[Digital ARC provided by NetGalley and Orbit Books. Thank you! -- This is a late review pulled from my reading journal and rewritten for goodreads and NetGalley]

This space opera was heart-pounding and SUCH a fun time. I even bought this book as soon as it was officially released because I enjoyed it so much. As it says on the tin, this is a "cat-and-mouse chase through space" type plot, with plenty of races against time in spaceships among the stars and on foot through the streets of alien cities. But it's not all high-octane action and beloved sci fi tropes. The author does tackle some philosophical questions and seeks to answer them through his characters. I recommend this book and its series to any soap opera lover who wants to imagine themselves in the cockpit of an interstellar ship flying at lightspeed to their next adventure.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

DNF 38% in.

I tried to get into this, but it just didn’t happen. I liked the first one, but something about this just didn’t work for me.

A big part of the issue is that I can’t form mental images of things I haven’t seen, and as the locations and action became more strange and more focused on technically-not-magic space power battles and pocket universe stuff it creates long stretches when the only thing I could focus on is Caiden’s thoughts about things. You may recall from the last book’s review that I don’t really like Caiden, and I didn’t like him any better here.

Remember way back in the fall of 2020 when my review of Nophek Gloss by Essa Hansen proclaimed that it was the start of a trilogy that you’d want to get your hands on? The sequel and middle book of that trilogy Azura Ghost keeps that promise and doubles down with fury and vengeance, love and compassion, and with a book that really does put the science back into science fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy.

On the whole I liked it. Some of the sci fi was more dense then I think my brain was ready for but still enjoyed it.

3.5/5

I thoroughly enjoyed this continuation in the series and can't wait for volume three. So different from most other scifi I've read.

A worthy sequel to Nophek Gloss. Hansen does a fantastic job handling a complex multiverse. When reviewing the story with my students, some thought it would be too complicated to read. After lending out Nophek Gloss, the readers were eager for the sequel. Looking forward for the copies of this to arrive in my classroom.

Azura Ghost // by Essa Hansen

Oh man. Finally. I'm so glad I finally got to read this book, though now I am just as eager to get to the third book of course. It's difficult to savor something when you've been so excited for it and then it turns out just as good as you wanted it to be! I immediately jumped at the chance to get this ARC and even reread the first book to prepare for it despite it having not even been a whole year since reading it for the first time. I was so glad to be back with Caden (plus adorable sidekick!) and my favorite villain Threi.

We continue to learn more about world, or rather worlds, that Hansen created as well as the many characters that I have grown so fond of. I forgot to talk about this in my last review but I love Hansen's ability to come up with names. There are so many names in these books that sound so foreign to me, yet they all flow together really well, whether they are names for people, races, planets, creatures, or anything else.

Overall, while having many of the same components as the previous book, this one has a much different feel to it. There is much more of an intellectual and theoretical feel this time. Hansen really dove deep into the science this time and I can't claim to have understood it all. Nonetheless, this did not hinder the progression or my enjoyment of the story at all though. It still flowed really well and I didn't feel like it was distracting at all.

My only complaint for this book is that there isn't an audiobook! I adore the audio version of book 1 and am so sad that I couldn't continue on with the series in the same format.

Thank you for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think I’m just genuinely not intelligent enough for this book. Half the time I felt like I had no idea what was going on. There were so many things I couldn’t picture and it wasn’t because there weren’t descriptions of these things. I just really think I’m not smart enough for this series.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into Essa Hanen’s Azura Ghost. To be honest, I was lukewarm on the first book in The Graven series, Nophek Gloss; Caiden as a young, traumatized protagonist was written convincingly as such and it made it hard to connect with the narrative. But Azura Ghost was like its own multiverse in miniature and reset the playing field altogether. With a ten-year interval and a vastly expanded character cast and stakes, I could barely put down this book for all its 600 pages.

