I loved spending time with this book and characters. The mystery elements of this book kept me turning the pages!

Nabukko is the first book in an intended trilogy, and I found this to be really intriguing. I really enjoy science-fiction books that are more mystery-related rather than military (although I love those too!), and I especially love it when we have an unreliable narrator. Eff doesn't have memories of what happened three months prior and when she learns the other colonists are suffering from a similar fate, albeit not quite as severe as she, she undertakes to discover what is happening to her and to the others. There was a lot of mystery surrounding Nabukko and I love how the author doesn't just tell you everything, but you have to figure things out for yourself, like peeling away the layers of an onion.

First of all, it took me quite a while to realize how unreliable Eff was as the narrator. Once I started cluing in, I actually liked her a lot more as the tension kind of leveled up and I became invested in trying to figure out what was happening to her memories and what was happening around her. With little episodes of nightmares thrown into the mix, you start to get an eerie idea of what went down, but not all of the pieces fit at this point. Despite the fact that Eff is not always believable, I did like her character development and enjoyed her as a character. She was actually quite clever and quite uncanny, able to distinguish when someone was lying to her or withholding information. I enjoyed the friendships she formed and thought the relationships were quite interesting. The secondary characters were quite entertaining and added a lot of depth to the story as well as some much needed comic relief.

The plot is rather gripping and I didn't mind that it was a bit slow towards the beginning as the author used the time to set up characters as well as some intriguing plot points that would play a huge role later in the story. As I've mentioned, there are some pacing issues, but I didn't mind these too much as the strong world-building more than made up for the issues. There were quite a few twists and turns, some of which were predictable, some of which caught me off guard. And I was definitely not expecting that ending!

Nabukko was a very entertaining science-fiction novel with great world-building, strong character development, and some interesting twists and turns. While the pacing had some issues, I was able to overlook that by focusing on the rather intriguing mystery of why Eff was on the planet and how the colonists figured into her problem. The secrets were revealed bit by bit and the author's style was to let the author figure things out, a style I really appreciated. I am looking forward to starting the next book soon.

Nabukko, 2024
Book One of the Nabukko Trilogy
K. R. Gadeken

Eff despierta en un planeta extraño, sin ningún recuerdo de su vida anterior o de su llegada al planeta.
Tras meses viajando en solitario y sobreviviendo a la intemperie, tiene un tumultuoso encuentro con dos guardias de la colonia Nabukko.

Su llegada despierta suspicacias entre los colonos, reacios a compartir información con la recién llegada.

Poco a poco, Eff, se integra en las rutinas de la colonia y se adapta a sus nuevos compañeros, con más o menos fortuna y empieza a conocer detalles del accidente de la nave Nabukko, la muerte de la mitad de la tripulación y el fenómeno que han llamado The Obliviation, que ha provocado la pérdida de memoria de los supervivientes, instalados de forma accidental en el desconocido planeta.

Y cuando Eff se encuentra establecida y segura, un misterioso asesinato vuelve a ponerla en el punto de mira.

He disfrutado mucho con el primer libro de la trilogía de Nabukko, especialmente de su protagonista, un chica fuerte y resolutiva, toda una superviviente. 💪💪💪

Thanks to @netgalley and @booksgosocialgroup for this free review copy

#MayoSciFi

#nabukko #krgadeken #scifi #cienciaficción #leermola #leeresvivir #leoycomparto #leoautorastodoelaño #NetGalley #bookstagramespaña

I don’t usually read sci-fi, but I decided to switch things up this time and I’m so glad I did! This book had me hooked from the very beginning and held my attention all the way through. I genuinely couldn’t put it down.

I absolutely loved the slow burn and the mystery that unfolded throughout the story. The pacing was perfect, everything flowed so smoothly and never got boring. The character interactions were a highlight for me, more specifically Keir and Eff.

One thing that really stood out to me was how well Eff was written. Very often, female main characters are portrayed as helpless, but not here. I love how Eff is smart, capable, and strong from start to finish, and I was totally invested in her journey. The memory loss element was another interesting part in this book which I feel like it added a lot to story, especially when paired up with the flashbacks Eff has. I really enjoyed those parts, felt like putting a puzzle back together but the pieces not always matching up.

