Ok, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff stabbed my heart once again and I want to thank them. I *loved* this book. I loved the squad (and I will die for them). I listened to the audiobook (I gasped when I recognised some of the voices) and I 100% recommend that one.

100/10 would recommend.

Linda

Written on Jun 20, 2019

Aurora Rising is a very ambitious science fiction story - where the main characters have just graduated from the Academy, and are now space cadets working for the Aurora Academy. It's like a peace corps for the galaxy, but due to unforeseen circumstances, Tyler and his team are relegated to doing what appears to be a food run.
Of course, nothing is what it seems, and instead, Tyler, Scarlet, Kat, Fin, Ziela, and Kal find themselves hunted by authorities. Not only is the Terran elite security force, but other galactic forces will soon follow
What do they want? Why are they so in need of Auri? And why her?
I loved the narration here, with a full cast of characters, it made the listening experience so good, so the narration totally gets five stars.
I did enjoy the story, especially the first 80%. Then, in the end, I felt like things were just a little bit too easy - and while most of the fights and the action had been well described, the final battle left a little bit to be desired.

COYER 2019 Treasure Hunt - Read a book set at least 20 years in the future - 4 POINTS

Sam@WLABB

Written on Jun 11, 2019

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Seriously, I need the next book now, because I was in tears at the end there. What can I say, I love Kaufman/Kristoff books. I hope they will write together forever, because this was another brilliant book from them. I need to know more now, and I need to know it soon.

(My co-blogger wrote a real review if you are interested - head to my blog)

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alindstadtcorbeax

Written on Jun 5, 2019

Star Rating: 5 Stars

RTC; Need some time because that was SOGOOD.

liz089

Written on Jun 4, 2019

I LOVED the Illuminae Files, so I was very curious about their next novel.
It was not as good I think... but I still enjoyed it a lot. The characters were very sassy, some romance, some tragedy... lots of action. Though I do agree that part of the plot is not very original and compares a bit to the Illuminae Files (it reminded me of it), but it was not completely the same.
All in all a fun novel, and I hope it will grow more into it's own series with the next installment.

Laurie

Written on May 28, 2019

After reading Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman, I knew I wanted to read Aurora Rising. Illuminae unfortunately didn't work for me because of its unusual format, but this book is written in the traditional format and the synopsis sounded appealing to me. Moreover, my expectations were set high because of all the hype the ARC of Aurora Rising was receiving. Did this book live up to the hype for me?

Expectations

As stated before, my expectations for Aurora Rising were set really high. Many bloggers and reviewers were excited about this book and gave the ARC positive reviews. As soon as I found the audiobook, I saved it. However, I was not able to read it straight away because Scribd was being annoying. Needless to say is that this book, after I was able to read it, met my expectations and I loved it.

Plot

In Aurora Rising we follow a group of students form Aurora Academy who are on their first mission after graduation. They were the misfits, the outsiders of the academy and had to form a squad as circumstances forced them to. Their alfa, Tyler, did something and that left the squad with Aurora, a mysterious girl out of time and space. Together, they got into a lot of adventures and...... trouble. Aurora might be the key to it all and a war has been started because of her.

What makes Aurora (Auri) so special? That's a question that will be on your mind for a big part of the book. You know something is up, but you don't know what and therefore you stay curious. At least, I did. When all came out, the adventures of the squad got bigger and more exciting. I loved the group dynamics of this squad, they were so much better than in The Gilded Wolves or Six Of Crows. I liked the squad and they kept me sucked into this book.

Another great thing about Aurora Rising is the fact that even the squad does not know what will come next, so neither do you as reader. Furthermore, this book is full of diversity. Different races, disabilities, this book has it all. And then there is a twist at the end that I didn't see coming and I'm really curious how the follow-up will be in the sequel. All ingredients for a five-star read.

I really enjoyed my read of Aurora Rising and I'm glad I gave this book a chance.

lauriesbookshelf

Written on May 28, 2019

Expectations

Plot

Ashley

Written on May 17, 2019

Well that was a little disappointing.

I have weird feelings about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed it. I read it QUICKLY, which for me means I was hooked/interested. And I was. So there are three reasons for my 3-star rating:

1) The ending got a little weird for me. It just took a direction I didn't really love. This was purely a "me" thing. Just not really for me. Like.. some weird psychotic plant taking over the universe? Weird.

