We’re All Going to Die Tonight! by Veronica Bane

“The members of the Coastal Canyon debate team have their reasons to hate each complicated pasts, thornier presents, a huge competition loss . . . Now they’re stuck at an Airbnb together for a night during what feels like the storm of the century. Can it get any worse?

Yes. Yes, it can.

A flat tire, a severed landline, someone’s unconscious, and there’s a body outside. The night is unraveling, and it’s becoming no one is safe. But safe from who? A teammate? A teacher? Or is a stranger lurking nearby in the woods?

Seven students.

Three teachers.

One body.

Lock all the doors and trust no one.

After all, death isn’t up for debate.” - taken from Goodreads.

After a devastating performance for the coastal canyon debate team, they are now stuck in a secluded Airbnb during a major storm. Storm. Cut off from the outside world, it isn't too long before strange things begin to happen and people either disappear or get injured or even end up dead. 

Who will survive the night of terror? And who is responsible for everything that is going on? Readers will be left hanging until the last page to see how all the events and the characters play out. 

Visit Veronica Bane’s website.

Storm Breaker by Nisha J. Tuli (Storm Breaker book 1)

“For nineteen-year-old Poet Graves, New Manhattan has always promised safety―if she obeys. Raised within the ruling Houses and betrothed to a powerful heir, she enters Amery Academy knowing her future has already been decided.

But Amery is nothing like she imagined. Its trials are brutal, its loyalties conditional, and its rules designed to expose weakness. As Poet struggles to survive, she must hide the truth that could get her executed: the storms don’t fear her―they answer back.

When a dangerous outsider from beyond the city walls enters the academy, Poet is drawn to him despite everything she’s been taught to believe. He threatens the life she’s been promised. And choosing him could cost her not just her future, but her freedom.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book has all of the things that I am looking for in a great story and is the perfect mashup of The Hunger Games and Divergent. Poet is hiding a secret that will get her killed if it is discovered. Determined to get out from under her father’s control, she soon discovers that her choices have far reaching consequences that she never imagined. When the mysterious outsider Rook becomes the one person she thinks she can trust, turns out to be hiding secrets of his own, Poet makes the decision that she hopes will save her life. With plenty of romance, mystery, and intrigue, readers will be left waiting on the next book after a true cliffhanger ending.  Definitely one of my favorite reads so far this year!

Book two is expected to be out on Sept. 1, 2026.

Visit Nisha J. Tuli’s website.

This Is Where We Die by Cindy R. X. He

“Eight friends went on a trip. Only six made it out alive. Now a killer has one night to make sure the survivors pay for what they did … so that zero make it out alive. 

Sadie, Will, Isla, Anthony, Emily, and Charlie are survivors. They were the six (out of eight) to return from a ski holiday turned nightmare two years ago. Although … nobody knows exactly what happened; the details hushed up via the wealth and connections of Sadie's rich parents.

When an exclusive private island with a mansion for rent goes viral on social media, their graduating class persuades Sadie to rent it for the weekend. The six arrive first by helicopter and wait for the rest of their classmates to join them by boat the next day.

But nobody ever comes.

Cut off from the rest of the world with no cell service and no means off the island, paranoia and terror mount as they start to be picked off one by one by an unseen killer. Their past has finally caught up with them, and they'll need to figure out who is killing them before they all wind up dead.” - taken from Goodreads.

This is a YA take on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Eight friends went on a ski trip but only six survived and no one talks about what happened. Now with graduation over, they decide to have one last night together before some other friends arrive on the private island that they rented for a party. Sadie, Isla, Emily, Charlie, Will, and Ant are all bound by the horrific secret that no one talks about. As soon as the six arrive on the island, they realize that they are trapped and at the mercy of someone who wants them to pay for what happened on that ill-fated ski trip. Told from six points of view with flashbacks to the ski trip, who will survive the weekend and who wants them dead?

