Obsidio by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (The Illuminae Files book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Illuminae and Gemina, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first book.
Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the second book.

“Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion? 

Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha's past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. 

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.” taken from Goodreads.com

When I found the first book in The Illuminae Files I didn’t think I would like the book. I am a straight up prose reader and at first, I didn’t think I could get into the dossier format of the book. But the initial exchange of the Kerenza attack by Kady Grant sucked me in. In Obsidio, two more main characters are introduced, Asha Grant and Rhys Lindstrom, bringing the total to seven. Even though we don’t get to know these two new figures as well as the others, they still play an integral part of the overall story. 

As we learned at the end of Gemina who is behind the files and why here we see how everything comes together. With an impressing and satisfying conclusion, this series ranks as one of my all-time favorites. In the acknowledgments, the authors announce their next joint series, The Andromeda Cycle!

I also keep hearing how entertaining the audio versions of the books are that I have already bought the first one to listen to. 

Visit Amie Kaufman’s website.

Visit Jay Kristoff’s website.

Starfall by Melissa Landers (Starflight book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! Starfall is a companion story to Starflight, Doran and Solara’s book. Reading the previous book isn’t necessary to enjoy Starfall but it will have a much bigger impact seeing as you meet Cassia and Kane. This book continues the story started in Starflight but centers on two different characters.

“When Princess Cassia Rose fled her home world of Eturia to escape an arranged marriage, she had no idea her sudden departure would spark a war. Now after two years hiding as a ship hand, she is finally returning to her beloved home, but not in the way she imagined. Shackled by bounty hunters, she is violently dragged back to account for her crimes. Her only solace is that the Banshee crew managed to evade capture, including Kane Arric, her best friend...with occasional benefits.

Meanwhile, Kane and the rest of the crew of the Banshee plan a desperate rescue mission. But when they arrive on Eturia, Cassia isn't exactly in need of heroics—she's claimed her birthright as Eturia's queen, but has inherited a war-torn planet simmering with rebellion. Cassia must make alliances, and Kane, the bastard son of a merchant, isn't a choice that will earn her any friends. Kane knows he will never find someone to replace Cassia—and is certain she returns his feelings—but how can he throw away his own promising future waiting on a queen?

When the outer realm is threatened by the dangerous Zhang mafia, Cassia, Kane and the rest of the Banshee crew uncover a horrifying conspiracy that endangers the entire universe. In the face of unspeakable evil, Cassia must confront her own family's complicated legacy on Eturia and decide once and for all who her real family is.” taken from Goodreads.com

I loved getting back into the Starflight world and catching up with the crew of the Banshee. This book centers on the story of Kane and Cassia and we delve deeper into their relationship and why Cassia fled from her home. I devoured this book over a weekend and I’m kind of sad to say goodbye to the Banshee crew.

Visit Melissa Landers’ website.

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (The Illuminae Files book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, IIlluminae, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

“Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy's most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station's wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They've totally got this. They hope.

Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Once again, an incredible story. One of my favorite aspects of the story was the inclusion of Hanna Donnelly’s journals, illustrated by Marie Lu. Written in the same dossier format as Illuminae, fans of this series will be eager to see how our favorite characters from the first book fit in with the new ones. With more surprising twists and turns, readers will be clamouring for the end to see what happens next. This book does end with a bit of a cliffhanger to lead off the third book in the series, due out in 2017.

Visit Amie Kaufman’s website.

Visit Jay Kristoff’s website.

Starflight by Melissa Landers (Starflight book 1)

Solara Brooks is looking for a fresh start, one away from the orphanage where she learned to become a mechanic and where no one cares about the felony tattoos that cover her knuckles. She is looking for work as an indentured servant in order to earn passage aboard the Zenith to the outer realms. Solara was just offered a job on a new terraform on Vega as a mechanic. She is the last one standing looking for passage when her worse nightmare walks up. Doran Spaulding was the star quarterback and her academic rival at the exclusive academy where Solara was a scholarship student. She was forced to leave and graduate elsewhere when she got into trouble. If she doesn’t accept Doran’s servitude, the next trip won’t be for another year. With nowhere else to go, she humbles herself and accepts Doran’s offer over the protests of his girlfriend. Five months is better than waiting another year.

