Aurora Burning (2020), the second book in Amie Kaufman’s and Jay Kristoff’s young adult SF AURORA CYCLE series, follows the tension-filled, nonstop space adventures of the teenage crew of Squad 312, recent graduates of the Aurora Academy. In the first book, Aurora Rising, the crew visited the forbidden planet of Octavia III and discovered, to their horror, that an alien hivemind, called the Ra’haam, has taken over the planet and is bent, Borg-like, on assimilating all intelligent life in the galaxy (or, perhaps, more like the group consciousness alien in Isaac Asimov’s “Misbegotten Missionary,” aka “Green Patches”). In fact, the Ra’haam have already infiltrated the command of the Global Intelligence Agency.

Now the six remaining members of the Longbow’s crew are regrouping after losing one of their members to the Ra’haam and barely escaping Octavia III. As Tyler and Scarlett Jones try to sell their Longbow in a lawless space station, they see a media broadcast blaming their crew for a massacre of thousands of people. Instantly the crew is on the run again, trying to evade both the local crime gangs and the infected GIA agents who are trying to recapture Auri, their crewmate who has been gifted with some supernatural powers by another race of aliens who fought the Ra’haam long ago … powers that she hasn’t learned to control at all yet.

Life for Tyler and his crew only gets more exciting — in a not-so-stupendous way — when the sister of Kai (another crew member) tracks him down to insist that Kai rejoin their ultra-violent Syldrathi Warbreed Cabal. You know, the group responsible for blowing up the Syldrathi planet’s sun and killing ten billion of their people, led by the man called Starslayer. But the members of Squad 312 are determined to save the galaxy from the Ra’haam threat, even if the galaxy is being uncooperative.

Aurora Burning is a jet-propelled space adventure for young adult readers, as Tyler, Scarlett, Auri, Kai, Finian and Zila scramble from one crisis to the next. In the process, Auri finds out more about her powers as the Trigger who has the ability to stop the Ra’haam threat, her boyfriend Kai finds that it’s not so easy to escape his past as part of a Syldrathi Warbreed family, and Tyler gets up close and personal with Kai’s hardcore sister Saedii and her monstrous drakkan, a dragon-like beast that has all the odds in its favor when Tyler is forced into a death match with it. There are also some unexpectedly poignant flashbacks to Zila’s past, clarifying why she works so hard to suppress all her feelings.

In most ways, I liked Aurora Burning even better than Aurora Rising. The snarky humor is still present, but balanced by deeper emotions and insights into the pasts and the motivations of the crew. The plot felt a lot more cohesive and original, and there are a few fantastic twists of the kind I like: unexpected but consistent with the overall plot. And I was completely enthralled by some mysterious gifts that the crew receives from some secret helpers — bizarre but helpful gifts that seem to indicate that someone, somewhere, is either time-traveling or foreseeing their future. It’s a fascinating plot element and I can’t wait to get the full explanation for it.

On the flip side, I was never all that convinced by Auri’s and Kai’s romance, though it plays a central role in the plot, or by the crew’s overreaction (in my opinion) to a surprising and highly negative fact that surfaces very late in the story. I simply couldn’t believe that they would all react the way they did. And son of a biscuit (Auri’s favorite expression), Aurora Burning might just have the worst cliffhanger in the entire history of the universe. Kaufman and Kristoff must have worked really hard to come up with a cliffhanger of that scope and magnitude. It’s almost impressive, if I didn’t find it so vexing.

With or without maddening cliffhangers, I’m still definitely on board for book three of the AURORA CYCLE. It’s a fun, action-packed series and the books are quick reads that are hard to put down.

Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman you have wrecked me yet again.

Also, big THANK YOU to Net Galley and Knopf Publishing for providing me an advanced copy of this book to read and review. You all are amazing and make wishes come true.

Let me start by saying that this is BOOK TWO in a series. The Aurora Series to be exact, and it's worth every moment of adventure.

Book One: Aurora Rising - My review is here for that one
Book Two: Aurora Burning - THIS REVIEW
Book Three: Publish Date TBD but WOOOO buddy I'm now here for it because this book sure did set some high expectations. I digress.

