"Ashfall Legacy" by Pittacus Lore is a new series by the author of "I Am Number 4". I must confess, I originally thought that this series was going to be a continuation of the world of "I Am Number 4", as they are both about aliens that are in hiding on Earth. So once I realized it was a different universe, it took me a minute to mentally change gears.
All-in-all, I have mixed feelings about this book. There are some things that kind of bothered me. Most notably, the main character very early on gets the opportunity to leave Earth, but is told that he would never be able to return or he would suffer from this horrible wasting disease that has no cure. Despite the fact that he is his mother's only family, he doesn't even have to consider it before deciding he wants to go. He just says "bye mom!" and leaves without a backward glance.
Other than that, I did find the plot a bit interesting, but the characters were such that I never really felt emotionally investing in them. I honestly didn't care if they lived or died, which was a bit problematic when they got into troublesome situations. That being said, I did want to know what happens next, and - because of this - will most likely want to read the next book in the series when it comes out.

This alien adventure was great. The boys life challenges were interesting and journey was fun, I look forward to seeing the next in this series. It had a great balance of past story and current so that you could follow the story and see the characters motivations.

Sydney and his mother have lived the last 10 years of their lives in hiding. Changing names, schools, and homes as easily as one would change their clothes. Sydney is half-alien and because of that has been chased by unknown shadows. When Sydney learns that his father is still alive, he embarks on an adventure that spans galaxies in a quest to find his father.

What I enjoyed:
The characters – Pittacus Lore did a great job creating characters with depth. I enjoyed learning about the various alien species – especially the Etherealki
The writing – there was depth and continuity – the story ebbed and flowed quite well.
The world-building – The world (or worlds) introduced in Ashfall Legacy were well written and original. It gave depth and credibility to each of the alien species.
The ending – there was a major role reversal at the end that left me shocked.

What I did not like:
The ending – It felt a little rushed but all in all nothing major.

This book was the perfect set up for what is sure to be an exciting series. I cannot wait to read more of Sydney’s story. A big thank you to HarperCollins and Pittacus Lore for an advanced review copy.

I listened to this with the new Netgalley audiobook program. The robotic voice was both impressive and still horribly distracting. Despite the nature of the audio , I was glad to have it - I almost never have time to read, but I’m always looking for good audio books.
I was surprised by how much I liked this one.
I don’t remember getting into the author’s first series, but this one was great.
A lot of voice, great humor, good writing, consistent tension, amazing & original world building. I would’ve given it 5 stars except I had a few problems with the main plot.

SPOILERS BELOW!!

The ending (last quarter?) gave me whiplash. People randomly switching sides, changing motivation, life goals, and belief systems based on a single revelation, or their own limited logic.

Specifically: (SPOILERS! You’ve been warned!)

So his dad finds out humans were the historical tyrants of the universe. Okay that’s a cool twist - although a little self- deprecating. Smacked a little of the kill-humans-not animals (or the earth) fanaticism. Humans are so bad - they’re ruining the earth and we should all be euthanized. (That’s what the modern-day people haters say, not the author or this book) but I did get a lot of the same “be ashamed to be human” vibes I’ve heard so much from extremists. Surprise surprise earth was nearly uninhabitable because of pollution. Just once I’d like to hear a story with the fate of the earth that didn’t boil down to humans not recycling enough.

That wasn’t what actually bugged me the most however. It was peoples varied (melodramatic) responses to the revelation that humans were in prison on earth cause they were too powerful and evil.

Syds dad for example decided to save humanity by keeping the secret from getting out - even if it meant actively killing his own son.... okay. Certainly don’t want to discuss it with like-minded wise friends/leaders. Best to make the decision for the whole universe.

He goes through such lengths to keep anyone from finding the temple (and the secret) yet he keeps his brain alive artificially which ensures people actually WOULD find the secret by following his “tether”. As far as I heard, they never did explain why Marcius —or whatever his dads name is—didn’t just kill himself so they’d be impossible to find and this keep the secret safe?? No that would’ve been too easy.
And the sweet old scientist suddenly turning into a kidnapper and torturer because after thinking about it he decided his friend Marcius—with whom he’d been plotting and working—wasn’t of sound mind. So the nice little old man turns into a psycho - in order to force Sydney into finding his dad WHICH SYD WANTED AND WAS PLANNING TO DO ANYWAY. Wha????
And it’s beyond ridiculous how tight knit crews suddenly turn on each other (historically and contemporarily) upon learning that humans were big jerks once.
Yeah let’s not discuss this like intelligent - non-racists let’s all become instant extremists xenophobes because that would make the ending more dramatic.
Okay...
Like I said, I really loved the book and the revelations. Pretty much everything was awesome - except for the motivation and crux of the entire plot. 😆
So I guess that’s kind of a biggie.
I could’ve swallowed this big pill but it would’ve taken a LOT more preparation and persuasion on the part of the author. I’d like to see this book have a little more common sense when the final version comes out.
And if all that was explained well - then explain it better- so those of us with lower IQs can pick up on it.

