Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman [Joint Review!]

4 out of 5 Stars!

Their Fractured Light By Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Series: Starbound Novel #3

Genre: Young Adult SciFi

Release: December 1, 2015

Paperback:  425 Pages

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

My Copy: Library

Reviewer: Julia & Shannon

Book Summary:
Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.
When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide.(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Julia & Shannon - Joint Review! 

1. In a couple of sentences, how would you describe Their Fractured Light?

Shannon: Their Fractured Light was fast paced and intense.  We are introduced to a new set of characters who are pulled into the wider machinations of LaRoux Industries and everything comes to a head.  

Julia: Their Fractured Light is captivating from start to finish! I love the characters, their relationship and witty dialogue. There is romance, action and a quickly paced plot!

2. What did you like? What did you dislike?

Shannon: I loved how fast paced it was!  I literally could not put it done and finished the whole thing in one sitting.  And I love that our new characters meet up with some of the previous characters and finding out how they are all connected.  I honestly didn't dislike anything!  Oh wait.  The only thing I had trouble was when the aliens were narrating.  I couldn't remember who they were referencing!

Julia: I loved that the romance didn't get in the way of the plot and that the story just kept rolling! Couldn't put it down. There isn't much I didn't like. LOVEEEED that all of the characters from previous books make a big appearance and the lives of them all are soooo intertwined it is brilliant. The only part that is a little silly are when we read the thoughts of the whispers. Didn't add much to the story and it was like a riddle every time trying to remember who they were talking about. Didn't mind it, just... could've done without. 

3. How was the plot? Romance between Gideon & Sofia?

Shannon:  The plot was good.  No complaints.  I liked Gideon and Sofia together.  I thought they kind of made sense in a way.  I liked that the romance didn't get in the way of the plot, but it was still charming.

Julia: Enjoyed the plot. Enjoyed the romance. Gideon and Sofia had great dialogue and their romance is sweet. It is easy to see where their feelings come from, as their relationship is built on throughout the story. 

4. This is the end of the Starbound trilogy- what did you think about the end?

Shannon:  Loved it.  The gang's back together!  It was very intense, but ultimately a satisfying ending.  Even if I wanted a little more retribution for the people.

Julia: They tied up all lose ends so well! I have no questions and I'm totally satisfied with each and every character's ending. Still loving how Gideon ended up knowing the other characters- didn't see that coming.

5. How does Their Fractured Light compare to its companion novels, These Broken Stars & This Shattered World?

Shannon: Ok, I ADORED These Broken Stars, especially the romance between Lilac and Tarver.  Like, wow.  So that is my favorite out of the three.  Then I think I like Their Fractured Light second.  I liked how fast paced and exciting it was.  I like Gideon and Sofia, separately and apart.  I liked how everyone comes together.  This Shattered World brings up the rear only because I wasn't feeling the romance as much on that.  But, that being said, the whole series is awesome and everyone should read it.

Julia: This whole series is so romantic, it just makes me *siiiigh* in a good way. I think I liked Their Fractured Light the best because there is just so much action AND romance. I loved Gideon/Sofia. They're badass on their own, let alone together. These Broken Stars comes in second for my deep love of Tarver, my favorite character in the whole series. So Their Fractured Light is right on par with the previous two!

6. What is your rating and who would you recommend this to?

Shannon:  5 Stars and I recommend it to everyone!

Julia: 4.5 Stars. Anyone that loves a little scifi with their romance, pick this up. Or even if you don't ;)

Other books in this series:

1. These Broken Stars - Our Review

2. This Shattered World - Our Review

3. Their Fractured Light

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner [Joint Review!]

3 out of 5 Robots!

  

This Shattered World 
Authors: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Series: Starbound Novel, #2
Genre: Young Adult Rom SciFi
Release: December 23, 2014
Hardcover:  390 Pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
My Copy: Library
Reviewer: Shannon & Julia

Book Summary:

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met. Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war. (Courtesy of the Publisher)

Julia & Shannon: Joint Review!

1. In a couple sentences, what did you think of This Shattered World?
Julia: This Shattered World is a satisfying read, but I didn't feel much emotion toward either of our main characters. The plot is exciting and there is a good deal of action, that and the dialogue itself kept me flipping the pages. 

