I enjoyed the setting and some of the world building in this book. I didn't realize it was young adult before I started reading it, so I expected more detailed world building and more believable action. However, I know YA books aren't big on either of these things.

[SPOILERS]
My enjoyment of this book fluctuated a lot while I read it. I was interested in what happened to the characters for most of the journey, but had trouble connecting to them more often than not. Ettian's character development was stunted, mostly because of his secrets, so hopefully the next book will be better on this front. Gal was interesting at first and then became a very bland character. I know that he was already drawing away from Ettian before the end, so we as readers saw less of him. It would have been nice if there was more of a connection between Ettian and Gal, though. I like the idea of having a M/M romance in this series, but it felt like it never got there. Ettian proclaimed to himself that the universe wasn't worth living in without Gal, but beyond that it felt like there was nothing between the two of them. Ettian had a much stronger connection with Wan. I enjoyed Wan's character. I felt more of a connection to her character than I did to Ettian, which is a major problem.

I planned on giving this book a 2 star review before the ending. It felt a bit bland/shallow. I had trouble connecting to characters. I upped this book a star because the ending showed a reason for the lack of development in Ettian. It would have worked better with hints about Ettian throughout. Maybe memories here and there (completely out of context, so as not to hint at too much). I get the impression that Ettian has decided that he no longer wants to feel anything because he doesn't know how to process loss. This stunted the romance in the book a ton. If Ettian really isn't feeling anything, how can he feel love? The answer is that he's not, especially in this book (I didn't really feel it from his character, at least) Hopefully the author tackles this in a later book, because it could lead to really interesting development in his character.

This is an action packed book. You have Gal, who is the Umber heir. Wen, is a homeless girl that is excellent at electronics. Ettian is a boy, whose parents were killed in an attack on his nation. He is left with no family or home. He roams around until he is taken into a home and then sent for training to be a pilot. There he meets Gal. They are roommates. There is a simmering love connection between the two. There is a point where Gal is captured and Ettian and Wen try to save him. The course of events that unfold will leave you shocked.

I was very excited reading the description of this book, it has everything I love in a story on paper - forbidden romance, sci-fi, space adventures, and gay content. However, I was actually a little bit slow to get into the story because the politics are a little dense. Ettian is also an incrediby opaque narrator. He's hard to read, and hides things even from the reader, which is frustrating but is also an excellent example of an unrealiable narrator.

So where the story suffers emotionally from Ettian's distant emotions, and his character choices don't always make sense because of this, it actually lends the ending a little more "punch." While I was a little annoyed by the characters through the middle of the story, I think that comes from where we start in their relationship. Ettian and Gal are ALREADY best friends, so while they are "falling in love" and exploring their attraction, the trust between them is also deteriorating, which makes it hard to understand why they like each other so much. There is not enough "show, don't tell" about their relationship. We don't get to see much of the good stuff aside from Ettian's loyalty and protectiveness towards Gal.

All of that aside, I had a great time. This book is fun and exciting and I couldn't put it down. I was teetering around 4 stars for most of the book, but I'll bump it up to a 5 because I was so compelled by the ending. I was so mad about the twist (in a good way) that I was immediately desperate for the next book. I can't wait to see where Emily Skrutskie takes these characters and what she does with the fate of the empire(s). I can forgive my frustrations with the relationship because this is only book one, so we have to have somewhere to go from here. If we got an easy happily ever after, no one would need book two.

I know 2020 just started but I truly believe this is the best book of the year. I could not put it down!

pros:
• ettian/gal/wen: their banter was hilarious and i can’t wait to see what they’re like in the other books
• ettian/gal and ettian/wen: both vastly different but interesting relationships
• writing style: sometimes when I start a new book it takes me a couple chapters to get used to how the author writes. i did not feel that way while reading this

cons:
• the use of rut instead of any other word

Bonds of Brass: 5 Stars
This was one hell of a ride and I can't wait to own this book and stare at it's beauty ♥
Such amazingly written and a story that keeps you interested constantly. If i wouldn't have read it during christmas I probably would have read it in one sitting. Because it was that damn good!

Characters:
Ettian is loyal, easily suspicious, has a heart too big for his body, protective, a little broken by his past, sassy, the strategist, one hell of a pilot and he knows it.

Gal is charismatic, good, puts way too much pressure onto himself, a flirt, has a sense of responsibility, is a prankster and has such a big heart as well.

