Out-Freakin'-Standing addition to the sci-fi genre for the YA set! As an adult, I LOVED this fast paced, plot-thick, well-balanced character-driven story. And when I say "well-balanced", I mean that the authors balanced character development with the action scenes flawlessly; one was used for the other. I cannot recommend this book more highly for reluctant readers or for those grownups that want to disappear for a day or two in a fun (and heartbreaking), fast read. Exploding bodies aside, I can't wait to see what happens next. I hate flowers...

Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff have done it again. While Aurora Rising is no Illuminae Files trilogy (but let’s face it, we all knew that filling those shoes would have been an extremely tough thing to do anyway), it does bring its own brand of excitement and entertainment to the table, offering a solid YA adventure that should satisfy any sci-fi fan looking for a thrilling space romp.

The year is 2380, and at the prestigious Aurora Academy it is the eve of the Draft, which has been on cadet Tyler Jones’ mind for as long as he has been looking forward to graduation. As the school’s star student, he would have the pick of the best recruits for his squad. However, an unwavering sense of duty leads him to answer a distress call that night, causing a huge kerfuffle resulting in Tyler missing the most important day of his life. In the aftermath, he is left with a crew of misfits, the leftover dregs of the academy that no other squad leaders want.

Nevertheless, Tyler is determined to be a good leader, resolving to live up to his reputation of “golden boy” and to do the best with what he’s got. First, we have Scarlett, Tyler’s twin who joined the academy in solidarity with her brother, and likewise she has decided to stick with him now out of a sense of loyalty, serving as his squad’s diplomat. Next, we have Cat, an ace pilot who has been friends with the twins since they were all children. It’s also something of an open secret that she’s always carried a torch for Tyler, though all of them tiptoe around the fact. And then we have Kal, a member of Syldrathi race, an alien species affectionately referred to as space-elves. Kal, however, is no willowy sprite; he’s got a fiery temper and serious anger management problems, which is why no one else at the academy would touch him with a ten-foot pole despite his legendary fighting prowess. Also, we have Zila, the squad’s brilliant science officer, except she’s so volatile and prone to get trigger-happy that not even the promise of her genius can overcome others’ fears of working with her. And finally, there’s Finian, the team’s second alien member, of the Betraskan species. Frequently underestimated by others because of his impaired mobility which requires him to wear an exoskeleton suit for support and movement, Fin is a tech expert who is the best at what he does despite the massive chip on his shoulder. Together, the six of them make up Squad 312, our novel’s heroes.

But wait! There’s one final surprise member of team, a wild card no one anticipated until she made her presence known on the crew’s first official mission after stowing away on board their ship. This is Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, a girl who finds herself in an unfamiliar world after waking up from being cryogenically frozen for the last two hundred years. And as if this strange future wasn’t scary enough, for some reason there are hostile forces hunting Auri, and she’s also developing superhuman abilities that both terrify and fascinate her. As Squad 312 struggles to decide what to do with their newest crewmate, they also must worry about their own safety as Auri’s powers grow more dangerous and her pursuers close in.

First thing I noticed about Aurora Rising is that there’s something very Star Trek-y about its setup, which immediately biased me towards its story and characters. For one thing, I’m a real sucker for ensemble casts in my space operas and sci-fi adventures, and the motley crew of this book promised great and interesting things. I also liked how the authors actually gave our characters genuine personalities and background histories. I’ve come across way too many YA novels these days that promise diverse characters, but in reality, what we end up getting is a parade of diversity labels and shallow characters who are empty husks defined only by their race/gender/sexual orientation/disability, etc. Honestly, this gets tiresome after a while, not to mention it’s a bit insulting. Which is why I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to read about Squad 312 and have them actually feel like well-rounded and authentic people who have experienced real emotions and lived real lives. And quite frankly, I would have expected nothing less from Kaufman and Kristoff, who have already shown us they can write amazingly well-developed characters with their Illuminae Files series.

But while I would have no hesitation whatsoever recommending Illuminae Files to anyone, regardless of their age, I do have to mention that Aurora Rising feels more skewed towards a younger audience, with a stronger “teen read” vibe. The characters’ attitudes, dialogue, and sense of humor seem to reflect this. Like for example, the ridiculous number of times Tyler’s attractiveness was mentioned or how he was constantly referred to as “Captain Hotness” (I swear, if I had to read about his damn dimples one more time…) Then there was Auri’s annoying way of calling Kal “Elrond” and making endless stupid Lord of the Rings references. So if this is the kind of stuff that grates on your nerves, your eyes are probably in for some epic rolling.

