The Deception

Animorphs #46

by K.A. Applegate, Katherine Applegate

The Animorphs and Ax have managed to contact the Andalite home world. But the battle is far from over. Visser Two has arrived to Earth, and he's not happy about the state of things. He decides the best way to take over Earth is to have the humans destroy the people and the land the Yeerks don't need. He decides to start World War III.

Ax and his friends know that Visser Two means business and there will probably only be two ways to keep him from destroying everything they know: Find a way to stop the war. Or find a way to stop him. . . forever. . . .

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Aliens

118 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2000

About the author

also published under the name Katherine Applegate

Reviews

[Thibault Busschots · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Animorphs did it. They contacted the Andalites. They warned them of the dangers ahead. They told them not to walk into the trap the Yeerks have set for them. And the Andalites didn’t believe a word they said.

Meanwhile, the former Visser Three is now firmly in control of the Yeerks. And with nothing holding earth’s new Visser back, he’s looking to change tactics. No more slow, stealthy and secretive invasion for the alien invaders. He wants to unleash a third world war.

With no way of knowing if the Andalites are coming to the rescue, what can the Animorphs do to stop the Yeerks from turning the whole world into a battlefield?


The point of view is Ax, the Andalite. In the previous novels, we’ve already noticed here and there that the Andalites aren’t as virtuous and perfect as Ax would like us and the Animorphs to believe. And it’s clear he tries to remain as blind as possible to their flaws. He idealizes and idolizes his own people. But here, Ax runs straight into a wall of his own people’s worst flaws. It makes him question everything, even himself. Which is quite interesting. And this search for his identity can have lasting consequences on the war in general.


Overall, another great installment in the Animorphs series as the war is clearly escalating here. This story makes it clear we’re firmly building towards a hopefully satisfying conclusion of the series.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghostwriter: Elise Donner, who crushed my heart in #30 The Reunion and is now back to continue kicking it into fine pieces. AHHHHH. afjlakglkfjglj.

So, first off: shit is getting real. The entire nature of the war is changing.

"Things are different. From now on, we take what we need. We do what we have to do. No matter what the consequences."

Once again, I find myself needing to discuss an Ax book almost entirely under spoiler cuts: The Animorphs have contacted the Andalite fleet at long last... and true to form, those arrogant distrustful assholes don't believe the humans and don't seem very eager to send reinforcements. In this book, more than any other experience -- with the traitor on Leera, or the band of misfit Andalites who landed on Earth, or Gafinilan and Mertil -- Ax comes face-to-face with his own people's worst sides, and his internal narration acknowledges this.

With Visser One disposed of, and our good ole buddy Visser Three promoted, the Yeerks have decided to push for open war and instigating World War III amongst the humans... and it turns into an action-blasting all-out battle on an airship carrier, with Bug fighters firing Dracon beams at the ships, humans dying by the score, and fighting alongside the Animorphs against the aliens. (I wonder if this incident will be hushed up, though, as it happened out at sea? I WANT TO READ THE NEXT BOOK IMMEDIATELY TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.)

With the stakes so high, Jake makes the call: all bets are now officially off. They will morph humans. They will steal, and do whatever they have to to win.

There's also some great commentary from Marco & Ax about American arrogance and complacency, that the average citizen can't even conceive of being in national danger. (Note: this book came out in September 2000. You can definitely tell that the America of this particular era is before the post-9/11 paranoia, vigilance, and culture of fear that will eventually sink in.)

Anyway. The airship carrier mission is a shambles, the Animorphs working on an extremely tight timeframe, which means they're not able to do much. It's chaos and confusion, and they barely manage to scrape together a solution -- in fact, they don't. It's Ax, all Ax, who decides to go rogue in order to avert world war. He breaks from the rest of the Animorphs, and threatens to drop a nuke on the Yeerk pool -- and thus their hometown of innocents -- in order to bargain with the psychopathic Visser Two.

He manages to get the visser to stand down, but Ax honestly doesn't know whether or not he would have dropped that bomb.

And he doesn't know where this betrayal and deception leaves him with his friends, and neither do I, which means I desperately want to read the next book to find out what sort of irreparable damage might have been done with this action.

It's heartbreaking, the way he psychs himself up to do this. He reminds himself over and over that he's the alien: emphasising the differences between himself and the Animorphs, driving himself apart from them. Embracing the worst aspects of Andalites, his people who tend to unleash genocide on the very people they're trying to help. Yet it's also similar to the call Tobias made in Megamorphs #2 In the Time of Dinosaurs, to let the meteor and destroy an entire alien civilisation in order to preserve human evolution. Tobias makes that decision on his own, just as Ax did, in order to spare their teammates the grief and guilt. They take on that burden. It's also a nice evolution of how Ax back in #8 took on the responsibility for Elfangor breaking the law of Seerow's Kindness -- he is well and truly noble in these sorts of self-damning sacrifices he makes, even as he attempts to commit a war crime.

This series, you guys. What other YA series has our hero getting so close to nuking California?

This story and its question of atrocity, and the ends justifying the means, and how far do you go to win a war, has been escalating more and more. There have been multiple incidents leading up to this in which they ponder and debate and argue these exact questions. They keep skirting closer and closer to it. This is the closest they've ever gotten, with Ax not even certain if he would have done it or not. And they'll just keep getting closer, as this war gets more and more desperate.

One star docked from the book due to the confusing, slapdash nature of the 'mission', but ALL THE STARS for the ethical quicksand it explores. O, my heart.

Annnnd as always, favourite quotes below:

What came next I had not expected. Later, I wondered why, with my varied experience of Andalite character, I had not entertained the possibility of my own people's suspicion and neglect.

<The high command will consider your words,> the officer replied. <The brother of War Prince Elfangor always deserves to be heard. However... in our opinion, and given his record to date, it is also possible that Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill has confused his loyalties.>

<I...>

But it was too late to protest.

***

Why do I fight for and with a people not my own? Because, in many ways, these humans have become my own.

And the central, most important reason is that the humans are fighting off an invasion of an evil, parasitic alien species known as the Yeerks. The Yeerks must be stopped.

It doesn't matter who stops them, or why. Maybe, just maybe, it doesn't even matter how.

But that is a dangerous question to ponder.

Better to concentrate on the present.

***

"I'd bet a million bucks if I had it that if the average guy on the street was told he'd better get ready, there was going to be a major war, he'd just laugh. He wouldn't even believe a full-scale war was possible anymore! The average person is too content."

<Would you prefer a general state of panic?> I said. It was a rhetorical question.

