. Even when he spoke to her, it felt as though each word was coated with so much emotion. He had her and my full attention. And I loved their moments together. Their stolen kisses. Their ability to try and build trust. Even though they still stood on such shaky ground. But underneath it all, they had a common enemy. The Queen of the Undersea who was a threat to the both of them. And I held my breath over what would come of it.

“You can take a thing when no one’s looking. But defending it, even with all the advantage on your side, is no easy task,” Madoc told her with a laugh. She looked up to find him offering her a hand. “Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold on to.”

Something else continued to pull at my heart, and that was Jude’s relationship with her twin, Taryn and her surrogate father, Madoc. I wanted to find redemption with Taryn, but it was so hard to unearth. From the very beginning of this series I was leery of her, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Jude and Taryn can mend their tattered relationship. And Madoc?! He treats Jude as his own. He took care of her even though he murdered her parents. And he didn’t have to raise her or treat her how he did. Yet he did. And I feel messed up respecting how protective he could be and how much he cared for Jude, but I couldn’t help how my heart felt. Because while Madoc was such a grey soul, I still cared for him. Call me crazy, because I know that Madoc had evil in him, yet I couldn’t bring myself to hate him. I desperately wanted to find every single drop of goodness in him that I could.

I keep thinking of the steady way he looked at me when we were both naked, before he pulled on his shirt and fastened those elegant cuffs. We should have called truce, he’d said, brushing back his ink-black hair impatiently. We should have called truce long before this.
But neither of us called it, not then, not after.

Traitors, liars and cheats…there were so many that I hated within these pages. But with Cardan and Jude, my heart beat strong for the two of them. And with the requests that seemed impossible, the debts that were called, and all of the political intrigue, it made this book impossible to put down! The Wicked King definitely did not suffer from middle book syndrome and I can’t recommend this series enough!

Our eyes meet, and the odd smile on his face is clearly meant for me. I remember what it was to hate him with the whole of my heart, but I’ve remembered too late.

PS I want the Bomb and the Roach together please!

BOOK REVIEW: A Deadly Education (The Scholomance #1) by Naomi Novik

February 3, 2022 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

A Deadly Education (The Scholomance #1)
by Naomi Novik
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Uprooted and Spinning Silver comes the first book of the Scholomance trilogy, the story of an unwilling dark sorceress who is destined to rewrite the rules of magic.

FINALIST FOR THE LODESTAR AWARD • “The dark school of magic I’ve been waiting for.”—Katherine Arden, author of Winternight Trilogy

I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life.

Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. Far as I’m concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. I’m not joining his pack of adoring fans.

I don’t need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts, I’m probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I’ll level mountains and kill untold millions, make myself the dark queen of the world.

At least, that’s what the world expects. Most of the other students in here would be delighted if Orion killed me like one more evil thing that’s crawled out of the drains. Sometimes I think they want me to turn into the evil witch they assume I am. The school certainly does.

But the Scholomance isn’t getting what it wants from me. And neither is Orion Lake. I may not be anyone’s idea of the shining hero, but I’m going to make it out of this place alive, and I’m not going to slaughter thousands to do it, either.

Although I’m giving serious consideration to just one.

With flawless mastery, Naomi Novik creates a school bursting with magic like you’ve never seen before, and a heroine for the ages—a character so sharply realized and so richly nuanced that she will live on in hearts and minds for generations to come. The magic of the Scholomance trilogy continues in The Last Graduate.

“You know, it’s almost impressive,” he said after a moment, sounding less wobbly. “You’re nearly dead and you’re still the rudest person I’ve ever met. You’re welcome again, by the way.”

It goes without saying, at this point, that I am obsessed and would die for character driven stories: if not for the most amazing buildups, for the agonizingly painful build up to something almost always extraordinary. Do I think this book had some epic end? I don’t know-I think it was epic, in its own right, but it wasn’t some crazy battle to the end or anything. What it 1000% DID accomplish, though, was one of the most satisfying cherries on top of an incredulous El sundae, where we get the most gratifying payoff of the cutest non-storyline ever. Seriously. I know, vagueness is vague but….it’s good. It’s worth it. It’s just so deliciously underhandedly subtle and fleshed out. The genius behind this…I still can’t put my finger on how it made such a dark story so cute.

I’d like to claim I couldn’t bring myself to go, but I’ve got quite well-developed willpower when it comes to doing necessary work. I just have very little willpower when it comes to indulging petty resentment.