The premise of Aurora Rising is also not as complex as any of the books in the Illuminae Files trilogy, nor is it anywhere near as unique. It’s pretty much your standard heist plot, but in space, and I’ve read better. Still, to its credit, this book is exciting, if a bit drawn out at times—though often when we get lulls, it’s because of character development, which is why I give some of the wonky pacing a pass.

All told though, Aurora Rising was a satisfying read with fantastically developed characters (in spite of all the snark) and a decent plot with well-written action. I truly did not think it would reach the heights of Illuminae, so I’m glad I kept my expectations realistic, but still, overall I am very happy with how this book turned out.

AURORA RISING was a great start to an epic science fiction series. It begins at Aurora Academy and deals with a squad of graduates.

The Alpha of the squad is Tyler Jones. He was very near the top of his class and should have had his pick of other squad members. Except he was off rescuing Aurora Jie-Lin O'Malley who was the sole survivor of the colony ship that was taking her to Octavia where she was going to be a cartographer. Her ship was lost in the Fold and she is 200 years out of her time.

Tyler's new squad has a lot of the dregs of the Academy. He does have his sister Scarlett for his diplomat. She wasn't going to let her brother attend the Academy without her but she wasn't really interested in doing well there either. And he has Cat for his pilot. She is the best in the Academy is fiercely loyal to Tyler. She also might have more than a small crush on him.

But his science and medical specialist Zila Madran might be a sociopath. She's brilliant but not a people person and tends to use her disruptor to solve a lot of her problems. And his new Tech is Finian de Karran de Seel, a Betraskan, who is isolated from his family, wears an exoskeleton because of weak muscles, and has a well-honed sense of sarcasm. Finally, his combat specialist is Kaliis Idraban Gilwraeth, a Syldrathi member of the Warbreed Cabal, and one of the few Syldrathi at the Academy since the war with them ended just a short while ago.

Their first mission seems in keeping with a squad made up from the leftovers. They are sent to bring medical supplies to an almost abandoned space station currently housing a small number of Syldrathi refugees. The first problem is that they won't let Kal come aboard because many members of his caste are still fighting against the Terrans. But a bigger problem is that they have a stowaway. Aurora was told by the Academy leaders to stow away on their ship. And now the Terran Defense Forces and the Global Intelligence Agency want Auri and are willing to kill anyone who gets in their way.

Auri has come out of the Fold with psychic powers and visions. Worst of all, her past seems to have been erased. She's told the planet she was going to never existed and never had a colony. Untangling all the lies and figuring out her new powers and her purpose keeps all the kids busy for the rest of the book.

I liked the characters who were all unique individuals. I liked the worldbuilding. I liked the action and pace of the story. The only thing I didn't like was that this is book one of a series and now I have to wait to find out what happens next.

This was my most anticipated book of 2019 and it did not disappoint! It gets 10 stars from me, 5 for each of these amazing authors!

I often think books with large casts of characters and multiple POVs are ambitious and fall short, but this one is an example of not only doing that well but having it enhance the reader's understanding and enjoyment of the book. I think the repeated descriptions and use of names helped me quickly pick up who each of the wonderful members of Squad 312 are and gave me many reasons to root for each of them. I think their individual personalities shone through and I would have loved the story for its quirky and witty characters alone. But the plot is just as well done! This book kept me guessing and reading on the edge of my seat through each twist on this adventure ride of a story. I could not put this book down. I've read a lot of YA books set in space at this point (chasing the high I found while reading the Illuminae Files) and Aurora Rising blows them away. I could visualize the world and each location. It was enhanced with cultural and political dynamics that made it feel real. I am in awe of how rich the world felt and each alien species had layers of backstory. The plot was full of mystery and suspense and constantly surprised me.

Amie and Jay have done it again and I can't recommend this book enough. They brought their trademark witty writing with fast paced plot in vivid settings together but created an entirely new world. I thought I would have Illuminae flashbacks since I've read it so much, but they truly made something new that I love just as much if not more. Fans will be overjoyed and new readers will flock to this engaging and exciting new space adventure series.