A lot of what I loved about Azura Ghost counts as massive spoiler territory, so unfortunately I can’t get too specific about what I loved, but I can certainly talk about some generalities. Transhumanism plays a central role in Azura Ghost in more ways than I can count offhand, and that is my absolute jam, especially when intersected with topics like disability, neurodivergence, gender identity, and artificial intelligence, all of which are explored in this novel. The intricate, descriptive prose made by brain pop and fizz with delight; so many phrases and paragraphs got highlighted in my ARC.

The character work also ascends into the stratosphere in this one. Caiden with ten years of being on the run under his belt has a lot to grapple with, both in regards to his past and the current conflicts he faces. Many old favourite faces return as well, including the inimitable Endirion Day. In addition to returning characters from Nophek Gloss, we’re also introduced to Abriss and a large cast of unique, terrifying, and wonderful characters in her orbit. Hansen excels at character development and I cared about everyone who got page time. There’s so much queer found family in space that my little heart was full to bursting with the full range of human emotion.

Also… when I say I could barely put this book down, I mean it. The pacing is absolutely excellent, and the way both plot events and character arcs weave together and split apart is a thing of beauty to behold. The already imaginative world gains more new layers than I can shake a stick at, and I sat in awe as that world unfolded before me.

For anyone who was on the fence about continuing this series after Nophek Gloss like me, I have to say I highly, HIGHLY recommend picking up Azura Ghost; this book feels like it has begun to touch upon the heart of the series and is both gripping and imaginative. And if you were considering starting this series at all, consider this my strong recommendation to do so. Unique, wonderful, emotional, brutal, and literally out of this world, Azura Ghost is a contender for one of my favourite reads of 2022.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Ten years have passed since Caiden put an abrupt end to Threi’s plans for multiverse domination by marooning him in a universe which no one can enter or leave. Caiden has been on the run that entire time, fleeing from just about everyone in order to keep his universe generating ship from falling into the wrong hands. It’s a lonely life, but Caiden at least has C, a nophek who becomes his faithful companion since Caiden raised him from a pup. Caiden’s usual routine is thrown into chaos when an assassin attempts to kill him and steal his ship. Nothing new, really, until Caiden realizes the assassin is linked to a childhood friend he thought long dead. Even worse, by aligning herself with with Threi’s greatest enemy, Caiden’s long lost friend puts Caiden square in the middle of the rivalry he just spent the past decade trying to avoid.

To say Azura Ghost builds on the first book in the series, Nophek Gloss, is an understatement. The fact is that as events unfold in this second book, Nophek Gloss all of a sudden begins to make much more sense. I had many questions—about the technology, the lucky coincidence of Caiden finding Azura, and the corroboration between Caiden and Threi, for example—that were more or less answered as I read Azura Ghost. In many ways, the author’s storytelling ability has gotten better. Nophek was hard to follow at times, with characters that were not well developed and just kind of flat with no real distinctive personalities. Azura Ghost remedies much of that. The storytelling is better, the character development is there now, and the odd coincidences are lessened.

One of the best things about this book is the Azura. In Nophek Gloss, she’s basically a ship, albeit with some staggering technology (abilities?). But now she’s a character unto herself. It turns out the mind link between Caiden and Azura is more than just a technological bridge and while Azura doesn’t communicate in a conventional sense, she is revealed as a sentient entity that can grow, think freely, and ultimately take sides.

The science and technology in the Graven series is pure fantasy and lends credence to the famous Isaac Asimov saying that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” The technology here is so advanced it’s almost indecipherable to the reader at times, to the point where I think the author could have spent more of her energy on worldbuilding and character development and less on such amazing tech.

Azura Ghost is a worthy sequel to Nophek Gloss in every way. Questions are answered, the storyline progresses nicely, and new characters bring renewed life to this series. I’m upping my rating by one rocket over the first novel because it’s a better read overall and a good stepping stone to the next book in the series.

As always, thank you to the publisher, Orbit Books, for providing a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This is a very complex world with multiverses and multiple political factions that use a form of mind control (as well as seemingly endless resources). I enjoyed this book more than I did the first, but that may simply have been because the world is so complex and perhaps a bit overly complicated that I needed the first book to set the foundation for this one. I thought the introduction of the Proxies was fascinating and well done. I do wish that we had found out what happened to all of the rescued nopheks and their new home from the end of the last book, but the interactions with C were fun. This one ends on a big fat cliffhanger so be forewarned.

Thank you to NetGalley & Orbit Books for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved Essa Hansen's debut novel, but had a difficult time staying invested in this one. She cranks up the sci-fi to eleven here and I was left reeling in the dust. I'll be curious to see what the third novel in this series looks like, but this one was not quite as satisfying as book 1 to me. Book 2 is always a tough sell, and others seem to be enjoying this more than me.

Azura Ghost is the second book in Essa Hansen's "Graven" trilogy, which began in 2020 with her "Nophek Gloss" (reviewed on this blog here). Nophek Gloss was a pretty interesting trilogy starter, featuring as its setting a "multiverse" of different worlds and species - where the worlds "multiverse" and "universe" aren't really used to describe whole fully scoped out universes, but different worlds and even smaller sized spaces featuring different physics and other rules that make certain universes better or worse for certain beings, depending on their physical traits. The story also dealt with not just a space opera found family situation, as protagonist Caiden finds himself rescued from a massacre by an oddball crew of explorers, but also heavily with the ideas of consent and supernatural persuasion, as various characters, including the leaders of two factions and the protagonist, find themselves with nearly uncontrollable abilities of persuasion, which make it impossible for them to stop others from loving them and wanting to follow their every desire. In this world, Caiden had to figure out who he was as he grew up, sought out his revenge, and had to deal with the fear that his friends' support was only due to this power, and not their own free wills.

It was a really interesting story, although it didn't quite fully work due to not having enough time to really spend developing the character relationships, and left off with an intriguing cliffhanger, promising a dangerous reunion between Caiden and the childhood sister figure, Leta, now in the hands of one of the most dangerous persons in the multiverse.

The result is a story that is at times really fascinating, especially when it comes from the struggles of Caiden and Leta to deal with who they each have grown up to be, and what remains of their relationship. The story contrasts that with the relationship between the sibling antagonists, and this works really well. The story's dealing with the Graven (charming) power and its implications, doesn't always get the focus it should, with Caiden's ability to control it making him a little less interesting, but it still largely works and keeps this story feeling fairly fresh as events go further and further out of control. And then there's the further exploration of the multiverse, which works as well. All in all, Azura Ghost is a very enjoyable second installment, leaving me eager to see how this trilogy concludes.

Spoilers for Book 1 below. Note that I wound up doing a full reread of book 1 prior to reading this book, and I probably recommend that for any readers here - as this book annoyingly does not contain a summary or any in-text recaps of what happened previously for readers to catch up:

-------------------------------------------------Plot Summary----------------------------------------------------
For ten years, Caiden/Winn has been on the run throughout the multiverse as his enemy Threi, now head of the powerful Casthen organization, posts bounties and enlists forces to hunt down Caiden and his powerful Graven ship Azura. Caiden has spent those ten years mostly alone, afraid to go near his family for fear of putting them in jeopardy, with only Azura and a baby Nophek for company. He's become a legend in the meantime for his small acts of defiance and attempts to improve the multiverse, but that can hardly compare to what Threi's Casthen are doing to seemingly help everyone, or the power held by the Dynast Prime, Threi's sister Abriss, ruler of the biggest universe, Unity.

But Threi has come up with a plan to smoke Caiden out using his sister, as Abriss holds in her possession something Caiden had once thought lost: his childhood friend/sister-figure Leta. Leaving behind Leta is Caiden's biggest regret in his life, and he would do anything for the possibility to get her back.

