What do you think?
Rate this book
Aurora #6
Aurora: Decima
The tenth year war is coming . . . Carrie Welles has survived more attacks than she can count, but each one has made her stronger. She refuses to be a victim anymore. While her nemesis, Sharley, continues to be a threat, she works with Harris and the Aurora team to protect the future, vowing to raise her children and fight as the soldier-mother she was destined to be. Saul Harris has had visions of the Zeta ships hitting Earth years before they’re due, but has no proof to warn the UNF. Scraping together a small contingent of Alpha units, he prepares for the onslaught as best he can. He embraces his gift and ‘connection’ with Welles and they dig further into his ancestry, only to have more haunting truths come to light. As the invasion approaches, the new Aurora team members must find their place in the crew, while old team members reunite. They know they must band together with the Originals and their fellow Space and Earth Duty troops if they are to defend Earth against this attack. But is it too little too late? Have Harris and Carrie done enough to protect their future? As they fight for survival against the Zetas in a battle that stretches across the UNF Space Zone, they soon realize the price of their freedom might be higher than they were expecting to pay.
- GenresScience Fiction
725 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 6, 2018
2 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Bridgeman
28 books107 followersAmanda is a Scribe Award winner, a two-time Tin Duck Award winner, an Aurealis and Ditmar Awards finalist and author of several science fiction and thriller novels. Her works include sci-fi mystery SALVATION series, consisting of THE SUBJUGATE and THE SENSATION (published by Angry Robot Books, UK), which is being developed for TV by Aquarius Films and Anonymous Content (True Detective, Mr Robot, The Alienist).
THE SUBJUGATE is also currently being studied at two German universities (Düsseldorf and Cologne) as part of a program on Australian speculative fiction, in conjunction with the Centre for Australian Studies.
Born in the seaside/country town of Geraldton, Western Australia, she moved to Perth (Western Australia) to study film & television/creative writing at Murdoch University, earning her a BA in Communication Studies. Perth has been her home ever since, aside from a nineteen-month stint in London (England) where she dabbled in Film & TV ‘Extra’ work.
Amanda is a versatile writer who enjoys working across different genres and creative formats, be it novels, screenplays, short stories, etc, and creating both original and tie-in work.
Her Scribe Award winning novel PANDEMIC: PATIENT ZERO is the first novel set in the award-winning Pandemic tabletop board game universe.
She has written short stories for Marvel (X-Men) and Black Library (Warhammer 40k) anthologies.
Her new novel, Sound of Light, set in the Marvel X-Men universe and featuring mutant Dazzler, is out now!
THE SUBJUGATE is also currently being studied at two German universities (Düsseldorf and Cologne) as part of a program on Australian speculative fiction, in conjunction with the Centre for Australian Studies.
Born in the seaside/country town of Geraldton, Western Australia, she moved to Perth (Western Australia) to study film & television/creative writing at Murdoch University, earning her a BA in Communication Studies. Perth has been her home ever since, aside from a nineteen-month stint in London (England) where she dabbled in Film & TV ‘Extra’ work.
Amanda is a versatile writer who enjoys working across different genres and creative formats, be it novels, screenplays, short stories, etc, and creating both original and tie-in work.
Her Scribe Award winning novel PANDEMIC: PATIENT ZERO is the first novel set in the award-winning Pandemic tabletop board game universe.
She has written short stories for Marvel (X-Men) and Black Library (Warhammer 40k) anthologies.
Her new novel, Sound of Light, set in the Marvel X-Men universe and featuring mutant Dazzler, is out now!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 27, 2017
Really good!
I've enjoyed the Aurora series from the start but this book really took the story to a new level. I liked how it skipped time effortlessly, letting characters age while the overall story sped-up to the arrival of the Zeta force and the first battle.
And there's more to come!
Keep writing Amanda Bridgeman :)
4.5 stars
I've enjoyed the Aurora series from the start but this book really took the story to a new level. I liked how it skipped time effortlessly, letting characters age while the overall story sped-up to the arrival of the Zeta force and the first battle.
And there's more to come!
Keep writing Amanda Bridgeman :)
4.5 stars
November 19, 2016
Originally reviewed at West Coast Book Reviews.