OHHHH BOY.

Holy cow. This was one heck of a wild ride and I loved every single moment of it. I’m going to try really hard to review and not give anything away. HA. I should end my review now then, right? Let’s see what I can come up with…

I firmly believe that these two authors cannot write a bad book. They have mastered the sci-fi setting but spinning in it such a way that it feels fresh. This really did feel like The Breakfast Club but set in space and I was absolutely here for it. The characters were deeply flawed and beautifully complex. They all had a voice in the story as they all had POV chapters so I was able to hear directly from them why they did what they did or know why they felt the way they did. That gave an extra layer of depth that made this story that much better. While there were a lot of characters (all necessary), my favorite character was Aurora. I loved her backstory and the journey she had ahead of her. I do have a soft spot for all of them, but she was the one I connected with the most.

The concept and plot of the story was utterly brilliant. A girl lost in space but in cryo-sleep awakened to discover she has a bigger role to play in the fate of the universe? And her fate is in the hands of a group of space cadets that never wanted to team up in the first place? Sign. Me. Up. It worked and it worked so bloody well. Once I started this story I could not stop. I simply had to know what happened. This was one of those books that I was thinking about when I wasn’t reading it because I had to know what happened. I had to know what was going on with Aurora and why things happened the way they did. (Hint: I was not disappointed!)

What more can I say about this book without giving anything away? I know! The humor is ON POINT. I mean, if you don’t laugh at all of the Middle-Earth jokes then there must be something wrong with you. The amount of references to hot elves felt like an added bonus for this already stunning start to a new sci-fi series. Not to mention the sexual tension and innuendos. They were not rude or crude but just enough. Whatever magical spell Kristoff and Kaufman cast years ago to be able to work so well together, I embrace it. They knocked it out of the park and I believe everyone will be in for one heck of a treat. I cannot wait for this to be out in the world and everyone read it.

Tyler Jones is in the top of the class and is looking forward to draft day. That is when he will be able to pick his dream squad and start a great career. Unfortunately, his inner heroism gets in his way and because he takes the time to save a girl who has been in cryo-sleep for over two hundred years, he is now stuck with the leftovers from the academy. Having a crappy team isn’t his only issue, though. It turns out that the girl he saved, Aurora, could be the very person to start a war that has been in process before humans were even started. Is this group of misfits the team that will save the galaxy? Is there a connection between Tyler and Aurora that runs deeper than usual?

Aurora Rising is the first book in the Aurora Cycle and is a wonderful science fiction adventure with a dash of comedy. Overall the story is serious and great, yet the characters have a comedic side that will have readers chuckling throughout the book. Kristoff has created a variety of characters that I truly enjoyed spending time with and the ending of this book left many future books available for publication. I highly recommend Aurora Rising and will personally be looking for the next book when it is released.

I wanted to love this book but unfortunately, that didn't end up happening.

It wasn't a horrible book but it's a book that I just couldn't connect with no matter how hard I tried. And I feel like a huge part of that reason was because even though I liked the characters, I never really connected with them. At first I thought it was because they were one-dimensional but then as I kept reading the authors do give them depth and a background story but still, I couldn't really connect with them. I liked them but in a distant sort of way. I didn't really care about what happened to them or even what they were going through in that moment. I think out of all of them I was most interested in Aurora, Kal and Zila. Aurora and Kal fortunately gets some chapter POV's but Zila barely gets any POV chapters and when she does they legit are only like one sentence chapters. No lie. A single sentence.

The plot is fast-paced which was great because something was always happening but once again, I didn't really care for the story. I would read and complain to myself that I wanted more details of this world and what it looked like but then they'd do that and my eyes would glaze over and I'd wish for more character moments, etc. Not even the romance was that great (though I was mildly interested in Aurora's romance with a certain someone). I really and truly feel like this is a case of it just being me because everyone and their mother is in love with this book and I can't even adequately explain why this didn't work for me. It just didn't.

I don't know if I'll continue this series. At the moment, I don't really care enough about the characters or the story to want to know what happens. I'm giving this 3 stars because at times I did find myself into the book and I did like the banter between them all. But unfortunately the rest of this fell pretty flat for me.