Doran is a demanding master, calling for Solara at all hours of the day and night. When he sends for her one night, in her haste, Solara forgets to wear her fingerless gloves. Doran doesn’t trust her and freaks out to learn that she is a felony. He no longer wants Solara to work for him and informs her that she will now be at the beck and call of Miss DePaul, his girlfriend. Solara will need to take care of her dog before breakfast. Solara sleeps in her bunk until the morning alarm.  Feeling uneasy, it isn’t until she heads towards Miss DePaul’s suite that she realizes her wristband hasn’t registered any pages. Miss DePaul answers the door telling Solara to clean up Baby’s accident before taking her for a walk. She is going to take a shower and instructs Solara to lock the door when she leaves. She takes the dog for a walk and “forgets” to lock the door behind her. The Zenith has reached a refueling station and Doran has requested that she meet him outside the auxiliary engine room.

Without speaking to her, Doran points out a window where she sees the ship being refueled and her trunk on the floor. He is dead serious about leaving her behind at the outpost because she wouldn't tell him what she did to get the tattoos. Solara doesn't want to tell him but instead the two shoot insults at one another over each other's character. At the end of her rope, Solara remembers Sister Agnes’ is parting gift, a stunner. She is able to knock him out and slip his wristband off of his hand. Suddenly, she realizes that she hadn't thought through her plan. Doran’s handprint is needed to use the band at any purchasing scanners.

When Doran come to, he is unable to remember who he is or where he is at. A female voice speaks and she helps him to sit up. The young girl looks familiar but he cannot recall how he knows her. He notices the M band on her wrist and realizes that it stands for master. He looks down and sees that he is wearing the matching slave band. Solara tells him that he was hired to travel with her to the Obsidian Beaches. He became became dizzy and fell down the stairs. He accepts her story because it sounds familiar. Solara tells Doran that he is hung over and they need to hurry to catch their connecting ship. He is unable to remember his name and asks what it is. Doran Zenith and her name is Lara, but he can call her Miss Brooks.

Solara doesn't feel guilty for taking Doran's money and once she reaches the outer realm, the Enforcers cannot touch her. She wants to purchase him a ticket back to Earth but he is having none of it. Doran has something important to do at the Obsidian Beaches. He is determined to go with her. She relents, knowing that she would still have access to his money and makes clear to him what their relationship is. At the Auto Mall, she withdraws some of Doran’s  money, takes him to a clinic for some “medicine” and goes shopping. After she has outfitted Doran in some coveralls, he begrudgingly carries her packages. Suddenly, an announcement comes over the broad over the speaker saying, “Passenger Spaulding, please report to your ship.” Solara panics and points towards a ship saying “that one!” A sign on the wall states that it is the SS Banshee, Captain Phineas Ross, sole proprietor. Solara keeps pushing the call button while keeping an eye on the enith. Finally, a boy opens the door and asks what they want. Solara ask for passage for two to the outer realm. Both boys look at her questioningly and Doran asks about the Obsidian beaches. Solara correct herself saying the Beaches first, then the realm  and asks how much, while the announcement is made again. The captain finally comes to the door and Solara bargains over the price while she keeps looking at the Zenith and see several Enforcers. They finally agree on a price and Ross says that they will leave in five minutes.

