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imaginethisreader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
No kidding this was epic.
A beautiful blend of comedy and suspense. An excellent read for young, teen and adult sci-fi fans.
This group of hero's made me laugh, cringe and cry.
Oh and Kal is hot as f!ck.
A beautiful blend of comedy and suspense. An excellent read for young, teen and adult sci-fi fans.
This group of hero's made me laugh, cringe and cry.
Oh and Kal is hot as f!ck.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Cursing, Gun violence, Violence, War, Murder, Hate crime, Genocide, and Death of parent
nuin_giliath's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This was SUCH a disappointment. The Illuminae Files is among my all-time favorite sci-fi series, but this was nowhere near that in terms of quality or creativity. I knew going into this that the authors didn't implement the same storytelling structure as their previous collaboration and that was perfectly fine with me. There were actually several stylistic choices - especially at the very beginning and end - that I really appreciated and enjoyed. While somewhat lacking in places, I also liked the world building aspects that were present. There were some interesting concepts introduced that I would love to see explored further.
What ended up sinking this ship in my eyes were the characters. Repeatedly, we are informed about how insanely gifted this crew is and yet their behavior never convinced me of that fact. They were shockingly inconsistent with how they fluctuated between being insufferably juvenile and wise beyond their years. One minute, they'd be acting/talking like ten-year-olds, complete with jokes about soiling their pants. The next, they're speaking as if they're army veterans who have been jaded by the experiences of a thirty-year career. That doesn't make sense. You can't have it both ways. I was also devastated by how awful most of the female characters were. They were frequently petty, whiny, and so very shallow. With having a woman co-authoring this book, they should not have been this incredibly unrelatable to me (also a woman.) What absolutely broke my heart over this is that characters are typically the best part of a book for me. Without feeling a connection to them, the whole book comes across as dull and lifeless.
The plot, while intriguing, was barely present until the last 30% or so. While those final chapters were really well done and rather exciting, I felt cheated that I had to trudge through so much inadequacy to get there. By that point, I had lost any interest in these characters - except for Zila who simply needs to BAMF! the rest of them into oblivion - which unfortunately meant that the heavy emotional beats were lost on me. And that's tragic.
Having had such high hopes for this book, it truly pains me to rate this so low. But a story where I can't connect with the characters is never going to win my heart. The potential was there, but the execution failed miserably. I'm currently uncertain if I'll continue with the series at all.
What ended up sinking this ship in my eyes were the characters. Repeatedly, we are informed about how insanely gifted this crew is and yet their behavior never convinced me of that fact. They were shockingly inconsistent with how they fluctuated between being insufferably juvenile and wise beyond their years. One minute, they'd be acting/talking like ten-year-olds, complete with jokes about soiling their pants. The next, they're speaking as if they're army veterans who have been jaded by the experiences of a thirty-year career. That doesn't make sense. You can't have it both ways. I was also devastated by how awful most of the female characters were. They were frequently petty, whiny, and so very shallow. With having a woman co-authoring this book, they should not have been this incredibly unrelatable to me (also a woman.) What absolutely broke my heart over this is that characters are typically the best part of a book for me. Without feeling a connection to them, the whole book comes across as dull and lifeless.
The plot, while intriguing, was barely present until the last 30% or so. While those final chapters were really well done and rather exciting, I felt cheated that I had to trudge through so much inadequacy to get there. By that point, I had lost any interest in these characters - except for Zila who simply needs to BAMF! the rest of them into oblivion - which unfortunately meant that the heavy emotional beats were lost on me. And that's tragic.
Having had such high hopes for this book, it truly pains me to rate this so low. But a story where I can't connect with the characters is never going to win my heart. The potential was there, but the execution failed miserably. I'm currently uncertain if I'll continue with the series at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Blood
rebeccajost's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Medical content, Blood, Death, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Ableism, Sexual content, Colonisation, and Abandonment
mypatronusisajedi's review
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Animal death, Violence, and Vomit
smasson13's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm unsure if it is just the fact that this novel sparked me out of a reading slump, or if it is truly this amazing.
TBH, there are some predictable events in the story and usual tropes, but it feels new and fresh. The pace is so fast and the characters are killer.
Amazing read, definitely a win.
TBH, there are some predictable events in the story and usual tropes, but it feels new and fresh. The pace is so fast and the characters are killer.
Amazing read, definitely a win.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gun violence
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, War, Death, and Blood
sssunny's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I first read Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff's magnificent trilogy The Illuminae Files, and judging on how much I loved the story and characters of that trilogy, I was afraid I would compare Aurora Rising to that. Safe to say, they were incomparable and both were such good reads that once I got started it was hard to put it down.
I'm a sucker for a good sci-fi read so I was automatically dazzled by the world built by Kaufman and Kristoff, but never had I read a book with such loveable characters. The characters were definitely the defining factor that lead me to giving this novel a 5 star review, the plot itself (while still exciting) was typical to any adventure novel. I love the relationships the characters develop with each other throughout the novel and how they overcome all of their biases and self-centeredness as they bonded with the misfits they were stuck running from the galaxy with.
Overall, this book was so much fun to read and was exactly what I needed after reading thought provoking, I-should-probably-wake-up-before-I-read-this kind of novels. I needed that YA mind break and after loving Illuminae Files and reading those books three times over, Aurora Rising didn't miss. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loved Illuminae Files, and any of my fellow YA-novel-enjoyers. I definitely will read this one again!
This is just my extra little tidbit **SPOILERS**
My favorite character was Cat. Who Kaufman and Kristoff so rudely killed off right at the last 30 pages of the book and absolutely crushed me. I, myself, am a pilot and have been looking keenly into Airforce or test pilot, so I related a lot to her hot headedness and connection to the thrill of flying.