LOVED THIS BOOK. Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman can do no wrong. This was a fast-paced, full of action book from the first page. Let's talk about the ending... I did not see that coming! I cannot wait for the next installment in this series.

Likes
I haven't read any of Jay and Amie's books before so this was a first for me! I generally like sci-fi and this book sounded really riveting. I have to say from the first page, I was definitely hooked into finding out what was going to happen to the squad, especially to the Aurora whom Ty rescues. I feel like that was the strongest part for me with her whole storyline. I wanted to know why she was cryofrozen, what happened to her entire race and what was going to happen to her now. I was more invested when her POV came around and wanted to know more about her and her story. Other than Jie-Lyn, I thought that Tyler was a great squad leader. This definitely gave me Skyward vibes in a way because of the band of 'misfits' working together to save the planet. I thought every character brought something unique to the table and that is what made it an interesting bunch for sure. I felt like I was more interested in learning about the squad than the secondary storyline at times. I loved seeing how they worked together as well as their unique humor and personalities working with one another. I'd also like to mention how gorgeous the cover of this is! it fits so well with the book and I appreciate amazing cover art.
Dislikes
I didn't love this book but I certainly didn't hate it either! It was an actual 3.5 stars for me, so that means the book was okay but not great on my scale. Multiple POVs are something that I'm not always a fan of but I feel like Tyler and Jie-Lyn's POVs really needed to both be in this book. It was interesting to see them both discover things differently and truly become allies. I thought at times it was unique when a chapter or part left off on a word and the next part picked up with that word; it was something I noticed right away. The storyline was interesting and the last 50 pages I couldn't put down and absolutely had to finish to know what was going to happen! I feel like I didn't get as attached to other characters as I got to Jie-Lyn and that's okay but my heart was really concerned for her and what was going to happen as she continued to make discoveries about herself. It was certainly a heart-pounder at times for sure and I would recommend this book to fans of sci-fi as well as the Illuminae series!

Aurora Rising was like The Breakfast Club meets Stranger Things meets Star Trek. You’ll notice how Tyler and Kal were a bit like Kirk and Spock: Spock volunteering himself and Kirk denying his request, etc. Kal's basically a fae alien (think Rowan from Throne of Glass - you’ll get it once you read the book). And I mentioned Stranger Things because there had been a character in this book who had frequent nosebleeds and incidents of telekinesis.

Minus 1:
And while I thought this book was fairly good, I felt that I wasn’t completely satisfied with the outcome of the story. There’s this huge thing that happened near the end of the book and I just didn’t think that it served any purpose in the story, except to add more about Aurora's character and learn more about the conflict (in general). But honestly, it could’ve happened to any character (except Aurora) and it wouldn’t even make a difference. I felt that we could’ve used this huge predicament near the end to further character development but it just wasn’t the case. For instance, we could’ve added more development to Tyler’s character (if this were to happen to him) because in my opinion, he was the plainest character in this book. Maybe if we replaced what happened (near the end) to Tyler, it would’ve added more drama. It might even further Scarlett’s character development. Now that I think about it, I’m getting to spoilery territory so I’ll stop here.

Minus 0.5:
The romance (with an -s) weren’t built up really well (in my opinion), or the romance wasn't given enough time to develop. You can't expect me to rely on a Rowan Whitethorn x Aelin bond to make the romance believable. Some relationships weren’t built up very well to be believable.

Minus 0.5:
Then there was this trope that I dislike that had been in this book: The girl on girl hate (because of a guy). What I disliked about the use of this trope in this story is the clear animosity towards someone because their crush pays attention to said person. I’ll understand if the character was 13 but I don’t know, it just didn’t sit well with me (in this book) the entire time. Jealousy is normal but it just wasn’t portrayed well in this book. How are these characters oblivious? Even the room mate is oblivious!

“A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering”
Yikes.

YIKES = FALSE ADVERTISEMENT. Everyone needs to know I was disappointed. I also felt that there was queer baiting in this book. I had... different expectations and head different things from other readers. I was kind of disappointed.
Minus 0.5:
In the Illuminae series, emotions were high, they were palpable. For this installment, I somewhat didn’t care for any of these characters. This book also had some slow moving “action” even if this story was plot driven. I think it would’ve been better for this book to be character-driven, but this is just an opinion.

