Hi everyone!
I hope everyone is doing well. I've been on a crazy reading spree lately, and I'm so behind on school work, it's alarming.
But anyway, thank you for clicking on my post. Today I have a book review for a spectacular sci-fi book that I recently read and fell in love with, and I'm so excited to share my thoughts with you all.
So without further ado, let's look at the review!
RATING- 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
A young pilot risks everything to save his best friend--the man he trusts most and might even love--only to learn that he's secretly the heir to a brutal galactic empire.
It is a high stakes, action packed, "the- lives-of-thousands-of-people-depend-on-this-mission" kinda read, but it also has a very adorable romance trope you could ever crave.
It has the "we're roommates + best friends to lovers" and "oh shit! There's only one bed." And then lines like-
"No empire is worth it if I don’t have you too."
SYNOPSIS
Ettian Nassun's life was shattered when the merciless Umber Empire invaded. He's spent seven years putting himself back together under its rule, joining an Umber military academy and becoming the best pilot in his class. Even better, he's met Gal Veres--his exasperating and infuriatingly enticing roommate who's made the Academy feel like a new home.
But when dozens of classmates spring an assassination plot on Gal, a devastating secret comes to light: Gal is the heir to the Umber Empire. Ettian barely manages to save his best friend and flee the compromised Academy unscathed, rattled both that Gal stands to inherit the empire that broke him and that there are still people willing to fight back against Umber rule. As they piece together a way to deliver Gal safely to his throne, Ettian finds himself torn in half by an impossible choice. Does he save the man who's won his heart and trust that Gal's goodness could transform the empire? Or does he throw his lot in with the brewing rebellion and fight to take back what's rightfully theirs?
CHARACTERS- Ettian Nassun is loyal, steadfast, brave, and stupidly in love. We would be such good friends. I loved following him through the story and seeing him sacrifice everything for his best friend. He is the character who is usually only cast as a side-character standing beside the hero, but here we see the story from his perspective. The side of someone who has vowed to get his best friend the throne he deserves.
Wren is another character that Ettian and Gal meet along the way, and she gives me very strong Kaz Brekker vibes. She lives and rules the streets, but has immense unlocked potential. I'm so excited to see what the author has in store for us in the next book.
"On my left, power without fathom in the fragile body of a boy. On my right, a nightmare of a girl who should be ruling these streets. And in the middle, there’s me."
THEMES- But the romance and the action is not all that there is, because it delivers into some serious topics as well. It asks the question- "How far would you go for the person you love?"
It takes a deeper view on on imperialism, monarchy, rebellion and oppression. It doesn't shy away from bringing light to the stories of the people who have suffered when there's a war, and innocent people come between two warring powers.
"I can’t lose him, but somehow it feels like I already have."
ACTION- If you're a fan of chase scenes, spaceships, dreadnoughts, and pilots, you have another reason to grab a copy right now.
It has a perfect mix of action and character moments, and it actually made me really invested in the action scenes, even though I'm not a huge fan of them.
It's wildly thrilling, with some serious angst, a heart-wrenching romance, characters and the world filled with turmoil. It's one of the best reads of the year so far.
If you don't read a lot of sci-fi, don't worry because it's not too complicated. The world is pretty easy to understand and the writing is pretty approachable.
Let's Chat!
Let me know any of your thought in the comments!
Until next time,
Bye!
I've seen this book in my local bookstore a thousand times but I never seem to pick it up. Seeing that you gave it such a high rating has definitely changed my mind. I need to read it ASAP. I love anything sci-fi.