Visit Cindy R. X. He’s website.

Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman

“8 HOURS TO STOP AN EXPLOSION... 8 HOURS TO FALL IN LOVE.

It’s 2067, and the Graves family has transformed Mars from lifeless rock into a chaotic patchwork of settlements—and everybody wants a piece.

Enter Hunter Graves: handsome, ambitious, and with spectacularly bad timing. He shows up at the United Nations base just as an emergency evacuation sends everyone scurrying for safety. Except he’s left behind. Uh oh.

Also stranded: Cleo, a sharp-tongued stowaway with no intention of dying today, and even less patience for overconfident trust fund boys. But the enemy of your enemy might just help you survive, so here we are.

Turns out the evacuation was just a cover for the mercenaries who came next, and they plan to blow up the base—and every trace of their crime—in eight hours.

Now, Hunter and Cleo have one shot to stop the explosion, escape alive, and deal with the inconvenient fact that they’re falling for each other.

The clock is ticking.” - taken from Goodreads.

In this standalone novel set on Mars, Hunter and Cleo have 8 hours to stop the group that has attacked the unpack station with plans to destroy it. Hunter is the Uber Rich Scion of the Gray's family, the first humans to settle on Mars. Kept in the dark by his mother and sister, Hunter has arrived unannounced to the planet. Planet. Cleo is a hitcher and is on Mars illegally, running from her family’s debt on Earth. These two must learn to trust one another and work together to defeat the station's Invaders. Can Hunter and Cleo save packs before time's up? And what happens when the mutual attraction between the two people from very different backgrounds heats up?

Visit Amie Kaufman’s website.

Reckless by Lauren Roberts (Powerless trilogy book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Powerless, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

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

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher of the first two books.

‘The kingdom of Ilya is in turmoil…

After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King, and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.

Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.

Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts – and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.” - taken from Goodreads.

This series does not slow down in book two. Pardyn is on the run for her life after that fateful interaction with the King at the end of the first book. Sent by the King/Kitt to bring her back, Kai is torn by his feelings for Paedyn and his duty to his kingdom and King. With secrets uncovered that will only change their futures, readers will be left in a state of appeal by this book's ending

Book three, Fearless, is due out on April 8, 2025.

Visit Lauren Roberts’ website.

Powerless by Lauren Roberts (Powerless trilogy book 1)

 

“She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.

He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.

The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.” - taken from Goodreads.

I LOVED this book that reminded me of a mashup between Throne of Glass and The Hunger Games. Paeydn is just trying to survive in the Loot. Unknowingly saving Prince Kai brings her to the attention of the kingdom and a place in the Purging Trials. As an illegal Ordinary, her secret is in danger of being exposed, especially by the most powerful Elite in the kingdom, the very prince she saved. As the Trials continue, Paeydn and Kai are continually thrown together and find their feelings becoming more complicated. With a few twists and uncovered secrets at the end, readers will be ready to read the next book.

I actually read Powerless as a tandem read with the novella Powerful. 

Book two, Reckless, is now out.

Visit Lauren Roberts’ website.

Under the Surface by Diana Urban

 

“Ruby is terrified to cave to her feelings for Sean and risk him crushing her heart.

Sean is pumped to spend a week with Ruby in Paris on their senior class trip, and he’ll wait however long until she’s ready to take things further.

But when Ruby’s best friend sneaks out the first night to meet a mysterious French boy, Ruby goes after her with two classmates, but caves to another temptation: attending mystery boy’s exclusive party in the Paris catacombs, the intricate web of tunnels beneath the city, home to six million long-dead Parisians. Only they never reach the party.

Underground, as something sinister chases them, they get lost in the endless maze of bones, uncovering dark secrets about the catacombs… and each other. And if they can’t find a way out, they’ll die in the dark beneath the City of Light.

Aboveground, Sean races to find the girl he loves as a media frenzy over the four missing teens begins.” - taken from Goodreads.