Scarlett could use a little bit more character development. Her brother, Tyler, was as plain as vanilla. Kal appeared to be kind of plain, but because he’s actually Rowan from Throne of Glass, it made him seem interesting. Zila was Luna Lovegood with a murderous streak, and Finian was actually an alien but he was kind of hard to describe. All I remembered was that he had a bio suit on? I think Zila and Finian (not sure) had dark skin? Cat was kind of unmemorable in terms of description but the authors love to mention Zila’s skin color and curly hair. Tyler, Kal, and Scarlet had fair skin while Aurora’s Asian (Chinese).

Total Rating: 2.5/5
In conclusion, this book was fairly good despite the reasons I mentioned above. It’s readable, addicting, and can be suspenseful for some readers. Teens would definitely enjoy reading this new release from the authors of the Illuminae series, but ultimately this book wasn’t for me. Now, don’t get me wrong, I loved the previous novels from these authors but I think I had high expectations and this book just wasn’t what I had expected.


Full review will be posted on the 7th of May (day of release).

Jay Kristoff. A genius, a talented author, a heartless, ruthless monster. Mr. Kristoff does it again in his new novel, Aurora Rising. A rag-tag group of hopeless and unwanted misfits goes on an adventure that seems minuscule and kind of an insult to their talents, but turns out to be more important than any of them could have imagined. My only complaint would be that it's going to be hard to wait for the next book in this series!

An incredible read with memorable characters and an action-filled plot that proceeds at a break-neck pace. Definitely recommending this to all my teens who love sci-fi and adventure.

The following review has been posted to my book blog, somethingofthebook.com. I will also be posting it at Goodreads and various book retailers.

Rating: Kaufman and Kristoff have once again struck me deep in my Sci-Fi loving soul with their new high stakes space adventure featuring found families and healthy doses of snark.
Stars: 4.5

Aurora Rising is the newest YA Sci-Fi offering from my favorite killers of feelings, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. They have once again created an in depth SF world, given us a group of misfits to love, and then put them through many ghastly situations. It’s the kinda of emotional trauma we’ve come to know and love from these two.

While each character is unique, all were well fleshed out with the exception of Zila, which is a damn crime. The few, very brief POV chapters she had were perfection, but I wanted more of her straight-forward observations of the wild situations Squad 312 found themselves in. I almost feel like the authors didn’t know how to flesh her out and just left her characterization to be built through the other character’s POVs. I am certainly hoping for more Zila in the next book. That being said, all the other characters had their own voices and each were extremely lovable in their own right. Squad 312 will easily shoot their way into your heart.

The plot was well paced, and the slower bits were filled with intriguing back story or world building, so they never felt boring. I got some Firefly vibes, which I loved, but this story is entirely it’s own. If Kaufman and Kristoff know one thing, it’s how to write a gripping, hilarious, mysterious, and emotional space adventure.

Did I mention it has super hot space elves?

If you haven’t pre-ordered this book already, I highly urge you to do so. Don’t let your squad down. Pre-order links can be found at the publisher’s website.

Fantastic! I love the troupe-y collection of outsiders, all very realized characters on their own, that are lumped together and overcome expectations. I like that there is adventure and mystery and excitement and romance all rolled into one. I liked that the ending was a non-typical choice for a series and that it was surprising. And I LOVED Kal!

I could not sit Aurora Rising down! This is the first book by the writing duo Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff that I’ve read, and it will not be the last. I cannot stress enough how fantastic this book is. I laughed, I cried, I got angry, and then I laughed some more. The diverse characters, the out of this world setting, and the cryptic plot have set the tone for the entire series.

Squad 312
Aurora Rising alternates points of view among the seven main characters: Tyler, Scarlett, Cat, Finnian, Zila, Kal, and Auri. Tyler is the goldenboy and leader of his squad. He’s also the most intense of the characters. Tyler is concerned with leading his team to the best of his and their abilities. He pushes them to the limits, but also knows where those limits are. Scarlett is Tyler’s twin sister and the “Face” of the squad. This designation means that she is like a diplomat/liaison for the group, and she is perfect for the job. Scar has a way about her that puts the other members at ease. Cat is the pilot. She is a no nonsense girl and I love her for it. You never have to wonder what she is thinking. Fin is one of two aliens in the squad. He’s the engineer and comic relief. He has a self-deprecating humor that endears him to the reader. Zila is the “Brain,” meaning she is the smartest person on the ship. However what she has in smarts, she lacks in people skills….which is a lot. Kal is the other alien of the group and the “Tank,” or the guy that goes in to battle for his crew. He’s also the least trusted, and my favorite of the crew. He’s stoic but when you get his POV the first time, you’ll fall for him, trust me 😉

