Thanks, NetGalley, for sharing this ARC with me! It was a welcome reprieve from Hunger Games copycats. Yes, there are several teens fighting to reach the end goal of reaching Eden, a hospitable planet housing a beyond valuable new-to-humans substance called Nyxia, but the competition between the teens is the only major similarity to HG. This takes place in the near future, on a space ship, traveling what would have taken others 20 years only around 6 months. The teens have to learn to overtake their weaknesses, make partnerships or alliances they weren't expecting to make, become friends with those they had not foreseen. I absolutely loved Emmet and Kaya's brotherly friendship. Will definitely add the next installment to my TBR list!

Will be leaving reviews on Goodreads and Amazon.

I really adored this novel. I'm not usually one to go for pure sci-fi books, but this one changed my mind. The whole competition aspect is a little over-done in YA, yet Scott Reintgen did a really good job of keeping things interesting. This novel was futuristic, but still very relatable. The characters were dynamic; they had flaws and strengths, they made mistakes, and their relationships had ups and downs. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, a new twist was thrown at me! I found myself never wanting to put the book down. I would highly recommend this book, even if science fiction isn't your usual go-to genre.

Let me start by saying this is a Netgalley review, I received it for free for an honest review.

Also, I am so excited that FINALLY I got approved for a book that wasn’t horrible! I enjoyed this book so much. I love space and I always enjoy a completion so this was an extremely right fit for me. I officially have preordered this book that comes out in September!

This book is a good crossover between The Hunger Games and the 100. A group of kids/teens whatever you want to call them are chosen from all over the world to compete in a competition in space. The winners get to go to a planet called Eden. For competing, the kids will earn an income and healthcare for their families back home. But first, they must compete because not all 10 children are going to go Eden. Only 8 of them will be chosen. Their job on Eden will be mining Nyxia, a substance they are also trained to use. The entire book is compiled of their training and competition. Emmett one of the competitors and he desperately needs the money and the healthcare benefits the competition will provide. We watch the friendships and rivalries grow, but everyone has secrets.

The characters were all so different, some I grew attached too. They all had strengths and weaknesses and I cannot wait to explore more of that.

It is an incredibly interesting plot and it kept me wanting more. I am annoyed that I will probably have to wait an entire year for the next book and this book isn’t even out yet! The con of reviewing books I suppose.

But 4/5 stars, can’t wait for the next one. Preferably soon!.

Are you a fan of Ender's Game? Read this book.
Are you a fan of YA Science Fiction? Read this book.
Are you a fantasy fan who is willing to try a book that happens to take place in space? Read this book.

I've been reading a lot of YA science fiction lately and am in awe of how excellent the field is right now. Nyxia is the perfect example of that. It's a story at once both familiar and new. It's also a perfect blending of fantasy and science fiction that I think will appeal to both audiences.

When I first started reading, I was struck by the similarities to Ender's Game (which just happens to be one of my favorite childhood books/series). However, Nyxia took the good parts - namely the competitions, the lovable characters, and the aliens- and then proceeded to add an additional layer of diversity and depth to everything. There's cool advanced technology without the technobabble that I know is incomprehensible or intimidating to some readers. Of course, that could partially be due to the fact that the advanced tech is based on nyxia, a substance that seems as if it would be more at home in a fantasy novel.

Most of the plot takes place on Babel's spaceship, centered around the competition to determine who will descend to Eden. The challenges continually change and it was fascinating to see how the characters adapted to them and dealt with the pressure. The space limitations due to the spaceship setting allowed the authors to really develop the characters and their relationships as well as explore what effects the competition had on them. There were brief sections featuring scenes that took place elsewhere that served to increase the sense of mystery and danger surrounding Babel. The plot was relatively straightforward but certainly compelling.