On a school strip to Paris, Ruby is excited for two things. One is to get some incredible footage for her YouTube channel and the second is to possibly make a leap of faith on her feelings for her classmate Sean. When Ruby's friend Val sneaks out to meet a boy she just met, she and two other girls leave the hotel to bring Val back. But upon finding her with Julien on their way to a secret party in the catacombs below Paris, the girls decide to join. Soon an injury leads to the group becoming lost amid the maze of bones as they soon discover that they are not alone. Can Sean figure out what happened to the girls before something sinister happens?

Inspired by a news article about a couple of teenagers lost beneath the City of Paris in the catacombs, join the race to see if Ruby and her friends make it back to the surface. 

Visit Diana Urban’s website.

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe (Girls I’ve Been book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Girls I’ve Been, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“High school is over, but Nora O'Malley's life isn't, which is weird now that her murderous stepdad Raymond is free.

Determined to enjoy summer before her (possibly) imminent demise, Nora plans a ten day backpacking trip with Iris and Wes. Her plans hit a snag when Wes's girlfriend tags along. Amanda is nice, so it's not a huge issue—until she gets taken. Or rather, mistaken...for Nora. All because of a borrowed flannel.

Now Raymond has a hostage. Nora has no leverage. Iris has a spear and Wes is building boobytraps. It'll take all of their skills to make it out of the forest alive.

There are three problems: Someone is lying. Someone is keeping secrets.

And someone has to die.” - taken from Goodreads.

A great continuation of Nora O’Malley’s story now that most of her secrets are out. A backpacking trip with Iris, Wes, and Wes’s girlfriend Amanda goes off the rails when Raymond Keene decides to reclaim his daughter Ashley (Nora), no matter the cost. Delving into Ashley’s (Nora’s) past life along with the unexpected return of a former mark, not everyone will make it out of the forest alive. Hold on tight because this sequel is as good as the first.

Visit Tess Sharpe’s website.

Never a Hero by Vanessa Len (Monsters book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Never a Monster, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Despite all of the odds, Joan achieved the impossible. She reset the timeline, saved her family – and destroyed the hero, Nick.

But her success has come at a terrible cost.

She alone remembers what happened. Now, Aaron, her hard-won friend – and maybe more – is an enemy, trying to kill her. And Nick, the boy she loved, is a stranger who doesn’t even know her name. Only Joan remembers that there is a ruthless and dangerous enemy still out there.

When a deadly attack forces Joan back into the monster world as a fugitive, she finds herself on the run with Nick – as Aaron closes in.

As the danger rises – and Nick gets perilously closer to discovering the truth of what Joan did to him – Joan discovers a secret of her own. One that threatens everyone she loves.

Torn between love and family and monstrous choices, Joan must find a way to re-gather her old allies to face down the deadliest of enemies, and to save the timeline itself.” - taken from Goodreads.

Joan changed the timeline and now nothing is the same. Neither Nick nor Aaron know who she is or what she has done. Only a few remember what happened in the previous timeline and someone is out to get Joan and the power she has but doesn't understand. With few to help her navigate the world of Monsters, Joan is determined to make things right. But what she soon finds out is that there is someone more powerful who is trying to right the timeline to what they think it should be. Who is Joan up against and what does she discover? 

Book three is expected in 2024.

Visit Vanessa Len’s website.

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len (Monsters book 1)

“It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.

But she soon learns the truth. Her family aren’t just eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers. And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down.

As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .

. . . she is not the hero” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was an incredible start to a planned trilogy. Summer is going great for Joan, especially when her cute coworker Nick asks her out on a date. But the day doesn't begin as she hoped when a strange occurrence finds that Joan has traveled forward in time and missed her date. Arriving back at home, her grandmother tells her the truth about the family. They are monsters with the ability to steal time from humans to travel in time. Shocked by this news, Joan is warned never to tell anyone the truth about herself. 

