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Mayake Chronicles #2
Athel
Hidden beneath the ruins of Astraca, the legendary city destroyed by raging fires more than a century ago, hides the last sanctuary of the Mayake people—if only they can reach it.
Hounded relentlessly by the Gaijins, the Mayakes are in a race against time as they search desperately for the entrance to Astraca’s fabled Underground City. Young Athel and his friends know the only way to enter the City is to solve the mystery of the engrams, bits of encoded memories passed from one generation to the next. What they don't know is that even if they elude the Gaijins' latest threats and succeed to escape, the Underground City has its own secrets to reveal.
Secrets that could either save the Mayake people or make the Gaijins' work a lot easier.
Hounded relentlessly by the Gaijins, the Mayakes are in a race against time as they search desperately for the entrance to Astraca’s fabled Underground City. Young Athel and his friends know the only way to enter the City is to solve the mystery of the engrams, bits of encoded memories passed from one generation to the next. What they don't know is that even if they elude the Gaijins' latest threats and succeed to escape, the Underground City has its own secrets to reveal.
Secrets that could either save the Mayake people or make the Gaijins' work a lot easier.
196 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2015
1 person is currently reading
676 people want to read
About the author
E.E. Giorgi
18 books122 followersE.E. Giorgi is a scientist, an award winning author, and a IPA awarded photographer. She spends her days analyzing genetic data, her evenings chasing sunsets, and her nights pretending she's somebody else. Sign up for my newsletter here.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 11, 2015
3.5
Obviously, you've read Akaela, the first novel in this series. But you may not have read the short story "The Gaijin Girl", and you should before reading this. It isn't essential (I didn't), but it really really really clarifies something important in this second book that may leave you going 'wtf?' otherwise.
Anyway...
Athel begins a few weeks after the first novel ends. The Mayake are still struggling to survive and the Gaijin are still mostly off somewhere being the Gaijin. The hook this time around is that there is an underground city from before the war that will provide shelter to the Mayake if they can find the five keys and the five doors to open it. Of course this is all a secret because reasons. Along the way, the Gaijin give the Mayake 48 hours to return what was taken from them (though they don't say what that is) or face destruction.
As with the first book, the premise is really fun. We have a cyborg people, where almost everyone has had some body part replaced by machinery, and who do not have the resources to create new parts. Then we have the Gaijin off in their walled city hiding from the plague that wiped out civilization. There's a whole treasure hunt against the clock aspect of this that is a grand time. The writing is fast and, unlike the first book, I never got confused about whose chapter I was reading (Athel's or Akaela's).
I have one major complaint that most of you will explain away by pointing out that most of the characters we spend time with are teenagers. These friends are idiots. Their complete lack of communication is mind-boggling. There's a deadline, remember? Incoming death, remember? Are you all really being so petty that you can't just say what is happening to your friends who are in this crap with you? I give them all a pass on not telling the people they don't trust, but I don't give a pass to not telling the others crawling through the woods with you at night about the things one has seen. And this isn't one character. This is all of them. To be fair, I am not sure how much it would have affected the overall plot. It isn't a case of "of the detective had checked this obvious thing, the book would be over in two chapters." It would have played out mostly the same even if the friends hadn't acted like enemies every three minutes.
That being said, the premise and plot are fun even if I want to stab many of the characters, and I feel like this one is a better novel than the first (though that may be due to my disappointment in not seeing the Gaijin in book one). I'll certainly be reading the next one.
---
I got an epub ARC for a review.
Obviously, you've read Akaela, the first novel in this series. But you may not have read the short story "The Gaijin Girl", and you should before reading this. It isn't essential (I didn't), but it really really really clarifies something important in this second book that may leave you going 'wtf?' otherwise.
Anyway...
Athel begins a few weeks after the first novel ends. The Mayake are still struggling to survive and the Gaijin are still mostly off somewhere being the Gaijin. The hook this time around is that there is an underground city from before the war that will provide shelter to the Mayake if they can find the five keys and the five doors to open it. Of course this is all a secret because reasons. Along the way, the Gaijin give the Mayake 48 hours to return what was taken from them (though they don't say what that is) or face destruction.
