ya sci-fi – Amy Leigh Reads

Cytonic Review

April 11, 2022April 11, 2022by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Spensa’s life as a Defiant Defense Force pilot has been far from ordinary. She proved herself one of the best starfighters in the human enclave of Detritus and she saved her people from extermination at the hands of the Krell—the enigmatic alien species that has been holding them captive for decades. What’s more, she traveled light-years from home as an undercover spy to infiltrate the Superiority, where she learned of the galaxy beyond her small, desolate planet home. She faced down a Delver and saw something eerily familiar about it. And maybe, if she’s able to figure out what she is, she could be more than just another pilot in this unfolding war. She could save the galaxy.

I liked that again we have a new setting that we get to explore throughout the course of the book. I found myself a little disoriented for the first 100 pages or so simply because I had a hard time understanding how the Nowhere worked and the concept of the different fragments. Once I got my head around it and was settled into the story it was easier to comprehend what was happening.

I don’t think that Spensa has evolved all that much in this book. Sure she gets a better grasp on her cytonic abilities but she’s pretty much the same character that we’ve seen in the rest of the series. At the end she does have a little bit of an epiphany when she has to choose what path she is going to take next but other than that she didn’t really do anything that overly captivated me.

All of the other characters carried the plot in this book in my opinion. I was definitely more fascinated by Chet and who he actually was and his background being in the Nowhere for so long apparently. The manner in which he is introduced was entertaining and I liked learning about how his abilities differ to Spensa and how he helps her navigate through the Nowhere. M Bot we learn is much more integral to the plot than what I was anticipating. A super entertaining character however the constant talk about emotions and feels and asking Spensa to explain things annoyed me a bit, it was just too repetitive.

Repetitive overall is the word for this book. I had hoped it would be more action packed and adventurous than what it was. I was disappointed to be honest with the story overall. I was expecting crazy hijinks, twists upon twists and revelations to come out at every turn but this just felt like a filler book. Sure we are given a few little twists and new characters and a new setting but overall I didn’t really feel like I needed to know this story before Spensa comes back to the somewhere and reunites with her crew back on Detritus.

⭐️3/5 stars entertaining yet disappointing

Reviews

Skyward Flights Review

April 8, 2022April 8, 2022by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment

I realised before I got stuck into Cytonic that I needed to catch up with the two novellas that take place between Starsight and Cytonic and then there’s a third novella after. I sped through the first two novellas and figured I would just post two short reviews in one!

Sunreach – I had quite forgotten about Spensa’s flight team back on Detritus because for the most part the series revolves around Spensa and her adventures. But I like the fact that we’re taken back and given different perspectives and we can see what these other characters are dealing with while. We were given short little interludes in Starsight about Jorgen finding the other Taynix with Gran Gran and I really enjoyed how in this novella we get to see them figure out that they are actually the hyperdrives. I also really enjoyed the rescue mission to Sunreach and just how fast paced and action packed it was. There were definitely some revelations and twists and I feel like this just added so much needed depth and context to the series. ⭐️4/5 stars

ReDawn – For ReDawn I thought it was definitely a necessary decision to have a novella from the point of view of one of the aliens and Alanik has been a pretty integral part of this series so it was nice to get to see things from her perspective. She is another Cytonic who has a different grasp on the abilities so it was interesting to see how she uses her powers in comparison to Spensa or even Jorgen with his limited knowledge. I liked the fact that we have a different setting as well on ReDawn and how we get to learn about a different race of being and how they govern themselves. It was a just a little a hard to visualise a lot of the fighting scenes in the air, that whole sequence was a bit chaotic and confusing. I really enjoyed seeing how all the pilots have bonded with the Taynix and how they are able to utilise them throughout their flights and integrate them into all of their plans. ⭐️3/5 stars

These novellas have definitely drawn me back into this series and has me reinvested in the storyline and eager to find out what will happen next and what is going on with Spensa in the Nowhere!

