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Beyond The Red #1
Beyond the Red
NOTE: published under the author's previous pseudonym
Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.
Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.
When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.
Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.
Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.
When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2016
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July 13, 2016UPDATE (7/13/16): So, as many of you noticed, I was finally able to announce that Beyond the Red is indeed getting sequels! Two of them! I'm really excited to share
Into the Black
, which releases Fall 2017, and
The Rising Gold
in Fall 2018, which will complete the trilogy! Thank you all for your support—it's because of awesome readers like you that the full trilogy will be published. <3 YAY!
This is my book. It has kissing, aliens, and explosions, and I hope you guys love reading it as much as I've loved writing it. :)
This is my book. It has kissing, aliens, and explosions, and I hope you guys love reading it as much as I've loved writing it. :)
December 29, 2015
My heart is now a war-torn wasteland.
BEYOND THE RED was a gripping sci-fi read that takes you on a treacherous journey across the shifting landscape with the alien queen Kora and the half-breed human Eros. A rich tapestry of secrets, lies, treachery, rebellion, politics, all threaded with cool tech and a hot forbidden love story. You'll never want to leave the red desert of Safara. Brace yourself for a fast paced story and a heart breaking ending.
BEYOND THE RED was a gripping sci-fi read that takes you on a treacherous journey across the shifting landscape with the alien queen Kora and the half-breed human Eros. A rich tapestry of secrets, lies, treachery, rebellion, politics, all threaded with cool tech and a hot forbidden love story. You'll never want to leave the red desert of Safara. Brace yourself for a fast paced story and a heart breaking ending.
July 2, 2018
This review is also posted on my blog, Anatea's Bookshelf.
I am really unsure of how I felt about Beyond the Red. I guess I did like it to some extent, but there were a lot of things that bothered me and I wasn't a huge fan of them. To start it off, I thought this was going to be an EPIC SCI-FI book. I mean it's on another planet and it has ALIENS, so it had to be sci-fi. Yes, I thought it had an epic vibe, but more on the EPIC FANTASY side. Yes, you read that right. Maybe it was just me, but Beyond of Red has kings, queens, slaves, rebels, battles, castles. In my mind, I was imagining it all in kind of Egyptian medieval style (is that even a period? - okay, you know what I mean). Maybe it did have some sci-fi elements like nanites technology and cool and unusual animals, but that's about it.
After the Sepharon aliens under the lead of Kora attack a human desert village, many of the humans end up as slaves. Among them is also Eros, a half-human, half-Sepharon guy, who seems to be despised by the both sides. Since the things aren't perfect in the territory of Elja and the people aren't satisfied with their queen Kora, she makes Eros her personal guard/slave to protect her from her evil brother who wants the throne all for himself. But when someone tries to poison Koras betrothed and they're accused of the crime, they have to flee and maybe face even bigger danger outside.
There are not actually lots of things that I liked in this book, but one of them was that it was fast paced and I kinda seemed to just fly through it even though I didn't enjoy a lot of things. I just kept turning the pages and hoping it would get better - but it never did. Yes, it was fast paced and there was a lot of action and you just wanted to know what happens next - even though if the things were really predictable - but there was always that little voice in my head that kept whispering all the things that bother me and I just couldn't overlook them.
Beyond the Red is one of those sci-fi/fantasy books that just starts from nowhere and the whole time you're wondering what the heck is happening, who is who, where are they, what is it that they do. I mean we do get a little bit of information, but as I read one thought was constantly on my mind. This book needs more world building, I have just too many questions. And just to fill you in, half of those weren't even answered later in the book.
Another thing - or is it better to say another person - that bothered me to no end was Kora, our queen. She was supposed to be this fierce and strong ruler, or at least, that's how she is described. But all I have seen from Kora through the book is that she was quite the opposite from fierce. Her brother had his way with her and she did nothing to stop him, her people wanted to throw her off the throne, and she did nothing to stop it, she couldn't even utter one word when it came to defending an innocent person. She was the fucking queen, she should have at least tried doing something.
There's one more thing I want to mention. Love. Which also isn't quite the best in Beyond the Red. We have our love interests, Eros and Kora. Everything between them happens so fast (insta, if you're wondering). Almost immediately, they're on first name basis. That wouldn't be so weird if she weren't the alien queen, and he despised half-blood slave. Then they're kissing. And then, everything between them stops altogether. This is where the even-more-insta-love-triangle starts. Kora is to marry one of the royals, who just happens to fall in love with her in just a few days. Talk about weird. I had a feeling the author wanted to accomplish many things, but she just ended up ruining everything. Dear authors, please notice our plea - anything insta is never good.
I wanted to give Beyond the Red 2.5 stars, but since I don't do half stars, I had to round it up. This is where the real struggle comes in. Do I round it up or down? Originally, I gave it 3 stars, but after I slept on it, I decided it is more 2 stars than it is 3. Yes, I did like the plot to some extent. You could maybe even say that I enjoyed the plot, but the rest of the book just felt "meh". There was nothing else worthy of good in this book.
The ending alone was done really abrupt and it's not even sure if there's going to be the next book. I think I saw somewhere that the author said it depends on sales. I guess we'll see, even though I'm not really sure if I am going to be reading the sequel even if there is one. I mean, why would you end your book this open, if you're not even sure there's going to be a next one? That's just kinda mean.
And to answer this, would I recommend this book? Probably not, no.
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I am really unsure of how I felt about Beyond the Red. I guess I did like it to some extent, but there were a lot of things that bothered me and I wasn't a huge fan of them. To start it off, I thought this was going to be an EPIC SCI-FI book. I mean it's on another planet and it has ALIENS, so it had to be sci-fi. Yes, I thought it had an epic vibe, but more on the EPIC FANTASY side. Yes, you read that right. Maybe it was just me, but Beyond of Red has kings, queens, slaves, rebels, battles, castles. In my mind, I was imagining it all in kind of Egyptian medieval style (is that even a period? - okay, you know what I mean). Maybe it did have some sci-fi elements like nanites technology and cool and unusual animals, but that's about it.
After the Sepharon aliens under the lead of Kora attack a human desert village, many of the humans end up as slaves. Among them is also Eros, a half-human, half-Sepharon guy, who seems to be despised by the both sides. Since the things aren't perfect in the territory of Elja and the people aren't satisfied with their queen Kora, she makes Eros her personal guard/slave to protect her from her evil brother who wants the throne all for himself. But when someone tries to poison Koras betrothed and they're accused of the crime, they have to flee and maybe face even bigger danger outside.
There are not actually lots of things that I liked in this book, but one of them was that it was fast paced and I kinda seemed to just fly through it even though I didn't enjoy a lot of things. I just kept turning the pages and hoping it would get better - but it never did. Yes, it was fast paced and there was a lot of action and you just wanted to know what happens next - even though if the things were really predictable - but there was always that little voice in my head that kept whispering all the things that bother me and I just couldn't overlook them.
Beyond the Red is one of those sci-fi/fantasy books that just starts from nowhere and the whole time you're wondering what the heck is happening, who is who, where are they, what is it that they do. I mean we do get a little bit of information, but as I read one thought was constantly on my mind. This book needs more world building, I have just too many questions. And just to fill you in, half of those weren't even answered later in the book.
Another thing - or is it better to say another person - that bothered me to no end was Kora, our queen. She was supposed to be this fierce and strong ruler, or at least, that's how she is described. But all I have seen from Kora through the book is that she was quite the opposite from fierce. Her brother had his way with her and she did nothing to stop him, her people wanted to throw her off the throne, and she did nothing to stop it, she couldn't even utter one word when it came to defending an innocent person. She was the fucking queen, she should have at least tried doing something.
There's one more thing I want to mention. Love. Which also isn't quite the best in Beyond the Red. We have our love interests, Eros and Kora. Everything between them happens so fast (insta, if you're wondering). Almost immediately, they're on first name basis. That wouldn't be so weird if she weren't the alien queen, and he despised half-blood slave. Then they're kissing. And then, everything between them stops altogether. This is where the even-more-insta-love-triangle starts. Kora is to marry one of the royals, who just happens to fall in love with her in just a few days. Talk about weird. I had a feeling the author wanted to accomplish many things, but she just ended up ruining everything. Dear authors, please notice our plea - anything insta is never good.
I wanted to give Beyond the Red 2.5 stars, but since I don't do half stars, I had to round it up. This is where the real struggle comes in. Do I round it up or down? Originally, I gave it 3 stars, but after I slept on it, I decided it is more 2 stars than it is 3. Yes, I did like the plot to some extent. You could maybe even say that I enjoyed the plot, but the rest of the book just felt "meh". There was nothing else worthy of good in this book.
The ending alone was done really abrupt and it's not even sure if there's going to be the next book. I think I saw somewhere that the author said it depends on sales. I guess we'll see, even though I'm not really sure if I am going to be reading the sequel even if there is one. I mean, why would you end your book this open, if you're not even sure there's going to be a next one? That's just kinda mean.
And to answer this, would I recommend this book? Probably not, no.
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March 2, 2016
2.5 stars. A mixed bag full of violence and forbidden romance, set in a great desert alien atmosphere.
Ever read a book that leaves you feeling uninspired? Beyond the Red has a lot of elements that I like. The alien desert is atmospheric, the violence is on point, and the plot, despite being at times predictable, kept me pretty interested. Kora was a strong, capable ruler and Eros was...well, he was Eros; an angsty, half-alien teen with a mess of conflicting hormones (seriously, is he ever not checking out Kora's body?) and loyalties.
All of the characters are trying to find where they belong. Everyone wants to belong right? Due to his mixed heritage, Eros isn't accepted by the people he's known and grown up with all his life. Kora isn't respected as a leader, constantly overshadowed by her brother. They aren't sure if they like each other or if they can be trusted. But when your options are limited, you take what you have and you do your best with it.
There's a good dose of forbidden love / "we can never be together" going on. Also, some instalove going on. It got a bit old really. I was rooting for Serek. What a charmer! He's such a genuinely nice guy, who wants what's best for Kora, is smart, level headed, and would clearly make a great leader.
My big general complaint is that the plot seems to circle back and repeat itself a lot. Eros is captured, then he's on the run. Rinse & repeat. A plot arises that threatens Kora. Then again. A character gets into horrific trouble with no possible way for them to ever be saved! My golly, I wonder if they'll make it. By then end, I was checking out a little mentally because I wasn't surprised by much anymore. They were good ideas sure, but I wanted something more. There was little wow-factor.
Then there's the one thing that really steamed my veggies. Well, there's a moment towards the end, but I wasn't as invested by that point. Except in Serek. I would bang that like a screen door in a breeze.
Spoilers related to one infuriating scene here.
Beyond the Red does some things very well. Unfortunately, the repetitiveness and kept me from enjoying it as much as I wanted to.
Thanks to Edelweiss & Sky Pony Press for the digital review copy!
