I went into this book not really knowing what to expect. Yet I was pleasantly surprised by the writing and the story. However, I really struggled to connect with these characters as they battled, Divergent-style, for the chance at happiness and wealth.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a pretty good plot line with the cliche 'picking X number of kids out of X number of overachieving kids to go on X adventure' but the adventure was pretty unique. This book didn't get too far into the actual alien part of the story. It was more of how the group of kids got to the planet and everything they had to do to actually be on the team for the special mission. I can't wait to see where the other books go.

I will have a full review up on my blog soon so I will update this then.

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Lost interest in reading this part way through... Will not be finishing this one.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book but once I started reading it I was blown away! This book is action packed and full of twists and turns that you won’t be able to put it down.

Emmett is one of 10 kids picked to go to Eden. They’re going there to mine, Nyxia. The teens go through an intense training period. Earning points through competition. They will do anything to go to Eden. Anything. They will get a lot of money and their families won’t have to worry about anything ever again.

I loved this book. I loved some of the characters and hated some. I thought the writing was fantastically done. It kept me on my toes wanting to know what happened next.

Who will be chosen to go to Eden? It was a fun ride finding out but do we really find out?

Absolutely fantastic! I am now dying for the next book in this amazing series! This book has everything, from adventure to fight scenes to romance to space travel to alien beings to greedy coporations ... and it all fits together so incredibly well. I was taken aback by just how fun this book was, and it is my newest obsession!

rating: 4/5
i really liked nyxia! i don't usually read scifi but i got an eARC for this and it seemed really interesting.
the plot seems so real but it is futuristic at the same. the main character, emmett does a lot of growing in the book and there are many unexpected twists in the book. while there were some places where the plot was unclear and/or lacking, nyxia was still a really great read! i'd definitely recommend it to any scifi fans.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2175122861

I didn’t finish reading this one, I had a hard time really getting into it so thought I could set aside for a bit and come back to it but by that time I did the archive date had passed and I could no longer open it. I apologize, I still am planning on buying this book and reading it, just maybe now wasn’t my time.

Emmett is part of a group of teens recruited by a corporation to travel to a planet and farm Nyxia, which is a substance with amazing properties. This first book of the trilogy focuses on the travel to the planet, and the competition between the group, since only the top will get the job. The story was fast paced, and the characters were good and interesting. Boy do I want to know what happens next!

I'm not positive that some things that happened make a lot of logical sense - but it might - because there are still a lot of unanswered questions. The substance and the competition was interesting and varied, and it was a fun, fast-paced read!

Emmett Atwater is one of ten teens picked by a multi-billion dollar corporation called Babel Communications to travel through space to a planet to help mine a new, amazing element/metal/compound called nyxia. (There is actually a reason why it can only be teenagers, but... spoiler.)

Once the paperwork has been signed and they are onboard, Bable pulls a fast one and announces only 8 will actually go to the planet, so it becomes a competition on the space ship to win a coveted spot on the team that goes down to the planet.

The book covers various training activities and the dynamics of the group as they go through ups and downs. This book is a little reminiscent of Ender's Game, Red Rising, and Hunger Games, but it's original enough to stand on its own.

I found this book to be very easy to read and crazy-hard to put down at times. I actually had to force myself to slow down at some parts because I was starting to skim to find out what was going to happen. It's suspenseful and has surprises. I think this is going to be very popular!

My only criticism is the romance towards the end didn't do anything for me and I am not sure if I even trust that character. Also, the book ends before they get to the planet! GAH! I am dying to know what happens next! I can't wait for the next book.

I love the cover on this book.

I don't read a lot of science fiction, however, when I saw the cover (1st appeal), then read the description (2nd appeal), I decided what the heck.

This is a young adult book and the characters are young. So some of the attitudes and conversations may seem juvenile, but I still think that it is a great book for adults as well.

I had some problems getting a few of the descriptions going in my head, but I think it's my flaw, not the books.

I didn't realize until I went to write this review that it's a triad (three part series). I knew there had to be when I finished the book just due to the ending.

All in all, I found this to be a entertaining read. I also look forward to reading the next book which deals with Eden.

Thanks to Random House Childrens, Crown Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

A YA Sci-fi novel that's part Mazerunner and part Breakfast Club set in space. I love that the characters are multicultural and that there were a few twists and turns I didn't expect. The plot is interesting even if most of this book can be considered setup for the sequel (most of this book is weeding down the crew to go to the planet Eden). There's still quite a bit of holes and unknowns that may be revealed in the next installment, but it's still a good read. I look forward to the follow-up. Great for Sci-fi fans, YA readers, and those who enjoy dystopias too. Recommended.

