The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
a_manning11's review against another edition
5.0
What a great sequel to "The Pearl Wars". This is another novel I could not put down. The combination of science fiction and dystopia is flawless, and the characters are very well developed. The book is somewhat 'darker' than the previous one, but still an exciting, page-turning read.
The story-telling of this series is truly exceptional and I cannot wait for future books by this author. Until then, I may just re-read this one.
The story-telling of this series is truly exceptional and I cannot wait for future books by this author. Until then, I may just re-read this one.
adrienneambo's review against another edition
3.0
Readers of Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars will not be disappointed in this second entry of a planned trilogy. A perfect blend of the popular dystopian genre and science fiction; Skyship Academy: Crimson Rising allows readers to continue the story of the mysterious extraterrestrial green pearls used to power a post-apocalyptic Earth that has been ravaged by environmental decay and chemical attacks. In alternating chapters, duo protagonists and newly united brothers, Jesse and Cassius struggle to understand their role in the twisted mystery surrounding the falling green pearls which are essential for human survival on Earth.
Although, the brothers have very different personalities, Jesse and Cassius have been used as pawns in the battle for dominance over the pearls. Readers who enjoy brutal action scenes and survival situations will find immense reading pleasure in this ongoing science fiction thriller. James creates characters that readers want to route for in the fight against malevolent forces. Not only do the brothers have to struggle earthbound enemies, they also must face the arrival of ominous red pearls which harbor evil alien forces. Readers will want to have read the first book in the trilogy, Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars to have a grasp of the political complexities and characters introduced to thoroughly enjoy this second title. Teens who enjoyed the Paolo Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker should be directed to this series for a recommended read.
Although, the brothers have very different personalities, Jesse and Cassius have been used as pawns in the battle for dominance over the pearls. Readers who enjoy brutal action scenes and survival situations will find immense reading pleasure in this ongoing science fiction thriller. James creates characters that readers want to route for in the fight against malevolent forces. Not only do the brothers have to struggle earthbound enemies, they also must face the arrival of ominous red pearls which harbor evil alien forces. Readers will want to have read the first book in the trilogy, Skyship Academy: The Pearl Wars to have a grasp of the political complexities and characters introduced to thoroughly enjoy this second title. Teens who enjoyed the Paolo Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker should be directed to this series for a recommended read.
eviebookish's review against another edition
5.0
Crimson Rising totally awed me! It's a furiously fast-paced blend of action and science fiction set against a well-developed post-apocalyptic backdrop. A fantastic, intensely readable sequel to one of my favorite books of 2011!
Cassius is on the run. After he betrayed Madam and destroyed a government building, he was forced to escape to Canada's Polar Cities. His plan was to lie low, stay out of the radar of the Unified Party and learn how to control his newly awakened power. Ever since he ran into Jesse four months ago, his power has been growing, flames burning inside him, putting Cassius and everyone around him in a great danger.
Their chance meeting triggered Jesse's power, too. A different kind of power, one that allows him to break Pearls. Since the Scarlet Bombings, the entire world has been relying on Pearls for energy. No one knew where they came from or why they kept falling from the sky. And as long as they helped power the Bio-Nets, Chosen Cities and Skypships, they didn't care. It wasn't until Jesse broke the first Pearl, that they realized what they held inside.
And that's when they discovered the truth about their origin, mission and destiny. They're not only brothers, they're also the first Drifters to land on Earth. They're mission was to break the Pearls, freeing others of their kind - including their parents, founders of Haven's Resistance - and prepare for what's to come. An invasion that would lead to complete annihilation of the human race.
I absolutely loved the first book in Nick Jame's Skyship Academy series, The Pearl Wars. It was such a great, well thought-out, breath taking roller coaster of a book, my mind was literally blown to pieces. And guess what?! Crimson Rising is even better! The non-stop action is dizzying at times, but so, SO good! I was glued to this book. The 360 pages flew by in a blink of an eye!