The true strength of this novel lay in the characters. From Emmett, the flawed but relatable protagonist, to Bilal, the eternal optimist, to Kaya, the brilliant mastermind, you will fall in love with all of them. I did have my favorites (namely the three above) but each character was so unique, I know that other readers will have their own favorites. All of the characters were incredibly realistic and I have rarely seen a more diverse cast of characters in YA science fiction. Even if I didn't love the storyline, I'd have read this book only for the characters.

Nyxia also has a significant amount of social commentary. The backstory of each character reveals the injustices and inequalities that currently exist in their world (and ours as well). While all of them were thought-provoking, Emmett's story nearly broke my heart. His family has worked themselves to the bone and have no hope of advancing beyond a paycheck to paycheck existence. His mother desperately needs better medical care than they have access to, which led to Emmett signing up with Babel in exchange for money and guaranteed care for her. Most YA books suffer from missing parent syndrome so it was nice to see one where the parents were so present and had such a strong and loving bond with their son.

Even though Nyxia isn't out yet, I'm already anticipating the sequel. Nyxia is the perfect combination of science fiction and fantasy with characters that will make you fall in love. Definitely one of the best science fiction books I've read lately.

Simply one of the best Sci-fis I’ve ever read!

Set in a not-so-distant future, we follow Emmett, a troubled kid from Detroit, and 9 other teenagers, picked by Earth’s largest corporation from all around the world. They only have one thing in common - they are desperate and will sign any contract for the promised wealth. And now they are all dispatched on a mission they never could have imagined.

Besides my obvious love for Sci-fi and dystopian novels, the concept behind this book really surprised me. I can’t say that it is something we’ve never seen before, because there are a lot of movies and maybe even books revolving around “life outside of Earth”, but since I’ve never read anything similar, I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by the story.

I enjoyed the spirit of competition and the competition itself! It gave a slight vibe of «The Hunger Games», definitely far from the bloodthirstiness and survival of the games, but very exciting nonetheless.

There was not a single thing that I disliked about «Nyxia» by Scott Reintgen and I am beyond excited for the next book in the series.

From the first page, this book had me. In the tradition of classic sci-fi, you are thrown into the middle of the story and accept everything you are being told without question. This enhanced the overall mystery surrounding Babel and Nyxia that Emmett and we the readers feel. I am already for book 2 to be in my hands!

When I first started reading Nyxia, I definitely felt there were similarities to Ender's Game in regards the circumstances that led to Emmett and the rest of the members of Genesis 11 employment with Babel. Emmett however has his own flaws as a character and defies the typical hero/golden boy archetypes often set up for main characters. I also appreciated that Mr. Reintgen didn't hold punches while writing. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility in this book and it makes it an exciting and unpredictable read that you can't put down.

Could turn down an offer of immense wealth and free healthcare for your mother with cancer? What if that offer would send you to the far end of the universe? Emmett and nine other teens are given the opportunity to join a team to mine Nyxia from a far planet. We accompany Emmett as he fights for a spot on the team, faces the bait-and-switch tactics of the company running the mining operation, and strives to find friendship amidst the cut-throat competition he’s been thrown into.

Nyxia is action-packed and fast paced. I enjoyed the creative competitions these kids had fight their way through for spots on the team and well as the fabulous properties of Nyxia, the valuable substance they'll be mining. I found myself rooting for Emmett and even sympathizing with some of his less ethical competitors as the grueling contest drew to a close and the stakes got higher. Each character had something to lose if they didn't make the team. I also found myself wondering exactly what the young miners would find when they reach their Eden, the destination planet. Nyxia is a fun read, great for lovers of sci fi and action-adventure.

The review will post on thewingedpen.com on August 8th.

Review to be posted August 29th.

Oh my god. I cannot believe how good this book is. For real, if this isn’t made into a movie I will cry.