I'll try to be as spoiler free as possible but seeing as it's second book in a series, I may have some hints to the first book. So if you haven't read book one, here are some initial 'non spoiler' thoughts.

Aurora Burning is amazingly action packed.
There is no slow button, we have one speed, and it's full speed with the audience holding on to their butts the whole way.
Emotional attachment to every character seems to be involuntary.
You will get wrecked, you will have feels, and you will experience a cliff hanger of epic proportions.

Alright, that's it for the non spoiler info. haha

Honestly I expected book two to be slower than book one. That didn't happen for me though. Maybe the first two chapters had a bit of a build but after that there was no slow. The plot on this was compiled of past information and new knowledge. It also comprised a lot of character development, which is a big thing in my opinion.

Characters that got to shine this book are Zila, Fin, and Kal. Zila was unexpected and my whole heart is now invested in her. Additionally, Fin continues to grow on me. He is such an excellent character. His humor and strive to survive makes me root for him no matter the circumstance.

Then there is Kal.

Kal has seen some things and has had a rough time of it. If you adored him before, I'm sure you'll love him even more now. His background is described a bit more, #nospoilers , it's rough. Then again, all the characters are rough. This is why we love them.

I wish I had book three right now. Waiting for me. Ready to read and find closure. This is not the case though. This novel ends on a cliff hanger and I'm not okay about it. Not in the 'upset' way but more the 'My Chemical Romance emo song' way.

If you enjoyed book one, I'm guarantee book two will grab you and yank you along like a roller coaster. It has that minor slow build of traveling up to the first drop, but once it hits - there's no slowing until the book ends.

HIGHLY recommend this series. Especially if you enjoy fantasy and space. Also, if you enjoy action and heists. Really, just give it a go and let me know. Send me messages complaining the whole time if you need to - I'm here for it. haha

~Happy Reading Ash

I will start off this review with a complaint. This is a giant complaint (one that should be taken very seriously) and one I think everyone should keep in mind while reading – it makes you need book three immediately and alas we are at least a year away. In typical Kaufman and Kristoff, we get a giant cliffhanger that then sent me into a spiral of emotion I was not prepared for – AT ALL. I read the eBook version and I just sat there and tapped my screen over and over while saying out loud, ‘ No… wait. There’s something wrong with my version… Where’s the rest?’. Nope. No more. Just pain.

In all seriousness, this is a fantastic book. It’s not often that the sophomore book of a series is better than the first, but this one is hands down even better. Everything I loved about the first book is back in spades, except an alive version of Cat of course (too soon?), and the authors prevent it from getting stale. I love the banter and humor. The characters are all extremely likable even in their less-desirable moments and I was not ready to say goodbye to them at the end. You truly feel like you could be part of the squad while reading this. I tried to pick a favorite and then as soon as the point of view changed, I had a new favorite. The backstories we learned about most of the characters helped to suck me in even further and I found myself praying to the Makers that all my babies stayed safe.

I don’t want to give anything away, because there are SO many twists and turns, but just buckle up for a fun and engaging read.

Thank you to Random House Children’s for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff are back with Aurora Burning, the fever pitch sci-fi sequel to last year’s Aurora Rising, which follows a squad of misfit space legionnaires after they discover a powerful anomaly among the stars and soon become hunted outcasts on a mission to save the entire universe.

WARNING: This review contains minor Aurora Rising spoilers.

But let’s start with a fun fact that threw me off: For some reason, I swore up and down that The Aurora Cycle was a duology. I was expecting this book to be the big conclusion to the adventure and oh boy, I WAS WRONG. I don’t know if I missed an announcement or if I just had the book count wrong all along, but Aurora Burning is the middle book that introduces all the twists and a banger cliffhanger of an ending. Let’s dive in!

One thing I massively appreciate about Kaufman and Kristoff books is that the authors (on both team-ups and individual projects) include a quick character and plot recap at the beginning of each sequel. I loved Aurora Rising, but I didn’t remember every single detail a year later. With this method, the book was able to refresh readers and avoid that tedious trend of characters inorganically rehashing past events for no good reason. The recap also came from Aurora’s sassy uniglass AI, Magellan, which made it quite entertaining as well!

