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4.08 AVERAGE


I loved the fact that the main character is a black teenager, and out of the 9 other kids vying for a chance to go to Eden, only 1 is a white boy. Diversity ftw! This first book only hinted at what we'd find on Eden, adamites, and the powers of Nyxia, and more. Excited to read book 2!

“You can’t expect to always feel like yourself. Just don’t lose who you are. Are you a bad person? Of course not. Does that mean you’ll always do the right thing? Of course not. No one’s perfect.”


This was a Mega exciting read! Strong first book thanks to a very good build-up throughout it all. In the first half of the book I had some small remarks here and there, questions… but because of the progress throughout the rest of the book, I don’t really feel like that it was much of a hindrance.

This was fastpaced, engaging, exciting and overall fun from beginning till end. There are elements present of things you’ve seen before, but the author used those recognizable elements and made them his own. There are many awesome plot twists present that give the reading experience a boost every single time.

I really liked the entire cast of characters present in the books. It’s diverse and all tell a different story. All are intriguing in their own way, even when you don’t know much yet. They’re all super interesting and I cannot wait to read more about them. The narrator of the story in particular, our MC, is a character I’m really happy about and need to highlight a bit. The way the author writes down his thoughts (and the mental/psychological aspects I mean) and actions while there’s so muchhhh happening (things throwing him ‘off’ and things that could and will alter him one way or another for good or bad) was soooo well done and I cannot waaaaait to see what future events he’ll go through and what this will do to him and how he’ll develop in the next books.



I was buddy-reading this book with a friend of mine, but towards the end I suddenly finished the book sooner than planned because I just couldn’t stop reading anymore, lol. So I’m finished and now waiting for my friend to finish so that we can start book 2 right after. EXCITED is what I am! If you’re looking for fast-paced, engaging YA Scifi Nyxia is a perfect book to pick up! > sooner rather than later I might add ;)

Break the Chains.
Take what is yours.

Nyxia was a really unique book. When I started reading it, I thought a little of hunger games with all the competition. But I soon realized this was its own story and a pretty intense one at times too. Emmett is the main character, and I grew to really like him. He is such a good kid. He came from a good family, and has good values. It is this that makes him outstanding amongst the other kids.

You see Emmett, like the others, was recruited by the Babel Corporation to enter the spaceship going to Eden. Once on the ship they were to compete. There were 10 of them, but only 8 would go to Eden. The competition was designed to prepare them for what they would, or could, go through on Eden. They had technology never seen before to learn to use. The competition got pretty intense. But the rewards of going to Eden meant everything to these kids!!

Some of the kids were ruthless. Some were skilled. Some were plain desperate. And some became like family to each other.

I LOVED reading this book!! It left on a cliffhanger, so I'm hoping it won't be too long before the next book comes out!!

But, I really do recommend this!! If you like science fiction, with some action/adventure, a bit of a thriller....you'll LOVE Nyxia!!!!

~I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Children's for a copy of this book. My views are my own honest opinion.

Could Scott Reintgen really write a book as good as Nyxia? Would Nyxia Unleashed suffer from "second book syndrome"? Or would Nyxia Unleashed be just as good, if not better than Nyxia?

These are the questions we had ever since we heard about the upcoming "Nyxia Unleashed" release. Well, guess what...Nyxia Unleashed was TERRIFIC!!! It was EXTRAORDINARY!!! If you loved Nyxia you’re going to LOVE Nyxia Unleashed!!!

The story begins where the kids land on the planet, Magnia. The protagonist in this, Emmett, is such an amazing character! In fact both main characters, Emmett & Morning (I totally ship them) were amazing main characters! Morning was my favorite character. But I like many of the characters in this story! They all come from very different backgrounds, that have made them who they are. They develop friendships and come to rely on each other like a family. Scott Reintgen did an excellent job with his characters.

But he also did an amazing job with world building. Being on another planet, seeing the wildlife, it’s dangers and it’s beauty. It was all fascinating. Actually learning more about all the things Nyxia could do was fascinating too.

I’m trying not to say too much here. So I’ll just say, It’s a wonderful YA SciFi book! I highly recommend it!!! Now I’ll be eagerly anticipating book 3!!!

Traveling in space to a different planet and earning more money than you could ever imagine spending sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime, but in Scott Reintgen's Nyxia there's more to the games those selected are playing than they realize.

To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.

Emmett Atwater has won the lottery, securing a place aboard the Babel Communications' ship to Eden, where he'd mine a versatile and incredibly valuable material called Nyxia, offering him the chance to leave Detroit for three years and earn more money than his father is able to make and help his mom get better care for her failing kidneys. Thinking that this is his ticket to a better life, he's eager to do what he must to secure his job, but soon learns that out of the ten teenagers selected for the trip, only eight will earn the full salary and benefits package. Tapping into his competitive, and sometimes overly aggressive, side he competes against the nine others on Genesis 11. As Babel's secrets slowly come to light and they drastically change the rules of the game, Emmett and his competitors are faced with a dilemma: win at any cost, possibly forfeiting their humanity, or figure out a way to cleverly fight and maintain some human compassion.

Reminiscent of other sci-fi young adult literature as it utilizes some familiar tactics and arcs, both the story and characters are captivating, developing into deeper, more complex entities as the narrative progresses. Addressing topics such as systematic poverty, unequal access to healthcare, and cultural/racial biases (THANK YOU FOR A DIVERSE CAST OF CHARACTERS!), the narrative brings larger issues society currently (and continually) faces and makes them digestible for a younger audience, for whom these issues have and will play an immense role in their lives. There was a tendency of Emmett's that I thought was used strangely throughout the novel, which was identifying and categorizing his thoughts and emotions toward particular people or situations, for example, S for Suspicious; while a good device to further characterize Emmett it was used sporadically instead of consistently and the reason behind him doing so wasn't explained until around halfway through the story, which moderately diverted my attention.

Overall, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.


Nyxia was a very fun read, it was easy to pick up and kept me reading for hours. I loved the twists that kept me guessing until the end. I would recommend it!

Hunger Games (sort of) in space. It was entertaining. I'll read the 2nd book.

Every bit as fast-paced and dynamic as the first instalment, but with an exciting new setting!

Loooooved getting to explore the planet and navigate Babel’s political traps, and this book truly amped up the stakes tenfold!

I always love how sci-fi examines the failings of our society, and Reintgen offers great commentary here on classism, colonialism, and capitalism.

Positively kicking myself for leaving this on the shelf for two years! I’ve already ordered the sequel and can’t wait to devour it.

Book series as a whole: Absolutely loved it! I'm not the type of person who re-reads books, but I will definitely re-read this series... probably soon. I was initially worried it would be too predictable or too similar to other YA books/movies but I was pleasantly surprised that it was it's own thing.

This book: Usually in books and movies, the 2nd in trilogy isn't as good. The quality/entertainment order is usually first then third then second. However, I knew even while reading this second book that it would be my favorite. It was action-packed and unlike anything I've read. Highly recommend.

Book series as a whole: Absolutely loved it! I'm not the type of person who re-reads books, but I will definitely re-read this series... probably soon. I was initially worried it would be too predictable or too similar to other YA books/movies but I was pleasantly surprised that it was it's own thing.

This book: I was apprehensive while reading this book because I could sense that it was building to something, but I didn't know what. If you're similar to me, hang in there. You'll love it soon enough.