"I am not feeling nothing". I AM FEELING BORED.
I absolutely loved Illuminae Files and the Nevernight series and thought this would be a step up, but it felt like a regression. If this had been the duo’s first series and Illuminae the next, it would have made perfect sense.

Short review: Childish. After the bucket load of boredom and the wheelbarrow of jokes in the first book, I was uncertain I'd continue this series.

My advice: if you loved the first one, you'll love this as well, it's more of the same, with lots of action and shocking reveals (not shocking to ME as I saw those twists coming from light-years away). I think this series would be good as an entry point into SF for young readers and then move on to Illuminae.

Long review, no spoilers: Bear with me, this review is 1000 words long lol.

Plot:
The squad must stop the evil pollen from pollinating the universe while being on the run from everyone and their mothers.
Right off the bat the level of action in here is insane. Scene after scene, there is no time to spend with our characters interacting intimately, developing their team dynamics, exploring the universe.
While it is moving fast, it's not polished. Like a formulaic videogame almost:
Character A: We need to go do this and that in order to get this key item - but oh problem spears.
Character B: Problem solved, now let's use this key item and go find this clue thing, but to find this thing we'll need to go somewhere else to find its location.
Character C: No need, I figured it out, but we still need to get to a different place to bla blabla la laaaaa.

Predictable:
Training montage, unexpected parental reveal, mate trope, dress-up scene, characters “not really being dead”, all we were missing from this space soap opera was the “OMG I slept with your twin because the look just like you!” – which was alluded to multiple times regarding Ty & Scar / Kal & Saedii.
I've seen this “tv show” and read this story already hundreds of times, all the clichés in the world under one roof and it's not even magnificently executed.
It’s disjointed and repetitive.

Pace and writing: Re.pe.ti.ti.ve.

We keep being reminded with every PoV that Tyler is the goldenboy leader who is a great tactician, that Zila is odd and brilliant, Scar is slutty, but excellent at reading people. We are told so many times that Zila, who is currently piloting the ship, is not like Cat. Not as good as Cat. Cat was the best pilot. We're told at least 20 times. And that Tyler and Scarlett are twins. At one point we're reminded 4 times on the same page. I just can't.

The language used is very infantile, not appropriate for a crew of military cadets. I don't like that they shorten each other's names right away. The people who grew up with each other have all the right. But you can't have pet names for people after 2 weeks. especially in a "military " setting. Ty? Scar? Auri? I mean ... no.

Characters:
I am so exhausted and bored of the inappropriate jokes all the damn time.
Banter overload.
Humour and jokes were overused once again. Constant quips and witty comebacks in totally inappropriate moments. There's a time and place for jokes, but here they were non-stop.

I felt like they took their roles and dire circumstances as a joke. It made me so bitter.
For example, Scarlet and Tyler are in an exceptionally grave situation and they are smiling and making quips even though I personally was a nervous wreck for them. It was jarring.

Oh there was plenty of development here. Some of them become more powerful, some more determined, some open up more, but they are mostly the same, like caricatures: Tyler the determined, Aurora the uncertain, Zila the sociopath, Kal the brood. Scarlet and Fin had most to suffer, reduced to the roles of slutty-but-secretly-smart queen B and awkward-inappropriately-jokey geek.

We have a cringy paragraph from Scarlet talking about HER BREASTS being idiot detectors,
"Hint: I don’t blame you for peeking, but if you’re talking to them rather than my face, you have failed the Test" ... isn't this line from a thousand comedy films?

There is no chemistry between Aurora and Kal, or between the book and myself, utterly boring, predictable and cliché-y.

I appreciated the crew being tormented and gutted over the Cat incident and their supressing of emotion is understandable, so this bit I liked.
I didn’t mind the ending. Because it keeps true to the book’s overall style. Messy, chaotic and predictable.

Spoilery complaint: So regarding the twins’ parentage, are you telling me that Kal, their shipmate, wasn’t able to pick up on their mental thingamaging? The dude that’s been living in close quarters with them for weeks? Wot? If he has this mental connection with his sister, then he definitely should be able to sense it in the twins. I blame this failure on Horny Besh’Mai Syndrome.