I have read the books about the Lorien Nine by Pittacus Lore and was excited to see a new book by him. I received this as an audiobook and it was a computer generated reading. At times I definitely noticed the robotic narrator, but the majority of the time I was so captivated by the book that it didn't bother me. I'm sure reading the book would be great and once it is narrated by a real person the audiobook version will be great. The story is about the journey of Syd, a teen who is half human and half alien. I can't wait for the next one in the series to be released. Especially since it ends on a cliff-hanger.

Love all the books I've read by Pittacus Lore. Couldn't finish this one due to the computerized narrator. I knew it would be computerized going in, but I couldn't adjust to the style. I'm sure the storyline was excellent, as all of the books I've read so far are.

This story is a wildly creative tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat to see what will happen next. I could picture the characters and imagine their surroundings because of how well the author describes it all. A great story!

Sydney and his mom have been on the run and hiding for 10 years. At the age of 12 his mom had let him in on one of the many family secrets and told Sydney that he was half alien, as in his dad is from another planet. Sydney and his mom had been making their way across the US when their past catches up with them and Sydney finds out that his dad is still alive and he must find his dad and in the process help save humanity. Unfortunately, once Sydney leaves planet Earth he may never be able to return. Sydney find friends in unexpected places and has to figure out who he can really trust.

A wild ride! Excellent world building that sucks you in to a Middle Grade/YA space explorer' journey into new worlds! Ashfall Legacy is told from Syd's perspective -- a teen who is half-alien, half-human and who speaks with a very distinctive YA voice. I would say I didn't identify this with books as much as I could because the female characters were under developed which is a short-fall of the book. It is a focused on the male characters, which is not just due to the main character being a male. If you enjoyed the other books in the Lorien Legacy series, you should probably give this one a shot.

Good introduction. Seems like it will enticethe supposed targeted age range of 10-14 especially for the cursing. Seriously too many f-bombs. I have read s o many other science fiction books so it did not feel that fresh. Luckily the characters were loveable and somehow not obnoxious. I might have adored this at 15.

I enjoyed this book, I felt immersed in this sci-fi universe while reading it and truly fell in love with some of the characters. Zara and Syd had amazing character introductions and development and were easy to relate to. I loved the twists of the plot, and was surprised about this new take of humanity. I found it interesting how the story didn’t portray the cliche of having a love interest and appreciated how it maintained focus on the plot. I see this work as a great combination of an awesome extraterrestrial adventure as well as a call to action about the environment and the actions of humans in general.

I was a huge fan of I Am Number Four when it first came out and enjoyed all of the Lorien Legacy books I read after so I was excited to see a new series by Pittacus Lore and I received an advanced copy audiobook from NetGalley.

Syd has lived most of his life on the run. At the age of 10 his mom explained how his dad—now presumed dead—was from Denza. Syd’s mother, a scientist, had fallen in love with him before he returned to space on the mission he never returned from. Syd toys with the idea that his mom’s story may be the product of an unhealthy mind, but most of the time he’s fully supportive of this life they live.

One day, Syd helps a stranger conquer an impossible to beat video game, opening a message directly for him. Soon, Syd is on his way into space with his long-lost uncle. His world is turned upside down as he’s introduced to new life forms and a world he could never have imagined. Denza and earth are both in danger and it falls to Syd to help protect the future of both.

This book started out great. I was drawn in and interested by the complexity of a half-alien, half-human living a life on the run with his human mother. I love the idea of a dangerous alien breed on earth, hunting them down (a lá the Lorien Legacies). Unlike the first series though, Ashfall Legacy is a more traditional type of sci-fi novel. Syd travels to space, there are alien races, and advanced technology, strange planets, and lots of histories of the aforementioned. I guess I’m more of a sci-fi lite reader, so this became a bit much for my preferences even though it had a similar feel for everything I loved about the Lorien Legacies series.

I notice several reviewers mentioning the quality of the audiobook preview. To clarify, the reviewers copy of the audiobook is a synthetic voice galley and does not represent what the final audiobook will be. I actually didn’t find the synthetic voice to be any bit of a distraction from my listening experience.
Ashfall Legacies, while a stronger sci-fi than I generally enjoy, is an engaging adventure and an interesting new series from Pittacus Lore.