In the ship, the boy introduced introduces himself as Kane and continues to flirt with Solara. They eventually meet Cassia and Lawrence, who is the first mate. Solara is surprised to see the ship tracer on a table and she is quickly told that it is broken, which she knows is a lie. Later, the Banshee takes a couple of warning shots from the Enforcers and Solara realizes how the ship got her name, they take off screaming like a banshee. Solara realizes the depth of the trouble she will be in if the Enforcers catch her. Already a convicted felony, kidnapping a Spaulding wouldn’t bode well for her future. The captain pages everyone to report to the bridge. Doran is feeling claustrophobic in the ship and begins to remember some facts about his living situation, facts that aren’t adding up. He begins to wonder exactly how he has ended up in his current situation. Doran asks “Lara” for some answers but backs off when he startles her. On their way, they run into the two younger crew members and they tell the two to turn in for the night. The captain is tired and the ship’s autopilot is broken. They have stopped for the night on an abandoned lunar colony.

The two must share a bed but Solara makes Doran sleep on the floor. During the night, Doran wakes up to find the ship has zero gravity. He stares at Solara before he wakes her up. She immediately realizes that the gravity drive is down and the two of them head to the engine room to repair it. Doran is shocked to learn that Solara is able to fix and asks if she is an engineering student. Something like that she respond and he is even more intrigued about why a young girl is heading towards such a dangerous place. While working in the tight space, Solara asks Doran to hold her hair back so that she can work. He is enjoying the feel of her hair when a flashback of pink hair from his girlfriend comes to mind. Suddenly, all of Doran’s memories come flooding back. She tries to explain but he slams the door shut, trapping her inside. Angry, he doesn’t let Solara explain herself. Doran is ready to go to the captain to tell him what is going on. Solara tells him not to. The crew cannot be trusted since the Enforcers were after them. If he tells them who he really is, they might try to ransom him. If he doesn’t believe, he can go to the bridge and see that the tracker is missing. Doran does just that, leaving Solara behind the locked door. He is dismayed to find that Solara is right and wonders what his plan of action will be.

Can Doran begin to trust Solara and work with her to get himself out of their situation? Why is Solara heading to the outer realms? What did Solara do to receive her tattoos? What is the real reason Doran is traveling to the Obsidian Beaches? How come he was being paged repeatedly at the refueling station? What is really going on with the SS Banshee and its crew? Do they find out who Doran really is?

Visit Melissa Landers’ website.

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (Illuminae Files book 1)

“First, survive. Then tell the truth.”

“This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Even though this is a “hefty” book, readers will not be able to it down until the end to see how Kady and Ezra’s story turns out. Written in a unique style, I was afraid that I would be lost or easily bored. Definitely not the case. It turned out to be one of my favorite reads of the year. A sci-fi mystery with with an underlying twist of rebudding romance, readers will be left hanging for The Iluuminae Files book 2.

Visit Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s websites.

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (Starbound book 1)

Major Tarver Merendsen is an eighteen year old who earned his military promotions on the battlefield instead of behind a desk. He is aboard the luxury space liner Icarus so that the rich can have their pictures taken with him and hobnob with the low born citizen turned war hero. The paparazzi cannot get enough of the teacher's son even as he wishes all of the attention would die down. Always the soldier, he notices a man on the first class deck who does not belong. He tries to make his way across the crowd to see what he is up to. He finally catches sight of the man talking to a young woman sitting at a table. Before he can reach her, several soldiers come up and manhandle the man. Tarver tries to diffuse the situation when he hears the man asking the young woman to talk with her father about the plight of the colonists. The man is removed from the situation as Tarver takes in the young woman; red hair, blue eyes and a beautiful blue dress. 

She refers to up him as Captain and when he corrects her, Tarver is mesmerized by her dimples. They watch each other as she removes and drops a glove. He picks it up and asks if he can sit until whoever she is waiting for shows. He can but he might be waiting awhile for her perpetually late companions. Tarver knows that he should recognize her. It cannot recall her name. The two seem interested in one another and Tarver asks her if she has seen the observation decks. As she is getting ready to agree to go with him, she turns her head and sees her companions enter. Tarver excuses himself when they arrive at the table.

Lilac LaRoux is the richest girl in the universe. Her father, Roderick LaRoux, owns LaRoux Industries which built the Icarus. Her overprotective father treats her as an untouchable princess and men have learned the hard way to stay away from her. Roderick has allowed her to travel without him to New Paris to celebrate her birthday but she is accompanied by her cousin Anna and her bodyguard Swann. When Anna arrives at Lilac's table, she sees the way the two of them are looking at each other. When Tarver leaves, Anna asks Lilac if she knew who that was. Of course she does, his photo has been splashed across the tabloids for weeks. Anna reminds her that no matter how many medals he wears, he is still a teacher's son and she would hate to inform Uncle Roderick of her flirtations. Lilac is amazed that he even had the courage to speak to her at all. At least he left of his own accord and she didn't have to annihilate him in front of Anna and Swann. With so many people on the ship, she knows that the chances are slim that she will ever see him again.

Two days later, Tarver runs into Lilac and her companions again. He asks her since their evening was cut short the other night if she would like to see the observation decks. Anna catches her eye to stop him immediately. She tries to tell him no when he asks what her name is. She is shocked that he has no idea who she is and was only interested in her for her and not her father and his connections. What she has to do is only made harder by his ignorance. She turns him down harshly and cannot stand to turn and look at his eyes as she gets on the elevator. Two men already inside realize who she is and rush off.as the walk by Tarver, they comment that they know better than to be caught alone with Lilac LaRoux. Tarver is shocked that he didn't realize who she was sooner.

Taking out his aggression on the sparring mats down in the military levels in the belly of the ship, he and the others notice that the Icarus lurches. Knowing that something isn't right, he goes up on the upper decks to see if an announcement is being made since the low born citizens will never be informed. A voice broadcasts that they will be doing routine maintenance and not to panic. Tarver realizes by her words that something is wrong but they are trying to keep people calm. He goes by the observation deck and sees that something is terribly wrong. The stars shouldn't look that way if the ship was operating correctly. He knows that the ship is unable to land without completely collapsing on itself. The next announcement is for people to head towards their evacuation pods immediately. Always the soldier, Tarver has a bag already packed for the situation and grabs his coat. He also knows exactly where he needs to go. Making his way with the frightened passengers, he bumps into Lilac and her companions on the balcony. Just his luck but he is coolly polite. Lilac is shocked and Tarver is caught unprepared for the sudden rush of people. He is pushed away from lilac as is her companions. He notices Swann battling her way back towards Lilac and realizes that she is her bodyguard. They are unable to make their way back to Lilac. Tarver hears a scream and realizes he has lost sight of Lilac. He pushes his way towards the balcony railing where the drop below is several stories down. He is about to quit looking for Lilac when he hears another scream. He rushes towards the railing in time to catch a flash of red hair and blue dress going over the railing. Without thinking, Tarver readies himself to jump and land on the floor below.

"Iliac is able to catch herself on the balcony landing two floors down. In their panic, no one notices her. She feels someone tugging on her arms. Tarver is there and pulls her to safety. Lilac wants to look for Anna and Swann but Tarver tells her that they will never find them. He wants to go to the escape pods but Lilac stops him. Having grown up around the ship, she knows that the crew escape pods are closer and leads Tarver there. She doesn't want to share a pod with him for fear or what her father will think when they are found but Tarver will not leave. He doesn't want to be anywhere near her either. They strap themselves in and Tarver initiates the launch sequence. Soon, a power surge strikes the ship and the power fails. The emergency backup comes on but the launch sequence has stalled. Knowing everything that she does about the Icarus when a girl in her position should not, she removes the control panel and searches for the correct wires to fire the pod away from the ship. Not acting at this point what Tarver thinks of her, she is able to detach the pod and is quickly knocked unconscious from the blast.

