I read Nyxia a few months ago and was excited to be granted an ARC from Netgalley for NYXIA UNLEASHED.
My only complaint was that I finished it too fast and now have to wait for however long for the third book! I don't want to say too much since it's not officially "out" yet.
Sequels are hard. Sequals to books that people love and ship are even harder. NU NAILED IT!! They took everything I adored about the first book and expanded on it in the second. It went in a direction I would have never expected but oddly enough, it made sense. It was one of those "WTF are you doing" books.
I was beyond excited when I got an ARC from Net Galley and the Publisher! Thank you so much!

** This review will be published on my blog, www.adventuresandreading.wordpress.com, goodreads, and instagram on July, 3 and links will be uploaded here **
I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you haven’t read Nyxia, I HIGHLY recommend it. I also reviewed it last year, here. After reading the first book back in November, I needed the next one immediately. Reintgen knows how to cliffhangers and he does them WELL. I have so many emotions about the first one and I could talk about it forever, but I digress. The second book, Nyxia UNleashed, is just as great, just as action-packed, just as moving, just as heartbreaking, and just as much a cliffhanger as the first one. This book destroyed me. It was exactly what I hoped for in continuing the series and Reintgen didn’t disappoint.
The premise of Nyxia Unleashed is that it follows Emmett Atwater’s journey working for Babel Communications. A fictional company that intends on mining the substance Nyxia which has developed into a tool that Babel solely owns and distributes. In Nyxia, Babel picked teenagers who were broken, poor, and in need of something that could drastically change their futures and offered them fortunes, fame, and the chance to roam the stars until they reached Eden, the planet where the nyxia is made, to work. On the way there, the teens are put through many challenges and tests to strengthen them and to help them develop skills that they’ll need once they’re on the ground. But the catch is that not all of them will make it down to the ground. Where we find Emmett at the start of this book is right after he launches to head down to the surface. Once he lands, the action starts. The Adamites are helpful, welcoming and keeping secrets. The control stations on the ground and Babel run and keeping secrets. The Tower station in space is planning things and keeping secrets. The mining grounds are dangerous. The conflicts abound, the resolutions are few, but the cliffhangers are many and it all concludes in a way that you can’t even image. But you’ll want to keep reading because you’ll need to know what happens next.
Reintgen has created and developed such a unique world in Eden. The Adamites or the Imago’s are the natives and we get to meet a few, how they live, see some of their customs. The animals described are things out of dreams, or nightmares, depending on your perspective. One thing that I loved was the development that we got to see of the teenagers growing knowledge of the Imago’s culture and customs. Too many times we get to see the culture and customs of others and disregard them because they’re different from our own. The beauty of each and every single one of us is that we ARE different. To celebrate those differences and understand where others are coming from is something we all should hold on to and this book, from the beginning, did that. Not only is the cast so diverse already, but it brings in a completely other species and we get to see how that translates. I LOVE that about this series.
Another thing that I love about this book is the character development that we get to see. We see character relationships growing from the first book. There are characters that wouldn’t think would become favorites, but they do! There are characters that you may hate, but you can understand their reasoning for acting in the way they do. I’m trying to do this in a way that isn’t spoilery, but... Y’all. The character development is high-key one of the best I’ve ever read. And I’m not saying that because I love this series. It’s because Reitgen has taken the liberty and made these character super relatable and some of the most conscious characters I’ve seen.
Again, I really loved the incorporation of biblical themes throughout the book. Maybe, I'm overreaching again, but Babel Communications, ships named Genesis, planet that was referenced to as Eden, people referred to as the Adamites, said people's self-referenced as Imago, etc. I grew up in church, backed by a Christian belief, attended a Christian university, and currently work for a Christian organization. For me, this book was, again, really refreshing because it used things and terms that I had prior knowledge of. It also continued to play on the idea and integration of the Tower of Babel.
**BUT. This is in no way a Christian book or a book specifically for Christians. I feel the need to write this because even though it has Christian themes and references, it is not Christian Fiction. It is Science Fiction, pure and simple. And that is why I love it.**
This book was a fantastic addition to the Nyxia Triad. I cannot stress it enough of how great this book and this series is. It is a fast-paced, relentless heck of an emotional tornado that will leave you wanting more. The twists and turns throughout make it unpredictable and an attention-grabber. Reintgen has once again written something that I hated to put down or finish. I wanted more. Check this series out. You definitely won’t regret it.