Ashfall Legacy will be released 8/17/21

*I received a copy of Ashfall Legacy from NetGalley and Harper Audio in exchange for an honest review*

First off, I don’t usually read sci-fi but this book sounded interesting enough to want to read.

When I started it, I didn’t want to finish because I thought I had to read the other books in the series starting with I Am Number Four. I found out that it can be read on its own so gave it a try.

Unfortunately, I didn't like it. It’s about a half human/half alien boy who goes in search of his missing father.

The audio is not the final narrator - but I did not have a problem listening to it on a higher speed. That wasn’t the problem. The book just did not hold my interest.

I have received this arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sydney’s only memory of his father is eating donuts before he left on a business trip. That was 10 years ago, and he never returned.

Now, he and his mom are on the run. Running from unknown shadows chasing them. Why? Because Sydney isn’t exactly totally human.

After learning that he is still alive, Sydney leaves Earth on mission to rescue his father.

——
My Rating: 4⭐️

This books storyline vaguely reminded me of Ad Astra, a son searching the galaxy for his missing father. But that is where the parallel mostly ends. Written in first person, from the perspective of Sydney, this story goes on an adventure as epic as the galaxy he explores.

What I Liked:
The writing. Pittacus Lore displays his skill in weaving a world and telling a story. There are so many textures and layers.

The perspective. Sydney’s perspective was full of all things teenage boy, but at the same time relatable. I appreciated the conflict and the humor.

The characters. I am intrigued by the different species. Especially the Etherealki. I want to know more!

What I Didn’t Like:
The ending felt a little rushed. The pacing throughout the book was perfect. I felt like a tourist that was able to stop and truly enjoy the sights, but at the end, I felt like I was being pushed out the door.
Would have loved a bit more.

Final Thoughts:
Bravo for a beautiful beginning to what will be an exciting series. The author accomplished something special with this book and I think readers will appreciate the unique story and fantastic characters.

Thank you HarperCollins and Pittacus Lore for an advanced review copy.

I can't speak to the actual audiobook since I listened to a robot narration. The book itself is a basic kind of simple sci-fi book about aliens and space. I didn't dislike it, but there's better out there. Would make for a good intro for mid-grade/ younger teens who have an interest in getting into scifi. Would recommend for them, but not diehard scifi fans.

So, I've never read a book by this author so I thought it would be best to just dive right in with a new series.
At times I found it difficult to keep up with the story and plot. I'm not the biggest scifi fan after all but I always like to give it a try.
The story was great at first but I dont know if it was because it was the robotic voice galley which I knew what I was getting myself into with it but it made it quite hard to follow at times.
It also fell flat a lot especially when compared to two other amazing scifi series.
Maybe if I read it as a physical book instead I would like it.

This was an ok story. Did not live up to my expectations of the his previous books. And the language in it was horrible. For a teen book there was a lot of f-bombs and crude language. It could have been a lot better. I received a complimentary copy of this audio book for review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Again, I will say that I don't really enjoy sci-fi books and again I will be proven wrong. I really enjoyed the world building that occurred in this book. I thought that the characters were great. I just really thought that there could have been more detail to make this more dramatic. I also thought that the cliffhanger end was annoying. But overall, would recommend this to a friend.

I really enjoyed Ashfall Legacy. The character development was strong and the Alien world was well constructed. I felt like I was being transported to another world. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book! I will definitely suggest this book to my students.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of Ashfall Legacy in exchange for an honest review.

This started out promising. It was fast paced and kept my attention for the first few chapters, then lost me.

The story follows Sydney Chambers, a half-human, half-alien boy who is on the run with his mother. His mother has left out many details regarding Syd’s father, who they are running from, and what Sydney is. Syd and his mother are always one step ahead of whoever is hunting them, until one day Syd’s uncle catches up. When Sydney learns his father (earlier presumed dead) is actually alive, he leaves with his uncle to attend a special academy and search for his father.

This is where I start to get lost. It may have been that this ARC was a “voice galley” instead of a regular audiobook, meaning it was very robotic and hard to follow. I tried to get past that, but even then, it was difficult to keep up with all the species of aliens and the sequence of events thereafter.

I was a bit hesitant to review this book because the robotic narration was just so disconnected to me. I felt the story itself is interesting and promising - Syd, a half-alien and half-human boy, searches for his missing father amongst the planets, galaxies, and stars - and I was eager to 'read' it.
I wish I can say more, but the audio was really bothersome to me. The audio made me daze out and fall asleep which is unfair to the author. If there's a text, I would be happy to read it again.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for the audio for an Honest Review,