But enough of that. This book was so much darker than I ever thought it would be. It honestly makes me wonder if my radar is off, if my mind is inexplicably broken, if I have some gear that’s broken inside my brain for how little my radar has protected me lately. I guess I’m just coasting through books these days, assuming because it’s labeled YA it won’t be weird or nasty or downright gory-I’ve seen more gore in YA lately than I’ve seen in years, it feels like (I’m not complaining), and I owe it all to my lack of being in the loop for years because of my children. It’s a weird sort of vindication to have found so many wins in one year/one summer, and I’m really immersing myself to the point it’s onto the next one each time I put a book down. I’m a monster. I’m insatiable. And this book was just another I added to my 5 star pile in 2021.

…probably every instinct he had was now going wild with the desire to put a stop to my not-yet-begun reign of terror. Naturally that made me want to go and launch said reign of terror immediately, but first I had to sit through two hours of language and one of Maleficaria Studies.

Which, can I just say, is just so refreshing. I don’t even truly know how I’m reading, at the moment, as I can’t seem to shake my illness, but I am demolishing each book thrown at me, and I’ve re-read two different sets of stories back to back within a few months. Who even am I? That being said, this poor book probably shouldn’t have stood a chance. I mean, I kept picking it up and eventually zoning out, yet it held my attention so raptly that I couldn’t help to forge on through the plague of zombie-mindedness. I am shocked I got even a flicker of a feel, seeing as how I feel emotionless and dead inside-but, hey, perhaps this was the perfect read, as the snark was at a 10/10 level, and it kept me laughing long into the night.

Boys often think for about ten seconds that they might want to go out with me, and then they look into my eyes or talk to me and I suppose get the strong impression I’m likely to devour their souls or something. Also, in Orion’s case, I’d been aggressively rude to him and nearly got him killed by mimics.

But, aside from what I was talking about earlier and will probably [but definitely will] expand on, the thing that worked most for this book was the level of anger and snark that emanated off of our dark heroine. It actually almost broke my heart how mean she was to Orion, but he seemed to like it so who am I to feel bad for the poor dude? At one point I felt so inexplicably drawn to her inner thoughts that I had to do a double take to make sure it wasn’t ME who was talking. The way she ALWAYS has to get something snarky in, the way she views everything, the way she portrays it to us and breaks it down into a hilarious, dark version with morbid humor about every situation added much needed levity to a book centered around a school that basically devours it’s students to keep it running (but why).

Thanks to my freshman-year Maleficaria Studies textbook, I know that our deliciousness goes up another order of magnitude every six months between thirteen and eighteen, all wrapped up inside a thin and easy-to-break sugar shell instead of the tough chewy hide of a grown wizard. That’s not a metaphor I made up myself: it’s straight out of the book, which took a lot of pleasure telling us in loads of detail just how badly the maleficaria want to eat us: really, really badly.

And I can’t even begin to describe how this book helped me kind of coast through the worst days of my illness, but it did. I don’t know how, but her inner ramblings-which are 90% of the book, seriously-just spoke to me on a higher level, one that kept me grounded and not so miserable. Perhaps because she was so miserable herself? I suppose that’s something that people should know, going in, if you live under a rock-this author is very wordy (Uprooted, anyone? Another FAV!) and doesn’t rush any one under any circumstance for any reason. And that’s why it’s so amazing once you make it to the end-it’s always extraordinary, even if its unconventionally so.

Instead I’ve spent three years putting it off and coming up with convoluted plans for how I was going to arrange my dramatic revelation and meanwhile, at the first chance I got, I just started being as rude as I could to every enclave kid who crossed my path. I’d certainly done my very best to chase Orion off. If he wasn’t a towering weirdo who liked that in a person, I’d have succeeded.

And finally, my favorite favorite plot point: The whole plot literally revolves around our MC’s vehement denial that she and Orion are dating. I was lol’ing the. Whole. Time. Like clockwork when she’d ground it out of her clenched teeth or in her mind, her little reassurances to make sure we readers knew she knew better and it annoyed her people thought so. And that’s the other thing-she spoke to us sometimes, addressing us as readers, and it cracked me up, too. I am so odd, but it just made me chuckle.

My anger’s a bad guest, my mother likes to say: comes without warning and stays a long time.

