April 29, 2015

Review: Flame by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Flame (Sky Chasers #3)
Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Pages: 336
Source: Hardcover/Library

In the thrilling conclusion to the Sky Chasers series Waverly, Kieran, and Seth struggle to survive on-board the New Horizon—and take down their enemies before it's too late.

Waverly and the other members of the Empyrean have scattered, and their home ship has been destroyed. Their mission to rescue their parents didn't go as planned, and now they're at an even greater disadvantage: trapped with their enemies on the New Horizon, trying to find a way to survive. Kieran has been pulled under Anne Mather’s wing, but is she really trying to make peace, or just using Kieran to build her own power? Meanwhile, Waverly is taken in by a mysterious old man who wants to help her bring Anne Mather down—but the more Waverly cooperates with him, the more dangerous her position is, and the more at odds with Kieran she becomes.

Seth's situation is even worse. After setting out from the Empyrean on his own, with only a vague strategy to guide him, he is a fugitive aboard the New Horizon. He's doing what he can to challenge the power of Anne Mather, but he's badly hurt, and getting sicker.

Will Seth ever see Waverly again? Will his health hold out long enough to help her topple their enemies? And will Waverly find a way to unite with her friends before they all fall? Nothing is sure and every moment is a risk in this explosive finale of the Sky Chasers series.

Review: Overall I thought this was a great ending to the series. This book was filled with action, and not all of it physical. I thoroughly enjoyed not only the pulse pounding physical action taking place but also the mental action of everyone using everyone to advance their own position, no mater what the cost. I couldn't put this book down because something was always happening, whether it was the doctor trying to use Waverly to take Anne down, Anne trying to use Kiernan to take the doctor down, everyone searching for Seth etc. There was always something happening!!!

I really enjoyed the multiple view points! In some books it works and some it doesn't, but due to the nature of the situation the characters find themselves in, the multiple POV's worked well to tell the whole story without just focusing on one person to tell it! Overall, I had to say I enjoyed the POV's of the people hiding on the Empyrean and Seth the most. There was always something interesting going on during the scenes of those still on the Empyrean and Seth was always getting into trouble or having trouble find him. His scenes were always interesting to read. 

The story was predictable in some areas but surprising in others. Such as when Jared took Waverly somewhere alone. I could see where that situation was going right away. But then when you had a scene like when Kieran was forced to swallow bombs, I totally didn't see that coming! The story had a good mix of surprise while keeping certain things predictable like some things usually are in a story. 

I was overall happy with how things turned out. I really wasn't sure that the Empyrean would be salvageable after what happened to it but I'm glad it got fixed to the point of being able to run for a few more years! I was also very happy that the people from the Empyrean went back to their ship and were able to find a planet to live on without the New Horizon people. I was very bummed though that Kieran got taken back to the New Horizon and never got to experience the new planet with the rest of the Empyrean crew like he planned to, but I'm glad he got operated on and was OK. I also definitely think the people that needed to end up together did! Waverly definitely belonged with Seth and I think after seeing how they were with each other, Kieran definitely belonged with Felicity! I'm super happy these couples got to have their happily ever afters with each other!

5 Stars!

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March 06, 2012

Review: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Glow (Sky Chasers #1)
Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: September 13, 2011
Pages: 307
Source: Hardcover/Library

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

Review: I absolutely loved this book! It was a fast read for me, which was nice, but also it was interesting and kept me wanting to read more. I really enjoyed the sci-fi/dystopian mix in this book! It was very well done. I also liked how it had a bit of an Across The Universe kind of feel because I really liked Across The Universe so anything like it is a plus in my book! So the New Horizon and the Empyrean are supposed to be sister ships, so no ones expecting them to attack them out of nowhere. The New Horizon kidnapped all the girls from the Empyrean but left the guys. The only person who knew at first the reason why they took the girls is Kieran, but he had only learned why minutes before the New Horizon attacked the Empyrean. But aboard the New Horizon Waverly quickly caught on to it and all the other bogus ideas and lies they were feeding her.

I felt for Waverly. She was taken from her family and Kieran onto a new ship where they wanted to use her. And on top of that, she was one of the few that could see through the lies Anne Mathers was telling everyone about the Empyrean and why the girls were there. I was also very disgusted with what Anne Mathers did and how she thought it was "Gods Will." Stealing young womans eggs and implanting them in other people is gods will?? I highly doubt it! I'm pretty sure God would be against the stealing alone. She not only had to deal with her losses but also be one of the few that led the fight to get off the New Horizon. She dealt with so much and for only being what... 16? That shows how strong she is! I was very happy with how much of a leader she became and how she helped almost all the girls escape the New Horizon! Kieran... I really hated how all the guys were against him at first! He was only trying to help them after the attack crippled the Empyrean but they all treated him like he was doing things wrong on purpose! He did the best he could, even risking his life for others just to be locked up by them. Thats so wrong! I was happy that Seth was locked up just for the fact that he was getting treated exactly how he treated Kieran! Except for the fact that Kieran didn't try to kill Seth like he tried to do to Kieran! I was so happy that they all kind of banded together at the end, though I wasnt very happy that it was through religion. If it wasnt for Anne Mathers trying to use religion to justify what she was doing I wouldnt have cared. But after all the girls went through above the New Horizon to come home to the Empyrean and feel like they were thrown back into exactly what they just got away from just killed me. They should NOT have to feel like that! 

I'd definitely recommend this to others, especially if you like books with an Across The Universe feel!

5 Stars!

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February 06, 2012

Teaser Tuesday [#26]

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

1. "The other ship hung in the sky like a pendant, silver in the ether light cast by the nebula."

2. "Waverly and Kieran, lying together on their matress of hay bales, took turns peering at it through a spyglass."

pg. 3 of "Glow" by Amy Kathleen Ryan

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