This book is as amazing as the first and jay kristoff and amir kuafman have outdone themselves once more.
I love this book and I will be buying a copy as soon as I can!
Give this series a go, the plot, the charaters and the sas are to die for.

I didn't read the first book in this series but had no issue with this one and found it engrossing and entertaining.
The characters are well thought and interesting, the plot flows and kept me hooked, the world building is excellent.
It's the first book I read by these authors but won't be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

uhm. . . 

what the fuck.

-signed by me, a reader who was Hurt during the reading of this book

Anyways, what an amazing book. Aurora Rising was fun but never that great but OH LORD did Aurora Burning prove me right in how amazing Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman can be.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for a review.

Okay, so this book was great. Super fun to read, full of twists (even though one was super obvious) and the characters are amazing with a wit that always pulls a laugh from me (especially Finian)

First of all, the plot:
I know this is a sequel so I won't say too much obviously. I feel like there was less going on in this one than the first book, as Aurora is harnessing and building her power so I felt it dragged a little for me personally. But it definitely does not slow down at all due to team members being in different scenarios. Also that ending though. I'm just hoping no one else meets their demise (I'm looking at you Kal).

Secondly, the characters:
I do love them all, they each have their own part to play and I get that they each need their own chapters. But I felt like a lot of stuff is repeated e.g. "Zila is a great pilot but she's no Cat Brannock", "She's no Zero", "I know that voice, I've known it since I was five, that girl who hit me with the chair.." YEAH WE KNOW WHO IT IS.
Also, I feel like Scarlett has no other personality than being the "slutty" one. I don't want to shame her here, but all she does is talk about how many boyfriends she had and how great her boobs look in everything. I know their teens but it does get a bit tedious after the 16th time. Does any of this add to the plot?

There is a lot I loved about this book, hence the four stars but I just can't deal with the constant teeny boppy attitude admist all the chaos. And the constant reminder of who Cat Brannock was every five pages.

I feel like Jay Kristoff brought Amie Kaufman in to help with how to write what teens garbage say as his other books are fantastic.

Anyway, can't wait to read the next one as I do want to find out what the hell that ending was all about.

My students loved the first one and I have no doubt after reading this, the second one will be loved just as much. Action packed, high intensity with a dark sense of humour.

I feel like this series would be able to compel even the most reluctant reader to enjoy science fiction. It is fast paced, action packed from beginning to end, and has a diverse band of misfit characters with huge personalities. It's an impressive book, and I am actually the minority in having not given this five stars. 

I'm going to start with my gripe with the novel so that it's out of the way: I don't like how deliberate and chaotic Aurora Burning is. The second half of this book is absolutely sensational, but the first half felt like death by deliberate jokes and banter overload; it makes it impossible for me to care about the characters, because they feel like caricatures rather than genuine people, and there are a number of moments which relied upon me really caring about what happened to them. When Kristoff and Kaufman paused to build relationships between new characters these were so much richer and more enjoyable than the deliberate and fast moving romance between Kal and Aurora, which I don't buy at all (don't come at me!). This, accompanied with another overload of action scenes, left me feeling exhausted and a little bit confused! So much happens in the first half of this book that each scene rolls into one, and I started to lose sight of what was actually happening - there really is such a thing as too many exciting moments, and the balance was totally off for me.

However, what I like the most about this series is how easy the world building feels. There is genuine complexity to this series and within the galaxy the co-authors have created. Actually, the creativity and ingenuity of ideas relative to developing each species and their cultures is so excellent that it speaks volumes for the quality of this partnership. Often, co-authored novels have obvious "tells" or breaks which make it apparent when each author is contributing. In this series it isn't apparent once, with a complete blend of writing styles and consistent dialogue and representation of characters throughout. 

This is a story for the misfits, akin to the sort of vibe you can only really find in The Guardians of the Galaxy. It's a bit extra in places, but it's still one of the most interesting and consistently fun books I think I've read.

Aurora Burning was one of my most anticipated YA titles for this year and I was super excited to have gotten approved for a Netgalley eARC.
The recap at the beginning was well done, as it has been quite awhile since I read the first book and I'm hoping that more publishers consider starting off with a recap.

