Novel stretches the line on believably with ending. It's a well written novel about two pilots in the academy. There will be a sequel to this.

I'm a little old for this YA title, but liked it. It keeps things moving and includes some interesting characters and situations. The author has a good imagination, and writes well. I look forward to the sequel.

I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!

I had so much fun reading this! I could not put it down!

Ettian and Gal are roommates at the Umber Imperial Academy where students take to space and learn the rules of flight. Ettian and some of his classmates take part in a routine drill when it turns into a nightmare, a nightmare based on a secret. Ettian questions his loyalty to his romantic interest, Gal, and also is trying to figure out if he can turn from his past to help his friend.

The ending is a shocker. I honestly am still reeling from it. Actually, I think I am cycling through every emotion one by one. This book is a great read and incredibly entertaining. And I cannot wait until the next book to find out what happens.

Fanfiction-y in all the best ways. Bonds of Brass is great - a trope-tastic sci fi that pokes at issues of identity, colonialism and politics.

I received an ARC of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew immediately that I had to read it. Space opera with secret identities and a queer relationship at its heart? Sign me up!

I am happy to say that the book more than delivered in regards to my expectations. I could not put this down until I finished it, and that rarely happens to me. The book has not been officially released yet and already I am wishing for the sequel. The two main characters, Ettian and Gal, felt fleshed out and real, and their relationship is a good iteration of the friends-to-lovers trope. The pacing, conflict and world-building were also all pretty solid here. There is also a female character named Wen who ends up along for the ride, and far from being a third wheel, Wen is a fully-realized and interesting character worthy of being a protagonist in her own right. Some of my favorite scenes from the book involved Wen.

If you like Science Fiction, LGBTQ lit, adventure and romance, do yourself a favor and pick up this title. It has a good smattering of all of those things. Can't wait for the next book!

Bonds of Brass is a thrilling and emotional space opera about two boys who are willing to burn the world down for one another, and it hooked from the very first page.

Ettian’s voice is so compelling, I was immediately invested in his story. While I have virtually no complaints about this book, I do think that the voice and it’s characters are Bonds of Brass’s strength. Ettian, Gal, and Wen are fully-realized, complex, and nuanced, as are their relationships with one another. It absolutely kills me that I have to wait until 2021 to spend more time with them, and I knew the minute I finished this book that it would be re-read again and again. Seriously, I can’t say enough good things about this story, and I heartily recommend it to fans of YA action/adventure or YA space opera.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ettian and Gal are the main characters for the first part of the book. They are fast friends and on their way to becoming more over time. The story is told from Ettian's perspective, and he saves Gal, the future heir to the Umbrian empire, which leads to a flight outside the reaches of the Umbrian empire. Along the way they meet Wen, who is both a nuisance and extremely helpful. By the end, Ettian saves Gal yet again with Wen's help, but the consequence is that Gal sees him as a traitor.

I got this book as an unfinished proof in order to give a review.

A beautifully written story of the coming of age of a young man who gets entangled in the fate of the young man he loves, and of two empires coming to a conflict reborn. The story is well-written with a surprise ending, and with a lot of twists and turns. The author manages to convey the perils of being a teenager, being a recruit in the military, and being a survivor, all at once. Along with the ideas of love, loyalty, and the ties that bind.

I was not too sure of the book at first, and it does have some slow spots, but it slowly came to fill itself in, gaining momentum and style as it went.

I wasn't looking for a YA title when I sat down to browse upcoming Science Fiction titles on NetGalley, but I was hooked the moment I read the summary of Bonds of Brass. A young man torn between a dead empire and his best friend who he's in love with? Sign me up! Bonds of Brass did not let me down. It gave me the will-they-or-won't-they romance that I desired, the fraught tension of duty and loyalty and the delicate dance of being true to yourself. Ettian, Gal, and Wen are delightful characters and they all feel very fleshed out and real. The first person POV from Ettian really shown in the climax and end, I loved him (and Gal and Wen) when it was all over. It's not entirely a cliff hanger, but it does leave off wide open for the next book in the series.

If you're looking for a fun, fast paced, engaging read, Bonds of Brass is your book. If you're an adult reader unsure about the YA title, don't be! This book is suitable for a wide range of ages.

An exciting YA space opera full of action and adventure that explores the bonds of loyalty and love and what happens when they are stretched to their limits.