So, in the end, I guess I never even knew what this book was about, because it was nothing I’d have ever expected. I still really don’t get it, but I guess that’s the fun of it, and that’s what makes the Orion and Galadriel moments that much sweeter. I can’t say it’s for everyone (it’s definitely not), but for those, like me, that like bitch humor, snark, and character driven plots…it’s literally a hole in one.

***********

Literally my favorite storyline (and it’s arguably a large portion of the plot, if you ask me (I know you didn’t, but)) in the book is the ‘We are NOT dating’ struggle the MC passionately shuts down throughout the novel-seriously, it’s like a subtle plot that slayed me. And Orion’s complete obliviousness to the whole debacle lol. 5 stars just for that hilarious drama

RTC

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Castles in their Bones (Castles in their Bones #1) by Laura Sebastian

February 2, 2022 / Cassie / 1 Comment

Castles in their Bones (Castles in their Bones #1)
by Laura Sebastian
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
A spellbinding story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown. Immerse yourself in the first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the author of the New York Times bestselling Ash Princess series.

Empress Margaraux has had plans for her daughters since the day they were born. Princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz will be queens. And now, age sixteen, they each must leave their homeland and marry their princes.

Beautiful, smart, and demure, the triplets appear to be the perfect brides—because Margaraux knows there is one common truth: everyone underestimates a girl. Which is a grave mistake. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz are no innocents. They have been trained since birth in the arts of deception, seduction, and violence with a singular goal—to bring down monarchies— and their marriages are merely the first stage of their mother’s grand vision: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vesteria.

The princesses have spent their lives preparing, and now they are ready, each with her own secret skill, and each with a single wish, pulled from the stars. Only, the stars have their own plans—and their mother hasn’t told them all of hers.

Life abroad is a test. Will their loyalties stay true? Or will they learn that they can’t trust anyone—not even each other?

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the CASTLES IN THEIR BONES by Laura Sebastian Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my review below and make sure to enter the giveaway!

********

“Like Mama always says,” Beatriz murmurs. “We’re three stars of the same constellation. Distance won’t change that.”

I REALLY like Castles in their Bones, the newest series from Ash Princes author Laura Sebastian. It’s essentially three stories smushed together in a single book, with threads weaving the stories together. It’s definitely has shades of Three Dark Crowns, but the sisters are working together instead of against each other. There’s so many twists and turns, y’all aren’t ready.

“You wish to appear smaller?” she asks, shaking her head. You are a queen. Why shouldn’t you take up every bit of space you deserve?”

As I mentioned above (and in the book synopsis) the story follows three triplet princesses: Daphne, Sophia and Beatriz. On their their 16^th birthday they are sent to rival countries to marry princes and secure their country’s relations at their behest. However, thanks to their mother’s training since they were young, they are lethal and skilled and ready to bring down each of the countries so they can be ruled as one. Naturally, things are not as simple as that and the plan becomes complicated as each girl settles into her role and meets new allies and enemies.

It shouldn’t matter what he believes in, it shouldn’t make her heart beat faster, it shouldn’t let her forget, even for a second, who she is and why she is here. But it does, and that makes it dangerous.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of because as I mentioned before, there’s essentially three independent stories going on (with small things keeping them intwined). I really liked all three of the sisters. When I was reading Three Dark Crowns, I definitely had my favorite sister, but I really couldn’t pick a favorite from these three. They all had great things about them, and while their stories ebbed and flowed with excitement, I truly was rooting for all of them.

As for the side characters, I loved getting to know Leopold, Bairre, Pasquale, Nico and Ambrose. They each brought something great to the table, even if they all aren’t necessarily the *good guys.* There’s plenty of other side characters too, but I can’t say I was as much of a fan of them or their actions. I enjoyed each of the romances for the girls, but I don’t want to say more due to spoilers. None if it is too deep, but it was really lovely watching each of them feel something for someone other than their sisters.

The world-building was really unique, as was the magic system. I can’t say I’ve really read anything else that is even close to star magic. For lack of a better word, it was really magical ha. Each country felt really unique and realistic, especially when it came to the star magic rules.

And how about the ending, hmm? Well let’s just say I audibly gasped and put my hand over my mouth. I know it’s fade to black and there’s a chance (I don’t care what the epilogue says) that what we are told happened didn’t necessarily. Until we get book two, I refuse to believe it *plugs ears and closes eyes.* If Sebastian really did do THAT, then WOW. That was really bold. But I remain in denial/optimistic for now.

