I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

This book was SO cool. I listened to it as an audiobook, and at first I had a hard time getting into it. However, as the book began to reveal itself, as the plotlines started to become clear, I got more and more excited by the premise. Whales you can TALK to! And then what happens next with one of the whales...well, I can't spoil it but it was so exciting and so surprising! I totally loved the book! This is the first book in a series, and now I have to read the second (New Eden) and the third--when it comes out!!--also. I loved the main character (Kim/Hannah). She is awesome. This book was super suspenseful and really kept me on the edge of my seat. Excellent book!

I truly enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It was such an original story and was quite unexpected. It takes you into space and into relationships that are hard to imagine ever being possible, which made the whole story fun and interesting. I would definitely listen to this one again or even pick up a hard copy to read it again. The author did a great job at pulling you into this science fiction novel and making a very different idea still seem relevant. The narrator was also excellent. Great job all around.

Thank you so much for letting me listen to this audiobook. I don't know how or why but in this case I liked the first half much better than the second half.

I enjoyed this story. What starts as a basic transport job transcends to a sci-fi world that looks at consent, second chances, and hope. The story is twisty and, not to worry, the whales are an active part of this book. Thought-provoking as well as action-packed, Under The Heavens is a beautiful start to the trilogy.
The narrator was wonderful. She gave every character their own sound and personality. Her pacing was perfect changing with the status of the action.

Before I even go any further with this review, I have something to note. Audiobooks are not my preferred medium. My mind drifts off too easily. And I probably might have missed some details which I’m keeping in mind while writing this review.

One thing that quickly surprised me was to discover that the whales are also characters in this story. I expected them to be a plot point, a means to an end, a motivator. But instead, they are as much a protagonist as Kim. It gave the story a very interesting perspective. Thanks to the mental link, both Kim and the whales shared their thoughts in a normal conversation which allows us to know their personalities, their way of thinking, and how they perceive Kim, humans, and this journey to a new home. I imagine someone that loves whales will have the time of their life reading this book.

I found quite interesting the evolution of humans’ relationship with whales. Humans began hunting the whales to the point they almost got extinct. Aboard Seiiki are the last remaining alive whales of their respective species. And so, while humans are the reason whales need to be saved, they are the ones saving them. This is something even further discussed as the story progresses. The humans are doing a good deed to save the species, but there’s also the perspective of the ones being saved and how they perceive it. And this is why I say the whales are also protagonists. They have their own voices in the story.

When it comes to world-building, the story falls short for me. The book starts already aboard Seiiki, so we never get to see Earth. Some explanations tie in with what happened to the whales, but I felt there was still a lot to tell. In this universe, humans have a colony on Mars. How did that come to be? Since when? How does it relate to Earth? And other small aspects exist but are never fully explained. Maybe this is something to be explored in the other books or maybe, as a reader, I’m just supposed to accept the world is like this without ever knowing how it reach that point. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I just prefer to see everything and understand everything. Then again, maybe I’ve missed a few details here and there. Only a reread will tell. Either way, there are still two more books in this series and plenty of room to go back in time to explore more if that’s the author’s intent.

While I’m on the topic of things I didn’t enjoy as much, comes religion. I should have guessed since the underground group Kim is part of is called Crusaders. Slowly Kim reveals parts of herself and her past that tie in heavily with religion. And at the end of the day, it’s not a bad thing. Kim’s relationship with religion and the overall message is positive, although I was not expecting it neither did I want to have it intertwined with the rest of the story. It’s not something that can simply be taken out because it’s a big part of the foundation of who Kim is. But at the same time, I felt bored when the story immersed itself in the topic. This is just a matter of preference, but I feel it’s important to mention to expect it going in.

Despite some letdowns, I miss this story. When I finished the audiobook, I started to miss being aboard Seiiki with Kim. In that tiny world enclosed in a metal shell. The ship feels like it’s an environment on itself. It’s very easy to forget that it’s a ship to take them from point A to point B and instead feel like it’s the only world that exists. And sitting outside at night with the audiobook on while stargazing really involved me in a bubble. Looking up and seeing the stars like Kim would see looking out of a window was quite an immersive and peaceful experience. I can’t wait to keep reading this series and be up there among the stars again.

I don't know why I didn't enjoy this, maybe I am just finally at that point where I don't enjoy YA books. I love the idea, raising whales in a space ship was really cool. But the story just felt slow. I didn't care for the character who was watching the whales. It wasn't bad, just a bit slow for my liking.

3 stars

I love a good story about sky whales, and this is definitely a good story about sky whales. I enjoyed the idea of an ark full of whales moving across the universe to find a new planet. The mood becomes increasingly tense as the lone human girl charged with taking her whale charges through the galaxy begins to suspect that she is not as alone as she is supposed to be.

