We are kicking off July with some seriously awesome books! And I am THRILLED to be a part of this new tour with Rockstar Book Tours! Click the link or the photo above to check out their site, with all of their upcoming tours. Believe me, you don’t want to miss out!

This is the summer of sequels! Nyxia Unleashed is the second book in the Nyxia Triad, and as such, there may be spoilers from the first in the synopsis and this review. Ye have been warned!

“Fallen angels were cast down to Earth and became demons. When Babel casts us out, it’s in fire and blood and steel.”

With the opening sentences, we are slammed back into the intense world of Nyxia. There is no reprieve, no lull from the end of Nyxia into the new plot of Nyxia Unleashed. We pick up exactly where we left off, hurtling through space towards a new planet filled with new challenges. It is a seamless transition, throwing us fully into the chaos that Emmett is living.

When Emmett first signed on with Babel, the job sounded easy. Sure he had to go into space. But the payoff was worth it. Only, Babel had no intention of playing by the rules. By the time Emmett and his teammates figured that out, it was far too late.

Now, knowing they cannot trust anything Babel tells them, Emmett and the rest of the survivors form Genesis have to try and forge a new path on the ground of this alien planet. But the Adamites have plans of their own. Caught between the colliding forces of this powerful alien species and a ruthless corporation, the question becomes, will any of them make it off the planet alive?

“Reality is what we’re leaving behind as we move through an empty forest and out into a world that feels full of ghosts.”

Ever since I finished reading Nyxia last summer, I have been DYING to get my hands on Nyxia Unleashed. DYING!!! For the record, the wait was totally worth it.

Reintgen takes everything I loved in Nyxia, and gives me more! The diversity of the characters is still spot on, with the added twist of introducing the alien species. This level of detail is exactly what a futuristic world set on an intergalactic scale should represent. And this introduction does not disappoint. We are introduced to the same frustrations Emmett and his fellow crew members face regarding an unfair class system, but it is highlighted and explored in a more detailed way through the Adamites.

This is brilliant, and allows for readers to take a step back to examine the elitist mentalities of classes. We see a complex society that mirrors our own in many ways, but by allowing us to view it from afar, the impact of the negative consequences become more pronounced. Allowing Emmett to identify and place himself within this alien system also forces the reader to face the parallels between the two worlds. We are forced to examine our own society through the eyes of this alien one. And we don’t stop there. Beyond the mirroring of our class society, Reintgen also dives into the topic of colonization.

“It doesn’t surprise me that Babel’s out here playing the role of colonizer, slapping labels on the originals and pretending they created it all in the first place.”

As he does with his diverse cast of characters, and the exploration of the class system, the subject of colonization is well done. We are drawn in, getting to know the Adamites as they introduce the Genesis crew to their world. This introduction doesn’t allow the reader the luxury of viewing from afar. It doesn’t allow us to stay emotionally unattached. When the twists happen, they happen to us along with the characters.

And, boy, are there twists. The shocking turns and unexpected twists that blew my mind in Nyxia are back. Reintgen writes with a cadence that pulls you deep into the story. But that rhythm can deceive you with it’s calm. Even though he tells us the entire time that we can’t trust Babel, we still find the plot twists blindsiding and brutal. When Nyxia Unleashed ended, my heart was racing, my head was spinning, and all I wanted was more.

“You either get the world you hope for or the world you fear.”

While this book deals with some fairly heavy topics, it is balanced with the message of love, friendship and hope. Morning and Emmett are the sweetest of the sweet. She is fierce and strong, but is also tender and giving. I love that even though we see the world through Emmett’s eyes, he isn’t the one in charge. And it doesn’t bother him. This isn’t about power or struggle, but belonging on a team. Finding a place in a family. The competition from Genesis is long over on the ground of Eden. Here, they need each other.

Reintgen writes masterful plots. In both Nyxia and Nyxia Unleashed, we see layer after layer unfold before our eyes. But only when the author wants us to. He controls the narration, giving us incredible world building and character development along with gut-punching plot twists, so that the entire book is fast paced. These are books meant to be devoured if only because you won’t be able to put them down. Be prepared for writing that is brutal and intense, but also filled with hope.

I am dying for the third book now. Again. DYING!!! Reintgen does not hold back his cliffhanger ending. AGAIN!!! Except this time there is so much more hanging in the balance. If you love action, adventure, and smart sci-fi with a ton of heart, you need this series immediately!

Thank you again to Rockstar Book Tours and Random House Kids for sending me a review copy!

Be sure to check out the links for both books in the Nyxia Triad series, and keep scrolling for a chance to win a finished copy!!!