Ever read a book that leaves you feeling uninspired? Beyond the Red has a lot of elements that I like. The alien desert is atmospheric, the violence is on point, and the plot, despite being at times predictable, kept me pretty interested. Kora was a strong, capable ruler and Eros was...well, he was Eros; an angsty, half-alien teen with a mess of conflicting hormones (seriously, is he ever not checking out Kora's body?) and loyalties.
All of the characters are trying to find where they belong. Everyone wants to belong right? Due to his mixed heritage, Eros isn't accepted by the people he's known and grown up with all his life. Kora isn't respected as a leader, constantly overshadowed by her brother. They aren't sure if they like each other or if they can be trusted. But when your options are limited, you take what you have and you do your best with it.
There's a good dose of forbidden love / "we can never be together" going on. Also, some instalove going on. It got a bit old really. I was rooting for Serek. What a charmer! He's such a genuinely nice guy, who wants what's best for Kora, is smart, level headed, and would clearly make a great leader.
My big general complaint is that the plot seems to circle back and repeat itself a lot. Eros is captured, then he's on the run. Rinse & repeat. A plot arises that threatens Kora. Then again. A character gets into horrific trouble with no possible way for them to ever be saved! My golly, I wonder if they'll make it. By then end, I was checking out a little mentally because I wasn't surprised by much anymore. They were good ideas sure, but I wanted something more. There was little wow-factor.
Then there's the one thing that really steamed my veggies. Well, there's a moment towards the end, but I wasn't as invested by that point. Except in Serek. I would bang that like a screen door in a breeze.
Spoilers related to one infuriating scene here.
Beyond the Red does some things very well. Unfortunately, the repetitiveness and kept me from enjoying it as much as I wanted to.
Thanks to Edelweiss & Sky Pony Press for the digital review copy!
January 8, 2016
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Beyond the Red by Ava Jae
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Publication Date: March 1, 2016
Rating: 2 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.
Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.
When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.
What I Liked:
I really wanted to like this book. It's my Pili-Pushed recommendation for the month, and I trust Pili's judgment - nearly all of the Pili-Pushed recommendations have received positive feedback from me! This one would be of the few (sorry, Pili!).
Kora is the queen of one of the Sepharon territories, Elja. She's the first female ruler in generations, and her people are calling for a new leader. They want her younger twin brother, Dima, on the throne. Kora has a plan to meet suitors and marry. Eros is a half-Sepharon, half-human man living in the desert among humans. He's never been accepted, except by his adopted family. When Kora's people attack his and take him prisoner, he has a choice: execution, or swear fealty. Eros is made one of Kora's personal soldiers and bodyguards, because she doesn't trust her guards (they have shown more loyalty to Dima), and no one would dare bribe a half-breed (they think he's an abomination). Things go from bad to worse when an assassination attempt is made on her betrothed's life, and she and Eros must run in order to save themselves - as well as humans, and Sepharon, from a greater threat.
Things that worked well - the setting and most of the science fiction aspects of the book. I loved the sandy setting of a planet nothing like Earth. I liked the set-up of the Sepharon kingdoms. The idea of the Sepharon is cool - they're aliens with weird markings on their skin, almost like permanent gold tattoos. Some of them have strange eye colors. They have a different color of blood too. The humans are like normal humans. The Sepharon enslave humans and basically strip away their humanity - it's horrifying. THAT was done really well too - the cruelty of the Sepharon to humans.
I will say that I never once thought to put this book, as it had me very much hooked. I kept reading and waiting for my questions to be answered - even at 95%, I was like okay... there's still time for a really thorough epilogue... I got nothing. Time for the next section of my review!
What I Did Not Like:
Immediately upon finishing the novel, I made a list of things I didn't like in the book. I'm going to use the list format.
- Lack of resolution in the ending (is this part of a series?). Clearly this book wasn't written to be a standalone. Or, if it was, it is a very sh***y standalone novel that deserves 0.5 stars from me. I'm sure the author intends to have a sequel published, but as far as I know there is none that exists/will exists via the publisher... but I don't know this for sure. In any case, the ending wrapped up NOTHING. I have more questions than I started out with, about Roma and Eros's potential new role, about Eros and Kora, about the humans, the Sepharon, the pale man (who is he?). Nothing is explained!
If you know you're getting a contract for ONE book, why in the world would you half-write that one book, like you intend for there to be another book to follow?! That is SO rude! The author could have at least cleaned up the ending a little; making it somewhat open-ended is one thing (fine), but not answering anything, especially logistics questions? Not okay.
- Absolutely NO resolution in the romance (in terms of our lead pair); again, is this part of a series? Our lead pair has no idea where they stand. Kora and Eros kiss once, and then Kora freaks out and they don't speak and Kora ignores him and THERE IS NO RESOLUTION. Or symbolic scene of hope (like, the two of them reaching for each other's hands, or hugging, or looking into each other's eyes, or something). Nothing.
- Speaking of our lead pair -- instalove sets on really quickly. I cannot believe how quickly it seems that Eros's feelings change. Yes, she's attractive, and your body recognizes that. But his FEELINGS go from hatred (she did have his family murdered) to squishy tender caring. Hmmm. And vice versa! Kora falls for a half-breed who is, yes, hot, but also, a HALF-BREED, that everyone else finds unattractive. (Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against the fact that Kora finds Eros attractive; it's WHY that's bothering me. Literally EVERYONE else thinks his existence is disgusting.)
- I completley understnad that Kora is supposed to be very very attractive, but I find it so hard to believe that he falls for her, the woman who ordered the execution of his people. So implausible. Lucifer was supposed to be gorgeous, right? Doesn't make him someone I'd want to plant my mouth on, just saying.
- What I find even more unbelievable is how quickly it takes the lines to be blurred; the queen and her new, half-blood personal guard/slave get really close, like on a first-name basis, WAY too quickly. Like, DAYS after he is dragged to her palace. Really? Not plausible. In any type of hierarchy, especially when it comes to royalty, soldiers/servants do NOT address the royalty by their first name. EVER. I find it difficult to believe that mere days after Eros is brought to the palace, he is trussed up as a PERSONAL GUARD to the queen, and he's calling her "Kora". SHE can call him whatever she wants; he should not have the right to reciprocate.
- I'm trying to understand why Kora isn't disgusted by Eros. Literally EVERYONE else is. Sure, he's attractive. But that's not even what she notices about him. What whim caused her to take pity on him? She should be wary and distrusting - not invite him into her personal guard. I'm very confused by this (even if the reason she gave to Eros for forcing him to be her new personal guard was a tiny bit reasonable). I don't buy into Kora's alleged intelligence - she seems a bit dumb to me. She barely seems queenly half the time, and it often has nothing to do with Eros.
- Also, girlfriend is not as bada** as she seems. She lets her (younger) brother walk all over her. Dima is the Commander, as well as he's her second (the one to take her place if she dies or anything like that). It amazes me how many times he orders Kora to do something, and she does it. Go inside, Kora. Shut up, Kora. You can't do that, Kora. KORA. You are the f***ing queen. ACT LIKE IT.
- The presence of a love triangle (kind of -- though it resolves itself in the end; quite possibly the only thing that IS resolved is the triangle, because of what happens to one of the "legs"). It's a weird love triangle, but it's there. You have the betrothed (the one she "should" be with, the pure-blood prince), and you have Eros, the half-blood hottie. I like Eros. I feel bad for him. I liked the prince (Serik) too but I felt like he deserved better than Kora (Eros too, for that matter). It's also shockingly weird how quickly Serik FALLS IN LOVE with Kora (not lust - love; this was very explicitly stated).
- Weird insertions of made-up words that are supposed to be dialect or speak of the planet, but they were distracting, more than anything else. So distracting. I had to read lines twice and three times again because I couldn't catch the meaning, or because that one made-up word made me pause. Those words didn't flow well, with the story.
- Not to mention there were waaay too many modern-day references that stuck out like sore thumbs too. You can't blend 21st-century American slang with weird planet slang ("mo" for moment, "kinduv" for kind of, etc.). There were sooo many colloquial phrases that just did not fit in the book, and like I said, the weird slang dialect words the author threw in the book were also distracting.
- Above all, it would help to know if this were part of a series or not. Because then I would look past my first and second complaints, and this book would get another star. Big difference between 2.5 stars and 3.5 stars. But as we don't know about a sequel, I'm just going to give the (almost ultimate) punishing rating because I am NOT satisfied.
Would I Recommend It:
I do not recommend this book. It's not worth reading, especially since we have no idea if there will be a sequel or not. It wasn't the best-written story, and there were too many juvenile novice things that bothered me. Not to mention a HIGHLY unsatisfying romance and an infuriating ending. Did I mention the deus ex machina in the climax? One of my biggest pet peeves!
Rating:
2.5 stars -> rounded down to 2 stars. Actually maybe it's just 2 stars flat. I want to say that I'll give the sequel a shot if there were to be one, but after writing this review, I'm not so sure. The more I think about this book, the less I liked it. Thank goodness it was fairly short!
Beyond the Red by Ava Jae
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Publication Date: March 1, 2016
Rating: 2 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.
Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.
When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.
What I Liked:
I really wanted to like this book. It's my Pili-Pushed recommendation for the month, and I trust Pili's judgment - nearly all of the Pili-Pushed recommendations have received positive feedback from me! This one would be of the few (sorry, Pili!).
Kora is the queen of one of the Sepharon territories, Elja. She's the first female ruler in generations, and her people are calling for a new leader. They want her younger twin brother, Dima, on the throne. Kora has a plan to meet suitors and marry. Eros is a half-Sepharon, half-human man living in the desert among humans. He's never been accepted, except by his adopted family. When Kora's people attack his and take him prisoner, he has a choice: execution, or swear fealty. Eros is made one of Kora's personal soldiers and bodyguards, because she doesn't trust her guards (they have shown more loyalty to Dima), and no one would dare bribe a half-breed (they think he's an abomination). Things go from bad to worse when an assassination attempt is made on her betrothed's life, and she and Eros must run in order to save themselves - as well as humans, and Sepharon, from a greater threat.
Things that worked well - the setting and most of the science fiction aspects of the book. I loved the sandy setting of a planet nothing like Earth. I liked the set-up of the Sepharon kingdoms. The idea of the Sepharon is cool - they're aliens with weird markings on their skin, almost like permanent gold tattoos. Some of them have strange eye colors. They have a different color of blood too. The humans are like normal humans. The Sepharon enslave humans and basically strip away their humanity - it's horrifying. THAT was done really well too - the cruelty of the Sepharon to humans.
I will say that I never once thought to put this book, as it had me very much hooked. I kept reading and waiting for my questions to be answered - even at 95%, I was like okay... there's still time for a really thorough epilogue... I got nothing. Time for the next section of my review!
What I Did Not Like:
Immediately upon finishing the novel, I made a list of things I didn't like in the book. I'm going to use the list format.