*HUGE thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers and Scott Reintgen for the early review copy in exchange for my honest opinion

Last year I won a Twitter giveaway for Nyxia & I didn't really know much about the book other than it was Sci-fi & I dig sci-fi so it couldn't hurt throwing my hat in the ring. I also attended Bookcon last year & remember standing right in front of Scott Reintgen's table as he set up for a signing & again, I had no idea what for...hadn't won the contest just yet. Well *sigh* I did read the book & I also gently kicked myself afterwards for not having read it sooner & missing my grand opportunity to talk Scott's ear off about book 2!

Nyxia remains one of my favorite YA Sci-Fi books & you can check out my spoiler free GUSH review (here) but Nyxia Unleashed has definitely taken over the mantle, Scott Reintgen delivered & I couldn't be happier with this sequel! well...I could but I'm reserving that for book 3! Now onto this GUSH review...

We start off right where we left off and that means there's a ton of hurt and pain to last a lifetime. The events from Nyxia have left Emmett and his friends rattled and looking over their shoulders. The corporation known as Babel who they've basically signed their lives away to in exchange for financial stability for themselves and each of their families, has many secrets. They've all been through the ringer Hunger Games style in the first book & are now realizing that "Space Exploration" and mining of the Nyxia substance found on the planet they've been shipped off too, isn't Babels real agenda. They're also realizing that for all the rigorous training Babel put them through, it's not quite enough when faced with the actual dangers and species on the foreign planet Eden.

“I’m always surprised when people expect me to not notice the little details. So many lies are like badly buried bodies, just waiting for a little rain to unearth them.”

We meet the "Adamites" who inhabit Eden and have a working relationship with Babel. In exchange for access to the Nyxia naturally grown in Eden, the Adamites asked for Babel to send them only their youth. Teens like Emmett and his friends, the reason given is that their planet has no youth left. Females are almost all extinct and therefore no children have been born in recent years. If you're raising an eyebrow at this...you are NOT alone! I was suspicious of them all the way til' the very end! you just never know with these Sci-Fi books if they're trying to steal your organs #jussayin haha! with the introduction of the Adamites we get layers of world building & Adamite culture from the foods they eat to their social class construct. I am a sucker for world building, details, and just about anything that can make a world come alive on the page & transport me right into its midst. Reintgen not only continued to deliver on some of the BEST character development to hit the page, he also expanded the world tenfold and in the process hooked me in once more. We also get discussion on colonization, corporal punishment, the broken prison system here on Earth, and structural racism.   Food for thought is always welcome especially when it mirrors much of our current day lives. Emmett has trained himself to observe as opposed to reacting right away & so we get to follow his train of thought as he realizes the similarities between Eden and Earth.

“It doesn’t surprise me that Babel’s out here playing the role of colonizer, slapping labels on the originals and pretending they created it all in the first place. It’s pretty standard procedure for folks like them.”

One of the things I love the most about this trilogy is the dialogue. From the author bio we get that some of the research for these characters came from Reintgen's experience in the classrooms he teaches in. The language is authentic and flows very easily with a ton of personality infused in each and every one of the characters. This is a big cast & yet I always knew who was saying what just by how well fleshed out they all are. Our MC Emmett shares the leadership spotlight with his love interest Morning who is a take charge Alpha personality not really waiting to be given the reigns. I LOVED seeing these two in action & just how respectful Emmett is of Morning, he admires her strengths and bravado. Morning in turn takes a very protective role over  Emmett. It wasn't made to be Emmett coming to her rescue, Morning got him out of quite a few jams. Each has different strengths in character but both bring out the best in those they cross paths with. There's a recurrent theme all throughout this sequel of a sense of shedding their innocence. They aren't doing "normal" teen things and Emmett is very much aware of this when he self reflects. The humility is still very much there, kept alive through flashbacks of conversations with his father who sort of plays a side characters in the shadows. For the most part all of these characters have a past heavy with burden and pain, injustice and poverty. It's their desire to want more for those they love that keep them in the game...

“My whole life’s been rough, but somewhere I picked up the idea that it wasn’t supposed to be that way. I don’t know where I learned about justice, when I started thinking I deserved something more. There’s a part of me that knows, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that the world is supposed to be better, more.”

One thing is for certain, these characters are much stronger together than apart. I am so ready to see how certain relationships play out in the next book and whether they will endure whatever comes their way. This was such a fun read, these characters feel so familiar and alive that it really does feel like seeing old friends again after some time has passed. I am more than looking forward to returning to this cast of characters but for now I'll just live vicariously through my hubby who will be starting Nyxia next :)

“We walk together, shoulders touching, like we’re walking home from school on a normal day. But that’s not reality. Reality is a new world. Reality is two moons hanging in the sky, bright and beckoning. Reality is what we’re leaving behind as we move through an empty forest and out into a world that feels full of ghosts.”

