Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

“She’d never realized home didn’t have to be a place. Sometimes home was the people you loved.”

This was an incredible book, it was action packed and fun it had everything and more that you could wish for in a YA sci-fi.
The characters were amazing, relatable and well written. The storyline was interesting, with a jaw dropping twist that I didn’t see coming!
The polyamorous romance representation were brilliant it’s so rare to read in books and it was written beautifully!
I have no idea if this is just a standalone or the first in a series, but I really hope it’s going to be a series! I loved it so much I couldn’t put it down, I would definitely read so much more of these characters. It’s incredible that this is the author debut novel, it was so perfect!
I highly recommend reading this book!

🏴‍☠️ Space Pirates
🏳️‍🌈 Queer MC
🗡️ Adventure and Romance
🏴‍☠️ Reluctant Allies to Lovers
🌕 Moon Princess
🗡️ “Falling for the Enemy”
🌕 Debut Novel

Thank you so much @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Born Andromeda follows the life of the cyborg crown princess of the Moon, Andromeda, as she deals with the increasing duties of royal life. She feels overwhelmed, tired, and genuinely wants to be free of every obligation and restriction of her royal status. As she travels to Earth (a part of her engagement to an Earthen prince) her ship is attacked by galactic pirates, and she is taken to her father's enemy's ship - to Lord Captain Bran. As none of the pirates recognize her, Andromeda sees joining them as her chance for a way out, an opportunity for this to benefit her.

When I saw this book the premise reminded me quite a bit of Marissa Meyer's Cinder but queer, which in my mind sounded like a great mix of things I enjoy. Reading this, there were quite a few Cinder parallels, but it is a book of its own, at many places the story and the characters went places I wouldn't predict (maybe I was a bit too stuck in comparisons, so that is on me).

This was an interesting reading experience for me, I both enjoyed this book and I thought it fell a bit short on several points. It read fairly fast, and the pacing was good, it's just some of the plot points I wasn't so keen on. The story itself was a bit cliche, a princess disillusioned with royal life, gets with pirates, everyone is in love with her, and so on. What I did like in this story were the little things I did not expect - some of the characters' more ruthless and morally grey storylines and choices, the hint of polyamory. I went into this story hoping to love it for the Cinder similarities, but I actually ended up enjoying everything that steered away from that storyline. The sci-fi elements were also pretty low-key and unassuming, so I would say this is a great start for someone who is new to the genre!

As I said, the plot was, largely, predictable but I do not consider it a flaw of the book, just perhaps worth noting. The romance(s) were a little cliche themselves, I thought everyone immediately being in love with Andromeda was a bit on the nose and it happened too fast. However, I did still enjoy her interactions with both Mars and Allen, the two love interests. I only wish, and this goes for all of the characters (unrelated to romance), that there was more to the characters themselves. They had very surface-level personalities, we don't get to know any of them on (even a slightly) deeper level. Even the stuff that was supposed to feel more significant to their personalities, doesn't effectively achieve what it's trying to. This was my biggest issue throughout the novel, I was expecting the plot to be slightly predictable based on the synopsis, but I expected more of the characters themselves.

Overall, it was an enjoyable reading experience and the book had quite a bit of potential. Not all of it was delivered in full, but for a debut novel, it is a solid read and I am looking forward to more of K.M. Watts's writing! I would recommend Born Andromeda if you are looking for a fun, fast-paced read following galactic pirates and a princess whose path crosses theirs :)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

loved the book, would definitely hand-sell and want to get copies into the bookstore that i work at. unfortunately it took me a little while to properly get into the book, which was annoying but once i started i was hooked and wanted to finish it as fast as possible. it was the type of book that i couldn't put down. just because it took me some time, i rated it 4 stars, but otherwise the book was amazing.

This book gave me Cinder energy for most of this read. But with enough differences for me to still enjoy it a lot.

Andromeda is our main character and I like the fact that she is witty and wants to play outside the box she’s been groomed for as a princess of Celestine. It’s too often these days that main characters are boring and don’t have any spice.

The other characters in this book are also very likeable. Which again, there is usually someone who’s annoying or disposable.

I have many questions regarding Andromeda and her relationships, but questions I cant ask without spoiling. So I will have to wait for the next book in order to have those answers fulfilled. Let’s say I cannot wait!

A YA science fiction that takes tropes from fantasy (royals, arranged marriage, pirates, a rebellious princess) and infuses them into a sci fi setting. The story follows cyborg princess Andromeda, who goes by Andy, as she is kidnapped by pirates en route from the moon to Earth to marry her fiance and decides to take charge of her life rather than wait around for rescue. If you want pirates to be the good guys, this is probably a good read for you.

A fun little book about piracy, family, and first love. I could see the major plot twist a mile away, but this was still a nice, easy read. The characters were likable, and there was an interesting love triangle—or poly romance, depending on how you look at it. I believe there will even be a sequel, as it ends with the promise of more to come.

I wanted to enjoy this but was overly unimpressed with the relationships, the dynamic, and the plot felt convoluted.

3.5*

Honestly pretty good for a debut!! i liked the plot and Andromeda as an mc but the pacing did feel slow toward the middle. it took me a while to get through sometimes because i wasn't dying to pick it back up (i am in a reading slump tho so it might be just because i wasnt in the mood for sff)! other than that it was a solid read, the setting, plot, and vibes were all nicely done so if you're looking for a YA adventurous story with 'Daughter of the Pirate King' vibes and a touch of science fiction this is a good pick :)

Thank you, Independent Publishers Group, Interlude Press - Duet Books, for allowing me to read Born Andromeda early!

Adventurous, thrilling and captivating. Definitely a debut not to miss.