An epic conclusion to the trilogy with so many twists and turns I didn't see what was coming next. I love Maria's world building and the complexity of the characters. I appreciated that the parents were active and valued characters rather than pushed to sidelines and deemed irrelevant as many YA novels are in the habit of doing. I'm sad to see this series come to an end, I will miss diving into this world.

So the first 2 novels in this series were freaking genius. They were punchy and had a clearly defined narrative that scratched the itch of a solid YA sci fi. Alas this one failed to live up to what I expected.

For the first portion of the novel, I felt like I just couldn't connect with Ara and her cohort. Not because I had forgotten who and where everyone was but because she had gone from strong, powerful teen to lovesick fool who was kind of whiny. Now I get teenagers have a sudden change of attitude (I have one currently) but for such a massive change to occur within what is essentially a few days, I just wanted to shake her.

Being the finale of the series, I was expecting twists and turns with revelations galore. Instead I got a lukewarm novel that felt like it was the middle novel with Second Book Syndrome.

As a whole this series was a fairly good one. Its definitely an appropriate introduction to the genre for younger YA readers. Unfortunately, DtG couldn't hold its own and round out the series with a bang

I don't read sci-fi often, but oh boy, has Defending The Galaxy made me hungry for more stories like this!

This series was my first read buy Maria V Snyder and I was not disappointed.

I had forgotten most of what had happened in the first two books, so the recap provided by the MC was quite refreshing and I really enjoyed Snyder's writing style and the pace she set.

The characters of this book are everything I could ask for in a cast, and I couldn't find myself hating any of them, even the villains. I loved the witty banter between friends and the sneaking around overbearing parents was a laugh.

The relationship between Ara and Niall was absolutely adorable, though I will have to admit that the relationship I enjoyed the most was the friendship between Ara and Beau. While yes, there was a little bit unnecessary jealousy coming from Niall at times, I truly love reading about a boy and a girl with an amazing friendship without things getting complicated by romance. It is something I am looking for more and more in books recently and Maria V Snyder pulled it off fantastically.

While I was sad to see the end of this trilogy I have to say that Snyder did an amazing job wrapping everything up! I felt like there were no loose ends and everything got a sound resolution in one way or another.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new thrilling sci-fi trilogy to read! I really enjoyed this introduction to Maria V Snyder and I cannot wait to discover some of her other series!

Potential spoilers for Navigating the Stars and Chasing the Shadows below

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

After about 3 years, it's crazy to think this series is over. I read the first book way back in 2019 and re read it again last year and in a way, it kinda feels like I've seen each book grow over time. Having recently binge-read the series, I have seen the character development, particularly with Lyra, change over the course of the three books. In Navigating The Stars, I found Lyra to be annoying and arrogant however, I found that she became a more mature and refined character in Chasing the Shadows. I thought that this streak of maturity with the characters would continue on in Defending The Galaxy but it felt like everything the second book set up quickly fell apart in this one.

After the massive bombshell of a cliffhanger in Chasing the Shadows, Ara works closely with the Q-net to overcome the shadow blobs and looters in order to protect the rest of the Galaxy from the looming threat of extinction. I won't go into spoiler territory, but it felt like from just the beginning I could sense where Ara's characterisation would go and I was right. Although she became more confident in her abilities (as seen in Chasing the Shadows), she felt so much more self-centred and even more arrogant in this book. I couldn't keep count of the number of times I heard "I am one of the good guys" or "The Q-net chose me. I am the chosen one who is meant to save the Galaxy from doom." I got so triggered by her dialogue that I was very close to DNF-ing the book altogether since this seemed to continue on for around 300 pages and not even the action could've changed my mind about that.

That being said, I powered through my issues with Ara and the often slow pacing at the start to finish the book where I can happily say it did improve towards the end. All the action picked up around the 400 mark which I felt like was such a long time for me to be properly invested in the story. If some of the events towards the end were panned out more instead of what we got in the first 300 pages or so, I think I would've definitely rated this book higher than my final rating. I did like how the series finished, however, I found it to be a little too fast paced since a lot of the things I wanted to know more about were briefly mentioned without the kind of detail that I wanted as a reader.

