Review Detail

NEXUS is the second and final book in the Androma Saga and it picks up right where Zenith left off. Andi wakes to find that her three crewmembers and best friends, along with most of the Mirabel Galaxy, were shot with a mind-control virus and now bow to Queen Nor. There are Unaffected, though, more than Nor ever could have imagined, and they have mobilized. Without anywhere else to go, Andi searches out Arachnid, the Unaffected’s leader who promises Nor’s defeat. Together, maybe they can get Andi’s crew back and save the galaxy.

When I started reading this galley, I’d been craving a fun and purely entertaining read, which is exactly what I got. Even though I generally don’t like stories set in space, the world building in this series is so expansive and imaginative that I actually love these completely unfamiliar and unusual worlds. Alsberg and Cummings are such visual storytellers that I wish I could see the Soleran landscape and the Underground in person! They sound like cool places to visit and I’m glad I got to go there briefly with this book.

With that being said, once Arachnid’s identity is revealed, I stop believing the plot. It’s a great twist, but I don’t understand why Arachnid wouldn’t go to Nor or Valen sooner. Even with the obstacles and uncertainties that Arachnid faced, the whole problem could have been solved with a simple meeting. The authors attempt to create compelling reasons why Arachnid couldn’t reach Nor, but Arachnid’s character is someone who has consistently done whatever it takes to reach end goals. This takeover would not be the one time that Arachnid gave up.

The multi-POV also kept me from being fully invested. In the first book, though we heard from many characters, Andi was our main protagonist and plotline. In this novel, Andi, Dex, Nor, and Valen are given equal air time, with an occasional word from Lira. Because they switch back and forth between all of them pretty consistently, I was constantly plucked in and out of stories as I was starting to care.

Overall, NEXUS does a good job at tying up all the loose threads and questions I had from the first book and concludes with a satisfying ending. I love that Dex and Andi are back in action together in this one and though NEXUS is the final book in this series, I would happily read about these characters going on more adventures together.

These books will appeal to fans of the apocalyptic genre.