Please grab this book right now! It released on February 1, so no excuses! Yes, sometimes it gets a bit confusing jumping between the stories and keeping track of all the characters, but it is so worth it. The way the stories were threaded was incredibly well done and the book really kept my attention. I am anxiously awaiting the follow up to this one and seeing what comes next for these three girls who really need a hug and a vacation.

“It’s always easier to love people who need us than people we need, I think. Being needed makes one powerful. Needing, though, makes vulnerable.”

Other Reviews:

“Enchanting…filled with captivating court intrigue and espionage.” –Kirkus Reviews

“A page-turner that brilliantly blends magic, romance, and adventure. A twist ending leaves readers reeling but ready for the second installment in the planned trilogy.” –Booklist

“Sebastian excels at world building…and a few tantalizing open threads certainly warrant interest in the future two volumes in this trilogy.” –The Bulletin

“An extravagantly built series starter” –Publishers Weekly

About Laura:

Laura Sebastian grew up in South Florida and attended Savannah College of Art and Design. She now lives and writes in London, England, with her two dogs, Neville and Circe. Laura is the author of the New York Times bestselling Ash Princess series: Ash Princess, Lady Smoke, and Ember Queen, as well as Half Sick of Shadows, her ﬁrst novel for adults. To learn more about Laura and her books, follow @sebastian_lk on Twitter.

Giveaway:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of CASTLES IN THEIR BONES, US Only.

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BOOK REVIEW: This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede (The Last Finestra #1)

January 5, 2022 / Cassie / 0 Comments

This Vicious Grace (The Last Finestra #1)
by Emily Thiede
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Three weddings. Three funerals. Alessa’s gift from the gods is supposed to magnify a partner’s magic, not kill every suitor she touches.

Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find a partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island’s only hope, her own soldiers try to assassinate her.

Desperate to survive, Alessa hires Dante, a cynical outcast marked as a killer, to become her personal bodyguard. But as rebellion explodes outside the gates, Dante’s dark secrets may be the biggest betrayal. He holds the key to her survival and her heart, but is he the one person who can help her master her gift or destroy her once and for all?

Emily Thiede's exciting fantasy debut, This Vicious Grace, will keep readers turning the pages until the devastating conclusion and leave them primed for more!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Choose a Fonte.
Do not kill them.
Aplify their magic to save everyone and everything on Saverio—or become the first to die.

Forgive me if this review is a wonky, as I’m trying to shake off the rust. It’s been a minute since I wrote a review (family life and work really suck up all of my time and energy), but as soon as I finished this book I knew it was time to get back at it.

This Vicious Grace was the first book finished book of the year for me and what I imagine will be one of my favorites. It was a breath of fresh air in the YA fantasy realm, where I feel I’ve gotten much more picky and have a hard time being impressed. The fact that was by a debut author makes it even more surprising (and better)!

From the very first lines, I knew there was something about this book. The Finestra, Alessa, was mourning her third Fonte, who she had accidentally killed with her powers. As a chosen Finestra, her calling is to amplify a Fonte’s (partner) powers, in so to ward off a deadly attack on their country. Alessa’s touch is deadly to almost everyone else, and because of this, she is incredibly lonely. She is essentially royalty, but she is not respected or loved, and with a third Fonte’s death, support is waning for her.

She’d give anything for a hand to hold. Or a hug. She would kill for a hug. Literally.

After an attempt is made on her life and her guards help her attacker escape, Alessa decides to make some changes. It is during a trip out of to the seedier parts of her city that she meets Dante. Dante, with his tough exterior and slightly less tough interior, eventually agrees to be Alessa’s bodyguard until it’s time for her to take her next Fonte and face the evils headed to test them.

And for the first time in an incredibly long time, Alessa is no longer lonely. She is making connections and remembering how to feel again. Slowly, her personality comes out and she grows into her role as Finestra. Alessa’s growth as a character was really lovely to read. Her struggles, her vulnerabilities further solidified just how strong and caring she is. This really shines as we meet a host of side characters and I couldn’t believe how much I came to enjoy them as I got to know them.

“I can’t blame anyone for keeping their distance.”

He gave her a level stare. “Then let them walk around you.”

There’s some twists and turns as the final battle nears and I found myself desperate to get to the end. I needed to know who was going to be OK and who wouldn’t be so lucky. It honestly reminded me a lot of Mockingjay – a battle leaves a lot of scars (physically and emotionally) and sacrifices can have a lot of unintended consequences. I think the author really scraped the surface of the fallout from the main battle and set up the next book quite well.