Shannon: This book definitely cemented my belief in this series.  Kaufman and Spooner manage to make an interesting and well written "space opera".  
 

2. What did you like?  What did you dislike?

Julia: I loved that Tarver and Lilac make an appearance. It is by far the highlight of the novel for me. And I really disliked that Lee and Flynn's relationship didn't show any real development throughout the story. Lilac and Tarver had an adventure and obstacles to overcome together and you get to watch them grow together.... I didn't get that here and it is disappointing.

Shannon: Totally agree that Tarver's cameo really gave the plot a jolt.  I liked how fast paced the plot was.  There is a ton of action!  I liked both of the main characters fairly well.  Each were compelling in their own ways.  I liked that I felt like I knew them and understood their motivations.  There wasn't really anything I didn't like, except for the few places that the story stalled.

3. What did you think of the romance between Lee and Flynn?

Julia: Well, I kind of said it before... I didn't feel like they really worked for a relationship. It was a lot of running around figuring things out. I don't even think they spent that much time together. There is chemistry, but not enough. It's missing something. I'm not satisfied, haha.

Shannon: Yeah, this felt much more like the dreaded insta-love.  I didn't really feel the chemistry between them.  I think I would have preferred if they were just friends.  But you know, it's a YA novel, so there must be romance.  I was more interested in all the other parts though.

4. How does This Shattered World compare to its companion novel, These Broken Stars?

Julia: In my opinion, it doesn't really compare. I enjoyed These Broken Stars SO much more than This Shattered World. The plot is just as good, it just didn't have as much "oomph."

Shannon: I will have to be honest and say that I liked These Broken Stars better for several reasons.  One, I liked the storyline better and two, I liked the romance waaayyy better.  This Shattered World was lacking that sweeping romantic feel that These Broken Stars had.  I loved the slow burning romance between Lilac and Tarver in the first one.  And in all honesty, I enjoyed them more as characters.  This isn't to say Lee and Flynn aren't good characters, but just that I liked Lilac and Tarver better.  

5. How do you feel about the overall arc this series is starting to take?

Julia: I'm interested in seeing what happens in the next novel. This one explained a lot about the whispers and it is intriguing to see one connect with Lee. Really all I care about is Tarver and will he show up in book three? ;)

Shannon: I do like how overarching the series is starting to be and how far reaching the Big Bad is.  I think it is really interesting.  I would not mind our characters all converging together in the third book though!  I will definitely be back to meet new characters (or at least I'm assuming there will be) and see how it all comes together.

6. What is your rating?  Who would you recommend this book to?

Julia: I gave it three stars because I was only super into it in the middle. At the end I began skipping straight to dialogue between characters. It didn't keep me as interested as book one. Regardless, those who loved book one or love young adult science fiction should give this one a go. There isn't as much romance as in the previous novel, but there are some super cheesy lines you may enjoy. hah.

Shannon: I will give it 4.5 because I do think this was an excellent book.  And I think the only reason why I am feeling any disappointment is because the bar was raised so high for me with the first book.  I recommend this series to sci-fi fans and those that like epic, sweeping stories.

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken [Joint Review!]

4 out of 5 Robots!

  

In the After Light by Alexandra Bracken
Series: The Darkest Minds, #3
Genre: Young Adult, Scifi, Dystopia
Release: October 28, 2014
Hardcover:  535 Pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Julia & Shannon

Book Summary:

Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds.

They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IAAN, the disease that has killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the "rehabilitation camps" housing thousands of other Psi kids.

Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Joint Review with Julia & Shannon

1. In the Afterlight is the long conclusion to The Dark Minds trilogy- how do you feel about it? 

Shannon: I am pretty satisfied by this series.  I'm not exactly sad it is over, although I will miss some of the characters.  But I thought that given how bloated this genre is, The Dark Minds trilogy stands out.  I like that the characters all have their strengths and their flaws and are fairly three dimensional.  I thought the main plot was interesting and it was well written. My only small complaint is these books do feel long.  I mean, they are long, but they also feel long. 

Julia: I enjoyed the story- stellar plot. It really tied up all the loose ends and I didn't have any questions at the end of In the Afterlight. That being said, it is way too long. It did not need to be 535 pages to conclude everything. I LOVE long books, but I don't love when long books feel long. I was ready for this book to be over halfway through.