*Quotes have been taken from ARC and may differ from the final publication.

Nyxia Unleashed the sequel to Nyxia by Scott Reintgen will hit the shelves July 17th!!! & your girl has already pre-ordered a copy. All I need now is some fan art, bookmarks, candles, the works inspired by this trilogy fathom?!?! ;)

---------->THIS REVIEW WILL GO LIVE ON JUNE 1ST 2018 7AM EST, LINKS WILL BE ADDED TO THIS SITE AFTERWARDS. THANKS AGAIN FOR ACCESS TO THIS ARC, IT WAS EVERYTHING I COULD'VE HOPED FOR & MORE! :)

“As the descent begins, I hold on to one truth: I am more than what they would make of me.”

This is such an amazing YA Sci-Fi series that is so beautifully inclusive with some very important themes and discussions. The writing is amazing, I pulled around thirty quotes for this review alone. The characters have completely stolen my heart and soul, and they are a tier above most in all of literature. This series is amazing, and this second installment was everything that I wanted and more.

Nyxia Unleashed follows a crew of kids from all over the world that have been tested extensively during their journey to another planet. A company named Babel gave contracts to kids from needy homes, whether that be love, money, or even health care. Babel picked kids that they believed they could mold and shape into whatever they wanted, but Nyxia Unleashed shows that Babel might have completely underestimated the power of teens. And this book picks right back up after the final events in Nyxia, where they have landed on a brand new planet, Magnia.

“They made us into weapons. It will be their downfall.”

This series also has the best main protagonist in YA, I swear it. Emmett is a black boy from Detroit, who joined this space program because it was the only way his mother could get the medical treatment she needed. He constantly is filing stuff away mentally with a system his grandma taught him, and he is never embarrassed or shamed for showing emotion. Music also plays a big role in Emmett’s life, and it’s displayed so very beautifully. Emmett is just an amazing main character, and one that I’ve been searching for

Morning is my new favorite character of all-time, I swear. She is so strong, so powerful, so amazing of a leader. She’s a Latinx girl from Cali who has completely stolen my heart. She (and her doors) blew me away. Like, the fight scenes with Morning are legit some of the best fight scenes I’ve ever read in YA. And seeing her be so hard, and so soft, and so everything in between, is something I don’t even have words for.

And the romance in this book? Lord, I can’t. So perfect, so pure, so everything. It makes me want to scream “OTP forever” at the top of my lungs, off the rooftops. And the moments that these two share, whether its fighting back to back, comforting each other over past pain, or just cuddling and being there for one another. I love it all, and I ship Emmett and Morning so hard, it’s unreal.

Magnia is a planet that has two moons and, depending on the years, the planet changes not only names (Magnia and Glacius) but natural disasters and weather. The kids that landed are supposed to be mining Nyxia, a new super resource and is a substance that can create anything, and Babel has created a treaty with the indigenous people on Magnia, the Imago. Basically, their planet is slowly dying from lack of females, so they promise to allow these kids to mine so that they can instill hope back to a planet that no longer has children. Well, at least that’s what Babel is saying, and Magnia is agreeing to.

“It doesn’t surprise me that Babel’s out here playing the role of colonizer, slapping labels on the originals and pretending they created it all in the first place. It’s pretty standard procedure for folks like them.”

This book heavily talks about colonization, and how disgusting people can be, while also taking everything from natives of the land they are about to steal. Babel even made up a name to call the Imago people, which the crew doesn’t even realize until they get to know the indigenous people. And these kids all see, first hand, what this new planet and its inhabitants are like, and it’s not so much different than any of them. And the crew also see how Babel has something much larger than anyone else expect in store.

This story also puts a heavy emphasis on social hierarchy and systemic oppression and what that means for the individuals that the world will deem as lesser. How some people are just born into the right last name, with the right money, with the right looks, and with all the privileges that these things give.

“Is this how people talked about me when I lived in Detroit? Am I like the beggars? Don’t give me too much of a handout or I’ll be encouraged, I think darkly.”

But Nyxia is just such a gift of a series to the literary world. That crew I kept talking about above? I already said that Emmett is black, and Morning is Latinx, but the rest of the crew? So much beautiful diversity. This crew has queer (gay and/or bi) side characters, side characters wearing hijabs, a pregnant teen crew member, Asian crew members, and so much of the characters talking about their experiences outside of The United States. So many of these characters are all dealing with grief, trauma, PTSD, and abandonment. This book is on another level, I’m telling you all.

Trigger and content warnings for murder, death, gore, blood, violence, depiction of PTSD, abandonment, kidnapping, torture, animal death, talk of past outing, talk of past homophobia, genocide, colonization, loss of a loved one, loss of a friend, and war themes.

My favorite aspect of this book was the constant spotlight on found family and unconditional love, trust, and support. These kids, from all different backgrounds, upbringings, ethnicities, religions, come together and create this bond that is so believable and so amazing to read. Like, this book just feels so real, that I’m wondering if there is an organization like Babel out there and if these kids came together and (hopefully) really saved a world!

“I sit there long after she falls asleep, thinking about the family we’ve forged, not through blood, but through steel and chaos. I never asked for any of this. At the beginning, I fought hard against it. But now that they’re mine, now that I’m theirs, I’d do anything to keep them from being taken.”

Overall, I loved this. The wait for the third book is going to be so hard, but this second installment was everything I wanted and more. I mean, Scott Reintgen still ripped out my heart, but in the best way possible. This is easily my favorite YA Sci-Fi out there, and I hope you all give this series a try, because it’s so worth it.

I had the worst book hangover after Nyxia so you best believe that I jumped on board to read this ARC the moment that it popped up on NetGalley! I feel like there are not enough fans of this series because they have tried it! I hope to spend my love for this YA series far and wide!

The Breakdown!
Where to begin? Well, Nyxia Unleashed dives right back in where we left off at the end of book 1 with the arrival to the target planet of Magnia! Babel (a sketchy company who preys on needy kids) contracted a troop of kids to explore another planet and the kids are battle tested and were to be molded into Babel’s ideal citizen. Boy did they underestimate the willpower and sheer determination of teenagers!
The world building in this series cannot be compared to any other YA series out there! I loved how the author added messages to the plotline without being preachy! For example, the book goes over ow colonizing new worlds causes destruction and devastation to the endogenous inhabitants. People as a whole are nasty and leave their trash for someone else to clean up and never take responsibility for their actions. Instead of calling it progress for their own civilization. The kids are sent to Magnia to mine a revolutionary new product known as Nyxia.
Babel has a treaty with the inhabitants of the new planet. For the allowance of mining, Babel has promised to help with the lack of females on the planet. The planet is dying from natural and weather-related disasters and Babel has convinced the Imago that they will be their saviors but the kids quickly figure out that there is so much more going on! Nothing Babel says is as it seems!

Characters Who Were Created to Be Worshiped!
I finally found a male MC that I could totally relate to! Music is Emmett’s love for music mirrors my real-life obsession! Aside from books, music is also how I cope with life and the moods that I find myself in- just like Emmett! Emmett is on this journey to get the treatment needed to save his ailing mother and will do whatever is necessary to save her. He is such a fantastic MC and it is so easy to root for him! Additionally, I too internalize everything and have a system like Emmett to deal with my outward emotions, even if the world is falling to pieces around me! Emmett’s grandmother has taught him a way to “file” away every encounter so that he has a way to deal with his emotions and is never ashamed for showing how he feels! It was truly inspiring and beautiful!
Morning is a girl from Cali that is after my heart and all-time favorite heroine award! It is so refreshing to see a strong, prevailing female leader that girls everywhere can idolize! Since Death and Destruction are my favorite aspect of novels, I have to say that Morning’s fight signs had me jumping up and down, squealing with delight as I devoured the words! Honestly, they might be some of my all-time beloved battle scenes and will be so hard to top by future YA authors! The best thing about Morning’s ability to be tough when she is needed and lenient when it is necessary.
I am not a big fan of romance, but the author did such an amazing job of making the relationship so genuine and perfect that I had to fall in love right along with the cast! The love is not just a physical manifestation. Instead, they fight back to back to protect the one they love, they are there to listen to the other’s despair and to offer healing, and they hang out and become best friends! Just like a natural real relationship! Emm and Morn FOREVA! (I am going to carve that in a tree somewhere!)
The wonderful side characters are just as magical as the two MCs! I mean I cannot tell readers how truly wonderful these characters are written! Nothing I can say will do them justice! And the diversity! YES! There are LGBT characters, multiple nationalities and races, pregnant crew members, and members with emotional or physical abuse that they beautifully intergrade into the storyline! So many of these characters are all dealing with grief, trauma, PTSD, and abandonment.

