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RISING
Deep space. Mars.
Choices with ripple effects that will impact entire planets.
Reach and Llama have escaped the nefarious government, but at a cost. Now Reach can only hope the information he's learned is enough to keep both him and Llama alive and make allies on a foreign planet. With Llama as the only familiar person by his side, and wounded from the sting of her betrayal, Reach must navigate an entire new world.
When they land on Mars, Reach and Llama soon realize that all is not as it seems. Nefarious secrets, royal surprises, and political intrigue are just as rife on Martian soil as they are on Earth.
Can Reach survive yet another hostile planet, and a broken heart by using his aptitude for game theory?
This Young Adult book features no spice, swoony romance. Dystopian societies abound, but there is no swearing, and no on page graphic violence.
Choices with ripple effects that will impact entire planets.
Reach and Llama have escaped the nefarious government, but at a cost. Now Reach can only hope the information he's learned is enough to keep both him and Llama alive and make allies on a foreign planet. With Llama as the only familiar person by his side, and wounded from the sting of her betrayal, Reach must navigate an entire new world.
When they land on Mars, Reach and Llama soon realize that all is not as it seems. Nefarious secrets, royal surprises, and political intrigue are just as rife on Martian soil as they are on Earth.
Can Reach survive yet another hostile planet, and a broken heart by using his aptitude for game theory?
This Young Adult book features no spice, swoony romance. Dystopian societies abound, but there is no swearing, and no on page graphic violence.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 16, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 25, 2025
This book is the second in a series--the first book is titled Reach--and I had been waiting impatiently for it for some time. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! I loved the first book, and now that I've finished the second one (which I received as an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review), I can confidently say I love it even more.
The story starts with main characters Reach and Llama in space, distrustful of each other, on the run from dystopian country Nation (which has been trying to kill them). They're on the way to Mars, trying to find a long-lost colony and perhaps even the father Reach has heard about but never met. But getting to Mars is only the beginning of their adventures. Politics, spying, rival governments, and questions of life ethics abound at every turn.
Olivia's Martian worldbuilding was fantastic, with two extremely different Martian colonies. The new characters in this book were extremely compelling, human and well-rounded, and they definitely kept me guessing! I appreciated meeting Reach's mysterious father, Greg; Llama's long-lost grandparents (firm, protective, and kindly); and so many more. I enjoyed seeing Reach and Llama figure out their feelings for each other. I also loved the strong pro-life message throughout the story.
And I'd happily join the characters on a picnic in the colony of Souterraine! (Not Jezero. I don't go for red dust in my picnic food. 😂)
Olivia has outdone herself with this incredible second installment of the trilogy! I can't wait for the third book!!!
The story starts with main characters Reach and Llama in space, distrustful of each other, on the run from dystopian country Nation (which has been trying to kill them). They're on the way to Mars, trying to find a long-lost colony and perhaps even the father Reach has heard about but never met. But getting to Mars is only the beginning of their adventures. Politics, spying, rival governments, and questions of life ethics abound at every turn.
Olivia's Martian worldbuilding was fantastic, with two extremely different Martian colonies. The new characters in this book were extremely compelling, human and well-rounded, and they definitely kept me guessing! I appreciated meeting Reach's mysterious father, Greg; Llama's long-lost grandparents (firm, protective, and kindly); and so many more. I enjoyed seeing Reach and Llama figure out their feelings for each other. I also loved the strong pro-life message throughout the story.
And I'd happily join the characters on a picnic in the colony of Souterraine! (Not Jezero. I don't go for red dust in my picnic food. 😂)
Olivia has outdone herself with this incredible second installment of the trilogy! I can't wait for the third book!!!
June 1, 2025
This book was simply amazing! 😍 Rising is the second novel in the For the Stars series. While I greatly enjoyed the first novel, Reach, I feel as if this novel got even better! We face more political intrigue, near-death experiences, and swoony romantic tension. This book is filled with emotional moments that keep you on the edge of your seat and flipping pages fast! The writing is smooth, and the plots are perfectly twisty. While this book is marketed as a young adult novel, I recommend it to adults of all ages!