"My point is just that people are complacent. All-out, global warfare is a thing of the past. That's what people think, anyway. No one wants it, no one's ready for it. And who's going to believe Earth is about to be attacked by aliens from outer space? They'd think a call to arms was just a publicity stunt for that show Roswell."

<Marco has a point,> Tobias said. <Particularly Americans. I mean, we've got no enemies at sea, not many on land, and those aren't exactly real scary. The country's just not ready for war. Maybe it's arrogance, maybe a combination of things, but the average person on the street just doesn't think another World War is possible.>

***

"But what's the point?" Cassie asked.

"I'll give you one guess. Yes, that's right, boys and girls." Marco paced. "We know from my mother that our old nemesis has been pushing for all-out assault on Earth. No more sneaky, middle-of-the-night stuff. Now we're gonna see major population 'cleansing.' You want to be one of us, a Yeerk? Fine. You don't? You're dead. The Yeerks don't need everyone. One billion people? More than enough."

<What are the Yeerks afraid of?> I asked.

Marco looked at me. "Two things. The Andalite fleet. And humanity's own resources. I'm talking weapons, but also ingenuity. Flexibility. Hope. All those traits the former Visser One acknowledged and respected and feared about us human beings. The traits the former Visser Three has always ignored."

***

Jake looked at me. "Ax. I want your honest opinion. Since that one transmission on the beach, we've heard nothing from the Andalites. Should we assume the fleet isn't coming? Should we go ahead on our own?"

What could I say? To answer such a question -- with a "yes" or a "no" -- would cast suspicion on my loyalty to my people. The Andalites. And the humans.

If the Andalite fleet had chosen to ignore our warning and had moved to the Anati system, one of the new Visser One's conditions for all-out war had been met. We were in a situation of maximum danger. One of my peoples had betrayed the other.

In spite of my admiration -- and yes, affection -- for humans, I have always hoped my future would be on the home planet. With my parents. Perhaps even Estrid-Corill-Darrath and a family of my own.

And yet -- my experience with my birth people since being stranded on planet Earth has been... complex. Less than one hundred percent satisfactory.

***

But I had made friends. We were our own family. And this was still our fight.

I was Andalite. And, in a way, I was human.

"Ax. Do you think the Andalites are coming?"

<I do not know, Prince Jake,> I said, my eyes solemn. <I honestly do not know.>

***

There was another heavy silence. I turned my main eyes toward Jake.

It is a huge responsibility for a young person, human or Andalite, to be a leader.

Finally, Jake spoke. His eyes were dull but his voice was firm.

"Things are different," he said. "From now on, we take what we need. We do what we have to do. No matter what the consequences."

"Jake..." Cassie began. [...] "Jake. Everyone. Come on. We've gotten this far without totally losing it. By following the rules of basic humanity. No one can deny that."

"I'm not denying it," Marco said coldly. "But Jake's right. Things have changed. We can't be asking anymore whether something's right or wrong. We really need to start asking whether it's expedient."

"Whoa." Rachel grinned. "Big word."

[...] Jake took Cassie's hands in his own. I noticed Tobias turn slightly away.

"Cassie, I'd never ask you to do something you don't want to," Jake said softly. "Or can't. But here's the thing. I think our assumptions are right. I think Visser One is about to launch open war. Entire cities might be incinerated. Whole countries. Maybe, just maybe, if we strike now, if we do everything we possibly can, maybe we can keep that from happening." He smiled sadly. "I'm not sure I could live with myself if we didn't do all that we could."

Billions of lives weighed against the ethics of six "kids..."

"And I'm not sure I could live myself if we did," Cassie answered softly. "Jake, there's always a reason to abandon morality. We've been through this so many times. Someone's always saying, 'forget about right or wrong, we've got to win.'"

"I know, I know." Jake squeezed Cassie's hands. "But... doesn't it always come down to each of us, all alone, asking ourselves: Am I right in doing whatever it takes for the greater good? And, do I trust myself enough to know I won't become evil in the process? It always comes down to something that personal."

Or the situation, I thought. Or the special circumstances. A morality of convenience. Not unlike Andalite morality...

The thought was troubling.

Cassie smiled. It was not a happy smile, but it seemed to portray a genuine emotion. "If there's one person I trust to keep his decency, it's you, Jake."

Marco folded his arms. Nodded at Rachel. "You, we're not so sure of."

Rachel made a rude gesture with her hand.

***

"This is ground control. Captain Felitti, you took off without clearance and five minutes ahead of schedule. You are off the course set for the test flight. Return immediately to the coordinates. We repeat, return to the flight pattern..."

"You nervous, Ax?"

"I have been in less stressful situations," I admitted.

***

I checked in with Jake and the others. The flea morph had protected them from the physical effects of the jet's massive speed. This seemed to disappoint Marco. Recently, he had claimed to be "bummed" about not being able to ride the new Monster Coaster at The Gardens.

In his words: "What with being officially dead and all now, I'm actually in an F-16D, and I can't feel a thing. My life is great. Isn't my life great?"

***

<This thing is massive,> Cassie said. <It's... it's too big to be real.>

<It's a Nimitz class. Biggest warships in the world. Built by Newport News Shipbuilding Company, out of Virginia.>

<Jake?> Rachel cocked the seagull's head. <Do you have a life?>

***

"Ah, the glamorous life of a soldier," Marco said, keeping an eye on the door.

<Not so much worse than the lives of some of the crew on board this carrier,> Tobias said. <Guys who work flight deck get hazardous duty pay on top of their regular sea pay.>

<You see, that's what I'm saying,> Marco pressed. <What do we get for risking our butts? Nothhing. Nada.>

<What about the satisfaction of knowing you're protecting the freedom of all human beings?> Cassie asked.

<Huh. Well, there is that.>

***

Members of the U.S. Navy fighting alongside Rachel. Against seven-foot-tall Hork-Bajir, the Yeerks' shock troops.

<I suppose the sudden appearance from the sky of large, prehistoric-looking aliens such as the Hork-Bajir makes the presence of wild animals currently native to Earth seem that much more normal.>

***

"What have I done," he gasped. "I tried to fight it... I tried!"

<No one will blame you,> I assured him.

He looked down in fascination at what had been his stomach.

"I'm dying."

<Yes.>

He reached for one of my hands.

I stayed with him until he was gone.

***

Jake held his shattered front paw off the ground. Blood pooled between us. <I know, Ax. But what can we do?>

<I have an idea,> I said. <It is a terrible thing I propose.>

***

And at that moment, hearing the shock and horror in my prince's voice, I knew I had made a dreadful mistake.

