Review Detail

Kara lives on the streets of New Detroit, where a pickpocket job goes terribly wrong. She finds herself running from Deluca, a crime/drug lord. Kara escapes to a rehab prison where she ends up being 'recruited' to be a part of the prestigious Honor Space program. Those lucky enough to be chosen live a celeb-like existence. Kara though wants nothing to do with it at first, but after a subtle threat, decides it might be the only way to get away for awhile. She gets to ride a Leviathan, a living alien spaceship for a year out to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. But there are dark secrets that the Leviathan haven't shared. Secrets that are even darker than space.

What worked: Totally engaging Sci-fi adventure set on a sentient spaceship where the brightest on Earth are set on a journey to the far reaches of space. From the first page I was hooked and couldn't put this book down!

The backstory shows readers street wise Kara and what she does to survive. Kara kind of reminded me of Bean from Ender's Game, only she survived on her own wits. Even her so-called friend, turns on her. We do see some of her vulnerabilities early on-she's close to her younger sister who now lives on Mars with their mother. Also there is a reveal that shows why Kara wants to run. This scene is crucial later on in the novel.

The story really starts moving when Kara is assigned to Nadim, a young Leviathan ship. Caine & Aguirre do a wonderful job with world building and showing readers the physiology of a Leviathan ship. The ship feels, speaks, and has an amazing structural system.

The dialogue exchange between Kara and her fellow Honor student Beatriz is punchy and funny at times. Both learn they have to work together in order to not only pass tests, but later on to survive. There are glimpses of aliens that are intriguing and horrific. There's lots of action scenes, especially later on in the novel.

Captivating Sci-Fi adventure meets The 100, this story will keep you turning the pages until the early morning. Spell bounding world building with a living alien ship and a kick ass heroine that bond together in ways neither of them could predict. Fans of Beth Revis's Across The Universe series will totally love this new series. I can't wait to see what lays in store for Nadim, Kara, and Beatriz in the next book.