As with the first book, the premise is really fun. We have a cyborg people, where almost everyone has had some body part replaced by machinery, and who do not have the resources to create new parts. Then we have the Gaijin off in their walled city hiding from the plague that wiped out civilization. There's a whole treasure hunt against the clock aspect of this that is a grand time. The writing is fast and, unlike the first book, I never got confused about whose chapter I was reading (Athel's or Akaela's).
I have one major complaint that most of you will explain away by pointing out that most of the characters we spend time with are teenagers. These friends are idiots. Their complete lack of communication is mind-boggling. There's a deadline, remember? Incoming death, remember? Are you all really being so petty that you can't just say what is happening to your friends who are in this crap with you? I give them all a pass on not telling the people they don't trust, but I don't give a pass to not telling the others crawling through the woods with you at night about the things one has seen. And this isn't one character. This is all of them. To be fair, I am not sure how much it would have affected the overall plot. It isn't a case of "of the detective had checked this obvious thing, the book would be over in two chapters." It would have played out mostly the same even if the friends hadn't acted like enemies every three minutes.
That being said, the premise and plot are fun even if I want to stab many of the characters, and I feel like this one is a better novel than the first (though that may be due to my disappointment in not seeing the Gaijin in book one). I'll certainly be reading the next one.
---
I got an epub ARC for a review.
November 1, 2015
Great continuation of the Mayake Chronicles from E. E. Giorgi. Very exciting science fiction, suitable for teenagers and adults alike!
Love her writing style! Amazingly, she is not writing in her own mother tongue....
Love her writing style! Amazingly, she is not writing in her own mother tongue....
November 15, 2015
Ditto what Amazon reviewer Kat said: "When E.E.Gorgi releases another story, I just buy it. She's that good."
"Gene Cards" was the first Giorgi novel I read, then Chimeras, Mosaics, Akaela, and short stories in various anthologies. Across the board, it's all good!
"Athel" is a riveting and action-packed adventure with a cliff-hanger at the end of every chapter. This is not a quick 2-D read, however. Descriptions are lush, beautiful, and vivid. Character development is strong. One thing I loved most about the Animorph series, moral conflicts that teens face, is also one of the greatest strengths of Giorgi's YA stories. While Applegate's "Animorphs" turned into animals for two hours at a time, Giorgi's teens live in a world where cyber-mechanical enhancements are necessary for humans to survive in a post-apocalyptic earth. It's hit and miss, who ends up with what awesome feature. Akaela has retractable wings. Athel has night vision. Wes has Blade Runner legs. Even the pet cat has cyber enhancements.
In Akaela, Book One, I had great hopes for two bullies to pull a Bigwig (the rabbit thug who turns from foe to ally in "Watership Down"). Somehow, I sensed there is a potential for greatness in Metal Jaw. Spoilers prevent me from saying whether he lives up to that hope or not in Book 2.
In the new anthology "Tails of the Apocalypse" (edited by Chris Pourteau), Giorgi gives us the story of our favorite falcon, Kael. It's fun to see Kael as a fledgling, and heart-rending to see him in a post-apocalyptic world where his mother goes hungry to feed him. We also see the father of Athel and Akaela here, which is like finding Easter Eggs. However bittersweet the tale, Giorgi has ways to keep "bitter" from prevailing.
Giorgi's epic young heroes will steal your heart as they seek to redress the world's wrongs. The best new character ever comes in the form of a girl who flies over the border from enemy country, and against all his better judgment, Athel protects her. I love YA stories that are rich in conflict of this sort. The good son, the good daughter, must unlearn what has been taught by respected parents, elders and leaders, and make their own judgments. It's a classic "hero's journey" archetype. Giorgi's teenagers are forced to grow up fast in a world so harsh, they reach the highest level in Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development by age 16.
This YA novel belongs in the classroom. It illustrates so well how Kohlberg's six stages are ultimately concerned with doing the right thing even if everyone else tells you it's the wrong thing--and that requires a curious blend of reasoning, rebellion, self-sacrifice, and compassion for others. At Stage Six, we realize that laws are valid only insofar as they are grounded in justice, and a commitment to justice may require us to disobey unjust laws. Athel's people, the Mayake, have drilled the rules into their children for centuries. I love the way Giorgi's teens have internalized them - "We are Mayake. We respect and obey our elders."
There's a long list of things that the Mayake will or won't do - until Athel and Akaela see a conflict. In Book One, the punishment for Athel's transgression was unthinkably severe, but you know that won't stop him from defying the rules in order to do the right thing in Book Two. Hint: the scene where he finds the Gaijin girl is beautiful, riveting, and better than Twilight's Edward glittering in a meadow while wanting to eat Bella.