After a few pages I already found my favorite quote of the whole book: 
"You let your male speak in public?"
The story, pacing and plot was great but then I had to read approximately one and a half pages about Scarlet's tits, her cleavage problems and boy issues, while one of her best friends died and the whole universe is on the brink of destruction. I thought to myself is there no other way you could've made her interesting of funny?
After those pages, every time I read something about somebody's crotch, underwear or breasts, I loudly groaned and rolled my eyes. 
It felt as if the authors were trying really hard to sound like a cool, hormone-filled adolescent and it just came out so incredibly cringey.
Another issue I faced was that I couldn't find much difference between the POVs I was currently reading and for me it wasn't clear enough. I had to backtrack to the beginning of the chapter to see whom I was currently reading about (except Scarlet, because there was either something about cleavage or her boyfriend pros and cons).

This would've been a 5 star read if not for those two points above, but I will still continue on with the series. That cliffhanger though.


Thank you Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for providing me with an eARC for review.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I had been looking forward to catching up with Squad 312 since I finished Aurora Rising so I was eager to get reading. Aurora Burning was everything I wanted it to be and more. Brilliant characters, epic space battles, just all-round greatness. I am absolutely dying for the next book in the series because of how this one ended, I mean, I need more!!!

AURORA BURNING is a great second installment in this sci-fi space opera.

It starts with a series recap written like a brief overview of the characters. It's both full of humour and super helpful as I wasn't able to re-read the first book before picking this one up. It's in the same tone as the book, which doesn't make it stick out like a sore thumb.

It then dives right into the action, with the same humour and sharp banter tossed out between gun fights as the first book. I really liked the way the story split up at points because it gave characters a real chance for development when they couldn't just fall into their specific roles - they had to fill in for others. Plus it played into the sense that the story was growing in scale to match the size of the galactic evil they were trying to fight.

There are quite a few twists, some of which I saw coming, but they're blended well into the action and raise the emotional stakes (particularly when you can predict a twist later in the story that will make the characters have all the feels).

The ending is a real cliff hanger, the action speeding up to a point where you want the next book now. And I do - which is pretty impressive considering I was very on the fence about even starting this series at the start of the year. You can just imagine the authors cackling to one another when they wrote it.

𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 5/5 STARS⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: Fin, Tyler, Aurora, Kal, Scarlett, Zila⁣ and Saedii. ⁣
⁣⁣
𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: Starslayer⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦: If Aurora Rising was the debut to a brilliant series, Aurora Burning solidified it in the rank of heartbreakingly good books. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
I should’ve been prepared knowing who the writers of this book are, but I was naïve and I went in with my heart unprepared. The storyline continues seamlessly from Aurora Rising, with greater depth and more moments where you’re on the edge of your seat—breathless and enthralled. There is a deeper mystery in this one that reminded me of Illuminae in a wonderful way; it is very much it’s own story but it holds a similar intrigue. The ending was pure evil, my heart was completely shattered. Despite my insatiable craving for the finale, I’m not sure I’m prepared for what’s happening next. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
The character arcs are well-developed; Squad 312 is still reeling from the death of Cat and the feeling of found-family is threaded delicately in this book. Finnian in particular stole my heart in this one, I adored his storyline, his characterisation and his general humour in every moment. I also thought Auri and Zila’s character development was phenomenal; they felt very humanised and powerful. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦: For all the Kal and Auri shippers out there, all I’m going to say is we’ve been fed well in this one for majority of the book.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥: readers looking for a galactic adventure.

The action never stops again as we follow the continuing adventures of Squad 312 and their mission to save the universe from the Ra'haam. 

The Positives: The pacing is a mile a minute in this sequel, with a slightly episodic feel to the structure - it reminded me of a videogame, in that you complete one task and then move on to the next, more difficult task. I liked some of the character development we got here, and I appreciated the time given to flesh out Zila's character, as she was left a little underserved in book one. The stakes are high and there is a sense of impending disaster, which means that the tone isn't quite so light hearted as book one. This felt right to me though, given the events at the end of the first book. I also enjoyed the time we got to spend with the Syldrathi characters in this book and the cliff hanger is brutal!

The Negatives: I did feel like some of the plot points were a little bit predictable here and this lessened the impact for me a little bit. Also, the characters (Kal and Zila excepted) all have a similar narrative voice, so there were times when I wasn't 100% sure who the POV character for the chapter was.