McCarthy is excellent at writing character depth and emotion. After the betrayal at the end of the first novel, it’s hard to read and feel sympathy for Llama, our MFC. It keeps you wondering how everything is going to pan out when two people who would now consider themselves enemies are thrust into space and are dependent on each other to survive. How can you survive in space when you don’t trust the person meant to keep you alive? That isn’t to say our MMC, Reach, is perfect - far from it! His weaknesses blind him to the things around him, adding depth to the plot as they find themselves in precarious situations. The lessons of forgiveness and redemption are bittersweet as you cheer the good while simultaneously mourning what could have been.
If you are looking for a dystopian sci-fi novel filled with swoony romance, political intrigue, game theory, and emotional moments, then Rising is the book for you! Bonus? It’s available on Kindle Unlimited! 😍
McCarthy is excellent at writing character depth and emotion. After the betrayal at the end of the first novel, it’s hard to read and feel sympathy for Llama, our MFC. It keeps you wondering how everything is going to pan out when two people who would now consider themselves enemies are thrust into space and are dependent on each other to survive. How can you survive in space when you don’t trust the person meant to keep you alive? That isn’t to say our MMC, Reach, is perfect - far from it! His weaknesses blind him to the things around him, adding depth to the plot as they find themselves in precarious situations. The lessons of forgiveness and redemption are bittersweet as you cheer the good while simultaneously mourning what could have been.
If you are looking for a dystopian sci-fi novel filled with swoony romance, political intrigue, game theory, and emotional moments, then Rising is the book for you! Bonus? It’s available on Kindle Unlimited! 😍
May 5, 2025
I received an Advance Review Copy of Rising in exchange for an honest review.
Rising, the second installment of Olivia McCarthy’s For The Stars series, follows Reach and Llama to Mars as they search Reach’s father and hope to convince the colonists to return to Earth to fight the corrupt government of Nation. They are quickly caught up in Martian political drama, sidetracking them from their mission.
McCarthy blends space travel and dystopian government with royal succession and espionage, offering a fresh take on the sci-fi/fantasy hybrid. Lacking the complexity of other popular stories in this genre, Rising is well suited for the younger YA age range (12-14) or Upper Middle Grade readers, especially those who enjoy high drama and clear conflicts. Young readers can learn valuable lessons about accepting others from the story’s modeling of how people with disabilities can thrive when given appropriate expectations and acceptance rather than forced conformity. The depiction of unfair societal structures (like class divides and expectations tied to lineage) can help young readers recognize systemic injustice and understand their feelings of being overlooked or devalued.
Older readers, however, might crave more substance. Reach, as a protagonist, often lacks agency and emotional complexity. The story leans heavily on surface-level plot events to propel the narrative forward, keeping the story fast-paced if simplistic. His romantic relationships are driven almost entirely by physical attraction, with little development of emotional intimacy or intellectual connection, making it difficult to root for him.
While these shortcomings may limit the story's appeal for older readers, McCarthy does offer occasional moments of thought-provoking insight—such as reflections on grief and how power dynamics can affect those in leadership roles. The story occasionally pauses for deeper reflections, such as the idea that “progress” is a construct designed to keep people striving and, often, dissatisfied. The manipulation of hope and fear in Nation and the social stratification in Jezero mirror real-world class systems and encourage readers to think critically about inequality and human value. A few poetic lines, like “The words are almost like birds. They seem to land at my feet, but then fly away before I can catch them,” provide welcome moments of introspection.
Rising is a great book choice for young readers or those looking for a quick escape into a richly imagined space fantasy story.
Rising, the second installment of Olivia McCarthy’s For The Stars series, follows Reach and Llama to Mars as they search Reach’s father and hope to convince the colonists to return to Earth to fight the corrupt government of Nation. They are quickly caught up in Martian political drama, sidetracking them from their mission.