Reviews

Binti Series Review

September 4, 2020September 4, 2020by amyleighreads2 Comments

Binti – I really enjoyed this first book of the series. We are established in the world pretty quickly and we are learning about space and the other lifeforms as Binti is. I thought she was a little naïve at first but as the story progressed we see her undergo a pretty big emotional upheaval, especially after the massacre she witnesses on the Big Fish. A lot of the mathematical equations and treeing went right over my head but I was still able to comprehend what was happening and enjoy the story as a whole. ⭐️4/5 stars

Binti: Home – This installment of the series was a little chaotic. I could definitely relate to Binti and her feelings of homesickness and the need to go back home and reestablish her sense of self. I like that we see more of the relationship between her and Okwu and the introduction of Mwinyi definitely added more depth and complexity to the story line. Binti just seemed a little frantic and not in control of herself a lot in this book. I think all of the events that have happened have definitely caught up to her and she breaks down a lot in this book. ⭐️3/5 stars

Binti: The Night Masquerade – This installment was a again kind of too chaotic for me. We see a lot of the repercussions from the previous books come into play here and we are given a lot of answers to questions that have been put forth throughout the story line. There is a pretty steady buildup of tension throughout the course of the story line but the ending was a tad anticlimactic. I had no doubts that Binti would be okay and then travelling to Saturn after interpreting the messages her edan was sending her only for a recommendation for the Oozma Uni. I guess I can appreciate how it has come full circle but I was expecting something different. ⭐️3/5 stars

Reviews

Aurora Burning Review

August 10, 2020August 10, 2020by amyleighreads1 Comment

*BEWARE OF SPOILERS BELOW*

40516960 Aurora Burning continues pretty much straight after Aurora Rising finishes off. Tyler and the rest of Squad 312 are trying to figure out their next move, find out what the weapon is that the Eshvaren left and save the universe.

For me it’s not so much about their main goal, which is to inevitably save the universe but the little adventures they find themselves in on the way. I love seeing our rag tag crew come together and become more comfortable around each other. Figuring out how they each fit in the squad and seeing the bonds they create with each other is wonderful to read.

Grief is definitely explored a lot more in this book, especially as Tyler and Scarlett come to terms with what happened to Cat. Having her reappear later in the plot to torment Tyler and for him to let her go was a touching moment.

I am so happy we get more of an in depth history about Ziva in this book. What happened to her parents and how she was able to save herself. Her perspective was so completely different from the others it was like a breath of fresh air in the plot. She really opened up a lot more in this book and we see her form more of a connection with her squad mates.

Kal is still one of my favourites. I am so glad we also got to find out more about his family and what he has had to endure during his life. Especially with the introduction of his sister and the integral way she is thrust into the storyline. It was a little obvious to me who his father was going to be, kind of predictable and the ensuing argument was frustrating. But his relationship with Aurora is so pure and precious and I can’t help but be enraptured by him.

Aurora, though I am glad she is able to control her power and is able to understand how it works, I think the change in her is too drastic and it kind of pulled me out of the story. Walking straight up to the Starslayer completely sure she was going to succeed was a tad arrogant to me and I wish she wouldn’t have been so quick to write Kal off, they might have been able to come up with a better plan.

Overall there so many shocking twists and turns and moments that broke my heart. Some of the choices the characters make didn’t really sit right with me and I wish they would of went about things differently but it definitely raised the stakes and kept me engaged in the storyline. I am left with soooo many questions still and honestly I can’t wait to find out what is going to happen next!

⭐️4.5/5 stars I am still trying to process my feelings after that ending….

Book Lists

🚀 Sci-Fi Favs 🚀

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020by amyleighreads2 Comments

I’ve been slowly dipping my feet into the sci-fi genre and have really enjoyed what I have picked up so far. I’m mostly only read series at this stage, I haven’t really encountered many stand-alone’s that I have captured my attention enough for me to want to read, though there have been a few. I think there are definitely some sub-genre’s that won’t appeal to me but until I actually pick up a few and give them a try I will never know… I am definitely open to any recommendations!

Here are a few sci-fi books I have loved:

Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown