Pax Novis

The Pax Archives #1

by Erica Cameron

Cira Antares is deeply loyal to two things: Pax Novis—the cargo ship captained by her mother that transports supplies across war-torn star systems—and her personal mission to save war orphans. But hiding them as stowaways on the ship is illegal, and if any of them were found, not even her mother could protect Cira from the consequences.

She has successfully kept her secret…until supplies start to go missing. Food. Clothing. Tools. All signs point to her stowaways, but they wouldn’t do anything to risk exposing themselves—or her. Especially not Riston, the oldest of the group and someone Cira has grown close to. Someone she might even be falling in love with...

And petty thefts are only the beginning—whole ships are disappearing now.

Not caught in a firefight. Not destroyed by another planet. Vanishing. Without a trace.

And Pax Novis is next.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Queer, LGBT, Science Fiction Fantasy

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 4, 2019

About the author

After a lifelong obsession with books, Erica Cameron spent her college years studying psychology and creative writing, basically getting credit for reading and learning how to make stories of her own. Now, she’s the author of several series for young adults. She’s also a reader, asexuality advocate, dance fan, choreographer, singer, lover of musical theater, movie obsessed, sucker for romance, Florida resident, and quasi-recluse who loves the beach but hates the heat, has equal passion for the art of Salvador Dali and Venetian Carnival masks, has a penchant for unique jewelry and sun/moon décor pieces, and a desire to travel the entire world on a cruise ship. Or a private yacht. You know, whatever works.

Her debut novel, Sing Sweet Nightingale, released March 2014 and it was the first volume of The Dream War Saga. In May 2015, Erica and her co-author Lani Woodland launched the Laguna Tides series with Taken by Chance. Riptide’s YA imprint Triton Books began the Assassins series with Discord in September 2016. The Ryogan Chronicles, a fantasy trilogy through Entangled Teen, launched in 2017 with Island of Exiles. Next up, Erica will be working with Entangled Teen to create a young adult science fiction trilogy pitched as Star Trek: Voyager meets The Expanse and Battlestar Galactica; Pax Novis is set to fly in 2018.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pax Novis by Erica Cameron is the first book of the new thrilling young adult science fiction fantasy The Pax Archives series. In this series the author has tried to include a lot of sexual diverse characters including two non-binary characters and one identifying as asexual along with others.

The world in this novel is at a distant future when many other planets have been colonized and have gone to war with one another. The Pax ships were developed to become humanitarian aid to all the war torn planets delivering food and supplies. Those aboard Pax ships have given up all other citizenship to become Pax citizens living only on the ships. Any attempt to bring others aboard is considered treason.

Cira Antares is a teenage Pax citizen who lives aboard the Pax Novis which is piloted by one of Cira’s mothers, both of which have important jobs on the ship. Cira knows what should happen to anyone helping war orphans but she can’t bring herself to not help those in need having now brought quite a few young stowaways aboard. When things begin to turn up missing a search begins for stowaways but Cira knows it can’t be her group.

While I appreciate what the author was trying to do here with Pax Novis it felt to me to have been a bit too much introduced into the story all at once. The world building was there but that extra sci-fi effort to pull of a galaxy at war seemed to over power the character building. Quite honestly the characters all seemed to be after thought and not fully fleshed out to really know or care about them. It was an interesting attempt that had potential but I'd give this one 2 1/2 stars as it was just a bit much in the end.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Shannon Miz · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

4.5*

Oh, how I love a space adventure! Even better? A high stakes space adventure, which is exactly what we have here! I am going to get the one thing that I struggled with out of the way so we can move on to the awesome: The world is really interesting, really well-built, but it did take me a little bit to fully grasp what was going on. Luckily, the characters gripped me from the start so my interest level was high enough that I was eager to learn about the world. And when I did, I was super glad because it's really fascinating! I'm going to break down the stuff I loved in three separate groups: Characters, world, and plot!

The Characters:

It's a dual POV story, interwoven with some really great mixed media excerpts that give the reader just enough information about what's happening/did happen outside Pax Novis to get the gist of things. Most of our time is focused on main characters Cira and Riston. Let's start with Cira. She's lived on Pax Novis since forever, and she's the daughter of two very high-ranking officials. This is important for a few reasons, one of which is that Cira puts a lot of pressure on herself to make her moms proud. And proud they are! I loved the relationships Cira had with both of her mothers (each was individually fleshed out really well), and just the family dynamics in general. Often in a fast-paced novel as this, especially with the parent(s) being important themselves, the relationships are pushed to the back burner, but not so here. Cira must grapple with her decision to let Riston and the others onto the ship, especially when the shit hits the fan.

Riston has basically lost everyone and everything ze'd ever loved. Ze is now a (super illegal) stowaway, and faces death if caught. Not only that, but Riston has formed zir own little family with the other stowaways that Cira rescued. Riston is also completely in love with Cira, and would do just about anything to keep her safe, too. Basically, Riston will put zir own life on the line to save any of zir loved ones.

Both characters are extremely likable, flawed in their own ways, and so very easy to root for. The side characters are awesome too- I really grew to care for them, and the author made me understand exactly why these people were so beloved by Cira and/or Riston. They're a diverse group of genuinely decent folks who are just trying to save their home and their loved ones. Who wouldn't cheer for them?

The World:

Ooooh child, this world is bananas, in the best way! See, it's pretty far in the future, which I actually like because it makes it believable that so many different space entities/planetary dwellings exist. But as is always the case with human beings, we don't play nice. Someone is always at war, and someone always thinks they have the ultimate solution. Who's right? Is anyone, actually?

We all know I love a gray morality, and this book has it in spades. There are so many questions that we as the reader need to ask for ourselves: Should Cira have allowed the stowaways? Should Pax be so strict with their rules? Who is actually helping who in this world? And that's just the tip of the iceberg...

The Plot:

Okay, holy high stakes! I mean when ships start full-blown vanishing, you know it's getting bad. And when some sketchy things start happening on the ship that our characters are on... well, get ready to be on the edge of your seat! For so long, our characters' main goal has just been to stay under the radar, to remain undetected until they can plan for the future. But when that goes out the window, what will everyone involved do? Not only that, but it involves lots of other ships and lots of other worlds full of people. So again, the stakes just keep escalating, and I love it!

The ending of the book is quite possibly my favorite part, too. I'll spoil nothing of course, but just know that I have not needed a sequel so desperately in quite some time! Where the author chooses to leave the story... well, it's pretty brilliant.

Bottom Line: Once I got a hang of the world, I was so fully invested in this story that I couldn't stop reading. And when I got to the end, all I craved was more of these fabulous characters in this truly intricate world!

[Iona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.75 stars

This book nails a lot of things:
Plot
Setting
Edge-of-your-seat-factor
Writing style
Innovation

But where it substantially lacks is: characters.

And the characters, I could argue, make or break a story. If I don’t feel any type of attachment to any of the characters—if I simply just don’t care what happens to them—a great plot, setting, and writing style will fall short.

Although I simply adored the risks the author did, I loved the new pronoun, the new gender roles, I love that she took into consideration that humanity’s norms are constantly shifting, I love the LGBTQ acceptance (she didn’t make a big deal that there we’re a ton of gay people—for the characters it was simply normal and I love that); I just wish the characters had more dynamics!!!

They all had very 1-dimensional personalities (Cira being the exception to this, she had a bit more depth than the others). When the second book is released, I will be reading it though. If the author can create characters are brilliantly thought-out as this plot, we have ourselves a banger.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Young Adult, SyFy
*Rating* 3-3.5

*Thoughts*

Pax Novis is the first installment in author Erica Cameron's The Pax Archives series. The story largely takes place onboard the spaceship Pax Novis and told by Ensign Cira Antares, the daughter of the Captain and Chief Engineer, and Riston, a stowaway and war orphan. The story also includes documents like communication transcripts and news articles to give the reader a broader understanding what has taken place and what is happening to other Pax ships. They also give indications as to who the real enemies are in this universe.

*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*

https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ships missing in space?  Stowaways?  Yes, please.  And that cover?  A must read.

With a third gender pronoun set created by the author and incorporated into the story and several LGBTQ characters, the representation is outstanding.  Admittedly, I stumbled over the new terminology (ze, zem, zir) early in the book, but before long, I barely noticed it.

The world-building is captivating.  In the midst of war, I loved the idea of a fleet of ships delivering supplies to those in need.  Characterization is also strong with both main and supporting characters.  Riston and Cira both have enormous compassion for the war orphans and big hearts that sometimes cloud their judgement.  And those stowaway war orphans?  The chosen family they create with Riston and the small amount of security they feel on Pax Novis after enduring such horrific circumstances in their short lives is sweet and moving.  You'll feel like they're part of your own family by the end of the book.