Wanting to explain to Nick why it seems she stood him up, they are interrupted by the sudden arrival of a rival monster family. Trying to save them both, Joan finds herself in the middle when Nick reveals that he is the fabled hero whose destiny is to kill all monsters. With her family dead, Joan is determined to change the timeline to save her family and stop Nick. 

Book two will be published in 2023.

Visit Vanessa Len’s website.

The Perfect Escape by Suzanne Park

“Nate Jae-Woo Kim wants to be rich. When one of his classmates offers Nate a ridiculous amount of money to commit grade fraud, he knows that taking the windfall would help support his prideful Korean family, but is compromising his integrity worth it?

Luck comes in the form of Kate Anderson, Nate’s colleague at the zombie-themed escape room where he works. She approaches Nate with a plan: a local tech company is hosting a weekend-long survivalist competition with a huge cash prize. It could solve all of Nate’s problems, and Kate needs the money too.

If the two of them team up, Nate has a true shot at winning the grand prize. But the real challenge? Making through the weekend with his heart intact…” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was a unique spin on your typical rom-com. Having met while working at a zombie themed escape room, Nate Kim and Kate Anderson decide to team up to compete in a zombie survival competition. They are hoping to split the grand-prize since they each have a need for the money. When the competition heats up, can Nate and Kate's blooming relationship survive? 

Visit Suzanne Park’s website.

 

Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis

“The world is not tame.

Ashley knows this truth deep in her bones, more at home with trees overhead than a roof. So when she goes hiking in the Smokies with her friends for a night of partying, the falling dark and creaking trees are second nature to her. But people are not tame either. And when Ashley catches her boyfriend with another girl, drunken rage sends her running into the night, stopped only by a nasty fall into a ravine. Morning brings the realization that she's alone - and far off trail. Lost in undisturbed forest and with nothing but the clothes on her back, Ashley must figure out how to survive despite the red streak of infection creeping up her leg.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book captured my attention the first time I read the synopsis. Ashley Hawkins and her friends hike to a camping/party spot in the Great Smoky Mountains. After a night of drinking, Ashley wakes up to go to the bathroom and finds that her boyfriend just slept with his ex-girlfriend. Upset, she runs off into the woods with only the clothes on her back and no shoes. An experienced hiker, Ashley falls into a ravine and seriously injures herself. Lost and alone, Ashley tries over a span of fifteen days to find her way out. A gut-wrenching read for sure.

Visit Mindy McGinnis’s website.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

“No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.

In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.

Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other." - taken from Goodreads.com

When someone described this book as The Handmaid's Tale meets Lord of the Flies, they weren't kidding. A shocking, twisting tale where girls are raised to believe that they have magic that corrupts the minds of men to lure them under their spells. Before they can become wives, mothers, and productive members of society, they must spend their sixteenth year, their grace year, isolated on an island. During their year there, they are to embrace and banish their magic before going home. Dealing with all of the horrors that befall them, not everyone makes it back home. No one speaks of the grace year but Tierney James is determined to say stay true to herself and not become someone's wife. Tierney's experience and awakening over her grace year is an extraordinary and powerful story.

Visit Kim Liggett’s website.

As She Ascends by Jodi Meadows (Fallen Isles book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Before She Ignites, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“MIRA, THE HOPEBEARER

Mira Minkoba is on the run with her friends after a fiery escape from the Pit, where she’d been imprisoned for defending the dragons she loves. And she wants answers. Where have all the dragons been taken? Why are powerful noorestones being shipped to the mainland? And did the treaty she’s been defending her whole life truly sell out the Fallen Isles to their enemies?

MIRA, THE DRAGONHEARTED

As her connection to the dragons—and their power—grows stronger, so does Mira’s fear that she might lose control and hurt someone she loves. But the only way to find the truth is to go home again, to Damina, to face the people who betrayed her and the parents she’s not sure she can trust.