- Lack of resolution in the ending (is this part of a series?). Clearly this book wasn't written to be a standalone. Or, if it was, it is a very sh***y standalone novel that deserves 0.5 stars from me. I'm sure the author intends to have a sequel published, but as far as I know there is none that exists/will exists via the publisher... but I don't know this for sure. In any case, the ending wrapped up NOTHING. I have more questions than I started out with, about Roma and Eros's potential new role, about Eros and Kora, about the humans, the Sepharon, the pale man (who is he?). Nothing is explained!
If you know you're getting a contract for ONE book, why in the world would you half-write that one book, like you intend for there to be another book to follow?! That is SO rude! The author could have at least cleaned up the ending a little; making it somewhat open-ended is one thing (fine), but not answering anything, especially logistics questions? Not okay.
- Absolutely NO resolution in the romance (in terms of our lead pair); again, is this part of a series? Our lead pair has no idea where they stand. Kora and Eros kiss once, and then Kora freaks out and they don't speak and Kora ignores him and THERE IS NO RESOLUTION. Or symbolic scene of hope (like, the two of them reaching for each other's hands, or hugging, or looking into each other's eyes, or something). Nothing.
- Speaking of our lead pair -- instalove sets on really quickly. I cannot believe how quickly it seems that Eros's feelings change. Yes, she's attractive, and your body recognizes that. But his FEELINGS go from hatred (she did have his family murdered) to squishy tender caring. Hmmm. And vice versa! Kora falls for a half-breed who is, yes, hot, but also, a HALF-BREED, that everyone else finds unattractive. (Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against the fact that Kora finds Eros attractive; it's WHY that's bothering me. Literally EVERYONE else thinks his existence is disgusting.)
- I completley understnad that Kora is supposed to be very very attractive, but I find it so hard to believe that he falls for her, the woman who ordered the execution of his people. So implausible. Lucifer was supposed to be gorgeous, right? Doesn't make him someone I'd want to plant my mouth on, just saying.
- What I find even more unbelievable is how quickly it takes the lines to be blurred; the queen and her new, half-blood personal guard/slave get really close, like on a first-name basis, WAY too quickly. Like, DAYS after he is dragged to her palace. Really? Not plausible. In any type of hierarchy, especially when it comes to royalty, soldiers/servants do NOT address the royalty by their first name. EVER. I find it difficult to believe that mere days after Eros is brought to the palace, he is trussed up as a PERSONAL GUARD to the queen, and he's calling her "Kora". SHE can call him whatever she wants; he should not have the right to reciprocate.
- I'm trying to understand why Kora isn't disgusted by Eros. Literally EVERYONE else is. Sure, he's attractive. But that's not even what she notices about him. What whim caused her to take pity on him? She should be wary and distrusting - not invite him into her personal guard. I'm very confused by this (even if the reason she gave to Eros for forcing him to be her new personal guard was a tiny bit reasonable). I don't buy into Kora's alleged intelligence - she seems a bit dumb to me. She barely seems queenly half the time, and it often has nothing to do with Eros.
- Also, girlfriend is not as bada** as she seems. She lets her (younger) brother walk all over her. Dima is the Commander, as well as he's her second (the one to take her place if she dies or anything like that). It amazes me how many times he orders Kora to do something, and she does it. Go inside, Kora. Shut up, Kora. You can't do that, Kora. KORA. You are the f***ing queen. ACT LIKE IT.
- The presence of a love triangle (kind of -- though it resolves itself in the end; quite possibly the only thing that IS resolved is the triangle, because of what happens to one of the "legs"). It's a weird love triangle, but it's there. You have the betrothed (the one she "should" be with, the pure-blood prince), and you have Eros, the half-blood hottie. I like Eros. I feel bad for him. I liked the prince (Serik) too but I felt like he deserved better than Kora (Eros too, for that matter). It's also shockingly weird how quickly Serik FALLS IN LOVE with Kora (not lust - love; this was very explicitly stated).
- Weird insertions of made-up words that are supposed to be dialect or speak of the planet, but they were distracting, more than anything else. So distracting. I had to read lines twice and three times again because I couldn't catch the meaning, or because that one made-up word made me pause. Those words didn't flow well, with the story.
- Not to mention there were waaay too many modern-day references that stuck out like sore thumbs too. You can't blend 21st-century American slang with weird planet slang ("mo" for moment, "kinduv" for kind of, etc.). There were sooo many colloquial phrases that just did not fit in the book, and like I said, the weird slang dialect words the author threw in the book were also distracting.
- Above all, it would help to know if this were part of a series or not. Because then I would look past my first and second complaints, and this book would get another star. Big difference between 2.5 stars and 3.5 stars. But as we don't know about a sequel, I'm just going to give the (almost ultimate) punishing rating because I am NOT satisfied.
Would I Recommend It:
I do not recommend this book. It's not worth reading, especially since we have no idea if there will be a sequel or not. It wasn't the best-written story, and there were too many juvenile novice things that bothered me. Not to mention a HIGHLY unsatisfying romance and an infuriating ending. Did I mention the deus ex machina in the climax? One of my biggest pet peeves!
Rating:
2.5 stars -> rounded down to 2 stars. Actually maybe it's just 2 stars flat. I want to say that I'll give the sequel a shot if there were to be one, but after writing this review, I'm not so sure. The more I think about this book, the less I liked it. Thank goodness it was fairly short!
November 23, 2015
HOLY CRAP, THIS WAS RAD.
Reasons this book was just two thumbs up:
- non-stop action, from page 1
- awesome awesome (note the two "awesomes") characters that you could easily connect to and love.
- deals with down-to-earth topics (even though it's in another planet, heh) like segregation, homosexuality, racism.
*deals with them quite nicely too.
- hot alien princess.
- scorching hot romance. Like, the kind that sizzles.
- ENDING THAT MADE ME DEMAND MORE. But I'm too nice to demand stuff so I'll just patiently wait for news of a sequel.
Okay seriously though, if you like science fiction then you NEED to add this on your TBR.
Reasons this book was just two thumbs up:
- non-stop action, from page 1
- awesome awesome (note the two "awesomes") characters that you could easily connect to and love.
- deals with down-to-earth topics (even though it's in another planet, heh) like segregation, homosexuality, racism.
*deals with them quite nicely too.
- hot alien princess.
- scorching hot romance. Like, the kind that sizzles.
- ENDING THAT MADE ME DEMAND MORE. But I'm too nice to demand stuff so I'll just patiently wait for news of a sequel.
Okay seriously though, if you like science fiction then you NEED to add this on your TBR.
April 17, 2016
The summary for this book calls it "a story of betrayal, love, and loss," and I was definitely feeling some of those things by the end, but probably not for all the reasons the publisher hoped.
I won't belabour what many of the other reviewers have said about this one. This book has some good things going for it, which is what seems to have made all of us read it fairly quickly. In fact, this book was a pretty solid 3 star read for me up until the end. Normally I am also willing to cut a debut author some slack and will be a bit more generous with my rating. Above any other flaws I might have overlooked (weird language, weak main character) I rated this book down for one major reason:
This is not a standalone book, and no reader can seriously be expected to buy into any suggestion that it is.
The book ends without any of the major plot points being resolved and the main characters left in positions of moderate peril. I read somewhere that the author said that this book is meant to stand alone and that she wants to write another book, but that it will depend on the sales from this one. What? Honestly, I probably would have wanted to read a sequel but I'm just so irritated at feeling like I went into this one under false pretenses.
Publishers, if you're wondering, I'm OK reading a book that may or may not get a sequel. I'm not OK being told a book is a standalone when it so obviously isn't.
I won't belabour what many of the other reviewers have said about this one. This book has some good things going for it, which is what seems to have made all of us read it fairly quickly. In fact, this book was a pretty solid 3 star read for me up until the end. Normally I am also willing to cut a debut author some slack and will be a bit more generous with my rating. Above any other flaws I might have overlooked (weird language, weak main character) I rated this book down for one major reason:
This is not a standalone book, and no reader can seriously be expected to buy into any suggestion that it is.
The book ends without any of the major plot points being resolved and the main characters left in positions of moderate peril. I read somewhere that the author said that this book is meant to stand alone and that she wants to write another book, but that it will depend on the sales from this one. What? Honestly, I probably would have wanted to read a sequel but I'm just so irritated at feeling like I went into this one under false pretenses.
Publishers, if you're wondering, I'm OK reading a book that may or may not get a sequel. I'm not OK being told a book is a standalone when it so obviously isn't.
July 1, 2015
a brilliant, addicting scifi! I couldn't put it down!!
February 10, 2017
Beyond the Red had a really rich world, awesome characters which were never 100% black or white, a romance that sparked off the pages, and a fun and riveting story-line.
March 15, 2016
I've been really struggling to write this review because I had such high hopes for Beyond the Red and it just didn't live up to my expectations. I really liked the arid desert setting and I actually quite liked both of the main characters when they were apart but the second the two were thrown together things went downhill quickly and unfortunately that happens very early on in the story. What I wanted was more world building, I wanted to know more about the nomadic life the humans lived and I would have liked to have seen Eros spending more time with his family before everything went so horribly wrong. It all happened so fast that I never really felt invested in what was going on so no matter how tragic it was I didn't have the emotional connection I needed to be left heartbroken.
I also wanted to know more about the alien race Kora comes from, we learn very little of their customs or their history and there was just nothing that made them stand out as different to humans apart from that they're taller, faster, stronger and have weird markings on their skin. Instead of building a rich and detailed culture we get random words thrown at us that were either totally made up and used with very little explanation or were weird amalgamations of words we already use that just looked ridiculous (I wanted to throw my kindle every time I saw kinduv and that was repeated no less than thirty-seven times throughout the story but there were quite a few sortuv's too & I rolled my eyes at every single one of them).
It wasn't the world building that killed the story though, that honor goes to the most ridiculous case of insta-love that I've ever come across. To fully explain how crazy it was I'm really going to have to veer into spoiler territory so be warned if you decide to continue reading this review.
****SPOILERS BELOW****
(I'm pretty sure all of this happens within the first 10 chapters of the book but look away now if you don't want to see spoilers)
****END MAJOR SPOILERS****
I could have probably got on board with the romance if it had been done slowly, if we had seen Eros and Kora gradually get to know each other, if they had taken time to talk about what had happened to Eros's family and the entire tribe that raised him, if Kora had admitted making mistakes and had apologised and tried to find a way to make things right. If that had happened BEFORE Eros started mooning over her I might have believed it but it didn't. Okay it takes a lot longer to get to the kissy kissy stuff, and to be honest there isn't an epic romance between them yet but their thoughts around each other are just totally unbelievable and unrealistic from the minute they meet and that totally goes both ways.
Don't even get me started on the issue of Kora announcing that a half-blood is going to be her new bodyguard and nobody questioning it, I'm pretty damn sure that her court would make sure she was chaperoned around her male guards too and I don't think there's any way in hell that her brother (the captain of her guard) would let her spend time with Eros alone. She may be the queen but nobody listens to her when she makes any other kind of decision so I doubt she'd get her own way here and I can't really see why she'd want to. It just doesn't make sense.
This review is already pretty long but there are still a couple of things that I really feel I have to mention. There is a second completely unbelievable case of love at first sight when a prince arrives offering Kora a marriage contract, I mean why have one case of insta-love when you can have two and make it an insta-triangle? Because we all know how much readers love triangles! What about including attempted rape? Obviously the threat of being executed for treason isn't enough when you can remind girls everywhere that there are fates worse than death. I absolutely HATE the use of attempted rape as a way to add danger to a story, there are a million other ways you can go without using it as a cheap plot device as a way to raise tension, especially if it has no further impact on the plot or any of the characters.
I feel like I've really ripped this book to shreds which is awful because I hate writing negative reviews but this story had so much potential and it just could have been so much better. There must have been something going for it because I did keep reading until the end and I actually read the whole book relatively quickly because it was very fast paced and had plenty of action going on but the negatives far outweigh the positives and I have to be honest about that. I have to warn you that there are a lot of unanswered questions at the end too, it resolves a few things but it's quite a major cliffhanger considering we have no confirmation of a sequel. I can pretty much guess how things would play out so I'm not too bothered by the lack of resolution and to be honest I doubt I'd read a second book even if one is published but I think it's worth being aware of before you pick up the book.
Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
_______________________
Thoughts immediately after reading:
I can't decide how to rate this one. It's one of the worst and most unbelievable cases of insta-love I've ever read but at the same time I finished it in a day so I obviously didn't hate it.
2 stars? 3 stars? I need to think on it!
I also wanted to know more about the alien race Kora comes from, we learn very little of their customs or their history and there was just nothing that made them stand out as different to humans apart from that they're taller, faster, stronger and have weird markings on their skin. Instead of building a rich and detailed culture we get random words thrown at us that were either totally made up and used with very little explanation or were weird amalgamations of words we already use that just looked ridiculous (I wanted to throw my kindle every time I saw kinduv and that was repeated no less than thirty-seven times throughout the story but there were quite a few sortuv's too & I rolled my eyes at every single one of them).
It wasn't the world building that killed the story though, that honor goes to the most ridiculous case of insta-love that I've ever come across. To fully explain how crazy it was I'm really going to have to veer into spoiler territory so be warned if you decide to continue reading this review.
****SPOILERS BELOW****
(I'm pretty sure all of this happens within the first 10 chapters of the book but look away now if you don't want to see spoilers)
****END MAJOR SPOILERS****
I could have probably got on board with the romance if it had been done slowly, if we had seen Eros and Kora gradually get to know each other, if they had taken time to talk about what had happened to Eros's family and the entire tribe that raised him, if Kora had admitted making mistakes and had apologised and tried to find a way to make things right. If that had happened BEFORE Eros started mooning over her I might have believed it but it didn't. Okay it takes a lot longer to get to the kissy kissy stuff, and to be honest there isn't an epic romance between them yet but their thoughts around each other are just totally unbelievable and unrealistic from the minute they meet and that totally goes both ways.
Don't even get me started on the issue of Kora announcing that a half-blood is going to be her new bodyguard and nobody questioning it, I'm pretty damn sure that her court would make sure she was chaperoned around her male guards too and I don't think there's any way in hell that her brother (the captain of her guard) would let her spend time with Eros alone. She may be the queen but nobody listens to her when she makes any other kind of decision so I doubt she'd get her own way here and I can't really see why she'd want to. It just doesn't make sense.
This review is already pretty long but there are still a couple of things that I really feel I have to mention. There is a second completely unbelievable case of love at first sight when a prince arrives offering Kora a marriage contract, I mean why have one case of insta-love when you can have two and make it an insta-triangle? Because we all know how much readers love triangles! What about including attempted rape? Obviously the threat of being executed for treason isn't enough when you can remind girls everywhere that there are fates worse than death. I absolutely HATE the use of attempted rape as a way to add danger to a story, there are a million other ways you can go without using it as a cheap plot device as a way to raise tension, especially if it has no further impact on the plot or any of the characters.
I feel like I've really ripped this book to shreds which is awful because I hate writing negative reviews but this story had so much potential and it just could have been so much better. There must have been something going for it because I did keep reading until the end and I actually read the whole book relatively quickly because it was very fast paced and had plenty of action going on but the negatives far outweigh the positives and I have to be honest about that. I have to warn you that there are a lot of unanswered questions at the end too, it resolves a few things but it's quite a major cliffhanger considering we have no confirmation of a sequel. I can pretty much guess how things would play out so I'm not too bothered by the lack of resolution and to be honest I doubt I'd read a second book even if one is published but I think it's worth being aware of before you pick up the book.
Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
_______________________
Thoughts immediately after reading:
I can't decide how to rate this one. It's one of the worst and most unbelievable cases of insta-love I've ever read but at the same time I finished it in a day so I obviously didn't hate it.
2 stars? 3 stars? I need to think on it!
January 3, 2016
I was fortunate enough to receive an eARC of Beyond the Red in exchange for an honest review.
This holiday season, I was on such a sci-fi kick after seeing the new Star Wars movie. I wanted more action, diversity, and heroics in my next read--and Beyond the Red did not disappoint in any of those departments!! Oh, and there's much more romance in this book than in Star Wars, which suited me as well :) I love a good love story, even in my sci-fi. So if that's your thing too, you've got to pick up this book as soon as you can!
In short, Beyond the Red has it all. Add it to your TBR for a thrilling adventure among the stars...!
This holiday season, I was on such a sci-fi kick after seeing the new Star Wars movie. I wanted more action, diversity, and heroics in my next read--and Beyond the Red did not disappoint in any of those departments!! Oh, and there's much more romance in this book than in Star Wars, which suited me as well :) I love a good love story, even in my sci-fi. So if that's your thing too, you've got to pick up this book as soon as you can!
In short, Beyond the Red has it all. Add it to your TBR for a thrilling adventure among the stars...!
March 13, 2016
***I received the ARC eBook from the publisher through Sunday Street Team and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review***
Amazingly addicting with non-stop action and intrigue, I couldn’t help but read it from start to finish in one sitting and every second was spent on the edge of my seat as the breath was stolen from my lungs, heart ripped out then put back together before the cycle repeated.
Right at the beginning both main characters Eros and Kora had been dealt a tough hand and found themselves simply wanting to find somewhere they belong; throughout the novel this theme results in so much pain because you guessed it, it’s not that easy. Discrimination against race (Eros isn’t accepted by either of his heritages) and sex (Kora is overshadowed by her power-hungry younger brother) has a devastating impact on the characters and readers – the emotions were raw and tangible as well as possible to relate to the real world in a chilling way.
World-building was accomplished brilliantly, with the cultures easy to grasp and differentiate. Eros and Kora acted as representations of what they were/shaped/loathed/could be while remaining true to their own personalities. I have to add that the settings themselves drew you in and felt so real, as if you were inside the book experiencing the blazing heat of the deserts.
Overall, Beyond the Red has everything you could ask for and love. The wonderful story filled with rebellion, down to earth topics, forbidden romance and action galore in beautifully vivid settings is a must read if I’ve ever found one! Definitely one of my all-time favourites and top ten of this year (even knowing it’s only March I’m sure this won’t change).
Posted on Enchanted by YA
Amazingly addicting with non-stop action and intrigue, I couldn’t help but read it from start to finish in one sitting and every second was spent on the edge of my seat as the breath was stolen from my lungs, heart ripped out then put back together before the cycle repeated.
Right at the beginning both main characters Eros and Kora had been dealt a tough hand and found themselves simply wanting to find somewhere they belong; throughout the novel this theme results in so much pain because you guessed it, it’s not that easy. Discrimination against race (Eros isn’t accepted by either of his heritages) and sex (Kora is overshadowed by her power-hungry younger brother) has a devastating impact on the characters and readers – the emotions were raw and tangible as well as possible to relate to the real world in a chilling way.
World-building was accomplished brilliantly, with the cultures easy to grasp and differentiate. Eros and Kora acted as representations of what they were/shaped/loathed/could be while remaining true to their own personalities. I have to add that the settings themselves drew you in and felt so real, as if you were inside the book experiencing the blazing heat of the deserts.
Overall, Beyond the Red has everything you could ask for and love. The wonderful story filled with rebellion, down to earth topics, forbidden romance and action galore in beautifully vivid settings is a must read if I’ve ever found one! Definitely one of my all-time favourites and top ten of this year (even knowing it’s only March I’m sure this won’t change).
Posted on Enchanted by YA
April 17, 2016
2.5 stars. This book is a hot mess. It does have a gorgeous cover though.
February 10, 2016
I tore through this sweeping sci fi adventure! It's got beautiful, harsh desert landscapes, hard people making hard choices, court politics and dangerous conspiracies, and heartbreaking romance. The alien world is well-drawn and fascinating, and the author's descriptions of the desert will make you feel parched just reading along, and I was cheering for the main characters to find a way to fight and survive even when it seemed impossible.
Most of all, I very much appreciate that Ava Jae is clearly a card-carrying member of the If You Love Your Dashing Hero You'll Make Him Suffer, No, More, More Suffering, It's Not Enough Yet School of Writing. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY APPROVE OF THIS APPROACH. I would love to read more in this world, with these characters, even though I know that just *thinking* that beams ten thousands evil ideas for more delicious character torment in the author's mind. I solemnly accept that possibility, terrible though it is.
Most of all, I very much appreciate that Ava Jae is clearly a card-carrying member of the If You Love Your Dashing Hero You'll Make Him Suffer, No, More, More Suffering, It's Not Enough Yet School of Writing. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY APPROVE OF THIS APPROACH. I would love to read more in this world, with these characters, even though I know that just *thinking* that beams ten thousands evil ideas for more delicious character torment in the author's mind. I solemnly accept that possibility, terrible though it is.
February 3, 2021
Reading some parts of the story made me think that maybe it'll be a 4 stars read but not soon after it would be rather bland and not good. So it was rather mixed feelings with this one. It was okay but at potential to be better so I might read the next book in the series, think it's a series..
Read
March 22, 2017This was really fun, and the characters and world have totally stuck with me since finishing. I'm not usually a Sci-Fi person at *all* but I'm thinking this is a great gateway back for other Contemp people trying to dip their toes into genre.
March 3, 2016
*ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review*
5. Ridiculous. Glorious. Stars.
I can't believe this book has been sitting silently on my shelf. Its amazingness should've created a hole on my bookshelf, at least. Normally sci-fi leaves me confused and struggling but this was not the case and I can't grovel enough to the reading gods. It was easy to follow and it's now one of the best debut novels I've read. It was incredibly addicting. As soon as I opened this cover, real life faded away and I only had eyes for this book. If I had to do something, you best believe I took this book with me. I couldn't stop reading and I refused to fall asleep until I devoured every word.
