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mybestfriendsarefictional's review against another edition
5.0
“To continue the metaphor, I believe, if I was human, you might describe me as ‘high as a motherfuckering kite.’ I feel great.” - Scheherazade, The Stars All Unclaimed
Set 3 years after the events in All the Stars Unclaimed, ACCATD is a fantastic continuation in Williams' The Universe After series.
I read it over the course of a day, and was constantly thinking about where in the cosmos the story was going to take us next. I definitely preferred the story being told from Esa's point if view this time around, as opposed to Jane's in the first book - this was especially fun because we got to see Esa working on her powers from an inside perspective. The addition of several new characters was welcome, and the return of some familiar faces had me grinning like a loon. I thought that the Big Bad was creeeeepy, nothing quite so horrifying than a zealot who doesn't give af. My favourite character, again, was Schaz, I mean, who doesn't love a sentient AI.
With space pirates, mental space fights, more guns than you know what to do with, extremely hair raising situations, mortal danger, a really smart kid who is also a Wulf, telekinesis, huge explosions and big ass plot reveals - you're in for a great time. Check it out - 5☆.
Thank you to @darkroomtours for arranging this tour and to @simonschusteruk for sending me copies of both books one exchange for an honest review.
Set 3 years after the events in All the Stars Unclaimed, ACCATD is a fantastic continuation in Williams' The Universe After series.
I read it over the course of a day, and was constantly thinking about where in the cosmos the story was going to take us next. I definitely preferred the story being told from Esa's point if view this time around, as opposed to Jane's in the first book - this was especially fun because we got to see Esa working on her powers from an inside perspective. The addition of several new characters was welcome, and the return of some familiar faces had me grinning like a loon. I thought that the Big Bad was creeeeepy, nothing quite so horrifying than a zealot who doesn't give af. My favourite character, again, was Schaz, I mean, who doesn't love a sentient AI.
With space pirates, mental space fights, more guns than you know what to do with, extremely hair raising situations, mortal danger, a really smart kid who is also a Wulf, telekinesis, huge explosions and big ass plot reveals - you're in for a great time. Check it out - 5☆.
Thank you to @darkroomtours for arranging this tour and to @simonschusteruk for sending me copies of both books one exchange for an honest review.
tasadion's review against another edition
3.0
Still a faced-paced ride, just like it's predecessor, but this time the view focusses a little more. There are no "bonkers space battles" but a number of more personal fight scenes, and everything is a little more personal.
The plot runs on rails, and the characters seem happy enough to charge from scene to scene is settings that seem custom made for a movie (hmm). The characterisation is a little simple, and the logic of it all makes you wonder a bit.
But hey it's all good fun, and if you don't like this sort of thing, you should have stopped at book one.
The plot runs on rails, and the characters seem happy enough to charge from scene to scene is settings that seem custom made for a movie (hmm). The characterisation is a little simple, and the logic of it all makes you wonder a bit
Spoiler
A telekinetic hero fighting a being of pure energy by punching each other?But hey it's all good fun, and if you don't like this sort of thing, you should have stopped at book one.
faintdreams's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
The last third (?) of the book does feature some depictions of gory violence, but it is a tiny percentage of the book overall, and fairly tame for a Post Apocalyptic Military setting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Religious bigotry
anaole's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
paperbacksandpinot's review against another edition
4.0
Initially, I was apprehensive about returning to this world as I sadly didn’t love book 1 as much as I had hoped, however, I have never been gladder to have taken the plunge again as this book is head and shoulders above what had come before in my view. Set a few years on from The Stars Now Unclaimed, it holds very much the same formula but just works so much better. A more developed Esa brings a balance to the crew and this books big bad felt more focused and genuinely petrifying at times!
I have to say I absolutely adore this cover, it has such an amazing retro feel to it and was what first drew me in to request a review copy. So why did this book work better for me? It just felt more accomplished, like the author had listened to feedback as pretty much all that had bothered me with book 1 was resolved. Esa was a much better choice as narrator than Jane, she is still learning all about her gifts and how to be her own person under the shadow of Jane. I found her easy going, humble at times and the battles felt well paced and well spaced out, giving time and opportunity for the characters to develop at a more natural pace. We got to see Esa very much come into her own as a character and this was a book where we grew with her throughout. Pretty much everyone met along the way gave her an extra piece of the puzzle as to either her background or how to find the things that will make her the best she can be. We also have characters that give Jane some much needed extra dimension too, this combined with the 3 years spent at Esa’s side allowed me to connect with her in a way I couldn’t before.
I really enjoyed the locations this time round which really showed the beauty of the universe and that not everywhere had been devastated by The Pulse. The author took the time to really paint a picture of the surroundings both in and out of space, which made me care all the more when some places ended up going to hell!
Huge props need to go out to creating a truly terrifying villain, I’m not going to name them as that’s part of the plot, but wow did I feel genuine anxiety whenever they turned up – a single being conveying far more dread and fear than a fleet of Pax ever could, I felt like I was back watching Terminator 2 at times! Belief in a religious cause above all else creating a formidable threat, in what could be read as a bit of veiled social commentary, or just someone who is crazy cakes.
I’m still not a fan of the section layout but the chapters this time around felt substantial and really served to make it a more enjoyable reading experience. I was a bit baffled as to why everyone had become 80% more sweary – not that I’m bothered by it, but it did feel that in the 3 year gap between books they had all learnt the F word and loved to use it.
With thanks to Darkroom Tours and Simon and Schuster for providing this advanced review copy. A Chain Across the Dawn, is everything that the series needed to become, epic in battles and thoughtful in character development – I’m now genuinely excited to see how the series continues where we’ll hopefully get to see a lot more of Sho!
I have to say I absolutely adore this cover, it has such an amazing retro feel to it and was what first drew me in to request a review copy. So why did this book work better for me? It just felt more accomplished, like the author had listened to feedback as pretty much all that had bothered me with book 1 was resolved. Esa was a much better choice as narrator than Jane, she is still learning all about her gifts and how to be her own person under the shadow of Jane. I found her easy going, humble at times and the battles felt well paced and well spaced out, giving time and opportunity for the characters to develop at a more natural pace. We got to see Esa very much come into her own as a character and this was a book where we grew with her throughout. Pretty much everyone met along the way gave her an extra piece of the puzzle as to either her background or how to find the things that will make her the best she can be. We also have characters that give Jane some much needed extra dimension too, this combined with the 3 years spent at Esa’s side allowed me to connect with her in a way I couldn’t before.
I really enjoyed the locations this time round which really showed the beauty of the universe and that not everywhere had been devastated by The Pulse. The author took the time to really paint a picture of the surroundings both in and out of space, which made me care all the more when some places ended up going to hell!
Huge props need to go out to creating a truly terrifying villain, I’m not going to name them as that’s part of the plot, but wow did I feel genuine anxiety whenever they turned up – a single being conveying far more dread and fear than a fleet of Pax ever could, I felt like I was back watching Terminator 2 at times! Belief in a religious cause above all else creating a formidable threat, in what could be read as a bit of veiled social commentary, or just someone who is crazy cakes.
I’m still not a fan of the section layout but the chapters this time around felt substantial and really served to make it a more enjoyable reading experience. I was a bit baffled as to why everyone had become 80% more sweary – not that I’m bothered by it, but it did feel that in the 3 year gap between books they had all learnt the F word and loved to use it.
With thanks to Darkroom Tours and Simon and Schuster for providing this advanced review copy. A Chain Across the Dawn, is everything that the series needed to become, epic in battles and thoughtful in character development – I’m now genuinely excited to see how the series continues where we’ll hopefully get to see a lot more of Sho!
bi_bibliophile's review against another edition
5.0
A Chain Across The Dawn is the second book in The Universe After series about Jane Kamali seeking out gifted children to save the galaxy. The Stars Now Unclaimed is the first book, which I loved so I was very excited to read this.
Here we are, 3 years after the events of the first book and we get to see everything through the eyes of 17 year old Esa and holy fucking hell, I loved it. We get a glimpse of how she's developed over the last 3 years but there's far more growing to do. She's been growing up on a spaceship, hopping from one war torn world to another for 3 years trying to find more gifted kids like her. Fair warning, if you're expecting the perfect version of a "strong" female teenager who's polite but also tough and knows her place as "the saviour" of the story that we all get shoved down our throats lately then you are fucking wrong. If you don't like swearing do not read this book, there are f-bombs flying all over and you know what, I don't think I've ever related to a character more than with Esa and her moments foul-mouthed emotion. It makes her character and development all the more believable because who wouldn't be swearing if you were being chased across the galaxy by the Phantom Virus from Scooby Doo And The Cyber Chase, a.k.a the Cyn?
Besides the return of all the awesome characters from the first book and the addition of Sho (let me take a moment to say how much I loved our little Wulf friend, he wasn't in this enough and I hope we see him again because I loved that smart arsed little pup) and Mo who are both great, we have some bloody brilliant action and some great twists I didn't see coming. This is another fantastic adventure with threats around every corner. There is also believable character development, not only for Esa, but for Jane too as this tale of galactic salvation becomes more and more about family and finding hope in the most devastating of situations.
Give me the third book already, please!
Rated: 5/5
Here we are, 3 years after the events of the first book and we get to see everything through the eyes of 17 year old Esa and holy fucking hell, I loved it. We get a glimpse of how she's developed over the last 3 years but there's far more growing to do. She's been growing up on a spaceship, hopping from one war torn world to another for 3 years trying to find more gifted kids like her. Fair warning, if you're expecting the perfect version of a "strong" female teenager who's polite but also tough and knows her place as "the saviour" of the story that we all get shoved down our throats lately then you are fucking wrong. If you don't like swearing do not read this book, there are f-bombs flying all over and you know what, I don't think I've ever related to a character more than with Esa and her moments foul-mouthed emotion. It makes her character and development all the more believable because who wouldn't be swearing if you were being chased across the galaxy by the Phantom Virus from Scooby Doo And The Cyber Chase, a.k.a the Cyn?
Besides the return of all the awesome characters from the first book and the addition of Sho (let me take a moment to say how much I loved our little Wulf friend, he wasn't in this enough and I hope we see him again because I loved that smart arsed little pup) and Mo who are both great, we have some bloody brilliant action and some great twists I didn't see coming. This is another fantastic adventure with threats around every corner. There is also believable character development, not only for Esa, but for Jane too as this tale of galactic salvation becomes more and more about family and finding hope in the most devastating of situations.
Give me the third book already, please!
Rated: 5/5
kindleandcrochet's review
4.0
I recieved a free copy of this book as part of a bookstagram tour.
I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this one... It wasn't quite the same as the first book and it didn't really draw me in as much as the first book... I wouldn't really class its as bigger battles... Not in the same way there was in the first book, which constantly had me on edge.
So this book is told from Esa'a pov. It's set a few years after TSNU, and we get to know Esa some more and watch as she continues to learn to use her TK. I loved the beginning of the book, such great descriptions of their surroundings and I loved Sho's mother... Saying that it was much more mystery than space battles and honestly I feel like it was not finished very well, I still have too many questions but there wasn't really a cliff hanger which confuses me... So many questions posed throughout the book with very little explanations in the end... I know that leaves it open for the next book but still I'm quite unsatisfied.
Overall it was another well written book with some gorgeous descriptions and places. You really get a feel for Esa's journey and her feelings since this one is told from her perspective. It was nice seeing Esa grow a little too.
It was nice meeting a couple new characters and getting to know them, I really liked Mo.
Sho is really cute and wise, I can only assume we'll see him more in the next book, because I think he has more story to tell
I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this one... It wasn't quite the same as the first book and it didn't really draw me in as much as the first book... I wouldn't really class its as bigger battles... Not in the same way there was in the first book, which constantly had me on edge.