Wen is a badass, independent, reckless Troublemaker who has been dealt a very hard life so far. If she likes someone they're stuck with her - if they want to be or not. She also has a rainbow umbrella that I literally fell in love with.
(yes. The book made me emotionally attached to an umbrella)

I adored the side characters as well and am looking forward to meeting them all again in BoB2


Plot:
This book did not have a single dull moment. If we were flying through space or just having a sit in with the characters I was enthralled. My favorite moments where the character bonding scenes and the struggle that Ettian went through. Just being in his thoughts had me utterly excited and I wanted to stay there. I wanted to listen to him think for hours and hours.
There are lots of exciting action and adventure scenes as well. It was just a fantastic mix.
I honestly think that even people who aren't big sci-fi fans would enjoy this book - because how could anyone not?


Checklist:
Do you want a Sci-Fi adventure that is constantly keeping you at the edge of your seat?
Disastrous boys that you can't help but love and root for?
Badass Woman who steal your Heart?
To get emotionally attached to a freaking Umbrella?!?!
To be torn up inside and not know which decision you want the mc to make?
A Story that up until the final 30 pages you have no idea how this first part will end?
A Love Story for the Ages! ♥
PINING and fake dating and not being able to be together?
Several Squads that you can't wait to see again?
Amazing writing and worldbuilding?
Twists and Turns that are eluded to but not shoved in your face?
SECRET IDENTITIES?
A glorious ending that makes you wish you owned the entire trilogy already?
Not knowing who you can trust?
To feel torn up about the impossible choices these characters have to make?

then, please, do yourself a favor and read this beauty of a Book ♥

and now we wait for the Sequel...
patiently...
(or at least pretend to. I NEED IT)

Up until the last 5% of this book, it was going to be two stars, but I really enjoyed the ending and am excited to see where the sequel takes the storyline. Which is quite interesting because I wasn't actually enjoying the story all that much up until then, and I still don't particularly love all of the imperial stuff. In regards to the characters, I love my favorite chaos daughter Wen, while I feel very mixed about Ettian and Gal, unfortunately.

Yes! I’m so happy this was a M/M sci-fi romance—THAT IS WHAT I NEEDED. Such a fun book. Ettian and Gal were delightful. I had my issues with them, but overall it was super fun, action-packed with space-battles and a freaking cliff hanger! The fall out they caused? Holy cow.

I will say Ettian was a bad communicator. I needed him to say more about what bothered him. I do hate it when our characters keep their feelings to themselves. Like, say SOMETHING. Don’t keep it bottled up inside.

A really fun space adventure that feels fresh and pleasantly surprising in its handling of the main relationship. I would recommend it for younger teen readers as I did feel a bit too old for it while reading, but I'm glad this exists and am rooting for the series to do well – we need more stories like this.

Once I got into this book I couldn’t put it down. I fell in love with the characters and wanted them all to win in any way they could. I can’t wait to read more about them.

*Spoiler free*

I originally passed by this book, first because I thought it was the sequel to Hullmetal Girls, second because I thought it was an adult book that for some reason wouldn't interest me. Well, the author tweeted something that this book has queer space boys, one of whom is a secret prince to an empire. She tweeted it in light of the FinnPoe Star Wars news and my interest shot up to a thousand percent, because a queer space story sounds amazing.

I'm not sure where to start with this book, other than to say that I really, really enjoyed. I don't know why I didn't think I would, but it was really good.

There was a lot that I didn't expect with this book. I wasn't expecting how morailty would be ripped apart, I didn't expect to fall in love with a girl who wields a rainbow umbrella, I didn't expect, I didn't expect to love the world or for the world to be what it was. Ettian and Gal also surprised me with who they were and where they went. But, I ended up loving them.

I'm struggling to figure out what I want to say about this book! It was good and I liked it, but words are harder with this one for some reason. Plus, a lot of the things I loved fall into spoiler territory. On the top, like the things you get from the synopsis, this book is amazing. There's queer space boys, one of who is the heir to a brutal empire. The other has to flee after an attack at their academy and they have to go on the run. Like, that's incredible. BUT THERE'S MORE I CAN'T TALK ABOUT BECAUSE OF SPOILERS.

I guess I'll start off with the morality.

