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atrailofpages's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So so so so goooooood!!!!
This story follows three people:
Skyla, who used to be a Captain, but left before graduating to become an admiral and has since been missing for three years. Until she gently crash lands at an outpost.
Hinata, a captain who has been in exile at an outpost for the last three years per his mother’s demand due to failing the admiral exam. His outpost is the lucky outpost where Skyla crashes 😏
Freyja, who has now become admiral, but is tasked by the Empress to take on secret missions while also being an admiral for the galaxy’s government, and is trying to understand what the Empress’ endgame is.
I’ve been wanting to read scifi more often, and when it’s also a slow burn romance, sign me up!
This was such a fun read! This definitely reminded me of Red Rising, especially with the epic battle scene that occurs in here. The way this book is written, I felt like I was there experiencing what the characters were experiencing.
The world seems vast, and I’m hoping we get more detail as the series progresses, but what I’ve read so far makes it unique and I’m curious to know more about the tribes, and how things are run. We get glimpses, but this first book I think focused mainly on introducing our main protagonists and their stories.
There’s also definitely something more going on as the story progresses and you’re trying to figure that out while also not getting distracted by the characters and their stories 😂 And the action in here is top notch!
We really get to know the main characters in this first book. Skyla is the fierce ex-captain who has a very close relationship with her sentient ship and she’s the sunshine to Hinata’s grumpiness 😂
Hinata was my favorite. I always love the broody grumpy male MCs, and he was definitely that, especially with his stoicism and refusal to break rules….except when it comes to a certain captain 😏
Freyja, I was frustrated with at first. She’s ambitious and has QUITE the temper, and I admit, I wasn’t a fan of her at first, but as you get to know her, her past and her plight, you come to understand her position and can’t help but root for her and hope things go well for her.
Now, the romance. I’m always a sucker for a good slow burn, tension-filled romance, and this one delivered. The entire time you’re just wondering “will they, won’t they”, and it drove me nuts! It’s so worth the wait, until it’s ripped away from you again 😂 Let’s just say I can hardly wait for the next book!
Oh! And another unique thing about this series are the sentient ships! I loved the idea of connecting with a ship like that! They could be sassy, and show emotion, even though they’re AI, but they develop emotion the longer they’re connected with their human. It’s just a lovely and unique aspect of this world!
If you need a scifi with a lovely slow burn romance, you should definitely check this one out!
I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This story follows three people:
Skyla, who used to be a Captain, but left before graduating to become an admiral and has since been missing for three years. Until she gently crash lands at an outpost.
Hinata, a captain who has been in exile at an outpost for the last three years per his mother’s demand due to failing the admiral exam. His outpost is the lucky outpost where Skyla crashes 😏
Freyja, who has now become admiral, but is tasked by the Empress to take on secret missions while also being an admiral for the galaxy’s government, and is trying to understand what the Empress’ endgame is.
I’ve been wanting to read scifi more often, and when it’s also a slow burn romance, sign me up!
This was such a fun read! This definitely reminded me of Red Rising, especially with the epic battle scene that occurs in here. The way this book is written, I felt like I was there experiencing what the characters were experiencing.
The world seems vast, and I’m hoping we get more detail as the series progresses, but what I’ve read so far makes it unique and I’m curious to know more about the tribes, and how things are run. We get glimpses, but this first book I think focused mainly on introducing our main protagonists and their stories.
There’s also definitely something more going on as the story progresses and you’re trying to figure that out while also not getting distracted by the characters and their stories 😂 And the action in here is top notch!
We really get to know the main characters in this first book. Skyla is the fierce ex-captain who has a very close relationship with her sentient ship and she’s the sunshine to Hinata’s grumpiness 😂
Hinata was my favorite. I always love the broody grumpy male MCs, and he was definitely that, especially with his stoicism and refusal to break rules….except when it comes to a certain captain 😏
Freyja, I was frustrated with at first. She’s ambitious and has QUITE the temper, and I admit, I wasn’t a fan of her at first, but as you get to know her, her past and her plight, you come to understand her position and can’t help but root for her and hope things go well for her.
Now, the romance. I’m always a sucker for a good slow burn, tension-filled romance, and this one delivered. The entire time you’re just wondering “will they, won’t they”, and it drove me nuts! It’s so worth the wait, until it’s ripped away from you again 😂 Let’s just say I can hardly wait for the next book!
Oh! And another unique thing about this series are the sentient ships! I loved the idea of connecting with a ship like that! They could be sassy, and show emotion, even though they’re AI, but they develop emotion the longer they’re connected with their human. It’s just a lovely and unique aspect of this world!
If you need a scifi with a lovely slow burn romance, you should definitely check this one out!
I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
teaand_tomes's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
Thank you author Amber Toro for the ARC of this book! It reminded me why I love sci-fi!
A compelling science fiction novel with elements reminiscent of The Expanse, Battlestar Galatica, and Star Wars. The story features political intrigue, human expansion in space, sentient starships, and engaging battle scenes. The evolving relationship between characters Skyla and Hinata, and the intriguing backstory of Freyja, add depth to the narrative. The book has rekindled my passion for the science fiction genre, and I’m highly anticipating future works from Amber Toro.