But Leta is something and someone very different than the scared, abused, and awkward girl Caiden once knew. Over the last ten years she's been experimented on as part of Abriss' Graven experiments, being able to transfer her mind outside her body into an artificial proxy that allows her to move at will throughout Unity, and to become one of Abriss' best agents. She's found a new family in her fellow Graves - those others experimented on by Abriss - and even believes Abriss wholeheartedly when she says she is searching for a way to cure them. And so she accepts the mission to lure Caiden and Azura into Abriss' clutches, even as her memories begin to return, and force her to question her life - both her old one and the new.....
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Like Nophek Gloss, Azura Ghost is very much the story of Caiden/Winn, as he struggles with his place in the multiverse - with his need to save everyone from Threi, with his fear of manipulating those he loves unknowingly through his Graven powers, with his loneliness and lack of understanding of how to possibly simply sit back and enjoy something. Caiden's quest to do things has made him a legend, but also prevented him from ever being willing to spend time with the found family he loves, and have kept him mercilessly on the run, with only a pet Nophek and Azura for comfort. And throughout all this time, the being Caiden knows to be evil - Threi - has only bettered his reputation by actually doing good throughout the universe. And so while Caiden knows that Threi would willingly command his allies to commit suicide (via his Graven powers) in order to achieve Threi's goal of sororicide, even his friends aren't sure that his quest to fight Threi is worth it - after all, perhaps Threi is even right in wanting to take down Abriss, a woman whose will no one can resist falling in love with due to her Graven heritage. And of course there's Caiden once again trying to be a loner who stays away from his friends for their own good, only for them to once again refuse to let him get away with it, and to force him to accept their help.

But Azura Ghost flips things around by giving Caiden an almost co-protagonist in Leta, as nearly half (if not more than that) of the chapters take place from her point of view. Leta has her own found family now in the Graves, a group of other survivors whose bodies were salvaged and reinforced with Graven genetics, but which cannot survive unless they spend a significant amount of time in artificial bodies...bodies which cannot leave Unity without malfunctioning. And while Leta's real body can't resist Abriss' charm either, her proxy can, and she believes - whether compelled or not - that Abriss does want to help them through her experiments on the Graven, to make them all become the prototypes for beings who could resist her influence, allowing her to have a family that she knows loves her in truth.

And so when Leta is tasked with luring in Caiden, she finds herself genuinely conflicted - because while her memories of Caiden are ones of love, her newfound family and Abriss are who she's spent the most recent ten years of her life with. Leta is not the girl Caiden knew, she's someone new and different, just as Caiden isn't the boy Leta knew, with his hard edges and violent streak. And so their old relationship can't simply pick up where it left off, and two are forced as they go through betrayal to betrayal, alliance into alliance, to figure out what new relationship can be forged alongside the ones they've built in the meantime. The book contrasts this with Abriss and Threi, two siblings who have also spent most of their years apart, who have very different views on the multiverse and their relationship. And so while Leta and Caiden are able (minor spoiler) to rebuild some sort of relationship, even if it's a new one, Abriss and Threi's only winds up shattering as they're not able to find something in each other's new self, and they wind up at each other's throats....a reality that destroys one of them from the inside, making them give up their remaining humanity and become an absolute heartless threat to the rest of the universe, without a care anymore for who stands in their way.

There's a lot more here too besides these character dynamics being great of course. There's some hinting that a lot of the coincidences that have racked up may be manipulations of some unseen force, and then there's the conflict between Abriss and Threi's philosophies: Abriss believing that the multiverse should be united into one better universe, whereas Threi believing the multiverse was split apart for a reason, so that every type of being could have some place to exist and thrive. There's the conflict that comes out when it's revealed Abriss' tying of the Graves to Unity has caused some of them additional pain, as their bodies are stronger outside of it. And then there's the mysterious secrets of the long lost Graven,, hidden in the bodies of Caiden, Azura, Abriss/Threi, and more. Some things get lost in these ideas - Caiden's usage of his Graven abilities at times is a little horrifying, but the fact that he can control it seemingly also makes his internal conflict a bit weaker - but overall it's a really compelling space opera that I gobbled up in two days.

Can't wait for book 3.

I finished this book a few days ago and am still finding it hard to articulate my thoughts and feelings of it.

Essa Hansen's prose is wonderfully lush and vivid and like nothing I have ever read before. From the very beginning each sentence evokes some form of sensory detail. I will say that because this is the second book in the series and a lot of the heavy lifting in regards to world building had already been done, I found this to be much easier to get into than the first bit of Nophek Gloss.

The book follows from where we left off in the last chapter of Nophek Gloss - a time jump 10 years forward where we learn that Caiden's friend Leta, who had died early on in the novel, is actually alive and working with Abriss, Threi's sister. The following plot is fairly basic, but it almost needs to be to balance the detailed prose and world and thematic content.

This book deals a lot with managing perceptions and kind of reminds of me of Jenn Lyons's A Chorus of Dragons series in how it deals with identifying "the villain" of the story as all sides have valid points and are clearly "the hero" in their own mind even if they are perceived as "the villain" by the others. And on a smaller scale the book deals a lot with the internal struggles of asking for help and grieving a loved one and guilt and self-discovery and agency and so much more.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy character stories and who like reading books that challenge them and make them think. This series also features a found family in a queernorm world, a variety of queer and gender nonconforming individuals as well as autistic and neurodivergent characters, a sentient spaceship, an animal companion, and so much more. Also, the author has provided info about representation, content warnings, and tags as well as a refresher of Nophek Gloss on her website!

Azura Ghost, the sequel to Nophek Gloss, is another richly detailed story set in a world that's had a lot of work done to make it feel real and lived in.

When I read Nophek Gloss, it was interesting, I wanted to watch Caiden's journey. Book 2, I just couldn't connect. It may have just been that it wasn't the right read for me at the time. Y'know with everything being a raging dumpster fire.

So we start with Caiden a decade after the end of the first book. And we're told that his family from the first book has broken up. I can't lie, I was depressed at that because found family is easily one of the tropes that gives me live.

Identity is still a big theme in this book.

Now if you loved Nophek Gloss, you'll like this one. It's got Essa Hansen's amazing writing style. She really has an incredible ability to bring the reader into the world. It's all very detailed without feeling overwhelming. As much as a multiverse can feel not overwhelming.

I think there's a lot of good in this, it just wasn't for me and hey, that happens. But I think if you enjoy a thickly layered scifi story, you'll enjoy this.

Three (3) stars.

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

Azura Ghost, by Essa Hansen, is the perfect example of a great book that science fiction needs more of while simultaneously being “not my jam.” I didn’t really have a fun time with this book; many of the plot elements are drawn directly from story concepts I am just not that interested in. I will get into the specifics of what that means soon, but the long story short of it is I don’t really mesh well with stories about rescuing loved ones in cults. That being said, Azura Ghost is an absolute explosion of cool ideas and excellent character writing and is the exact sort of unique and refreshing story that science fiction needs more of.

Ghost is the sequel to Nophek Gloss, and the second book in The Graven series. If you are just joining us and don’t know anything about Gloss, check out this review and start there. As a refresher, the first book tells the story of Caiden and how he goes from a child slave in a distant universe, through a gauntlet of misery and rapid growing up, to learning to love himself and self actualize. It is a strange story set in a multiverse, with a lovable crew of rogues, that expands the imagination and tells its story primarily through change in the protagonist instead of plots to end existence. Ghost picks up some time after the first book. Caiden has come into his own since the last book and is now traveling the multiverse alone on his ship. The crew that saw him through thick and thin in Gloss has departed and he is successfully making a go of it on his own. When a figure from his past as a slave appears in his midst and starts raising questions, he must turn back to the found family he left to get help investigating this strange new occurrence.