Nyxia follows Emmett, one of ten teenagers selected by the Babel Corporation to go to the planet Eden. They’ll all make the trip but only eight will be chosen to continue on to the planet and received the prize, an absurd amount of money. The competitions focus around using nyxia, the substance Earth is mining from Eden, the reason for the trip. But a lot about this trip doesn’t make sense. Why was Emmett selected? He sure didn’t apply for this. What do him and the other recruits have in common? How much do we really understand Nyxia? And how much of what Babel says can be trusted?

There’s so much mystery in this book. It has a very Hunger Games/Divergent feel to it. There’s competition but there’s also great friendships. The competitors are fighting for Babel while at the same time wondering if Babel’s actually trustworthy. I enjoyed this book immensely and don’t know how I’m going to make it until the sequel.

Despite some minor flaws, it was a page-turner that kept me hooked from the beginning to the end.
I'll surely keep this author on my radar and read the next instalment(s).

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Welcome to the future, or at least I think it's the future, I do not know about the situation on Earth, but a new planet named Eden was found, an with it a new race the Adamites, but especially a new substance called Nyxia. The latter interacts with humans who can control it and adapt it to their wills. Of course, this substance is already an economic challenge on Earth and a group of teenagers is selected for a special mission on Eden, but places are expensive and competition is tough.

What I find amazing about this book is that there is very little context, the majority of the book takes place on the ship where the ten teenagers compete, the economic, ecological or political situation of Earth is unknown for the reader, just like the situation of Eden, we know that the Adamites are rather hostile, but the discovery of the planet remains a mystery and I loved it. I am therefore extremely curious to read the next book, because I hope to find answers on all this, but the author has also introduced big questions about the Nyxia and the company that exploits it, so I am even more curious.

As for the plot of this first volume, I find it a little classic, teenagers who compete is a theme often seen in YA, I appreciated Emmet, but I was not dazzled by what I read because of that even if it was still fun and actionpack. The book universe has a lot of potential, I have a billion questions and I think this first volume is a solid introduction to the universe of the trilogy. So I'm looking forward to reading and finding out more with the sequel.

Overall,I recommand this book for fan of YA and scifi .

*review will be published on Stellar Kitten Book Reviews on August 29th

❝ Babel might have all the keys, but they don't know what they're keeping in the cage. Not yet, but I'll teach them soon enough.❞

I had a lot of fun reading this book. One of my favorite aspects had to be the concept of nyxia as this malleable substance. It can be changed into just about anything, even fuel. I think it was incredibly cool the different ways Babel applied it to the ship itself.

As for Babel itself, I couldn't shake the feeling that they were up to something shifty. Babel promises Emmett and the rest of the recruits an incredible amount of money for going to Eden, but it's only until they sign their contract and are up in space that Babel drops the bomb: they will only be taking eight out of the ten. While the other two will still get some money for their participation, it is significantly less than if they won a spot to Eden.

Throughout the trip, Babel sets up different tasks and activities meant to ready the participants for their stay on Eden. It includes everything from learning to manipulate nyxia to mining to fighting. Everything is scored and displayed throughout the ship. It's hard not to constantly check your score or think of things (and people) in terms of points, and this eventually weighs on Emmett. One of his main concerns is that his drive to win will consume him and turn him into something he's not (like some of the other participants), but he's also worried that if he can't be tough enough he'll lose. 

Each of the participants has had a rough life and this money could change everything for them. They're all desperate for money and can't afford to lose. If he can't want this bad enough, there are plenty of others who do.

❝ The only good thing about being a black hole is that other black holes recognize you.❞

I really enjoyed the scenes between Emmett and Kaya. Their friendship was one of the biggest reasons, I think, that Emmett was able to resist Babel's negative influence. She put things in perspective for him and reminded him that there were always choices. She was also a great strategist and helped him climb up in ranks.

And although I didn't necessarily approve of the things that Isadora and Roathy did, I liked how loyal they were to one another. 

The biggest weakness of this book was probably the number of characters. It was hard to remember them all, and not all of them stood out as much as others. Although, I guess that problem will be fixed in the next book since there won't be as many. 