I never, ever should have laid such a burden on my friend. My ally. Never, ever should have asked a human of such superior quality to make a decision that would undoubtedly risk the lives of everyone he had ever known.

That would undoubtedly destroy his home, his neighborhood, his city. That would utterly decimate his every precious bond to sanity.

I was an Andalite.

A member of the species some unkindly but perhaps rightly have called the meddlers of the galaxy.

I was an alien.

I would carry the burden.

<I am sorry, Prince Jake,> I murmured. And then I hit him alongside his head with the flat of my tail blade. <So very sorry.>

***

<Tobias -- have either of you wondered what's going to happen after Ax gets the plane in the air?>

Neither Tobias nor Rachel answered. Marco turned and stared hard at me. <You Andalites. You people have a tendency to destroy what you want to preserve. And that plane is carrying a nuke. I saw it being fitted up by some of the visser's men.>

<Oh, my God, Ax...>

That was perhaps the one and only time I had ever seen Rachel stunned, shocked.

<You're not acting under Jake's command,> Tobias said neutrally. As if reinforcing the fact for himself.

***

Marco laughed harshly. <Oh, I trust you to be ruthless, Ax-man. Ultra-focused. Heartless, even. What I'm not sure of is what this stunt is all about. Is it really about saving human lives? Or about pumping up Andalite glory?>

His remark stung.

But I had expected as much.

<Please,> I said. <This war cannot come to pass.>

Marco hissed a word I have been told should not be uttered in polite company. Or the presence of parents and teachers.

Tobias put a hand on my arm. <Do you have even the smallest idea of what this will do to your head, Ax-man? Whether you win or lose?>

They had to be made to listen. To understand. Time was running out. It was now or never.

I would accept the consequences of my actions.

I would accept full responsibility.

I was the alien.

<Will you help?> I pressed. <For your people, Rachel?>

She looked to Marco as if for guidance. Tobias looked away.

Marco looked back to me. <We say there's always a choice. Is there, really? Let's go.>

***

<Be careful, Ax.> Rachel laughed but I did not imagine the fear in her voice. <Don't do anything I wouldn't do.>

<Ax! Stop!>

Prince Jake. Running toward the jet. Cassie bounding at his side.

My human eyes began to tear. I widened them, then blinked rapidly to clear my vision.

***

I paused. Relished the tension my hesitation was creating in the visser. Loathed myself for playing this sort of shameful game.

For inflicting a kind of torture.

***

I steered a course over the woods I have called home ever since being rescued by Prince Jake and the others.

I was glad to be going back there tonight.

I was also afraid of what I would find. Because "home" meant more to me than just my scoop and the surrounding landscape. Home meant my fellow warriors. All of them. And I had risked my relationship with them, especially with my prince, by doing what I had done. It had been a terrible longshot. As Cassie might say, I had played God. And what right did I -- an Andalite -- have to do that?

I had chanced the lives of thousands of humans for the sake of millions.

And in doing so, I had acted as had many Andalite warriors before me.

I had presumed. I had meddled.

I had acted as I had often condemned.

And I had won -- we had won -- but at what personal price?

Would my friends ever forgive me?

Would I ever forgive myself?

"Would you have done it, Andalite?" The visser's angry voice broke into my solemn thoughts. "Would you really have done it?"

I was unable to respond.

I have enough to answer for.

[Kara Babcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Previously, on Animorphs…

The Animorphs have literally just succeeded in contacting the Andalite command. The Deception picks up with no time passing. The conversation goes about as poorly as you might expect. After the Animorphs narrowly escape with their lives, they discover that the former Visser Three is now Visser One (!!!!!) and there’s a new Visser Two in town who wants to fuck everyone up by starting a nuclear war.

So what do our plucky heroes do? That’s right: infiltrate a naval aircraft carrier out in the middle of the ocean.

This book has a lot of the hallmarks of the earliest Animorphs adventures. Notably, there is little in the way of a coherent plan here. Instead, the Animorphs fall back on their “roll with it” improv style of Yeerk-stomping. The difference between then and now is that the Animorphs have to compromise a lot more of their original tenets—like not morphing humans, at least non-consensually—in the name of fighting this war. The stakes are the highest, though, and I kind of can’t disagree with them … but emotionally, this is a tough book.

Everything is told from the point of view of Ax this time. His voice as a narrator has really matured over the series. Whereas he was once, “Lol, hey, silly humans, eating with holes on their face, cinnamon buns!” he is much more sobre, much more thoughtful and introspective. His faith in the righteousness of his own people has been shaken to its core by recent events. He is struggling to reconcile his identity as an Andalite with his allegiance to, and newfound appreciation for, humanity. That very allegiance allows him to go against the orders and initiate the eponymous deception of his prince, Jake, in order to do what he thinks is necessary. This book is all about Ax taking initiative, showing a backbone, and making tough decisions. And I am here for it.

I think it’s telling that Jake has basically given up asking Ax to lay off on addressing him as “prince”. As always, one of the joys of an Ax-narrated book is that we get to see the other Animorphs through his alien eyes. The other Animorphs, when describing each other, inevitably make excuses, editorialize—Ax doesn’t do that. He looks at each of Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Marco, and Tobias and he tells us exactly what he sees—because he doesn’t know any better. And it’s so honest, the way he looks up to Jake as a leader even as he shoulders responsibilities he thinks Jake shouldn’t have to undertake, the way he coldly appreciates Rachel’s warrior aptitude.

This book is a little brutal not just for the massive carnage and death-toll on an aircraft carrier, not just for the threat of a nuclear strike on an American city, not just for the moral dimensions, but simply for the realization that the Animorphs might not be able to win this one. They can always keep fighting, but the Yeerks have no chill, and the Yeerks will always be willing to go that one step further, stoop that one level lower. The very principles the Animorphs are fighting to preserve might be why they ultimately lose this war—and if that is not a terrifying but true commentary on war, I don’t know what is.

The Deception establishes that this war has reached a turning point. Next time, in The Resistance, the Animorphs have to decide if they need to go public with this war.

My reviews of Animorphs:
← #45: The Revelation | #47: The Resistance →

[Swankivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've all been waiting for this. Finally the war is really going to start. Out in the open. Win or lose, we're in it for keeps.

When I was reading this, the people at my work were teasing me for reading children's books. I was dead serious when I told them off. These books are so far beyond the quality of so many adult books that I just want to laugh in their faces.

Notable moments and inconsistencies:

This book is ghostwritten by Elise Smith.