Pacing is somewhat sluggish until around the 40% mark, but then it rarely slows.  My heart was racing along with the characters' during the last 20% or so.  The next book is absolutely going on my TBR.

If you're looking for a thrilling sci-fi mystery with wonderful representation and scenes guaranteed get your pulse racing, Pax Novis checks all those boxes.  

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[(Love, Stars and Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

(I received a free eARC from NetGalley and the publisher for a voluntary and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Book review: Pax Novis (The Pax Archives #1) by Erica Cameron (2 stars)


Pax Novis (The Pax Archives #1) by Erica Cameron
Genre: YA, Sci-fi, Thriller
Rating: 2/5 stars

(Synopsis from Goodreads)
Cira Antares is deeply loyal to two things: Pax Novis—the cargo ship captained by her mother that transports supplies across war-torn star systems—and her personal mission to save war orphans. But hiding them as stowaways on the ship is illegal, and if any of them were found, not even her mother could protect Cira from the consequences.

She has successfully kept her secret…until supplies start to go missing. Food. Clothing. Tools. All signs point to her stowaways, but they wouldn’t do anything to risk exposing themselves—or her. Especially not Riston, the oldest of the group and someone Cira has grown close to. Someone she might even be falling in love with...

And petty thefts are only the beginning—whole ships are disappearing now.

Not caught in a firefight. Not destroyed by another planet. Vanishing. Without a trace.

And Pax Novis is next. 

(Review)
(DISCLAIMER: All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

I loved that the terms used in the book are non-binary (Zir for all genders), it did take me a little while to grasp, but once I did, I could fully immerse myself into the sci-fi story. There is also an asexual character.

Unfortunately, I did find the pacing slow and felt that there was more room for more world building. This book reminded me of Toxic by Lydia Kang and Contagion by Erin bowman.

I’m not sure why, I was expecting a lot more romance (I had no idea that there were non-binary terms or an asexual character until I started the book).

By 40%, I was bored and ended up speed reading, I wanted so badly to like this book, but unfortunately, I didn’t connect to the story nor care for the characters. Although, if you want to read or try out a Queer sci-fi novel, definitely check this book out!

[Lauren loves llamas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warnings: descriptions of people killed by bombing, description of child abuse, violent death

I’m not really sure how to define this book. The general plot – Pax ships are losing contact, and the Novis may be next – reads like a thriller, but the pacing is very slow. As an example, the book starts out with notes from a board meeting and a few sections from the Pax ship charter. The chapters are told from the point of view of either Cira, an ensign and the daughter of the captain and head of engineering, and Riston, one of the stowaways Cira has brought on to the ship, interspersed with documents like communication transcripts and news articles. Both characters are very introspective – Cira’s constantly conflicted about whether she’s done the right thing by bringing the stowaways on board and risking the lives of the rest of her crewmates, and Riston’s worrying about remaining on the ship and taking care of the younger stowaways – which I think also slowed down the narrative.

“Ze wasn’t losing anything except a safe place to live. Ze’d never had anything else to lose, not here.
Well, ze corrected with a glance at the other four, that isn’t entirely true. There were things to lose here; ze was simply planning on taking most of them with zem.”

Of the two main characters, I liked Riston the best. Though ze struggled at times with being the honory zazi (nonbinary mom/dad) to the other four stowaways, I loved zir relationship with zir found family. Ze was optimistic, but grounded. Though ze understood that becoming an actual crew member on the ship was impossible, ze still wished to stay to be close to Cira. All of the stowaways have suffered various forms of trauma, from seeing their homes and families destroyed in a war to child abuse, but were generally trying to make the best of it on the Pax Novis. In contrast, Cira came off as too idealistic and rigid, despite the fact that she was the one committing treason to harbor the stowaways. Her family and her ship are basically her whole life, and she’s convinced she doesn’t have room for anything else, including her crush on Riston. She was very quick to jump to believing the worst of the stowaways on the most minor of evidence, which left a general bad taste in my mouth. I think she redeemed herself as the book went on, but her initial reaction stuck with me.

The one thing I really loved about the book is that it’s very queer. Riston is nonbinary and uses the ze pronouns, Cira has two moms, and there’s a few other references to non-cishet relationships. It’s considered normal, when introducing yourself, to also give your pronouns. Cira also identifies as asexual, so, as would be expected, there’s very little sexual contact – the most that happens is a few kisses and handholding. There is a bit of romance, but it’s very mild and more of the pining-from-afar sort. Cira also has a cybernetic arm as a result of a birth defect, and while it comes up a few times in the plot, it’s never something that makes her seen as lesser. Another thing I liked about the book was the world building, despite the fact that I think some of the info dumps negatively affected the pacing. I found the idea of the Pax fleet and its humanitarian mission, in direct contrast the rest of the warmongering quadrant, intriguing, but there was a bit too much philosophizing on whether what they were doing was right.