The Graven series has a plot that is very hard to explain from the outside. Really, it's about a little boy who goes through a lot of trauma and the metaphors for his experience are translated into very powerful science fiction world-building. Ghost continues this trend with a weird angle that took me pleasantly by surprise. The second book in this series is, at its core, about the same things that the first book was about. There is a focus on the difficulties of asking for help, self-blame/guilt, finding agency, self-discovery, found family, growing up, and finding stability in an ever-shifting universe. But while we are covering similar subjects in both books, Ghost never feels like we are retreading the same path.

We are introduced to new characters who are going through the same things Caiden did, but come to different conclusions. Caiden is still struggling with much of his baggage, but now we get to see him using new tools and ideas that he grew into from book one to try and tackle the problem. The Graven has this powerful focus on self-improvement and introspection never being “finished” which makes the cast resonate and come alive to the reader. These are books that will resonate very hard with character readers who like metaphor and stories through character growth. Those who need world-ending stakes and a hard science system to explain how the world works might have a hard time.

As I mentioned before, I personally did not mesh well with the nuts and bolts of the plot of Ghost. The story revolves around a girl that Caiden “abandoned” in book one, and while I think Hansen does a spectacular job of digging into what abandonment means and what working through perceived betrayal means, I didn’t quite find the plot of Ghost as exciting as Gloss. Nonetheless, I still had a great time and definitely recommend the series to anyone who is curious.

With Azura Ghost, Essa Hansen has written a second creative entry into modern science fiction. Her clever character stories and world of fractal realities are catching both to the eye and the heart. She is definitely an author to watch and someone to check out if you are looking for something different than your typical military science fiction adventure.

Rating: Azura Ghost - 7.5/10
-Andrew

I loved reading this. Everything about it was so strong—the writing, the plot, the characters, setting...it was just all so wonderful. I love the little quips from Caiden's POV about how the Proxies don't have faces and how Abriss calls them by numbers, whether they're in body or Proxy. The found family aspect is also brilliantly administered here, and we see that found family doesn't necessarily mean everyone gets along all the time. The immersive quality of the prose really elevated the story, and I could talk on and on about just that. Honestly, this whole review is just a big gush on why I loved this book.

It’s 4.5 but I’m definitely rounding up.

I think it’s taken me more than 3 weeks after finishing Nophek Gloss to get to this sequel because while I loved it, it was also a very high concept hard sci-fi book which isn’t my usual thing and I needed some time before I got back to this world. And I think that was the right decision on my part. (Also, this review might have some spoilers to Nophek Gloss, so please read at your risk).

Because this sequel is so much bigger and expansive and tense than it’s predecessor and I was hanging on the edge of my seat while rushing through the pages of this book. Just like Nophek Gloss, we are thrown right in between the action in the first chapter itself and there are hardly any breaks from the high personal as well as multiverse level stakes. The author’s imagination is really splendid and rich and I’m still in awe of this world she has created, and while I still won’t say I understand everything because I’m not that good at physics, it’s highly enjoyable; and even with the little I do get, I was marveling at all the possibilities of this world and wondering how much more we would be getting as the pages went by. While the pacing is mostly breakneck because there is no time to waste when the multiverse is in danger, there were some moments of joy and family bonding and nostalgia which I thought were perfectly lovely and gave me some respite in the whole tense atmosphere. I finished this mostly in one day because I just couldn’t sleep for the night not knowing what was gonna happen next.

I did not expect that this book would start a decade after the end of the first one but I think it gave some great character arcs. Especially Caiden, who is a changed man because he has the highest bounty on his head and can hardly take a break. We hear a lot about the little and big things he did in the past decade, helping the oppressed people and doing things to prevent disasters but I so wish we had gotten to read some of those while they were happening - it’s not the same while reading about his and other people’s feelings about his actions. He is also perpetually scared about giving into his Graven nature, always unsure if the care and affection others are showing towards him genuine or due to his undue manipulation. I really empathized with his need to not to lose his humanity and resort to violence all the time; but he is also helpless because he is kind and compassionate and can’t help but take the world on his shoulders and try to protect everyone and everything he cares about.