Net Galley Feedback

I’ll say right off the bat that “Nyxia” borrowed quite a few elements from other science-fiction and dystopian works. That being said, it didn’t diminish my enjoyment. It was a quick read that left me wanting more. Emmett is complex, as are the secondary characters, and there are definitely deeper things going on that I want to know about. Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait for the second book. The cast of characters is extremely diverse. This is a good setup to the rest of the trilogy that I can easily recommend to those who enjoy science-fiction or dystopian novels.

*Many Thanks to Net-Galley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy. This did not affect my rating*

3/5

Nyxia is a new YA sci-fi novel that sends 8 teens to an alien planet named Eden..

We are introduced to Emmett and 9 other teens vying for this once in a life time trip. out of 10 teens, only 8 will make it.

Emmett and the other 9 teens go through an intense training regimen meant to eliminate 2 of them from the competition. Emmett will do whatever to be in the final 8, as it comes with a $50,000/month for the rest of his life reward.. and since his family is extremely poor, he can't turn that down.. even if he feels like Babel Corporation is hiding something.

The teens are being sent to Eden to find and mine Nyxia, an expensive substance not found on Earth. They have to send teens, because the people who live on Eden and control Nyxia, killed the adults and protected the children in the initial expedition.

This book reminded me of The Hunger Games or Divergent, as it is essentially a competition/training book, but in space. Sometimes you could forget that they were in space at all. I like my sci-fi/space novels to be.. filled with space. There is such potential for different kinds of threats and obstacles, but it was sadly underutilized. This is only book 1 in the trilogy though, so hopefully future installments have more space.

This book is very readable. You can read it in a sitting or two. Reintgen is a terrific writer, vivid and insightful. Also, it was so naturally diverse, like real life is. I applaud him for that.
But.. it felt young to me.. the younger side of YA.
That being said, there was instalove. I think having a romance in general was unnecessary.

I will look for book 2 in the future, I do want to see where the story goes. How Emmett grows.. and what's going on with Nyxia.

This books surprised me a bit. I was expecting a watered down version of The Hunger Games set in space. While there are certainly similarities between the books, Nyxia really focuses on the kids (especially the main character) keeping his humanity throughout the trials. Oh, and corporate greed is also underneath pretty much the whole book too. I’m anxiously awaiting book 2 and how they will handle the continuation of the story.

What a great start to a new series! this book did not go the way I thought it would at first and I'm glad. It had an Ender's Game vibe to it but thankfully ended up heading in a different direction. the only negative I have is that I have to wait for the 2nd book to come out!

This book follows a group of 10 teens as they compete to explore a new planet called Eden. The teens are promises riches they cannot even imagine should they succeed. Each teen has her and her own reason for needing the money and they must battle each other (and work together) in order to make it.

Emmett, our main character, is a young African American teen something I found refreshing as so many books follow white main characters (lately mainly girls looking for love). He is from a poor family in Detroit and his mother is dying. This is why he wants to go and why Babel, the company sponsoring the trip wants him.

The 10 teens are portrayed in 10 distinct ways by the author and you find yourself caring about almost all of them (except a few who can be sucked out an airlock, please and thank you).

I knew it would be a cliffhanger but I was still upset when it ended. I cannot wait for the next book!

2.5 Stars

Okay - I'll be completely honest with you all, this book took me forever to finish. Sometimes that's not so bad because I'm just not in the mood to read or another book catches my eye. But in this case, I just couldn't get into the first 50% of this book for whatever reason.

Scott Reintgen is a proficient writer, and all the elements are there for this to be a standout series. Let me explain, at this point Nyxia is a decent debut effort - it's sort of unique I suppose and the writing isn't bad - but the pacing is all over the place and the plot is fairly predictable and what's worse is that it's very repetitive - which is what I think caused me to lose interest. The MC is likeable and I feel like teens will want to root for Emmett - but here's the thing; this novel feels like it's entirely a set up for the second and third installments in a series.

In my opinion I think that the sum of the whole is going to be a lot stronger than the individual parts. Reingten's book would have benefitted from a little more suspense. I think that if the reader were given little glimpses into Babel rather than just focusing so much on the day to day activities of the recruits it would have been more captivating and interesting.

Decent effort though - and I'm mildly interested to see what happens next.

While I was able to finish the book I just really never got that into it. It just never made me want to continue reading or give me the urge or rush to finish. Overall it was just an okay book.

First off, I have to say that even though I got this book from NetGalley, I ended up listening to the audiobook along with my 15-year-old son and he LOVED it. In fact, he got tired of waiting for me (since I was pretty much only listening in the car) and he took it upon himself to forge ahead of me.

I really loved this book too, though I was a little disappointed to learn that there was a competition element to the story. I would have loved to have focused more on their actual mission than on a battle to be one of the ones chosen to go. The competition did lead to a lot of cut-throat action, though! The best thing about this book, in my opinion, is the distinct voice of the MC (which is perfectly portrayed in the audio by the narrator, Dominic Hoffman). I loved the sort of urban sci-fi vibe that the book exudes. And the rest of the cast of characters is incredibly diverse, so we have that as a plus as well.