Tarver is able to secure Lilac back in a seat before gravity fails. Looking out the viewing port, Tarver sees that the ship has fallen into the gravitational pull of a planet. He doesn't see any more escape pods and knows that the Icarus is unable to survive the impact. He wonders how a rich born girl like Lilac knew what to do the ship. She comes to and as their pod is pulled towards the planet, they are silent. They crash land on the planet and. Lilac wonders when they will be picked up. Tarver doesn't have the heart to tell her the truth about the ship. He wonders about the air quality of the planet when Lilac shows him that the pod has been punctured. They both know if they are able to breathe the planet's air, someone must own it and it will be covered by colonies. They are both relieved.

The planet seems to be in the final stages of terraforming but Tarver cannot imagine why the colonists haven't arrived yet. He decides to hike to a hill to get a better vantage point and Lilac insists on coming with him. Along the way, Lilac proves herself to be somewhat capable and Tarver is surprised that she doesn't complain. When they reach the hill's crest, Tarver wishes that Lilac had stayed behind. In front of them, they can see the Icarus, falling in pieces from the sky. Tarver puts his arm around Lilac's shoulder. They then see smaller pieces of the ship beak off, almost like shooting stars. Tarver realizes with horror that they are the escape pods. No one else had Lilac to help in their escapes.

Soon the two of them realize that there is no communication link and the planet they crash landed on is uninhabited. They begin to trek through the forest and across the plains to cross the mountain range. The Icarus and hopefully rescue lie beyond. As time passes, Tarver and Lilac's icy relationship thaws. Outside the planet they currently inhabit, they would never be together.

Will Tarver and Lilac be rescued? Did anyone else from the Icarus survive? Do they wish to resume their former roles in society or have they manage a new, better existence for themselves? What will Lilac's father think about their situation? What happens when it seems that the planet they believe to be uninhabited actually is?

This Shattered World due out on December 23, 2013, the stunning second novel in the Starbound trilogy is an unforgettable story of love and forgiveness in a world torn apart by war.

Flame by Amy Kathleen Ryan (Sky Chasers trilogy book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first two books in the Sky Chasers trilogy, Glow and Spark, Stop! I don't want to ruin the series for you.

Seth rescued and sent Waverly off to the New Horizon alone. Now he hopes to make it on his own to the enemy ship and stay undetected. Then he can try and help Waverly and possibly get back at Anne Mather. Using a One Man, he makes it to the ship but is soon detected. Tired and injured, Seth is still able to make it to the rain forest pod and hide.

Waverly and Sarah pilot the last load of children from the Empyrean to the New Horizon where Anne Mather is waiting for them. She is still holding out hope that her mother is still alive. Mather tries to make amends but in the end, Waverly breaks down and succumbs to defeat. Mather escorts her to an apartment where she will be under house arrest until Waverly's true intentions are revealed. Her mother is waiting for her inside. Their reunion is anything but ideal. Waverly's mother has fallen under Pastor Mather's spell.

Kieran is being kept prisoner in Anne Mather's office. His mother, who has also been brainwashed by Mather, is with him. Mather continues to insist to him that Jacob Pauley and his wife acted alone when they blew up the Empyrean and the nuclear reactor failure was an accident. Mather allows Kieran to see the destroyed spaceship through the porthole and he knows Seth is dead. Even though the two were enemies, Kieran still feels the hurt. Mather gives him a list of the missing, many of them his friends, and lets Kieran know she has people searching the ship for any survivors. He blames himself for letting everyone down. Mather promises the young, former captain of the Empyrean that he can see his crew in the morning; Kieran realizes that she wants something from him but he hasn't figured it out yet.

Just before he can fall asleep in the rain forest, an alarm sounds and an announcement is made to be on the lookout for an unaccompanied young man. Before he can escape and hide elsewhere, guards enter the pod. An older couple working has an argument with a guard over their locality to Mather. The guard walks away and orders more men to join the search. Seth decides to make a run for it but trips and falls. The couple covers for him when the guards come looking. The man fakes his own fall and injuries. They head to the infirmary. The guards are still looking for him when two gunshots ring out. In the ensuing panic, a guard comes to Seth to rescue him before either one of them are found out.