Ax points out how "humans are an odd species" because they can change their minds on a moral issue very quickly. It's odd he suggests this is a human quality, because he and other Andalites have done the same thing. Surely he can't be unaware that Andalites also display hypocrisy?

Ax mentions having a vague hope of returning to the Andalite home world after the war on Earth, and entertains notions of starting a family with Estrid. Problem here is that in a previous book he was pretty clear about "not liking" her after some of the things she said about humans, even if he found her attractive. This might not be completely contradictory since people do fall in love with and marry people they don't much like, but it doesn't seem like Ax would want to start a family and raise children with someone who thought it was okay to screw over another species because "they're not us."

It's odd that Rachel would be chosen to be Ax's backup pilot on account of her "nerves of steel" when both Marco and Jake have more experience with flight simulation. Rachel might be brave but she doesn't have experience.

This book mentions again that Andalites have two hearts, further establishing that an earlier book made a mistake when suggesting that Andalites have three.

Rachel uses thought-speak while in her human morph, which is something all of them should be able to do anyway, but earlier books suggest that they cannot. This retcon makes more sense.

It seems ridiculous that Chapman is able to disable Ax and render him unconscious, but then only locks him in a room. Seems much more likely that Chapman should have infested him immediately as that would have given him a morph-capable body and all the "bandits'" knowledge. Instead he leaves him in a room by himself where his natural form can easily escape. That is some poor decision-making.

[Gavin Hetherington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Come check out my 4 hour 35 minute deep dive into reading every single Animorphs book for the first time on YouTube. I recap and review all of the books from the main series: https://youtu.be/H8kUM2q3CIU

[JD Waggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Lord, this series. Good Lord, the timing of this series. Good Lord, the *ethics* of this series!

So the Yeerks have decided that subtlety is yesterday's news and are kicking the war into high gear, starting with the promotion of Visser Three to Visser One (yeah, I don't get how the power shifts of the Yeerks work, either, since it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for Three to leapfrog Two, but whatever). With the Yeerks moving into the open, the Animorphs have to follow or pull them back into the shadows. But how?

Which leads me to a spoiler cut, because seriously, a lot happens that I don't want to blurt out in the open in case you haven't read this yet. Which you should, especially if you've read this far in the series. And if you haven't yet started the series, you should really do that. Run, do not walk.

Ax doesn't get as many books as the human Animorphs do, which is sad, but each one packs a wallop as Applegate & Co. use his alien viewpoint to stir things up in terms of looking at what humans can and will do. Here Ax intercepts a Yeerk directive to mess with some stuff out at sea on a very quick timetable. In order to stay ahead of them, Jake makes the call that morality has to get even more grey: if they have to morph humans without their permission, that's now on the table. If they have to steal stuff (like a freaking fighter jet), that's now okay. His decision that the gloves are now, if not off, very very thin is made even more heartbreaking by the continual hesitancy of Cassie.

I think it's freaking brilliant that Applegate paired Jake and Cassie together because they are the opposites of each other, morally speaking. Jake is getting further and further into being the general who makes the ugly decisions--it shines here in his rattling off stats for the American battleship on which the bulk of the story takes place, showcasing the fact that even Jake's hobbies are militaristic and no longer bound to "ordinary" things like basketball scores or game consoles--and Cassie continually being cast as his last connection to a moral compass. "If there's one person I trust to keep his decency, it's you, Jake," she says to him on page 26, and my heart died a little because I just know that's not going to stay true. Fortunately, it does in this book in Jake's appalled reaction to Ax's final suggestion, but I think we all know Jake is going to get eaten by this war, body and soul, and Cassie can only do so much to stem that tide.

Visser Two is finally introduced in this skirmish, and I was totally underwhelmed. A human admiral? Doing what, exactly? And how did he get to be Visser freaking Two? What big thing has he been part of? And also, how on earth or anywhere else does the Andalite fleet get off telling Jake--Jake, whose communication is made SO MUCH MORE EMOTIONAL by Ax's commentary that he has never been prouder of his prince and omg the feels there--that Earth isn't a priority when the Yeerks have their top three Vissers all on that planet? Seriously, Andalites, y'all have been knocked in the head with tail blades once too often not to get what's going on here.

Anyway. Battle ensues on this carrier and World War III is pretty much started and oh man, how incredibly long ago the narrative of this book feels. This was published in 2000, at a time when Americans thought they were untouchable, and Applegate & Co. state that plainly. Marco talks about how no one expects all-out war anymore, no one would be prepared for it, and me reading that on this side of 9/11 just weeps because it was true. We never saw it coming because we believed nothing would ever be able to come at us; America was king, and that was as it should be. How naive we were! So the concept of the war the Yeerks are trying to start is that much more painful and heartbreaking to me now because I totally see how it would work and how the Yeerks just needed to stand back and let us destroy ourselves before coming in and sweeping up the pieces.

Ax is perfect for this storyline because he has the long view of how humans can and cannot handle this kind of fight. His continual struggle as to how "human" he is (and his nod to staying in a human morph as "tempting," which is a description we've not gotten before) and that he is, in the end, still alien gives us an incredible way to burrow into the ethics of how far the ends can justify the means. As early as page 8 he says that "It doesn't matter who stops [the Yeerks], or why. Maybe, just maybe, it doesn't even matter how. But that is a dangerous question to ponder."

And ponder this book does, finally getting into the Star Trek question of whether the sacrifice of some for the many is acceptable as Ax shoulders his alien status and prepares to do the unthinkable to stave off the unimaginable.

The characters here are so raw and incredibly true, with Marco's calculating but clear demands of where the line is showing, Rachel's determination to be utterly fearless even past her own rationality, Tobias's trust in his shorm but defense against what these choices will do to him. I just...oh my goodness, this series, this book, this alien who has truly become a warrior in all of the terrible ways that manifests.

[Nemo (The ☾Moonlight☾ Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ax and the Animorphs discover the Yeerks are planning something so huge they’ve named the plan after the reigning and newly promoted Visser One. While they don’t know what it is, they know they have to stop it. So they rush off in good Animorphs style to throw punches first and ask questions later.

This book… is not a good book. It’s boring, spends way too much time on military stuff, and only really has one plot point and absolutely no denouement. The only plot point is a fight on an aircraft carrier that the Yeerks are trying to use to start World War 3. There isn’t enough detail in the scenes which leaves you to wonder if Ax is walking around in Andalite form wearing pants because he morphs and takes off his shirt but not his pants…

See the full review on The Moonlight Library!

[Kate Crabtree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wheeeeee.