There are some major twists that kept things interesting, and I’m definitely eager to find out what will happen next. I probably would have given this book 4 stars, but my son’s enthusiasm bumps me up to a 4.5—what can I say, it’s infectious!

Loved the narrators for this book, by the way!

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

PLOT

Fast paced non-stop action from the minute you start the EPIC ride that is Nyxia! This is one will leave you with a bad case of “just one more chapter & then I’ll stop”

We get introduced to this diverse set of characters who have all basically signed on the dotted line & joined Babel as recruits. The Mission: to board the ship departing Earth & headed for Eden aka a newly discovered habitable planet with alien life. In Eden the recruits will mine a substance called Nyxia. This substance has been heavily researched & found to be invaluable. The major corporation Babel has recruits from all parts of the world on the ship headed for Eden after having them sign contracts promising huge pay-outs for their families back on Earth as well as themselves upon their return to Earth. For these specific recruits the money is worth leaving all they love behind, they are all poor & many have terminally ill parents. Our MC Emmett Atwater has signed but his gut feeling is telling him that something just isn’t right & that there’s more than meets the eye with Babel. Alliances & enemies will be made once the specifics are laid out & what once appeared to be a lucrative deal turns into survival of the fittest.

“We’re poor,” Roathy says without a trace of shame. “They picked us because we’re poor. We can be kings and queens, sure, but only if we bow first”

CHARACTERS

Nyxia’s cast of characters come from all over the world & the author Scott Reintgen came up with an ingenious way to overcome the language barrier. Each of the recruits are given high tech suits & small quantities of Nyxia that can be molded into literally just about anything. Inclusively, they’ve given them mouth pieces which function as translators. This being science fiction, I was very happy to see all of the different equipment & functions that facilitated communication between these characters. Our MC Emmett Atwater is a young black male from Chicago who considers himself a Southpaw. Emmett is very guarded, intelligent, and has his eye on the prize. With two very loving parents at home, one of which has Cancer, Emmett is driven by their need for better medical coverage. I have read a TON of YA books across many sub-genres but it wasn’t until I picked up Nyxia & discovered Emmett that I could say I had a favorite male MC. I can list teh reasons I love him but the truth is that parts of the fun is seeing him discover parts of himself he never knew he had in him :)

In total there are 10 recruits to board the light ship & although I enjoyed them all so much there are a couple of stand outs.

Kaya ends up being sort of roomates with Emmett & if there’s one thing that will instantly make me fall for a character is finding out they are a fellow bookworm.When she pulled out a copy of my favorite childhood book I gasped haha! Kaya is Japanese and through the translating mouth piece is able to talk to Emmett with no barrier. Their scenes reading together were some of my FAVORITE! Kaya is also a strategist & Emmett’s first alliance, LOVE this character! Then there’s Bilal who comes from a small village in Palestine where he & his family are very poor. Bilal is always smiling & an overall positive presence, he is the type of person we could use more of in real life. Bilal befriended Emmett through perseverance, never taking Emmett’s stand offish attitude as a deterrent. Azima is from Kenya & emanates strength, beauty, and intelligence she is silent when we meet her but soon realize she is a force to be reckoned with. Jasmine aka Jazzy is from Texas & she carries with her that southern charm. It be best not to sleep on Jazzy though now that she’s far from the world of beauty pageants & focused on the same goal as the rest of the recruits (to remain vague cuz spoilers). Katsu…many might not like his boisterous personality but I found him funny at times, he is also Japanese & enjoys making others laugh through random outbursts & jokes.

Last but not least Emmett’s father who imparts such valuable pieces of wisdom to his son, stole my heart from the moment I met him. His confidence in Emmett to do the right thing & the history he keeps alive to strengthen his son brought me to tears a few times. Many of my highlighted passages in my galley were of conversations between Emmett & his dad. These characters are all amazing but they are also very flawed & hurting inside, but they were also very relatable & I am so glad to have met them even if it was within the pages of this book.

WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS

So of course after I finished reading Nyxia & finding myself in a EPIC book hangover, I did what I always do hehe. I went looking for the authors note & bio to meet the person behind the book. Scott Reintgen is a teacher of English & creative writing and when he set out to create the characters in Nyxia, he aimed to give his students characters they can relate to & see themselves in. Scott also had some of his students beta read for him which I found to be brilliant! In his author bio is written “The hardest lesson he learned was that inspiration isn’t equally accessible for everyone. So he set out to write a novel for the front-row sleepers and back-row dreamers of his classrooms”…I’d say he accomplished what he set out to do, this AMAZING diverse set of characters are relatable. Combined with the fast paced non-stop adrenaline inducing plot, Nyxia is hands-down my favorite YA Sci-Fi book of 2017! <3 <3 <3

*HUGE Thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers, Netgalley, and Scott Reintgen for the eGalley copy of Nyxia in exchange for an honest review.