 

Title: NYXIA UNLEASHED (The Nyxia Triad #2)

Author: Scott Reintgen

Pub. Date: July 17, 2018

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 400

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, B&N, iBooks, TBD

Getting to Eden brought Emmett and his crewmates one step closer to their promised fortune. But surviving Eden may be the biggest reward of all. Discover book two in the trilogy Marie Lu called, “a high-octane thriller.

Emmett Atwater thought Babel’s game sounded easy. Get points. Get paid. Go home. But it didn’t take long for him to learn that Babel’s competition was full of broken promises, none darker or more damaging than the last one.

Now Emmett and the rest of the Genesis survivors must rally and forge their own path through a new world. Their mission from Babel is simple: extract nyxia, the most valuable material in the universe, and play nice with the indigenous Adamite population.

But Emmett and the others quickly realize they are caught between two powerful forces—Babel and the Adamites—with clashing desires. Will the Genesis team make it out alive before it’s too late?

 

Title: NYXIA (The Nyxia Triad #1)

Author: Scott Reintgen

Pub. Date: May 4, 2018

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 377

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Audible, B&N, iBooks, TBD

Emmett Atwater isn’t just leaving Detroit; he’s leaving Earth. Why the Babel Corporation recruited him is a mystery, but the number of zeroes on their contract has him boarding their lightship and hoping to return to Earth with enough money to take care of his family.

Forever.

Before long, Emmett discovers that he is one of ten recruits, all of whom have troubled pasts and are a long way from home. Now each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden—a planet that Babel has kept hidden—where they will mine a substance called Nyxia that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe.

But Babel’s ship is full of secrets. And Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won’t forever compromise what it means to be human.

Scott Reintgen was always a back-row dreamer. As early as kindergarten, teachers noticed his tendency to stare out of classroom windows and disappear to more interesting elsewheres. In high school, he began laboring away on the opening chapter of his first fantasy novel. One of his favorite English teachers agreed to read the pages and the very next day she switched him (illegally) out of Spanish and into a Creative Writing class. The story got tossed eventually, but he never lost the confidence he was given by that single act of empowering faith.

Convinced he would one day be a writer, Scott spent most of college and graduate school investing in the world of literature. This eventually led to a career teaching English and Creative Writing in North Carolina. He strongly believes that every student who steps into his classroom has the right to see themselves, vibrant and victorious and on the page. It’s his hope to encourage a future full of diverse writers. As he’s fond of reminding his students, “You have a story to tell and you’re the only one who can tell it.”

As for his own writing, Scott continues to follow in the footsteps of his favorite authors. It was Tolkien who once wrote, “The fairy gold (too often) turns to withered leaves when it is brought away. All I can ask is that you, knowing all these things, will receive my withered leaves, as a token at least that my hand once held a little of the gold.” And Scott hopes his books are a trail of withered leaves that might lead readers to the bright elsewheres through which he constantly finds himself wandering.

He currently lives in North Carolina with his wife, Katie, and family.

Note: I went with this website domain instead of http://www.scottreintgen.com because, let’s be honest, my name’s really hard to pronounce. Rather than make people suffer through trying to spell it every time, I thought this would be easier!

Website | Twitter | Goodreads 

3 winners will win a finished copy of NYXIA UNLEASHED, US Only.

Click the GIVEAWAY or the graphic above to enter!!!

Wait!!! Don’t forget to check out the rest of the tour for more amazing reviews and chances to win!

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/2/2018- Jena Brown Writes– Review

7/3/2018- Paws and Paperbacks – Review

7/4/2018- Pacific Northwest Bookworm– Review

7/5/2018- Here’s to Happy Endings– Review

7/6/2018- MNBernard Books– Review

Week Two:

7/9/2018- Flyleaf Chronicles– Review

7/10/2018- Life of a Literary Nerd– Review

7/11/2018- Overflowing Bookshelves– Review

7/12/2018- RhythmicBooktrovert– Review

7/13/2018- Adventures and Reading– Review

Week Three:

7/16/2018- Feed Your Fiction Addiction– Review

7/17/2018- Crazy4Books– Review

7/18/2018- JustAddAWord– Review

7/19/2018- Book-Keeping– Review

7/20/2018- The Layaway Dragon– Review

Week Four:

7/23/2018- Book Dragon Lair– Review

7/24/2018- The Desert Bibliophile– Review

7/25/2018- The Clever Reader– Review

7/26/2018- Smada’s Book Smack– Review

7/27/2018- Nerdophiles– Review

Week Five:

7/30/2018- lori’s Little House of Reviews– Review

7/31/2018- A Gingerly Review– Review