Overall, I can see why people like this book, but to me it felt super cliché-y and very kiddy. Had it been marketed as Middle Grade, it would have been more accurate and I’d have had different expectations. I'm going to pass on the final book.

Rating: 2.5

Those who have been around for a while will know that the Illuminae Files are high up on my list of favourite books of all time - but I was less than enamoured with Aurora Rising when I read it last year. But I thought I would give the sequel a fair chance, assuming that now that all the characters were now introduced there would be more space to explore some of the plot elements.

And for the most part that was the case.

I thought that the overarching plot of this series is still a little bit...out there at the present? But the individual plot elements of this book, the various missions the squad have to go on, those select scenes were definitely much better than book one. I certainly got to look at these characters with the detail I felt was lacking from the first book.

Did it still feel pandering? Perhaps a little bit - the earlier section in particular. I could maybe do with less of fixation of various character's cleavage - or at least a note in the margin that lets me know that Jay Kristoff didn't write those bits cause it's a tad uncomfortable at moments. It just feels a tad manufactured - which the voice of Illuminae didn't. It wasn't quite so bad as in the first book, and it was barely there in the second half of the book - so persevere through those first few chapters if it's bothering you!

My wife actually listened to the audiobooks of both books and liked them a lot more than I did - so I'm wondering if that might be an approach for those desperate to love these? Apparently, it's more of a production.

I think I would probably read another book in this series - which I wasn't necessarily expecting to want to do when I started this book. I'm actually looking forward to reading these characters a little older? I think some of the issue is that the 'young' voice isn't quite working in this book, so a bit more maturity and growth can't hurt.

I would say these are still a mile away from the calibre of Illuminae but those who were on the fence about book one - I'd say it's good to read the second one. As a pair, they work much better than the first book did alone.

I'm hoping that we get a bit more meat and maturity in the later books in this series - it feels like this book was on the right track.

My rating: 3/5 stars

I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Aurora Burning is out now!

What...!? What...?! WHAT. THE. HELL!!??
No. No. No. Just. No! Mothercustard!
How can a book end like that? That's not just a cliff hanger, it's dangling from the Himalayas!!
I am not feeling nothing! I'm really not feeling nothing.
Honestly, this book was simply stunning, but that ending... Son of a biscuit... just.... no!

Ps. Just to make sure you kniw, this book really is absolutely incredible & I 100% recommend it but you may wish to wait until the next one comes out, as you'll definitely want to go straight on to it! I need it now!! I can't wait!!

I didn't read the first book in this series but had no issue with this one and found it engrossing and entertaining.
The characters are well thought and interesting, the plot flows and kept me hooked, the world building is excellent.
It's the first book I read by these authors but won't be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I feel like this series would be able to compel even the most reluctant reader to enjoy science fiction. It is fast paced, action packed from beginning to end, and has a diverse band of misfit characters with huge personalities. It's an impressive book, and I am actually the minority in having not given this five stars.

I'm going to start with my gripe with the novel so that it's out of the way: I don't like how deliberate and chaotic Aurora Burning is. The second half of this book is absolutely sensational, but the first half felt like death by deliberate jokes and banter overload; it makes it impossible for me to care about the characters, because they feel like caricatures rather than genuine people, and there are a number of moments which relied upon me really caring about what happened to them. When Kristoff and Kaufman paused to build relationships between new characters these were so much richer and more enjoyable than the deliberate and fast moving romance between Kal and Aurora, which I don't buy at all (don't come at me!). This, accompanied with another overload of action scenes, left me feeling exhausted and a little bit confused! So much happens in the first half of this book that each scene rolls into one, and I started to lose sight of what was actually happening - there really is such a thing as too many exciting moments, and the balance was totally off for me.

However, what I like the most about this series is how easy the world building feels. There is genuine complexity to this series and within the galaxy the co-authors have created. Actually, the creativity and ingenuity of ideas relative to developing each species and their cultures is so excellent that it speaks volumes for the quality of this partnership. Often, co-authored novels have obvious "tells" or breaks which make it apparent when each author is contributing. In this series it isn't apparent once, with a complete blend of writing styles and consistent dialogue and representation of characters throughout.

