Scott Reintgen

I enjoyed Nyxia's breakneck pace, distinct narrative voice, diverse cast of characters, and high-stakes premise, but I don't think I'll be reading the sequels. Partly because there's very little emotional buy-in from the protagonist, whose most touching scenes are the rare moments he speaks with his family back on Earth, but mostly because the plot twists seem centered around forging poor Emmett into a hero in the most painful ways possible.

This is particularly infuriating in the case of show more Kaya, whose every glimmer of potential as a leader, a whip-smart partner, and a morally centered crusader is crushed under the grinding wheels of Emmett's character arc, which requires her death only so she can be more or less replaced by a sexier and more badass version of the same character less than 50 pages later. This replacement, of course, has Teh Sex with our intrepid hero, whereas Kaya was merely a sister figure.

Heaven forbid this dude learn any other way. Nope. He's gotta be surrounded by death and loss and the ceaseless temptation to turn to the Dark Side in order to reach his full potential. And since I appear to be significantly more disturbed by his losses than he is, I don't particularly care to stick around for the completion of that journey. Good luck, Emmett...maybe I'll read your plot summary on Wikipedia some day. show less

Actual Rating:4.5

Wow, this was amazing, and to be honest, really not what I expected! It's got a bit of a dystopian feel to it, and there's that same competition aspect that we've seen in typical YA novels like Divergent, Throne of Glass, or The Hunger Games - but I will admit that it continues to be one of my favorite cliches, and believe me when I say this book made it work.

Nyxia is a substance that competitors can manipulate, and only the strongest can make it to Eden, a new planet. The show more kids have got to run through obstacle courses, fight one another, and train with Nyxia - which turns out to have some unfortunate side effects. Emmett is desperate to get to Eden - but so are many others - and as the line between right and wrong become blurrier, he's got to choose between staying true to himself and getting the life he's always wanted.

I loved the variety of characters, and one thing that really stood out to me about the characters was that there was so much diversity. They came from all around the world, and believe it or not I feel like this actually added to the "space" feeling of the book, because it emphasized the earth as one and unified people with a common goal.

I saw some people in other reviews comment on the lack of the "space" feeling, and I actually do have to agree with that. The book was still interesting and unique, but there wasn't that many extraterrestrial encounters or observations about the universe. I do understand that this book is the just the first in the series though, and I can tell it's going to get much more into all that in later books.

The plot was super interesting! I wouldn't call it full of action exactly but it kept me intrigued with a sort of anticipatory curiosity. That's not to say that there weren't any surprises though, as the book definitely threw lots of curveballs. I was really interested in Emmett's mental growth throughout the story as well, and I really liked that, unlike lots of teenage main characters who simply learn how to fight and look badass, Emmett learned strategy and how to think for himself and make hard decisions.

The writing style was that of any other YA novel, but because the main character developed so well the narrative was engaging and thoughtful. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book to any readers of YA or the dystopian genre, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. show less

Fast-paced, imaginative science fantasy adventure perfect for middle grade kiddos who love dragons and/or looking at the stars. I was completely impressed by this fresh take on the idea of dragons and their connection to specific planets and orbital bodies. The world-building is wild but thoughtful and generally consistent and the adventure is reminiscent of old school sci-fi; older readers will recognize elements from Ender's Game and other classics without feeling like the book is show more derivative given the central conceit. Overall, while it could have been a little more fleshed out in the details for my personal preference, this does exactly what it should for its target audience, including modern sensibilities like climate awareness and a breakneck pace that won't leave any reader bored. Recommended! show less

What a fun fantasy book for middle grade/junior high readers! Clever concept: what if every planet, moon, and star had a DRAGON? Which acted as the protector/guardian/defender of the planet? And these dragons not only are the fire-breathing & flying usual kind of dragon, but they also can POWER SPACESHIPS and BEND TIME and SPACE [like warp drive]?? SO cool! This is the story of Lunar Jones, a tough orphan on Mars who ekes out a living for himself and his fellow orphans by scavenging for show more scrap metal uncovered during vicious sentient storms. Everything on this version of Mars attacks humans, from the storms to the birds and other creatures. But, when Lunar is ambushed on a scrap run and has to flee, he stumbles upon a secret military base guarding a secret dragon-which bonds with him. The action is pretty nonstop and the sci-fi blends with fantasy in a really readable way, great for reluctant readers, I think. Lots of space action as well as planetside, interesting dragonlore and history, and fun characters. A winning combination and I for one can't wait to read the next installment. show less