That being said, all in all, I didn't mind the finale of The Sentinels of the Galaxy series however, I thought it could've been strengthened by cutting down some of the scenes in the first 300 pages and focusing solely on developing towards the massive action scenes of the last 200 pages. Also, the connection between Ara and the Q-net was a great idea however, if she used it thoughtfully and instead of using it for her own personal gain (in some cases) then I think I would've liked her more. The connection that she had with the members of security (which was an element that I loved in the previous book) felt like a ghost in this story. As in, we knew that the security team had her back but I wanted to see more of them and get a glimpse of the amazing book that resulted from it in Chasing the Shadows.

ACTUAL RATING: 2.9 STARS

In the final Sentinels of the Galaxy book, we are reunited with Ara as she faces off with the alien and the looter enemies previously found in the first two novels. As things are looking dire, Ara is helped by none other than the Q-net itself as she explores and learns more about her capabilities with worming and how she can use the Q-net to help her crew stay alive.

Overall, this novel continued its consistency of having a familiar and amusing cast and an easy writing style that is digestible and generally fun to read. It was great to see Ara explore her new skills and maintain her stubbornness and tenacity during times of crises. Mental health somehow also seemed at the forefront of this book and I appreciate how emotional it made me as we see Ara's parents and surrounding scientists believe her connection to the Q-net is a delusion. It was infuriating and slightly stressful to see Ara's experiences almost belittled and I loved that this particular aspect of the book would greatly benefit young adults to believe in yourself and stand your ground. Although I'm personally not a huge fan of 'chosen one' tropes, it felt more realistic to be able to understand that, at almost 18, Ara still has many struggles as she tries to gain independence from her parents and be accepted as an adult.

Another consistent and enjoyable factor was the adorable romance that never overcompensated or took over the main plot. Niall is such a great supporting character and, he and his father are no doubt some of my favourite characters in the series too. In this last instalment, the stakes were much higher but the best thing about it was the fact that the villains were human and felt human too. There weren't random motivations to destroy precious warrior artefacts but understandable, yet still horrible, reasons for what they were doing. I enjoyed learning more about the bad guys and seeing their motives, plus, understanding the bigger picture of how it all began. Plot-wise, I could never truly see what was coming ahead and that's one of the best strengths of this series. Snyder manages to hook you in and barely hint at the future prospects for the plot, all the while including fun banter between the characters we've become accustomed to throughout the books.

Despite this series still being pretty fun for a YA sci-fi, this book did have its downfalls. For one, at 544 pages, this novel was the biggest out of this trilogy and you could feel it. The pacing wasn't as rapid or easy to cruise through as the previous books, and in many places the plot seemed to drag as a way to amp up the stakes and the anxiety surrounding the situation. I feel like this could've easily been more succinct, with a shorter page count, to make this finale easier to read. Even without the heavy suspense, the villain situation was pretty dire and fast-paced without it. Another factor that I wasn't a huge fan of, related to the 'chosen one' trope was that Ara's connection with the Q-net made her so powerful that it felt a little surreal and despite these powers, she got injured a lot. Not that I'd expect a whole lot of realism from a fun YA sci-fi trilogy about shadow-blobs and murdering looters, but it felt like Ara was constantly injured or being treated for something and then was doing many dangerous things to save the world anyway. I shuddered at the thought of her running through debris and shooting enemies after just coming out of a coma.

Although this novel had its weaknesses, it did wrap up the series quite nicely. It was heartwarming, satisfying and was everything I hoped for in general. If you were a fan of the first two books, I'd still highly recommend giving this final book a read. It certainly was worth the wait to finally understand the bigger picture of how it all began in Book 1 and to see more of your favourite characters and the amusing banter consistent throughout the series.

Absolutely loved the conclusion of the trilogy and that was so fast paced that it kept me on my toes.

Full review posted on my website https://emwigsterreads.com/

Defending the Galaxy by Maria V Snyder in the third and final book in the YA Sentinels of the Galaxy trilogy. I have previously read and reviewed the first two books: Navigating the Stars and Chasing the Shadows. This is absolutely not a book/series to read out of order because each book builds heavily on discoveries made in the previous books. I strongly recommend starting with book one (Navigating the Stars) if you are new to the series.

Year 2522. Oh. My. Stars.

Junior Officer Ara Lawrence here, reporting for duty. Again. It's situation critical for the security team and everyone in the base - including my parents - with a new attack from the looters imminent, a possible galaxy-wide crime conspiracy and an unstoppable alien threat. But this all pales in the face of my mind-blowing discovery about the Q-net. Of course, no one believes me. I'm not sure I believe me. It could just be a stress-induced delusion. That's what my parents seem to believe...