Overall, this was a really entertaining space opera and I cannot wait for book three!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I didn't think the first half of this book quite lived up to the first, and while I enjoyed the romance to a point in the first book, in this one I found it too saccharine and quite annoying. On the plus side, Zila gets more pages and we finally get her backstory.

The romance was... ergh. When the book finally got going I enjoyed it more but it was too heavy in the first half, Kal's constant obsession over Auri while blatantly not knowing a single thing about her. But it's okay, cos she's imprinted on him Jacob Black style. Him constantly calling her be'shmai instead of her name wasn't endearing, it was incredibly irritating.

I liked the introduction of new characters Saedii, Kal's sister and Caersan, the leader of the Unbroken. We get to find out more about the Eshvaren, leading up to an epic battle during the final pages, a team up you never would imagine and plenty of sarcastic commentary from Magellan, Auri's uniglass.

The cliffhanger pretty much broke me and I would like to be put in cryogenic sleep until the next book is released, please. I have never read a cliffhanger that freaking painful and I have no idea what turn the story will take next. I just need the next book. Now. Please.

A great sequel to Aurora, Rising, sees our class of misfits carry on their adventure in space. I love the cammerarderie in these books. Each character has a distinct voice and personality that blends well together to form his close knit group of found friends. They're a family of the oddballs and rejects of society.

This was fast paced, full of action and had me gripped from start to finish. That ending though. My heart can't take it.

I did laps around the room and whooped and hollered when I was approved for this, it was the best day ! I absolutely adore Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman individually as authors they are magic , but when you  put them together it’s an explosion. If you’ve read Aurora Rising this is everything you want and more, if you haven’t, why not ? Go buy it you won’t be disappointed in any way. This is just excitement, action, our favourite misfits and rebels are back in a major why and oh be prepared for that end ! I hate I have to wait again but I know one thing for definite, it will be worth it. Magical and beautiful writing, amazing world building, complex realistic characters and a heart stopping, jaw aching (cos your in awe) story. One of my best reads this year I know it . This best win goodreads awards aplenty ! 


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I have to apologise for the lack of a review but I was unable to read and review this as I cannot download it which is very disappointing!

The Aurora Cycle is one of my favourite sci-fi series, and Aurora Burning was definitely one of my top releases of 2020. I remember burning (pun not intended) through the first book, and couldn't wait to dive back into the world once more. 

After having narrowly averted a total galactic catastrophe in the first book, the misfits of Squad 312 are on the run: hunted by the Academy itself, things are starting to look pretty bad. And that's before they're attacked by a bunch of cat-faced gremps. While still searching for the weapon that Auri is meant to use against the fulfil her role as the "Trigger", they are attacked by a Syldrathi ship commandeered by no other than Kal's sister, who's determined to steer him back onto the true path of war and vengeance. And things only go downhill from there... 

This book is so incredibly entertaining. The chapters just keep pulling you along, making it impossible to put the book down, making you flip the pages faster and faster. The plot is full of twists and turns, close-quarter fight scenes next to big-scale space battles, with enough flips and rolls to make your heart hum. It has everything I could ask for in a sci-fi-book and more, and I loved all of it! 

What I love most about this series, though, is the characters. As this book is told from the perspectives of all six members of Squad 312, you really get to know all of them so well, and you will end up loving them all. IN AURORA BURNING, the unlikely team has really grown close, despite their very obvious differences, and it was so great to see them grow. Kal's sister is a fantastic new character, and I loved her story arc in this book! In AURORA BURNING some of the characters do get their own quests and story lines, and I did miss the group dynamic of the first book sometimes, but it was also so interesting to learn more about the characters themselves and dive deeper into their backstory, and the history of the galaxy itself. 

There is only one negative thing I have to say about this book and that is the ENDING. This book gives a whole new MEANING to the word cliffhanger. The only thing that could have made it worse if they'd literally ended the book mid-sentence I need the next one RIGHT NOW!!

Firstly, a huge, huge thank you to Netgalley, One World Publications and Rock the Boat for giving me the opportunity to read and review Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff; Secondly a huge thank you to the authors (aforementioned,) for writing this Space Opera series. 
I love that right at the start Magellan provides an overview/summary of Aurora Rising and where we are at the start of Aurora Burning. 

