Bonds of Brass was one of these books I just couldn’t put down. I was mesmerised from the beginning and I just had to know what happens next after each chapter, so I finished it in one sitting. Naturally to say I absolutely loved it! I am having such a book hangover and I’m already beyond excited for the next one in this trilogy.

Ettian risks his own life to save his best friend Gal (and let’s face it, the boy he loves) who turns out had a huge secret. He’s the prince of a brutal galactic empire. The one that invaded Archon, where Ettian is from... But Ettian trusts that Gal won’t repeat history and is not like his parents. On their escape they find out that there are still people from Archon out there, hiding and plotting to fight back. Ettian is torn what to do. Help his people or help the boy who owns his heart.

The writing style, the characters and especially the character development was really amazing. I also really liked the pacing in this book. Not a single boring page. Absolutely thrilling. I got to admit sci-fi isn’t usually the genre I go for but I guess this book woke something in me and I have some catching up to do. I loved these stupid pilots and their space adventures.

This book is so full of awesome tropes, has such a strong female main character and ridiculous boys on a spaceship. What else do you need? Go and read it! Right now! That ending though with that plot twist? Nearly killed me. The next book can’t come fast enough.

Wow. Simply, wow. This book surpassed all of my incredibly high expectations. Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me an arc of this book, which was easily one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. I'm going to start with a serious review for the next three paragraphs, and then I'm going to write a fun review beneath it, so stick with me!

Emily Skrutskie's first book in The Bloodright Trilogy is fast, thrilling, and achingly wonderful. The action begins immediately, and so did my love for this book and its characters. Over the course of the novel, Ettian finds himself torn between two empires: The Archon Empire who raised him and then collapsed around him seven years ago, and the Umber Empire, who colonized his home but also gave him Gal—the boy he loves and also the boy set to inherit the entire Umber Empire. This is a classic conflict between past and present, between belief in a cause and belief in a person, and no matter what choice Ettian makes, he stands to break his own heart. Reading this book, I was horrified to find that I had no idea how it would end, what Ettian would choose, or even what choice I as a reader wanted him to make. Which is to say, Ettian is the perfect narrator. He can always make the reader see things as he sees them, and the reader can't help but feel the same heart-tearing conflict that Ettian feels.

I also need to praise the other two main characters in this book as well as the lovely cast of side characters. There's Gal, of course, who is a delight. I didn't always fully trust him, but I always adored him. He's a genius, a talented liar, a bit of a softie on the inside, a tortured soul, a prideful prince, a huge flirt, and so vulnerable I just wanted to wrap him in a hug for half of the book. There's Wen, a chaotic street-smart sixteen-year-old orphan who shines in her role as the tritagonist and stole my heart immediately. There's also a badass lady colonel, a soft soldier boy who likes audiobooks, and several other very memorable side characters who make this story that much better.

On rare occasions, I assign a book a 5-star rating before I even get halfway into the story, and this was one of those books. Of course, that placed a certain pressure on my reading, because the second half had to live up to the first half. I'm thrilled to say that it absolutely did. This book literally took my breath away. I screamed, I gasped, I laughed. I stressed over this book while I was at work. I walked from my train station to my front door without looking up from my Kindle. This book is utterly gripping. You won't want to put it down.

Now, I'm turning off serious reviewer mode and I'm going to gush a little. If you don't like fangirling, feel free to skip this bit.

AHHHHHHH. Okay, glad I got that out of my system. This book is absolutely scream-worthy. You want tropes? You've got them. You want unresolved sexual tension that crackles on the page? You've come to the right place. I literally made a list of all of the wonderful tropey, squeal-inducing things that happen in this book, which I will include a sample of below with as few spoilers as possible. Read at your own risk!

This book has:
-Lap Sitting
-There's only one bed (sometimes by CHOICE?)
-Fake dating
-Near kisses
-Mutual spoken and unspoken sexual tension and pining
-"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"
-Play fighting until whoopsie, I'm on top of you
-"and they were roommates"
-Catching your love interest as they literally fall into your arms
And so many other things I won't even get into!

Rather than carrying on for another 500 words praising the worldbuilding, the incredible diversity, and the way that Emily Skrutskie clearly knows her way around a spaceship, I'm just going to conclude this review by saying GO READ THIS BOOK THE DAY IT COMES OUT. DO IT.