Home, where she must rise above her fears. Or be consumed.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I think I waited a bit too long in picking up the second book in this trilogy. I had problems recalling a lot of the details from the first book. Unfortunately, I found the beginning of the book to be very slow. It literally takes Mira and her friends forever to escape and go somewhere else after leaving the pit. Once the action picks up, the story really moves forward. As shocking revelations are revealed, Mina must make a choice as to who she will become. The ending sets up the final book in this trilogy.

Book three, When She Reigns, is due out Sept. 10, 2019.

Visit Jodi Meadows’ website.

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

“The woods
The stars
And the boy who broke her heart”

“Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets.

But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.

What could go wrong?

With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely.

And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was a unique take on a romantic tale of friends/neighbors becoming significant others and the many uphill challenges they faced to finally be together again. Thrown together during a glamping trip gone wrong, Zorie and Lennon soon find themselves stranded in King’s Forest National Park. Their friends abandon the two of them after Zorie and her friend Reagan have words. With nowhere really else to go, the two hike through the backcountry of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to reach Condor Park, where Zorie is to meet a friend for a star watching party. The further they hike, Zorie and Lennon reveal the pain from the past year being apart and realize their feelings for one another still remain. 

What truly makes the story different is that the author drew several maps outlining Zorie and Lennon’s journeys. Definitely loved reading this book! 

Visit Jenn Bennett’s website.

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

"Austin Szerba narrates the end of humanity as he and his best friend Robby accidentally unleash an army of giant, unstoppable bugs and uncover the secrets of a decades-old experiment gone terribly wrong"--Provided by publisher.

“Sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the story of his Polish legacy with the story of how he and his best friend , Robby, brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, six-foot tall praying mantises in small-town Iowa.

To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation. He's stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.” taken from Goodreads.com

This is the truth. This is history.

It’s the end of the world. And nobody knows anything about it.

You know what I mean.

Grasshopper Jungle is a book that has been on my TBR pile since it first came out. I finally listened to the audio version and I found it hilarious. Austin is writing not only the history of his ancestors but the events that transpired in Ealing, Iowa when Contained MI Plague Strain 412E  is accidentally released into the town and Unstoppable Soldiers, aka six-foot-tall praying mantises, are formed. I will warn readers that language and adult situations occur throughout. The story does switch constantly back and forth between the past and present, which could confuse some. Overall, this was a pretty good read/listen that is in development for the big screen.

Visit Andrew Smith’s website.

The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson (The Remnant Chronicles book 3)

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

“Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous - what will happen now?” - take from Goodreads.com

The stunning conclusion to the Remnant Chronicles that leave eagerly awaiting what happens to Lia, Rafe, Kaden and all of their friends. No one is safe and not all storylines necessarily have a happy ending. The is a massive tome numbering at 684 pages!

Why hasn't Lia’s wedding kavah disappeared? What secrets have her mother and Rafe kept from Lia? Who is Kaden’s father? Is the Komizar still alive? Will Venda attack? Can Lia ever return to Morrighan? Will her parents forgive her? Can she save her kingdom from the traitors within? Will Lia and Rafe fulfill their marriage contract? Can Lia live happily ever after?

Visit Mary E. Pearson’s website.

The Last Star by Rick Yancey (The 5th Wave book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The 5th Wave and The Infinite Sea, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the first book in the series.

“The enemy is Other. The enemy is us.

They’re down here, they’re up there, they’re nowhere. They want the Earth, they want us to have it. They came to wipe us out, they came to save us.

But beneath these riddles lies one truth: Cassie has been betrayed. So has Ringer. Zombie. Nugget. And all 7.5 billion people who used to live on our planet. Betrayed first by the Others, and now by ourselves.

