Last year I was completely blown away by Scott Reintgen's debut, NYXIA. All those Ender's Game/Hunger Games comparisons hooked me, but as I read I found that it's so much more than what those comps make it out to be. Original, diverse, action-packed, SO gosh darn twisty. Just great. With NYXIA UNLEASHED, I just really wasn't sure what to expect. I knew Nyxia was going to be hard to match because it was just that good.

I'll just say it. Nyxia Unleashed was better.

Oh my GOD this book was fantastic. Without spoiling too much for the first book, Nyxia Unleashed covers new territory and really shows that Reintgen knows his story and his world well. This book was simultaneously different from the first book while also bringing so many things that I loved about the original back to the table. And two of those things that I want to talk about are the characters and the twists.

I said it last year and I'll say it again, the cast of the Nyxia books are diverse and they are WONDERFUL. Emmett is such a fantastic lead, and the whole supporting cast fits together perfectly to really flesh out this story. The characters really are the heart and soul of this book. They're so easy to love and to root for, with believable actions and reactions that make Nyxia Unleashed soar above and beyond.

Now, about those twists. Y'all. I can't. I honestly didn't think the twists of the first book could be topped. HA. I was wrong. As someone who reads quite a bit, I can't express how refreshing it is for a book to truly surprise me. Nyxia Unleashed did just that, multiple times, up to the very last page. These were some Battlestar Galactica-sized twists, and I am NOT OVER IT.

In summary, NYXIA UNLEASHED is a stellar(hahaha) sequel to an amazing debut. I can't recommend this series enough, can't give it enough stars to do it justice. I wish I could put a copy in the hands of all my reader friends and on the shelf of every library in town. I definitely need everyone to jump on these books asap and then come fan over them with me, so we can all look longingly towards 2019 together while waiting for book three.

This is a great follow up to the first book which was action-packed and left us at an amazing cliffhanger. The second book further develops the characters we have already been introduced to while interjecting a set of new ones. I believe the author executes character development and plot development well and writes the book with enough detail. There were a few section that did drag a bit like in the first book but, all in all, it was a great read that I would recommend to anyone.

I loved the first book in this series, and was so excited for this one. While it was very good, and I love Reintgen’s writing and the characters (Emmett especially), this installment in the series fell a little flat for me. It was exceptionally slow and drawn out, that I was spending way too much time trying to finish and was reading other things instead. Ultimately I did not finish, and maybe one day I’ll come back to it. But I think it got hit by the sophomore slump/second book syndrome.

I really enjoyed the first book, and I will say that I enjoyed this one as well. It may suffer a tad from middle-book syndrome, but it was in tone of the first installment while still offering something new to chew over and explore. I again really enjoyed the characters, and the new alien planet was entertaining as well. An easy and quick read that was worth my time!

I really enjoyed the first book, and I will say that I enjoyed this one as well. It may suffer a tad from middle-book syndrome, but it was in tone of the first installment while still offering something new to chew over and explore. I again really enjoyed the characters, and the new alien planet was entertaining as well. An easy and quick read that was worth my time!

I really liked this sequel! It has its slow moments, but overall the pacing was great and kept my attention. This is so thrilling and action-packed in the best way. The stakes are higher and I still really feel the Hunger Games vibes from this as well. I really love the space setting and it feels authentic. I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. I would gladly recommend this book to people who enjoyed the first book.

This book was awesome! Unfortunatly I did not read this particular copy as I had bought the book and read it with relish and forgot that I had a kindle copy.

Very well done!

This was everything I hoped for in the sequel to "Nixia." Fast-paced, further world-building, character development, and fun will be sure to keep Nyxia fans happy. It definitely left me wanting more!

This series is so underrated! Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent. I'm loving it so much and can't wait to see how everything ends in book three.

Nyxia was one of my favorite books of 2017, so when I received this book from Netgalley needless to say, I was OVER THE MOON excited!

I didn't quite enjoy this book as much as the first, but I was still blown away by Scott's world building. He makes the places that he describes seem so real, and there is no issue envisioning them. I am still new into the world of sci-fi, and I think he was a great first dip into the genre.

Thankfully, this book picks up right where we left off and we are heading straight to Eden (yay!!!). There was no beating around the push with the conflict - we got right into it. 

I loved being able to see our AMAZING cast of characters again and their interactions always bring a smile to my face. Emmett was even more lovely in this book and I didn't even think that was possible?!

Overall, I give this book 4.5/5 stars because I didn't enjoy it as much as the first for some reason, but I still HIGHLY recommend it, and it was a phenomenal sequel.

While I enjoyed Nyxia plenty, I found I liked the sequel a lot more! Being in a new world with new beings all around gives a cool texture to the story that book one just didn't have for me. Can't wait for more!

Great sequel to Nyxia that increases the stakes and adds a really fun new twist to the story. I recommend this to teens looking for science fiction set in space.