Their concern for me is hampering my ability to do my job. I know they love me, but with the Q-net in my corner, I'm the only one who can help the security team beat the shadowy aliens from the pits we discovered. We're holding them at bay, for now, but the entire Milky Way Galaxy is in danger of being overrun.

With battles on too many fronts, it's looking dire. But one thing I've learned is when people I love are in jeopardy, I'll never give up trying to save them. Not until my dying breath. Which could very well be today...

Defending the Galaxy finally ties up the story of Ara, the Q-net, and the looters wreaking havoc across multiple planets in the galaxy. The second book ended with a big reveal and this one opens with Ara trying to come to terms with the new information. That really sets the stage for the rest of the book, since there are several major discoveries that shift Ara's world view. As the title suggests, the book culminates in Ara and friends (including plenty of responsible adults) defending the actual galaxy. Or, at least, a handful of planets spread throughout the Milky Way.

I enjoyed this book but it was a lot more focussed on action and railing against bad guys (and against parental restrictions) than the earlier books. Even though there were a lot of discoveries and reveals here, I felt that the mystery was less important than the battle that needed to be fought. Which certainly makes sense from a narrative point of view, but it also means that I personally enjoyed the first book in this series best, though I didn't dislike this concluding volume, to be clear.

I recommend this series to fans of YA science fiction, especially those who like the idea of space travel and galaxy-sized high stakes. If you haven't read the earlier books in the series, I recommend starting with Navigating the Stars to best lead you into the story, which escalates with each book.

4 / 5 stars

First published: December 2020, Harlequin Australia YA
Series: Sentinels of the Galaxy book 3 of 3
Format read: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

I have loved the basis of this series and the heavy sci-fi elements that have captured me from the very start. The third book in Maria V. Snyder's Sentinels of the Galaxy series is worth picking up and is an excellent finale to Lyra Daniels' great story. If you're a fan of Amie Kaufman and anything science fiction, I'd highly recommend these books.

With apologies, my review for this title was a little late. Although I had owned my copy of Book 1 for ages, my copy of book 2 proved elusive due to restricted post and covid precautions.

That being said, Maria V. Snyder proves that she is as adept with a sci-fi series as she was with fantasy in her Poison Study series. And Oh My Stars, I should have been ready for the twists, turns and super surprises. I mean, she had already taken us on quite an explosive journey. I wasn't.

This is the first time in a long while where I have been unable to review a Netgalley book before its release date and believe me! I feel all the remorse. Funny that, considering how small an audience this blog has, and how little my reviews contribute. But no matter. My Catholic guilt doesn't discriminate.

I loved the first two books in this series, and having reviewed the second one a year ago here, I can see that I would be gushing about all the same elements: Ara's growth, her ability to do what's right not what's easy, and the fast-paced action. This book just bulldozes through a number of complex plot points, some insightful considerations about the way humans treat technology and anything in fact that they can bend to their will, as well as some great family dynamics and the love story. Aah Niall, you are a true treasure: trusting, supportive and patient.

At the end of book 2, Ara's connection to the Q-net is complete. Her bond and musings with the sentient being make for thoughtful and witty conversations. Q helps Ara navigate the obstacles, the bad guys and the whole galaxy, and it really feels like she is only 17. Continuously referred to as 'junior officer', readers never forget that she is low on every scale. When Ming pulls out the mother card and Ara is grounded, teen readers will observe an interesting standoff. Ara has been living by herself, training as a security officer, and yet she acquiesces to her mother's worry and protective behaviour, demonstrating her maturity and her understanding of her parents' feeling. But secretly, she continues to help her teammates and the human race, so much of her rebellious nature persists.

Jarren and his cronies are revealed in more detail: their motivation, their goals and their process. The HoLFs remain scary and a very clever enemy. Their attacks constantly create tension and suspense. While Ara's abilities often seem to solve everything, she does have to work for the rewards -- just trying to get the head honchos on board is a mammoth task in itself.

This is a highly satisfying conclusion to an action-packed sci fi series. Recommended to any fans of this authors' work, and to readers who enjoyed series such as Marissa Meyer's Renegades, and Claudia Grey's Constellations. Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for advanced copy.

Released (in Australia) on December 2nd.