Overall, while I enjoyed the book, the pacing definitely affected my experience, so I’d rate this more of a 3.5 stars. It picked up a bit in the last 100 pages or so, though, so I’m interested enough to probably pick up the next in the series. I would recommend this if you’re looking for a teen scifi book and don’t mind a slower pace.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

PAX NOVIS is an engaging YA sci-fi novel that takes place in the future, when humans have colonized other planets. Most of the planets are at war, creating a lot of orphans, death, and destruction. The Pax ships are essentially humanitarian, with the crew having given up all allegiance to any planet/place and having Pax citizenship. The crew is mainly composed of the children of children of people who gave up allegiance and were often born and raised on the ships.

The Pax ships carry necessities like food, water, and basics to help civilians who live on the planets. Although their resources are sometimes stretched thin, they believe in their mission to make sure people are taken care of. Cira is one such Pax citizen who believes in the mission, though she does not understand why they cannot transport or offer particular aid to the orphans of the ongoing wars. She has committed treason in that she has aided children to be secretly transported and, in some cases, allowed them to remain as stowaways on board the ship.

Riston is one such stowaway, the one who has been there the longest. He is accompanied by four younger stowaways, who are all really smart and talented children. They all know the ship very well and escape detection through those means. If they are caught, the sentence could be imprisonment/forced to serve in military or dangerous factory or death (depending on age, etc.).

When items start going missing on board the Pax Novis, Cira is quick to blame the stowaways, even though they have as much to lose as anyone by the thefts/carelessness. The alternative is too dangerous- that someone else may be aboard the ship with more sinister motives. When other Pax ships begin to drop communications and then somehow disappear completely, the race is on to save their own ship from the same fate.

This book is a solid sci-fi with great world-building (or should I say universe-building). I fully comprehended the ship, the people, and the situations in this future. The characters are also fully realized, particularly Riston but also Cira, her mothers, and to a lesser extent, the other stowaways. I also really loved how the book not only gives us Riston and Cira's perspectives, but it also includes various documents that come together to give more background on the stowaways, the Pax fleet, and the group behind what is happening to the ships.

Probably one of the the best parts of the book is all the representation with Cira having two mothers plus other LGBT relationships mentioned, a few main characters (Riston, Adrienn) falling in the non-binary (using a new pronoun of ze, zis), and Cira identifying as ace/asexual. While these were not the main plot points of the story (vs. the thriller/suspense of ship sabotage, etc.), their inclusion makes the book all the stronger for it.

Because of all the world-building and character introductions, which are needed with a world so different and such a high volume of characters, the book moves pretty slowly at first. I think I would have liked less at the start in favor of a faster plot, but I imagine future books will be much faster-paced due to all the details and slow-build of this first book. I definitely want to revisit this universe and characters again, regardless.

Overall, this was a fascinating sci-fi/thrilleresque YA read that I would recommend to anyone looking for books with great representation, strong world-building, and a unique plot! I very much look forward to reading the next book.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

[Beth ~Book Loving Is My Superpower~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pax Novis... oh Pax Novis... how you have vexed me! I finished this book quickly but ended up deliberating for days. I argued with myself...pros and cons... I revisited some areas and kicked things around the ole noggin. I thought and debated and it niggled and chaffed... not literally, that would suck! No, the indecision felt like a blemish on my reviewing capabilities. I thought and thought until my tired brain hurt. I couldn't get away from thinking about it but it always came back to the glaring difference between what this book delivered and what it had the potential to be. I know, that's not a fair way to judge a book but... full disclosure... I was slightly disappointed, a smidge letdown. This was an entertaining letdown but a letdown nonetheless YET I remain optimistic. SO, please bear with me if this review seems fickle, I'm still stuck up here, straddling the fence.