I received an ARC! (Squeee!!!!) And sent it to my Kindle and opened it up. I admired the great cover balancing the hope of the upturned dishes with the darkness and the night sky and the ominous bold title font I've come to see as the series brand.
Then I put it away for three whole days. A few reasons. I didn't want it to rush to that place of waiting for the next and being unable to read it again for the first time. Also, this series has frequently torn my heart out, tossed it on the road and stomped on it, occasionally leaving it there to be run over in traffic and lit on fire, before tenderly making it whole and slipping it back in my chest. I know what will happen, I'll read headlong into catastrophe and I want to, for sure, I just wanted the anticipation to build. For this series, I'm a literary thrill seeking danger junkie. It's become an Event with a capital 'E.' Some books I read because I'd be reading something anyway. I read Aurora because of the emotions.
Aurora: Decima did not let me down.
Decima rushes fast forward through a decade in time to the early arrival of a Zeta invasion and focuses on what the Aurora series does best - character and action driven science fiction. With book six in the series, Bridgeman took her foundation of characters and their relationships to the next level. They grew from well developed to complex and where the action went (and there's a lot,) I felt the added intensity of my attachment to Aurora's crew.
Additionally, I've noticed the growth in Bridgeman's writing has been used to full advantage in handling the growing complexity of her plots. In Aurora: Darwin, book one, there was a bluntness to her prose. Her writing felt a touch gritty and rough around the edges which was perfect for the calculated violence which introduced the darker scifi side consistent through the series. I experienced emptiness, foreboding and failure as she pulled us through, sometimes with not much more than a brittle sense of safety to catch our breath and step in to the next chapter.
While Bridgeman's voice held fast through Aurora: Pegasus, Aurora: Meridian, Aurora: Centralis and Aurora: Eden and contrasted the growing connections and sense of family among Aurora's crew with danger and those very dark sub-plots, she added a delightful smoothness to her prose. Decima is by far the most ambitious in the series in terms of number of characters, places, subplots and time and holds together beautifully. I found myself dug into a story I knew would sting me (that whole heart thing) and was rewarded when it did.
Favourite scene? The make-up argument. I went back and re-read it three times. Also re-read the big battle at the end. I continue to love and recommend this series.
I received an ARC! (Squeee!!!!) And sent it to my Kindle and opened it up. I admired the great cover balancing the hope of the upturned dishes with the darkness and the night sky and the ominous bold title font I've come to see as the series brand.
Then I put it away for three whole days. A few reasons. I didn't want it to rush to that place of waiting for the next and being unable to read it again for the first time. Also, this series has frequently torn my heart out, tossed it on the road and stomped on it, occasionally leaving it there to be run over in traffic and lit on fire, before tenderly making it whole and slipping it back in my chest. I know what will happen, I'll read headlong into catastrophe and I want to, for sure, I just wanted the anticipation to build. For this series, I'm a literary thrill seeking danger junkie. It's become an Event with a capital 'E.' Some books I read because I'd be reading something anyway. I read Aurora because of the emotions.
Aurora: Decima did not let me down.
Decima rushes fast forward through a decade in time to the early arrival of a Zeta invasion and focuses on what the Aurora series does best - character and action driven science fiction. With book six in the series, Bridgeman took her foundation of characters and their relationships to the next level. They grew from well developed to complex and where the action went (and there's a lot,) I felt the added intensity of my attachment to Aurora's crew.
Additionally, I've noticed the growth in Bridgeman's writing has been used to full advantage in handling the growing complexity of her plots. In Aurora: Darwin, book one, there was a bluntness to her prose. Her writing felt a touch gritty and rough around the edges which was perfect for the calculated violence which introduced the darker scifi side consistent through the series. I experienced emptiness, foreboding and failure as she pulled us through, sometimes with not much more than a brittle sense of safety to catch our breath and step in to the next chapter.
While Bridgeman's voice held fast through Aurora: Pegasus, Aurora: Meridian, Aurora: Centralis and Aurora: Eden and contrasted the growing connections and sense of family among Aurora's crew with danger and those very dark sub-plots, she added a delightful smoothness to her prose. Decima is by far the most ambitious in the series in terms of number of characters, places, subplots and time and holds together beautifully. I found myself dug into a story I knew would sting me (that whole heart thing) and was rewarded when it did.