The world-building was amazing. It was action-packed, heart-wrenching, and brutal. It tore a few gasps out of me and that normally doesn't happen. My heart was invested in this story 100%.
This book follows Kora, an alien queen whose brother is a blood-thristy man seeking to replace her. We get to witness the politics behind being a ruler and it was an intense experience. The love she has for her people is easily seen. She would do anything for them and it goes to show what type of person she is. She made me angry at times due to a particular character but all in all, I loved every moment I was in her head. She isn't perfect but she is the most perfect ruler her people could ask for.
This book also follows one of my now all time favorite characters, Eros. (We get his POV!!!! We all know how crazy male POV's make me.) His looks are definitely jaw-dropping but that's not why I love him with all my being. He is incredibly loyal and I love his smart mouth. His tongue is quick to lash out comebacks and I found myself anticipating the next one. His backstory and journey physically hurt me. I can't tell you how many times I sobbed for him. I had to witness so many close-minded people look at and treat him like scum, instead of the respect and devotion a man with a heart of gold deserves. He isn't judgmental and puts other people's needs before him, even when they clearly don't deserve it. He is beaten down time and time again but he doesn't let it break him and stands back up as a stronger man every time. My respect and love for him knows no bounds; I gratefully thank Ava for introducing Eros into the world. The second he was brought into my life is a second I will never forget.
The pace of the relationship between these two left me giddy and proud. It wasn't insta-love, far from it. We saw their closeness progress with time and their experiences. I honestly need more of these two as soon as possible. I am experiencing withdrawals and it isn't fun. I have found one of my all time favorite couples. Their attraction to each other was palpable and all I want in life now is to see them happy together.
There are other characters I grew to love (*ahem*Serek*ahem*) and it was hard on me to witness them all go through hell. It was awful, but I wouldn't trade those moments for the world.
Also... THAT ENDING!!!!!!! What?! How?! Why?! Just kidding, I know the answers to these questions but you can see how out of sorts my mind was, still is. I lost is as soon as I read the last word. I had to reread that page a couple times because of how amazing it was. This has to be one of my all time favorite endings ever since it was so well-deserved for my beloved character. I feel like I am exhausting my use of the word 'favorite' but I regret nothing. This is a book I will reread over and over again because everything about it is my favorite and at the end of the day, it makes me happy to know this book exists. I am in awe with Ava. I am officially obsessed with everything she has to offer and I will be stalking her for every bit of information I can get on the sequel(s).
5. Ridiculous. Glorious. Stars.
I can't believe this book has been sitting silently on my shelf. Its amazingness should've created a hole on my bookshelf, at least. Normally sci-fi leaves me confused and struggling but this was not the case and I can't grovel enough to the reading gods. It was easy to follow and it's now one of the best debut novels I've read. It was incredibly addicting. As soon as I opened this cover, real life faded away and I only had eyes for this book. If I had to do something, you best believe I took this book with me. I couldn't stop reading and I refused to fall asleep until I devoured every word.
The world-building was amazing. It was action-packed, heart-wrenching, and brutal. It tore a few gasps out of me and that normally doesn't happen. My heart was invested in this story 100%.
This book follows Kora, an alien queen whose brother is a blood-thristy man seeking to replace her. We get to witness the politics behind being a ruler and it was an intense experience. The love she has for her people is easily seen. She would do anything for them and it goes to show what type of person she is. She made me angry at times due to a particular character but all in all, I loved every moment I was in her head. She isn't perfect but she is the most perfect ruler her people could ask for.
This book also follows one of my now all time favorite characters, Eros. (We get his POV!!!! We all know how crazy male POV's make me.) His looks are definitely jaw-dropping but that's not why I love him with all my being. He is incredibly loyal and I love his smart mouth. His tongue is quick to lash out comebacks and I found myself anticipating the next one. His backstory and journey physically hurt me. I can't tell you how many times I sobbed for him. I had to witness so many close-minded people look at and treat him like scum, instead of the respect and devotion a man with a heart of gold deserves. He isn't judgmental and puts other people's needs before him, even when they clearly don't deserve it. He is beaten down time and time again but he doesn't let it break him and stands back up as a stronger man every time. My respect and love for him knows no bounds; I gratefully thank Ava for introducing Eros into the world. The second he was brought into my life is a second I will never forget.
The pace of the relationship between these two left me giddy and proud. It wasn't insta-love, far from it. We saw their closeness progress with time and their experiences. I honestly need more of these two as soon as possible. I am experiencing withdrawals and it isn't fun. I have found one of my all time favorite couples. Their attraction to each other was palpable and all I want in life now is to see them happy together.
There are other characters I grew to love (*ahem*Serek*ahem*) and it was hard on me to witness them all go through hell. It was awful, but I wouldn't trade those moments for the world.
Also... THAT ENDING!!!!!!! What?! How?! Why?! Just kidding, I know the answers to these questions but you can see how out of sorts my mind was, still is. I lost is as soon as I read the last word. I had to reread that page a couple times because of how amazing it was. This has to be one of my all time favorite endings ever since it was so well-deserved for my beloved character. I feel like I am exhausting my use of the word 'favorite' but I regret nothing. This is a book I will reread over and over again because everything about it is my favorite and at the end of the day, it makes me happy to know this book exists. I am in awe with Ava. I am officially obsessed with everything she has to offer and I will be stalking her for every bit of information I can get on the sequel(s).
February 19, 2026
I received an ecopy of this book in exchange for a honest review
MY THOUGHTS
"Aliens" is a code word to me. If I see the word "aliens" in a synopsis, I'm going to want to read it. This book did not disappoint me! I thought this was a fantastic sci-fi!
Kora is queen of an alien territory, the first female ruler of her territory in awhile. Many of her people are rioting, seeing as unfit to rule, demanding her brother to be on her throne. But her brother is violent and cruel, Kora will never let her brother be on the throne.
Eros is a half-blood, half human and half alien. For all his life he's lived in the deserts, with rebel humans. He's alienated because of his blood, but when alien soldiers raze his camp, he defends it. Only to be taken captive. Now he will either be killed or he will be turned into a bodyguard. But there's knowledge that even he didn't know about his blood that must be kept secret.
This book is from the point of view of both Kora and Eros. I liked seeing everything from both their perspectives and environments, the book wouldn't have worked otherwise. I liked both the characters. Both of them are strong, as their situations demand it, but in their own ways. I also liked how the seemed to grow and change as the book went, as all the crazy was going on.
The world-building in this book was fantastic. I felt like we got to know the culture on the planet, of both the humans and the aliens, though we got to see more of the alien life. I've read a lot of sci-fi books, but this book is different. As far as plot and pacing, this book was very fast-paced and action-packed!
My only main problem with this book is the ending. I felt like the ending was about abrupt and I hope there's a sequel.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book! It had fantastic characters, world-building, plot, and ALIENS! I do kind of wish the ending was more resolved, so I hope there's a sequel in the future.
MY THOUGHTS
"Aliens" is a code word to me. If I see the word "aliens" in a synopsis, I'm going to want to read it. This book did not disappoint me! I thought this was a fantastic sci-fi!
Kora is queen of an alien territory, the first female ruler of her territory in awhile. Many of her people are rioting, seeing as unfit to rule, demanding her brother to be on her throne. But her brother is violent and cruel, Kora will never let her brother be on the throne.
Eros is a half-blood, half human and half alien. For all his life he's lived in the deserts, with rebel humans. He's alienated because of his blood, but when alien soldiers raze his camp, he defends it. Only to be taken captive. Now he will either be killed or he will be turned into a bodyguard. But there's knowledge that even he didn't know about his blood that must be kept secret.
This book is from the point of view of both Kora and Eros. I liked seeing everything from both their perspectives and environments, the book wouldn't have worked otherwise. I liked both the characters. Both of them are strong, as their situations demand it, but in their own ways. I also liked how the seemed to grow and change as the book went, as all the crazy was going on.
The world-building in this book was fantastic. I felt like we got to know the culture on the planet, of both the humans and the aliens, though we got to see more of the alien life. I've read a lot of sci-fi books, but this book is different. As far as plot and pacing, this book was very fast-paced and action-packed!
My only main problem with this book is the ending. I felt like the ending was about abrupt and I hope there's a sequel.
IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book! It had fantastic characters, world-building, plot, and ALIENS! I do kind of wish the ending was more resolved, so I hope there's a sequel in the future.
Read
November 19, 2016I really loved the world building in this one. It skews a bit more adult than YA but I enjoyed it just the same. Eros is a realistic, very likable character and Kora is so cool. I'd love to learn more about the elaborate tattooing. Can't wait to get the next book!
November 5, 2021
Beyond the Red (Beyond the Red #1) by Ava Jae is a solid YA sci-fi series opener. I always get a kick out of books with maps and glossaries and this novel had both. It goes into quite a bit of detail some even with the glossary. I'm glad I just happened to find this at a thrift store. If you haven't tried this series, you might have to give it a chance especially you're interested in both aliens and dystopian. I'm going to have to get my hands on the sequel.
October 17, 2016
Well that was brilliant minus the romance (which I ignored) because the world was just intense! I enjoyed it immensely.
Full review TK
Full review TK
February 23, 2016
Full discussion post now up on my blog: How do authors affect you when reading a book? Pleased to see in the comments that I'm not the only one shipping Kora/Serek. So excited for release day + Twitter launch party!
(Thanks to Sky Pony Press for the eARC via Edelweiss, and thanks Ava for the emotional turmoil.)
In one line: a sci-fi read that quickly turned from enjoyable to thrilling, with amazing plot twists and intricate characterisation.
To be honest, Beyond the Red was one of my first sci-fi reads in quite some time. But when I began, it was like returning to a favourite city. The writing was simple and elegant, with meticulous worldbuilding but never getting bogged down by detail. This book was scrumptiously addictive from page one.
And oh, the characters. Perhaps because of the writing style, I was completely immersed in Kora's + Eros' respective mindsets. And this is in a book with dual PoV, where I typically find myself favouring one PoV over the other. But both characters were equally interesting and don't ever make me pick which to throw in the trash compactor.
But neither of them is my favourite character. I have the unfortunate talent of latching onto the doomed side of love triangles. Exhibit A: Serek from this very book. I knew Serek/Kora was super unlikely, because Serek isn't even in the blurb.
But could you blame me for shipping them? Serek is literally the cutest — he's the younger brother of the overlord of the planet, and one of Kora's suitors. He's sweet and caring and defends Kora and basically 100% okay with it when Kora realises she prefers Eros. And he is nice to Eros too. He's nice to everyone, but not at all a pushover.
And even though his older brother is militant and the exact opposite of Serek's own personality, Serek never stops caring for his family. Their sibling dynamic was fascinating and Serek doesn't throw that away completely in favour of his romance with Kora. Serek is a prime example of why nice guys are THE BEST in fiction and in real life.