Conclusion:
This series is just so brilliant! Kids from different races, religions, nationalities, and emotional backgrounds come together to form a diverse cast of unified refugees! That is probably the most powerful statement of the series! We all have issues and are different but at the same time, we are all humans who need each other regardless of the circumstance! The way that the story puts a spotlight on how privileged social casts impact the ones that they interact with is edifying.
The series will stay at the tiptop of my recommendation list for years to come! I cannot patiently wait for the third installment! HURRY UP AND WRITE IT MR. REINTGEN- pleasssee!
***Thank you Netgalley, Mr. Reintgen, and Random House Children’s Publishing for allowing me early access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!***

Reintgen delivered everything that a sequel needs. Raised stakes, strong emotional storytelling, and a main character who constantly challenges himself to think outside himself. Emmett's hard not to love! I also enjoyed the introduction of some different POV's though they could have appeared a little more throughout instead of serving as largely POVs meant to increase tension over being completely needed.
Can't wait for book three.

Second books in trilogies are always hard because it is important for the second installment not to just be filler. This one is not. We meet a lot of old friends again and meet some new ones. Importantly, the world expands as the gang is finally on the planet they've been training to visit in the first book. Emmett once again is a terrific protagonist and while there are glimpses of a few other perspectives, we are mostly in his head again. His relationship with Morning becomes more fleshed out as do some of the characters that we only briefly met in the last book. We also learn a lot more about the Adamites and Babel, the mysterious company who is mining nyxia for profit. Reintgen's prose is even more beautiful in this installment, and some of the sentences that end the chapters are achingly eloquent. I could not put this book down. Some of the "surprises" were not surprises and for really smart kids, I would have expected them to figure it out sooner, but some others were definitely intricate reveals, which I greatly appreciated.
Overall, another great installment in this trilogy, and I'm already dying to get my hands on the last book.

Just as fast-paced and exciting as its predecessor, Nyxia, this second installment of the Nyxia Triad ups the stakes in so many ways. While the characters had an inkling that Babal was using Genesis as pawns, it becomes all too clear that whatever game the company is playing, it’s bigger than they anticipated. Much bigger. With only each other to rely on, Emmett, Morning, and the rest of the crew are slowly but surely realizing that everything they’ve been taught, everything they’ve been told to expect once they’ve landed on Eden, is wrong. Warfare is on the horizon for these two planets and the Genesis crew are put in the unprecedented position of trust the enemy you know, or side with the (possible) enemy you don’t.

With Nyxia, Reintgen touched on so many current and relevant issues such as prejudice, classism, racism, and so much more. Not only did he explore those elements quite a bit more in Nyxia Unleashed, but the story relied quite a bit more heavily on those themes, particularly colonialism. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — I love fantasy and sci-fi books that include heavy subjects and relevant themes, but especially when it comes to YA. Oftentimes they send the message that hope and perseverance in the face of such adversity is one of the hardest battles to fight, but at the end of the day, sometimes hope and perseverance is all that’s left and you’re faced with the choice of give up or go on. The characters, more often than not, go on and keep fighting the good fight and that’s such an important message to imprint on young minds, as simple as it may seem.

Nyxia was such an incredible debut, one that blew me away, and I went into Unleased with a little trepidation. How could Reintgen continue this story while carrying the elements that made the first book so incredible? How could the story possibly move forward when the characters lost so much? I needn’t have worried because this second book was just as phenomenal as Nyxia. Maybe even a little more, and that’s quite a feat. These characters have all lost so much, but they’ve got such an incredible amount of resilience and strength, and they prove that the only way to move forward is by working together, despite their differences and backgrounds. Not only that, but this series shows the power of friendship and the incredible bond that can form between the unlikeliest of people. The characters are amazing, the world is amazing, the storyline is amazing, and all three come together to make a series that will definitely be one I come back to read again in the future, and one that I will recommend the heck out of.

Bottom line - do yourself a favor and pick up the first book in the series, and then do yourself another solid and pick up the second, and then the third when it comes out. I’ve said it probably 100 times in this review alone - it’s amazing. Highly recommended and I’ll be waiting not so patiently for the final installment in this fantastic trilogy.

Thank you so much for supplying me with a review copy of Nyxia Unleashed!

I honestly forgot I requested Nyxia Unleased until I received the email telling me I had been approved. I requested it when I bought Nyxia awhile back. (It was a cover buy BECAUSE. LOOK. AT. IT.) I dnfed Nyxia once but because I was sent the eARC of book two, I gave it another shot and I'm glad I did. 

Once I got into the story, Nyxia was fairly good. Nyxia Unleashed in my opinion wasn't as good. I felt like the storyline and plot became repetitive and dragged a lot. It was nice to see the characters again and to witness their growth.

When the finished copy is released this summer, I may give it another try as I did with Nyxia.

Nyxia Unleashed is a powerhouse! It’s a thrill ride with intensity and passion. Full of refreshing twists and character developments, you won’t be sorry you returned to the Nyxia world!

What an incredible sequel this was! It was fast paced and exciting! I loved every minute of it, and the only negative I have is now I have to wait even longer for book 3! Reintgen did not disappoint with this gem!

I’ve thought long and hard about what I wanted to say in this review. Being book 2, and with the way book 1 ended, I decided that I can’t really talk about the characters, because that would give away who survived and who didn’t. I did fall in love with Emmett more in this one (he’s all over the synopsis, so not a spoiler). His personality really came through in this one and he grew in strength and character. I also really loved how the decisions he made seemed to link back to the strength and character of his father and the lessons he taught Emmett.

I realized I couldn’t say much about the plot either, to avoid spoilers. It was exciting though. It was surprising and unpredictable, and kept the same feeling as book 1. It had some mild predictability to it, but that certainly wasn’t a bad thing. There were plenty of shocking moments that made it exhilarating and heart pounding!

The world development was vivid and outstanding, too! Reintgen did an incredible job with creating Eden. He included such rich detail and description that I could visualize and experience everything in my mind. I really loved the imagination he used to develop the world, and the Adamite race.

All in all, this was a fantastic second book. I’ve loved the series so far, and the minute I finished this one, I wanted to go back and read both books again! Nyxia Unleashed was worth the wait, and I felt like there were enough details in the story that would make it very re-readable.

Thank you to NetGalley, and the publisher, for providing this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Nyxia Unleashed was the perfect follow up to the first book: we still have the action, the exploration, the uncertainly, and excellent characterization. As well, this sequel didn't (for the most part) fall into the sophomore slump of being mostly filler with one event at the end in order to get ready for the action of the third book. What we get is a complete scene change to the planet Eden and our remaining lead characters finding out about life on the planet while they mine Nyxia.

Story: Emmet is still bitter over Babel's betrayal and forcing his Genesis unit to each murder another member in order to survive. Worse, Isadora, Roathy's lover, has decided that she will avenge his death by destroying Emmet as well. But neither are prepared for what they will find now that they are on Eden. Babel holds its secrets close and Emmet has to work with Morning to keep their secret rebellion and plans from Babel's ears. But the longer they are on the planet, the clearer it is becoming that Babel has far more plans for the planet than just mining - but also that the Adamites have their own objectives and goals as well. Caught in the middle are the Genesis teams of teenagers and absolutely nothing is what they have been told.

There are a lot of secrets and betrayals in this volume; where the first book established the world and the rules of the world, book 2 spends a lot of time breaking them. Pretty much everything that we know has been a lie; Emmet spends most of the story reevaluating his knowledge as new revelations emerge and shake up the story. Loyalties shift and the 'scooby gang' gets both larger and smaller on a constantly shifting knowledge plane. It was admittedly entertaining to read Reintgen tear down everything he had built in the first book.

The characterizations remained solid, with Emmet having a unique voice while also having to guess what the others are thinking from his first person POV. He'll learn a lot about the people he spent time with in the previous book but even more about Eden, the Adamites, and Babel. His growing relationship with Morning was especially rewarding.

But this was not a perfect novel for me. I have to admit frustrations in several areas. For one, Babel employees are pretty much 'mustache-twirling evil' cardboard cutouts of soulless CEOs. It gets old to read the same type of "anything for profit" villain stereotype. Another very problematic aspect is that the Adamites act and talk like Americans. Even considering there is a universal translator, there would be different cultural tics and mannerisms. E.g., just bring an Australian and a Brit into the same room: even though they speak the same language, they are very different in how they approach/deal with each other. It feels like lazy writing not to give an alien/extraterrestrial humanoid their very own culture (as CJ Cherryh did so well with the Foreigner series).

But in all, I enjoyed reading Nyxia. There was plenty of action and it was entertaining to see all the mysteries constantly unfolding. I look forward to the final volume! Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Just as entertaining as the first volume, Nyxia Unleashed continues the saga of the Genesis crew, a group of scrappy teenagers sent to an alien planet called Eden to mine for the titular substance. They now know that Babel, the corporation who trained them and relocated them, is evil but how can they fight them? Maybe the Adamites, the people who live on the planet, can help. Then again, maybe not, seeing that they seem to be concealing many, many secrets. Emmett and his teammates discover this new world while trying to stay alive. The world-building is exceptional, as the author describes Eden in great detail, including its natural environments and local fauna, as well as the customs and traditions of the Adamites (or Imago, as they call themselves). There is action, suspense, romance, funny banter and a humongous cliffhanger that will have me checking the author's website for updates on when the final volume will be published.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Random House Children's/Crown Books for Young Readers!

Another world to explore, with monstrous creatures and limitless dangers. Emmett and the teams have come down from Babel as slaves—children who can no longer claim the innocence of childhood—manipulated and shaped for their selfish purposes, but formed into weapons who seek to turn on their ‘masters’, if the force of the Nyxia’s mysterious power and the aliens secret agenda doesn’t thwart them first.

The author does an amazing job with the alien planet and other sci-fi elements. He talks like he knows his stuff, even though it is science fiction! He follows a gripping main plot, flowing with enough description to aid the reader without going overboard, of which I was very interested in following along. You must read the first book before picking this one up, or you will be completely lost! The story begins seconds after the first book left off, and adds in a few more character views from time-to-time than the first—which focused on only one main character, with a brief “intermission” of another character.

I struggled with keeping track of so many characters and who was who, just as I did in the first book—only perhaps more so in this one. This element to my reading experience did not become any clearer, and I kind of gave up trying to remember and “see” each character. I’m a reader who likes to remember details and “see” the events and the people as I read, so having to give up seeing these characters as unique individuals was rather frustrating for me.

The language is much stronger in this one and throughout the whole thing; the relationship between two main characters escalate in stronger scenes of sensuality; on the side, introducing a same-sex couple; etc. etc. The violence is mostly mild and suggestive, in a stylistic sci-fi setting—not really anything of note there.

Let’s just say, had I known the content that would be mixed in to the storyline, I would have chosen not to pick it up at all. It is not content I want included in my reading experience, nor did it enrich the main storyline at all.

I was conflicted with how to rate this book. As the main storyline of exploring and battle over this alien planet was a super awesome concept and very well written—that was what I was thrilled to continue reading about! But for the other content that taints this story? Hm, not so much. For that, I would drop my rating to 2 stars, at best. I think the story would have been great without any of that. But the main story concept I could have easily rated 4-5 stars. That whole alien planet thing again! So, I had to settle for an in-between 3 stars, and not a particularly strong one.

In conclusion, sadly, I can’t really say this is one I would recommend, nor think I would read the conclusion to (this is set up as a trilogy).

I was given an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This story was amazing. From start to finish there was never a full moment. The story always had a feeling of suspense and intensity. The characters have really progressed from the first book to this one and you become attached to them just as Emmett does. The world of the Adamites is described in amazing detail. I'm anticipating what's to come next.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and I was really excited to read the next one, so when the publisher approved my request for an ARC, I was thrilled. This was so much better than the first book. There was a lot going on, and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. I was trying to piece everything together, but I was not expecting what happen at all.

The book starts off where the last one ended; with Emmet and the rest of the Genesis crew landing on the alien planet. I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters a little more in this book. I really felt like this provided more depth into each of the characters' personalities.

This was very well written. I honestly could not stop thinking about it and did not want to put it down. I would tell myself that I was only going to finish the chapter, but ended up reading five more. I am a little disappointed that I will have to wait for the third book to come out because this one left on a cliff hanger, but I am very excited for it. I would definitely recommend this book/series if you enjoy books set in space. It is a really good series, and this was an amazing book.

WOW! This was an action-packed sequel that hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the cliffhanger last sentence. I was very impressed with this and can't wait for it to be published so I can add it to my school library collection. I know that my students, especially those who were fans of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner series will be clambering for this one.

Emmett and the rest of the Genesis crew who made it to launch day have arrived on Eden. Once there, they meet up with the Adamites, the hosts that Babel has said are dying out and who revere children. They are, according to all the Adamite ambassadors, the next hope for their generation. But, something isn't ringing true. Both Babel and the Adamites are hiding something. And Emmett and the rest of the crew don't know who they can trust besides themselves. They work their way through the mines and the rest of the planet, "shoulder to shoulder" because they only have themselves to rely on. Of course, nothing goes quite according to plan and they must learn to recognize the conspiracies within the conspiracies in order to survive.

Highly recommend for grades 7 and up.

"The routine goes like this: Arrive. Unpack. Flirt a little. Feel guilty I'm flirting with the fate of multiple worlds on the line. Flirt some more. Drill down into darkness. Gut the planet. Get that money. Pack it in neat boxes. Sleep with one eye open. Rinse and repeat."

Are you looking for a heart-pounding science fiction adventure that features characters you truly care about? If so, Scott Reintgen's Nyxia series are for you. Nyxia Unleashed is the second book in the Nyxia series and it was just as action-packed as the first book, Nyxia. You can read my 5++ star review of Nyxia here.

Nyxia ended with a cliffhanger - the teenagers who were recruited and trained to mine a magical but deadly substance called Nyxia were put to the ultimate test: to fight for their lives against their crewmembers. Those who won get to go to Eden to mine Nyxia for the profit-hungry company Babel. This battle was not in their contract, but most of what the teenagers - who were plucked from a poverty-stricken Earth - had been contractually promised were lies. Who would make it to Eden to mine Nyxia and who would be killed?

The second book picks up right where Nyxia left off. I won't spoil the plot, but as readers of the first book can probably guess, Emmett survives. Emmett, a rough and tumble but morally sound kid from Detroit, is faced with new challenges now that he and the remaining crew are on Eden, home to the alien race Imago. The Imago have been painted as dangerous and conniving by Babel. The Imago are facing imminent disaster; their people are no longer able to conceive children and their moon is dying. Babel believes it has cut a deal with a desperate culture that will soon fade away. Babel, however, is in for a surprise.

Reintgen is a master of words and detail; he has created a world and people who are so vastly different from our own universe. He has a knack for description and for making you feel as though you, too, are on Eden experiencing new landscapes, creatures, and people for the very first time just like Emmett. I cannot wait for the third installation in this series! It was billed as a young adult series, but it is definitely for adults who enjoy science fiction, adventure, and richly drawn characters. I cannot recommend this series enough!

Thank you to Scott Reintgen, Random House Children's, Crown Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of Nyxia Unleashed! Looking forward to the third book in this series - and I LOVE the covers of these books!

Oh Mr. Reintgen, no sophomore slump for you, eh? This second installment of the Nyxia trilogy is a worthy successor to the fascinating first story in this trilogy.

After the long trials and eliminations in the first book, Nyxia, Emmet and the other winners finally arrive on the planet Eden to begin their one year work contract, mining the substance Nyxia, from deep under the planets' surface. It doesn't take long for the groups to figure that all is not what it seems.

Babel, the company that plucked them from their homes on Earth and sent them off into space for the chance to better their lives and the lives of their families back home, hasn't told them the complete truth. Not only are they mining Nyxia for Babel's own use, not the good of humanity, but they are part of Babel's plan to take over the planet and its inhabitants, and harness Nyxia's power all for itself.

Of course our intrepid group, Emmet, Morning and the rest, begin devising a plan to thwart Babel's. Hoping to stop the overtaking of the planet and save the current inhabitants, they befriend the planets native people and join them in a risky plot to stop Babel's attempt to take over the planet. While Emmet and friends join the fight, Anton has slipped away back to the main spaceship still orbiting the planet, in an attempt to thwart Babel from within.

As the action comes to a blisteringly heartbreaking conclusion, we are left with a startling discovery that could change everything.

As in the first book, Scott Reintgen creates characters that are fully developed and rounded into completely believable people with lives, thoughts, feelings. You forget they are teenagers, they feel like old souls who know how to fight but are already infinitely weary of it. The romance between a few couples is there, but thankfully, not in your face cloyingly sweet. Every word in this book had me glued to the page.

So, again, Mr. Reintgen, all I can end with is, I dearly hope you are hard at work on the next installment. I'll be sitting here waiting. Not patiently, but definitely waiting...

I really liked Nyxia, and now Nyxia Unleashed as well. I LOVED the commentary about colonization and stripping lands for their resources. I love when books introduce readers, especially teenagers, to important concepts like that. I have to admit the twist re: the Adamites plans got me- and I am rarely fooled.

Nyxia was one of my favorite books of last year, so to see the sequel on here, i was pretty excited! This book picked up right where it left off, and it wasnt short on excitement. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. File this book under F for Favorite!