This turned out to be a semi- sluggish SciFi/Space Opera about an intergalactic, winner takes all, case of hide and go seek. Did I just whittle the entire book down to a mere child's game?? Why yes, yes I did and unfortunately, even when all of its feathers were puffed up and preened, it wasn't much more robust. This might be due to the fact that the story took place almost entirely in a single locale, the spaceship Pax Novis. With such a flat, 2D backdrop, things felt cramped and stifling. The writing was decent and the characters were too, but there was nothing stellar about either. On the other hand, Pax Novis did manage to tick a bunch of hot topic boxes like Cira having two mothers, Riston & Adrienn being nonbinary and even Cira being Asexual. So, if those are staples in your genre of choice then this is a definite winner for you. Now, I myself love a good yarn that bucks the norm BUT here it felt too on the nose for my taste... like a sledgehammer being used when a scalpel was needed. There were even new pronouns made up to use as alternatives to inherently gendered terms. I found these new pronouns to be distracting. Granted, they weren't so obtrusive that I couldn't catch what was being implied but still, distracting is...well.... annoying. Then, just when I thought the book was hitting its stride, the last third of the book had my attention wandering. I found myself counting the pages, hoping it would resolve quickly, wondering which book in my formidable TBR pile would be my next conquest, what things I should put on my shopping list and

::dum dum dummmmm::

I thought about all the cleaning I had to do...

:::GASP:::

These gloomy portents were nothing short of bad juju... bad juju I say!! And now I need to smudge the room.

Anyway,

Overall: this is a light romp across the Milky Way. With potentially Star Trek-y vibes for the future, Pax Novis has the foundation for a fun, new series. Will I continue on to book#2? It's a firm...Maybe... although right now I am leaning more towards no. Way to commit right? Well, I'm still not sure the motley crew pulled me in or piqued my interests enough to commit to more time with them BUT I can see where it might, potentially, be headed. If it goes the way I'm envisioning it, Pax Novis can be a great Space Opera... which happens to be one of my favorite genres. SO, here's to hoping for the best!

~Enjoy

*** I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ***

[Nikole Clow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pax Novis is a fun and thrilling space adventure set far into the future. Earth isn’t the only planet that contains lifeforms, so it was really cool to see how Cameron designs the future. I loved the overall setting and the character representation in Pax Novis, as well as the main plot behind the story.

Erica Cameron provides just enough information to make the reader aware of the world surrounding the ship, Pax Novis, which is where most of the book takes place. There were some instances where I felt there was information overload, but as the story progressed, I understood why so much was revealed at once; it was necessary to know that information for the future of the story. And I loved how everything pieced together by the end of the story!

Even though I did enjoy this science fiction story, I was a little thrown off by the slow plot. I felt that it took awhile for any action to really take place and set the story in motion. It did pick up for the last 100 pages or so, but I was hoping for more of an action-packed science fiction adventure. Those aspects are present, just not throughout the whole book, mainly the adventure part. But the mystery part was fun; I’m all for a good mystery and I loved how this one came together in stellar fashion.

It did take a few chapters before I got used to the writing and identification. One character does not identify as he/she but rather as the ‘Z’ pronouns, which I haven’t read a book yet that did that, so it was really nice to see that take shape. Even though it took a few chapters for me to get acquainted with the use of those pronouns, I thought it added a nice representation to the storyline and character. When it comes to the main two characters, I found them to be well-written and beautifully flawed, yet strong and brave. That’s what I love in characters: that characters are meant to come across as strong, but also highlight their flaws. That’s what makes them human, and Cameron does a wonderful job portraying those traits.

Overall, I enjoyed this thrilling science fiction adventure and I found it to be an entertaining and light read for the YA genre.

[The Word Nerd Reviews Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise for this one grabbed me straight away. A spaceship with ‘illegal’ passengers being smuggled to safer zones, one of those passengers is possibly a killer, and no one can know about it except for the one person on the ship’s crew that is doing the smuggling. Colour me intrigued!

Although the writing style was great, and the story moved along well and captured my interest, I DNF’d at about 30% (on Kindle). Let me explain:

I’m a long time epic fantasy reader, so I am accustomed to their being other languages (real, made up, and combinations) in a story. But these languages usually only form a small part of the story and occur in small sections scattered throughout the book. I really struggled with the new pronouns. I constantly had to go back to the front of the book to look up what they referred to. It completely broke up the flow of the story. I found reading the story was too much work. I already read complicated texts for work/university, I read for relaxation and enjoyment, and unfortunately, I found neither in this book. I was disappointed that it was not mentioned somewhere in the description the various sub-genres this story belonged.

This book had a lot of potential, and I have no doubt that a great many readers will love it. If you are unsure, I’d recommend downloading a sample before purchasing. You never know, this book may just be your favourite read of 2019!