After a trying couple of days with her mother and no answers as to why she is so submissive, Waverly receives a visitor, a handsome man who introduces himself as Jared Carver. They leave her apartment to take her to visit a friend. Housed in an uninhibited part of the ship, Jared tells her that Anne wants to "move forward to a peaceful future for all" or at least that's her story. She is not going to be allowed to see her friends for the time being after what happened the last time and the fact that there is a fugitive aboard the ship. Waverly believes that it is Seth but she tells Jared no when he asks if she has any idea who it could be.

Jared takes her to the administrative level of the ship and into a narrow office lined with books. He introduces her to Dr. Wesley Carver, an older man of an indeterminate age. He has had her brought to his office because she has shown mettle and promise as a leader. Her four minute speech during church services before her escape discredited Anne in the eyes of many of the ship's inhabitants. In Waverly, Dr. Carver sees her as the future leader of the New Horizon. He and the remaining church elders/Central Council want her to help them destroy Anne. She has made them vulnerable to chaos, predictability ensures that order remains. He tells her to name her price for her help. She asks that he look at her mother. He agrees when she doesn't trust the ship's doctors. At first, he finds nothing wrong with her. Upon further questioning he sees that she seems emotionless until he threatens to take Waverly away. Dr. Carver isn't sure what is wrong with her but he will find out if Waverly helps him.

After four days, Mather allows Kieran a breakfast reunion with the children from the Empyrean. Looking out at them, they begin to ask about their parents. Never having informed some off them about their parents' deaths, he wonders what he is going to say to them when Felicity Wiggam walks in. The children are delighted to see her and begin to ask her the same questions. She takes one look at Kieran and knows the truth about her own parents that she had suspected. Soon more children arrive. Waverly is one of the last along with her and Kieran's mothers who act like old friends. Kieran begrudgingly tries to tell the children about their dead parents. Suddenly, the surviving adults from the Empyrean enter the room and chaos erupts over the tearful reunions. Mather and her guards appear at the back of the room. Before he can begin to tell the remaining children that their parents are dead, the surviving adults take the children aside to tell break the devastating news. Kieran looks around the room and sees parents and children alike grieving their lost loved ones. He comes to the realization that all of the sermons he gave were nothing but lies. Kieran breaks down only to be comforted by his mother.

Seth wakes up in a real bed. He is in hiding in Maya's apartment and she fixes him something to eat. They talk a bit before the man who covered for Seth in the rain forest comes into the bedroom. The man turns out to be Dr. Molinelli and he is there to secretly treat Seth's mangled hand. When he asks Maya why she is helping him, she tells him that she and several others don't agree with what Anne Mather did to Waverly and the girls. They consider the girls family now since several of them are now pregnant with their embryos and she has hurt their families. Seth is stunned when Maya announces that she is pregnant with one of Waverly's embryos. He asks to be alone, wishing that he could hold Waverly in his arms.

Soon it seems like battle lines are being drawn not only between the original residents of the New Horizon but hose of the Empyrean as well. Lies from years ago begin to come to life bringing with them devastation. Can Kieran, Waverly and Seth remember who the real enemy is before it is too late? What happens when Anne Mather asks Kieran to help her lead the ship? Can Seth remain hidden or will he be found out? Will Waverly end up with either Seth or Kieran? Who is Dr. Wesley Carver and what does he want with Waverly? Is Jared related to him somehow? What are his intentions? Will she accept the deal Dr. Carver offers her? Have Waverly's mother and the other adults have been brainwashed? Can Kieran get over the feeling of guilt that he carries? Are there any survivors aboard the Empyrean? What happens when the first babies are born? Will there ever be peace aboard the New Horizon? Readers will be left on the edge of their seats to see how this thrilling ride ends.

Visit Amy Kathleen Ryan's website.