Finian was probably my second favorite character, I loved how for the longest time all you saw was his sarcastic, asshole-ness and as soon as you were able to read from his perspective you immediately felt for him and felt for his struggles.
Tyler, at first, seemed like a pretty basic and straight up character, but as the novel progressed I was invested in his transformation and I needed him to realize his love for Cat sooner!
As soon as Kal came into play when we first met him in a fight with other Aurora Legionnaires I knew I had to know more, and anytime a chapter in his POV came up I was like hell YEAH!!
While she didn't say much, Kila was so entertaining to read. She reminded me of the Bennett sister from Pride and Prejudice that didn't speak much but when she did it kind of caught everyone off guard. Also towards the end of the book when Tyler told her that while she was incredibly smart she had no social skills and Kal looked over to see Kila tearing up slightly it made my heart hurt and I was invested with the direction her character went from that point forward.
Scarlett was a total badass, and I love the way that she cared for the team in her own subtle ways making sure everyone felt recognized. I feel that she was a vital character in making the team that seemed not to fit together at all, come together in the end.
For most of the book I found myself pitying Aurora. She came off so helpless and came off as a damsel in distress and annoyed me quite a bit. In that final few chapters of the novel and Aurora finally seemed to be attempting to get control over whatever is going on with her she finally got to be an entertaining character to read and not just Kal's one-true-love.
I'm a sucker for a good sci-fi read so I was automatically dazzled by the world built by Kaufman and Kristoff, but never had I read a book with such loveable characters. The characters were definitely the defining factor that lead me to giving this novel a 5 star review, the plot itself (while still exciting) was typical to any adventure novel. I love the relationships the characters develop with each other throughout the novel and how they overcome all of their biases and self-centeredness as they bonded with the misfits they were stuck running from the galaxy with.
Overall, this book was so much fun to read and was exactly what I needed after reading thought provoking, I-should-probably-wake-up-before-I-read-this kind of novels. I needed that YA mind break and after loving Illuminae Files and reading those books three times over, Aurora Rising didn't miss. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loved Illuminae Files, and any of my fellow YA-novel-enjoyers. I definitely will read this one again!
This is just my extra little tidbit **SPOILERS**
Finian was probably my second favorite character, I loved how for the longest time all you saw was his sarcastic, asshole-ness and as soon as you were able to read from his perspective you immediately felt for him and felt for his struggles.
Tyler, at first, seemed like a pretty basic and straight up character, but as the novel progressed I was invested in his transformation and I needed him to realize his love for Cat sooner!
As soon as Kal came into play when we first met him in a fight with other Aurora Legionnaires I knew I had to know more, and anytime a chapter in his POV came up I was like hell YEAH!!
While she didn't say much, Kila was so entertaining to read. She reminded me of the Bennett sister from Pride and Prejudice that didn't speak much but when she did it kind of caught everyone off guard. Also towards the end of the book when Tyler told her that while she was incredibly smart she had no social skills and Kal looked over to see Kila tearing up slightly it made my heart hurt and I was invested with the direction her character went from that point forward.
Scarlett was a total badass, and I love the way that she cared for the team in her own subtle ways making sure everyone felt recognized. I feel that she was a vital character in making the team that seemed not to fit together at all, come together in the end.
For most of the book I found myself pitying Aurora. She came off so helpless and came off as a damsel in distress and annoyed me quite a bit. In that final few chapters of the novel and Aurora finally seemed to be attempting to get control over whatever is going on with her she finally got to be an entertaining character to read and not just Kal's one-true-love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Chronic illness, Violence, and Gun violence
Minor: Grief and Genocide
jpw's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Good star trek fan fic
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Torture, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Death, and Colonisation
snazzysie's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Aurora Rising is the first book in the series "Aurora Cycle" and it follows the journey of a space squad as they try to figure out the powers of their new friend and what secrets her past holds. This futuristic sci-fi novel has a sort of found family trope, adventures, aliens, and a touch of romance.
I like stories being told through multiple points of view, but I think this book overdid it a bit, as there were quite a few main characters. The switching back and forth was pretty confusing, as were the futuristic names, which made it hard to follow at times. As someone who doesn't love a lot of violence in their books, I found the few fist-fights and injuries described not too overwhelming, and I would recommend this book for 14+
I like stories being told through multiple points of view, but I think this book overdid it a bit, as there were quite a few main characters. The switching back and forth was pretty confusing, as were the futuristic names, which made it hard to follow at times. As someone who doesn't love a lot of violence in their books, I found the few fist-fights and injuries described not too overwhelming, and I would recommend this book for 14+
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Gun violence
Minor: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, and Sexual content
elenamarmiroli's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Avvertenze: autore problematico.
Nonostante i miei problemi iniziali con lo stile di scrittura dell'opera, che soprattutto inizialmente pareva essere forzato verso l'ironia, quest'opera mi è piaciuta parecchio e si è rivelata una lettura molto scorrevole e veloce.
L'unico ulteriore problema è a mio parere il finale, visto che l'ho ritenuto un po' troppo affrettato rispetto a quanto consigliabile.
Nonostante i miei problemi iniziali con lo stile di scrittura dell'opera, che soprattutto inizialmente pareva essere forzato verso l'ironia, quest'opera mi è piaciuta parecchio e si è rivelata una lettura molto scorrevole e veloce.
L'unico ulteriore problema è a mio parere il finale, visto che l'ho ritenuto un po' troppo affrettato rispetto a quanto consigliabile.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Cursing
luciiee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Violence, War, Blood, Death of parent, Grief, and Death