So this book is told from Esa'a pov. It's set a few years after TSNU, and we get to know Esa some more and watch as she continues to learn to use her TK. I loved the beginning of the book, such great descriptions of their surroundings and I loved Sho's mother... Saying that it was much more mystery than space battles and honestly I feel like it was not finished very well, I still have too many questions but there wasn't really a cliff hanger which confuses me... So many questions posed throughout the book with very little explanations in the end... I know that leaves it open for the next book but still I'm quite unsatisfied.
Overall it was another well written book with some gorgeous descriptions and places. You really get a feel for Esa's journey and her feelings since this one is told from her perspective. It was nice seeing Esa grow a little too.
It was nice meeting a couple new characters and getting to know them, I really liked Mo.
Sho is really cute and wise, I can only assume we'll see him more in the next book, because I think he has more story to tell
irelando's review against another edition
5.0
Why have I never heard anyone talk about this series?? Holy shit
bookbathbrew's review
5.0
I didn’t realise that this was the second book in a series when I started reading it, but this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. This can be read as a standalone, however I am going to get the first in the series.
I really enjoyed this book. I love sci-fi and space operas, but I find they can often be quite hit and miss. A Chain Across the Dawn kept my interest wonderfully for the entire book.
I thought that this book excelled at things that sci-fi can really struggle with. It doesn’t get too bogged down in world building, and giving the entire history of different planets and races, but it does give enough detail that the reader understands what’s going on, and doesn’t feel like they’re missing out on part of the story.
I also thought the pacing of this book worked really well. I couldn’t put the book down as I had to know what was going on. The pacing kept the story moving really well, while still allowing time to discover more about the character’s back stories, and giving the reader time to process what was going on.
The characters in this book are really well written and easy to connect to. They’re all incredibly human, despite the fact that they’re aliens. The motivations of the characters, and the reasoning behind the ongoing wars, are easy to relate to, and similar to what we see around us today. I liked the idea of religion as something that doesn’t end, and instead expands as technology does and we start to explore different planets, and species. The use of religion as a justification for war is a common one, but despite this religion isn’t portrayed negatively in the book.
I absolutely adored Esa. She was a wonderful character, and one the reader could relate to easily. I also love seeing bad-ass females who are still in touch with other aspects of themselves. So often the strong female character is an excellent fighter, but don’t have any other personality. We saw that Esa was fighting for the right reasons, but was still affected by what she did.
I loved this book. I’ve already ordered the first in the series, and I’ll be looking out for more from this author.
A huge thanks to Anne for inviting me onto this blog tour. All opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this book. I love sci-fi and space operas, but I find they can often be quite hit and miss. A Chain Across the Dawn kept my interest wonderfully for the entire book.
I thought that this book excelled at things that sci-fi can really struggle with. It doesn’t get too bogged down in world building, and giving the entire history of different planets and races, but it does give enough detail that the reader understands what’s going on, and doesn’t feel like they’re missing out on part of the story.
I also thought the pacing of this book worked really well. I couldn’t put the book down as I had to know what was going on. The pacing kept the story moving really well, while still allowing time to discover more about the character’s back stories, and giving the reader time to process what was going on.
The characters in this book are really well written and easy to connect to. They’re all incredibly human, despite the fact that they’re aliens. The motivations of the characters, and the reasoning behind the ongoing wars, are easy to relate to, and similar to what we see around us today. I liked the idea of religion as something that doesn’t end, and instead expands as technology does and we start to explore different planets, and species. The use of religion as a justification for war is a common one, but despite this religion isn’t portrayed negatively in the book.
I absolutely adored Esa. She was a wonderful character, and one the reader could relate to easily. I also love seeing bad-ass females who are still in touch with other aspects of themselves. So often the strong female character is an excellent fighter, but don’t have any other personality. We saw that Esa was fighting for the right reasons, but was still affected by what she did.
I loved this book. I’ve already ordered the first in the series, and I’ll be looking out for more from this author.
A huge thanks to Anne for inviting me onto this blog tour. All opinions are my own.