McCarthy blends space travel and dystopian government with royal succession and espionage, offering a fresh take on the sci-fi/fantasy hybrid. Lacking the complexity of other popular stories in this genre, Rising is well suited for the younger YA age range (12-14) or Upper Middle Grade readers, especially those who enjoy high drama and clear conflicts. Young readers can learn valuable lessons about accepting others from the story’s modeling of how people with disabilities can thrive when given appropriate expectations and acceptance rather than forced conformity. The depiction of unfair societal structures (like class divides and expectations tied to lineage) can help young readers recognize systemic injustice and understand their feelings of being overlooked or devalued.
Older readers, however, might crave more substance. Reach, as a protagonist, often lacks agency and emotional complexity. The story leans heavily on surface-level plot events to propel the narrative forward, keeping the story fast-paced if simplistic. His romantic relationships are driven almost entirely by physical attraction, with little development of emotional intimacy or intellectual connection, making it difficult to root for him.
While these shortcomings may limit the story's appeal for older readers, McCarthy does offer occasional moments of thought-provoking insight—such as reflections on grief and how power dynamics can affect those in leadership roles. The story occasionally pauses for deeper reflections, such as the idea that “progress” is a construct designed to keep people striving and, often, dissatisfied. The manipulation of hope and fear in Nation and the social stratification in Jezero mirror real-world class systems and encourage readers to think critically about inequality and human value. A few poetic lines, like “The words are almost like birds. They seem to land at my feet, but then fly away before I can catch them,” provide welcome moments of introspection.
Rising is a great book choice for young readers or those looking for a quick escape into a richly imagined space fantasy story.
May 18, 2025
Rising is the second book in O McCarthy’s sci-fi series for young adults, but it doesn’t suffer from the common “second book syndrome” where the second book falls flat. In fact, Rising is even better than the first book Reach in my opinion because the story and world building is more original and vivid (not that Reach wasn’t these things because it was, but Rising had more action).
While Reach explored a dystopian culture on earth, Rising explores two very different types of cultures Mars, which is something I have not seen before, as usually a foreign planet is portrayed as all uniform, so this take was very original and interesting to read.
We are introduced to a new cast of characters, each with their own personality and quirks. My favourite was Princess Pippa, who I hope we get to see more of in the next book.
The writing is clear and simple to follow, and the story, while aimed at young readers, has enough in it for more mature readers to enjoy too.
While Reach explored a dystopian culture on earth, Rising explores two very different types of cultures Mars, which is something I have not seen before, as usually a foreign planet is portrayed as all uniform, so this take was very original and interesting to read.
We are introduced to a new cast of characters, each with their own personality and quirks. My favourite was Princess Pippa, who I hope we get to see more of in the next book.
The writing is clear and simple to follow, and the story, while aimed at young readers, has enough in it for more mature readers to enjoy too.
May 14, 2025
I'm so grateful to have got an advance readers copy for this book!
I absolutely loved REACH and have Been waiting for this book to come out and it didn't disappoint! I really enjoyed this whole book,
I didn't feel like this was just a filler, it was still packed with action and plot and perfectly mixed with some casual cosy chapters.
I loved the royal themes in this one and it's set up the 3rd book so well. the ending gave me chills and I had to force myself to stop reading this as was so engrossed!
A perfect clean, dystopian/sci-fi, DEFINITELY reccomend!
I absolutely loved REACH and have Been waiting for this book to come out and it didn't disappoint! I really enjoyed this whole book,
I didn't feel like this was just a filler, it was still packed with action and plot and perfectly mixed with some casual cosy chapters.
I loved the royal themes in this one and it's set up the 3rd book so well. the ending gave me chills and I had to force myself to stop reading this as was so engrossed!
A perfect clean, dystopian/sci-fi, DEFINITELY reccomend!
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July 21, 2025The world building in this book was the most fun to write. (And the romance, and the direct relationship between heroism and cowardice...and...actually, I just loved writing it all!)
Your journey to Mars has never been more epic.
Your journey to Mars has never been more epic.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews