Challenge Corner discussion

With millions of dollars at stake, walking away isn’t an option.

Emmett Atwater agrees to leave Earth behind when Babel Communications offers him a fortune. The catch? He has to launch into deep space to get it. One of ten selected recruits, Emmett boards the company’s spaceship and sets course for a planet that Babel has kept hidden from the rest of the world.

Before long, Emmett discovers that all of Babel’s recruits have at least one thing in common: they’re broken. Broken enough that Babel can remold them however it pleases.

Every training session is a ruthless competition where friendships are tested and enemies are made. Each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden—where they will mine nyxia, a substance that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe.

But Babel’s ship is full of secrets. Secrets about the volatile substance they’re hoping to mine, about the reclusive humanoids already living on Eden, and about the true intentions for the recruits.

Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won’t forever compromise what it means to be human.

25% (view spoiler)[ I'm really digging this so far! I like the competition and the different challenges. The alliances are interesting, I like Kaya. I'm a bit worried about Emmett, I hope he doesn't change and let this consume him (hide spoiler)]

50% (view spoiler)[ I'm really interested in what awaits the group on Babel. The fact that they have to do all these physical tasks and manipulate nyxia, I wonder if it's not as great as it seems. They're all changing, getting tougher and I'm excited to see who gets picked to go. (hide spoiler)]

75% (view spoiler)[ Poor Kaya!! That was terrible. And now they have to compete against another group for spots? I want Emmett, Bilal, and Katsu to make it for sure. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[ What the hell?! I wonder which winners lost their fights against the losers and aren't in the ships? And what is going to happen when they land and interact with the aliens? I'm so excited to read the sequel! (hide spoiler)]

Nyxia 13%

(view spoiler)[I'm so glad I'm rereading this. I'm really happy to get back into it and rediscover what I loved about this book. It is especially good now that all three books are published, and I own two of them, (hide spoiler)]

Nyxia 29%

(view spoiler)[I forgot how much of a social analysis this book takes. I'm fascinated by the interactions between Emmett and everyone else. I also don't remember a lot of the details of the story, so it is a very interesting reread. (hide spoiler)]

Nyxia 45%

(view spoiler)[As with many of my favorites that I reread, I'm remembering why I fell in love with this book. The characters are so completely human and are all very different. Also, I'm screaming at Emmett and Kaya not to be so stupid since I've already read the book and know that Kaya gets killed by the Adamite. I really do care about the characters, and I am anxious to reread this one and move on to Nyxia Unleashed. (hide spoiler)]

Aly wrote: "Finished [spoilers removed]"

I said that exact thing when I first read it. Like, the pods? It was so creepy to think about and I really need to read the sequel.

I got the sequel from the library today so hopefully I can start!

ch 8 (view spoiler)[ Isadora is going to be a problem. She thinks Emmett killed Roathy and will try to kill him as vengeance. He needs to watch out for her and her allies. I'm sad Bilal didn't make it down, but it makes sense that he wouldn't fight someone. Babel are definitely bad guys and I'm wondering if they plan to kill the Adamites and take the planet for themselves. (hide spoiler)]

Nyxia 62%

(view spoiler)[OMG I'm screaming. It doesn't matter that I've read this before, the events of the last few chapters are somehow even more shocking knowing what's coming next. I can see all the foreshadowing that I missed before, and there's so much I know I'm still not seeing.

Like, the stuff with Kaya: I was still mentally screaming at them not to do what they were doing. I forgot about the "interlude" with the Babel files, but now I want to know even more what they were. I understand a lot more about the plans Babel made during the "interlude," although I still don't know where any of this is going. I remember why I loved this book and Scott Reintgen the first time. (hide spoiler)]

Nyxia 74%

(view spoiler)[I think one of my favorite things about this story is that I kind of have to put it down from time to time because it's so intense. It's really not the kind of book you can read all at once, because there are so many twists and you have to stop and truly think about every character and reflect on every scene. I love it. It's also amazing to reflect on everything, and to trace the foreshadowing and notice what I didn't before. I'm really excited to reread the ending and move on to book #2! (hide spoiler)]

Nyxia 100%

(view spoiler)[Sometimes I reread a book and I'm just like, why did I ever enjoy this in the first place? It's horrible and the writing sucks and... anyway that was absolutely NOT the case with Nyxia. I was deeply in love with this book all over again. Also, I'm still kind of holding out a tiny hope that somehow Kaya is still alive, even though it's basically impossible... then again, I've seen more surprising plot twists for this kind of thing. (hide spoiler)]

End of part 1 (view spoiler)[ Woah, Holly got taken over by the nyxia and is basically a robot now? And I hate Isadora, trying to make Emmett and the others out to be horrible people because she was dumb enough to get pregnant at a terrible time and is mad her babby's daddy didn't make it onto Eden. I wonder what conflicts there will be? (hide spoiler)]

End of part 2 (view spoiler)[ That's crazy they only have 20 women. No wonder they value children. I wonder if they want the humans to come settle and mate with them so they don't die out? (hide spoiler)]

End of part 3 (view spoiler)[ Hmm, the Imago (spelling?) definitely have ulterior motives, but so does Babel. I'm waiting for it all to come together and explain what's really going down. I'm glad Anton is doing okay and helped the captive (hide spoiler)]

finished (view spoiler)[ That was such a sad ending! Jamie died, Longwei has disappeared, Babel decimated Eden and now what? I thought this was a bit slower than the first, but still really compelling and I'm excited to see how it ends (hide spoiler)]

I'll probably start the last book on Wednesday

Nyxia Unleashed 23%

(view spoiler)[I'm really glad I reread the first book before diving into this one. The series just jumps right in. It's heart wrenching and disturbing and I love it. I also love that they're discovering more about the planet and are already seeing the Imago (not the Adamites) as a better option than Babel.

I really respect Scott Reintgen and his ability to create a completely new world, and to have humans from this world discover that world, instead of it just being there. It's amazing. (hide spoiler)]

Nyxia Unleashed end of part 1:

(view spoiler)[Okay so a) are they hoping the Imago and the females will be able to mate? That's disgusting. b) I'm really glad it's been openly said that Alex and Anton were together. I was almost worried that Reintgen was queer-baiting, and I am so glad that's not the case. I know he talks about wanting kids to see themselves in his books, so I'm glad he means that for LGBT kids as well. c) WTF Katherine??? I kind of suspected there would be something with another group of kids, but I expected them to be already on the planet and have to fight the first set, kind of like at the end of the first book. (hide spoiler)]

Aly wrote: "I'll probably start the last book on Wednesday"

Cool. I'm a little bit slower than I should be. I am still on the second book and need to get the third one from the library, so it will be a little while for me.

Okay. Originally I thought I could get the audio from my library but it has a ton of holds so I have to decide if I'm going to buy it or what. Might be next week before I get to it

Nyxia Unleashed parts 2-3:

(view spoiler)[This story is truly impressive. I mean, Anton finding out Bilal is alive? Appalling. The way the Imago see the kids versus the way the kids see themselves? That changes the game completely. I can truly see a little bit of myself in each and every one of the kids, although there's no way I would be on this mission. I love that Anton gets a little bit of POV, just little enough to make the reader care about him but also keep Emmett as the main focus. (hide spoiler)]

Finished Nyxia Unleashed

(view spoiler)[I am so excited to get a copy of Nyxia Uprising and see where this goes. I might even end up buying a copy, because I know this whole series is something I want to reread again and again. I haven't felt this way about many series, not since I finished Harry Potter almost twelve years ago. The Nyxia Triad changes that for me.

The ending was really sad but also hopeful. I'm so excited to read the last book! (hide spoiler)]

Aly wrote: " finished [spoilers removed]"

I was pretty sad about Jamie too. I'm surprised you think that was a little slower than the first. I thought it was much more fast-paced, with more twists around every corner.