This is a story for the misfits, akin to the sort of vibe you can only really find in The Guardians of the Galaxy. It's a bit extra in places, but it's still one of the most interesting and consistently fun books I think I've read.

Aurora Burning was one of my most anticipated YA titles for this year and I was super excited to have gotten approved for a Netgalley eARC.
The recap at the beginning was well done, as it has been quite awhile since I read the first book and I'm hoping that more publishers consider starting off with a recap.

After a few pages I already found my favorite quote of the whole book:
"You let your male speak in public?"
The story, pacing and plot was great but then I had to read approximately one and a half pages about Scarlet's tits, her cleavage problems and boy issues, while one of her best friends died and the whole universe is on the brink of destruction. I thought to myself is there no other way you could've made her interesting of funny?
After those pages, every time I read something about somebody's crotch, underwear or breasts, I loudly groaned and rolled my eyes.
It felt as if the authors were trying really hard to sound like a cool, hormone-filled adolescent and it just came out so incredibly cringey.
Another issue I faced was that I couldn't find much difference between the POVs I was currently reading and for me it wasn't clear enough. I had to backtrack to the beginning of the chapter to see whom I was currently reading about (except Scarlet, because there was either something about cleavage or her boyfriend pros and cons).

This would've been a 5 star read if not for those two points above, but I will still continue on with the series. That cliffhanger though.


Thank you Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for providing me with an eARC for review.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I had been looking forward to catching up with Squad 312 since I finished Aurora Rising so I was eager to get reading. Aurora Burning was everything I wanted it to be and more. Brilliant characters, epic space battles, just all-round greatness. I am absolutely dying for the next book in the series because of how this one ended, I mean, I need more!!!

AURORA BURNING is a great second installment in this sci-fi space opera.

It starts with a series recap written like a brief overview of the characters. It's both full of humour and super helpful as I wasn't able to re-read the first book before picking this one up. It's in the same tone as the book, which doesn't make it stick out like a sore thumb.

It then dives right into the action, with the same humour and sharp banter tossed out between gun fights as the first book. I really liked the way the story split up at points because it gave characters a real chance for development when they couldn't just fall into their specific roles - they had to fill in for others. Plus it played into the sense that the story was growing in scale to match the size of the galactic evil they were trying to fight.

There are quite a few twists, some of which I saw coming, but they're blended well into the action and raise the emotional stakes (particularly when you can predict a twist later in the story that will make the characters have all the feels).

The ending is a real cliff hanger, the action speeding up to a point where you want the next book now. And I do - which is pretty impressive considering I was very on the fence about even starting this series at the start of the year. You can just imagine the authors cackling to one another when they wrote it.

𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 5/5 STARS⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: Fin, Tyler, Aurora, Kal, Scarlett, Zila⁣ and Saedii. ⁣
⁣⁣
𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: Starslayer⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦: If Aurora Rising was the debut to a brilliant series, Aurora Burning solidified it in the rank of heartbreakingly good books. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
I should’ve been prepared knowing who the writers of this book are, but I was naïve and I went in with my heart unprepared. The storyline continues seamlessly from Aurora Rising, with greater depth and more moments where you’re on the edge of your seat—breathless and enthralled. There is a deeper mystery in this one that reminded me of Illuminae in a wonderful way; it is very much it’s own story but it holds a similar intrigue. The ending was pure evil, my heart was completely shattered. Despite my insatiable craving for the finale, I’m not sure I’m prepared for what’s happening next. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
The character arcs are well-developed; Squad 312 is still reeling from the death of Cat and the feeling of found-family is threaded delicately in this book. Finnian in particular stole my heart in this one, I adored his storyline, his characterisation and his general humour in every moment. I also thought Auri and Zila’s character development was phenomenal; they felt very humanised and powerful. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦: For all the Kal and Auri shippers out there, all I’m going to say is we’ve been fed well in this one for majority of the book.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥: readers looking for a galactic adventure.

The action never stops again as we follow the continuing adventures of Squad 312 and their mission to save the universe from the Ra'haam.