We’re still moving at a mile a minute! Important developments:

1. They speak to the Andalite fleet and they are very Andalite-y, in which they refuse to tell the Animorphs that they’ll provide help in the way. In fact, they act like the Animorphs are lying about the severity of the invasion in order to get them to arrive. Dang Andalites.

2. Jake finally decides they have to do whatever needs to happen to win the war, so they steal a fighter jet and morph lots of different people in this book. It all feels a little dirty.

3. A crazy fight ensues at sea, on a naval aircraft carrier. Ax realizes the only way to end the Yeerks’ plan (which is to begin World War III, no lie) it is to steal Visser Two away in a nuke-ready plane and threaten to destroy the Yeerk pool. Ax recommends this plan to Jake. Jakes obvs says hell no, so Ax knocks him out, finds Cassie, asks her to tend to him, then convinces Marco (who realizes Ax has knocked out Jake), Tobias, and Rachel that this is their only option. So they help Ax steal the plane, and luckily Visser Two calls off the Yeerks, meaning that Ax doesn’t have to destroy the Yeerk pool. However, he was ready to do so, and that alone is pretty soul crushing.

How will Jake and Cassie react to this in the next book? 😬

Various quotes time!

Marco, describing Ax: “What I'm not sure of is what this stunt is all about. Is it really about saving human lives? Or about pumping up Andalite glory?>”

And Jake, trying to convince Cassie that it’s okay if they start taking/stealing what they need, morphing humans, etc: “"I know, I know." Jake squeezed Cassie's hands. "But . . . doesn't it always
come down to each one of us, all alone, asking ourselves: Am I right in doing whatever it takes for the greater good? And, do I trust myself enough to know I won't become evil in the process? It always comes down to something that personal."

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

WELL I don't even know what to say about this book.

I read a review from Swankivy on here that said: "We've all been waiting for this. Finally the war is really going to start. Out in the open. Win or lose, we're in it for keeps."

That's it. It's starting. I'm scared and nervous and excited all rolled into one.

Quotes:

"Things are different," (Jake) said. "From now on, we take what we need. We do what we have to do. No matter what the consequences." (p. 18 on Kobo)

+

"Jake, there's always a reason to abandon morality. We've been through this so many times. Someone's always saying, 'forget about right or wrong, we've got to win.' "

"I know, I know." Jake squeezed Cassie's hands. "But... doesn't it always come down to each one of us, all alone, asking ourselves: Am I right in dong whatever it takes for the greater good? And, do I trust myself enough to know I won't become evil in the process? It always comes down to something that personal." (p. 19-20 on Kobo)

+

Suddenly, in Marco's path, a sailor! Armed. Marco stopped. Stared at the young man. And then the sailor saluted and ran off toward the bow. (p. 57 on Kobo) <-- I got complete chills, I know they've been recognized before for everything they do but just ugh at the fact that this random soldier saluted them. They deserve so much credit for this and I'm so worried in the end they will be anonymous saviours (I HOPE SAVIOURS GODDAMNIT) of the humans.

+

I was an alien.

I would carry the burden.

"I am sorry, Prince Jake," I murmured. And then I hit him alongside his head with the flat of my tail blade. "So very sorry." (p. 69 on Kobo)

ALLL THE FEEEEEEEEEELS

[Justice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhhhh it's so good! The Andalite/human belonging angst that Ax feels has been kinda turned on its head - he almost feels like he belongs more to the humans, and yet now he's decided to take the fall for tougher decisions because he's the alien. I love the dynamic with Tobias, Marco, and Rachel helping him. I absolutely love how these characters have different moral codes from each other, and different lines they're willing to cross - not just on a surface level but down deep.

[Amalia Dillin · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay it is seriously getting real in this one, and I appreciate that this story is told from Ax's POV considering the (questionable?) choices he makes. This is also where the Animorphs start down a slippery slope of compromising their values for the greater good -- doing whatever it takes to win. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out as we start charging toward the finale.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one crammed in a lot of little plots and I feel none of them really blossomed or went anywhere especially swell. Like contacting the Andalites was the cliffhanger from the last book and was almost a nonplot point. Then there was the running around a sub to stop WW3...and it was an exciting end battle scene. But overall a very oddly paced book. Ax did indeed shine as the narrator however.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

   The Animorphs get a Z-space transponder functional, and they are able to get out a communication to the Andalites. However, the results of this communication are not nearly as good as they had hoped for, and they have to cut it short before Bug fighters arrive. Later, Marco, Ax, and Tobias happen to catch a Yeerk transmission and discover that something major is going down in the middle of the ocean. The rules of engagement have changed, and the Animorphs take a course of action they would not previously have taken in order to prevent the new scheme of Vissers One and Two from succeeding. But at what cost will it be?

   I would like to know how Visser Two became Visser Two, because throughout this entire book he is barely more than a foil, a two-dimensional visser. Despite his status as Visser Two, he is all about bravely dying for the Yeerk cause if need be, and he certainly announces his passion enough. Other than being a mission goal for the Animorphs (to learn more about him and prevent him from enacting his plan), and then the source of the catalyst for Ax’s personal dilemma at the end, he is a remarkably flat character. His only purpose is as a foil to advance the plot, and it makes me wonder if we will ever see him again.

   I was amazed at how much Marco, Jake, and Tobias knew about the aircraft carrier, its organization, and the planes/weapons present on it. More than only Jake has been reading up on war, apparently!

   Up until now, we have seen Ax basically draw away from his Andalite brethren in favor of siding with his human friends. He has even deceived Andalites in order to preserve the morals that the Animorphs try to live by. He acknowledges, and even embraces, that a part of him is “human” after all this time, and that morphing human is a “temptation” for him at the beginning of this book. Which is what makes his decision to betray the other Animorphs – for the greater good – that much more difficult for him. Throughout the battle on the aircraft carrier, seeing innocent men and women die fighting the Yeerks, a foe they know hardly anything about; seeing a young man salute Marco during the fight; being told by another man that it is an honor to lend Ax his DNA; to watching that same young soldier die in Marco’s arms; and to staying with the now-freed captain of the ship as he dies from his wounds – all of these things reinforce in Ax how much he has come to empathize with the humans. However, this time it is he who first sees the bright line which leads to the prevention of World War III, and it will take a non-human Andalite to do the job. He has to affirm to himself, “I was an Andalite,” “I was an alien” and “I was the alien” in order to get the job done. But in so doing, he risks losing not only the progress he has made with empathizing with humans/the Animorphs, but also in losing their trust in this reversion back to being “the Andalite,” “the alien.” Each of the Animorphs is experiencing a loss of their humanity, in a way, and Ax is no exception.

   There are some really long passages that I just couldn't not type up, so this will once again bleed into the comments section.

      I would carry the burden.

Quotes and comments:

   “This is the resistance.”
   I had never heard more pride in Prince Jake’s voice. I had never been more proud of him. – page 1 – (emphasis added) How I have waited to hear those words come out!!

   What came next I had not expected. Later, I wondered why, with my varied experience of Andalite character, I had not entertained the possibility of my own people’s suspicion and neglect. – page 4 – Ax-man, buddy, you’ve been away from the Andalites for probably 2 years now. You’ve probably become used to thinking in terms of human emotions, human interactions, not Andalite. And despite pretty much every encounter you have had with Andalites since arriving on Earth, you still want to think better of them than this. Not to mention when you contacted higher Andalite command early on, they decided to “rewrite” history and have you, a mere aristh, be the one to take the shame for giving humans the morphing ability. Your own image was ruined by that, and the Andalites are not likely to trust you, not after that, and certainly not after you thwarted Aloth and Estrid from releasing the virus on the Yeerks on Earth.

   It doesn’t matter who stops [the Yeerks], or why. Maybe, just maybe, it doesn’t even matter how.
   But that is a dangerous question to ponder. – page 8 – It is a dangerous question, Ax, and one that before being with the Animorphs, you might not have thought so much of.

   “My point is just that people are complacent. All-out, global warfare is a thing of the past. That’s what people think, anyway. No one wants it, no one’s ready for it. And who’s going to believe Earth is about to be attacked by aliens from outer space? They’d think a call to arms was just a publicity stunt for that show Roswell.”
   < Marco has a point, > Tobias said. < Particularly Americans. I mean, we’ve got no enemies at sea, not many on land, and those aren’t exactly real scary. The country’s just not ready for war. Maybe it’s arrogance, maybe a combination of things, but the average person on the street just doesn’t think another World War is possible. > -- page 9-10 – In hindsight, for the year 2000, Tobias could not have been more right. And even today, in 2015, he is still more right than he knows.

   [Marco said,] “What an intellectual Andalite giant like yourself wants is to hack into some major government computer system.”
   < Even though it’s illegal, > Tobias added. < Not sure I’d advise it. >
   It was a very good idea. Illegal. But, we were at war. We didn’t have a choice.
   < Yes, excellent, > I said. < We need information. We must do whatever we can to get it. >
   “Whoa. Just, whoa.” Marco. “I wasn’t actually suggesting we break into the U.S. government’s personal stash. That’s the kind of invasion of privacy that gets you life. In jail.”
   < What are you saying? >
   […] “I’m saying it’s illegal. Dangerous. I’m saying it’s wrong. Not right.”
   Humans are an odd species. They will proclaim a particular ethical and moral stance one day. And the next, they will proclaim an opposite stance with equal passion.
   When pressed, they explain such behavior as caused by “different circumstances.” Also depending on “the situation.” – page 13-14 – Hm, Marco’s comment about invasion of privacy is really ringing a bell for the current day. Also, I’m not sure how I feel about tagging who is talking by just putting their name. It is like saying we probably know who says it anyways, and with a little tip, we (the reader) will know how it is said without a cue from the writer.

   < What are the Yeerks afraid of? > I asked.
   Marco looked at me. “Two things. The Andalite fleet. And humanity’s own resources. I’m talking weapons, but also ingenuity. Flexibility. Hope. All those traits the former Visser One acknowledged and respected and feared about us human beings. The traits the former Visser Three has always ignored.” – page 18 – And right now, all you have to work with is humanity’s own resources.

   We were in a situation of maximum danger [if the Andalite fleet ignored our warning].
   One of my peoples had betrayed the other. – page 19 – That is not easy for Ax, or for anyone else; it is a problem that many people have to wrestle at some point or another.

   In spite of my admiration – and yes, affection – for humans, I have always hoped my future would be on the home planet. With my parents. Perhaps even with Estrid-Corill-Darath and a family of my own. – page 19-20 – Whoa there, Ax. When you said goodbye to Estrid, you told her you still did not like her. And that was an understatement even then. Plus, you’re not even positive that she made it back alive.

   Before that strange journey through centuries past, I thought I had come to understand humans. But as horrible scenes of carnage and terror unfolded before my eyes, I realized that I knew very little about human beings.
   They could be insane, hate-filled creatures. I could make no sense of the outrageous violence, of the mindless killing.
   And it frightened me.
   But I had made friends. We were our own family. And this was still our fight.
   I was Andalite. And, in a way, I was human. – page 20-21 – An interesting contradiction with what he reaffirms by the end of the book. The effects of war?

   I turned my main eyes toward Jake.
   It is a huge responsibility for a young person, human or Andalite, to be a leader.
   Finally, Jake spoke. His eyes were dull but his voice was firm.
   “Things are different,” he said. “From now on, we take what we need. We do what we have to do. No matter the consequences.” – page 24 – We have already seen this moment coming for a while now, so it is not surprising that Jake finally issues the green light. But as we see later, he still has a line he draws. For now.

   Jake took Cassie’s hands in his own. I noticed Tobias turn slightly away.
   “Cassie, I’d never ask you to do something you don’t want to,” Jake said softly. “Or can’t. But here’s the thing. I think our assumptions are right. I think Visser One is about to launch open war. Entire cities might be incinerated. Whole countries. Maybe, just maybe, if we strike now, if we do everything we possibly can, maybe we can keep that from happening.” He smiled sadly. “I’m not sure I could live with myself if we didn’t do all that we could.”
   Billions of lives weighed against the ethics of six “kids…” – page 25 – I think I know why Tobias turned away. Because that’s something that he can’t easily do with Rachel. And that last line – drives home that by society’s standards, the Animorphs are still just kids, despite all that they have been through.