Meanwhile, I'm going to suffer for the next year or more until I can get my hands on the sequel.

Once I started reading I didn't really put it down until I was done. The concept really intrigued me (hello, some queer science fiction!) and I wanted to find out where it ended up going. I would have liked a bit more about Gal and Ettian concerning their motivations and such, and Ettian was a bit frustrating with some of his self-deprecation and stuff. I liked seeing Gal show different facets of himself throughout the book, and am interested to see where the characters go in the next books. I feel as though there could have been some more with their relationship, that they could have communicated a bit more with one another. Wen was an intriguing character as well and I look forward to seeing how she plays into the rest of the story. Overall a pretty good YA sci-fi book, and one that I plan to read the rest of the trilogy.

HELLO I am here for gay galactic gallivanting. This book is everything I never knew I wanted - fake dating? Friends to lovers? Sharing a bed? A girl with a wicked umbrella? Starships?? Space battles?? REVOLUTIONS?? Bonds of Brass is an action-packed wild ride that follows Ettian and Gal's journey across space after Gal is outed as the Umber heir after an assassination attempt. They steal a military ship, dodge a couple of near-death experiences, meet a girl on the run from the local mob, and accidentally join the Archon revolution.

This book truly shines in the second half, where you see more and more of the complexity behind Ettian's character and his constant struggle between his love and friendship for Gal and lingering embers of loyalty to his own ruined empire. Their actions may start a war, and although Gal aims for the most peaceful resolution whenever possible, things don't always go according to plan, especially when their plans keep getting dashed to pieces. The characters are wonderfully fleshed out and complex, and you find yourself caught up right along their decisions. I definitely did not anticipate becoming so invested in these two disaster boys and their chaos friend, and cannot wait to see what happens next in the books!

As some people have mentioned, the book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I just want to say here that I would give my firstborn to have book 2 in my hands right now. Please please please pick this book up when it comes out. It's funny, it's exciting, it's sweet, it's complicated, and it's the queer space adventure we all deserve.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This review was published Sunday, February 9, 2020 to Netgalley and Goodreads. An abbreviated review will also be posted on Instagram (@peireads).

An Advanced Reader's copy has been provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review


Release Date: April and 7, 2020
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars


TW: Drug use, PTSD (not directly talked about but the signs are there)


The Plot: A Space Opera that follows a boy named Ettian who lost everything to the empire. Well on his way to making top of his class and making a new life for himself everything falls apart when his best friend is almost assassinated and reveled to be the heir of the very empire that brought war to his home. Now Ettian must protect the best friend who has always been by his side.


The Characters: Ettian- Such an intelligent character and so fiercely loyal to both Gal and Wen. Battling between his past and his potential future rounds him out so well. I can't express how much I love him without saying spoilers.


Gal- I don't know what to make of him yet. The biggest characteristic trait he has is that he's supposed to be charming and a great negotiator however that's mostly told and not shown. The few times it tried to show he failed at his attempts. I'd love to see the second book or even just a few chapters take his perspective. I'm also curious to see how much he will go between his beginning characterization to the traits of his people.


Wen- Demolitionist with a weaponized rainbow umbrella. Yes. So much yes. Wen is by far my favorite and I could read a whole book from her perspective of the story.
 


Overview: A lot of people have been comparing this to Star Wars or making references to it and I do not have that as I have never seen a single movie. I think this is good as I felt I could truly absorb this story without comparison. So starting off I'd like to say this author reached into my soul and grabbed every single trope I love and threw them in. Friends to Lovers? Check WHILE doing Enemies to Lovers? Check. Space? Check. Shared bed? Check. Characters that don't care about the galaxy and only for each other and would burn the whole place to the ground if anything happened to the other? CHECK. AND HOLY PLOT TWIST BATMAN. THAT ENDING. HOW DARE.

The writing itself does get a bit repetitive in the beginning. I feel like some of the same words are used too frequently and some plot and characterization points are brought up more then necessary.
That and there are just...so many escapes. I need like two less. Other than that the plot flowed pretty well through out, keeping me on my toes and there was the right amount of angst to where I didn't want to stop reading even leaving my tea to get cold at one point.
Both Ettian and Gal suck at communicating with each other. I think this OK for book one of a trilogy especially under war circumstances and secrets coming to light, but I REALLY need to see character growth in the next two books. The tension between the boys battling love and trust was beautifully done and I think will be even more tense and amazing in the next two books if done right. I can see this series easily becoming one of my all time favorites, dying to get my hands on the next one and this isn't even out yet.

Pretty underwhelmed by this one. Maybe because sci-fi isn't a genre I typically go for, or maybe because the story felt familiar since I've seen so many variations of it. The pacing was awkward as well: Skrutskie almost immediately drops us into the action with no time to establish the world and characters, so I felt jarred for the first several chapters. A good portion of the book was also told to the readers: more so with the characters at the beginning, but the world never took on dimension because of this. Going off that, I didn't really click with the conflict or cast. Ettian was just okay (I forgot his name more often than not) and Gal was super dull (same applies to the romance). Wen, though, stole the show as well as my heart. And the big reveal? I saw it coming a mile off.

Probably won't be reading the rest of the trilogy, but I wouldn't not recommend this to others who are more invested in science fiction and space operas.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is #1 in the Bloodright Trilogy, can be read by itself without you wanting to pull your hair out because of a cliffhanger, though you will be happy for #2. Two young men are pilots at the Umber military academy, one of them, Gal, from Umber, the other, Ettian, a local Archonian defeated by Umber who has tried to find a way forward under that last 7 years of Umber rule. Ettian has become the best pilot and best friends with Gal, possibly in love with him, so when a seeming assassination attempt is made on Gal's life, Ettian never hesitates, even when he discovers Gal is actually the Umber heir to the throne. And assassination plots of heirs to the throne are not so easy to evade, and make for quite an adventure as the young men are faces with constant split second decisions on what to do and who to trust, including each other. Ettian is constantly torn between his Archon roots and his faith in Gal. Gal is torn between his cold, violent Umber royal upbringing and his desire for humane change. And a wonderful piece of chaos is introduced in the character of Wen, a street urchin and born pilot who latches on to them knowing a good thing when she's found one. Most of all is the moving love story of Gal and Ettian, their hearts pulling them together, their backgrounds tearing them apart. Great reading on many levels.

He’s the heir to a galactic empire, hiding out as a random cadet at the military academy on a newly conquered world. And he’s a traumatized kid who lost everything in the conquest but is determined to make a new life in the conqueror’s military—and in love with the guy who turns out to be the imperial heir. When the local governor makes a power play against the heir, they flee together. But will love be enough to get them through the resulting secrets and plots as they discover that not everyone who was defeated is willing to stay that way? A decent trilogy opener, though the traumatized kid’s secret was pretty clear by about halfway through.

An exciting adventure of space and love. Went into this book completely blind and enjoyed every minute of it.

One of my favorite books of the year and I cannot wait to read the sequel. The plot was fast paced and I could not put the book down. I loved the characters.

This books has been everything I have been wanting from modern space opera. Intergalactic war, bloodthirsty rulers, and morally grey heroes who will do anything to survive. I have been joking with friends that I wanted books that were basically ‘lgbt people in space’ and this felt like a dream come true. I loved the journey the main character traverses that highlights how survival has been the only thing keeping him going for years. And he’s determined to survive even if it means a betrayal of his legacy. At times I questioned some of his decisions but in the end it worked out almost the way I hoped it would. I can’t wait to read the next installment and will be encouraging others to read.

This was a fun ride. I’m sometimes overwhelmed by sprawling space operas, so this interplanetary story with a small but mighty cast of characters was a welcome relief.  I drew several parallels to Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series (apart from RR’s expansive cast) – propulsive pacing, an absorbing narrative, and a charming underdog looking to topple his subjugators. Ettian’s personal journey and evolution of loyalty is quite compelling. Author Emily Skrutskie unspools his story slowly and pulls on his allegiances from several different directions.

The tone of Skrutskie’s prose is casual yet sharp, which is always a nice combination and makes for a pleasant reading experience. I tend to gloss over extended space battle scenes, but her descriptions of space flight and aerial dogfights are vivid and engrossing.

Despite a lull in pacing and some rushed story beats in the back half of the novel, I enjoyed this to the end. I’ll be interested to see how the future books play out, especially with what unfolded in the final few pages.

4.5 stars
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

With a secret prince, a pining boy, and a Suspiciously Sturdy Rainbow Umbrella that shows up partway, there's no way this book wouldn't have been an attention-keeper. The book starts out well, but something within it (possibly due to my own self-interests) failed to hold much of my attention, though I could see and appreciate how well written it was. Once the book truly picked up pace, it was near-impossible to put down. I've spent time reading and re-reading this!

Stormpilot references were kept small and simple, more like Easter Eggs than deep plotiness, which added to the appeal, and kept Ettian and Gal their own characters. Like other books could stand to do, characters question "bloodright" and inherited monarchies, something I always enjoy seeing.

Well-plotted and filled with humor, this is definitely a book for a cozy read on a cold day.
I'm still so upset that I feel as if I screwed myself, because I truly want the sequel now!

This is a lot more than the marketing would have it seem. It’s not just two best guy space pilot friends with a dash of will they won’t they that happen to resemble a certain popular pairing from a galaxy far far away that join up with a Resistance. Ettian and Gal are their own people, and the world they live in is fleshed out in subtle, fun ways that make it clear that while certain tropes may be invoked (forbidden love! Close quarters! THERE’S ONLY ONE BED), this isn’t just capitalizing on the lack of a certain capitalization in another franchise. We get an unreliable narrator in Ettian, especially with the twist at the end. This is apparently going to be a trilogy, and with the twist in the last two chapters, I’m interested to see where this goes.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Ettian is a pilot, the best in the Umber military Academy. His life was destroyed when, seven years ago, the cruel Umber empire invaded his world. Now he's trying to forget his past, to surrender himself to the notion that the Archon empire, where he lived, is gone for good. But when a group of his classmates tries to kill his best friend Gal (the boy he loves), Ettian is ready to do anything to protect him.
And when he discovers he's the heir of the Umper empire, his life is changed forever.
Torn between his feelings for Gal and his loyalty to him and the notion that there are people willing to fight back against the brutal Umber empire, Ettian doesn't know what to do and keeps playing a game of lies and deception until the moment he's forced to chose. Is his love for Gal and hope he would be a better emperor stronger than the rebellion and his truth?

Bonds of brass if the first book of The bloodright trilogy, set in a world where the brutal Umper empire invaded and controlled almost everything.
I liked the plot, the worldbuilding and the setting of this book, but I found the pacing a bit erratic, because sometimes it was too slow and others too fast.
Told by Ettian's POV the reader follow his insecurities, doubts and questions in a book packed with action, adventure, running, love and friendship. Its characters are captivating and interesting, full of love, shadows and secrets.
For almost all the book Ettian is confused, because he can't decide between what is right and his feelings for Gal, but he's ready to do anything to protect him. Even condemning others' life.

It's clear Ettian loves Gal and he wants to do the right thing protecting him, because he feels he would be a better ruler than his parents. For him, Ettian gives up his life at the Umber military Academy and risks everything, running from people who want to capture and kill Gal. Ettian is stubborn and determined.
For most of the book there isn't exactly a love relationship, a romantic involvement, except few moments where they had to fake to be together to avoid suspicion while plotting plans, but in other parts of the book or they are avoiding one other or they are trying to fight their feelings, because of what Gal is, an heir, so the people he loved would be used against him.

Throughout the book Gal changes a lot. From a funny and chaotic best friend to an angry and withdrawn person, that makes Ettian wonder what's the real Gal, if he actually knew him. His costant wondering and asking Ettian if he was with him...Gal lived fearing for his life, shaped to inherit his bloodright and he changed a lot. It confused and frustrated me, because sometimes I wanted to hug Gal and others to hit him and yell at him. Same with Ettian, because it was clear he was keeping a huge and devastating secret.

I liked his relationship with Gal and how much they obviously care for and love each other, making me cheer for them, hoping they would talk to each other, bringing everything in the open.
Their relationship, moreover, is full of lies, misunderstandings and deceptions and I frustrated me, because neither of them was absolutely honest, even though they loved one other.
It was annoying reading the conflict in Ettian, not because it wasn't justified, but because it was too recurring and I really couldn't understand his motives, expecially reading the plot twist in the end. So I will definitely reading the next book, because I need to know more!
I like Wen and how she and Ettian share a past and can understand each other. She's brilliant and wild and I liked how protective Ettian is of her.

Overall this book was a good read and I will definitely read the sequel, because I really want to know more about Ettian's and Gal's feeling, relationship and what will happen next to them and the empire.