Babel also gave some background for Eden and their people, but I was still left wanting to know more. I think the book gave us just enough to make us curious and I'm sure we'll find out a lot more in the next book once everyone reaches Eden. 

All in all, I think this book made for a really solid first book to a series. I liked the character development and plot, and I'm dying to know the fate of both the ones who made it to Eden and the ones who didn't. 

Nyxia comes out on September 12th so be sure to check it out!

Wonderful book. Very interesting plot. I loved the different take on the sci fi genre.

Holy Toledo! So many twists and turns! Formal review to follow on my website and book outlets. I mean, Damn!!!! So good!

I enjoyed the characters. Ten down-on-their-luck teenagers competing for enough money to change their families' lives forever. There's a good mix of nationalities and ethnicities. Although, the characterization walked the very edge of stereotyping. Possibly crossed it at times.

The story focuses on Emmett, our MC. He's a young, POC teenage boy whose Mom is deathly ill. The money and benefits from this challenge are the only things that will save her life. We only really get to know him. The other children and side characters are props for his growth and self-realization. He struggles to retain his humanity while focused on providing what his family desperately needs.

"The props" and the setting is where the story left me scratching my head in confusion. This book tried to emulate the greats, Ender's Game, The Hunger Games, Red Rising. The plot has merit, but there were too many things left unexplained. Too many devices that the reader is expected to accept as given. Too many instances of "how, why, what" left me feeling strangely detached.

Have you ever read a sci-fi without the sci? I have, now.

I needed more. Obviously, a lot more pseudo science. But also, a little more development of the side-characters. The character development was almost there. Almost pulled me in. I only needed a little more tension, a little more punch during the peaks of the plot.

I thought the ending was epic. Perfect. This is the way to end a first book in a series. It leaves us satisfied with a conclusion yet anxious to find out what's next.

Maybe if you're not as much of a sci-fi fan as I am this book will work well for you.

2.5 stars

I file this book under M for meh.

This book was fun, to say the least. It could be easily read in one sitting. Competition –at least for me- is always entertaining to read about and I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of this trope. However, fun isn’t enough.

When the Babel Corporation chooses Emmet to go to a new planet, he doesn’t think twice about accepting their offer. After all, the 50 000$ each month for the rest of his life isn’t something he can refuse, especially that he’s family is very poor. They have to get Nyxia, a very expensive substance not available on Earth, from Eden.

Emmet soon discovers that he’s competing with 9 other people and only 8 can go to the new planet. Thus, he’ll do everything in his power to win although he feels like Babel is hiding some dangerous secrets.


Let’s start by the few things I liked. The book is easy to read and keeping up with the new information doesn’t take any effort at all. It’s also entertaining. I liked that our 10 characters have to challenge each other, alone and in teams. I didn’t get bored while reading it and that’s something. I also like the diversity in this book. The contestants are from different countries from all around the Globe.


Babel Corporation is named as such because it removes the language barrier. People can have their own translators attached to their jaw. That’s my first problem. As someone who isn’t an English native speaker, I always struggle with translation. I’m fluent and all but when someone asks me what does this English word mean in Arabic? If it is a bit complicated, I struggle to find its translation. Sure I can explain it in a sentence but not in a word. Anyway, so yeah we also have these words that have many meanings. Let’s say spring. It can mean different things in different contexts. One of the hardest things to do is translating a book. Many expressions will sound . You can’t say "a piece of cake" in Arabic, you’ll sound silly. So it’ll need work on how to get your reader understand what the author meant without translating word for word. Which brings us to my problem in this book.

As creative as it sounds I refuse to believe that there’s something that easily translates everything while not changing any of the contexts. Yes, the author spoke about expressions relative to each language. But you know? It would’ve been fine if it wasn’t for the word “cool”. You see, the Nyxia translator got it wrong. It translated it ironically, to Arabic, as cold. However, if you GOOGLE TRANSLATE IT (worst translator ever), you’ll see that it can mean “very good” as well. Later, we have someone reading in Japanese and Emmet understanding what she’s reading in English. WHATTTTTTTTT. Has any of you read manga? Do you notice the infinitely many mistakes that translators make? (I’m not criticizing them because God bless them for doing it for free) What I mean is that they’re translators and they can translate incorrectly only a few words from Jap to English (took this example because the Jap contestant reads to Emmet). Can you imagine the whole book? So after the word cool, do you want me to believe that a book can be translated correctly?


We know so little about Earth. Yes, it’s the future and we still have the same countries but surely not everything is still the same, yet we barely know anything about it. With all the advanced technology, can’t all the kids make a conversation is English?? I mean most of us can do it in 2017. Shouldn’t the future be more common? What’s happening right now?? Surely we don’t have the same political systems. Of course, many things changed. More developed technology and such but we don’t even know what the year is!!!!!!! We only know that Babel is very advanced and that’s only because of the Nyxia substance!!! Lack of world-building? Oh yes, very much. Therefore, I didn’t see much sci-fi. No wowzy stuff men made or anything “science”. Believe me, I’d know because I’m not the biggest fan of this genre.


This book screams diversity. Different races, different languages, different cultures, different everything. Emmet is PoC and I really liked this aspect. However, the population on Earth must be over 10 billion at the time. YET, of course, 3 will be Americans. Sorry, 2 Americans and 1 from Detroit. Hey, are from the States Emmet? I’m from Detroit. R U KIDDING ME??????????? Not even Texas. Not even a State. But a damn city. Yes, yes, it’s known but not to everyone. Since we don’t know anything about schools systems and programs, at least to know if they study about the United States cities and villages, it’s so absurd to say I’m from Detroit. Believe me, a foreigner might know many states. However, can you guarantee that the person you’re speaking to knows a city in your country? *sigh*Americans.


The other characters go something like this
Jazzy: nice
Isabel: loves Roathy, always angry
Roathy: there’s something dark about him
Longwei: mean and wants to be on top
Katsu: big with a (ridiculous) sense of humor
Kaya: strategic and kind
Jamie: pretty boy (although he doesn’t act like it)
Bilal: too good
Azuma: strong and wants to marry


Yes, Emmet’s adjective vocabulary is only limited to this. Always repeating the same stuff about them. Always. I couldn’t relate to any of them and they all felt flat. Just nothing impressive at all. I also wasn’t impressed by Emmet. I mean yes, I didn’t hate him but he wasn’t the kind of character I’d root for. So yeah, the characters weren’t the best. You don’t even hate them. Only feel nothing. I had some problems with how some characters were portrayed. The one on top is American, the Russian guy is very mean, and from all the population, we have most people from the US. Nope sorry doesn’t work with me.


Now to the ending. Or rather, the romance. IT WAS PLAIN BAD. I thought I’ve read bad romance in the past but this was something else. It was so anti-climactic, rushed, and out of nowhere. Since it happens at the end, I can’t say much without revealing any spoiler. It made cringe. There was no chemistry, no attraction, it was just forced and unbelievable. I was honestly considering giving it 3 stars before the romance started.


I think that this book is good if you’re looking for a mindless read set in space. Don’t expect anything complicated, just a quick fun read.


arc provided via publishers

Fast-paced intriguing read with excellent team/group dynamics.

Nyxia is a thrilling science fiction tale that is a great opener for the rest of the trilogy. While this book is not a favorite yet, it is pretty close to being one! I highly recommend this for anyone who wants a action-packed and fast-paced young adult novel. A more in depth review is coming!

4.5 stars!

In exchange for a honest review, thank you Netgalley for the copy.


Wew. What a ride. For Scott's debut novel, Nyxia is a roller coaster you want to ride and a journey you want to be part of.

Nyxia is a story of poor teenagers with strong abilities and personalities that Babel Communication chose to be part of the Genesis 11 exploration and to be the first group of people to live in a habitable planet called Eden. Despite of flowery and extravagant payout being a crew of Genesis 11, they need to compete with each other to be part of 8 out of 10 to qualify to go to Eden and one of the most intention of Babel is to extract Nyxia, a black substance that can be willed into different uses according to your needs and wants. But being part of the promising crew, is a secret yet to be unveiled, because of the lies and protected information about the Nyxia and the Adamites who inhabits the Eden.

I can say that Nyxia can be part of our bookshelves' promising books because not like the other novels, you can root to all characters. One of the best things is that everyone can relate to the characters and to their story and background. The feeling that you want them all (not all. With exceptions) to be part of the Genesis 11.

If you have read Illuminae Files and the Ender's game you will loved this book.

First of all, the Nyxia thing is a bad-ass part in this story. You can will it to something. Whatever you like and whatever you desire. For me, without the Nyxia, this story can be compared and will be part of the cliché sci-fi stories. Thank you Scott.

Let go to the characters:

I really like Emmett's character. To preposition and principles in life the competition, obstacles and decisions he need to face, these things never clouded him to be a different person just because of the competition. Like us, whatever is happening to our society, we are coming back to our "roots" (playing: Roots by Imagine Dragons).

It is a heart break for me when Kaya died. Except for Emmett, Kaya is the strongest and wittiest of them. I really love her principles in the game. I loved her character. Her wits and skills are commendable. Is that it? I hope the author picked others than Kaya. It is like a piece of story has been torn into pieces. Especially she and Emmett started an alliance and a special friendship in the ship. It is a waste because she is worthy than the other crews (I will explain later who the heck is that), she is a born leader. Sad to end this story without her. I like to commend the author forgiving a respect for characterization of women in this story. Yes, we have a protagonist that portrays a strong man but doesn’t mean we put the excess of the story line to others especially the women in the story. This book portrays strong, willed women. Even though beaten by physique and skills by the male contestants, characters like Azima and Kaya are a picture of women empowerment in this story. These girls can beat your guts out of you.

If I am one of the Babel employees or like Defoe, I will shipped-out Isadora and Roathy. Yes, Longwei can be annoying sometimes but these two are too irritating. Everyone is competing fairly, it is a matter if skills and will to be on the top. You stupid cowards! Thank glad Roathy is out.

Then the story turns upside down by introducing a group 2, the Genesis 12. The stake is higher and the competition gets tighter. But what the heck? Longwei being the top Genesis 11 contestant just earned around 500,000 points while Morning from Genesis 12 has a score around 1M+. What the heck? It means they are stronger than them and she is hard to beat up.

This book messed up me so good!

Summing up the book, there is something that makes you to want more of this story. It is irresistible. A page-turner. It is like you are eating in a fine-dining and Nyxia is only the appetizer.

I don't think if it is a cliff-hanger but for me it is. What happened to the others after ejected? Who were the ones included to the Eden Team? Does Babel's bargain true or a lie?

Can't wait for the next sequel!

P.S. One disadvantage for me I this book is that the author tries to be unique in every trial for them to earn. There are individual games like combat fighting, Nyxia manipulation and simulation and team games like to real-life, messed-up, 4D treadmill. I want commend the author for creating uniqueness in this story but when Genesis 11 and 12 were combined. One of the games called Waterway makes my brain and imagination to wear-out. It tried to reread every game about the Waterway and I can't figure it out. (Don't judge me hahahaah). I didn't expect the waterway game. I thought it will be a team game fighting a computer simulation Adamites. Hahahaha anyways. The story is still so so so good.

This book reminded me of the Hunger Games in outer space. The friendships and characters are extremely well done and you really feel connected to them.

There are so many twist and turns in Nyxia that I never saw coming and sucked me in even further. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.