This book was a lot heavier than I expected. It deals with war and making hard, hard decisions. The kind of decisions that affect the soul. I usually have a hard time with these kinds of books, but I actually really enjoyed this one. Gal and Ettian were trying to make decisions, while also struggling with moral dilemmas and figuring out where they fit into the hierarchy of their world. They're also wrestling with feelings for each other and trying to stay alive in increasingly dangerous situations. It gives the feeling of characters being ripped apart from the inside, but there's secret dreams, adorable relationships, and lots of spaceship flying to balance everything out.

I'm going to jump right to the ending. THAT ENDING WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I sort of had a hunch, but a more of a "oh that would be cool, but I doubt it will happen", but it happened and it was amazing. It creates something so spectacular and it honestly changes the dynamics of the entire book (in the best way) and it sets up the rest of the trilogy so, so well. It makes everything more complicated and I can't wait to see how the relationships progress and honestly just anything that happens next. This is the biggest part of the more that I can't talk about because of spoilers.

For me, this isn't the kind of book you talk in depth about. It's the kind of book you list off aspects until everybody runs off to buy it because it's packed full of amazing things. Queer space boys (this basically sold it to me), a secret prince (I wanted the book in my hands as soon as possible with this point), mutual pining/best friends-to-lovers (the pressure builds), and a rebellion, an assassination attempt, and a space academy (here is where my heart basically explodes). There's also a girl who can slip out of any situation, the best curse words, metal hands, and a plot twist that blew my mind. I am very much looking forward to seeing where this series is going!

You name it; this book has it: space, secret royals, slow-burn romance, umbrellas being used as weapons…
I loved this book! I started and finished it in less than a day because I couldn’t put it down. I’ll just mention a few of my favorite things about it:

1. The plot twists. Every time I got comfortable, the book would throw a new twist at me, and I loved them all. I’ll admit that I guessed the big twist at the end, but it didn’t make the reveal any less exciting or satisfying.

2. The characters. Ettian and Gal are both interesting, dimensional characters. The friendship bond between Ettian and Wen is one of my favorite elements of the book. I also found the side characters just as wonderful, even the ones we only meet for a few scenes like Hanji and Ollins.

3. The worlds. We get vivid images of Runa and Delos, as well as the differences and similarities between the two. They are two completely different planets, yet people are still people and able to make connections.

Overall, I adored this book, and I absolutely recommend it. Anyone who enjoys drama, exciting stories, and intriguing romance plots will love this book, even if you’re not much of a Sci Fi fan.

I’m already adding BONDS OF BRASS to my favorites list for 2020. I loved this fast-paced space opera. Thank you, Del Rey, for giving me the opportunity to read and review the egalley!

Let’s dive in. Bonds of Brass gripped me by the collar and tugged me along on its galaxy-wide adventure. It read like an action movie (my *favorite* kind of sci-fi), every scene pulling me deeper into Ettian and Gal’s dangerous post-war world. The voice and pacing will appeal to both adult and YA readers, and this book has huge potential to cross over. When the book releases, I’ll be throwing this series at people who love YA like Skyward and Aurora Rising, as well as readers of the Red Rising Saga and Becky Chambers’ and Alex White’s work. I’d like more fun, exciting space operas starring queer teens / early 20-year-olds please!

Now, I'm off to hibernate until April so I can hug the finished copy.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of “Bonds of Brass” by Emily Skrutskie. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Space books aren’t usually on the top of my TBR pile, but Emily Skrutskie is an author I know will deliver an excellent story. And my trust was not misplaced as immediately I was drawn into Ettian and Gal’s friendship. These boys, oh my goodness! I adore them.

Ettian is an orphan of an intergalactic war. He’s just trying to keep his head down at the military school of the Umber empire responsible for him being an orphan. Ettian’s other focus is keeping his best friend Gal out of trouble. But everything Ettian thought he knew about Gal is thrown into question when a group of students turn their guns on Gal during a training exercise. Ettain saves Gal once again only to discover Gal is the heir of the ruling Umber empire.

With a target on Gal’s back, the friends are forced to steal a ship and flee their academy. They embark on a journey across the galaxy to get Gal safely back to his home to take his rightful place in the bloodthirsty Umber dynasty. But Ettain is convinced he knows Gal well enough that Gal will be the best thing for the galaxy. Gal isn’t bloodthirsty, he’s Ettain’s best friend and maybe more? Or is he?

No spoilers for the ending but I will say you can buckle up all you want but you will not be prepared. Give me the next book immediately I cannot wait!

5/5 stars

I'm currently enjoying an ARC of The Bonds of Brass by Emily Strutsie on my kindle and enjoying the heck out of it.

To avoid spoilers, I'll only give detail from the early part of the story. Bonds of Brass, a story that is an exciting scifi coming of age adventure. The main character is leaving his world, literally and figuratively, behind him. A world he was successfull in as a cadet in a flight school, on a planet run by a people that took over his planet after an invasion and war 7 years earlier. His best and closest friend is not who he thought, but is someone he’s willing to protect, no matter the personal cost. Great space empires, and kids racing across the vastness of space alone, to either find safety or to be caught. There is a lot of fun stuff about to happen and youll be excited to see where it goes. The 2 main characters will have a lot to overcome, enjoy the adventure. I want to give a big thank you to Net Galley for a kindle ARC.

Thank you for reading, I’m not a writer, but I love the books I read and the authors are artists I love to support. Bye!.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy! Seriously. THANK YOU. <3

Emily Skrutskie does it again!!! My non-white queer sci-fi adventure queen! <3 <3 <3 <3

Do you love a relationship that has pining but also payoff but that will get SO MUCH JUICIER IN SUBSEQUENT BOOKS? Well, this is the series for you. Seriously, my friends. I am going to love book two so much because this is the absolute perfect relationship build up.

So. Things to love:
> A friends-to-lovers-to-??? relationship that doesn't get bogged down at the beginning OR feel rushed because we get plopped in after they've known each other for years and have a strong established friendship and on-page chemistry.
> QUEER POC MAIN CHARACTERS WHO ARE SO SOFT BUT WILL ALSO DESTROY YOU (and possibly each other) IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE.
> Damaged characters. Damaged characters everywhere. <3
> Friendships are just as important as the romantic relationship.
> The last like two chapters + epilogue are BOMB.

Things that I docked .5 stars for:
> Alternate swear words that were used ALL THE TIME and I just hate alternate swears. "Rut" instead of "fuck".
> I was vaguely confused at Ettian and Gal's grand scheme and what it would accomplish for most of their machinations. After the climax, I can gather that the reader was supposed to be in the dark for the details, but was sitting there with barely any idea of what they were planning and it made the angsty Gal scenes lose some impact for me. This could also be due to the fact that I read an advance reading copy months before release. So anything is possible. This confusion did not cause me to enjoy the book any less, but I feel like I lost some emotional moments between the two because I was sitting there like "okay but why though???"

I loved this. Teens will love this. I will recommend the HELL out of it. And I am so excited for book two. <3

I don't care for sci-fi and Emily Skrutskie continues to prove the exception to the rule. From THE ABYSS SURROUNDS US to HULL METAL GIRLS to now BONDS OF BRASS, she continues to tell fascinating and interesting stories in the sci-fi realm that keep me coming back for more.

BONDS OF BRASS is about a lot of things -- imperialism and rebellion, for example -- but the heart of the story is about the relationship between two boys who are on opposite sides of a war, though only one of them knows it at first. Gal is the love of Ettian's life, but Gal is also the heir to the intergalactic empire that has oppressed Ettian's people. The love between them is a believable slow burn. Though they've been friends for years, making that final leap from friendship to romantic partners would be hard even with everything else that crops up between them.

The action kept me on the edge of my seat, and though this has that "first book in a series" feel of setting up more than is actually paid off, I'm definitely interested in further exploring this world. Skrutskie is truly an author to watch.

*My eternal thanks to the publisher. I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review."

SciFi is not my usual fare, but when I saw the author's pitch on twitter describe it as The Road to El Dorado meets Space, I was so down for this ride. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. At. All.

Bonds of Brass is space opera at its finest: In a time where war is a memory far too close for comfort, the former citizens of Archon had two choices when the Umber empire overtook them seven years ago: Assimilate or Die.

We meet Ettian Nassun, an Archon born pilot training as a cadet under the rule of the Umber emprex who wants nothing more than to be behind the controls of a really fast ship, preferably, with Gal the secret/not-so-secret love of his life by his side. When a resistance group launches an attack, Ettian must choose between his loyalty to his people and his loyalty who Gal. Reason being of course that Gal isn't just any other student at the academy: He is the Umber heir.

This book gripped me and wouldn't let me go. Emily Skrutskie has an innate gift with both Voice and a natural flow that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The action was flawless and not too overdrawn, each character that we met was nuanced and engaging. Ettian and Gal are intelligent, resourceful, and very flawed. Their relationship was always believable even as it continued to evolve and with the introduction of Wen, whom I absolutely adored, it was a terrible and wonderful experience to see how their dynamic shifted around the new addition.