   “And I’m not sure I could live with myself if we did [all that we could no matter the consequences],” Cassie answered softly.
   […] “I know, I know.” Jake squeezed Cassie’s hands. “But… doesn’t it always come down to each one of us, all alone, asking ourselves: Am I right in doing whatever it takes for the greater good? And, do I trust myself enough to know I won’t become evil in the process? It always comes down to something that personal.”
   Or the situation, I thought. Or the special circumstances. A morality of convenience. Not unlike Andalite morality…
   The thought was troubling. – page 25-26

   [Before morphing human to take a military jet] It isn’t that I don’t enjoy certain elements of being human. There is taste. There is speech. There is the ability to go to a movie at the Cineplex. As long as the running time is less than two hours.
   It is just that…there is something too compelling about being a human, even for a short time. It makes me uncomfortable.
   It makes it seem as if I fit in here.
   It is a temptation. – page 29 – Oh, Ax. I think this is an excellent extension/maturation of first his “Do I side with the Andalites my people, or the Animorphs my adopted people/family?” which was revealed to be resolved when Estrid and Aloth came to Earth and he stood with the Animorphs. He stood with them then, and stands with them now. Now he questions how much of himself is true Andalite, and how much of himself has become human-like. Such an interesting parallel, in a way, to Elfangor. Elfangor fell in love with a human, and had chosen to live his life as a human. (Admittedly he also did it to run away from the war against the Yeerks, but still… )

   When one is in human morph, it is hard to remember that the human’s pain is not your pain. It is hard to remain separate. – page 72 – (emphasis added)

   ----Everything is going as planned. Soon you will all be ours… --- -- page 75 – Okay, who is this? Is this a transmission coming through on Ax’s Z-space transponder, a message they’re missing? Is it a Yeerk Council transmission? WHO IS IT?? What is going on??

   Suddenly, in Marco’s path, a sailor! Armed.
   Marco stopped. Stared at the young man.
   And then the sailor saluted and ran off toward the bow.
   < Whoa… > Marco, dark gorilla hair bloodied and burnt, joined me close to the place we’d come up on deck. < Did I just imagine that or are some of the good guys on our side now? >
   Yes… as incredible as it seemed… -- page 85 – This is a GREAT moment for the Animorphs. It says, “You are not alone anymore” to them. That when the cards go down, they will have people to back them up.

   I took my chances.
   Approached a rather tall young man in a purple float coat.
   Asked him politely for the temporary use of his genetic material. And his outer layers of clothing.
   Fortunately, this young man was one of those who had realized we meant them no harm. Therefore, I was not forced to subdue him.
   The young man grinned.
   “Dude. I’m honored. Borrow away. And go get that alien scum.” – page 89 – Oh. There are all these instances where Ax is seeing a(n innocent) human accept, respect, and help him and the Animorphs. Which makes his course of action near the end if not more surprising, at the very least, then more painful for the reader to take. And it makes Ax’s decision that much harder, too, with that much more to weigh on his conscience.

   [Facing Chapman] I had no intention of shooting a defenseless man in cold blood.
   But I am sorry to admit that it was a temptation.
   At that moment, alone in a dark room with one of the Yeerks responsible for the atrocities taking place above deck…
   Alone with one of the Yeerks involved in the launching of a third world war…
   Alone with one of the Abomination’s most ardent supporters…
   I could barely stand my own rage.
   I cocked the trigger.
   Panic swept across Chapman’s face.
   If he gave up Visser Two, Visser One would have him executed.
   If he refused, he believed I would put a bullet in his chest. – page 91 – Rage is a dangerous thing, Ax. Just ask Cassie.

   How long had I been out? And why had I fainted? I had sustained far more serious injuries without losing consciousness. Perhaps it was this particular human morph.
   Whatever the reason, I was ashamed. – page 94 – Thankfully it was less than 2 hours and he was able to demorph. I am glad he wonders why the gunshot to his thigh knocked him out – I’m curious too!

   Then I saw the Yeerk struggling out of the man’s ear.
   I let it happen.
   It would not get far.
   Awkwardly, I knelt by Captain Plummer’s side.
   “What have I done,” he gasped. “I tried to fight it…I tried!”
   < No one will blame you, > I assured him.
   He looked down in fascination at what had been his stomach.
   “I’m dying.”
   < Yes. >
   He reached for one of my hands.
   I stayed with him until he was gone. – page 96 – A touching moment for Ax; I’m glad he stayed with Captain Plummer. I think Plummer needed Ax’s presence as much as Ax needed to be there.

   I lifted my tail.
   “Hey, easy, Ax, it’s me. Tobias.”
   Indeed, it was my friend.
   In the body of a navy sailor. Wearing a yellow float coat and jersey.
   “The guy’s a catapult-and-arresting-gear officer,” Tobias explained. “Didn’t want to have to do it without permission. But he passed out when a bird started talking to him so…I stashed him out of harm’s way. I hope.”
   < We do what we must, > I said woodenly. – page 98 – Ax … almost sounds in shock. He’s seen so much just in this one day, and it probably at least compares to what he saw on their escapade through time. Except this, this is all real. And there is no undoing it.

   I turned away from the scene of wreckage.
   Only to witness yet another horror.
   A few yards off.
   Marco.
   Kneeling awkwardly, trying to help a sailor with severe wounds. I could see that from where I was standing. The sailor was dying.
   The sailor who had saluted him!
   This had to stop.
   I had to stop it. – page 99

To be continued in the comments...

[Trevor Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the casual attempt to start WW3 and Ax ready to drop a nuclear bomb on the hometown for me

[Toby Rude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooooo de etiske barrierene de krysser i denne boka er skikkelig spennende og interessante!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOOTING AND HOLLERING THE STAKES ARE BACK BABY

[Juushika · Rating 3 out of 5]

A conflicted book, so close to good but not quite there. Ax is a difficult character, too often made into an awkward alien cliché for the sake of comic relief, so I appreciate books that emphasize his role within the Animorphs and his bond to humankind, his conflict with Andalites and his ethical struggles--especially at this ethical turning-point to the series; but this ghostwriter's choppy style, also present in The Reunion (Book 30) and The Weakness (Book 37), is obnoxious and undermines that depth. Thematically this is similarly divided: the scale is phenomenal and continues that beginning-of-the-end escalation and ethical compromise, but it would be more effective if the final dilemma of destroying the Yeerk pool hadn't just come up in The Test (Book 43)--it's insufficiently shocking.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ax saying the death ritual as he’s crashing the plane gets me every time.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I finished this in record time yet my laptop crashed on me so it took a while to get on here to do this so this will be rushed, sorry)

Well, near the end of the run, Ax has been added to the rotation, as has Tobias, instead of them switching out. I think the previous way worked as they are "specialty" characters that work best when their narrations are special occasions. But since it's almost done, we won't have more anyway, so I don't mind this decision. So to close this out, Ax is here.

Our ghostwriter is Elise Donner, who previously did The Reunion. I don't recall how how she was there but I found this was a step down on the writing level. It's simpler, leaning on the short sentences. It works better here due to the action focus but it lacks special flourish usually. It gets the job done at least, just not amazing. (And only one vocab word, and they have to note that it's a big word!)