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

*squeals* Yesss! 5 stars :D
Oh my goodness where to start, I loved every part of this book. I loved the setting (space - yes!), particularly the ship itself, I am a huge sci-fi fan. I loved the story, and I loved the character/world building. Most especially, I loved the way this book made me feel! Everything just felt so real. The bond between the characters, the camaraderie, the trials they experienced, the loss.. it was all so believable and I felt every bit of it with them. I found this book so emotional, it tugged on all the right heartstrings. I had absolutely no problem connecting with every single character and empathising with every single situation and decision. Fantastic writing.

I won't lie, the addition of the 'ze' pronoun tripped me up in the beginning.. but my brain eventually adjusted the more I kept reading and I ending up finding it quite fitting.

Absolutely loved it :D

[Online Eccentric Librarian]

While Pax Novis is an earnestly written sci fi full of diversity and sympathetic (perhaps even over-idealized) characters, I had to stop reading because it became a bit too confusing. I greatly appreciated the diversity of characters in the book but it was also frustrating when a main character is non binary and given new pronouns. I think we will need to go in this direction one day to be more inclusive in the English language but it was just a bit too confusing now when I've only just learned these terms. It took me out of the story and I had to reread sentences constantly and retranslate them. An example of a few sentences gives an idea, "Riston wanted to ask why. Ze didn't. Cira glanced at zem, though, and seemed to see zir curiosity." Ze/(s)he, zem/him or her, zir/his or her. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Jamie Coudeville · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had trouble connecting to the story and the characters. Not a whole lot happened in the first half of the book. However, when everything started to fall apart, that's when it really piqued my interest. And judging by the ending, book 2 is going to start right in the action.

Good rep though, there's are characters who use the "ze" pronoun. It took a while to get used to as a non-native English speaker. Doesn't help that "ze" in my native language means "she". Also loved that Cira is asexual, but I wish it had been featured more than just one mention.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I really liked this book: its space setting, on a huge space-ship who delivers goods to planets in need, and its current themes about war orphans, refugees, and illegal stowaways. The story is solid and compelling, the characters well rounded and interesting, in addition to actual non binary characters!
I'm not giving 5 stars because the world-building was a bit lacking and it dropped you in medias res without a proper explanation.

[Annarella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this a good attempt at writing a hard sci-fi novel but I found it a bit confusing and I wasn't impressed by the world building which seemed to be more oriented to be inclusive that creating a specific sci-fi environment.
There's potential but I think there should be some more effort in the world building part and less confusion with the pronouns.
The romance was interesting but it wasn't easy to root for the characters.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Lovely Loveday]

Pax Novis is the first book in The Pax Archives series by Erica Cameron and is a young adult science fiction novel. An engaging novel that takes place in the future, when humans have colonized other planets. You will get swept away to another world, another time as you become part of this sic-fi adventure that is full of unknowns.  A complex sci-fi story with great world-building. Pax Novis is an intriguing young adult sci-fi thriller. I can't wait for the next book in The Pax Archives. . 

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a bit difficult for a speed reader to read. The new pronouns threw me quite a bit at first. I had to reread many of the pages which took away from the flow of the book. The first part of the book was slow (even with the rereading). The world building was detailed. Once I got into the flow the story moved along. I liked the characters and Cira and Riston were realistic. It was open ended for the next story. While not an easy read it was worth the extra work.

[Kristīne Vītola]

Asexual MC (Cira)

[aspeccharactersoftheday]

https://aspeccharactersoftheday.tumbl...

[Melissa Overby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not finish this. I'm not sure what part of it didn't click with me, but it really wasn't my cup of tea.

[Trigger Warning Database]

Trigger & Content Warnings

Child abuse
Bombing

[Cressa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a slow start, however I really like where the author took the book and am eagerly anticipation the next novel in the series.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting. 

We are thrown into a scifi thriller set in space, and to make it more engrossing, there's a killer loose on the cargo ship!

It's an adventure story of a girl who smuggles orphans through the galaxy aboard her mother's ship, but when things go missing, everything begins to point towards her, leading her to find out who is really stealing the stuff. And, she better find out before she's next. 

There is a lot of sexual diversity in this one as well between the characters. I didn't feel like the romances took over the story itself, so if you like lighter, romance-driven stories with tons of fun, scifi elements, you will really enjoy this one as much as I did. 

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. The world building was unique and kept my interest from start to finish.