This book was a good follow-up to the first book in the series ✨ Emmett is one of the best YA protagonist in recent years, and particularly great rep as an African-American teenage boy, something there isn’t enough of. His intelligence, courage and growing leadership skills have been traits that stood out in the first book, and it’s nice to see them develop further here. The rest of the cast are also great characters, and diverse as well. The romance in this novel was also enjoyable, as was the plot, following the twists in the first book. Definitely recommend for YA readers interested in sci-fi!

Finally got around to reading this follow up. I was definitely not disappointed but just a little underwhelmed. I feel like there was much needed character growth but the middle of the story just dragged for me. Final quarter made up for it though. Very intense. Excited for the next phase.

"Pops has always told me ignorance is the most dangerous thing in the world. Fools, he used to say, will ignore whispers until they come shouts. And by the time a whisper is a shout, it's usually too late to make a difference. The only problem is that I don't know what to do with these whispers."

Emmett is back, this time he's made it to the planet of the Adamites and as always, things are not what they seem. As he and the crew mine Nyxia and interact with the Adamites, his unease and suspicion grow. To him, it soon becomes clear that these new people have much more in common with him that Babel, and the cracks become gulfs.

I cannot wait for the conclusion to this trilogy.

Emmett Atwater thought Babel’s game sounded easy. Get points. Get paid. Go home. But it didn’t take long for him to learn that Babel’s competition was full of broken promises, none darker or more damaging than the last one.

Now Emmett and the rest of the Genesis survivors must rally and forge their own path through a new world. Their mission from Babel is simple: extract nyxia, the most valuable material in the universe, and play nice with the indigenous Adamite population.

But Emmett and the others quickly realize they are caught between two powerful forces—Babel and the Adamites—with clashing desires. Will the Genesis team make it out alive before it’s too late?- Goodreads

If you have not picked up this series, you really should. Emmett is everything you want in a main character. Emmett's heart and perception is everything you want in a series.

However, despite my love of Emmett, I didn't get sucked into this story as much as I did with the first book (read my hype here). This book is a build up to what will be an epic finale. The thing about this book is there is so much build up that my focus was going in an out at time. But let me explain.

Emmett is ready to take Babel out. After forcing him into a corner that now has him looking constantly over his shoulder, Emmett is done when he sees Babel's disregard for the Adamite's lifestyle & culture. It is a history being repeated. Although the author does not use the term "White people trying to take over things" colonization is used and that is exactly what it is. It pisses Emmett off, rightfully so. Babel is trying to loot the planet as much as possible for their own financial means.

But the Adamite are much more clever that Babel thinks so and its not surprising because colonizers have a tendency to belittle and underestimate the people they want to ruin. I slightly digress but it is hard not to compare real life history to what is happening  in the book. The author does a really good job of not blunting calling it what it is but making the reader as well as Emmett aware of what is happening.

The whole premise of this book is to show that nothing is what it seems and the author does a really good job hiding intentions. I was surprised at some points. My issue with this book was there was a lot of downtime. The downtime makes sense and it is completely appropriate to have considering what happens at the end but it didn't excite me as much as the first book. Although the pace is really good and there is a lot of things to pay attention to, this read wasn't as strong as the first book. 

Overall, it is important to read this book and not skip because everything comes together at the end. Everything makes sense. 

3 Pickles

Nyxia Unleashed picks up where NYXIA left off - quite literally - and this is NOT a book that can be read as a standalone, so after the first few pages, I set this aside and did a quick reread of the first book. Once brought up to speed, I dove into this book and hung on for the ride.

With the teens now on Eden, they meet the Adamites and set to work. If they had a hint on this ship that things weren't quite what Babel led them to believe, they quickly work out that there is more to the story. Holy heck, this book has twists and turns, and it took me on one heck of a ride. Author Reintgen does some serious world building in Nyxia Unleashed, with some plot points that had me wondering if the book was going to make huge turn I wasn't expecting (females are nearly extinct? What??? Wait...) and the reasons for their training become all the more clear.

Seriously, this is a great series but it needs to be read from the beginning, and I'm already impatiently waiting for the next book because I've barely recovered from the shock of the ending. (No spoilers from me.)

This is a great read for fans of sci-fi and action/adventure.

Will be doing a full review later one, but I love these books so so much. Scott is such an incredible writer and provides the most unique cast of characters I've ever had the chance to read, you can't help but root for all of them. This one definitely took some twists and turns I did not expect and I cannot wait for the next one!

This second book in the Nyxia trilogy wasn't quite as thrilling as the first one, but I still enjoyed it. Can't wait to see what will come in the finale.

Nyxia was my favorite new science fiction book last year. and I was eager to read the sequel. Nyxia Unleashed is just as good as the first book. The diverse group that make it to the planet Nyxia must work together to figure out how to survive and navigate new challenges, which is difficult given their past histories. Not everyone can forget what has happened and move on. There are new alliances and rivalries with enough plot twists to keep the pages turning. I can hardly wait for the next in the series!