Achilles

This was cool. I don't always find a sci-fi novel I like, but this one was something I clicked with immediately. Enjoyed the writing style, the flow. I loved the action and gory details- another surprise for me -and it was just pure adrenaline from start to finish. Jonah was an interesting character to follow, cautious. The others made up for what he didn't outright express in the story, taking lead or choosing the role of psycho or coward. It was all pretty quick, which matched the action going on, but I may not be used to these kind of stories, because while I thought everyone was great, I didn't really find any of them endearing, except maybe Hopper, but only outrageously so. I'll definitely be looking out for the second novel, though. I almost ripped my hair out when no one refused to explain why- well. You'll have to see.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book on slightly appealed to me in the beginning. I was intrigued enough to start. Good thing I did, because I ended up really liking this book. The pace, tone, action, scenery and characters were so very enjoyable. It was very nice to read from a male POV instead of female for a change.
Jonah seems authentic, vulnerable and multi-dimensional. He is a new trained, first-year Cadet on track to land on Thetis. Before Jonah and his colleagues can make it to there destination, they crash land on its moon, Achilles.
There are twists and turns all throughout this book. And heads up, there is a cliffhanger. But I like where the author ended the first book. All in all, this is a great sci-fi gem!

Jonah is a 16 year old cadet on a space ship called Mayflower 2 with 177 other people in the year 2221. They are on a resettlement journey to the planet Thetis and they're almost there. After being moved from foster home to foster home when his parents died in an earthquake Jonah can't wait to start over. He's finally getting the chance to start his life over by being a cadet and going on this mission. The journey abruptly ends when the ship unexpectedly crashes on a moon called Achilles right off the planet Thetis. This sets many into panic, traps many others and some perish. How can they survive on a moon with limited resources? Will they ever get off Achilles or will they live there til they die? What else is there with them?
I love the way this book was written. The twists and turns make this novel exciting and terrifying. I don't mind the ending because it is the first in a series and leaves you wanting to read more. I will definitely be reading the next book!

The following will be published on my blog, Keep Reading Forward, on September 23rd at 10AM EST:

In Achilles, a group of people are on their way to the new home planet of Thetis in the year of 2221, where their ship suddenly crashes on its moon, Achilles, instead. Upon landing on Achilles, Jonah realizes there is something deeper going on when all the adults goes missing. Along with surviving on the planet, Jonah and his group has to figure out a way to get off the moon once and for all.

Right off the back, this book gets right into the action. We start from Jonah being in the ship when the ship suddenly veers of course and out of control and there’s no stopping from there. We witness the crash, hear all the details, and see the aftermath. Also, trust me when I say that no small details are left out in everything.

As soon as the story and the details start to lay out, you realize that there is an entire unknown territory and there is a mysterious feel about the moon and the event. Everything that happens soon doesn’t makes sense with everything and Jonah realizes that to, something is going on.

What I liked most about the story was the fact that there was always something happening, but at the same times, there was a level of something you did not know. They had to survive, but at the same time, they are trying to understand what caused their ship to fail and crash. Jonah and the groups also have to figure out why the moon has mysterious symbols and workings.

However, there were a few times where I felt a little lost in the world building. I had to stop and try to remember what the world looked like. I couldn’t remember if it was all rocks like a usual moon looked like, or if there was some areas where there was live plants and stuff. I understand there are several areas where there are creatures and plants, but some scenes in the story got lost as to where the characters were. Luckily enough, most scenes were able to be followed easily.

All the characters were enjoyable to read about, even some of the annoying ones. I believe that most of the characters were well developed, but a few could have some areas of improvements. There was a certain character that I believed became to predictable earlier on than expected, but I think it was very subtle and I just caught it first thing. However, I did like the twists surrounding this character and a few others.

At the end, this was unlike any story that I have read before. I have read a few Sci-Fi stories, but not many taking place in outer space and that has a thrilling factor to it. It was quite different than what I have read before. At the end, I have enjoyed reading this quick read.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed it very much!