raenovels's review
3.0
In Nyxia, Emmett Atwater is recruited by Babel Corporation to help mine nyxia on a the newly discovered planet of Eden. The Babel Corporation is ruthless, and soon Emmett discovers that Babel's competition is much more than he signed up for.
Nyxia was a fun book! Overall I enjoyed it, but there were some things that grated on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. But first, the good things.
The character development in the story was good. There were a lot of characters in the book, but the author did a great job of introducing their stories, their quirks, and personalities. I enjoyed following Emmet's story and learning about his background and the theories as to why he was chosen for a spot with Babel. Through the story, I was able to get a pretty clear sense of who Emmet is as a person, which is always appreciated. This helped me to feel connected to Emmet throughout the book.
The story concept and plot is also fantastic. I loved the competition aspect of the book and the idea of mining a newly discovered element on Eden. I'm not huge into space books, but this book had great appeal.
So many twists and turns! Just when you think you know what's going to happen, Babel changes the game. At times this was frustrating, but I also liked that the twists kept the book from being predictable.
So what didn't I like?
First, parts of the book seemed to drag. While I liked the competition, there were parts of the competition which seemed repetitive and unnecessary.
Second, the girls become exempt from the competition towards the end of the book. I hated this part of the book, and I never felt as though we got a great explanation for why the girls were no longer part of the competition. Maybe it'll be explained more in future books, but this development really pulled me out of the book.
Last, the whole file system "A for anger" etc. grated on my nerves. While it was explained in the book, I thought it was overused, and I had to keep from doing an eye roll each time Emmett "filed" something away.
Dislikes aside, I would still recommend this book and plan on reading the rest of the series as its released. The story and concept more than made up for the issues I had with it. Check it out!
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
Nyxia was a fun book! Overall I enjoyed it, but there were some things that grated on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. But first, the good things.
The character development in the story was good. There were a lot of characters in the book, but the author did a great job of introducing their stories, their quirks, and personalities. I enjoyed following Emmet's story and learning about his background and the theories as to why he was chosen for a spot with Babel. Through the story, I was able to get a pretty clear sense of who Emmet is as a person, which is always appreciated. This helped me to feel connected to Emmet throughout the book.
The story concept and plot is also fantastic. I loved the competition aspect of the book and the idea of mining a newly discovered element on Eden. I'm not huge into space books, but this book had great appeal.
So many twists and turns! Just when you think you know what's going to happen, Babel changes the game. At times this was frustrating, but I also liked that the twists kept the book from being predictable.
So what didn't I like?
First, parts of the book seemed to drag. While I liked the competition, there were parts of the competition which seemed repetitive and unnecessary.
Second, the girls become exempt from the competition towards the end of the book. I hated this part of the book, and I never felt as though we got a great explanation for why the girls were no longer part of the competition. Maybe it'll be explained more in future books, but this development really pulled me out of the book.
Last, the whole file system "A for anger" etc. grated on my nerves. While it was explained in the book, I thought it was overused, and I had to keep from doing an eye roll each time Emmett "filed" something away.
Dislikes aside, I would still recommend this book and plan on reading the rest of the series as its released. The story and concept more than made up for the issues I had with it. Check it out!
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
rockingreader's review
5.0
Teenagers competing in space for the opportunity of a lifetime. The folks calling the shots? Babel, a secretive, morally questionable, powerful corporation of course. Could Babel's ultimate goal not be what these kids *think* they signed up for? What more could one want from sci-fi YA?
greenlivingaudioworm's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Gaslighting, Murder, Blood, Death, Injury/injury detail, Medical trauma, and Violence
imzadirose's review
5.0
Received from NetGalley
Completed 8/31/18
384 page ebook
I love this book so much I have read it twice now. I'm glad I re-read it before I read the 2nd one. I remembered the broader strokes of the story but forgot all the little nuances like Fathom, how did I forget Fathom? I love this book. I only disliked one thing about this book (an insta-love that happened near the end), otherwise this book is pretty perfect.
The characters are real and flawed. They aren't perfect cookie cutters. They have their own personalities and are unique even for the ones you don't see that much of. Emmett is likable but isn't without a dark side. They all have been stomped on in life and are all fighting against each other for the opportunities given.
The first 70% of this book is 5 stars, easily. I'm NOT a fan of the direction that it took for the last 30. I'd be fine with it, if it weren't for the random romance part. But I didn't care for that. Other than that, love it all and can't wait for the 3rd book.