I think it's because I really liked the competition part of the first book, but this did have a lot of twists and you never knew who you could trust or what people's motivations were

Nyxia Uprising 10%

(view spoiler)[ 40 pages in and I'm already crying. I read Scott Reintgen's "review" of his own third book, and he says, "your favorites aren't safe." I can't even begin to predict where this is going to go. I just have to keep echoing Morning and Emmett: This is not the last kiss. This is not the end. (hide spoiler)]

Celia wrote: "Nyxia Uprising 10%

[spoilers removed]"

I'll try to start today!

ch 10 (view spoiler)[ I like that we're getting lots of points of view so we can piece together what's happening. I really like seeing how Long Wei thinks. He's probably their greatest help right now (hide spoiler)]

Nyxia Uprising end of part 1:

(view spoiler)[I'm glad Isadora has come around and is starting to become friends with Morning. I don't know how I feel about four points of view instead of one and Morning getting more of the spotlight but I think the story will live up to the rest of the series. I'm kind of surprised about Azima and Emmett being the ones chosen to go the separate way but it kind of makes sense from a literary point of view. I do like where this is going, though. (hide spoiler)]

Nyxia Uprising end of part 2:

(view spoiler)[ There's still so many twists! I love it. Also, I teared up so much when Morning and Emmett were pulled apart again! Up until Beatty, I didn't think any of the Genesis kids who died actually deserved it, but he definitely did, and I don't blame Morning for killing him.

I'm glad Bilal is back in the story. I really missed him and it was hard to read the parts where Emmett missed him so much too, knowing he was alive. The fact that he and Roathy survived kind of makes it easier to read the story without Kaya and Jamie. (hide spoiler)]

Nyxia Uprising 70%

(view spoiler)[This is a trip. The last few chapters have been kind of standard twists, and I'm not sure what's coming but there's still about a hundred pages left and the Defoe is still alive, so I don't know. I feel like the only main issue was the Nyxia converters cutting out, and there wasn't a lot of death of important characters. I'm not sure if Ida is alive or not. I thought she sacrificed herself to save Roathy, but then her name is mentioned again when it says she, Holly, and Noor follow Parvin. It may have been a typo though, because both Isadora and Morning act like she died. Idk. (hide spoiler)]

Nyxia Uprising end of part 3:

(view spoiler)[I didn't like part three as much. Everything kind of happened more as predicted, and it went on a little bit. Still a very powerful few chapters, but not as powerful, and not as many plot twists, as previously. I kind of figured Longwei was one of the ones who would die, and I'm a little surprised that more of them didn't. I suspected maybe Bilal would die for real, and likely Azima or Jazzy, or even Morning. I mean, there's still 40 pages left, so I don't know.

I did tear up a little bit when Erone sacrificed himself. I suspected it would have to happen that way, but it's sad that it had to be Erone. (hide spoiler)]

Finished!

I am so, so grateful that my school librarian introduced me to this series a few years ago. It's easily one of the most beautiful things I have ever read.

Yay I'm glad you finished and loved it! I'm almost done :)

ch 20 (view spoiler)[ Everything is terrible right now! Morning was forced to leave Emmett, Dafoe is taking control of Erone and sent a bunch of Imago out to space. Anton is in danger, agh! (hide spoiler)]
ch 30 (view spoiler)[ Okay, we've done a 180 almost. Long Wei got Dafoe out of Erone and has a weapon to take him down. Anton and Alex are reunited as are Emmett and Morning. They all need to get off the planet asap and stop Dafoe and the marines. (hide spoiler)]

end of part 3 (view spoiler)[ Well I'm not surprised that Erone sacrificed himself, he felt that he had to pay for what happened with the Imago, even though it wasn't his fault. And I'm bummed Long Wei died. I didn't want anyone to die, but I did kind of think more would die (hide spoiler)]

Celia wrote: "(view spoiler)[Nyxia Uprising end of part 3:

I didn't like part three as much. Everything kind of happened more as predicted, and it went on a little bit. Still a very powerful few chapters, but not as powerful,... (hide spoiler)]"

I agree! (view spoiler)[ It wasn't my favorite and I was pretty sad when Erone died too (hide spoiler)]

finished (view spoiler)[I really enjoyed this series and I'm glad I listened to the audiobook. The last installment had a lot going on and even though I liked the different points of view, I sometimes got confused with what was happening or who all these secondary characters were. Overall I'm glad it had a happy ending (hide spoiler)]