Like many of you, I first heard of this book through FinnPoe shippers and the hilarious summary on the back. I pre-ordered the book immediately, and I was so excited to be able to review an ARC through NetGalley before the book is released. This was one of my most-anticipated books of the year and I was worried that it couldn't live up to the hype.

It does not disappoint! Bonds of Brass is a science-fiction action story with healthy doses of romance and humor. It has references to other franchises (Star Wars, of course, but I also caught Firefly and The Avengers) without feeling derivative. I loved all the characters, even when I was angry at their decisions. The universe felt well thought-out. The pacing of the action and character development felt good. My only regret is that the next book is not available because it ends on a heck of a cliffhanger. Kudos to Emily Skrutskie for creating an exciting new sci-fi series that will have broad appeal.

Bonds of Brass was a highly anticipated read for me, and luckily, it did not disappoint! We love a friends-to-lovers story, although both the book and the relationship are much more complex than that. I'm not a hardcore sci-fi fan, but the planets, their allegiance to the galactic systems, and the travel between was more or less easy to follow for me.

What I liked best about this book was that Skrutskie writes more complex politics and characters than most YA authors, whose typical hero/heroine is (somehow) the last hope of a fallen empire, and that hero/heroine unequivocally fights for revenge and to right how they/their people have been wronged. Sure, it makes sense, but it's done over and over and unless the book has other redeeming qualities, really starts to fall flat after awhile. Whereas our main character here, Ettian, has 1) a much better understanding of revenge and revolution and what that means for both sides, and 2) is multi-faceted and realistic enough to recognize there IS no one right answer or a perfect happily ever after in times of intergalactic conflict. He's pulled in all different directions from his loyalty to his people, his principles, and the boy he loves, and it's really well done and makes for a really interesting character.

I definitely recommend this one when it hits the shelves, and, as for me, I'm already anxiously awaiting the sequel!

This took me a little while to get into the world building, but once I was in, I was all in--empires and princes and street urchins, oh my. I do love a queer space opera, and I'm very very ready for book 2.

This book has been hyped so much, I was worried it wouldn't hold up, but IT SO DID! Though it's often been compared to Finn/Poe, I'd caution readers from expecting exactly that dynamic. The one between Ettian and Gal is far more complex and--at times--rockier, but it's so compelling! If you're looking for a space opera with complicated politics and morally gray characters (actual morally gray ones, not, uh, genocidal murderers and their victims) this book's for you! The plot races along and never drags, all the characters are lovable and compelling, and that ending!!

The world-building was a little generic (think Star Wars meets Firefly), but the conflicts and tension between characters more than makes up for it. I'm dying for the next book!

This book was an absolutely thrilling delight.

This is a solid crossover from YA to adult sci-fi (published by an adult imprint following characters in their late teens).

This book is set in a world several years after a bloody takeover from an empire steeped in violence and power struggles. Though the war is over and the Umber Empire has won, there are pockets of resistance that leave the worlds on the cusp of a revolution.

Ettian is a survivor of the war. He lived on the streets for years after his parents died and his home was destroyed, he was disregarded by his people, and was eventually put on track to become a pilot for the Umber Empire. His only goal is survival, and he feels no loyalty to his former empire and the new. His only loyalty is to his roommate and close friend, Gal, who befriended him in his first year at the academy they both train at.

Gal is charming, friendly, and intelligent but ultimately mysterious. After an attempt on his life, Gal is revealed to be the heir of the Umber Empire. He and Ettian escape, but Ettian quickly begins questioning how well he really knows Gal.

Wen is an orphan, the child of a mob boss who was killed many years ago on a neutral planet. Wen is unpredictable, cunning, daring, and is the only person Ettian has felt comfortable enough with to discuss his difficult past.

This book is a thrill ride, packed with non-stop action, engaging space battles, emotional moments, romance, and empire wide political implications.

Ettian is such a complex and understandable character, even when you don't agree with some of the decisions he makes. I loved the interactions between Ettian and Wen. The romance between Ettian and Gal was so intense, and I found myself questioning Gal's intentions so often that it was also terrifying.

BE WARNED this book has a serious cliffhanger! I'm already dying for book 2 in this series.

A quick note - I know this book is being hailed as the FinnPoe book we all deserve, but the dynamic between Ettian and Gal is nothing like FinnPoe! Gal WILL inherit the violent empire that ruined Ettian's life and that makes for some seriously conflicted loyalties. I worry about this comparison because of reader expectations.