*fans self* He's also the reason I screamed WHYYYYYY after finishing this book. Spoilers, though, so lips sealed! Just: I really really enjoyed how the ending was handled for Serek.
And there were ALL THE PLOT TWISTS. Clearly I can't ramble about this much, but I loved how the situation kept getting more complex and personal. Says Alyssa, as if being queen of a rioting nation with a brother trying to usurp your throne isn't personal. But this is especially true for Eros, who starts with 'trying to survive' and ends with way more stakes. Just. Fabulously rising tension.
OH AND. I ADORED how half-blood Eros serves as a fictional counterpart to biracial people in real life. This is clearly taken to the extreme in Beyond the Red, but his identity struggles were deliciously vivid.
My two main issues with this book are the romance and the other romance. ... Okay, so one issue.
It could be my dislike of romance in general, but I felt like Kora and Eros didn't have much chemistry. (Shrieking Serek/Kora at my Kindle didn't help.) The only parts of this book I skimmed over were their kissing scenes, because I couldn't wait to get back into the politics and such.
The other romance is between Kora's younger brother and his (male) guard. Kora walked in on them in bed and this only made their relationship worse. It's a source of temporary conflict in the book, but I don't know ... I hardly know anything about either of them and I really wish this was given more of a spotlight.
Perhaps in the sequel if there's one? Which, yes, I would absolutely read.
(Thanks to Sky Pony Press for the eARC via Edelweiss, and thanks Ava for the emotional turmoil.)
In one line: a sci-fi read that quickly turned from enjoyable to thrilling, with amazing plot twists and intricate characterisation.
To be honest, Beyond the Red was one of my first sci-fi reads in quite some time. But when I began, it was like returning to a favourite city. The writing was simple and elegant, with meticulous worldbuilding but never getting bogged down by detail. This book was scrumptiously addictive from page one.
And oh, the characters. Perhaps because of the writing style, I was completely immersed in Kora's + Eros' respective mindsets. And this is in a book with dual PoV, where I typically find myself favouring one PoV over the other. But both characters were equally interesting and don't ever make me pick which to throw in the trash compactor.
But neither of them is my favourite character. I have the unfortunate talent of latching onto the doomed side of love triangles. Exhibit A: Serek from this very book. I knew Serek/Kora was super unlikely, because Serek isn't even in the blurb.
But could you blame me for shipping them? Serek is literally the cutest — he's the younger brother of the overlord of the planet, and one of Kora's suitors. He's sweet and caring and defends Kora and basically 100% okay with it when Kora realises she prefers Eros. And he is nice to Eros too. He's nice to everyone, but not at all a pushover.
And even though his older brother is militant and the exact opposite of Serek's own personality, Serek never stops caring for his family. Their sibling dynamic was fascinating and Serek doesn't throw that away completely in favour of his romance with Kora. Serek is a prime example of why nice guys are THE BEST in fiction and in real life.
*fans self* He's also the reason I screamed WHYYYYYY after finishing this book. Spoilers, though, so lips sealed! Just: I really really enjoyed how the ending was handled for Serek.
And there were ALL THE PLOT TWISTS. Clearly I can't ramble about this much, but I loved how the situation kept getting more complex and personal. Says Alyssa, as if being queen of a rioting nation with a brother trying to usurp your throne isn't personal. But this is especially true for Eros, who starts with 'trying to survive' and ends with way more stakes. Just. Fabulously rising tension.
OH AND. I ADORED how half-blood Eros serves as a fictional counterpart to biracial people in real life. This is clearly taken to the extreme in Beyond the Red, but his identity struggles were deliciously vivid.
My two main issues with this book are the romance and the other romance. ... Okay, so one issue.
It could be my dislike of romance in general, but I felt like Kora and Eros didn't have much chemistry. (Shrieking Serek/Kora at my Kindle didn't help.) The only parts of this book I skimmed over were their kissing scenes, because I couldn't wait to get back into the politics and such.
The other romance is between Kora's younger brother and his (male) guard. Kora walked in on them in bed and this only made their relationship worse. It's a source of temporary conflict in the book, but I don't know ... I hardly know anything about either of them and I really wish this was given more of a spotlight.
Perhaps in the sequel if there's one? Which, yes, I would absolutely read.
June 6, 2017
• Find my reviews here: Literary Meanderings
- - -
Synopsis: Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.
Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.
When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.
- - -
Let me preface this review by saying: There is no way anything I write in this review will sufficiently convey to you the epic story of Beyond the Red. Nothing. It is so masterfully written and so intricately woven that I will never be able to touch on just how amazing it truly is. You have to read it to understand.
And so, I will try to put my thoughts into words...
1.) The world. The WORLD. I can't even! It's gorgeous, and it's gorgeous because the author knows how to write that it is gorgeous. Safara is a planet full of deserts both red and white. It is unforgiving and it is magical. It's all powdery red sand, bone-white palaces, and technology coming from every nook and cranny. On the other hand, it's hot red suns blazing with nomad tents scattered across the desert. The alien city is described beautifully with its grand palace and sparkling white trees. The nomad settlements are described brutally in their grit and simplicity.
2.) The characters. The aliens, first of all—Sepharon. They are described as tall, tan-skinned, with scrolling black markings on their bodies—tattoo like, and differing from person to person, including queen Kora herself. Then you have the nomads. They are sometimes brutish, dirty, and thoroughly human. Then there's Eros, who represents a mixture of the two. Half-bloods are considered trash. Mixing of the races is strictly forbidden, and half-breeds are supposed to be killed immediately upon birth. Of course, they occasionally slip through the cracks, and Eros is one such case. He's hidden within a nomad camp with a human family (adoptive, of course) and little to no knowledge of his true parents. He's hard, yet soft at the same time. He is caring to a fault. He is captured by a Sepharon raiding party and brought to the royal city. This is where he meets Kora, upon her saving his life. Kora, oh Kora! She is a fierce queen, but brings a gentility to the throne that only a woman can. She is warrior, but innocent and naive in other ways. The two of them make up quite the pair.
3.) The plot and genre-bending. Yes, this book is a mish-mash of genres. It's mostly science fiction, but elements of dystopia and epic fantasy are woven into the story. I love it! It brings all of my favorite genres together into one book! The plot is this: aliens kill humans and enslave others. Humans fight back. War breaks out. Kora's place on the throne is threatened by her brother—who wants it for himself. Love blooms between our two narrators (Kora and Eros), yet Kora is also keenly aware that she and Eros can never be. So, enter Serek. Tall, dark, handsome prince. He is the second-most powerful alien on the planet. He sweeps her off her feet in a different way, creating a love triangle of sorts, but not the typical one. It is very well done and surprised me in the end. Simultaneously, Eros has a secret that could (and does) trigger one of the biggest wars to ever grace the Sepharon court. IT IS INTENSE.
4.) The romance itself. It is subtle, yet all-encompassing. I was excited for it. The most impossible love match there could be: An alien queen, and a lowly half-blood slave. Kora fights herself, and so does Eros, but in the end they both fail at trying to deny what is happening between them. This book is sexy! Almost more than what you might normally see in YA novel. I loved it. The triangular part of this romance, Serek, is also intense, but in a completely different way. Serek is intense in his romance and sincerity. I actually think he is going to be the more rooted-for love interest, and I don't disagree. He is perfect in every way. He's handsome, rich, powerful, yet sweet, romantic, and fiercely faithful. Kora has a tough decision ahead of her (provided that there is a sequel!)
5.) Beyond the Red, although a science fiction/fantasy, touches on issues anyone could relate to. Love, war, segregation, racism, homosexuality, sex, loss. I admired times a hundred that this plot was so relatable in so many ways regardless of it not being a contemporary novel. This is awesome and I love this author.
6.) ACTION & ENDING: Oh, sweet Jesus. This book was full of action from cover to cover. LET ME TELL YOU! Edge-of-your-seat all the way. And that ending. THAT ENDING. Cliffhanger, yes, but not too much. It's enough to keep you salivating for a second book, but not to drive you absolutely mad. Gah.
Overall, I just have nothing negative to say about this book. I just do not. It is packed with amazing characters, both good, evil, and in between. It touches on a wide range of subjects but keeps it all in-line with the plot. It's action-packed and romantic, but not overly so. The world-building is perfection. You'll love the characters and narration. You'll love the science fiction elements as well as the fantastical ones. You'll love the plot and you'll love the ending. The twists and turns the book takes will make your head spin, and in the end, you'll only want more. It is probably going to be my top book of this year (yes, I am confident saying this even when it is only Feb/March)!
I need a sequel, and I need it now.
- - -
Book source: From the publisher for review
Publisher: Sky Pony Press/Skyhorse Publishing
• For more of my reviews, check out my blog!
• You can also find them via my YouTube channel here!
March 23, 2016
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Hands down the best book I have read this year so far! Beyond the Red is a fantastic science fiction novel filled with steamy romance, loveable characters, and tons of action. If you are a fantasy or science fiction fan you must pick up this book ASAP!
Opening Sentence: My brother just killed me.
The Review:
Kora is an alien queen that rules people who depose her. She is the first female ruler in generations and her subjects would rather have her younger twin brother be king. But her brother is a tyrant and letting him rule would cause her people much suffering so instead of stepping down she does what is right for her people even though they don’t agree. There are riots and attempts on her life almost everyday and there is really no one she can trust. Her guards are loyal to her brother, as are most of the servants. If Kora is going to survive she is going to have to find someone she can trust to protect her at all cost. She never imagined that person would be a half-blood with mysterious origins.
Eros is a rare half-blood. Both humans and aliens depose half-bloods, so the majority of the time they are killed at birth, but strangely Eros was not. He was abandoned when he was a baby and was raised by rebel humans in the desert. He had a loving family, but the rest of the humans merely tolerated him out of respect to his adoptive parents. When there is a raid on his village by an alien group, Eros is forced into slavery. He is offered a position as the personal guard to the queen, the woman who ordered the slaughter of his people. Eros agrees to serve Kora but he never expected to befriend her or eventually feel more for her.
Kora is a very inspirational character and her story broke my heart. She has done everything she can to be a good queen but no matter how hard she tries it never seems to be enough. She is always surrounded by other people but she always feels lonely because there is no one she can truly trust to never betray her. But even though her life is far from perfect she never complains and she never gives up. I loved her spunky personality and she is definitely a girl that can take care of herself, which I really admired. She has a huge heart, but she is willing to make sacrifices when it is right for her people. I loved everything about Kora and I think she is an amazing character!