Then there is Auri, or Aurora O’Malley, a girl out of time. Tyler saves her at the beginning of the book. She’s been floating in space for over two hundred years, the only surviving member of her crew. I ached for Auri. She’s grieving the life she lost and people that have been dead centuries, but to her were alive when she went to sleep. It’s heartbreaking, but she faces it headon. I admired her courage throughout the book.

The Trigger
When Auri’s life is entrusted to squad 312 (without their knowledge by the way), the plot thickens. Auri’s life in the past has been erased, but why? And why does the Terran government want her? None of it makes sense to Tyler, but he will follow orders and protect her. Auri is seeing things, things that haven’t happened yet, it is all Tyler has to go on and that is what takes them across the galaxy.

Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff built an amazing world / galaxy in Aurora Rising. The different alien societies that Fin and Kal are a part of are fully established and immersed into the story so that as Auri learns about them the reader will as well. It isn’t info-dumping at all! I naturally accepted them without question as I read. In addition to Fin and Kal, the crew travel to multiple areas of the galaxy encountering different settings and societies in each. Reading, I was engrossed in the story, and it flowed from one section to the next without any holes.

I loved every moment and plot twist! I particularly loved reading the multiple points of view. Sometimes when you have that many characters, it can feel like head hopping and the characters blend together. That is not the case here. Each character is fully fleshed out, and their personality radiates through their chapters. I never forgot who’s head I was in, not once, throughout the entire book.

My Final Thoughts
Overall I loved Aurora Rising from start to finish. I loved it so much that I read the entire 480 pages in less than 48 hours. It is everything I love about science fiction in one pretty package (have y’all seen that cover 😍) The year wait for book two is going to be SO long but absolutely worth it! Perfect for sci-fi fans young and old, Aurora Rising is everything I love about Star Trek with the dry humor and hijinks of Firefly.

Aurora Rising is the The Breakfast Club meets Guardians of the Galaxy with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Romeo as the golden boy and a Lee Pace-esque elf: at least, that’s how co-author Jay Kristoff describes it on Goodreads.

#squadgoals books are a rising trend in young adult fiction, often featuring a motley crew of misfits (why are they always misfits!) that go on heists to save the world or like in The Gilded Wolves, to fulfill some self-serving mission. And as everyone knows, I’m a massive sucker for science fiction, especially stories about space and set in space! I learnt about Aurora Rising really late and was so desperate for an ARC because I could not wait for release date to read it! And after searching around (very desperately!), I finally got one.

Essentially, Aurora Rising is Six of Crows crossed with Star Trek and a little bit of Indiana Jones thrown into the mix. It’s the story of Squad 312, a group of misfit lieutenants of the Aurora Legion, the intergalactic United Nations of the future. But first, let us meet the crew:

Tyler Jones: Alpha, top of his class, squad leader, golden boy, hot (Aurora’s first impression of him!), his dimples have their own fan club, practically perfect in every way, reminds me a lot of your typical knight in shining characters (he even starts the book by rescuing Aurora!)

Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley: Cryogenically frozen for 200+ years and rescued by Tyler, makes tons of references to Middle Earth/Lord of the Rings about Kal, trying to adapt to a new world and way of life, half-Chinese and half-Irish, loves maps

Scarlett Jones: Tyler’s older sister (they’re twins but she’s faster!), excellent diplomat, will charm your socks off, rule break, hot af and she knows it, has a fascinating string of ex-boyfriends

Kaliis “Kal” Idraban Gilwraeth: Your cookie cutter brooding, dramatic and archaic elf-like alien, also very hot (think Legolas/Elrond, according to Aurora!), Jay Kristoff uses a GIF of Thranduil to describe him which is apt and I can no longer unsee

Zila Madran: Loves to experiment (they can be a little extreme!), scientist and probably a mad one, lover of cute earrings, doesn’t say much, her work speaks for itself, highly efficient

