Off Planet was one of the best books I've read in 2019 (and I read a lot). I really enjoyed the atmosphere, the characters and the plot as well. The ending was exciting and I am intrigued to see how the problems will be solved in the next book of the series. There is still a lot to be developed in terms of world building, characters and general information, but I hope it will be even better than the first. I liked the moon aspects of the story and I am curious to know more. My only problem was remembering some of the names, even now I can't recall them all, but it might be just me.
All in all, I can't wait for Off Balance to come out!

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

Maité is half alien, living in hiding since she was a small child, when most of her father's species on Earth was slaughtered. If humanity discovers her, they'll kill her. So she hides with her mother, poor as dirt, trying not to attract attention. But that isn't easy in a world where all humans have tech implants that her half-Aunare side can't tolerate. Literally.

Not to mention the super-fast reflexes and the occasional glowing-skin thing.

When she finally gets the chance to flee--to return to the father who desperately wants her safe on an alien world--things go from bad to worse. Her secret is out, and she's about to become a pawn in an inter-planetary war. Suddenly, what she represents seems to matter more than who she is. But Maité knows exactly who she is. And she's about to prove it.

I'm a long-time sci-fi junky so you can bet I was thrilled to see Aileen Erin put this one out. I inhaled it in two days and I loved every second!!! When I'm hooked on both the characters and the action, that's a six-out-of-five-stars win. Off Planet is one of those rare character-driven action books that hooked me both ways, and I can't wait for the next one.

Without any spoilers, there are also signs that the overall arc will develop in exciting directions over the longer course of the series, which is something Aileen Erin has truly mastered. Her books develop from one to the next, the plot becoming more intricate and the characters growing in new directions as the story continues. I loved this one, I love where the next one is going to start, and I WISH I HAD THEM ALL RIGHT NOW!

Bottom line: Fantastic story! Love the characters! A+ for both! Six out of five stars!!!

Years ago, Earth's SpaceTech led a "liberation" of the planet from the dangerous Aunare aliens who had begun to live and work with the humans who lived there. A mass exodus of the aliens from the planet was the start and the systematic killing of every alien and half alien ("halfer") was the next step. Any full blood Aunare or halfer that is found is fed to rabid dogs on the evening news and humans cheer.

Maité Martinez is one such halfer. Her father is a high-ranking Aunare who made it off planet before the murders began, but he left his wife and halfer daughter behind to spend their lives in hiding. Maité remembers almost nothing of her young childhood or her father because her mother had her memories wiped to protect them both. Now all Maité knows is that she's a halfer and that she needs to hide her identity no matter what. Her capture could lead to war.

Unfortunately, she's not as hidden as she'd hoped to be and a mistake leads her to prison and a sentence to hard labor on a fiery planet.

Rescue efforts are coming and she is strong, but can she survive long enough to be saved?

Final thoughts: This one is a mess. The reader is dropped into the middle of everything and clues are dropped throughout the book about Maité and her past, but it's a struggle to figure it out. It doesn't help that things that are obvious to the reader are completely missed by the main character. There's no room to breathe for the reader or the people who populate this story. It's constantly in motion and that makes it all a little claustrophobic as a story. That might be the intention of the author, but it makes for a strain on the reader. It's hard to track time and the logic of things isn't always explained. For example, I spent the longest time trying to figure out why they had to be in cryogenic sleep to travel because it made no sense. Near the end, there was finally a line dropped in about how human bodies can't handle the speeds the space vehicles must travel so that they have to be put to sleep. Ah! Why didn't you say so earlier! It seems that there are many things like that that are last minute add-ons to explain things that should have been edited earlier. I might come back to the sequel if I notice it, but I won't actively look for it.

Rating: 3/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This high concept YA scifi novel has a fun voice and a punchy premise. The idea of an alien hiding in plain sight on ghetto earth is well-explored, and the law enforcements parallels are obvious. Well done.

The science fiction world of Off Planet was a pleasant surprise to read. The plot was quick paced and its strong leading lady kicked ass, and while I’m intrigued to see the other side of the tracks in the sequel, I had a bit of a difficult time completely immersing myself in Maité’s world. We never got a true sense of the planet, and while this is supposed to be set in a “plausible” future, I wanted to see its futuristic aspects, along with the aliens. While I appreciated being thrown into Maité’s long, long journey to get her where she belongs, the stakes never felt high enough. Every horrible thing she went through was brushed off, and I hope the sequel covers that trauma instead of brushing it under the rug, because she fought for that survival, those wounds haven’t scarred over yet. I would definitely suggest this book for anyone wanting an easy sci-fi novel with some strong ladies and diversity, but don’t expect too many plot twists or any held suspension. Maité’s narrative is predictable, but the characters find their ways of making up for it.

This is solid sci-fi. I probably can't add much to the many reviews, so I'll just say that it worked for me -- good, fast plot with well-written characters that kept me engaged. Recommended.

Many thanks for the advanced copy for review!!

First of all I did not go into reading this book thinking it would be a series. But now I see that another series that I'm just dying to keep reading.
This book revolves around a strong young woman who's been on the Run from her own people just because she's half human half and half Anuare. After being found by a friend things go horribly wrong she ends up going to a type of prison on a different planet working for those who have hunted her. All she wants is freedom and at every turn she continues to break down piece by piece.

When I began reading this book I felt said it was kind of slow moving and had a hard time getting into the plot. However then all craziness ensued between being chased down by the brother of someone you trust, and I was completely hooked. I enjoyed the writing style and all of the characters.

I am looking forward to the second book to get more understanding of the Anuare species and what and how the "click" does between to people. I also have questions about space Tech and how they came to be. I overall rate this book 5 of 5 and highly recommend this to those who like syfy urban fantasy.

This book was amazing! Action-packed with a brilliant cast of characters. I felt that this book took a little while for things to get started but I think this was because I felt that the synopsis I read on Netgalley and Goodreads spoiled the first third of this book. I would love to read the sequel and find out more about the Aunare as I thought we didn't hear enough about them in this book. Personally, especially towards the beginning of this book I felt that the phrase, 'it was so iced,' or similar variations of this to be overused. Just if you haven't already read the synopsis I would advise against doing so before reading this book.

Off Planet came as a total pleasant surprise. Sci-fi is usually totally hit-and-miss for me, and this one was definitely a hit. It was well-written, with strong characters, strong worldbuilding, and a breakneck plot that kept my eyes glued to the page and my brain still in the story even when I wasn't reading. 

The book took a few chapters to really get going, but when it did I was so invested in Maité and her story. The plot doesn't stop, there are so many twists and turns, and every time you think that something can't get worse, what happens is even worse than you were imagining. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book because there's so much that happens. I thought this book was way longer than it actually was because it's so packed with action. Maité spends the whole book fighting against SpaceTech on the planet Abbadon, even though she's trapped on a hell planet where everyone wants to kill her. 

I loved Maité. It's been a while since I've seen a character go through this much and fight every second to survive. I was not expecting how absolutely brutal some parts of Off Planet is. What Maité goes through in the book is horrifying--the planet she spends most of the book on is basically literally called Hell, and she's there because people want her to die in the cruelest and most painful way possible. I felt so much for her, because Erin's writing is so raw and real. All of Maité's pain and fear throughout the book is described in excruciating detail--and Erin didn't skimp on discussing the trauma it caused Maité, either. 

The secondary characters were also all fairly fleshed-out. Maité is surrounded by so many sympathetic characters to make up for all the nasty ones in the book. I also liked the general lack of romance during Off Planet. There's hints at a romance with one of the Aunare, Lorne, and maybe a possible love triangle with a SpaceTech defector, Declan. But it definitely wasn't a focus--just offhand comments on how attractive these boys were, which, okay, but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment. This story is Maité's story, and about her survival, which was something I really liked. 

The worldbuilding was strong, and there was a lot to figure out, but I didn't find myself particularly confused. There's SpaceTech, an evil interstellar corporation that basically has authoritarian control over their territory, and the Aunare, an alien race that was wiped off of Earth. I thought the Aunare were quite interesting, especially with their unique physiology and how they interact with humans, especially SpaceTech. I did have a lot of questions that I'd like to see answered in the next book, however. There's not a whole lot about the Aunare and its culture, because Maité is kept in the dark for most of the book. 

