Polaris (Avalon #2)

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Author(s)

Mindee Arnett

Publisher

Balzer + Bray

Genre(s)

Age Range

13+

Release Date

January 20, 2015

ISBN

9780062235626

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Following the events of Avalon, Jeth Seagrave and his crew are on the run. Jeth is desperate to find the resources and funding he needs to rescue his mother from an ITA’s research lab and leave this whole galaxy behind for a new life somewhere else. But the ITA is just as desperate, and soon Jeth finds himself pursued by a mysterious figure hell-bent on capturing Jeth and his crew—dead or alive. In a last-ditch effort to save everyone he holds dear, Jeth enters into a bargain with the last person he ever thought he'd see again: Dax Shepherd, the galaxy’s newest and most fearsome crime lord. And he’s not the only one: upon arriving back at Peltraz spaceport for the first time since he witnessed the death of his old employer, Jeth discovers Dax has a new partner: Jeth’s mother, Marian. This shocking turn of events is only the first in another breathless, action-packed sci-fi adventure rife with danger, love, and betrayal, as Jeth has to once again ask himself how much he’s willing to invest in a morally bankrupt galaxy in the hopes of saving those he cares for.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

A satisfying, heart-pumping conclusion.

December 07, 2014

Overall rating

4.3

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POLARIS is the sequel, and conclusion, to Mindee Arnett's YA science fiction series that began with AVALON. It is fast-paced, full of action and fighting, and will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next.

What I loved:

Jeth's internal struggles and his fights with the Axis implant. These aren't quite the same thing - Jeth is constantly fighting to keep control of himself, but in different ways. He's a hothead, a spitfire, always ready to pick a fight and ask questions later. He'll do anything to keep the people he loves alive, even if it's betraying members of his crew or throwing acquaintances under a bus. That can be a little scary. You're never quite sure if Jeth is going to be able to keep it together long enough to complete a mission. On the other hand, once he gets the super-scary-creepy-gross implant from Dax, Jeth isn't the only one fighting for control of himself. Dax, the Axis, and members of Dax's Brethren mafia are also literally in his head. The mind games are complicated and intense, and I bet they're something a lot of teen boys can relate to.

The ending. I'm not going to spoil it for anyone, trust me, but I seriously wasn't expecting things to get wrapped up so nicely! There is so much action and suspense and betrayal in the last hundred pages of this sci-fi blockbuster that I had no idea how all the deals would be kept, who would still be alive, whether Jeth would meet his goals or what. For a duology, there is a lot of story going on, and completely all the story arcs and finalizing all the plot points was a serious challenge. It was very well done.

What I wanted more of: Side character backstories and relationships. This is the same exact complaint I had about the first book, and it's my only issue with the series. I wanted more depth in the side characters, particularly Jeth's crew. We do get a lot of depth with Aileen, who ends up playing a far larger role in the action than you would expect. However, we're still missing a lot of feeling from Jeth's crew, especially his girlfriend Sierra. Despite that, the whole book is very plot-driven and full of action, so character-focused development doesn't really make sense.

The verdict: POLARIS is a satisfying conclusion to an exciting sci-fi adventure. If you're looking for a heart-racing journey across space with a hot-tempered pilot and his crew, pick up the AVALON series.

Eden Grey Top 50 Reviewer 171 reviews

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Great ending for duology

February 07, 2015

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4.3

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The sequel to Avalon finds Jeth and his crew on the run from the ITA, who are holding his mother and are after his little sister. Jeth is desperate to free his mother and keep everyone safe but he soon finds himself in even more danger as he’s pursued by a new threat. With no options left, Jeth turns to the one person he swore he would never see again: Daxton Price. But Dax’s help comes with a cost – one that could mean sacrificing everything Jeth has fought so hard for up until now.

I absolutely loved the first book. I’m not an overly huge sci-fi reader even though I love space shows but this series fits right into the feel of the shows I love. I didn’t love this one as much as the first but I still really enjoyed it. There was still that misfit family feel but this second book was more focused on Jeth, the pressure he was under, and their mission.

Jeth went through a lot in this book. We saw him struggle with every decision he made as captain, knowing each one affected his crew and the wrong one could get someone injured or killed. We saw him struggle with trust and keeping faith in every single crew member, especially if they disagreed with a decision. We saw him fight to keep everyone safe. We saw him sacrifice. There were times that I didn’t like who Jeth was becoming but I did like that I disliked it. It gave Jeth the opportunity for some redemption.

There were also some new characters introduced, as well as many of the ones I already loved or hated from Avalon. Some of the villains were just evil, black and white, you knew they were evil. But others, they were more gray and I liked trying to figure out if they were trustworthy or if they’d turn out to be evil.

The whole book was pretty non-stop action. If it wasn’t physical action, life-threatening action, it was emotional turmoil in the characters. It just never let up. I did find the pacing in Polaris to be better than Avalon, it made for a faster read and a book I just didn’t want to put down(not that I wanted to put down Avalon when I read it). What drew me to Avalon the most was the coming together of the family and since the crew was already formed in Polaris, we got less of that family feel. There were still great moments, especially with Jeth and his little sister Cora.

The science and technology was understandable, which I appreciated as someone with no background in either. I also appreciated that the romance was subtle, it never overtook the story, it simply added another layer to it.

As a huge fan of Avalon, I was in no way disappointed with this sequel/finale.