Ahoy there me mateys! I received this young adult sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

Arrrrrr mateys this book be amazing! It has been compared to maze runner and illuminae. While I read both and enjoyed them, this one blows the competition out of the water. The characters are diverse, the plot is enthralling, the pace is blazing, the tension is fierce, and the story drew its hooks in me and wouldn’t let go.

Ten poor kids from all over Earth have been recruited by a corporation called Babel to travel to a distant planet to help mine a substance called nyxia. In doing so, they immediately benefit their families back home. There is one catch – they have to compete on the journey to earn the spots to be part of the final mission. Only 8 out of 10 will proceed.

The story is told from the perspective of Emmett. He is an awesome protagonist who is determined to win but finds himself questioning the other players, the terms of the competition, and his own thoughts and motivations. Even though we see the world through Emmett’s eyes, we still manage to learn plenty of the other characters and their motivations as well. I particularly loved Bilal and Kaya.

The substance nyxia is crazy. I loved how it was used in space life and in the trials. There are also the hints of potential uses in the future. It kinda creeps me out and fascinates me all at the same time.

This novel takes some of the tropes of the dystopian sci-fi young adult novels and turns them upside down. Also this has one of the best endings of a book one in a trilogy that I have read in a very long time. I cannot wait to get me hands on book two.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Crown Books for Young Readers!

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