Seeing Metal Jaw struggle with the dilemma of trusting his intuition instead of his upbringing, while his brother peer-pressures him instead of encouraging him, is another sort of Easter Egg. I'm using that term incorrectly to say that the reader who hunts for signs of character development is rewarded here with the best egg in the basket. --Or is the Giajin girl with her wings just as much of a prize? It's all good - all great - so I won't even try to single out the Greatest Moments in Giorgi's fiction.
I could point out my least favorite moments. In Book One, we're pretty certain from the outset that three fathers are dead, and the last page cinches it. We brace ourselves for it. We know it's coming. Still, the emotional impact is ultimately greater than I anticipated. Authors are murderers! Make us care about a character, get attached, have us rooting for them, then let them die? I know, I know: all the best fiction does that. Even Disney, known for happy endings and children as a target audience, will subject us to the murder of Bambi's mother, of The Lion King (at his brother's hands! er, paws!), all the way up to Frozen, where the parents die young and leave two orphaned sisters with scars. And that's in the opening scene.
Life is brutal. Especially in a post-apocalyptic world where most humans have been decimated by a plague, and the only survivors were the Misfits, the genetically inferior people who were outcasts in "Gene Cards," but centuries have passed when we meet the Mayake. I keep hoping for another of those Easter Eggs: descendants of Julian or Yulia, please? And how about Track Pressius from Chimeras? He's an epigenetic fluke, an extraordinary detective, thanks to a virus that switched on animal predator traits that are latent in the human genome. I like to think Metal Jaw is a descendant of Track. Or maybe Athel and Akeala.
There's unfinished business at the end of this story, but more than enough for Book Two to feel complete. The robots alone are worth the price of admission to this show. Bring tissues. Giorgi is a murdering author who'd kill the father you love in Book One, so watch out, she'll spare you no heartache in Book Two, either. Or in her short stories. How does anyone tell such hard-hitting stories with so many pretty words? The prose is as vivid as Giorgi's photo galleries (on display at various art museums).
Book Three, please! (Armed with tissue!)
"Gene Cards" was the first Giorgi novel I read, then Chimeras, Mosaics, Akaela, and short stories in various anthologies. Across the board, it's all good!
"Athel" is a riveting and action-packed adventure with a cliff-hanger at the end of every chapter. This is not a quick 2-D read, however. Descriptions are lush, beautiful, and vivid. Character development is strong. One thing I loved most about the Animorph series, moral conflicts that teens face, is also one of the greatest strengths of Giorgi's YA stories. While Applegate's "Animorphs" turned into animals for two hours at a time, Giorgi's teens live in a world where cyber-mechanical enhancements are necessary for humans to survive in a post-apocalyptic earth. It's hit and miss, who ends up with what awesome feature. Akaela has retractable wings. Athel has night vision. Wes has Blade Runner legs. Even the pet cat has cyber enhancements.
In Akaela, Book One, I had great hopes for two bullies to pull a Bigwig (the rabbit thug who turns from foe to ally in "Watership Down"). Somehow, I sensed there is a potential for greatness in Metal Jaw. Spoilers prevent me from saying whether he lives up to that hope or not in Book 2.
In the new anthology "Tails of the Apocalypse" (edited by Chris Pourteau), Giorgi gives us the story of our favorite falcon, Kael. It's fun to see Kael as a fledgling, and heart-rending to see him in a post-apocalyptic world where his mother goes hungry to feed him. We also see the father of Athel and Akaela here, which is like finding Easter Eggs. However bittersweet the tale, Giorgi has ways to keep "bitter" from prevailing.
Giorgi's epic young heroes will steal your heart as they seek to redress the world's wrongs. The best new character ever comes in the form of a girl who flies over the border from enemy country, and against all his better judgment, Athel protects her. I love YA stories that are rich in conflict of this sort. The good son, the good daughter, must unlearn what has been taught by respected parents, elders and leaders, and make their own judgments. It's a classic "hero's journey" archetype. Giorgi's teenagers are forced to grow up fast in a world so harsh, they reach the highest level in Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development by age 16.
This YA novel belongs in the classroom. It illustrates so well how Kohlberg's six stages are ultimately concerned with doing the right thing even if everyone else tells you it's the wrong thing--and that requires a curious blend of reasoning, rebellion, self-sacrifice, and compassion for others. At Stage Six, we realize that laws are valid only insofar as they are grounded in justice, and a commitment to justice may require us to disobey unjust laws. Athel's people, the Mayake, have drilled the rules into their children for centuries. I love the way Giorgi's teens have internalized them - "We are Mayake. We respect and obey our elders."
There's a long list of things that the Mayake will or won't do - until Athel and Akaela see a conflict. In Book One, the punishment for Athel's transgression was unthinkably severe, but you know that won't stop him from defying the rules in order to do the right thing in Book Two. Hint: the scene where he finds the Gaijin girl is beautiful, riveting, and better than Twilight's Edward glittering in a meadow while wanting to eat Bella.
Seeing Metal Jaw struggle with the dilemma of trusting his intuition instead of his upbringing, while his brother peer-pressures him instead of encouraging him, is another sort of Easter Egg. I'm using that term incorrectly to say that the reader who hunts for signs of character development is rewarded here with the best egg in the basket. --Or is the Giajin girl with her wings just as much of a prize? It's all good - all great - so I won't even try to single out the Greatest Moments in Giorgi's fiction.
I could point out my least favorite moments. In Book One, we're pretty certain from the outset that three fathers are dead, and the last page cinches it. We brace ourselves for it. We know it's coming. Still, the emotional impact is ultimately greater than I anticipated. Authors are murderers! Make us care about a character, get attached, have us rooting for them, then let them die? I know, I know: all the best fiction does that. Even Disney, known for happy endings and children as a target audience, will subject us to the murder of Bambi's mother, of The Lion King (at his brother's hands! er, paws!), all the way up to Frozen, where the parents die young and leave two orphaned sisters with scars. And that's in the opening scene.
Life is brutal. Especially in a post-apocalyptic world where most humans have been decimated by a plague, and the only survivors were the Misfits, the genetically inferior people who were outcasts in "Gene Cards," but centuries have passed when we meet the Mayake. I keep hoping for another of those Easter Eggs: descendants of Julian or Yulia, please? And how about Track Pressius from Chimeras? He's an epigenetic fluke, an extraordinary detective, thanks to a virus that switched on animal predator traits that are latent in the human genome. I like to think Metal Jaw is a descendant of Track. Or maybe Athel and Akeala.
There's unfinished business at the end of this story, but more than enough for Book Two to feel complete. The robots alone are worth the price of admission to this show. Bring tissues. Giorgi is a murdering author who'd kill the father you love in Book One, so watch out, she'll spare you no heartache in Book Two, either. Or in her short stories. How does anyone tell such hard-hitting stories with so many pretty words? The prose is as vivid as Giorgi's photo galleries (on display at various art museums).
Book Three, please! (Armed with tissue!)
November 12, 2015
Book two in the Mayake Chronicles is finally here and this is my favorite story yet. Same as book one the story is told from the viewpoint of both Athel and his sister Akaela of the Mayake people, Ms. Giorgi maintains a smooth transition between speaking voices where often times I have found this style to be disjointed in its telling. Instead of taking away from the story I find that instead she has found a way to better draw the reader in to the story with each character’s perspective.
The character and story development in Book 2 is richly layered throughout, bringing not only Athel and Akaela’s development to light but that of the Mayake people as a whole (certain minor characters even have glimpses of maturity, a possible hope for the Mayake people?). The battle between the Gaijin and the Mayake continue, the haves and the have-nots. Will the Mayake be able to come together and manage to survive?
I was quite excited to see the introduction of Lilun from the short story Gaijin Girl (if you haven’t read it, go do so now!), I wanted more of her and we get more. Lilun still remains mysterious (I’m not going to give away any spoilers here), there is so much history and depth to this character. Her life becoming intertwined with the very people that her people are killing off, and knowing who she is left me with quite a few nail biting scenes. And here is sit realizing I have a bit of wait for book three. How fast can you write Ms. Giorgi? I am eagerly awaiting the next book; I might need to learn patience.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and asked to write an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
The character and story development in Book 2 is richly layered throughout, bringing not only Athel and Akaela’s development to light but that of the Mayake people as a whole (certain minor characters even have glimpses of maturity, a possible hope for the Mayake people?). The battle between the Gaijin and the Mayake continue, the haves and the have-nots. Will the Mayake be able to come together and manage to survive?
I was quite excited to see the introduction of Lilun from the short story Gaijin Girl (if you haven’t read it, go do so now!), I wanted more of her and we get more. Lilun still remains mysterious (I’m not going to give away any spoilers here), there is so much history and depth to this character. Her life becoming intertwined with the very people that her people are killing off, and knowing who she is left me with quite a few nail biting scenes. And here is sit realizing I have a bit of wait for book three. How fast can you write Ms. Giorgi? I am eagerly awaiting the next book; I might need to learn patience.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author and asked to write an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
October 20, 2015
I have just finished reading an ARC copy provided by the author in exchange for an unbiased review and some direct feedback.
I've already provided that feedback consisting of more editorial type comments, none of which will be present in the final draft.
I found the story very interesting. We, the readers, get to see the story from the viewpoint of both Akaels as well as her brother Athel. They come across as fairly normal teenagers even though their environment is very different.
I must assume that you have read the author's summary. I would also hope that you have read the earlier works in this series. In particular, you should also read the short story entitled "The Gaiijin Girl". It will help set some of the background about the enemies of the people in this story.
The story does come to a conclusion but it does so in a manner that leaves you wanting to hear more - and that comes in 2016.
If you are on Facebook, you may also want to follow the author and have a chance to observe her photography in action, so to speak. Also, go ahead and join her mailing list (details are at the end of the book).
I must warn you that Elena Giorgi is just one of a band of new authors whose work is very addictive ... and a lot of fun to read. Also, these authors like to interact with their readers.
She also has a new website: http://eegiorgi.thirdscribe.com/my-bo... where you can see all of her books
I've already provided that feedback consisting of more editorial type comments, none of which will be present in the final draft.
I found the story very interesting. We, the readers, get to see the story from the viewpoint of both Akaels as well as her brother Athel. They come across as fairly normal teenagers even though their environment is very different.
I must assume that you have read the author's summary. I would also hope that you have read the earlier works in this series. In particular, you should also read the short story entitled "The Gaiijin Girl". It will help set some of the background about the enemies of the people in this story.
The story does come to a conclusion but it does so in a manner that leaves you wanting to hear more - and that comes in 2016.
If you are on Facebook, you may also want to follow the author and have a chance to observe her photography in action, so to speak. Also, go ahead and join her mailing list (details are at the end of the book).
I must warn you that Elena Giorgi is just one of a band of new authors whose work is very addictive ... and a lot of fun to read. Also, these authors like to interact with their readers.
She also has a new website: http://eegiorgi.thirdscribe.com/my-bo... where you can see all of her books
November 21, 2015
Kindle edition
This is the ongoing tale of a tiny band of survivors, half human and half robotic, in their desperate struggle to stay alive. Not easy when the vast neighbouring power seems bent on their destruction and there are traitors within.
As in the first of the Mayake Chronicles, the story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Athel and his sister, Akaela. Together with a couple of friends, the teenagers are ready to break the community's rules and risk everything to find the truth of what is really happening to them all. And it is a very strange world that they encounter.
The real strength of E.E.Giorgi's book is the fabulous imagery that she brings to her easy to read and well written prose. Each character is different, both physically and in their strengths of personality. They linger in the mind long after the book itself is finished and continue to raise the question long pondered in science fiction - what truly constitutes a person?. These youngsters are very human, and yet...
Although the second in a series and it is very pleasurable to have met the friends previously, this is a stand alone book which anyone can enjoy without prior knowledge. So, even if new to the Mayake Chronicles, I recommend Athel to all looking for an exciting, thought provoking story set in a very visual new world
This is the ongoing tale of a tiny band of survivors, half human and half robotic, in their desperate struggle to stay alive. Not easy when the vast neighbouring power seems bent on their destruction and there are traitors within.
As in the first of the Mayake Chronicles, the story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Athel and his sister, Akaela. Together with a couple of friends, the teenagers are ready to break the community's rules and risk everything to find the truth of what is really happening to them all. And it is a very strange world that they encounter.
The real strength of E.E.Giorgi's book is the fabulous imagery that she brings to her easy to read and well written prose. Each character is different, both physically and in their strengths of personality. They linger in the mind long after the book itself is finished and continue to raise the question long pondered in science fiction - what truly constitutes a person?. These youngsters are very human, and yet...
Although the second in a series and it is very pleasurable to have met the friends previously, this is a stand alone book which anyone can enjoy without prior knowledge. So, even if new to the Mayake Chronicles, I recommend Athel to all looking for an exciting, thought provoking story set in a very visual new world
November 10, 2015
Athel is a back with his sister, Akaela and friends and they are on a hunt to find things to help defend their city from the Gaijin. But in doing so they get wrapped up in a puzzle to find the lost entrance to the underground city of Astraca. Either way it is a race to save the Mayake people.
In this book you find out more about both races of people as thee is a extra added character that adds a twist to the book. It is fascinating to watch the characters grow especially Metal Jaw. Everything blends so wonderfully, these books are so great with all the action and suspense, I can not wait for part three. If you find yourself like me and can not wait more don't over look Giorgi's two short stories that are set in this world, The Gaijin Girl, and the Tails of the Apocalypse in which the there is a short about Athel's falcon Kael.
In this book you find out more about both races of people as thee is a extra added character that adds a twist to the book. It is fascinating to watch the characters grow especially Metal Jaw. Everything blends so wonderfully, these books are so great with all the action and suspense, I can not wait for part three. If you find yourself like me and can not wait more don't over look Giorgi's two short stories that are set in this world, The Gaijin Girl, and the Tails of the Apocalypse in which the there is a short about Athel's falcon Kael.
December 1, 2015
This second book brings you further into a very descriptive world of the author, as we learn more about why the people are like they are, their history and the threats.
I am not a reviewer that rehashes the story, but what I can say is that I enjoyed the adventure of it all and the way the author built on the history and legends. I can't wait to read more.
I am looking forward to more books in this world. I can also recommend her Chimeras series.
I am not a reviewer that rehashes the story, but what I can say is that I enjoyed the adventure of it all and the way the author built on the history and legends. I can't wait to read more.
I am looking forward to more books in this world. I can also recommend her Chimeras series.
November 2, 2015
Wow, The second book actually surpasses the first story... Yeah, in part because I was already familiar with Athel's world... The story again is told through the eyes of Athel and his sister Akaela. This gives you a better view of what happening... There is a mystery to solve and who is the stranger in the woods... As the kids and the Mayak face the real possibility of war with the the Gaijin. Time is running out. Can they save their clan... Grab the book and find out...
November 20, 2015
Enhanced humans, an enemy with robots, and a fight for survival make Athel an intriguing and exciting read.
The story is very descriptive, with lots of action, and the characters are enjoyable, especially the children.
The ending makes for an urge to know what comes next, it should be thrilling.
*This was an ARC, my opinions are my own*
The story is very descriptive, with lots of action, and the characters are enjoyable, especially the children.
The ending makes for an urge to know what comes next, it should be thrilling.
*This was an ARC, my opinions are my own*
November 1, 2015
This was a lot of fun to read---really liked the first book in the series, and this was kept me turning pages until the end. The whole premise of the story is intriguing, and I can't wait for volume 3.
January 1, 2016
Elena Giorgi continues to pen YA stories with the best of them. This is Athel's story. He's Akaela brother from the first Mayake Chronicle book. I won't go into the plot; it's been covered.
Giorgi peels back the layers of her characters. It's impossible to not empathize with them. Their world is expanding in the series. They are teenagers grappling with the way their world is...and the way that it isn't. It's an intriguing peek into cultures that are enemies on a larger scale, but as individuals, (as in the real world) it's difficult to remain so.
Her technology is fascinating, and she has a gift for writing in layman's' terms.
I look forward to book 3. Five stars.
Giorgi peels back the layers of her characters. It's impossible to not empathize with them. Their world is expanding in the series. They are teenagers grappling with the way their world is...and the way that it isn't. It's an intriguing peek into cultures that are enemies on a larger scale, but as individuals, (as in the real world) it's difficult to remain so.
Her technology is fascinating, and she has a gift for writing in layman's' terms.
I look forward to book 3. Five stars.
January 11, 2016
love, love, loved this one! I actually thought it was better than book one and now I'm anxiously awaiting the next book in the series! Overall, I thought the tone of this one was a little different than book one - more sense of urgency and more mystery elements. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite sci-fi series to read.
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