The Positives: The pacing is a mile a minute in this sequel, with a slightly episodic feel to the structure - it reminded me of a videogame, in that you complete one task and then move on to the next, more difficult task. I liked some of the character development we got here, and I appreciated the time given to flesh out Zila's character, as she was left a little underserved in book one. The stakes are high and there is a sense of impending disaster, which means that the tone isn't quite so light hearted as book one. This felt right to me though, given the events at the end of the first book. I also enjoyed the time we got to spend with the Syldrathi characters in this book and the cliff hanger is brutal!

The Negatives: I did feel like some of the plot points were a little bit predictable here and this lessened the impact for me a little bit. Also, the characters (Kal and Zila excepted) all have a similar narrative voice, so there were times when I wasn't 100% sure who the POV character for the chapter was.

Overall, this was a really entertaining space opera and I cannot wait for book three!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A great sequel to Aurora, Rising, sees our class of misfits carry on their adventure in space. I love the cammerarderie in these books. Each character has a distinct voice and personality that blends well together to form his close knit group of found friends. They're a family of the oddballs and rejects of society.

This was fast paced, full of action and had me gripped from start to finish. That ending though. My heart can't take it.

I did laps around the room and whooped and hollered when I was approved for this, it was the best day ! I absolutely adore Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman individually as authors they are magic , but when you put them together it’s an explosion. If you’ve read Aurora Rising this is everything you want and more, if you haven’t, why not ? Go buy it you won’t be disappointed in any way. This is just excitement, action, our favourite misfits and rebels are back in a major why and oh be prepared for that end ! I hate I have to wait again but I know one thing for definite, it will be worth it. Magical and beautiful writing, amazing world building, complex realistic characters and a heart stopping, jaw aching (cos your in awe) story. One of my best reads this year I know it . This best win goodreads awards aplenty !


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I have to apologise for the lack of a review but I was unable to read and review this as I cannot download it which is very disappointing!

The Aurora Cycle is one of my favourite sci-fi series, and Aurora Burning was definitely one of my top releases of 2020. I remember burning (pun not intended) through the first book, and couldn't wait to dive back into the world once more.

After having narrowly averted a total galactic catastrophe in the first book, the misfits of Squad 312 are on the run: hunted by the Academy itself, things are starting to look pretty bad. And that's before they're attacked by a bunch of cat-faced gremps. While still searching for the weapon that Auri is meant to use against the fulfil her role as the "Trigger", they are attacked by a Syldrathi ship commandeered by no other than Kal's sister, who's determined to steer him back onto the true path of war and vengeance. And things only go downhill from there...

This book is so incredibly entertaining. The chapters just keep pulling you along, making it impossible to put the book down, making you flip the pages faster and faster. The plot is full of twists and turns, close-quarter fight scenes next to big-scale space battles, with enough flips and rolls to make your heart hum. It has everything I could ask for in a sci-fi-book and more, and I loved all of it!

What I love most about this series, though, is the characters. As this book is told from the perspectives of all six members of Squad 312, you really get to know all of them so well, and you will end up loving them all. IN AURORA BURNING, the unlikely team has really grown close, despite their very obvious differences, and it was so great to see them grow. Kal's sister is a fantastic new character, and I loved her story arc in this book! In AURORA BURNING some of the characters do get their own quests and story lines, and I did miss the group dynamic of the first book sometimes, but it was also so interesting to learn more about the characters themselves and dive deeper into their backstory, and the history of the galaxy itself.

There is only one negative thing I have to say about this book and that is the ENDING. This book gives a whole new MEANING to the word cliffhanger. The only thing that could have made it worse if they'd literally ended the book mid-sentence I need the next one RIGHT NOW!!

Firstly, a huge, huge thank you to Netgalley, One World Publications and Rock the Boat for giving me the opportunity to read and review Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff; Secondly a huge thank you to the authors (aforementioned,) for writing this Space Opera series.
I love that right at the start Magellan provides an overview/summary of Aurora Rising and where we are at the start of Aurora Burning.