After the quick fresher, the novel dives right into the action and takes a long while yet to let up again. After all, being intergalactic fugitives is no walk in the park and requires lots of clever scheming. As Tyler, Scarlet, Kal, Aurora, Finian, and Zila take on the tale from their POV, it’s easy to feel all of their unique personalities shining through from the get-go. The distribution of character focus shifts a bit to fit the plot– let’s just say Kal is on the cover for a reason– but still remains pretty equitable among the narrators.

The more I read works by the authors, the easier it is to guess who’s writing which sections of the book. This is particularly true for Jay Kristoff, who likes to add in a particular brand of zany commentary that teeters on the edge of absurdity whenever he can. Being able to assume the writer behind any given scene didn’t really affect my enjoyment levels much, though, as both are clearly capable and tell a great story.

Aurora Burning brings on some major new complications for our heroes, but also a really fun plot mystery that had me guessing and occasionally made me smile as bits and pieces were revealed. There’s so much twisting and turning, but there’s also plenty of plot development and character growth. So what’s the one caveat, you ask? Though it starts off at breakneck speed, Aurora Burning is perhaps the first team-up by these authors that featured a mid-section lull. The story doesn’t go completely dead, but it loses some excitement for the sake of logistics. It does pick back up again leading to the absolutely BANANAS ending, though!

Overall, it’s really easy for me to love these books. They’re charming, unexpected, and fun. Aurora Burning may have a slight sag in there, but it’s still one of the more entertaining books I’ve read in a long while, and in these times, we could all use some solid entertainment set in another place and time!

Where do I even start!?!? Jay and Amie are amazing writers and honestly my poor brain and heart love and hate them at the same time.

I won’t go into to much of the book besides saying I went home to a broke world and idk what happened but I’m 110% here for the squad.

This was my most anticipated 2020 release, and it did NOT disappoint! It was just as amazing and epic and mind blowing as Aurora Rising was. No second book syndrome here! I devoured this book within 24 hours of receiving it (and may or may not have screeched like a banshee and done a happy dance when it arrived, heh).

I missed Squad 312 so so much! I love them all to pieces, and this one delivered all of the feels – especially many laughs – that the first book did. There were so many moments were I was laughing out loud at the banter! (My boyfriend probably thinks I’m insane, lol!) I seriously love each and every one of the characters, they are hardcore squad goals. I usually hate switching POVs, but this one works for me! They each have a very distinctive voice (even reading I could hear the narrators in my head, I am DYING for the audio of this one) and personality. I don’t even know which one is my favorite because I love them all! If I HAD to choose I think I’d have to say it’s a tie between Scarlett and Fin because sarcasm ;)

Crap hit the fan in this one! Talk about INTENSE. (Um, to reiterate HOW intense, Golden Boy dropped the F-bomb and if you know Tyler that basically means the world is ending. Ohhh snaaaap.) There were some crazy moments and some even crazier bombs dropped – one in particular freaking BLEW me AWAY like whaaaaat?! [spoilers removed]

I loved the introduction of Saedii, Kal’s sister! She was so badass! (Kind of scary at times, tbh…) Um, is it terrible of me that I ship her and Tyler?! They were hilarious together! I liiiiive for hate to love romances. (Sorry, Cat! I still love and miss you!)

Speaking of Cat, there was a healthy dose of grief without her in this one. I thought it was handled really well. She would pop into their minds at random times – during a fight when they could have used her, while talking about pilots, looking at her stuffed dragon, etc. Even though she was gone, she most definitely wasn’t forgotten. There was a clear hole in the team where she should have been. It was so sad!

I loved learning more about Zila, too! Her past actually brought me to tears. Zila my poor baby!! She really grew on me in this one. She’s quiet, but she’s very complex. Also, her driving skills (orrr lack thereof) are hilarious.

Um, THE ENDING?! Excuse me, sir and ma’am. How could you leave us like that. HOW COULD YOU?! [spoilers removed] And also THE PEN?? I need to know what the pen is for?! They all got super useful gifts (also side note: How the ever loving hell did he KNOW what they needed, is there some time travel shit going on here?!) EXCEPT FOR FIN who just got a ballpoint pen?? Like, is it just so he can write the note to himself from the future, or is there another purpose? Is he going to stab someone with it in book 3?! WHAT IS THE PEN FOR?! Am I just looking way too much into this? Lmao! All of the characters are in mortal peril and my dumb ass is over here worrying about a freaking pen. Yep.

Full review with spoilers originally posted at Novel Heartbeat!

I absolutely enjoyed this fun book and can’t wait for the third book! The cover is gorgeous and the plot kept me intrigued

5 stars. Great sequel, can't wait for the 3rd book!

Likes:
-A little more backstory for Zila and Kal. Zila is one of my favorite characters.
-New character Saedii. I hope to see her again in book 3.
-The Eshvaren. Are they the good guys or bad guys?

Dislikes:
-Aurora's "swearing" can be a little annoying.

Kristoff and Kaufman have done it again. Everything about this book was perfect, and I will forever be in love with this author duo.
Aurora Burning was a masterpiece. There's nothing else to say.

Love this series. Love these characters. Love these authors!!!! Another fantastic work of art!! I cannot wait for the third and final installment! There are so many twists and turns and unexpected moments. It's just too good to put into words!!

Jay and Amie have outdone themselves yet again with this nail biting sequel to Aurora Rising that will leave you on the edge if your seat, fearing and cheering for Squad 312.

That cliff hanger though...how could you?!

5/5

This novel is one of the best I’ve read this year! The characters are so dynamic yet relatable. I loved the flow of the story. It held my attention the whole time.

I

HAVE

NO

WORDS

Seriously this may be the best book I have read this year 👏🏼 and I am more than ready for my three different copies of this book to arrive so I can display them, as they so rightfully deserve, to the world. Or you know, to myself and my boyfriend because I respect the rules of quarantine ahaha. Speaking of quarantine, this was a book that truly helped me get through a couple days of it. I read 80% of it in the last 24 hours and I literally never do that. So knowing this book made me WANT to read, made me WANT to continue, makes my heart skip a beat.

Aurora Rising was one of my favorite books last year, so like most would be I was a little nervous going into this one that it wouldn't live up to the hype, that it wouldn't be as good as the first book. That being said though, THIS BOOK WAS BETTER THAN AURORA RISING YA'LL. Somehow, somehow, these two magnificent authors managed to put together a sequel that was leaps and bounds better than the first one, and again, I loved the first book. They just hit a wonderful stride, such a groove that was so in sync, literally every aspect of this story just WORKED.

We got to see more of this galaxy, more planets and ships, more of our favorite characters and even some new ones. We learn so much about these characters it filled my heart with so much joy. This story really delved deep into all their personalities and I am absolutely here for it. I fell even more in love with them than I did in Aurora Rising. You would think having a story that goes so deep into each character that the plot may be lacking, but not here. Wonderfully, Aurora Burning combines character development with so much ACTION. The story was literally NON-STOP, I never felt a lack of stamina to keep this story going!

If you haven't yet, I urge you to pick up Aurora Rising and then Aurora Burning when it's published on May 05 if you want some incredible reads! Thank you so so much to the publisher, Netgalley, and the authors for allowing me to early read and review this book, my opinions are my own and not influenced by this opportunity!

3.5 stars rounded down

Every since I finished the last few pages of Aurora Rising, I have been dying to return to Squad 312 and make sure that no more harm would befall my beloved characters. I thoroughly loved Aurora Rising, so I couldn’t wait to see what Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff concocted in Aurora Burning.

I’ll be honest, I definitely went into this one with really high expectations after absolutely loving Aurora Rising, and I just felt a bit let down with how Aurora Burning played out. I felt like the Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff played it safe in this book in comparison to the others, which I was really surprised by.

As far as the characters go, we technically got a deeper insight into all of the members of Squad 312, but I just didn’t connect with the characters the way I did in book one; with the exception of Zila. I loved that she got more book time in this story, and we finally got answers as to why Zila has the protective shell that she does, and she may or may not be the “psychopath” that she was touted as in book one.