Recommend to science fiction fans and fans who like a competition type book. Quite enjoyable!
Setting = A
Plot = A+
Conflict = A
Characters = A+
Theme = A+
===============
Re-read before reading book 2 and I'm glad that I did. I remembered the broader strokes of the story but forgot all the little nuances like Fathom, how did I forget Fathom? I love this book. With the exception of the spoiler I mentioned before, this book is near perfect.
The characters are real and flawed. They aren't perfect cookie cutters. They have their own personalities and are unique even for the ones you don't see that much of. Emmett is likable but isn't without a dark side. They all have been stomped on in life and are all fighting against each other for the opportunities given.
The first 70% of this book is 5 stars, easily. I'm NOT a fan of the direct that it took for the last 30. I'd be fine with it, if it weren't for the spoiler-y part. But I didn't care for that. Other than that, love it all and look forward to getting into the next book.
4.5 stars, if I could, just for a. Other than that, quite enjoyable and I want the rest of the series now!
Completed 8/31/18
384 page ebook
I love this book so much I have read it twice now. I'm glad I re-read it before I read the 2nd one. I remembered the broader strokes of the story but forgot all the little nuances like Fathom, how did I forget Fathom? I love this book. I only disliked one thing about this book (an insta-love that happened near the end), otherwise this book is pretty perfect.
The characters are real and flawed. They aren't perfect cookie cutters. They have their own personalities and are unique even for the ones you don't see that much of. Emmett is likable but isn't without a dark side. They all have been stomped on in life and are all fighting against each other for the opportunities given.
The first 70% of this book is 5 stars, easily. I'm NOT a fan of the direction that it took for the last 30. I'd be fine with it, if it weren't for the random romance part. But I didn't care for that. Other than that, love it all and can't wait for the 3rd book.
Recommend to science fiction fans and fans who like a competition type book. Quite enjoyable!
Setting = A
Plot = A+
Conflict = A
Characters = A+
Theme = A+
===============
Re-read before reading book 2 and I'm glad that I did. I remembered the broader strokes of the story but forgot all the little nuances like Fathom, how did I forget Fathom? I love this book. With the exception of the spoiler I mentioned before, this book is near perfect.
The characters are real and flawed. They aren't perfect cookie cutters. They have their own personalities and are unique even for the ones you don't see that much of. Emmett is likable but isn't without a dark side. They all have been stomped on in life and are all fighting against each other for the opportunities given.
The first 70% of this book is 5 stars, easily. I'm NOT a fan of the direct that it took for the last 30. I'd be fine with it, if it weren't for the spoiler-y part. But I didn't care for that. Other than that, love it all and look forward to getting into the next book.
4.5 stars, if I could, just for a
Spoiler
stupid insta-love way too far into the book. Wasn't enjoyable, at all and don't look forward to it continuingtaratara44's review
3.0
I did enjoy this, I think it will be really popular in my classroom too now that I know what it is to start pushing it, it's got a Hunger Games/ Enders Game/ Avatar feel. I wish it had more of a ending that wasn't just, read the next one! I hate a cliff hanger, give me a first book that can stand alone
knihomolkazhavrasparu's review
2.0
Podobnost s Hunger games a Divergencí jsem viděla celkem hodně, ale nijak mi to nevadilo. Myslím, že největším problémem byla moje očekávání. Většina lidí tuhle knihu hodně chválilo a já jsem od ní očekávala hodně a to se nenaplnilo. Nesedl mi ani styl psaní. Celá kniha se táhla a nic mě nenutilo číst dál. V druhé polovině knihy se to zlepšilo, ale pořád mi tam něco chybělo.
Další z věcí, která mi vadila nebo jsem ji spíš nepochopila. Celý princip ovládání Nyxie. Prostě mi nedávalo smysl, že ji jen tak ovládají pomocí myšlenek. Kdyby ti vybraní měly nějaké čipy nebo nějakou genetickou vadu něco, co by je spojovalo (kromě toho, že ty peníze potřebují).
Na knize bylo i pár věcí, které se mi líbily. První z nich byl hlavní hrdina. Emmett byl sympatický a uměl přemýšlet. V knize byla i trocha romantiky. Nic přeslazeného, takže se toho nebojte.
Za mě je tahle kniha bohužel jedno velké ne.
Další z věcí, která mi vadila nebo jsem ji spíš nepochopila. Celý princip ovládání Nyxie. Prostě mi nedávalo smysl, že ji jen tak ovládají pomocí myšlenek. Kdyby ti vybraní měly nějaké čipy nebo nějakou genetickou vadu něco, co by je spojovalo (kromě toho, že ty peníze potřebují).
