Scan barcode
justmegan's review against another edition
I think if the author would’ve made the main character a little more likable, I would have been more interested. I get that he was a more realistic character, but I wasn’t really rooting for him.
layla_helena's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
bookpanther's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.5 stars
A lot of people describe Scott Reintgen's Nyxia as Hunger Games in space, which is somewhat accurate. This book does have the survival-of-the-fitness competition element full of drama, betrayal, and revenge, but doesn't really deliver on the "space" element.
Nyxia was a little difficult for me to rate. There's an excellent set of characters that are genuinely diverse and realistic. The MC, Emmett, is also multi-faceted and morally gray, which I usually love. However, it took me about 50% of the way in to become even somewhat invested in the story. I think a large part of it had to do with my difficulty truly connecting with the characters in the beginning, especially with Emmett (who was kind of an asshole lol). The second half is where more twists come into play (some quite predictable and some interesting) as well as a little more development for the characters.
Overall, I thought Nyxia was very easy to read through but it didn't exactly compel me to pick it back up once I put it down. It's also very much an introductory book, and I get the feeling the meatier character development that I want will happen starting with the next one.
A lot of people describe Scott Reintgen's Nyxia as Hunger Games in space, which is somewhat accurate. This book does have the survival-of-the-fitness competition element full of drama, betrayal, and revenge, but doesn't really deliver on the "space" element.
Nyxia was a little difficult for me to rate. There's an excellent set of characters that are genuinely diverse and realistic. The MC, Emmett, is also multi-faceted and morally gray, which I usually love. However, it took me about 50% of the way in to become even somewhat invested in the story. I think a large part of it had to do with my difficulty truly connecting with the characters in the beginning, especially with Emmett (who was kind of an asshole lol). The second half is where more twists come into play (some quite predictable and some interesting) as well as a little more development for the characters.
Overall, I thought Nyxia was very easy to read through but it didn't exactly compel me to pick it back up once I put it down. It's also very much an introductory book, and I get the feeling the meatier character development that I want will happen starting with the next one.
sherwoodreads's review against another edition
I opened this ARC yesterday to glance at it (I have other books going) and absolutely fell into it. And a debut? What a stunning book!
I was going to avoid it, as I am tired of teenage gladiatorial books with sloppy worldbuilding that only exists to throw the teens into a pit to fight themselves bloody (between swooning and angsting over their Lurve Triangle) but I stumbled on a reference to there being only one white character in this book, and I had to read it.
I am so glad I did. Make no mistake, the tension-line is at maximum overdrive, because the competition is there, hoo boy is it there. But Reintgen has put together a fascinating world that promises all kinds of layers behind the mega corporation Babel, who funds this trip to a new planet called Eden, where a mysterious substance called nyxia is being mined. But it's being controlled by indigenous people who slaughtered the adults and protected the children in the initial exploration party.
So many interesting questions lie outside, to be answered in subsequent volumes, meanwhile this one concerns Emmet, a black kid from Detroit, trying to find his place among the other nine teens on their ship: while they travel to Eden, the ten embark on a super intense training regimen that is meant to eliminate two from the ten.
What I found exceptionally good was how Emmet struggles not only to be the best, but to define what that best is. He's all the conflicts of human nature wrapped up in one complex kid: his parents, he knows, define the best as being a good man, not merely a physically strong or lethal one. And it is not clear that the adults training and watching over these kids want the same thing.
Reintgen does a terrific job with the female characters. They are complex, fascinating, frightening, wonderful. All the characters are distinct, and watching how they develop is as absorbing as the steadily heightening threats of the training.
The writing is so much better than that in the usual run of YA gladiatorial novels--taut, vivid, intelligent, insightful, heartbreaking as well as exhilarating, and only *one spelling mistake* (free reign instead of free rein) and no grammar oopses. Rare!
Meanwhile there's the nyxia itself. What is that stuff?
I look forward to finding out; meantime this is one of my best reads of the year so far.
Copy provided by NetGalley
I was going to avoid it, as I am tired of teenage gladiatorial books with sloppy worldbuilding that only exists to throw the teens into a pit to fight themselves bloody (between swooning and angsting over their Lurve Triangle) but I stumbled on a reference to there being only one white character in this book, and I had to read it.
I am so glad I did. Make no mistake, the tension-line is at maximum overdrive, because the competition is there, hoo boy is it there. But Reintgen has put together a fascinating world that promises all kinds of layers behind the mega corporation Babel, who funds this trip to a new planet called Eden, where a mysterious substance called nyxia is being mined. But it's being controlled by indigenous people who slaughtered the adults and protected the children in the initial exploration party.
So many interesting questions lie outside, to be answered in subsequent volumes, meanwhile this one concerns Emmet, a black kid from Detroit, trying to find his place among the other nine teens on their ship: while they travel to Eden, the ten embark on a super intense training regimen that is meant to eliminate two from the ten.
What I found exceptionally good was how Emmet struggles not only to be the best, but to define what that best is. He's all the conflicts of human nature wrapped up in one complex kid: his parents, he knows, define the best as being a good man, not merely a physically strong or lethal one. And it is not clear that the adults training and watching over these kids want the same thing.
Reintgen does a terrific job with the female characters. They are complex, fascinating, frightening, wonderful. All the characters are distinct, and watching how they develop is as absorbing as the steadily heightening threats of the training.
The writing is so much better than that in the usual run of YA gladiatorial novels--taut, vivid, intelligent, insightful, heartbreaking as well as exhilarating, and only *one spelling mistake* (free reign instead of free rein) and no grammar oopses. Rare!
Meanwhile there's the nyxia itself. What is that stuff?
I look forward to finding out; meantime this is one of my best reads of the year so far.
Copy provided by NetGalley
jaeru33's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
periwinkleocean's review against another edition
4.5
I read this book about two years ago and it's so familiar. This is one of my favorite book series and just generally evokes so many feelings. There's so many general character dynamics that I love and the found family is so there and I'm so here for it.
izwolf17's review against another edition
4.0
Liked the writing style, you could definitely tell the characters apart. Twists are impactful and you can really get the growing of “something is wrong”. Felt the switch of the main character’s attention being from his best friend/sister from another mister/I don’t remember names/the girl he’s partnered with to his love interest slightly jarring. Not sure if it’s from the quick pacing (which I liked) or just the fact that it goes from one girl to the next that gave me a bad vibe even though I loved the no romantic relationship between the main character and the first girl. Relationships in general are great and I like how the teens each had differing perspectives, opinions, and personalities. Plus the small fight scenes that could quiet well lead to death an anything related to the main character’s rival well done and a good setup for the following book.
rmr172's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.25
sohare1981's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, and Blood