I don't know why the book is YA. There's no real reason for the lead to be only 17 years old. It only adds a level of ickiness when it becomes clear that every potential male love interest is clearly well out of their teens. At least one of them has the semi-decency to feel a little creeped out about the age gap. There's no reason for Kim to not be the 19 years that her alias Hanna is, or even older. I think this book would hold more weight if the lead were older.

In general, it's a good story, the audio narration is excellent, and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. A solid 3.5 stars

I give this 2⭐️’s Thank you Net galley this is my honest review!!
I liked the premise , but I just couldn’t connect the way I thought I would of!! I really thought it was going to have that star trek appeal movie about whales. But it didn’t have it.. maybe too young adult for me!! Sorry guys!!!

This is not a genre I read a lot from.

What would you do if you were in charge of returning some whales to another destination, but there may be a ploy to stop you from accomplishing that goal.

I really enjoyed the storyline of this book. Being able to communicate with whales and understand them would be fun.

#netgalley #undertheheavens

Thank you NetGalley for providing a free advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Whales in space...unfortunately that was where the excitement ended for me. Part of it is my own fault: I'm very picky with Young Adult novels, as I prefer them to have deeper themes. Alas, this novel stayed at the surface level (I am aware of the puns). The story was competently written, the space ship was well described, but nothing was spectacular about it. What was spectacular was the overwhelming amount of plot conveniences. The ship was somehow handed over to the care of a single teenager. Said teenager was actually assuming a false ID and actually had been arrested before (you're telling me in 2074 they don't store your DNA, prints, facial features, etc after you've been arrested and they don't do a thorough background check?!?! We could find people in genealogy databases using super degraded DNA in 2019, come on now!). And then the AI is conveniently unable to see that droids are moving about independently, or a ship has docked, or another person is speaking....That doesn't make any sense. Also, you have whales able to jump into droid bodies and they somehow figure out how to reprogram the computer?!? A lot of disbelief had to be suspended for the story to work.

The story doesn't need to be super original or perfect though, if I can connect with the characters. Unfortunately that didn't happen either. The main character did not interest me at all, her presumed 'bad girl' past was unconvincing for me (she even does a super-hero landing in the novel--that cracked me up). The whales were too simplistic. It didn't help that the author somehow decided to portray whales as unable to understand lies. This is so false; we've seen time and time again evidence of deceitful actions in mammals, birds, going all the way back to insects. Animals do know to manipulate the truth and this simplification of their brain complexity never sits right with me.

The last nail in the coffin for me was the ending--everything was forgiven super easy and I swear the adults learned nothing from this story.

Ultimately: I think if you're looking for a quick easy sci-fi beach read with talking whales you may be entertained. Just don't expect much depth.

This was a really fun concept that I think I would have enjoyed more as an adult book, because the premise ("single teenager gets launched into space with the last of the whales") is just ludacrious and I couldn't take it seriously, but I enjoyed the plot itself. The whales being psychic and able to talk to the MC; her isolation and loneliness, as well as her determination to solve problems on her own made the story connect and I was invested in what happened. There's a twist about halfway that I thought was so cool.

Then it does the typical YA-type thing and inserts an annoying romance where there is no need for one. Oh well.

I also enjoyed the ending a fair amount. I would hope the author wrote a sequel but made it a bit more adult.

6.5/10

I did not think I was going to like this book, I liked the cover, of course, is a pretty ocean scene. I did not realize that cloud was a whale. I also did not realize this story was about whales....in space. Would I have known this if I read the description? Yes, did I read the description? No, I like to go in blind. I actually can't talk to much about this story simply because it would give too much away that is not in the actual description, and I don't want to take away any surprises so this may be brief.

So we have this dystopian setting where humans continuously polluted our planet (shocker) and now life is not sustainable for the whales, many whales, including the orca, have gone extinct. Now this 17-year-old (who the world thinks is 19) is on a mission on a massive ark spaceship to take the whales to a new planet, called New Eden. On this planet the whales should have clean oceans to swim in and be at peace and all that fun stuff.

The whales on the ship has been modified to have human DNA so they are able to mind link with their caretaker, Kim who can hear all of the whales and feel their emotion. The whales likewise can hear and feel her as well. Some whales are extra curious and smart and the main one is Adonai. He asks what stars look like and shares stories and is very curious. Then there are the sweet whales like Fifteen who's just happy to be there.

No I've talked about whales a lot and for the fist 40% or so of the story I thought this book was going to be about the isolation of space and how that takes a toll on the human psyche. How you have no other human interaction and only can talk to whales in your brain. Which could be interesting in and of itself. That is not what the story is about.