Eros was one amazing guy and he pretty much captured my heart right from the start. He is smart, resourceful, good looking, and just a genuinely good person. As a character he goes through so much in a very short amount of time, and it amazed me how well he kept himself together through all the pain and emotions he was feeling. He wasn’t always the best at making rational decisions and he could sometimes be a jerk. But I thought his flaws made him more realistic and easier to relate to. His relationship with Kora was perfection. I loved how they first became friends and then slowly developed into something more. They have great chemistry and there was lots of great sexual tension between them. If you can’t tell, I am a huge Eros fan and he has quickly become one of my favorite book boys!
Beyond the Red is a bloody masterpiece! I say that because the book is pretty violent and a little gory, but it was amazing. From the very first page, I was hooked and I literally couldn’t put it down. It is one of those stories that makes you ignore the rest of your responsibility’s so you can read (my kids might have watched too much TV for a few days due to this book ?)! The pacing was spot on, the romance was sexy, the world was captivating and the writing was phenomenal. One of my favorite things about this story was that it was told in dual point of view. It made the story feel more complete and it helped me fall in love with each character so much more! I really liked that it was a sci-fi story, but it read more like a fantasy. I personally haven’t read many books like that and I really enjoyed it. To me it felt and read a little bit more like a new adult book versus young adult, but I think fans of both age groups will enjoy it. But do to the content I wouldn’t recommend it to younger teens. The ending was left very open and I am DYING for a sequel, so hopefully it will happen! If you are a science fiction or fantasy fan you MUST read this book!
Notable Scene:
Something inside me breaks.
A scream rips from my throat, but by the time the soldier turns and sees me, it’s too late—I slam my dagger into his neck. He drops, gurgling as I rip the blade away, whirling on the second solider and catching him in the throat.
Lightning cracks across my eyes—
I’m on my knees, Someone has a fistful of my hair and is yanking my head so far back that my spine might snap. My vision returns in a slow fade, and a second dark-skinned solider with sharp, angled markings who’s more muscle than a man-eating wildcat towers over me, my knife in his hand. Blood drips down my face and neck, soaking the scarf ties around my head, but I’m not sure whose it is. The soldier’s white uniform is soaked in red.
FTC Advisory: Sky Pony Publishing provided me with a copy of Beyond the Red. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Hands down the best book I have read this year so far! Beyond the Red is a fantastic science fiction novel filled with steamy romance, loveable characters, and tons of action. If you are a fantasy or science fiction fan you must pick up this book ASAP!
Opening Sentence: My brother just killed me.
The Review:
Kora is an alien queen that rules people who depose her. She is the first female ruler in generations and her subjects would rather have her younger twin brother be king. But her brother is a tyrant and letting him rule would cause her people much suffering so instead of stepping down she does what is right for her people even though they don’t agree. There are riots and attempts on her life almost everyday and there is really no one she can trust. Her guards are loyal to her brother, as are most of the servants. If Kora is going to survive she is going to have to find someone she can trust to protect her at all cost. She never imagined that person would be a half-blood with mysterious origins.
Eros is a rare half-blood. Both humans and aliens depose half-bloods, so the majority of the time they are killed at birth, but strangely Eros was not. He was abandoned when he was a baby and was raised by rebel humans in the desert. He had a loving family, but the rest of the humans merely tolerated him out of respect to his adoptive parents. When there is a raid on his village by an alien group, Eros is forced into slavery. He is offered a position as the personal guard to the queen, the woman who ordered the slaughter of his people. Eros agrees to serve Kora but he never expected to befriend her or eventually feel more for her.
Kora is a very inspirational character and her story broke my heart. She has done everything she can to be a good queen but no matter how hard she tries it never seems to be enough. She is always surrounded by other people but she always feels lonely because there is no one she can truly trust to never betray her. But even though her life is far from perfect she never complains and she never gives up. I loved her spunky personality and she is definitely a girl that can take care of herself, which I really admired. She has a huge heart, but she is willing to make sacrifices when it is right for her people. I loved everything about Kora and I think she is an amazing character!
Eros was one amazing guy and he pretty much captured my heart right from the start. He is smart, resourceful, good looking, and just a genuinely good person. As a character he goes through so much in a very short amount of time, and it amazed me how well he kept himself together through all the pain and emotions he was feeling. He wasn’t always the best at making rational decisions and he could sometimes be a jerk. But I thought his flaws made him more realistic and easier to relate to. His relationship with Kora was perfection. I loved how they first became friends and then slowly developed into something more. They have great chemistry and there was lots of great sexual tension between them. If you can’t tell, I am a huge Eros fan and he has quickly become one of my favorite book boys!
Beyond the Red is a bloody masterpiece! I say that because the book is pretty violent and a little gory, but it was amazing. From the very first page, I was hooked and I literally couldn’t put it down. It is one of those stories that makes you ignore the rest of your responsibility’s so you can read (my kids might have watched too much TV for a few days due to this book ?)! The pacing was spot on, the romance was sexy, the world was captivating and the writing was phenomenal. One of my favorite things about this story was that it was told in dual point of view. It made the story feel more complete and it helped me fall in love with each character so much more! I really liked that it was a sci-fi story, but it read more like a fantasy. I personally haven’t read many books like that and I really enjoyed it. To me it felt and read a little bit more like a new adult book versus young adult, but I think fans of both age groups will enjoy it. But do to the content I wouldn’t recommend it to younger teens. The ending was left very open and I am DYING for a sequel, so hopefully it will happen! If you are a science fiction or fantasy fan you MUST read this book!
Notable Scene:
Something inside me breaks.
A scream rips from my throat, but by the time the soldier turns and sees me, it’s too late—I slam my dagger into his neck. He drops, gurgling as I rip the blade away, whirling on the second solider and catching him in the throat.
Lightning cracks across my eyes—
I’m on my knees, Someone has a fistful of my hair and is yanking my head so far back that my spine might snap. My vision returns in a slow fade, and a second dark-skinned solider with sharp, angled markings who’s more muscle than a man-eating wildcat towers over me, my knife in his hand. Blood drips down my face and neck, soaking the scarf ties around my head, but I’m not sure whose it is. The soldier’s white uniform is soaked in red.
FTC Advisory: Sky Pony Publishing provided me with a copy of Beyond the Red. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
January 5, 2019
I was sooo torn on this book. On one hand, I enjoyed it; but on the other, it was pretty freakin' irritating. I'm gonna break it down by likes and dislikes because I have warring emotions!
Things I liked:
• The world and concept - space! Aliens! Right up my alley. The world had an awesome Mars feel going for it. The nanites were cool, the races were cool, I enjoyed the whole world in general!
• Eros - I felt SO bad for him! He's been shunned his whole life - his life basically means nothing because he's a half blood, and he can't even help it. He was a bit bitter and sardonic about it, but kept on keepin' on
• IRO!!!! Who is basically a giant house cat that could rip you limb from limb, but is really just a lovable fluffy marshmallow
• The narrators - Will Damron and Caitlin Davies were fabulous!
•
Things I didn't like:
• Kora - I wanted to punch her in the face. It pissed me off that she latched onto Serek so easily without a single thought for Eros, then bounced back and forth and led them BOTH on. Plus she led Eros on even though she knew they couldn't have a future together (or rather refused to believe it could happen). She also let her brother, Dima, take advantage of her and walk all over her despite the fact that SHE was the queen. I understand that the people wanted Dima on the throne, but grow a little backbone? Dima was constantly undermining her authority, and SHE LET HIM. It drove me bonkers! She was always second guessing herself and submitting to her brother instead of putting him in his place.
• The romance - SO. IRRITATING. Love triangle, instalove, you name it. Both sides of the triangle moved WAY too fast. The romance between Kora and Eros moved too fast for the fact that he's supposedly the most reviled creature on the planet, and she ordered his whole family murdered *rolls eyes* And then Serek said he loved Kora and didn't even KNOW her. Ew.
• Eros lusting after Kora CONSTANTLY - ok we get it, she's hot, but have a little self respect? She ordered your entire family murdered, hellooo
• "Breasts" - if I had a fucking dollar for every time Eros said breasts ugghhhh
•
•
• Kora constantly whining about how she couldn't be with Eros - using it as an excuse to go back to Serek after leading Eros on yet again, YOU ARE A QUEEN HELLO
• Sexy times after an attempted rape - if you were almost raped and your would-be rapists were laying dead at your feet, you would so not be in the mood for a little kissy kissy action. Just sayin'.
Okay, so that looks pretty bad. The dislikes outweigh the likes, but the world and narrators were so incredible (and Iro!!) that it made up for the things I didn't like!
The audio:
Like I said, Will Damron and Caitlin Davies were fabulous! I am thoroughly convinced that I would have DNFed this book if not for their narrating. They really brought the characters to life and made them feel real!
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
June 10, 2017
I did not expect to love this book so much.
My heart is in my throat right now. That story, the plots, the twists, the world, the characters, and that ending, left me breathless and wanting for more. Ava Jae does a wonderful job with her debut novel and I wish for you all to read it now. It's so good and so incredibly intriguing and full of magic. Her writing was enchanting to read and so easy to get into the story. The characters were all so diverse and different, I felt so happy to read about them. This is a story (and world) that has lots to give - so please, please you need to get this book when it comes out because we need a sequel ASAP.
It has aliens, political intrigue, royalty, lots of red sand and a nice otp. You definitely want this in your TBR.
March 19, 2016
If you want a scifi adventure with fantastic worldbuilding and characterization, this is the book for you. I loved all the little details that went into this almost Star Wars-esque world, especially the Sephari language that made the culture that much more believable. I kept holding my breath to see if Kora and Eros would get out of all the predicaments they find themselves in, and of course, the romantic tension between them was--dare I say it?--out of this world. I can't wait to read more of Jae's works!
February 16, 2016
4.5. Gah I really loved this book! Even more than I expected! I really hope there's more!
August 9, 2016
3.5 "Aliens and sexy half-bloods" STARS
ARC via Edelweiss
THANK YOU, Sky Pony Press!
Full review also on the blog: http://usbrazilbookreview.blogspot.co...
Ava Jae's debut took us to a sandy new planet inhabited by humanoid aliens -- the Sepharon, and I have to say it was a fun ride.
Told from dual POV, this was the story of Eros and Kora, but while Kora was a Sepharon Queen, Eros was a nobody.
We're first introduced to Eros, a half-blood (a human female & alien male did the nasty and had a baby) who escaped death right after he was born (a destiny reserved to all half-bloods), and was raised by a nice human family.
In Ava Jae's vivid world, humans are treated just like Hollywood taught us aliens would if they ever came to Earth: a threat that needs to be exterminated. That means humans are either slaves or walking around the desert setting camps and living off little to nothing -- until the aliens find them and kill them all. Not so nice when the the roles are reversed, huh?
As far as Eros is concerned, since he's half-blood, he's forced to live this life while enduring the hatred of the humans around him, who basically believe him to be a freak who doesn't deserve to live. I guess the aliens and human have that in common.
Anyway, after the aliens kill Eros family, he's taken by the Queen, Kora to her castle to work as a slave. Shit hits the fan, he gets into trouble because everyone basically wants him dead, except Kora, so he's assigned to work as her private slave.
