ARC Review: Nyxia Unleashed – Scott Reintgen

Nyxia Unleashed (The Nyxia Triad #2)

Author: Scott Reintgen

Published: July 17th, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Kobo

**Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy via NetGalley**

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-octance 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?

Just as with the first book in this series, the cover is great! The first cover had hints of blue and purple, the introduction to Nyxia. This cover is mixed with reds and yellows, colors of fire and battle. Perfect for the second novel in this series. This is where the real battle begins…where we learn more about what Babel is really up to.

“As the descent begins, I hold on to one truth: I am more than what they would make of me”

I loved the first book (Nyxia) and I really enjoyed this book, it was so full of quotes that I have way more than I can put into this review. The story began with Nyxia, but here the inclusive diversity is continued. Scott is a natural at writing in a way that does not make the diversity feel forced or cliche. It works well and I loved it. Emmet, the main character, remains my favorite. Emmet joined this space program to help his family financially and now finds himself fighting for the lives of an entire race…the Imago. One of the things I have really enjoyed about Emmet from the beginning of the first book that continues here is the filing system he uses. As events take place he files them into different categories, a system his grandma taught him. He is not like other male main characters, he shows emotion and does not care what others think of it.  I really love his character, but I think Morning tops it. Morning is an amazing leader, a Queen among her peers. She shows strength and wisdom in even the worst situation, always pushing them to continue. I loved seeing how vicious she could be when fighting for the lives of her friends, yet so soft and emotional at other times. It is nice seeing a female character that is strong but not afraid to be compassionate and emotional at the same time.

“Babel exists to ruin beautiful things.”

There is romance here but I did not find it overpowering. I do have to mention that I love the fact that everyone comforts one another over past painful experiences, they bond over it. And let’s not forget cuddling…I love cuddling. Many times cuddling is much more fulfilling than other intimate things, the closeness is comforting.

“Fortunately, there are only two prime species in all of Grimgarden.”

“What’s the other one?”

“We call ourselves the Imago.”

This novel focuses highly on social class or hierarchy. The Imago have rings that are almost like various social classes that we see in our lives. Those born in the outer rings are seen as less worthy than those born within inner rings. One can either move up into inner rings or down to the outer rings. Emmet makes it clear he does not find it just to judge one based on their birthplace or what ring the reside in. With my background in sociology, I was super pleased to see those boundaries challenged. And this book takes it even further with its diversity and upward mobility among characters. My review of Nyxia talks more about the amount of diversity within the book. It is great to see these social boundaries crossed.

“We fall in love with the Sixth Ring because they’re our people, and we’re theirs.”

I think my favorite part of the novel was the intense focus on family, not blood family either. These teenagers come from a variety of ethnicities and backgrounds, some with varying socioeconomic statuses…yet they form a bond that can not be broken. They support and love one another, they are a family.

This book was packed with as much action, if not more, than the first. We find out what Babel is really up to and who the Imago really are. I loved the creatures described in the book as well, it reminded me a little of Avatar.

“Nature has forced two skill sets to work in harmony. Often, the change happens when a greater enemy enters their territory. The two work together so that they might survive.”

Being a mother, I loved the reference to the book Going on a Bear Hunt. My older son loved the book and my younger one will as well. This is for sure a wonderful addition to the Nyxia triad. I am anxiously awaiting the third installment. Scott is a wonderful author with a great talent for writing inclusive, young adult sci-fi. He brings so many aspects of reality and social issues into these amazing stories. I think that is one of my favorite aspects of this books, the challenging of normal social boundaries. The message of inclusivness.