Aurora Rising (Aurora Cycle, #1)

by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

[alisoninbookland]

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off, no the formatting is not the same as the Illuminae Files. Each chapter is from the POV of one our 7 characters. At the end of some chapters, there is a “page” from some kind of manual (training manual perhaps?) that explains people/places/terms used in the chapter.

Wow, oh wow. The Illuminae Files are fantastic. They’re pretty close to perfection for me. I’ve been looking forward to Aurora Rising since I finished Obsidio last year. I was cautiously optimistic. Could Amie and Jay really write YA space odyssey that’s truly epic AGAIN? The answer is a resounding YES.

Epic space-ness is in full force with the story from page one. Botched space missions, Space academy, heist during a party underwater on a SPACESHIP, Government conspiracies, and so much sassy banter. UGH. Perfection. The story kept me on the edge of my seat and I truly hated to have to put the book down.

The characters had perfectly defined voices. You never had to wonder whose chapter you were reading. The ease of the diversity of the character was fabulous. It’s set several hundred years in the future. Of course, we’ve met aliens. Making part of the crew alien was a smart choice. I loved getting a bit of a glimpse of alien races. Finian (Betraskans) is bone white, long boned, and has a really complicated family tree. Kal (Syldrathi) is an olive skinned, violet eyed, member of a Warrior race. There’s never an info dump session. You simply get glimpses through conversation and how others view them.

Squad 312 worked together beautifully. Their camaraderie and annoyances with each other felt very natural. There’s some romantic tension but it really doesn’t get in the way. I’m actually pretty pleased with one of the pairings. It’s not who I would have put together but it works.

The bottom line? Another amazingly, epic space journey that’s a sure start to a new favorite series.

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