This book lived up to all my expectations for a fantastic ending to an amazing series. I will definitely be rereading these. They are new favorites! I rarely collect physical books anymore, but these three are going on my shelf in a place of honor. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Defending the Galaxy was an epic conclusion to this witty, brilliant and wonderful sci-fi trilogy. What I like most about this series is that it's easy to read, fast paced, full of sweet yet completely real moments, and has the ability to make me laugh so hard. It's the perfect mix of what makes a young adult sci-fi series so addictive.

We pick up just after where the second book ends and Defending the Galaxy keeps up a seriously fast paced plot to keep you on the edge of your seat. You really start to wonder how our heroes are going to pull through when all odds seem against them. Ara and Niall work with the rest of the team to stop the looters threatening their very existence, and at times, things look bleak. The plot was well paced, had me begging for more with each page. The Q-net is deeply explored in this book and it was great to see lots of different elements come together from previous books to really tie up the story. We learn a lot more about the warriors, the HoLFs, time dilation and star roads, Lan and Jarren. Things really start to make sense and the stakes are high - making for a great read.

Ara as usual, made me laugh, but she also had some really great moments of insight. Despite the fact she is only 17, I really identified with her character and felt she was very realistic in some of her thoughts and feelings. She actually showed more maturity than I expected and that was refreshing. This is demonstrated in her relationship with Niall and I really enjoyed reading their sweet moments, it made it feel more genuine.

My favourite part though is the laughs. Maria Snyder has a way of writing characters and lines that just make me cackle. And despite this being a sci-fi book that is one of the things I love most - is her ability to be serious and bring out your sense of adventure but also make you have fun doing it! There were so many witty one liners in this book - just like the previous books, that made me smile so much.

The ending wasn't quite what I expected - but that was a good thing. There were a few twists and turns and I loved how the story played out.

Overall if you enjoyed sci-fi books with witty characters, sweet romance, a great adventurous plot and writing that keeps you on the edge of your seat, I would definitely recommend Defending the Galaxy and the previous books in the series!

If you've read and enjoyed Maria Snyder's books before, then I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy Defending the Galaxy. There's an excellent recap at the start of the book, so although you might want to re-read the first two books if you've left some time between this one, you absolutely do not have to.

It has all the Snyder hallmarks I've grown to recognise and love: a super fast pace, a need to be sneaky, witty banter, adorable romance, scary and sadistic villains, plot twists. It even has a heroine who has grown so much in her power she borders on being too powerful, which should also be recognisable as a Snyder trope.

There's just something so readable about this book. It's so fast paced that sometimes I had to read sequences twice to understand Ara's lightning-fast logic: she's so smart and makes connections and realisations faster than I did.

I could feel Ara's frustration as her parents - totally understandable - ban her from the Q-net and force her back into civilian life - for her own protection. It's one of Ara's struggles of this whole series: she's so close to that magical 18 where she will finally be deemed an independent adult, able to make her own rules, live on her own, go all the way with her boyfriend. I mean, she's so close. But her parents, who desperately want to protect her, keep bundling her back into childhood and the cage that comes with it. I totally feel for Ara.

I also liked how Niall responded to her as well. Their romance is very cute, but they still fight and have disagreements, but I love that it's over external conflicts and each other's safety. They're so into each other, but they always put their duty first. It's admirable, considering they have raging teenage hormones.

The villains had great motivation and it even made them seem more human and less, I dunno, evilly demonic. Doing bad things for profit, a massive sense of entitlement, and destroying where you live so you can get rich is a theme we can easily see in the real world. It made it much more relevant and believable, and frightening.

Pretty much the only thing I didn't really enjoy so much was Ara's superpower bordering on all-powerful. This happens in other Snyder books, too, where the heroine is like, "Hey, I can do this thing, what if I do it slightly differently, can I then do that? Yes? What about this?" To me, it feels a bit like discovering superpowers just by making a jump in logic. Like, "I heal people by absorbing their pain, well that means I can also push pain into them right?" I mean, to me, that's now how it should work. Just because you can drive a car doesn't mean you can fly a plane. But often, that's the logic in these Snyder novel: you think it, and it becomes. Basically the only limit to Ara's power was that she had to think her way through a problem.