Favourite scene? The make-up argument. I went back and re-read it three times. Also re-read the big battle at the end. I continue to love and recommend this series.
December 26, 2016
The UNF had been hoping for the best and also expecting the worst as it was not certain about the intention of the Zetas. The super soldiers had been preparing for the arrival of the Zetas their entire Alpha lives ... and I had been waiting for this book after finishing the previous one. :)
I enjoyed reading "Aurora: Decima". There were times that I had to "duck" so that I would not get hit with the exchanges of fire around me. :)
"Aurora: Decima" is my favorite book in the series so far. I cannot wait to read the next book. :)
I enjoyed reading "Aurora: Decima". There were times that I had to "duck" so that I would not get hit with the exchanges of fire around me. :)
"Aurora: Decima" is my favorite book in the series so far. I cannot wait to read the next book. :)
November 22, 2016
I have been following the journey of Carrie Welles and the Aurora team since book one and have loved the way she has matured and grown since first putting on the Space Duty uniform so I was thrilled at the chance to get my hands on an ARC of book six. I couldn't wait to start reading, sure I was in for a roller coaster ride of explosive action and compulsive reading.
Aurora: Decima did not disappoint. If anything it was even better than I imagined it would be. Carrie and Saul really stepped up their game in the race to prepare for the Zetas invasion. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, a twist would throw me for a loop and leave me gasping.
This is a book that will stay with me for a long time as I eagerly await the next installment, wondering how the Aurora team will deal with the repercussions of the Tenth Year War. All I know for sure is that Carrie is ready to step up and be the leader she was born to be and I can't wait to join her on the next leg of her journey.
Aurora: Decima did not disappoint. If anything it was even better than I imagined it would be. Carrie and Saul really stepped up their game in the race to prepare for the Zetas invasion. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, a twist would throw me for a loop and leave me gasping.
This is a book that will stay with me for a long time as I eagerly await the next installment, wondering how the Aurora team will deal with the repercussions of the Tenth Year War. All I know for sure is that Carrie is ready to step up and be the leader she was born to be and I can't wait to join her on the next leg of her journey.
November 18, 2021
This book, like all the others before it has become my favorite of the series. I couldn't put the book down as it moved towards the invasion of the Zeta's, which has been building since book 4. There were great action scenes as well as those were the team is bonding and growing as a unit. I can't wait to read my next favorite installment in the series.
June 22, 2024
A good continuation of the series.
Gets back to the action.
Gets back to the action.
December 18, 2016
I read the first five books of the Aurora series in quick succession, so Aurora: Decima is the first book in the series I've had to wait for. Even though it has been a little over a year, the author managed to draw me back into the world without too much trouble. However, as the sixth book in the series, I wouldn't recommend it for new readers--too much has happened by this point. Even as a returning reader, there were a few points at which I wished for a cast list.
Having said that, I rather enjoyed the dynamism of the cast and particularly enjoyed the addition of a few new characters. Carrie's home, the Fortress, is run by an AI called Archie. There were a few moments when Archie displayed quite the sense of humour and its personality remains distinct throughout the book. New crew member Tikaani also displayed a sense of humour. However, while it was nice to see another woman on board the Aurora (and a Inuit woman to boot), she seemed mostly a place-filler and we never really got to know her beyond the superficial.
There was some nice development of existing characters. Carrie and Captain Harris have matured nicely, turning their arrogance into confidence. Lieutenant Gold also makes a return and plays a key role in the story.
The structure has improved on previous books. The beginning remains a little slow to get going. While the prologue recapped some useful information, the similarities in character motivation between the prologue and the first chapter gave a feeling of redundancy. There were also a few times in the early parts of the books where the story felt like it was treading water--particularly concerning the relationship between Carrie and McKinley, and between Captain Harris and his son. However, that quickly improved. Dividing the story into parts gave a smoother feeling to the time jumps (which were significant in places). Previous books in the series have had a bit of a drawn-out ending, which I was also pleased to see Decima avoided. The tension really ratchets up in the second half and I found the finale nicely paced.
While the structure was tighter, I found the prose still a bit clunky in places. The uses of the terms Alpha and Jumbo were a bit excessive, beating the reader over the head with the fact that most of the characters are no longer human rather than trusting the reader to keep in mind the differences between the humans and the super-soldiers.
The story continues to be very heteronormative (with one very minor exception) and gender binary. However, within that it does some interesting things with the themes of bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. I appreciated the way it gender-flipped one of the prominent themes of the series and began to examine it from a new angle. I very much hope to see more of this in the next book.
Overall, Aurora: Decima makes an excellent addition to the series and well worth the read.
Having said that, I rather enjoyed the dynamism of the cast and particularly enjoyed the addition of a few new characters. Carrie's home, the Fortress, is run by an AI called Archie. There were a few moments when Archie displayed quite the sense of humour and its personality remains distinct throughout the book. New crew member Tikaani also displayed a sense of humour. However, while it was nice to see another woman on board the Aurora (and a Inuit woman to boot), she seemed mostly a place-filler and we never really got to know her beyond the superficial.
There was some nice development of existing characters. Carrie and Captain Harris have matured nicely, turning their arrogance into confidence. Lieutenant Gold also makes a return and plays a key role in the story.
The structure has improved on previous books. The beginning remains a little slow to get going. While the prologue recapped some useful information, the similarities in character motivation between the prologue and the first chapter gave a feeling of redundancy. There were also a few times in the early parts of the books where the story felt like it was treading water--particularly concerning the relationship between Carrie and McKinley, and between Captain Harris and his son. However, that quickly improved. Dividing the story into parts gave a smoother feeling to the time jumps (which were significant in places). Previous books in the series have had a bit of a drawn-out ending, which I was also pleased to see Decima avoided. The tension really ratchets up in the second half and I found the finale nicely paced.
While the structure was tighter, I found the prose still a bit clunky in places. The uses of the terms Alpha and Jumbo were a bit excessive, beating the reader over the head with the fact that most of the characters are no longer human rather than trusting the reader to keep in mind the differences between the humans and the super-soldiers.
The story continues to be very heteronormative (with one very minor exception) and gender binary. However, within that it does some interesting things with the themes of bodily autonomy and reproductive rights. I appreciated the way it gender-flipped one of the prominent themes of the series and began to examine it from a new angle. I very much hope to see more of this in the next book.
Overall, Aurora: Decima makes an excellent addition to the series and well worth the read.
November 20, 2016
I was lucky to be given the opportunity to read an advance copy of Aurora: Decima. I admit that I eagerly await every new release in this series, so to be able to get my hot little mits on it sooner than expected was exciting to say the least.
I like the way the beginning of the story closely follows on from Aurora: Eden, especially as we know that at some point the time line needs to be accelerated. The Aurora crew get a chance to catch their breath before the skirmish that we know is coming.
I also like the way the main characters grow in self confidence. Don't misunderstand me, they have always been confident in their abilities, but throughout Aurora: Decima they also achieve that quiet inner confidence that indicates that they are now happy in their own skins. This certainly helps when their small band of warriors gains new members, both in the air and on land.
I am hoping that some members of UNF command will eventually get their just desserts.
There were times I laughed out loud, times when I rode the punches and I even shed a tear. The way this author , can not only enable me to visualize her world and characters but also empathize with them means I'll be reading her books for along time yet.
Five Stars for Amanda Brigeman and Aurora:Decima .
I like the way the beginning of the story closely follows on from Aurora: Eden, especially as we know that at some point the time line needs to be accelerated. The Aurora crew get a chance to catch their breath before the skirmish that we know is coming.
I also like the way the main characters grow in self confidence. Don't misunderstand me, they have always been confident in their abilities, but throughout Aurora: Decima they also achieve that quiet inner confidence that indicates that they are now happy in their own skins. This certainly helps when their small band of warriors gains new members, both in the air and on land.
I am hoping that some members of UNF command will eventually get their just desserts.
There were times I laughed out loud, times when I rode the punches and I even shed a tear. The way this author , can not only enable me to visualize her world and characters but also empathize with them means I'll be reading her books for along time yet.
Five Stars for Amanda Brigeman and Aurora:Decima .
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews