aurora rising4.5 stars

A  fun, fantastic, witty  first book in a new YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy series.

They’re not the heroes we deserve. They’re just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.

I loved this book. Even though it’s 470 pages, I read it in about 2 days. (It’s a very quick, easy read). But then again, it’s no surprise because I love this writing duo and thought the Illuminae Files book series was outstanding. They are quickly becoming two of my favorite authors.

The year is 2380 and the graduating class of Aurora Academy, the equivalent of International Peace Keepers, are being placed in their squads. Top candidate Tyler Jones is ready to choose his dream squad, but a solo flight into the “fold” the night before selection diverts his career path. During the flight he rescues a young girl, Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley (Auri), that had been trapped in cryo for centuries. Caught up in getting her settled and going through quarantine, he misses squad selection. As a result, he’s left with the dregs of the class – cadets that no one else wanted. As Tyler is living his worst nightmare, things get decidedly worse when Auri stows away on his first mission. Something that is initially believed to be a routine assignment goes disastrously wrong.

The characters in the book are well-written, fun and easy to cheer for. The crisis that moves the characters along is creepy and interesting. There is plenty of action. The dialogue is witty with just the right amount of snark and sarcasm. It’s a typical YA book in that the violence and adult content are not explicit, but it doesn’t detract from the book. The book ends on a satisfying cliff-hangar and I can’t wait to read the next book. If you like YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy, I highly recommend you read this book.