Readers should be aware that there's a fairly graphic scene of sexual assault early on in the book, and Maité shows symptoms of PTSD. 

Off Planet was such an engaging and engrossing read, and I honestly enjoyed every second of it, even if some pats had me gritting my teeth in sympathy. If you like sci-fi, you'll probably like this book, and even if you're not a sci-fi but you're a fan of amazing female characters who never stop fighting, you might like Off Planet.

I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I really enjoyed this story, the premise is believable and the characters were very likeable. I think a lot will be added by the second book when it hopefully flushes out some of the back story. The ending definitely leaves you wanted to continue the series.

A few times it did dip a little deep into the young adult twilight-esque lovey dovey stuff, but for the most part it was bearable. The main characters internal dialogue got a little... naive I guess, but overall it didn't detract too much from the plot.

I enjoyed the book and look forward to seeing where the author takes it.

**I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own!**
Rating: 3 Stars
I actually really liked this book! Science fiction is a genre that I'm just starting to really get into and a lot of the books tend to be either hit or miss. I think the author was able to write a very good story that hasn't been written before. A lot of sci-fi seems to be the same thing over and over again (I guess that's the same for every genre), but there's something new about this story that I really liked.
I did think that the book was a little long. There were places that I thought could have been taken out all together.
I didn't see any development for the main character. It actually seemed that she went from being a strong character, to being kinda weak. I wouldn't blame her at all though for everything she experienced. That aspect is definitely something that you don't see often. Normally the main characters struggles make them stronger, but Maite just wanted to be done with everything. This could work in the authors benefit though, to show that the her struggles will eventually make her want to fight. (Again, I would totally be with her in just wanting to be done with it all. She went through A LOT)
The world building seemed a little lacking and I hope that book two makes up for that. We learn quite a bit about Earth and SpaceTech, but I would LOVE to learn more about the Aunare!
Overall, the book was really good! Once I got into it, I didn't even want to put it down!

I went back and forth on rating this one a 3 or 4 star. I wanted a 3 because the book was a bit longer than it needed to be. The first half had parts that lagged and drug the story down. Not the whole book was that way so that is why I said it could have been shorter without taking away from the story. The 4 star was the story itself was great. Although the secondary characters lacked development, Maite was developed and strong. Story was unique and during the action parts kept me reading to see what happened. I will be reading the second in this series to see what happens.

This is one of the most exciting reads I've seen this year, and I can't wait to dive into book two.

SpaceTech controls most things on the planet, and powerful as they are, they are at constant odds with the Aunare —an alien culture who leads Earth in many areas. SpaceTech has fought this by killing all Aunarians on the planet. Maite, the daughter of the leader of the Aunarian and part human, has been hiding on Earth ever since the first wave of genocide with her mother, living in constant fear of being discovered, while working at a diner and teaching martial arts in the evenings. When a strange man appears at her apartment and claims to have been searching for her for thirteen years in cooperation with her father, she's not sure whether to be happy or flee. Just before the extraction can happen to meet with her father again, the head of SpaceTech tricks her into committing a so-called crime, and the horror begins.

From the very first page, this story grabbed me in. Maite's plight draws at the heartstrings, especially when it becomes clear that she's doing the best she can...not being stupid...and yet, manages to fight against the corruption and help in her own small way. She's a great fighter but not unbeatable. She walks a tight balance, and it's wonderful to see a character who isn't a complete fool and handles logic, mistakes and troubles with a pretty natural and believable feel.

There are many side characters, but each one holds their own purpose and personality. The author reveals enough backstory to make each character leave an impression while still holding many questions to be answered in the rest of the series. But this is the same as far as Maite is concerned. Her memory has been wiped for very good reasons, and this leaves a wonderful fog for lots of interesting twists and turns to come.