In reality, Kora decides to have Eros close to her because her twin brother wants the throne at all costs, and she believes he'll stop at nothing to take her place. She's right. Dude is totally nuts. So a trained soldier like Eros - he was trained by the human "army" - sounds like the right choice to protect her from her crazy brother.
This allows Eros and Kora to form a bond, and I'm all for that. Romance in sight? Count me in.
But... The moment Eros and Kora start working together I start having a problem with the story.
See.... Kora is the Queen and she knows her brother is dying to take the throne. What does she do to make sure that doesn't happen besides making Eros her personal assistant (a.k.a her personal slave, because he's still her slave)?
Nothing.
Does she become a more active leader? Not really. Eros describes her daily routine and what does she do? Sit around and read books. Dude?!? Why?!? Go do something queen-like. To be fair, she does visit town once (disguised as a commoner) and goes on about implementing changes because the place isn't doing so well (go figure), but we don't really get to see those changes. So I was a little disappointed.
Her brother is a snake and she knows that, but she doesn't act smart around him. She lets him in on a secret involving Eros when she clearly shouldn't. She doesn't take precautions to make sure he doesn't get more power than he already has. She sure doesn't see the signs that he's up to something when he's practically laughing in her face, and when people point out what he did, she still doubts them. Don't get me wrong. I have a brother and I love him, so it'd be devastating if he betrayed me. But she already knew her brother wanted to be king before she was even crowned queen, so it sounds absurdly naive of her not to be extra careful around him.
So maybe my problem was Kora?
I did like Eros. He was a good, strong character. He was sexy. *fans self* And I wanted to love the romance -- the book is heavy on that front, but I didn't feel the chemistry outside of the kissing scenes. When they were going at it, it was hot. *fans self again* But I wanted to feel more when they were talking or just looking at each other, something they did often.
It didn't really help things when we were introduced to another likable character who was also interested in Kora -- a character that was nerdy, good-hearted and wanted to make the world a better place. So... Yeah... How can you be 100% team Kora-Eros after that?
Even though I have a few complaints, this was a fun read. After all, I finished it in one sitting. The writing is good (though not sure why she chose to add words like "mo", "kinduv" and etc -- didn't make sense to me) and the world building was excellent (something that helped take the "sci-finess" to another level). A good debut that leaves the story wide open for a sequel.
ARC via Edelweiss
THANK YOU, Sky Pony Press!
Full review also on the blog: http://usbrazilbookreview.blogspot.co...
Ava Jae's debut took us to a sandy new planet inhabited by humanoid aliens -- the Sepharon, and I have to say it was a fun ride.
Told from dual POV, this was the story of Eros and Kora, but while Kora was a Sepharon Queen, Eros was a nobody.
We're first introduced to Eros, a half-blood (a human female & alien male did the nasty and had a baby) who escaped death right after he was born (a destiny reserved to all half-bloods), and was raised by a nice human family.
In Ava Jae's vivid world, humans are treated just like Hollywood taught us aliens would if they ever came to Earth: a threat that needs to be exterminated. That means humans are either slaves or walking around the desert setting camps and living off little to nothing -- until the aliens find them and kill them all. Not so nice when the the roles are reversed, huh?
As far as Eros is concerned, since he's half-blood, he's forced to live this life while enduring the hatred of the humans around him, who basically believe him to be a freak who doesn't deserve to live. I guess the aliens and human have that in common.
Anyway, after the aliens kill Eros family, he's taken by the Queen, Kora to her castle to work as a slave. Shit hits the fan, he gets into trouble because everyone basically wants him dead, except Kora, so he's assigned to work as her private slave.
In reality, Kora decides to have Eros close to her because her twin brother wants the throne at all costs, and she believes he'll stop at nothing to take her place. She's right. Dude is totally nuts. So a trained soldier like Eros - he was trained by the human "army" - sounds like the right choice to protect her from her crazy brother.
This allows Eros and Kora to form a bond, and I'm all for that. Romance in sight? Count me in.
But... The moment Eros and Kora start working together I start having a problem with the story.
See.... Kora is the Queen and she knows her brother is dying to take the throne. What does she do to make sure that doesn't happen besides making Eros her personal assistant (a.k.a her personal slave, because he's still her slave)?
Nothing.
Does she become a more active leader? Not really. Eros describes her daily routine and what does she do? Sit around and read books. Dude?!? Why?!? Go do something queen-like. To be fair, she does visit town once (disguised as a commoner) and goes on about implementing changes because the place isn't doing so well (go figure), but we don't really get to see those changes. So I was a little disappointed.
Her brother is a snake and she knows that, but she doesn't act smart around him. She lets him in on a secret involving Eros when she clearly shouldn't. She doesn't take precautions to make sure he doesn't get more power than he already has. She sure doesn't see the signs that he's up to something when he's practically laughing in her face, and when people point out what he did, she still doubts them. Don't get me wrong. I have a brother and I love him, so it'd be devastating if he betrayed me. But she already knew her brother wanted to be king before she was even crowned queen, so it sounds absurdly naive of her not to be extra careful around him.
So maybe my problem was Kora?
I did like Eros. He was a good, strong character. He was sexy. *fans self* And I wanted to love the romance -- the book is heavy on that front, but I didn't feel the chemistry outside of the kissing scenes. When they were going at it, it was hot. *fans self again* But I wanted to feel more when they were talking or just looking at each other, something they did often.
It didn't really help things when we were introduced to another likable character who was also interested in Kora -- a character that was nerdy, good-hearted and wanted to make the world a better place. So... Yeah... How can you be 100% team Kora-Eros after that?
Even though I have a few complaints, this was a fun read. After all, I finished it in one sitting. The writing is good (though not sure why she chose to add words like "mo", "kinduv" and etc -- didn't make sense to me) and the world building was excellent (something that helped take the "sci-finess" to another level). A good debut that leaves the story wide open for a sequel.
March 24, 2016
I went into Beyond the Red expecting science fiction, similar to Red Rising. Unfortunately, what I got was a hell more romance than I expected. Like what. This is not the book for me! No no no no!
Sorry about that. But I don't want to write it off completely! Beyond the Red started out strong, with an opening of Eros being kidnapped, to rushing back and defending his family, and later to the reveal of his lineage, half-Sepharon half-human. Yet, after his capture, everyone sort of went downhill for me. You see, Kora is struggling to rule the throne as queen. She doesn't trust anyone, which is why she took on Eros as a bodyguard in the first place, because he really has no allegiance to anyone. His friends were all killed, neither human nor Sepharon likes him because he wasn't even supposed to exist. It's kind of sad when you think about it really.
I guess here is where I ran into a couple of problems, which I'll just list out below.
The first is that, there is a lot of romance. And a lot of talk about appearances and exposed skin and I'm just sitting here like "Ok.....this is kinda awkward for me." I think this was the first YA I have read that mentioned it a lot, and I just felt extremely uncomfortable with it. I feel bad for saying that the attraction (and love I suppose) between Eros and Kora seemed to only be based off of physical appearance, only because I didn't connect with the characters at all and probably missed something because of that.
Second, I didn't really understand much of the world, or why things were the way they were. There was a lot to take in, such as new terms and names of this new planet, which isn't Mars apparently. However besides that, I could not wrap my head around why Kora's kingdom was in disarray. Or why she had to marry at all. What was marriage going to do? She still could be assassinated and have the crown taken away from her.
Speaking of said marriage, I have no idea why Serik, the neighboring prince offering to marry Kora, even saw in Kora. Okay, this may be a lie in that I think I have a sense, but he mentioned the "L" word so, so easily. Like where did that come from? It's been maybe, two days at the most? Not even?
Third, the synopsis ruins the entire book, basically. I mean, Kora doesn't get framed for the assassination until 60% into the book, and that is in the synopsis. I thought that was going to happen within the first 10 or 15%! Imagine my surprise when it's still about Eros being handed over to Kora.
The more I think about it, the more I didn't like Beyond the Red, which is a shame because I felt that it just wasn't a me book. It had a ton of romance, which is not something I was expecting at all. Yet it wasn't all that horrible. I at least tolerated it, plus there was a decent amount of action when Eros and Kora were not thinking about how they can't have one another because of class/race/etc. I'm sure that 50% of the book were just their thoughts, it was a little frustrating to read the same thing over and over again. Like yes, I get that your relationship is forbidden or frowned upon or whatever. Get on with it!
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Quotes taken from ARC may or may not be in the published edition.
Sorry about that. But I don't want to write it off completely! Beyond the Red started out strong, with an opening of Eros being kidnapped, to rushing back and defending his family, and later to the reveal of his lineage, half-Sepharon half-human. Yet, after his capture, everyone sort of went downhill for me. You see, Kora is struggling to rule the throne as queen. She doesn't trust anyone, which is why she took on Eros as a bodyguard in the first place, because he really has no allegiance to anyone. His friends were all killed, neither human nor Sepharon likes him because he wasn't even supposed to exist. It's kind of sad when you think about it really.
I guess here is where I ran into a couple of problems, which I'll just list out below.
The first is that, there is a lot of romance. And a lot of talk about appearances and exposed skin and I'm just sitting here like "Ok.....this is kinda awkward for me." I think this was the first YA I have read that mentioned it a lot, and I just felt extremely uncomfortable with it. I feel bad for saying that the attraction (and love I suppose) between Eros and Kora seemed to only be based off of physical appearance, only because I didn't connect with the characters at all and probably missed something because of that.
Second, I didn't really understand much of the world, or why things were the way they were. There was a lot to take in, such as new terms and names of this new planet, which isn't Mars apparently. However besides that, I could not wrap my head around why Kora's kingdom was in disarray. Or why she had to marry at all. What was marriage going to do? She still could be assassinated and have the crown taken away from her.
Speaking of said marriage, I have no idea why Serik, the neighboring prince offering to marry Kora, even saw in Kora. Okay, this may be a lie in that I think I have a sense, but he mentioned the "L" word so, so easily. Like where did that come from? It's been maybe, two days at the most? Not even?
Third, the synopsis ruins the entire book, basically. I mean, Kora doesn't get framed for the assassination until 60% into the book, and that is in the synopsis. I thought that was going to happen within the first 10 or 15%! Imagine my surprise when it's still about Eros being handed over to Kora.
The more I think about it, the more I didn't like Beyond the Red, which is a shame because I felt that it just wasn't a me book. It had a ton of romance, which is not something I was expecting at all. Yet it wasn't all that horrible. I at least tolerated it, plus there was a decent amount of action when Eros and Kora were not thinking about how they can't have one another because of class/race/etc. I'm sure that 50% of the book were just their thoughts, it was a little frustrating to read the same thing over and over again. Like yes, I get that your relationship is forbidden or frowned upon or whatever. Get on with it!
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Quotes taken from ARC may or may not be in the published edition.
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