Then it's straight into the action! The pace in Aurora Burning is helter-skelter, it just keeps going and there isn't a real breather...this is probably why I've made a concerted effort to spread reading this book over a couple of days, giving me a chance to process, before I dove back in for more. I will definitely be going for a re-read, as I'm sure that I missed a lot of the detail on the first read.

The book retains the sarcastc, snarky, humorous and downright witty tone of Aurora Rising, but be warned there are also moments of immense emotion and yes, if this had been a physical, rather than an e-ARC I would have thrown it down as I yelled at the ending!

As for the characters, we definitely learn more about them, which seriously puts so many pieces of the puzzle together, even if it also throws a whole bag more in that we never knew existed! Plus, there are new characters Saedii aka 'Madam Badass' is amazing, she doesn't take any crap and is a seriously full-on woman and the Eshvaren come to the fore, giving us a bit more knowledge about them and a truckload more questions.

The ending of this book ripped my heart out, pulled it into many pieces and stamped all over it, throwing in petrol and a flame thrower, for full effect!

You can definitely tell that this is a Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman book, no one else would dare to end a book this way!

I absolutely adored and devoured this sequel! It’s intense, fast paced, action packed, full of so much heart but still makes you laugh! I fell in love with this bunch of loveable rogues and misfits so much more and that ending was insane, I need the next book immediately! I highly recommend to all, it has everything you could want and you won’t be disappointed!

4.5 stars -

I recieved a free digital editon of the book curtesy of the publishers through netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and given freely.

Well... Shit... What was with that ending!!!!! I swear to god these authors keep ripping my heart out and I just keep coming back for more...what is wrong with me? 😂

So this is the second book in the Aurora Cycle series... I think thats what it's called... So we follow squad 312 as they navigate the universe and they messed up lives after the horrors of Octavia III.

This group of teens has it rough, seriously rough... Their lives are total shit shows which I both hate and love. I couldn't stop reading despite the fact that i need sleep.

I empathise with these characters quite a lot... I see something of myself in each of them, and its hard to see them go through all the crap and not have a satifying ending.
I would have liked to have more from Zila as she seems to get the least screen time and yet she's showing so much growth and character just in this book!
Aurora... I'm still curious how everything terran in this universe has her name in some way... Its... Weird to say the least.
Tyler/Scar... I wasn't expecting that revelation... I was expecting Sedii to tell him they were 'mates'.
My poor baby Kal *sobs*.
Finnian is uber cute still.
And... The cover... Is it Kal?

Some exciting revelations, space battles, intrigue, mystery and friendships abound in this sequal... I'm now dying for book 3

Thank you Netgalley and Oneworld Publications for the ARC.

if aurora rising was an excellent space story, with a lot of fun and development, aurora burning took all of that and pushed it in the outer space. <b>literally.</b>

My favorite part of the first book was definitely Squad 312 and their found family. This book delivers on that a lot more and I absolutely adored it.
If the first book made me happy, this one literally broke me. So many plot twists, so many betrayals, so many painful scenes. But this is Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman so I'm not surprised. Especially the first one enjoys hurt us and make us cry in the bathroom floor like in a Grey's Anatomy episode.

I appreciated how in this book we get an insight into other members of the squad like Zila and Fin. We see a lot of their past and what they went through and why they're an important part of the story. Not just some side characters who are there to make the story more rich. I especially connected with Zila much more and I can say with certainty that she's one of my favorite characters now.

We get introduced to a new character, and even if at first you can't help but hate her she sticks herself in your heart slowly and in the end you're in the protection squad without even noticing when it happened. Tyler my sweet boy, in the first book I wasn't a fan of his personality but in this book he definitely grew on me a lot and I definitely connected with him.

The book was absolutely well written as usual, but the last chapters blew me away. Their talent is astonishing. You totally see why they work so well together.

We go deeper into the story, especially Aurora and her powers, and that was phenomenal. Seeing her training and becoming her true self but still keeping what matters most to her, her love. For her friends, for Kal and for the people she lost.

That ending. I don't think is necessary to say Jay Kristoff is a genial demon and wants us all to suffer for eternity. It should be illegal to end a book in such way but it definitely made me even more eager to read the third book and I know this was his intention. Amie is too soft and pure, I can't be mad at her.