While the first chapters sink into Maite's life and start to give the impression that the story might be slow, the impression is completely incorrect. The tale builds and gains on pacing, not only exposing more and more layers of intrigue but also growing in character depth and tension—harsh, at times—with every passing page. This is even true on the romance end. There are so many hints at what might become a triangle or other interests, but that is not the main thrust of this story, and even this side remains very open for much more in the books to come.

The world building is very well done. The first chapters are very familiar and allow the reader to first gain a connection to Maite before heading off into the stronger science fiction elements. These are built with care and seep in mostly with logic and careful pacing. The one or two stumbles on explanations are easily forgiven and didn't bother the story in the slightest. Science fiction fans definitely get their thrill as the chapters deepen, and the tech and alien possibilities expand in exciting ways.

This is a great begin to a very promising science fiction series, and I'm looking forward to see where the adventure goes next.

I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and was so thrilled by how good this story was that I'm more than willing to leave my thoughts.

Goodreads | Amazon | iBooks | Synopsis:In an all-too-plausible future where corporate conglomerates have left the world’s governments in shambles, anyone with means has left the polluted Earth for the promise of a better life on a SpaceTech owned colony among the stars.Maité Martinez is the daughter of an Earther Latina and a powerful Aunare man, an alien race that SpaceTech sees as a threat to their dominion. When tensions turn violent, Maité finds herself trapped on Earth and forced into hiding.For over ten years, Maité has stayed hidden, but every minute Maité stays on Earth is one closer to getting caught.She’s lived on the streets. Gone hungry. And found a way to fight through it all. But one night, while waitressing in a greasy diner, a customer gets handsy with her. She reacts without thinking.Covered in blood, Maité runs, but it’s not long before SpaceTech finds her…Arrested and forced into dangerous work detail on a volcano planet, Maité waits for SpaceTech to make their move against the Aunare. She knows that if she can’t somehow find a way to stop them, there will be an interstellar war big enough to end all life in the universe.There’s only one question: Can Maité prevent the total annihilation of humanity without getting herself killed in the process?Publisher: Ink Monster, LLCPublication Date: 19th March 2019Off Planet. In its title alone, expectation runs rampant and Aileen Erin does not fail to deliver. Quick-paced, the novel begins with an overview of Maité's on earth - as the daughter of a half-earther, half-Anuare man (persecuted alien race) - she is a veritable magnet for accidents. Or perhaps, because she expects persecution she sees it in so many ways. With every chapter contributing to the overall action and suspense, the novel quickly built qualities that made you want and need to keep reading. With writing that was entertaining, truthful, and honest Aileen Erin constructed beautiful and harsh emotions, which leave the reader breathless. Being saved by someone was nice, but being able to save myself, that was a rush.Aileen Erin traipsed the character arcs, and easily weaved a world which was innovative, and new. It was easily imaginable, and tangible, touching lightly on multiple genres and seated effectively in the Sci-Fi genre.  Erin definitley pulled ideas from other genres, and myth, but was I mad about the inter-mingling of the genres? Not at all.Alieen Erin has constructed not just a convincing world, but convincing characterisations, realte-able characterisation. A head-strong character, Maité was an interesting read. Touching on some of the most overwhelming traits, Maité was a convincingly relate-able and real-world. Being set so deeply (and well) in her own convictions made her one of the best written characters I have ever read. I like my privacy. Remember that or I’ll be forced to remind you.Well-rounded, sweet and thoughtful, Declan was a bitter-pill to swallow but one that blossomed once consumed (weird analogy? Maybe). Touching on your stereotypical strong-male characters, Declan was written with enough delicacy that he was one of my favourites. You stay alive. I don’t care what it fucking takes. You do what you have to do, but you make sure you stay alive.I think you get the point. All of these characters were so well constructed that they felt real. (Honourable Mentions: Ahiga (a brilliant friend); Tyler (funny, and a loving friend - yes there is a difference); Audrey (Perfect. She deserves all the beautiful things in the world) and Lorne (Alpha-Male centric, mysterious and hidden. Suspenseful and eager for more.Overall, as a Sci-Fi fantasy set in the future (a very possible future I might add), where SpaceTech controls human colonies (ugh, colonisation sucks even in the future) Off Planet, was a spectacular read. I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.For more Bookish Content, visit;| My Blog | Instagram |

Off Planet is an intriguing and fun introduction to the Aunare Chronicles series.
I really enjoyed the world the story is set in, it's vividly described and easy to immerse yourself into. The plot is strong and well-paced, it's interesting, it's what makes this book so good. All the characters are well-developed, but Maité is especially easy to relate to. The writing flows beautifully, it's easy to consume and it kept my attention throughout.
This is a great book and YA sci-fi fans should definitely give it a shot.

Off Planet was one of my can't wait 2019 books. I had high expectations and hoped that I wouldn't be disappointed. And after reading the last chapter...I'm so happy. It was just what I thought it would be and I loved the story about Maité and the Aunare. It's really maddening that there always will be cruel people trying to make someone different suffer. I wanted to scream in frustration at Jason Murtagh and his cronies. They really got out of their way to make life a living hell for Maité and all the prisoners on Abbadon. It was good to see that there'll be goodhearted people willing to help and knowing when to shut up, like Roan and Declan. And then there was Lorne... Aunare crown prince with aqua blue eyes.... Hell, I wanted to marry him and I hope Maité (or now it's Amihanna) will in time find her way to his heart. Really great start to a ned series and I highly recommend this book to all sci-fi lovers.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Ink Monster, LLC!

** Come visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ **

Hiding out on Earth, waiting until the day where the authorities would discover that she is a halfer- half human half Aunare alien, Maite knows that it is only time until she will be arrested. When tensions are already high, Maite ends up attacking a handsy customer at the restaurant she waitresses at- a customer who just so happens to be someone in power. Maite ends up arrested and sent off planet to work her punishment off. But she may not survive her punishment, which could lead to war.


Aileen's Alpha Girl series captivated me from the first chapter and ever since I discovered them I have impatiently waited to get my hands on the next book. When I saw that she had a new series coming out about aliens and outer space I was so excited, I knew I was going to read it. Hands down, Off Planet is unlike anything Aileen has written before (and I can say this with confidence as a super fan) and it was unlike anything else I have read period. With elements of dystopian, science fiction, an underlying mystery and a mysterious guy lurking on the fringes, I can say that this is a must read.

Being saved by someone was nice, but being able to save myself, that was a rush.

Maite was such an awesome character, totally capable and skilled, able to take on any opponent and have the upper hand (without using her alien mojo). I love that she enjoyed fighting and training, but she also enjoyed being able to educate others to be able to protect themselves. Off Planet was in no way a romance, but there were a couple of tasty men added to the list, my favorite being Declan, the honorable human son of Maite's enemy. And then there was the mysterious Lorne who has a connection to Maite she doesn't understand. I am interested to see how all of this will play out next.

Let's just talk about the fact that this is very much an adult book. I went into it expecting this to be another cute YA sci-fy romance story, but Off Planet was not that even a little bit. Between language, sexual assault and overall content and interactions, I would classify this as adult science fiction. Not that that is a problem, just a disclaimer for new readers. There were a few times where Maite was basically being tortured and due to Aileen's descriptive writing it was so real that I felt her pain and wanted to intervene.

My biggest problem with Off Planet is that I am left wanting more and the next book is not coming out until 2020! Sniff sniff, I will try and work on my non-existent patience, but we all know that is a losing battle.

I didn't really like this book as much as I hoped to. I have read other books written by this author, but the pacing in this one made it my least favorite.

The characters were really good, but some of them lacked depth. The antagonist was pretty one-dimensional with his plans. The plot was interesting, as were parts of the world. But that pacing... man it really slowed down the story. The slow start made the stakes for some things seem less important. But I never really got much of a sense for what the alien race was supposed to look like. Clearly humanoid, but beyond that, nothing.

This was just a little lackluster for me.

This is the first book in the Aunare Chronicles series. I enjoyed reading this story. It kept my instrest from beginning to the end. It was well written and it has a good storyline.
Thank you NetGalley and Ink Monster for sending me a copy if this book in exchange for an honest review.