2. SO many characters! Good. Bad. Who was your favorite good guy? Your favorite bad guy?

Shannon:  Honestly, I could not keep everyone straight outside of the main characters.  Or more accurately, I could not keep all the different groups straight.  But my favorite good guy character is and will always be Chubs.  He gets a bad rap for being the "worrying granny" of the group, but he has no problem laying down the truth when needed.  He is the glue that holds everyone together and really, nothing would get done without him.  I don't know if I had a favorite bad guy.  There is the obvious choice of Clancy, but something about the whole Clancy-mind control thing gets really tiresome to me. 

Julia: There are so many three dimensional brilliant characters, but Chubs is my favorite. He stays true to who he is always yet you see his character grow throughout the three novels. His worry-wart personality is endearing. And I love Clancy- perfect villain. He's relatively predictable, but I kept rooting for him to change his ways. He does get a great ending, peace!

3. Relationships. There are always a relationship or two... discuss.

Shannon: Lets start with Liam and Ruby.  I have also liked them together from day one and I appreciated the hurdles they had to overcome.  Although Liam is a little TOO nice when it comes to Ruby because she does not make things easy for him.  But overall, I love them together.  Or maybe I just love Liam?  There is also Liam and his brother Cole.  I got tired of them bickering ALL. THE. TIME.  I wanted them to get on the same page a lot sooner than they did.  But I also liked how they kind of represented the yin and yang of the Stewart family.  I also liked Cole and Ruby's relationship.  I liked the mutual respect they had for each other without it being romantic.  THANK YOU ALEXANDRA BRACKEN for not making this a love triangle!!  Lastly, there was a nice relationship that develops.  I don't know want to say who it is but I called it from the beginning.  

Julia: Well, as thankful as I am that there wasn't a love triangle, I wasn't very satisfied with relationships In the Afterlight. Liam and Ruby's relationship grows, but also takes a back burner and the book was SO LONG that I should have felt more emotional about their coupledom. I was rooting for them in The Darkest Minds and Never Fade, but I didn't feel anything this time. I didn't even care if they "made it." I understood Cole/Liam's sibling relationship, so that was refreshing. But Cole and Ruby's relationship is the most satisfying because there is a mutual respect and friendship and absolutely no sexual tension. THAT is refreshing. Chubs does find himself in a strange relationship, yet it makes perfect sense and that is fun to discover. 

4. Favorite/Least favorite thing about In the Afterlight?

Shannon:  My favorite thing I think would be the resolution for some of the characters.  Bracken spends a good amount of time working through various issues for some of her characters and I liked that.  My least favorite thing is Clancy.  I don't know why, but I just was not into his mind control at all.

Julia: Well, this is a sorta spoiler. My least favorite thing - A character dies, and I don't buy it. We weren't there. It wasn't a big enough send off. Give me a break, this dude is big and bad and would have put up more of a fight!

5. Did Bracken do a good job tying up loose ends and concluding the series?

Shannon:  I would say I am satisfied.  As I mentioned, Bracken brings everyone together and spends time resolving issues.  I thought the ending came up a little abruptly and panned out a little too easy, but I also was fairly happy with where everyone ends up.  Bracken does a nice job of tying up the loose strings here.

Julia: She sure did! She better have anyway, after 535 pages. Sorry, I know I've mentioned that already. The ending is well thought out and I love how much time she put into each character.

6. Rate the series and tell me who you're recommending it to? Also, will previous fans love this one too?

Shannon:  I would give it 4.5 stars.  It is a series I would recommend and I think this last book holds up well with the first two.  I would recommend this to dystopian fans and "superpower"/X-man fans.  I also think readers of the series will like this book, although they may not like one or two developments.
Julia: 4 out of 5 stars. Super unique series in a genre that has become over populated. The characters are refreshing and the author knows how to pull at your heart strings. I'm pretty sure any young adult enthusiast could get into this one, especially dystopian junkies. Previous fans will love it.

The Darkest Minds Trilogy in the order they should be read: 
1.The Darkest Minds - Review
2.  Never Fade - Review
3. In the Afterlight