Leta on the other hand was a character I took some time to warm upto. It wasn’t her fault though - I truly sympathized with her situation and could see how she would make certain decisions even if I didn’t like them and only kept feeling sad that even she didn’t know if she had any agency - but then things happened (which I can’t spoil) and she became the strength that Caiden needed. Their relationship is fraught with the memories of an abusive childhood and a decade long separation, but I loved how much they still cared for each other and were ready to get to know each other anew. Leta also has some very interesting powers which complement Caiden’s own very well, but she is also much more thoughtful and wise whereas he is the reckless one ready to dive headlong into danger. I’m just so so glad they got to meet again.

Caiden’s found family is a much lesser presence this time but whenever they appeared and gave an earful to Caiden for being distant, I was heartened. They really all love and care for each other and I was always wishing that nothing would harm or separate them. Leta also has her own kind of found family but they are much more intertwined due to their circumstances and I think it’ll be interesting to see their relationship dynamics when they aren’t being manipulated. I don’t wanna talk much about Azura and C because I can’t spoil the fun, but I can’t stop myself from mentioning them because these two were a much source of delight in this otherwise tension filled book.

But the most important side characters this time were Abriss and Threi. Threi is not much changed from the first book and there is still his ruthlessness to contend with, but we get very little glimpses into his past and his true vision for the future, and I’m really excited to see more of him. Abriss on the other hand tries to project an image of benevolence and gentleness - and maybe she did have capacity for that before - but now she is full of hubris, convinced of her vision for the singularity, ready to obliterate any number of people and worlds to get the utopia she believes she deserves to rule over. The way the author has written Abriss’s character, with her ever changing words and tactics and actions, is absolutely masterful.

In the end, I had high hopes for this sequel after loving the first book and it exceeded all of them. I fell in love more with the characters, I’m completely stunned at the world the author’s mind has conjured, and I’m both excited and petrified about what more she has in store for us in the finale. If you are someone who loves mind blowing and ingenious sci-fi worlds; with characters you’ll come to deeply care for; and the themes explored are very much human and personal in a multiverse full of aliens and advanced tech and luminiferity - this series is written for you and you can’t miss it. It was much easier to handle the end of Nophek Gloss because I already had the sequel in my hands but Azura Ghost has an equally revelatory and explosive conclusion and I guess the next (probably) one year of wait for Ethera Grave will be full of anticipation.

"His awareness slathered across a dimension that was empty and limitless at the same time. Eternity in each speck and each speck stretched to eternity. The luminiferity. "

Power up your Graven gravitas, because you're in for a ride in this excellent second installment of the series!! Azura Ghost gets on it right from page one and it's an intense journey as questions get answered, families come together and are torn apart and all new possibilities are uncovered.
**MILD SPOILERS FOR NOPHEK GLOSS**
We left Caiden and his nophek pup C having some much needed rest and peace on Laythan's planet. Azura Ghost jumps ten years as Caiden has traveled with C throughout the multiverse staying one step ahead of Casthen Prime Threi's bounty. He has stayed away from the family he loves as he thinks it's the best way to protect them. All the while Threi is still trapped in his universe trying to find Azura so he can free himself. Caiden is finally brought back together with his family as well as the girl from his past as events spiral in unexpected ways. Caiden has grown and toughened in his travels, but still retains the wonderful heart we love him for and the confrontations we have been waiting for are finally here.
So very much to love in this story! The relationship between Caiden and C, learning about the Graves and all their different capabilities, spending time with Abriss and finding out more about her relationship with Threi. New characters, new revelations and of course more mind blowing trips in the luminiferity. Thoroughly enjoyed the story and I love how Essa makes both Threi and Abriss so complex that you continually go back and forth with your feelings for them. Each is certainly the hero in their own story, and I am so looking forward to how the rest of the story will play out. Infinite possibilities in the luminiferity.

Thanks to Orbit Books and Netgalley for the ARC.