Happy book birthday to Sanctuary!! Thank you so much to the Fantastic Flying Book Club and Simon Pulse Publishing for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. Thank you to NetGalley as well for providing the novel. Although I am one of the last tour stops, be sure to check here to see the other amazing posts that happened during the tour!
Sanctuary 
Author: Caryn Lix
Book Length: 480 Pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Kobo
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Alien meets Alexandra Bracken’s The Darkest Minds in this thrilling debut novel about prison-guard-in-training, Kenzie, who is taken hostage by the superpowered criminal teens of the Sanctuary space station—only to have to band together with them when the station is attacked by mysterious creatures.
Kenzie holds one truth above all: the company is everything.
As a citizen of Omnistellar Concepts, the most powerful corporation in the solar system, Kenzie has trained her entire life for one goal: to become an elite guard on Sanctuary, Omnistellar’s space prison for superpowered teens too dangerous for Earth. As a junior guard, she’s excited to prove herself to her company—and that means sacrificing anything that won’t propel her forward.
But then a routine drill goes sideways and Kenzie is taken hostage by rioting prisoners.
At first, she’s confident her commanding officer—who also happens to be her mother—will stop at nothing to secure her freedom. Yet it soon becomes clear that her mother is more concerned with sticking to Omnistellar protocol than she is with getting Kenzie out safely.
As Kenzie forms her own plan to escape, she doesn’t realize there’s a more sinister threat looming, something ancient and evil that has clawed its way into Sanctuary from the vacuum of space. And Kenzie might have to team up with her captors to survive—all while beginning to suspect there’s a darker side to the Omnistellar she knows.
This cover is perfect for a science fiction book. It screams high-tech, space story. The claw marks elude to the danger which the characters will face. I really like the symmetry of the cover, if you know me then you know how I like even numbers and symmetry. This is a cover that grabs my attention instantly.
Before I begin my review, I would like to make a content warning. This is marketed as a Young Adult book and I know there are some really young people who may pick this up. In that case, know there is some graphic violence here. With that aside, let’s move on.
I loved this book…I cannot say that enough. The synopsis is not lying when it says it is similar to Alien. I was reminded of many scenes from that movie while reading. I was reminded more of specific episodes of Stargate and Star Trek. Yes, I am a Sci-Fi nerd and ok with that. No, I do not pick sides, I enjoy Star Wars and Star Trek equally. I am unsure why so many feel we have to pick a side there…anyway. Yes, I was reminded specifically of the Borg from Star Trek when the novel mentioned ‘Assimilate.’ I really love the science behind the idea of the DNA, I am not going into details because I provide spoiler-free reviews and it will always stay that way. But the author used great scientific background when describing this. My science geek side was jumping for joy. The fact that these people “Anomalies” have special powers that are feared and they are not locked away for having them reminds me of X-men. So, basically, this book was a ton of science fiction and comic action-packed together with suspense and aspects of horror.
The worldbuilding for this novel was stunning. Descriptions were so well written that at times I thought I was watching a movie rather than simply reading. The book came alive in my mind…the way every good novel should. I could picture the prison cells, the characters, the aliens…all of it. I did not read this book I lived it, I built bonds with the characters. I was attacked by aliens. I was the one fighting those battles alongside Kenzie and the others.
Speaking of characters…I loved them. The group dynamics are perfect. There are members from all walks of life, primarily Anomalies. I do feel that some of the characters could have been developed more, but for a fast-paced story, it works well. For me, I read this more for the action, science fiction, and corporation and alien fights. Kenzie and Cage have a strange start to their relationship but I really enjoyed how it developed. Cage is also Asian! I might have found myself swooning over him at times. Kenzie is strong, I was impressed with how strong she was and how she only grew through the story. She develops into this powerful, fearless woman. Well, she is scared, yes. Who wouldn’t be with aliens on their ship trying to kill them… But, she handles it very well. The romance in this novel does not take away from the action at all. There is no shortage of edge of your seat action. I was on the edge of my seat most of the time as I read, but not always in anticipation. I felt the entire range of emotions. I felt fear, sadness, loss, desire, rage, etc. It was a ride, a very enjoyable one.
With a fast pace and huge plot twists, you are always in for a treat on the following page. I was never bored while reading this, I hated to put it down. Some scenes were incredibly intense and I did not fully see some of the twists that were presented. Now, though it was full of action it is not overpowering. There are moments that slow down to bring the reader back to baseline, like a roller coaster. For a 500 page book, this is a gem to find. It maintained my interest and then some. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good science fiction novel, maybe even those who enjoy horror or dystopian stories. Come to think of it…everyone should just read it, it is that good. I felt as if there were a lot of loose ends that were not tied up, but good news…there will be a sequel! From what I have heard, it will be released next summer.
A Few of my Favorite Quotes
“Where did my loyalties to the company end and my loyalties to humanity begin? Every nugget of truth I gave them about myself was against company regulations, but if there was a chance I could help, I had to take it.”
“Put your faith in Omnistellar, but work as hard as you can to deserve its trust.”
“It is time. The rush rises. Fully awake now, as one and yet separate, united in its goal, their goal, its drive, theirs… Which does not matter. Which cannot matter. They are one, and they are coming.”
About the Author
Caryn Lix has been writing since she was a teenager and delved deep into science fiction, fantasy, and the uncanny while working on her Masters in English literature. Caryn writes novels for teens and anyone else who likes a bit of the bizarre to mess up their day. When not writing, Caryn spends her time obsessively consuming other people’s stories, plotting travel adventures, and exploring artistic endeavors. She lives with her husband and a horde of surly and entitled animals in southern Alberta.
Giveaway
- Prize: 1 copy of SANCTUARY
- US only
- Starts: 7/18
- Ends: 8/1
Enter this Rafflecopter giveaway and possibly get your hands on a copy of this great novel.
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