I perhaps wasn't able to suspend my disbelief as much as I wanted to when Ara's flying around the galaxy saving everyone's butts. I remember feeling the same thing about Avery from the Healer series, and Yelena of the Study series. Ara is so powerful and capable of doing so much, and she is literally the only person in the galaxy who can do it. Why not? There's a logical explanation for how she can do that.

I appreciate that things need to get bigger and badder and better, especially in the final book of a trilogy, but she was just so powerful that it almost made it a one-sided battle. I had such a great time romping around with Ara, but I was never really concerned for her well-being, because she was just so special and important and able to find loopholes in just about everything. The bad guys wear bodysuits to protect them from being shot. Instead, just aim for the uncovered head... And Ara was always able to hit the head, so the bad guys may as well not be wearing any protective suits at all.

Despite my feelings about Ara's power I was pretty much loving this book and having a very good time with it, and expecting it to be all wrapped up very neatly... And then there were two lines at the very end that absolutely broke me. I can't even describe how perfect the final three words were for wrapping up the whole trilogy, but they were. It was so perfect and I had so many feelings and it was such a great series that I just sat and cried for a little bit that it was all over now.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

TW: Medical procedures, bodily harm, death

“I’m an intangible worm!”

Defending the Galaxy is the finish to a series that all authors should aspire to. It’s complete, tidy and leaves just enough of a future to leave you reaching out for more whilst being held by a sturdy ledge.

Maria V Snyder is an auto-buy author for me and she again proves why with the final instalment to the Sentinels of the Galaxy series.

It’s always hard to write reviews for the last book in the series because so much of the content and the pull of the plot comes from the development from the previous books. I always try to write spoiler-free reviews, or as spoiler-free as I can, so I’m not going to delve into the plot of Defending the Galaxy, instead I’m just going to gush about how fulfilling reading this was.

2020 has been a really difficult year for me and my love for reading. It almost disappeared entirely and I struggled with not only finishing a book but even starting a book. I absolutely smashed through Defending the Galaxy on 3 train trips to and from work which is quite a feat for a 506 page book, considering I have only read 60 books this year (when I usually am up to at least double that by now).

The recap provided by Ara at the beginning of the book allowed you to just settle comfortably into her character with no effort whilst also reminding you just what happened previously, without it feeling forced. I appreciated how much you are able to suspend belief and imagine yourself alongside Ara as she is going through all of the events and lose yourself in this world.

Everything that I had wanted to get resolved, got resolved. I have absolutely zero complaints, which is a happy surprise and I fully recommend this book, this series and this author.

*I was provided an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review, I was also lucky enough to receive a free published copy of the book from Harlequin Australia – thank you so much!

Before I begin my review for Defending the Galaxy (Sentinels of the Galaxy book three) by Maria V Snyder, I would personally like to thank the author, the publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC and I have reviewed it honestly.

A cosmic conclusion to an absolutely phenomenal YA sci-fi series. Our quirky hacker Ara is back to cause havoc in the Q-net and solve mysteries thousands of years in the making. Defending the Galaxy is an exciting and staggering tale. The entire Sentinels of the Galaxy series is a must read for teens and adults alike.

Defending the Galaxy features, but is not limited to, the following themes:
○ Young Adult
○ Science Fiction
○ Light romance
○ Interstellar travel
○ Alien life forms
○ Hacking
○ Advanced technology

My overall rating for Defending the Galaxy is…

5 Stars!

Don't you love it when you finish a series and you just feel so... complete. Content, even. This series was impressive from the get go and, impossibly, became so much more! The amount of thought and detail that has gone into these books is unbelievable. Snyder has outdone herself with this epic finale, especially those last 3 words! (Please be in the final copy!) My mind needs a vacation after this impeccable tale. Maybe I'll go fly in the Q-net for a while...

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for this arc n exchange for an honest review.

My stars are probably a bit skewed, but mostly, I think this was a satisfactory end to this trilogy.

Reading Maria V Snyder is like greeting an old friend. Cliche, I know. But the moment I opened Defending the Galaxy, I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed. Sure, it wasn't as good as some of my favourite Snyder novels, but it's still pretty good in it's own way.

Defending the Galaxy, along with the other books in the Sentinels trilogy, was face paced, space filled, and slightly confusing. I love the idea of the Sentinels. I love Q. Q is my favourite. Even more my favourite is how the Q-net evolved.

I will say that I hadn't had the chance to reread the first two books before reading DtG, so my memory was fuzzy on a few points and I did appreciate the complete infodump recap at the beginning.