(Speaking of ghostwriters, this book name drops the tv show "Roswell". That is based on a book series by Melinda Metz, a previous ghostwriter. I see that as a cute wink wink moment)

The story picks up right where we left off, as they manage to call up the Andalite home world. But being Andalites, they aren't sure about helping out. Then we pivot soon after as we find out Visser 3 has been promoted to Visser 1, while Visser 2 finally appears. Yes, you'd think we'd know if there even was a 2 earlier as you'd expect Visser 3 to report to them but ah well.

With this new power, the Yeerks plan to straight up start an assault, less of the subtle stuff. So now the gang has to stop them, mainly by infiltrating a Navvy base.

This is the shortest one at 118 pages, and it feels that. It gets going right away and speeds through, mostly being about action with little downtown. I noticed there's less recap this time, it doesn't go through as much of it. The previous one did too I think, I assume it's because it's the final arc and no one needs the reminder at this point.

The bad side is that it does feel rushed, and the ending is a bit abrupt. It feels more like the end of a chapter than a full book,. I assume the next main book will continue from here, so it's not a big deal for me. I liked this one a fair bit, it went quick and I finished it like 51 or so minutes, again a new record.

I did rush a tad here and there, a bit more than usual, but I tend to do that if it's less talky, and there were tons of mentions of navvy tech and such that went over my head. I like how we go on from last time, seeing, how the events of the last one have changed things big time. Things are different now and we see that further.

Visser 2 is fine, doesn't have much to them beyond being almost as much of a cartoon villain as Vsiser 3, who actually isn't in this. They're fun in that way though.Ax doesn't get too much here, but thankfully we don't repeat his usual Arc. We get a bit of it but at the end we get into him making a choice that is mixed, even for Jake who shoots it down right away. Yet he still makes it, and it ends with him basically being "Well, I'm grounded for life".

It's more of the "tough choices in war" idea, and having it with Ax is big, it works well and was the highlight for me. Aside of that, it's a solid read, but it wasn't anyway too great. It was maybe a bit too simple and rushed here and there, but it makes sense as a action heavy part 2 to our last book. After that one was a bit rushed, I would have hoped for a calmer book this time. Hopefully the next one gives us that.

Overall, not Ax's finest work but it was an easy read with decent action-y stealth, and other highlights. The way it ends makes me interested in the next few as we really ramp up. Not great but it's good.

Now that we're done this, there's only one more book for each narrator, except Jake who gets an extra one before the finale. We're so close, it feels weird. But before that...next time, we get our final special edition book with the last Chronicles. With it, we go way back as finally see the start of our old friend The Ellimist. Oh boy.

See ya then.

[Jonathan Pongratz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review at Jaunts & Haunts

4/5

I gave this book four stars.

This book takes place just seconds after where #45 stopped. The Animorphs have contacted the Andalites, and they need their help in the increasingly bad situation on Earth. Before they can get too cozy, the Yeerks track their location and make them run for the hills, but that's the least of their problems. Thanks to their new Z-Space technology, they learn that there's been a shift of power in the Yeerk ladder, favoring a more hostile takeover of Earth. When Ax learns of a new mission that will almost ensure an easy Yeerk takeover, he and the Animorphs assemble once again and try to thwart this threat. Can they pull this one off, or are they finally beat?

Man oh man, these books are getting really good! I have very few complaints with this book and loved the experience. Crap is getting real on Earth, and things are hanging by a thread. 

This time we followed around in Ax's POV. I think that his voice has matured quite a bit over the series, and it was shown well here. The situation he and the Animorphs are in is a nearly impossible one, and I genuinely believed he did all he could to help and went quite a bit further than the others did. I wouldn't necessarily say it was progression, but a worsening of things that warranted challenging the limitations of what he is willing to do to stop the Yeerks. There may be some serious sacrifices to be made. 

I think the others were portrayed well, especially with the changing climate of the Yeerk invasion. Again, their altruistic ways could only get them so far, and now that things are getting progressively worse the Animorphs have to make some seriously hard decisions as a group if they want to stop the invasion. 

The plot was great. This plot could easily have escalated into a global conflict, so the stakes are insanely high, and I blazed through this book in one go because of how nonstop the action and intrigue was. 

The one thing that irked me was the jargon of all the different jets, boats, and weaponry that the army possessed. It was hard to read through as an adult, so I can only imagine how confused kids around the world were when they read these parts. 

But in the end, this was a memorable installment of the series that really hit hard. Gone are the days of everyone learning a heartfelt lesson and going home none the wiser. This is war, and it's not going away anytime soon. Sacrifices will have to be made soon, and there will be blood. 

Can't wait for the next one!

[Grapie Deltaco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story begins with the Animorphs on a call with the Andalites asking for their long-awaited assistance against the Yeerks on earth and to everyone’s surprise, they’re hesitant about extending that assistance.

But there’s a new Visser One and the Yeerks have instigated a new world war.

This installment is chaotic and filled to the brim with horror, death, and needless violence. We watch an influx of innocent lives be put on the line and lost through Ax’s eyes as a difficult decision must be made born out of twisted, last chance attempt at victory for planet earth.

“Billions of human lives versus ten or twenty thousand…”

Ax makes a decision that is so violently Andalite in every way and he’ll hate himself for the rest of his life over it.

Horrifying.

CW: war, violence, mass murder, death, grief, slavery, murder, terrorism

[Muffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m excited by the story picking up and the Animorphs finding themselves in new situations, but this book was not very well written. It was weirdly obsessive about the details of military hardware and skimped on details of what was happening in the story. As the cover teases, we meet Visser Two but know basically nothing about him, unlike the boat he’s on, about which we know a great deal.

[L. Rambit · Rating 5 out of 5]

FRICK this one was amazing... Like being punched in the heart ten times per page.

Remember in book #31, when Ax insisted he would never torture anyone again? Or book #43, when Cassie refused to do a mission for fear of hurting people?
Yeah.... Those were simpler times.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

NUKES??????

[brynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

holy shit that ending

[Rachel from Friends · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shits getting real

[Mads ✨is balls deep in the Animorphs reread✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my god. I have no words. holy SHIIIIITTT

5 BILLION STARS OUT OF 5

[Kat V · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are getting better again. 3.9 stars

[Cienna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prevents WWIII happening between China and the USA by threatening to kill tens of thousands of people with a nuke. A normal Thursday night.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this book is any indication, we're in for a doozy of last novels that further indicate how marred one's sense of right and wrong can become when violent warfare feels like the only choice. These books made me such a pacifist as a kid, I swear.