Na knize bylo i pár věcí, které se mi líbily. První z nich byl hlavní hrdina. Emmett byl sympatický a uměl přemýšlet. V knize byla i trocha romantiky. Nic přeslazeného, takže se toho nebojte.
Za mě je tahle kniha bohužel jedno velké ne.
jkropik06's review
5.0
5/5 Stars.
Reread #1: Just as good as the first time, if not better. Love the characters, love the story, love everything.
I don't even know how to process what I just read. I did not expect to love this book so much, but I did. It had so many twists, and I actually grew attached to the characters. I did receive this book for review, so expect a full review on my blog soon.
Reread #1: Just as good as the first time, if not better. Love the characters, love the story, love everything.
I don't even know how to process what I just read. I did not expect to love this book so much, but I did. It had so many twists, and I actually grew attached to the characters. I did receive this book for review, so expect a full review on my blog soon.
ramblingoutloud's review
3.0
It's more like 3.5 stars. I liked the book a lot, truly. It has some awesome ideas and the protagonist is a good blend of likable and flawed. But it feels like an "introduction" of some sort. Like it's leading us to somewhere that will be more action, more intrigue, more character development. Which it obviously does - to the next book - but well, it's my feelings, so I have a right to them and all that.
The Writing - I loved the way we only really heard Emmett's voice. He didn't often creepily guess what the others were thinking - the way some single POV books are written. He didn't know, didn't care when his head was in the game.
The Characters - A diverse set who we got to know on different levels. Some of them were very black-and-White, though.
The World - By barely scratching the Surface, I look forward to reading the second book, to learn more about the world they lived in and the world they traveled to. To learn more about Babel and all that.
/ Denise
The Writing - I loved the way we only really heard Emmett's voice. He didn't often creepily guess what the others were thinking - the way some single POV books are written. He didn't know, didn't care when his head was in the game.
The Characters - A diverse set who we got to know on different levels. Some of them were very black-and-White, though.
The World - By barely scratching the Surface, I look forward to reading the second book, to learn more about the world they lived in and the world they traveled to. To learn more about Babel and all that.
/ Denise
momwithareadingproblem's review
4.0
I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
I really, really wanted to like Nyxia by Scott Reintgen, but sadly it was not my favorite read this year. I have found that I love the scifi genre this year, especially those that fall into the space opera category. I set my expectations too high for this book. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. On the contrary I did enjoy some parts, other parts not so much.
Nyxia by Scott Reintgen is the first in a new series about a group of teens that are sent to an alien planet to mine an all-purpose mineral. Why send teens? Because the aliens are hostile towards adults but favor children. Seems sketchy? Yeah that’s because it is. As the book unfolds, more secrets are revealed and the less you like the company the teens are there to work for.
What I enjoyed
I really enjoyed [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775] vibe I got from the competition these teens are in. When they are first hired for the job, they don’t realize that they are competing for one of 8 spots to go down to the planet. If they are chosen, then these teens will be rich beyond measure. If not, they will still be rich, just not as rich. The competition itself is really a teaching tool so the teens will learn what they need to know about Nyxia (how to use it, mine it, etc) and the planet Eden. It’s high stakes, adventurous, and fast-paced. I caught myself holding my breath and cheering the characters on as they competed.
I liked Nyxia itself. The mineral is alien and foreign. It’s almost like it is symbiont, thinking and adapting to its environment. I loved what the teens learned about the mineral and how they learn to control it. Personally I wouldn’t mind to have my own stash of the mineral. It would definitely come in handy. There would be no need to buy appliances anymore if I could make my own with a thought.
The diversity!!! The ten teens were from all over the world. There were Africans, Americans, Japanese, a Swede, Brazilian, Middle Eastern…you get the picture. And with the exception of a couple of characters, the teens worked together towards a common goal. I liked this! I liked how their cultures were subtly added to the story rather than it being an info dump.
What I disliked
Nyxia….so as cool as this mineral is, it was hard to imagine it. In a way, nyxia became a scapegoat for the answers to all the questions the teens brought up. Why are they not experiencing zero gravity? Nyxia lines the space craft. How do teens from all over the world speak the same language? The masks they wear are infused with nyxia. How can they travel thousands of light years in a months? Nyxia. Do you see where I’m going with this? One of the reasons I love sci-fi is the blending of current science/technology with fictional technology that is believable.