A compelling science fiction novel with elements reminiscent of The Expanse, Battlestar Galatica, and Star Wars. The story features political intrigue, human expansion in space, sentient starships, and engaging battle scenes. The evolving relationship between characters Skyla and Hinata, and the intriguing backstory of Freyja, add depth to the narrative. The book has rekindled my passion for the science fiction genre, and I’m highly anticipating future works from Amber Toro.
livin4hymn's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This debut from Amber Toro is one that I’ve been looking forward to since I first saw a post about it on instagram. The sentient AI starships drew me in but it’s the slow burn romance and the convergence of the characters’ individual journeys as they try to figure out the origin of a mysterious signal, the plans of the self-proclaimed empress and prevent a war from breaking out among the United Tribal Axis that kept me reading wanting to know more.
frelle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is a phenomenal scifi action adventure romance, and reminded me of the Star Wars universe and Firefly and Farscape television series especially.
Skyla is a former Navy captain who left the military and works on her own the way she likes it. She’s been hurt and double crossed for years and prefers her nomadic and isolated lifestyle because her ship is both her home and her best friend. Her story brings her very unexpectedly to Hinata’s outer rim base and with a new life form to boot. Her scenes are my favorite and I loved her from the start. She’s a badass and has such heart and passion.
Hinata is a Navy commander stationed on the outer rim, and even though he is far removed situationally from much of the military, he still very much a stickler for procedure and respect. He carries a burden of feeling like he has brought shame on his tribe when he lost the admiralty to Freyja, and he has also experienced a tragic personal loss. He had been steady and stable while rather isolated out on the base, but Skyla shows up and absolute chaos follows. At the time he really struggles, but it pulls him out of his comfort zone and his character development is wonderful.
Freyja was in the Navy with both Skyla and Hinata, and defeated both in her forced ascent to admiral, courtesy of her mother the Empress’s directives. She is not as cold or unfeeling as she might first seem, and her loyal berserkers are her family. Her character arc is complex and I really enjoyed learning more about the woman behind the rank.
This is an entire galactic universe of world building with complex family and interpersonal dynamics, starship battles, unique and vibrant side characters, a truly slow burn enemies to lovers, and twists and layers that keep you intrigued and theorizing even after you step away from the book. A fantastic story that I’d recommend to anyone, but especially to sci-fi fans. New to the genre? I recommend it for all the right reasons: slow burn romance, adventure, depth, scope, political intrigue, and found family!
rjlavender's review against another edition
5.0
Umbra by Amber Toro is a multi-POV space opera with a slow burn romance. I am absolutely thrilled by this book! It feels like a classic sci-fi with competing political parties and cool new technologies! I enjoyed all three POVs and the journey the characters went on to reach a conclusion that was equal parts satisfying and a cliffhanger 😆
5/5 for the world, the sci-fi, the characters, and the cover! I would recommend picking this up ASAP! The book will be available April 24th! I cannot wait for the next book and how everything is setup for an exciting series!
5/5 for the world, the sci-fi, the characters, and the cover! I would recommend picking this up ASAP! The book will be available April 24th! I cannot wait for the next book and how everything is setup for an exciting series!
fictionandfarming's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, and Murder
Minor: War
ruth_cantu_writes's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Perfection! The banter, the action, the friendships--all of it came together in a seamless story!
From the very beginning I was hooked. Toro's writing plays out beautifully with her descriptions and characterization. The story flowed from fast paced action to internal reflection, never slowing in pace. Each character was given the chance to grow and find their place in this complex world.
I can't decide which character is my favorite. From the stern Hinata to the reckless Skyla to the mouthy sentient ship Pele--they all had my heart! Each of them jumped off the page and I can't wait to see what's in store for them in book two.
After that cliffhanger, I'll be eagerly awaiting book two!!
From the very beginning I was hooked. Toro's writing plays out beautifully with her descriptions and characterization. The story flowed from fast paced action to internal reflection, never slowing in pace. Each character was given the chance to grow and find their place in this complex world.
I can't decide which character is my favorite. From the stern Hinata to the reckless Skyla to the mouthy sentient ship Pele--they all had my heart! Each of them jumped off the page and I can't wait to see what's in store for them in book two.
After that cliffhanger, I'll be eagerly awaiting book two!!
arminareads's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
✨️𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 ✨️
I want to thank the author for the opportunity to be part of the ARC team, and get to read an advance reading copy of her debut novel, 𝑼𝒎𝒃𝒓𝒂.
This was such an enjoyable, refreshing sci-fi story. It gripped me from the first page and kept me interested throughout the entire book. The story is told from 3 character's POVs, it is paced well, it reads easy and does not lose you in the technical and scientific descriptions. It's packed with action and I was there for the next chapter, and the next and the next. The characters are also great and well written. I love how you get to know them, with their quirks and interests, desires and dreams.
Everything was playing in my head like a movie, that's why I had so much fun reading this story.
I was very hyped for this book and it did not disappoint. So mark your calendars, because the book releases on 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟰th and you'll want to read it. I'm excited that this will be a series.
I want to thank the author for the opportunity to be part of the ARC team, and get to read an advance reading copy of her debut novel, 𝑼𝒎𝒃𝒓𝒂.
This was such an enjoyable, refreshing sci-fi story. It gripped me from the first page and kept me interested throughout the entire book. The story is told from 3 character's POVs, it is paced well, it reads easy and does not lose you in the technical and scientific descriptions. It's packed with action and I was there for the next chapter, and the next and the next. The characters are also great and well written. I love how you get to know them, with their quirks and interests, desires and dreams.
Everything was playing in my head like a movie, that's why I had so much fun reading this story.
I was very hyped for this book and it did not disappoint. So mark your calendars, because the book releases on 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟰th and you'll want to read it. I'm excited that this will be a series.
addicted11090713's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0