Then it's straight into the action! The pace in Aurora Burning is helter-skelter, it just keeps going and there isn't a real breather...this is probably why I've made a concerted effort to spread reading this book over a couple of days, giving me a chance to process, before I dove back in for more. I will definitely be going for a re-read, as I'm sure that I missed a lot of the detail on the first read. 

The book retains the sarcastc, snarky, humorous and downright witty tone of Aurora Rising, but be warned there are also moments of immense emotion and yes, if this had been a physical, rather than an e-ARC I would have thrown it down as I yelled at the ending! 

As for the characters, we definitely learn more about them, which seriously puts so many pieces of the puzzle together, even if it also throws a whole bag more in that we never knew existed! Plus, there are new characters Saedii aka 'Madam Badass' is amazing, she doesn't take any crap and is a seriously full-on woman and the Eshvaren come to the fore, giving us a bit more knowledge about them and a truckload more questions. 

The ending of this book ripped my heart out, pulled it into many pieces and stamped all over it, throwing in petrol and a flame thrower, for full effect! 

You can definitely tell that this is a Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman book, no one else would dare to end a book this way!

I absolutely adored and devoured this sequel! It’s intense, fast paced, action packed, full of so much heart but still makes you laugh! I fell in love with this bunch of loveable rogues and misfits so much more and that ending was insane, I need the next book immediately! I highly recommend to all, it has everything you could want and you won’t be disappointed!

4.5 stars -

I recieved a free digital editon of the book curtesy of the publishers through netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and given freely. 

Well... Shit... What was with that ending!!!!! I swear to god these authors keep ripping my heart out and I just keep coming back for more...what is wrong with me? 😂

So this is the second book in the Aurora Cycle series... I think thats what it's called... So we follow squad 312 as they navigate the universe and they messed up lives after the horrors of Octavia III.

This group of teens has it rough, seriously rough... Their lives are total shit shows which I both hate and love. I couldn't stop reading despite the fact that i need sleep.

I empathise with these characters quite a lot... I see something of myself in each of them, and its hard to see them go through all the crap and not have a satifying ending.
I would have liked to have more from Zila as she seems to get the least screen time and yet she's showing so much growth and character just in this book!
Aurora... I'm still curious how everything terran in this universe has her name in some way... Its... Weird to say the least.
Tyler/Scar... I wasn't expecting that revelation... I was expecting Sedii to tell him they were 'mates'. 
My poor baby Kal *sobs*.
Finnian is uber cute still.
And... The cover... Is it Kal? 

Some exciting revelations, space battles, intrigue, mystery and friendships abound in this sequal... I'm now dying for book 3

Thank you Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for the ARC.

if aurora rising was an excellent space story, with a lot of fun and development, aurora burning took all of that and pushed it in the outer space. <b>literally.</b>

My favorite part of the first book was definitely Squad 312 and their found family. This book delivers on that a lot more and I absolutely adored it.
If the first book made me happy, this one literally broke me. So many plot twists, so many betrayals, so many painful scenes. But this is Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman so I'm not surprised. Especially the first one enjoys hurt us and make us cry in the bathroom floor like in a Grey's Anatomy episode.

I appreciated how in this book we get an insight into other members of the squad like Zila and Fin. We see a lot of their past and what they went through and why they're an important part of the story. Not just some side characters who are there to make the story more rich. I especially connected with Zila much more and I can say with certainty that she's one of my favorite characters now.

We get introduced to a new character, and even if at first you can't help but hate her she sticks herself in your heart slowly and in the end you're in the protection squad without even noticing when it happened. Tyler my sweet boy, in the first book I wasn't a fan of his personality but in this book he definitely grew on me a lot and I definitely connected with him. 

The book was absolutely well written as usual, but the last chapters blew me away. Their talent is astonishing. You totally see why they work so well together. 

We go deeper into the story, especially Aurora and her powers, and that was phenomenal. Seeing her training and becoming her true self but still keeping what matters most to her, her love. For her friends, for Kal and for the people she lost. 

That ending. I don't think is necessary to say Jay Kristoff is a genial demon and wants us all to suffer for eternity. It should be illegal to end a book in such way but it definitely made me even more eager to read the third book and I know this was his intention. Amie is too soft and pure, I can't be mad at her.

You're not ready for this book. You really aren't.