Emmett. While he is the main character, I had a hard time liking him. Maybe it’s because he started off playing the race card right from the beginning of the book without knowing anything about the other characters except their skin color. I think this was done intentionally to show character growth and thankfully he does grow throughout the book, but it was hard to like a character that would see me and dislike me because we are different on the outside.
Slow pace. While the action (when it was happening) was fast-paced and exciting, the rest of the story dragged on. Maybe it was my own expectations that caused this but I struggled to finish the book. I kept waiting for answers to questions that Emmett and other characters would bring up about the aliens, the planet Eden, and why we wanted Nyxia. I struggled guys, really struggled and finished it with no answers and a lot of build up to essentially nothing.
My Conclusions
Overall while I enjoyed some aspects of Nyxia, others I struggled through. I think that this book is a good set-up to the series and maybe would have worked better for me if it was a shorter, prequel novella to the series rather than the first book. The sequel has a lot of work cut out for it in building the alien-world and fleshing out the characters more, specifically the insta-love that felt rushed in the last third of the book. If you enjoy sci-fi, maybe you’ll enjoy this one. It just wasn’t for me.
I really, really wanted to like Nyxia by Scott Reintgen, but sadly it was not my favorite read this year. I have found that I love the scifi genre this year, especially those that fall into the space opera category. I set my expectations too high for this book. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. On the contrary I did enjoy some parts, other parts not so much.
Nyxia by Scott Reintgen is the first in a new series about a group of teens that are sent to an alien planet to mine an all-purpose mineral. Why send teens? Because the aliens are hostile towards adults but favor children. Seems sketchy? Yeah that’s because it is. As the book unfolds, more secrets are revealed and the less you like the company the teens are there to work for.
What I enjoyed
I really enjoyed [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447303603s/2767052.jpg|2792775] vibe I got from the competition these teens are in. When they are first hired for the job, they don’t realize that they are competing for one of 8 spots to go down to the planet. If they are chosen, then these teens will be rich beyond measure. If not, they will still be rich, just not as rich. The competition itself is really a teaching tool so the teens will learn what they need to know about Nyxia (how to use it, mine it, etc) and the planet Eden. It’s high stakes, adventurous, and fast-paced. I caught myself holding my breath and cheering the characters on as they competed.
I liked Nyxia itself. The mineral is alien and foreign. It’s almost like it is symbiont, thinking and adapting to its environment. I loved what the teens learned about the mineral and how they learn to control it. Personally I wouldn’t mind to have my own stash of the mineral. It would definitely come in handy. There would be no need to buy appliances anymore if I could make my own with a thought.
The diversity!!! The ten teens were from all over the world. There were Africans, Americans, Japanese, a Swede, Brazilian, Middle Eastern…you get the picture. And with the exception of a couple of characters, the teens worked together towards a common goal. I liked this! I liked how their cultures were subtly added to the story rather than it being an info dump.
What I disliked
Nyxia….so as cool as this mineral is, it was hard to imagine it. In a way, nyxia became a scapegoat for the answers to all the questions the teens brought up. Why are they not experiencing zero gravity? Nyxia lines the space craft. How do teens from all over the world speak the same language? The masks they wear are infused with nyxia. How can they travel thousands of light years in a months? Nyxia. Do you see where I’m going with this? One of the reasons I love sci-fi is the blending of current science/technology with fictional technology that is believable.
Emmett. While he is the main character, I had a hard time liking him. Maybe it’s because he started off playing the race card right from the beginning of the book without knowing anything about the other characters except their skin color. I think this was done intentionally to show character growth and thankfully he does grow throughout the book, but it was hard to like a character that would see me and dislike me because we are different on the outside.
Slow pace. While the action (when it was happening) was fast-paced and exciting, the rest of the story dragged on. Maybe it was my own expectations that caused this but I struggled to finish the book. I kept waiting for answers to questions that Emmett and other characters would bring up about the aliens, the planet Eden, and why we wanted Nyxia. I struggled guys, really struggled and finished it with no answers and a lot of build up to essentially nothing.
My Conclusions
Overall while I enjoyed some aspects of Nyxia, others I struggled through. I think that this book is a good set-up to the series and maybe would have worked better for me if it was a shorter, prequel novella to the series rather than the first book. The sequel has a lot of work cut out for it in building the alien-world and fleshing out the characters more, specifically the insta-love that felt rushed in the last third of the book. If you enjoy sci-fi, maybe you’ll enjoy this one. It just wasn’t for me.