Finian: Flirty af bisexual (??) alien, will jump all and everyone’s bones, small chip on his shoulder, wears an exoskeleton due to an underlying medical condition that’s not overly explained but makes him cool af, very chatty and never stays on topic

Cat: Best friends with the Jones twins; will break your balls even if you don’t have any, breaks chairs over people’s heads (read: Tyler!), has an adorable stuffed dragon, also has badass tattoos, very soft but also wants to be loved, also hot af

On the night before the Draft, where cadets graduate from the Aurora Academy, Tyler decides to go on his one last flight before he becomes a full-fledged lieutenant in charge of his own team. On this flight, he encounters the Hadfield, an ancient ship thought to be lost to space and aboard the ship, Aurora O’Malley. Frozen in cryo-sleep for more than two centuries, Aurora is a girl out of time and an enigma that sneaks aboard Squad 312’s virgin mission. It is the catalyst that spurs Squad 312 into an intergalactic story that challenges everything that they know and takes them to places they would never have expected to go with Aurora smack in the center of it all.

In terms of plot, Aurora Rising is both a breath of fresh air and a mish-mash of YA concepts that we have come to know and love. There are parts of it that made me go, “nice, interesting!” and others that made me go, “eh, seen that before!”. But it was still a very well thought out plot and kept it going from A to Z (and if you’ve read the book, you’ll sort of get why I make this reference).

“We the Legion
We the light
Burning bright against the night”
– Aurora Legion motto

With so many characters thrown at you all at once, it tends to get a little confusing. The most frustrating part about Aurora Rising is that the POVs are quite difficult to keep track of. Some times, I did not know who’s POV is was reading and had to go back to the start of the chapter to figure out. Of course, there are certain details that set them apart but when it’s all about plot, it gets incredibly messy. The two with the most distinct voices are Aurora and Kal. The former because she’s still adjusting to the new world and the latter because the way he talks is rather archaic. And although it would have just added to the confusing mess of characters, I think for a space opera and a technologically advanced society, you would have at least an A.I. character.

However, despite the lack of a snarky A.I. character to join the team, the worldbuilding is stunning as always. It is unique and lush; I could easily imagine the world that Aurora Rising paints because that’s just how vivid it was. I would have liked to it to be a little more elaborate and I wished that the team would have spent a little more time on Aurora Academy so we could know it more.

“Almost every particle in the universe was once part of a star,” she says softly. “Every atom in your body. The metal in your chair, the oxygen in your lungs, the carbon in your bones. All those atoms were forged in a cosmic furnace over a million kilometers wide, billions of light-years from here. The confluence of events that led to this moment are so remote as to be almost impossible.” She puts her hand on my shoulder. Her touch is awkward, as if she doesn’t quite know how to do it. But she squeezes gently. “Our very existence is a miracle.”

What I truly loved about Aurora Rising though is that it doesn’t take itself seriously, making it a truly fun and enjoyable read. The jokes are immature and bordering on NA with tons of innuendo. In fact, Kal, our resident alien-elf seems to be one giant joke at the YA/NA love for “mating bonds” and sexy elf-like characters. It was cringe-worthy as I read it but the more I think about it, the more meta it gets. And it ties into Aurora Rising being an entertaining read rather than an overly serious, space adventure. It does nothing that takes my breath away or blows my mind but it is engaging and entertaining; I finished it in a day and a half! I think that says something.

But, going back to the serious side of things, Aurora Rising has a steady and diverse cast of characters (aliens included). My favourite characters thus far are Scarlett and Finian. I particularly love Scarlett because I have a lady boner for strong female characters who are not afraid of their femininity and are not afraid just play it to their advantage but are confident in it. Plus, she’s a great talker and negotiator which, I like to think are my strengths (P.S. I’m extremely chatty!). Although, I was expecting to see an LGBTQ+ relationship but I’m holding out hope for my favourite ship!

I didn’t particularly like Aurora herself because I felt she was always very naive and timid; always keen to cower in a corner. And although she does grow out of that once she finds her sea, or rather, space legs, she still rubs me the wrong way.

For me, what really sets Aurora Rising apart from the other #squadgoals books is that these are good kids gone rogue. So often, we get criminal gangs or some sword-wielding avengers of the supernatural but it’s really refreshing to have these kids grapple with doing what they’ve been trained to do vs what they feel is right. I think that was a very interesting theme that ran throughout the book.