“You’re the hero. I’m just asking a girl to hold my hand.”

Sorry I’m getting vague here, but I don’t want to spoil anything. But if you’re looking for a unique world, a slow-ish burn romance, a soft yet fierce MC, a snarky and tortured main boy, lovable side characters and a found family trope, then you’re in the right place. I’m super excited to see what happens next. I truly hope this isn’t another series where I loved the first book and am totally disappointed by the sequel. I know only time will tell. But overall I was a huge fan of Alessa, Dante, all their friends and of this book as a whole. I know I’m writing this book review in January and it doesn’t even come out until June, but don’t sleep on this book.

BOOK REVIEW: Aurora’s End (The Aurora Cycle #2) by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

December 3, 2021 / Arielle / 0 Comments

Aurora's End (The Aurora Cycle #3)
by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The squad you love is out of time. Prepare for the thrilling finale in the epic, best-selling Aurora Cycle series about a band of unlikely heroes who just might be the galaxy's last hope for survival.

Is this the end?
What happens when you ask a bunch of losers, discipline cases, and misfits to save the galaxy from an ancient evil? The ancient evil wins, of course.
Wait. . . . Not. So. Fast.
When we last saw Squad 312, they working together seamlessly (aka, freaking out) as an intergalactic battle raged and an ancient superweapon threatened to obliterate Earth. Everything went horribly wrong, naturally.
But as it turns out, not all endings are endings, and the te4am has one last chance to rewrite thirs. Maybe two. It's complicated.
Cue Zila, Fin, and Scarlett (and MAGELLAN!): making friends, making enemies, and making history? Sure, no problem
Cue Tyler, Kal, and Auri: uniting with two of the galaxy’s most hated villains? Um, okay. That, too.
Actually saving the galaxy, though?
Now that will take a miracle.

Review

Squad 312 forever.

This series and these characters will live in my mind and in my heart for the rest of my life. The only reason I didn’t read it IMMEDIATELY after it came out was because I had wanted to re-read Aurora Burning and have everything FRESH in my mind. I remembered how it ended, I remembered screaming at my Kindle and thinking it was going to put me into premature labor (lol jk) but remembering the last few pages are a lot different than being fully re-immersed into that world and I am SO glad I waited to start this one.

The first thing you need to know about this book, like the tagline says, is that it’s…ABOUT TIME. Sure, yeah, you could easily take that as “it’s about time we are getting our hands on this damn book because I have been DYING from that cliffhanger from book 2” BUT it is straight up ABOUT TIME. And right when I found that out, I was in. I was ALLLLLLLLLLL in. Time travel has always been my jam. Trying to figure out if time is a loop, if it’s fixed, if we have to worry about a multiverse of dimensions….it’s all a mindfuck that I welcome eagerly. The next bit will feature mild spoilers so proceed with caution.

Our heroes are split into three groups here. Fin, Scarlett, and Zila have been blasted into the past and are forced to live the same day with a woman from that time (Nari) over and over and OVER.

Tyler starts with Saedii post-battle and then after something triggers a very intense and alarming vision, continues on to warn the Aurora Academy that the Ra’haam are coming for them.

Auri, Kal, and Caersan are blasted into a VERY bleak future and need to rush to fix the Weapon or order to prevent the very Ra’haam infested future they were sent to. When I say it’s dark–I mean it. These chapters hurt the most BY FAR.

Even though the squad had been split up, it honestly didn’t feel that way. They were all trying their best to get back to one another to what they keep trying to do best–save the world. They are all constantly on each other’s minds and there is no doubt the lengths each would go in order to be reunited. Plot wise I think that’s just about all I can talk about with giving away HUGE spoilers that had me screaming, crying, laughing…basically experiencing the full range of human emotion.

I was reminded throughout this entire book, but especially at the end, that this series and these characters are so special because of their love for one another. They are each other’s CHOSEN and found family and not even centuries of time and zillions of lightyears is going to change that. Without going into any detail their love for one another saved each other and the entire galaxy and that is what is going to stick with me the most.

Squad 312, it has been a pleasure and an honor. You are all crazy and amazing and I thank you each for your service to the galaxy and to us readers. You’ll forever have a crazed fan in me.

Huge thanks to Knopf Books For Young Readers and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion.♥