2) Certain parts of the book were a bit bland or silly. All of the characters had super exaggerated personalities. They were so stereotypical. That made the whole book feel a little childish. I did enjoy some of the characters, but at the same time I also knew they were kind of ridiculous and over the top.

3) There were multiple romances happening and I wasn't keen on any of them. I just felt nothing.

So although I enjoyed the book, it ended up being more on the "ehh" side for me overall. I'm not sure I'll continue with it.

Kelly

Written on May 15, 2019

Tyler Jones is an elite student at the Aurora Academy. After five years of intense training as a squadron leader and earning the name of Goldenboy, Tyler is on the eve of the Draft where he is determined to amass a squadron of the best and brightest the academy have to offer. Nervous about the Draft and wanting to expel pent up energy, Tyler is approved for a late night cruise around the stars when he enters the Fold and discovers the Hadfield, a long abandoned, lost vessel with thousands of dead colonisers encased in frozen cryogel.

All except seventeen year old Aurora Jie Lin O'Malley, frozen for over two hundred years.

The Characters
Without a doubt my favourite aspect of Aurora Rising is the characters, a ragtag and diverse group amassed from the academy leftovers and Aurora, a two hundred year old teenager from Earth.

Cat is the Squad 312 Ace, a toughened mohawked pilot with an inclination for tattoo's and sarcasm. She also has a thing for her Alpha and childhood friend Tyler, after the two spent the off season being inked and physically acquainted. Tyler's twin sister Scar is the Face of the squad, a beautiful diplomat who can defuse any situation. When she turns on the charm, this leggy redhead could ask for the world and you'll hand it to her on a platter. It comes as no surprise that half the squad are in love or lust with her.

Zila is a girl of few words but immense intelligence. Possibly unlike anything the world has ever seen. She's shy and awkward around her squad mates and although she's withdrawn, no one seemed to take the time to understand who Zila is. I initially assumed she may have been neurodiverse but she is quietly hostile, the complete opposite of Kal, the muscle of Squad 312. Born into a civilisation of warfare, Kal cuts a striking and muscular figure with his long silver braided hair and violet eyes like some sort of elfin viking god. He also might have a thing for the two hundred year old human. Much in the same effect that Scar has on others, most characters wouldn't kick Kal out of bed if he farted. Including Fin.

Fin is the resident clown and I say that affectionately. He provided much needed lighthearted moments. The others crew members, apart from Scar were mostly a very serious bunch and Fin didn't mind flirting with anything that moved. Whether he's bisexual or pansexual, Fin loves pretty people but it's Scar that seems to capture his attention more so than others. Fin also has impaired mobility and wears a specially designed suit to lessen the impact of gravity on his skeletal, nerve and muscle systems. He's a great multitasker, fixing ships and trying to talk your pants off.

The there's Aurora, who prefers Auri, a two hundred year old biracial young woman rescued from a colonist vessel once lost within the Fold. She looks pretty good for her age. She was on board the Hatfield and destined for the Octavia settlement, although records indicate the settlement was in fact Lei Gong. Auri is not only needing to adjust to a new world but is being lied to by the authorities, the very same authorities that are looking to silence her.

Hold Onto Your Undies Kids!
Adventure awaits! I'll be the first to admit, I was comparing Aurora Rising to Illuminae. Both set in space, both adventurous, character driven and packed of sarcastic humour and sass but that's where the comparisons end. Although each character has been trained and confident in their own field of study, put them together and it's awkward. I loved how very little they know about one another and not only develop a bond but learn how to work as part of a unit towards a common goal. Why Auri has become a stowaway on board their ship and why harbouring her has made them wanted criminals.

The Verdict?
Delightfully creepy, wonderfully imaginative and superbly entertaining. I loved it. What surprised me most was the unpredictability. I was so enamoured by the characters, lovable misfits taking on the man and getting shit done. Make room for one more, I'm joining Squad 312.

roundtableknight

Written on May 11, 2019

So I just have to say HOLY HELL!! By this point In my young life of reading Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman I know that I’m going to be both blown away by their writing and also have my heart be blown to pieces by their cliffhangers, and this was no exception. All of the characters have their own flaws, and that just makes me love them more!! I’m anxiously waiting on the second one already and can’t wait to get back into this world!!