You're not ready for this book. You really aren't.

Squad 312 are just trying to get through the day. It feels like the whole universe is out to get them and, honestly, that's not far from the truth. Stopped at a space dock trying to sell their Longbow because, lets be honest, it's slightly inconspicuous they are frustrated, but un-surprised, to find their names and faces being shown as wanted for a terror attack. Just when they think things couldn't get any worse the Unbroken show up, and not just any unbroken but Kal's sister, and she is determined to bring him back into the fold. They manage to escape, thanks to a surprising benefactor, and head off to find the Hadfield, the ship that Auri was found on, hoping to find the black box (which is actually orange) and find some answers as to what actually happened to her. Only its Squad 312, so things don't quite go according to plan. People are captured, beasts are slain, enemies become wary allies, strength is found in the unlikeliest of places and what started off as a battle for their lives ends as a battle for the world.

If you read my review for Aurora Rising you will know that I adored this book. So, understandably, I was wary when picking this one up. Would it live up to it's predecessor or would it fall into second book syndrome. I should know by now that when it comes to the prowess of Kristoff and Kaufman I shouldn't be worried. This book hit me in all the feels again and I flew through it in a matter of hours (whilst at work!)

This book is written in the same format as Aurora Rising with each chapter focusing on a different characters perspective. The characters personalities shine through and it was easy to know which perspective you were reading from, even without the chapter headers. We get a lot more from Zila and Fin's perspectives in this book and, even though I loved them both in the first book, they have grown to become my two favourite characters. We get an insight into Zila's past which does an awful lot to explain her aloofness, she grows so much as a character in this book and her chapters were equally heartwarming and heartbreaking. Fin is still his quirky self, still putting himself down and pushing past the pain so as not to seem a 'lesser' member of the squad. We see his relationship with the who squad grow in this book and his interactions are just the best.

Ty and Scar are still heartbroken over the loss of Cat and the bits where she was mentioned had me in tears ( I know I'm a wimp ok!) But both are determined to see the mission through, get Auri to the weapon and save the universe as we know it... no Pressure. Auri's character growth is one of the most impressive in the book. She is far from the scared little girl in the previous book, and I enjoyed seeing her grow into and learn how to use her powers. Kal, my strong sweet Syldrathi. Kal gets the short end of the stick in this one. Stalked by his sister to rejoin the Unbroken, he feels safe and happy with his family in squad 312, only he has a secret, and not just a little one, that will change his fate and how everyone thinks of him.

The layout of the book makes for an easy read, you never get bored stuck with once character for too long, and you still get the little titbits of information from Magellan before each chapter. Because of their writing styles it is easy to fly through the pages and I had read around 60% without even realising. There is one mahoosive plot twist in this that I just did not see coming at all, and then wondered how the hell I didn't guess it earlier. Kaufman and Kristoff definitely like to torment their readers, and I am such a sucker for punishment.

Both these writers have a knack for bringing their worlds to life and this series is no different. Have I ever been to space? Physically no, but I feel like i'm there, right alongside squad 312 every time they enter the fold, engage in a battle or ,you know, are just generally running for their lives. This is such an invaluable things to readers like me who enjoy visualising what is happening and bond with the characters, and I defy you not to bond with every single one of them. Even the gorgeous... sorry evil Syldrathi Saedii. The ending of this book had me wanting to throw it out the window, and if I hadn't been reading on my phone I might just have done it. You thought the ending to Aurora Rising was bad? Boy do you have no idea what you are in for. The last chapter was brilliantly written, even if I do think they only did it to torture us and I literally could not put it down.

From universe building, to meeting new species. Epic space battles to epic banter, this book has it all. I love this series so much and Squad 312 will always hold a special place in my heart. Now the torturous wait until May 2021!

The World
Aurora Burning is book 2 in the Aurora Cycle series, so the world is established by now, and Amie and Jay are well aware of this, and don’t spare much time for setting the scene, as we don’t overly need it. The setting as a whole is largely familiar from the first book. There are new, smaller scale settings, of course, that are thought out and well put together. Again, I’m still really interested in the world at large, fascinated by the politics of things. Honestly, I just need a politics in space book. This world would totally work for that, but I don’t think it’s quite Jay and Amie’s speed!