In these last days, Earth’s remaining survivors will need to decide what’s more important: saving themselves…or saving what makes us human.” - Goodreads.com

Four days is all that remains before the end of humanity and Earth as Cassie and company know it. In a race against time, the Others and each other to stop the destruction, everyone finds out what exactly the 5th Wave entails and just how far humanity has been duped. A bit confusing at times as who as survived for another day, the ending isn’t all wrapped up in a neat bow.

Visit Rick Yancey’s website.

Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (Starbound book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, These Broken Stars and  This Shattered World, Stop! I don’t want to ruin this series for you. Even though two new characters are introduced, the storyline continues from the first two books.

Please visit the Recaptains blog in you need a refresher on the first book in the series.

Please visit the Recaptains blog in you need a refresher on the second book in the series.

“A year ago Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now-infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness LaRoux Industries’ corruption. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux where the only survivors of the Icarus shipwreck, forced to live a double life after their rescue.  

Now, at the center of the galaxy on Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players in the fight against LRI.” - front flap.

Roderick LaRoux is doing damage control in an attempt to make the galaxy forget the accusations directed at him in the Avon broadcast. As part of his outreach program, he has opened his holosuite, which takes up an entire floor, to the public for a minimal fee. It is a place that provides a fun, safe setting for people and their children to have fun. It is here that Corinth Against Tyranny plans to hold its latest protest.

Seventeen-year-old Sophia Quinn has spent the past year trying to get close to Roderick LaRoux. While waiting, Sophia catches a boy not much older than herself, staring at her. He has a lapscreen plugged into a data port. What throws her for a loop is the fact that he was wearing a LaRoux Industries shirt. Sophia tries to calm her nerves and the deflect any superstition by flirting with him. Her ploy works; he winks and grins. The boy pushes a button on his lapscreen and a holographic bird sweeps across and then freezes mid air. Suddenly, the entire holosuite vanishes and everyone finds themselves in a stark, white room. Sofia sees that people are looking around confused and realizes that it wasn't planned by the protesters. Before she can make her escape, something catches her eye. Sofia sees the boy remove a chip from the lapscreen and place it in his pocket. He gets up and eases into the security camera’s blind spot. He takes off his LaRoux Industries shirt and turns it inside out to reveal a shirt that matches the current fashion trend. He instantly blends into the crowd and she realizes that he is not with the protesters.

A voice comes over the loudspeakers alerting the crowd that a security breach has been detected. Security officers are covering all of the exits and the crowd is asked to cooperate. Sophia knows that her concealed genetag will not pass inspection and that she will be seen as a border planet insurgent and the cover she has worked so hard for will be blown. She looks for another escape route and a possible diversion. She sees the boy and decides that his fake uniform will keep the attention away from her. Sofia whispers to the guard that the boy over there needs help. Before she can slip out of the door, the guard wants her to show him and signals for more help. Stuck, she does the only thing she can. He is her fiance and stress makes his condition worse. The guard comments that the two of them were just fine a moment ago. They can wait. She pleads some and they want to call for a medtech, but she is still unable to escape. Suddenly, the boy drops to the ground and begins convulsing. The guards panic and order her to do something. Now, Sofia begins to panic when it seems that his condition worsens. Just then, the strange ring that the projectors had concealed comes to life as it begins to light up. Everyone in the room becomes entranced by it, including the guards. The boy puts his hand on her own, gets her attention and asks her when the wedding will be. Sofia helps him up. She realizes that they both want the same thing, to make their escape. Before they can leave, a man drops to the floor with his eyes glazed over. Sofia is taken back to the night on the military base in Avon where her father strapped on a bomb. Everyone in the holosuite has that same dead look in their eyes.

Gideon Marchant knows that he should stay out of trouble but the girl with dimples is too hard to resist. He also  isn't buying her story about the reason she was at the holosuite. Gideon is disappointed that he is leaving LaRoux Industries without any new information on Commander Antie Towers. While Gideon works on a distraction, he asks Sofia for her name. Alexis, she answers and he replies with his but she calls him out on using a newscaster’s name. He asks her if they are going to split up once his distraction starts and she initially says yes. But she does have an access card for the fire stairs. The alarm sounds and she tells him that he is an idiot. They need to leave through the stairwell. Gideon tells her that everyone will be heading away from the fire, allowing them clear access.