To wrap it all up, Aurora Rising is an entertaining space adventure that will keep you gripped with suspense, make you laugh at their antics, fall in love with the characters and keep you thinking about Squad 312 long after you’ve closed the book. I can’t wait for Book 2!

Okay, Jay and Amie are back at it again. I was unsure if I would love this as much as I loved the Illuminae series. Cause lets be real, Illuminae Files are bomb.com. But they delivered! Honestly, Illuminae still holds it place at number one in my heart . . . for now!!! I love the cast of characters we've been dealt and I feel like we're just barely getting started and have a long way to go. This book was excellent and I feel like it's only going to keep improving. I love Jay and Amie's writing and amazing story-telling capabilities. Prepare to gasp and squeal and laugh and yes cry, READ THIS BOOK AND ALL OF THEIR BOOKS <3

I wanted to love this so badly.

We follow a ragtag group that shouldn’t have been teamed up together exploring the galaxy trying to uncover the secrets of their stowaway girl out of time. We have angsty characters and sassy characters, a fast paced plot and fun space setting. However, my main issue with this book is the POV. We have seven different first person POVs, and it made it feel like the characters were being held at arms length. None of them felt developed enough, which made my enjoyment of the relationships and interactions between the crew go way down.

The plot really felt lacking as well. It is very fast paced, but I think due to that everything felt underdeveloped. There is so much mystery surrounding Aurora and the failed expedition she was on, but none of the clues we got really propelled the story forward. It packed so much on all at once and became frustrating rather than compelling.

Overall I can see why someone would enjoy this book. I just couldn’t connect to the characters and it ultimately hindered my enjoyment.

Aurora Rising follows our golden boy Alpha, Tyler, and his ragtag team of recruits from the Aurora Legion, an interstellar peace keeping group. When Tyler finds a girl, also named Aurora, floating in stasis in a 200-year-old shipwreck, their team is thrown headfirst into danger. Abandoned by command and on the run from multiple government agencies, Tyler & his crew find themselves on a space pirate trading base where they have to pull off the heist of the galaxy. Aurora isn’t all that she appears to be, and her secrets seem to be at the center of an inter-planetary conspiracy.

The cast of characters is endearing, if not a little expected. We have the golden boy, the brawn, the brainiac, the smooth talker, the sarcastic one, the cocky pilot who is the best pilot to have ever piloted. Some characters – Kal, Auri, Tyler – are much more fleshed out that others. I struggled to tell Scarlett and Cat’s narrative voices apart, and neither seemed to have a ton of personality. However, this is a plot-forward novel and readers here for the ride won’t much mind that some of the minor characters are a little same-same. This fast-paced, action-packed book will leave you on the edge of your seat, wanting to know how Tyler and his crew will get out each tight spot. Fans of Star Trek and Six of Crows will eat this up and be begging for more.

Aurora Rising is a wonderful & wild rollercoaster ride. What a fascinating story of self-discovery, adventure, love, trust & faith. It is the first book I read by Jay Kristoff & Ami Kaufman and I am so happy I made my introduction to their writing via Aurora Rising.

This story was both heartbreaking and fascinating. These characters were put to the test and pushed to their limits, but at no point did they doubt their connection, their friendship and their ability to overcome what was being thrown at them. The plot is fresh and exciting and one that is kept throughout the story without becoming weak.

The story's style and the way in which these authors bring these characters to life is fascinating, I found myself laughing out loud more times than I can count.. Aurora Rising starts with a bang and ends with a bang. There is no slowing down for these characters, the rush and the excitement is maintained throughout the story without breaking the balance. Each of these characters brings uniqueness to the story.

Aurora Rising has a bit of everything, humor, science, mystery & romance, it is all wrapped nicely into a story that will keep you reading non-stop. This combination works, and it plays out perfectly all throughout the story. These authors know how to put together a story where being a misfit is perhaps what's needed to save the world, & where individuality is only a matter of perspective & where group work and self-sacrifice is necessary.

I think I am going to need to read the other books by these authors - I can see now that I am missing SO MUCH!

The full review will be posted on my blog closer to release time - along with a giveaway (everyone is welcome to participate).