There is a lot of action toward the end, and homicidal whales, a long with espionage, fights to the death, betrayals, and intrigue. It turned out much better than I had hoped for. Once you get into the meat of the book, I'm going to say when Wren comes in everything really picks up the pace and becomes really exciting. The first half of the story is more world building and getting you into the headspace of what all is going on and why we're putting whales on a giant space ship.

My biggest brain questions here was one why we think a sole teenager should be left ALONE to care for a ship caring over 50 whales was a good idea. I mean this sucker would have to be freaking massive that seems a bit unrealistic. (Yes fiction sci-fi I know.) I get there are bots to help but also 50+ whales in your brain is just a bit much as well. Second, no I can't remember what that was but teenager alone in space is crazy to me because I've been a teenager and I have an adult teenager in my house. He would not be able to handle that task.

I actually think you should give this book a go if you like different sci-fi books. It has an interesting and familiar concept with everything that happens. Just stick it out past the world building and you'll be delighted with everything that is to come.

I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book--space, whales, and a possible stowaway--sounds like a unique story...I decided to go all in. This plotline sounded strange and I am so glad that it was that strangeness that drew me in because I absolutely LOVED this book! So happy to see that it is the first in a planned trilogy because I am absolutely a new fan of Ruth Fox.

The narration was engaging and a different personality and tone came through for each character. The storyline was entertaining and at times hilarious--I loved the banter between 'Hannah' and the computer and could not get enough of their scenes together. I cannot wait for the next book in this series--and these covers are so stunning that this one will end up on my shelf in physical format.

I’m terribly sorry but I’m DNFing this one. I was so intrigued by the blurb - whales on a spaceship! - but upon reading, the concept is just a little too “out there” for me on this occasion.

I won’t be publicly reviewing.

I did think the narrator was good through. Great range of “voices”.

An entertaining sci-fi novel for young adults. Hannah Monksman (who is not who she seems) wins a competition to take the last whales to a new planet on a state of the art ship. Strange things start to happen. Good characters and well paced plenty to keep you reading. Emily Woo Zeller is and excellent choice for this audiobook. I received this audiobook from Camcat and Netgalley for a review.

Under the Heavens
By Ruth Fox
If you only read one book this year and you only read feel-good books, this one is for you!
A young gal, with lots of secrets, is escorting various types of whales to a new world to save them from extinction. This batch has human DNA in them and fitted with a link in their brain whereas they can communicate with their caretaker, the girl named Kim. Kim also has the implant.
Once the whales get to the world, the goal is after multiple breeding seasons, the human DNA will be diluted until gone. That's the plan.
Kim is alone, except a bossy computer and helpful droids, but she swears she sees someone else. She also notices a few things different. Someone is walking around in her ship!
Now the fun begins! Who, why, and how? None of this goes well with her secrets!
It's a fascinating story with tension, dread, action, love for the whales (especially certain ones! ), and doing what is right!
A feel-good book with a happy ending for the whales! I really loved this book!!!

Audio ARC provided by NetGalley.

Whales in space. This book doesn’t even need a summary to sound interesting, those three words are enough. Ruth Fox has a fantastic imagination, I’ll definitely give her that.

This novel didn’t really pick up speed or become very interesting until the halfway mark. Even then, I never felt very engaged with the characters. A secondary character, Ren, is introduced midway through — and well I liked the addition, I believe his entry into the story came a little too late to connect with him.

What set the plot up for failure is the age of the main character, Kim. She’s seventeen. Would they really be sending a seventeen year old up into space alone with the last living whales? On top of that, both of her “love” interests are in their 20’s. Would it have really been that bad to make her 21?

I believe the story would’ve worked much better as a new adult novel with protagonists in their 20’s.

You had me at Whales in Space! What a unique and lovely novel, I appreciate Ruth Fox's distinctive style and the engaging premise of this book.

I loved the Sci-Fi/thriller aspect of this space tale, and didn't want it to end! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Under the Heavens.

July 2078 - Hannah Monksman is undertaking the groundbreaking task of caring for an ark of whales travelling to a New Eden. Although this wouldn’t be the first off-earth colony, Seiiki - the spacecraft she is on is pioneering in it’s design, allowing the transportation of numerous whales. She also has an implant in her head which creates a neural link, allowing her to monitor and interact with the whales; even enabling her to have conversations with them.



Partway through the journey, one of the Sperm Whales, Adonai begins acting oddly and asking unusual questions, implying that he is picking up more information from her than she is intentionally conveying. Soon Hannah begins feeling she is being watched and thinks she sees a human figure on board, things begin moving about when she is asleep, is this in her mind due to the solitude on board?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, an exciting sci-fi/ psychological thriller. Under The Heavens kept my interest the whole time and the numerous twists and turns kept me guessing what could happen next.

The narrator portrayed the characters wonderfully, both human an whale alike. The pacing and emphasis were great.