As the two are heading for the stairwell, a loud scream can be heard over the shrieking alarms from the hollow sweet. The screen is stopped by the one of a laser weapon. Then look at one another. Gideon thinks he knows what was happening in that room but one look at dimples and he says that her mask has slipped. She knows what is coming and they head on down the hall. After 15 minutes of walking, they stop at an exit sign guarded but what looks like a guy new to the  job. Sophia quickly swipes hair dye to streak her hair and tells him to wait. Gideon knows that he is seeing a real professional at work. He turns his shirt back out to show the LRI logo. Hysterical, she finally gets the guard to run down the hall looking for a man who pulled a gun on her. Gideon joins her and they enter the emergency stairwell.

Just before they can reach the ground level, three security guards come through the door. Gideon steps out of their hiding spot and hopes that his uniform will help them out. Alexis stays behind him and offers up that they are maintenance and doing a manual check of some of the alarms. The guards go back down the stairs. Just when they think that they are in the clear, the guards order them to stop. Sophia opens the door and drags Gideon with her. As they are closing the door, he hears the sound of a laser gun before feeling a sharp pain in his arm.

Sofia knows that they need to make a quick getaway. She waits for a taxi with a younger man driving so that she can work for a free fare. Finding her mark, she isn't happy that Gideon isn't playing along. The cabbie drives them to the rich part of the city. Sofia sees her plan disintegrating when the cabbie wants her to wait while her “brother” goes to get their aunt’s money. Sophia realizes that time is of the essence when she sees the severity of Gideon’s wound. Going for the maximum shock value, she kisses her “brother” and unlock the doors while the cabbie watches. The two are able to make their escape and head to her apartment.

Gideon knows that Alexis's name isn't Kristina either when the doorman calls her that. He is shocked when they arrive at the penthouse apartment. She goes to gather a first aid kit and he jokingly asks if she is really Lilac LaRoux. He knows she isn't by the locks of her hair and the fact that she knows how to treat his wound. After she is done, she tells Gideon he can either stay or leave but she is going to wash the dye out of her hair. He know that the two of them have to talk about what just happened. They are going to be hunted down for what they know. Gideon admits that he has told her his real name. Alexis is really her middle name but that is all she will tell him. The two finally talk about the lighted ring in the room and how the people reacted to it. He is desperate to find Towers. Alexis says that she has seen people act that way before, like husks, but she won't tell him where.  Knowing all the he has learned since Lilac asked him for security assistance, he deduces that she is from Avon. He doesn't tell her the entire truth about the ring but thinks that the two of them should work together since they are both after info on LRI.  She refuses and Gideon says that he is in her debt and will leave her a way to contact him. He secretly hopes that she will want to work together in the future. Gideon asks her if she has ever heard of the Knave of Hearts. Sofia goes still. She asked if he works for him and why he's looking into LRI. Sofia also asks Gideon not to mention her name to the Knave. He realizes that she is terrified of his online persona. Instead, he sets her up with a private email link that will only come to him. As he is leaving, Sofia asks Gideon if she can trust him. He grins and says, “Take a bullet for you twice, if I have to.”

Will Sofia contact Gideon for help? How does he uncover her true identity? What exactly is he doing for Lilac LaRoux? How will Sofia text when she discovers who the Knave of Hearts is? How deep does Roderick LaRoux deceptions go? What does the ring do that Sofia saw Avon and Corinth? Will either of their covers be blown? Can Lilac and Tarver bring down her father and LRI? What have Flynn and Lee been up to? How do the three couples from the Starbound trilogy finally come together?

Fans of the Starbound trilogy will be eager to see how the story ends.

Visit Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s website.