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dani_reviews's review against another edition
5.0
Rating: 4.5 stars
First off, this is the third book in a series by Jennifer M. Eaton. If you haven't read the first two – and you really should – check them out using the covers below! Needless to say, this review will have spoilers for the first two. Consider yourself warned.
I have been waiting for this book. What you need to understand is that I have a minor obsession with David the purple alien. It's like with The Rat Prince... I am in love with something not from the same species. I am in love with an alien that could kill me when he wanted to "couple". (Like no jokes.) Luckily, I didn't have to wait as long for my David fix as Jess did.
The book opens up two years after the end of the last, with Jess studying photography at Columbia. She hasn't heard from David since he flew off to colonise Mars. All she knows is that Mars now has oceans, and she figures she needs to move on with her life, maybe with dependable Matt. (Poor Matt. I actually think it was maybe unnecessary to do that to him.) If only the rest of the world would stop treating her like a tourist attraction. But then!!!!!! David shows up!!!!
Humanity is once again at risk, just as David is once again disgraced and scrabbling for a way to save it. The action, once it starts, happens quickly and without abating in this book. The star-crossed duo (LOL) has only two days to stop David's race from destroying Jess'. And that urgency really does push through in this book. One hurdle after the next is thrown in their path, and even I felt like they couldn't possibly come out on top. Talk about an exciting story!
What I love most about Eaton's work is her ability to blend science and romance. I like science fiction, but I don't often read it because I'm a bit of a romance junkie. I need that longing, that chemistry, to keep me emotionally connected to the story, not just intellectually hooked. David and Jess definitely have that chemistry.
As for the science half, Eaton continued her streak of incredible imagination. Despite happening mostly on Earth, Embers in the Sea was possibly more alien than previous books. Jess and David ventured deep into the ocean, down into the Mariana Trench, where humans haven't been before and can't possibly understand what they might find. What these two find are beings weird and wonderful, and I applaud Eaton for coming up with such strange things.
I only have two issues with this book. First, that ending. Whyyyy? Second, there were parts that moved maybe too fast, and I got confused with the action. I had to reread some bits a couple of times, and would eventually keep going, hoping that what I'd missed would be explained better later.
Overall, though, this was an awesome continuation of Jess and David Save the Worlds!
See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.