The Plot
There’s a “Stuff You Should Know” section at the very start of Aurora Burning that summarises characters and events of Aurora Rising – I petition for every book that’s a sequel to have this because it was so helpful! Also, it’s told from the point of view of Magellan, which is pretty awesome.

There’s not a moment where this book lets you catch your breath. Not. A. Moment. I’m undecided at this point whether that’s a good thing. It’s… certainly something. It’s got breakneck pace throughout, from the very moment the book begins, there is shooting and excitement. The “downtime” isn’t downtime. It’s just five minutes of scheming before everything hits the fan. Again.

The ending! The ending! The ending! This book just tore my heart out without a single moment of hesitation. I’d seen other reviews that had mentioned the ending but didn’t think too much of it. Heed those of us that say the ending will torture you, and quite possibly anger you, that Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman dared to end a book like that. I’ve never known a book to end quite like that. TV shows, perhaps. I’ve never read a book that did it. And I never want to again, not without having the next book lined up and waiting for me. I don’t know how to wait for book 3 as I write this. I’m kind-of just sat like ??? looking around the room for the answers. Hint: the room didn’t have the answers.

The Characters
Aurora
Aurora is still our main character, surprise surprise! She’s affectionately known as Auri throughout most of the book, seeing as the characters are much more familiar with each other than they were when Aurora Rising began. The found family element is much more pronounced due to the fact they’ve already been through so much together before Aurora Burning even began. Aurora herself goes through a lot in this book, from trying to come to grasps with her recently discovered powers and dealing with the less world-saving things, like relationships with those around her. Reading about her was sweet, and empowering, as she went from an innocent girl, unable to use her power without fear of hurting others, to having confidence in who she was and what she could do.

Kal
Kal was, and remains to be, my favourite character. And let me tell you, he definitely goes through it in this book. He plays a much bigger role in Aurora Burning than he did in Rising. (I mean, his face is on the cover, after all. And isn’t it a pretty face and a pretty cover?) My heart wasn’t ready for quite the amount Kal goes through in this, and honestly? I love him even more after everything.

Fin
Fin has risen up the ranks to be my second-favourite character. Honestly, I just have a thing for the snark and the occasional heroics, overcoming anything that’s put before him. The jokes definitely help though. Speaking of jokes, the comedic aspect is rife throughout this whole book. It’s a key element for more than one character, and they all handle it in different ways. Fin goes for the nicknames and the jokes. And it’s fun, and brought a smile to my face each time.

Scarlett
Again, Scarlett provides some more comedic relief in the forms of heavy sarcasm and the sporadic innuendo. In fact, her sarcasm is also as perfect as her Syldrathi. I feel like Scarlett was in Aurora Burning a lot, but her part wasn’t as meaningful as I expected. Her made side-comments about exes that may have aided her in some way, translates for the others when they didn’t bother to learn the languages they probably should’ve learned, but none of it felt terribly important. I hope there’s more for Scarlett because who and what she is can provide more to the world of the Aurora Cycle.

Tyler
Tyler is the Alpha, the squad leader, who honestly had a bit of a stick up his ass in the first book. He’s a lot better in this book, more laid back with a better personality than “I’m the leader, listen to how amazing I am and my ideas are fantastic and never wrong.” Ok, so he still thinks his ideas are amazing, but otherwise, he’s mellowed a lot in Aurora Burning, and the book is better off for it.

Zila
Zila was the quiet, probably somewhat strange science officer in Aurora Rising. She’s still very much that, but she comes out of her shell more, and we learn more about her past. And it’s not a happy one, but it also explains why she is who she is. I’m glad we got to see more of her. I just hope that continues into the next book. That particular story isn’t over, I’m sure of it.

I 100% recommend pre-ordering Aurora Burning if you haven’t already! A) Have you seen the cover? Kal, the orange colours, I love it. At this point, I’m not sure where I’ve pre-ordered it from or what edition is actually going to arrive for me. I just know when it does, I’m going to ogle the cover for a while because look at it.