<b>So what did I like?</b> The most? Q and what he tells/teaches Ara. I loved hearing about the story behind Q, behind the alienness, Fourth v Fifth v Sixth Nation. That was fun!

I also enjoyed the action pace. Lots happening and going and generally an easy read.

The characters were great, though I honestly was waiting for the betrayal. Unsurprisingly, there was one. It just wasn't the one I thought it would be.

The world. It's pretty interesting. Confusing, sometimes yes. But overall, it's a different take on space.

<b>What I could have liked more</b>. Maybe Ara? She was actually somewhat empathetic. But her narration wasn't always fun. I enjoyed her convos with Q, but like when she's handling her parents or the mental evaluation (this latter surprisingly came about without any shocking twists, which I was totally geared for), was semi-annoying. Because she's bratty for a second on the forms she has to fill, but then I feel like Snyder just inserted a huge product placement in the middle. In this case it was a product placement for taking mental health seriously. A very fair and reasonable point to make, but it was just so in your face. Oh, and this happens to with the parental inserts. I do like that parents are playing a key role, but I just wish they weren't so extreme, or portrayed as such. Or rather, it makes sense everything they did, but it was frustrating reading it. So, maybe I'm not as annoyed by it as I thought, just wondering if I would have liked it more if done another way? Haha.

Ah, also, Ara tends to come off a little special snowflake. In a way it's more that she becomes the centre of it, rather than it was some unique special prophecy about her. I do like that Ara chooses to be selfish at times, but it does sometimes feel that she's the only one who does everything. Granted, in saying that, she also reports to Radcliffe and doesn't do <i>everything</i> on her own. So I do like that sense of protocol about her. But, still, Ara is special, that's pretty clear.

The pacing is face, and I've felt that the writing in this series and the Eyes of Tamburah series more descriptive than storytelling. It feels plain. I don't think the writing felt plain in Poison Study! But ah well. I still enjoyed it.

<b>Overall?</b> Worth reading for an easy spacey ya read. I'm a sucker for pretty much any Maria V Snyder book. I don't know why. Favourite is still Poison Study, so. Oh, and I have been enjoying the Eyes of Tamburah books.

This book was utter perfection. It had the space elements, it had the sentinel elements, it had tension. One of the best conclusions to a trilogy I have read in a very long time.

I loved our characters and story just as much as I did in book one, and the story still had me gripped from page to page. It was the YA scifi I have been craving for the longest time!

This is not a series to be missed, and I'm thrilled to have enjoyed every page of Maria's Sentinels of the Galaxy series.

Rating: 5/5

(Review live on the 26th of November!)

I've very much enjoyed this trilogy, and a lot of that is down to the protagonist.

Sure, she's literally a Chosen One. But she's not chosen because of some stupid prophecy or because of her "bloodline" (as if we still believed in the Divine Right of Kings). She's chosen because she's smart, skilled, and principled (for a certain value of "principled"), and she specifically has to solve problems for herself, not just refuse to learn anything and then get her powers handed to her at a moment of crisis. Although there was a moment when I thought the author had dropped a deus ex machina on us, it actually was an opportunity for her to rescue herself and everyone else through cleverness, persistence, and hard-won skills.

The villains are suitably villainous (disgruntled because entitled, setting out to improve their own lives at the cost of others'), there's a strong vibe of "I couldn't do this without my team," and there's a realistic amount of "we're not listening to you because you're a child" followed by "you've proven yourself to be responsible, maybe we should listen to you after all".

The premise is fresh and original, the execution is sound, and all in all it's a good ride.

Don't start here; this is very much the third in a trilogy, and there's very little "previously-on" to orient you if you haven't read the first two books. They form a unit, to be read in order.

I received a copy via Netgalley for review.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher ARC.

I first discovered Maria V Snyder’s titles a few years, it was a lucky happenstance for me, as since them, I’ve devoured everything the author has written.
Be aware, this is the final novel in a series; for maximum enjoyment you should read: Navigating the stars # 1 and Chasing the shadows #2 prior to this title.

Wow! Still more twists, turns and surprises await in this story, and yet again, I was completely immersed within the world, the characters’ lives and the unfolding storyline. I’m going to miss reading more about my favourite characters, especially Ara and Q, however, the storyline evolves into an elegant denouement.

To