The worldbuiling and character development is very impressive. Throughout the book, we learn so many things about the world, the history and the characters! The Pearl Wars left me wondering about some of the aspects of the story. I wanted to learn more about Pearls and the Drifters inside of them, the planet they were coming from and why they decided to leave and come to Earth. I also wanted to learn more about Cassius, Jesse and Avery. Thankfully, Crimson Rising provides some really good answers, expanding the world and exploring the history of both Earth and Haven (for example, we learn more about the Scarlet Bombings mentioned in the first book!). In fact, I was amazed at how neatly everything came together.
I really enjoyed the alternating POVs in the Crimson Rising. Jesse's POV is in the first-person, while Cassius' is in the third, and that seems to work really well for the story. Initially, I thought I'd probably enjoy this book even more if both of them were in first-person, but I must say I don't think so any more. Jesse is the lead character and, while Cassius is very important and essential to the story, it's Jesse's thoughts and feelings that take the front seat. I did, however, really enjoy all the insights into Cassius' psyche. He seemed to have a hard time accepting the fact that his brother's power is to "give life" by breaking Pearls and freeing the Drifters, while his own is more of a destructive one.
The ending is explosive. Nick James sure knows how to end on a totally epic note! The final scenes are beautifully executed, full of pathos and cathartic feelings. My heart was pounding fast, I was scared, but also hopeful and proud of Jesse and Cassius! The pep talk Avery gives Jesse in one of the final chapters is phenomenal. I couldn't help but to feel excited and pumped-up myself. The passion in the delivery of the closing lines is insane. I had goosebumps all over! I am dying to read the final book in the series and find out how this epic story ends!
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also posted at:
Cassius is on the run. After he betrayed Madam and destroyed a government building, he was forced to escape to Canada's Polar Cities. His plan was to lie low, stay out of the radar of the Unified Party and learn how to control his newly awakened power. Ever since he ran into Jesse four months ago, his power has been growing, flames burning inside him, putting Cassius and everyone around him in a great danger.
Their chance meeting triggered Jesse's power, too. A different kind of power, one that allows him to break Pearls. Since the Scarlet Bombings, the entire world has been relying on Pearls for energy. No one knew where they came from or why they kept falling from the sky. And as long as they helped power the Bio-Nets, Chosen Cities and Skypships, they didn't care. It wasn't until Jesse broke the first Pearl, that they realized what they held inside.
And that's when they discovered the truth about their origin, mission and destiny. They're not only brothers, they're also the first Drifters to land on Earth. They're mission was to break the Pearls, freeing others of their kind - including their parents, founders of Haven's Resistance - and prepare for what's to come. An invasion that would lead to complete annihilation of the human race.
I absolutely loved the first book in Nick Jame's Skyship Academy series, The Pearl Wars. It was such a great, well thought-out, breath taking roller coaster of a book, my mind was literally blown to pieces. And guess what?! Crimson Rising is even better! The non-stop action is dizzying at times, but so, SO good! I was glued to this book. The 360 pages flew by in a blink of an eye!
The worldbuiling and character development is very impressive. Throughout the book, we learn so many things about the world, the history and the characters! The Pearl Wars left me wondering about some of the aspects of the story. I wanted to learn more about Pearls and the Drifters inside of them, the planet they were coming from and why they decided to leave and come to Earth. I also wanted to learn more about Cassius, Jesse and Avery. Thankfully, Crimson Rising provides some really good answers, expanding the world and exploring the history of both Earth and Haven (for example, we learn more about the Scarlet Bombings mentioned in the first book!). In fact, I was amazed at how neatly everything came together.
I really enjoyed the alternating POVs in the Crimson Rising. Jesse's POV is in the first-person, while Cassius' is in the third, and that seems to work really well for the story. Initially, I thought I'd probably enjoy this book even more if both of them were in first-person, but I must say I don't think so any more. Jesse is the lead character and, while Cassius is very important and essential to the story, it's Jesse's thoughts and feelings that take the front seat. I did, however, really enjoy all the insights into Cassius' psyche. He seemed to have a hard time accepting the fact that his brother's power is to "give life" by breaking Pearls and freeing the Drifters, while his own is more of a destructive one.
The ending is explosive. Nick James sure knows how to end on a totally epic note! The final scenes are beautifully executed, full of pathos and cathartic feelings. My heart was pounding fast, I was scared, but also hopeful and proud of Jesse and Cassius! The pep talk Avery gives Jesse in one of the final chapters is phenomenal. I couldn't help but to feel excited and pumped-up myself. The passion in the delivery of the closing lines is insane. I had goosebumps all over! I am dying to read the final book in the series and find out how this epic story ends!
__
also posted at:
fenny_42's review against another edition
5.0
After the showdown in Seattle at the end of Pearl Wars, Jesse Fisher and Cassius Stevenson realize there is a lot they have yet to uncover about their home planet and family. The Skyship Academy is now basically holding Jesse prisoner, assigning him an older-brother-type gaurd and sentencing him to what basically amounts to a time out. Cassius is now on the run — from his original home of the Unified Party, and also from his original enemies, the Academy itself.
This story jumped straight into the action, similar to the first novel. Jesse, the Pearlbreaker, finds a new red pearl that he is unable to break, or even touch. A new character is brought into the mix — Theo — a young child who is incredibly dangerous and has an even more deadly secret (that I won’t spoil). Along with Theo, Jesse and Cassius have to deal with enemy aliens who are trying to exterminate humanity and take over the planet. They are, what some might call, in over their heads.
Crimson Rising was incredibly fast-paced. The action is well-done and interesting, and even stepped up a notch from The Pearl Wars. Though it had been a few months since I read the first one, the narrative did a great job at bringing me right back into the world of the characters. I loved every bit of Avery and Jesse’s interactions; Cassius, on the other hand… I will say I liked his parts — he is a fugitive on the run from the domineering woman he thought was his mother! However, while I feel Jesse was definitely the main character of the story, I wish I would have gotten more of Cassius’s side.
I would have to recommend reading the The Pearl Wars first, for obvious reasons, and because it was a great start to an intriguing world. Crimson Rising made me want to invest even more time into the world that Nick James created. Learning about the aliens’ home planet and the manipulations of a fascinating and dangerous element, Ridium, satisfied my inner sci-fi desires. If you enjoy sci-fi or post apocalyptic worlds, I would absolutely recommend this incredibly fast paced action novel.
This story jumped straight into the action, similar to the first novel. Jesse, the Pearlbreaker, finds a new red pearl that he is unable to break, or even touch. A new character is brought into the mix — Theo — a young child who is incredibly dangerous and has an even more deadly secret (that I won’t spoil). Along with Theo, Jesse and Cassius have to deal with enemy aliens who are trying to exterminate humanity and take over the planet. They are, what some might call, in over their heads.
Crimson Rising was incredibly fast-paced. The action is well-done and interesting, and even stepped up a notch from The Pearl Wars. Though it had been a few months since I read the first one, the narrative did a great job at bringing me right back into the world of the characters. I loved every bit of Avery and Jesse’s interactions; Cassius, on the other hand… I will say I liked his parts — he is a fugitive on the run from the domineering woman he thought was his mother! However, while I feel Jesse was definitely the main character of the story, I wish I would have gotten more of Cassius’s side.
I would have to recommend reading the The Pearl Wars first, for obvious reasons, and because it was a great start to an intriguing world. Crimson Rising made me want to invest even more time into the world that Nick James created. Learning about the aliens’ home planet and the manipulations of a fascinating and dangerous element, Ridium, satisfied my inner sci-fi desires. If you enjoy sci-fi or post apocalyptic worlds, I would absolutely recommend this incredibly fast paced action novel.
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