For Auri and Kal, their relationship takes center stage and is heavily focused on in this book. The entire concept behind the Pull still hasn’t been clearly defined (I assume it’s akin to imprinting) when it comes to the Slydrathi (Jay Kristoff did say that this will be addressed in book three). While I was all for this union in book one, I felt that we focused a little too much on this at the cost of more action heavy sequences.

In terms of pacing for the plot, the first 70% of this book is slow like to the point that I was debating DNFing. I was expecting nonstop action, however, I found myself having to slog through the first half of the book to finally get to a point that I was excited to get through the pages. What ended up saving the book for me was the last 30%, which was the high octane, action packed fun that we’ve come to expect from this dynamic writing team. This book does end on one hell of a cliffhanger, which I am still trying to process how I feel.

Overall, Aurora Burning is still an enjoyable book and there were moments that I really loved (you’ll have to see because no spoilers), but it’s not the sequel that I was expecting in this trilogy. I will be continuing with the conclusion of this trilogy because with that ending, I NEED to know what happens next.

Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for my review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

I will never cease to praise how well Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff write together. You can see some of their individual influences in the overall story, but it turns into this cohesive fluid thing. It's pretty amazing.

Aurora Burning is just as tense and action-packed as Aurora Rising. This team isn't shy about throwing their characters into danger. Where other books are building tension that feels like it suddenly putters out, in this book you're pulled tight like a bow string ready to snap and with that cliffhanger I can't wait for the next book.

This is the type of series that makes you want to go back and pick up everything in the authors backlist. Perfection. It doesn't suffer from that second book slump, it keeps your eyes glued to the page until the very last.

It is the most daunting feeling in the world to watching the "time left in book" counter on Kindle counting down from thirty minutes, to ten and then to six while the stakes kept getting higher, higher and higher and ⁠—

C L I F F H A N G E R

Sequels can be disappointing creatures; from Ruthless Gods to Children of Virtue and Vengeance, there is no shortage of sequels that fail to live up to the glory of its predecessor. Aurora Burning is not one of them. In fact, Aurora Burning is a masterclass in how to write an exciting sequel and how to do it well. Armed with charming new characters, masterful plot reveals that leave you gasping, worldbuilding that expands rather than contracts and a romance that doesn't quite hit its mark, it does everything you want in a sequel with absolute finesse.

Aurora Burning opens with a recap of Aurora Rising from Magellan's point of view. It was a quirky way to catch up on things and it helped me feel like I was not between books and scrabbling in my memories to piece things together. It felt very on brand and set the tone for the rest of the book.

Aurora Burning's plot begins with an action-packed scene as Squad 312 tries to sell their Aurora Legion spacecraft. Their efforts are thwarted when an intergalactic announcement declares them outlaws and a heart-racing chase through a seedy planet follows. In the midst of the chaos, Squad 312 meets an unstoppable force, Saedii, Kal's twin sister. Ruthless and cruel, she has a singular goal: to bring Kal back into the Warbreaker ranks that he defected from. Of course, this is only the beginning and Squad 312 manages to escape in a breath of daring but now, they're on the run not just from the intergalactic forces that want to bring them to justice but also from Kal's violence-hungry sister. The stakes have just gotten higher! Not only does the misfit crew need to find a way to stop the evil spore creatures from taking over the galaxy with their hive mind, they'll have to solve the mystery of Auri's powers. And, this is only the beginning.

"There is nothing as painful, or as simple, as doing what is right."

Where in Aurora Rising, the narrative development and unfolding action drove the story forward from one breathless moment to the next, Aurora Burning is more of a slow burn (pardon the pun!). It takes its time to expand on a universe they were not able to in the first book. Readers are introduced to even more worlds and planets, taking you into the ins and outs of each location that Kaufman and Kristoff created, allowing you to be in the characters shoes whether they're in seedy bars or off-the-grid motels and even shiny new ships. There's even a space fight that feels very Star Trek crossed with Star Wars! Aurora Burning also builds on the lore of the Slydrathi race, revealing more about Kal's heritage and past and the different factions and abilities of the Slydrathi, making Aurora Burning a book of fillers and exposition.

This can lend itself to rather slow pacing and the feeling that the story is going nowhere; instead, it is hours spent in ships and talking to one another. But, I am one of those who loved the slower pacing because in actual fact, it wasn't slow at all. The story still developed rapidly but instead of meaningless action sequences of chases, shootouts and ship maneuvers, Aurora Burning took advantage of its characters and let them tell their stories instead.

In Aurora Rising, the focus revolved around Tyler, Auri, Kal and Cat with the other three characters getting less page time, making the POVs seem rather claustrophobic. But with Aurora Burning, our prayers have been answered: Scarlett, Finn and Zila's voices are finally heard! As the story develops, Squad 312 fractures; Tyler is kidnapped, Kal and Auri team up to develop the latter's powers, leaving Scarlett, Finn and Zila in charge. This also seemingly ties in with the three-line motif that has so far appeared in both books. In Aurora Rising, it was "We the Legion, We the light, Burning bright against the night" and alludes to Squad 312's unity as a team and their rogue mission to the planet of the flower-eyed creeps. Whereas in Aurora Burning, it is "Know the way. Show the way. Go the way" which alludes to the characters having to follow their own paths. It is not entirely clear if this was intentional but I thought it was rather clever.

With their own time to shine, Scarlett, Finn and Zila become more distinct and independent rather than blending into the background and shadow of the others. Scarlett is unashamedly confident and she is even more hilarious than Tyler is, utterly aware of her appearances and uses them to her advantage. Finn is witty and always ready with a smartass quip but underneath that is a determination to keep team morale up; he's the guy who knows how to make you laugh with his inappropriate remarks. And my baby Zila is a cynic; we learn that she is jaded by emotion and hides her feelings behind a carefully constructed emotional shield.

Aurora Burning also introduces a brand new character, Saedii, whom I hope will become a major player in the rest of the series because she is now my absolute favourite character. Singularly driven with the Warbreaker doctrine embedded into her every action, Saedii is sexy, fierce and wicked. Her story intertwines with Tyler's, providing a very promising ship for sailing, if Kaufman and Kristoff ever decide that Tyler needs to stop moping over a relationship that was barely ever one. Saedii is often filled with vengeance against Terrans and vows revenge and bodily harm on Tyler, often throwing him for a loop and providing levity to a serious situation.

Know the way. Show the way. Go the way.

However, despite the characters getting more equal page time for their voices to develop, it still felt like all of them carried the same exuberant energy save for Auri, Kal and Zila. Scarlett, Tyler, Finn and Saedi ooze so much sex appeal, snark and charm that it can be quite hard to tell their voices apart if it weren't for their individual plots and locations. In fact, all four have so much big dick energy and it can get a little confusing; I still have to check the beginning of each chapter to confirm whose point of view I'm reading if they're in the same location.

Furthermore, Auri and Kal's relationship is still incredibly unbelievable. Their moments together were frustrating to read through and there was a significant lack of chemistry; they just seemed forced together for the sake of the plot like how Tyler and Cat were. You'd expect to have the relationship develop even further but it remained stagnant except for declarations of "I love yous" and a couple of fade to blacks.

Also, this is a little spoilery but I'm a little confused about Kal's parentage. It seemed like such a big reveal but for some strange reason, I already knew his parentage beforehand but the over-the-top reactions from the characters feels like we're supposed to be reacting the same way. Their reactions were so extreme, their outbursts felt out of character. I need someone who has read this to tell me if we're told of Kal's parentage previously because I swear, it had already been revealed.

I'm also not sure if the tropes that Kaufman and Kristoff make use of are intentional but there are multiple points in the plot that felt rather on the nose and absurd in the context of a YA science-fiction. For example, there is a particular scene where Squad 312 are about to be thrown into a pit to fight for their lives with a space monster. While not unfathomable in terms of sci-fi, the writing made the scene feel more at home in a Sarah J. Maas book. It almost seemed laughable despite the dire circumstances in which our characters found themselves. And not to mention, the awkwardness of the mate bond that Auri and Kal share.

Sun Tzu said that. He was a Terran General. "Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will not be imperiled in one hundred battles."
Sarai Rael said that, She was a Syldrathi Templar. "Know your enemy's heart if you wish to feast upon it."

In conclusion, Aurora Burning still feels as quirky as the first one. Even though Squad 312 are constantly fighting for their lives and the lives of the galaxy, it never fails to be entertaining and light-hearted. The story is developed further and so is the world in which it is set. It was also nice to see the characters take their own paths and journeys rather than become synonymous with the Squad 312 clique. Aurora Burning does not take itself seriously and does not seem to want to be placed with the serious sci-fi epics that came before. It is content being an entertaining story of a bunch of misfits traversing through space on a mission that they had not asked for. If The Aurora Cycle were a TV series, it would be a sitcom.

Erm…So…The thing is…I have been absolutely dreading writing this review. I wish I could go back in time and be all like, “Hey! Katie! Maybe don’t go into Aurora Burning with SUCH high expectations!” Because let’s be honestly, I was so hyped for this book. Aurora Rising was absolutely one of my favorite books from last year. I was blown away by it! So, naturally, I was pretty darn excited for it’s sequel. And…I just…I haven’t been this disappointed in a book in a really long time. (And I might be taking it a *little* bit personal)

Ok, I guess I should say that just because I’m ultra disappointed in Aurora Burning, it’s not a bad book. I just don’t think it’s as good as it should have been. It felt entirely phoned in to me, which is something I’m seeing more of lately and I. Hate. It. But that’s a whole other rant for a whole other day. But while Aurora Burning maybe wasn’t bad, per say, it definitely wasn’t anywhere near as good as the first book.

First, those characters that I fell in love with in book one. They just…weren’t as good this go around. And it’s hard to pinpoint why exactly? I just felt like there was a wall between them and me, like I could never relate to any of them as much as I did before. Zila got a bit more of a spotlight this time, and her chapters were actually some of my favorites. But for everyone else, especially Aurora, they either felt stiff or boring, or both. Saedii, one of the new characters, was awesome, and I wanted more of her, but even she couldn’t save this book for me. The relationships started in the first book continued in this one, but as they grew it never felt natural. I still don’t quite buy Aurora and Kal as a couple and that feeling was strengthen by how rushed their story felt in this installment.

Now for the story. I was bored for like, most of the book. I kept shocking myself with how much I wanted to set this aside in favor of a different read. All of the action that kept me glued to the first book was missing in this one. There were some good moments, and admittedly some were very good, but it wasn’t the nonstop action I was expecting from a group of characters on the run. All of the in between moments felt so drawn out and my mind kept drifting as I read. At the end things finally started to pick up, but that leads me to my final issue…

What was that ending?! Look, I like a good cliffhanger as much as the next gal. In fact, I love cliffhangers. They’re what keep me eager for the next book. But with a good cliffhanger, I expect just a little give. I need something in return for having to wait X amount of months/years for the next book. This book gave NOTHING. In fact, it felt like it just ended on the climax. All buildup, buildup, buildup and then BAM! It was over. It didn’t give me that fun, exciting feeling I get from a cliffhanger. It gave me that feeling I get when I at the best part of a movie and my power goes out. It was just over, no new answers, no new questions. When it ended, and I realized there were no more pages, I felt nothing but frustration. And weeks later I’m still feeling that same frustration, that same want for something more to make that ending worth it.

Ah, now I’m sad. And annoyed. I was supposed to love this book. I thought Aurora Burning would be in my top five of the year. It definitely won’t be. I’m still reeling from how disappointed I feel in this book. I am planning to finish the series, but from this point on I’ll be going into subsequent books hesitantly instead of eagerly. The funny thing is, I think a lot of people will love this one, so maybe it’s me and not the book. But I’d say that if you’re as excited for Aurora Burning as I was, maybe consider going into it with lowered expectations…

This book picks up a few days after Aurora Rising finishes and it starts of with a bang. Our favorite heroes are running from the law and God knows what else is going to be thrown at them. Aurora Burning had two major plot twists, one of which I saw coming from a mile away but the other one... Oh My God, never in a million years would I have expected that. My favorite part though, was the character development and how that contributed to the plot and the overall storyline. I loved getting to know more about the background of our characters and what makes them them, especially Zila! And of course, we can’t forget about the awesome world building there was! All in all, this book was such a wild ride and I found myself feeling every kind of emotion under the sun. If you liked Aurora Rising, you’re going to LOVE Aurora Burning, I assure you.

**I was given an ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

THIS BOOK.

Amie and Jay did it again! Another amazing book that managing to blow my mind and my expectations away! This book was one of my most anticipated for this year after reading the first one and boy it really did not disappoint. The only reason that reading this book took me so long was purely because I read a lot slower on ebook.

I'll be keeping this review spoiler free since it <i>is</i> an ARC review and the book isn't out yet! Maybe mild spoilers for Aurora Rising, but it's completely AB spoiler free!

This book was absolutely action-packed and had me on the edge of my seat the ENTIRE time and since I know that both Amie and Jay tend to be merciless, I was practically biting my nails.

I really liked learning more about this universe and the Eshvaren and the war they fought. The worldbuilding details were really well done and is something I'm excited to see more of in the next book! One aspect I really enjoyed worldbuilding-wise was probably seeing and learning more about the Syldrathi and the factions within it them and the prior war between the Starslayer and the humans!

I really enjoyed the introduction of new characters (I won't mention names)! They were a really cool addition to the book that I wasn't really expecting! I possibly see a new romance brewing there, but I won't say anything about it really! That being said, I'm not going to say anything about ANY romances, lest I spoil anything.

I can't say much about the plot, but it's absolutely wild and took a few turns I didn't see coming, which I love in a book, especially since I have a tendency to be able to guess endings and plot twists.

The squad was everything I wanted them to be and it was SO great to return to this world! I loved their dynamic as always and their humor is unmatched! I'm such a sucker for found family and this was just so great! The characters are just so vibrant and wonderful. Each one has such a distinct personality and I love each of them for different reasons!

One of the main things I absolutely loved about this book was how there was more of Zila and getting more from her perspective! I was really intrigued by her character in the first book since she was such a question mark and it was so nice to learn a bit about her history, how her mind works, and her perspective on some of the situations that the Squad faces throughout the book!

Likewise with Kal, it was really interesting to get some more history there about him and his family, since he's a really central character to the plot in this book!

Finian is still 100% my favorite. I love him so much and I love seeing his character grow throughout this book! He definitely had A LOT of chapters from his perspective and I always looked forward to them because his narrative voice is just amazing, even in chapters where he's a bystander.

I loved seeing the way that each member of the Squad, especially Tyler, went about dealing with the tragedy that occurred at the end of the first book. Watching Tyler move on and grow was so interesting and I cannot wait to see what happens with him in the next book!

There was one thing I really, really wanted to happen and it didn't... we're not going to talk about that though... We're just really gonna hope for next book.

And there was also one very specific thing that honestly pissed me off quite a bit, but it was definitely meant to make me angry so I'm not docking points for it.

Did I cry reading this book? Absolutely.
Am I going to tell you why? No.

There were also quite a few reveals that just made my brain explode in the best way possible. I literally gasped for one or two of them and had to put the book down for a solid 10-15 minutes before picking it back up again so I could process what just happened.

And the ending. Just. Holy shit. That's all I have to say about that... Maybe ask me about it when the book comes out and I might be willing to talk about it.

Just... What the HELL man. I honestly sat there for like 20 minutes afterward and just didn't know what to do or say (part of the reason why it took me so long to compile my thought to write a review) so, if what I think happened did happen all I can say is good luck soldiers.

I just don't know what I'm going to do until the next one comes out. I already can't wait and this one hasn't been released. All I can say is I hope I can get an ARC of that one too because I don't know how long I can wait after THAT cliffhanger! It honestly felt like I reached the end of a countdown in Illuminae and the book just ended and I'm STILL not okay.

I think I'll definitely be rereading this book before the next one comes out.

Last year Aurora Rising was one of my favorite sci-fi books that I’ve ever read and so I was eager to continue reading the story in Aurora Burning.

While the characters are still very much themselves and I adore them still, something felt a little off for me. I still did enjoy it very much but it didn’t capture my heart like the first did. With that being said, I still look forward to reading more with Squad 312 involved!