These characters did not get off easy, they did not get to get away with making off the cuff decisions that effected no one else, and that in the end is what drew the line for me from four stars to five. Ettian's internal struggle with where his loyalty lie, Gal's desire to be better than his parents and knowing that in doing so he would still have to sacrifice innocents...It brought such a depth of emotion and tension to the plot that even in places where it could have gone slow, I found myself absolutely starving for more. Even when the boys turned desperate and indecisive, it was in a way that was believable. They're young, so young, and having to make these life and death situations that don't just apply to them. It never felt contrived, or melodramatic, and the ending was a bittersweet, almost cruel departure from the small comforts of the middle-end segments.

If you enjoy space battles, friends to lovers/forbidden lovers tropes, dangerous and clever female characters with a tendency to cause a brilliant type of chaos—well, this is definitely the book for you.

Bonds of Brass is out April 07, 2020 and I can assure you, I am already clamoring for its sequel to see what happens to our unlikely trio. Wonderful, fast-paced read.

I was first pulled in by the cover art. It's beautiful.

I usually prefer to read books with women protagonists, and so I didn't originally pick this book up. But the cover combined with a reread of the description (and the author's description on Goodreads) made me rethink. It's a science fiction book, with equal focus on the overarching plot and on the friendship/relationship between Ettian and Gal. In fact, it's the perfect combination of the two.

I liked Ettian's voice. I liked knowing his emotions, his struggles. Even so, it was difficult for me to get into the book at the beginning. It picked up for me, after Ettian and Gal left the planet. Once the truth of Gal's identity comes out, Ettian begins to doubt his friend's sincerity on multiple fronts, and he second-guesses himself. The interpersonal conflict between them was believable, and I sympathized with Ettian.

A highlight was when Wen appeared in the book. Although frustrated by her, Ettian finally had someone who had undergone the same kind of harrowing losses that he had. I loved the bond that they formed, and hope to see her more in the next book.

I enjoyed reading the book overall, but I wasn't sure just how much I liked it since it took me a while to warm up to it. But! Ultimately, I loved the ending. Often I can predict what will happen next in a book. I usually pick up on hints and foreshadowing. So, I was thrilled to have a plot twist that I didn't expect, and I'm not sure that it was hinted at much either. The complexity of the ending has me wanting more, and soon. I want to know how or if Ettian can resolve his relationship with Gal. I originally wasn't sure if I wanted to read the second book of this series, but now I certainly do.

This book is tightly written. Although it's a YA book, or at least about YA characters, it doesn't read like one. Ettian and Gal are attracted to each other, but there's less sexuality or explicitness in it than in many YA books. I still enjoy good YA novels, but I'm also in my mid-30s; whenever I read one, I wonder "would I recommend this book to my daughter when she's a preteen or teenager?" I can say yes about it to this one.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.

For the record, I received an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) of this book with the request that I leave a voluntary honest review for other potential readers. That having been said, here is my honest opinion and review of this book (I try not to reveal any spoilers in my reviews so it is safe to read). I very much enjoyed this book. The plot was amazing with so many surprises, twists and turns that kept me glued to the book until the end. I have always loved a good space opera and this one certainly counts as one. Both of the principle characters are well developed with so many facets to their personalities as well as their secrets. Their motivations are so wraped up in their secrets that it really keeps you guessing where the story goes from here. All of the other characters are not overlooked by the author and are fleshed out as well. The world (or should I say galaxy) building is well done and gives you everything that you need to know to understand the story. Three great space empires and what happens to them serves as an excellent back drop to the plot line. I found the writing style to be good and easy to read which is always a plus in my opinion. Therefore, I just have to say that this book earned its five stars and is definitely worth the time it takes to read it. I look forward to a sequel (that ending makes my pretty sure that one will be written).

I saw the author describe this book on twitter as "Star Wars meets The Road to El Dorado but it's gay" and I was immediately like THAT'S MY JAM. So when I saw it available here, I immediately requested it. I honestly forgot as I was reading it that it was the first book in a trilogy, so the fact that it takes a little while to really get going doesn't bother me now that I remember that. First books in series always have to spend some time on the world building, so I figure that now that's out of the way, books 2 and 3 will be exciting and action-packed all the way through. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes space opera and is looking for more diversity in their reading or collections.