I usually hate cliffhangers, but this one was so well done that I actually didn’t mind it. I’m just excited to get my hands on the next book!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

**Eff’s journey in this sci-fi mystery offers moments of intrigue and wonder, but sometimes struggles under the weight of its own ambition.**

The premise is undeniably compelling—Eff wakes up on a strange planet, memory wiped clean, and is quickly swept into a web of colonists, secrets, and otherworldly enigmas. The early chapters do a great job of building suspense, with the eerie isolation and mounting questions drawing the reader in.

However, the narrative has a tendency to meander. Key developments sometimes feel delayed by long stretches of introspection or exposition, and the pacing falters just when the stakes should be escalating. While this may reflect Eff’s own confusion and fragmented memory, it occasionally muddies the story’s momentum and leaves certain plot connections feeling underdeveloped or unclear.

That said, the book succeeds in creating an immersive atmosphere and a lingering sense of unease. Eff’s distrust of those around her and the slow unspooling of her past make for a psychologically rich experience, even if not all the threads are neatly tied by the end.

Readers who enjoy character-driven science fiction with a slower burn and an air of mystery will still find much to appreciate here—just be prepared for a story that takes its time, and sometimes loses its way, before finding.

I received a free review copy of this book from BooksGoSocial through NetGalley. All opinions are completely my own.

I’ll admit, this book first caught my attention because of the gorgeous cover, though I’m glad I gave it a chance because I enjoyed reading it. There’s an air of mystery throughout this book since our narrator, Eff, is experiencing memory loss. I liked the detailed descriptions of the strange planet, plants, and animals. We meet a whole cast of characters, and the variety of relationships that Eff develops was interesting. At times the story felt like it was dragging a bit, but given this is the first book in a series, I expect it’s also setting up a foundation for the next books. There was still plenty of excitement though, especially toward the end. The book ended a bit abruptly, with most of my questions not answered yet. I’m excited to see what happens in the next book!

I picked this up because I was craving science fiction-- I didn't even know I could crave survivalist science fiction! I tore through this book in a day, and am chomping at the bit for book two.

Interesting and engaging this book was a jewel to read! I will definitely be looking forward to reading the rest of the series and anything else by this author.

We follow Eff Sharp through her mysterious appearance on an unknown planet, meeting others who just as mysteriously came to be there and their mutual distrust of each other as they try to wrangle civilization, navigate memory loss, and deal with teen drama.

This is geared more toward younger YA. The dialogue and the decision making of the FMC greatly support this. The plot gets a bit missed, especially as the focus seems to be between characters. It's not really depth that you'll find, but more so juvenile intrigue. Especially in the dialogue, but it can be enjoyable all the same. Again, fine for teens as the target audience.

One of my favorite tropes is the memory loss trope. I particularly enjoy coming along side a main character discovering every little thing for him- or herself. While this is a huge part of the plot, it's weirdly not, like, a concern of everyday life for the FMC until a little bit around 65-70% of the way through. Even making further discoveries of just how deep the memory loss seemed to be. She seemed to not push to learn more or ask more questions even though me as the reader was (figuratively) shouting "girl, did you not hear what they said? You should probably start asking questions now!"

All in all, it was a fine read, and the plot picked up quite a bit at the very end to reel the readers in for the next book. Some might say it was a bit abrupt in comparison.

The description for the alien planet were fun and delightful but I can see the author chose to make many things parallel to earth for simplicity's sake.

Many thanks to KR Gadeken and NetGalley for providing an electronic copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was hooked from the start and couldn't put this book down. There was mystery, romance, betrayal and amazing characters. I was devastated when I learned this was the first book in a trilogy and I have to wait to see how this story ends.

Thank you to K.R Gadeken and Books Go Social for the opportunity to read and review Nabukko!

Nabukko was a fascinating, science-fiction story that I stayed up late into the night to read. Eff, the main character, is an unreliable narrator due to memory loss, in addition to this there is mystery surrounding the world and other characters, so this builds up a lot of tension in the book. There are lots of turning points and twists in the story that keep readers grasped, however I think there was a slight issue with the pacing of the story.
I am excited for the next book in the series! I have so many more questions and would like to see more of Eff and her friends :)