A Review for Flame (Sky Chasers #3) by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Posted by Donna
Release Date: January 16th, 2014
Finished Date: January 18th, 2014

Publishers: Macmillian UK
Genre: YA, Sci-fi
Source: For Review

Format: Paperback
Pages: 336

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

In the thrilling conclusion to the Sky Chasers series Waverly, Kieran, and Seth struggle to survive on-board the New Horizon—and take down their enemies before it's too late.

Waverly and the other members of the Empyrean have scattered, and their home ship has been destroyed. Their mission to rescue their parents didn't go as planned, and now they're at an even greater disadvantage: trapped with their enemies on the New Horizon, trying to find a way to survive. Kieran has been pulled under Anne Mather’s wing, but is she really trying to make peace, or just using Kieran to build her own power? Meanwhile, Waverly is taken in by a mysterious old man who wants to help her bring Anne Mather down—but the more Waverly cooperates with him, the more dangerous her position is, and the more at odds with Kieran she becomes.

Seth's situation is even worse. After setting out from the Empyrean on his own, with only a vague strategy to guide him, he is a fugitive aboard the New Horizon. He's doing what he can to challenge the power of Anne Mather, but he's badly hurt, and getting sicker.

Will Seth ever see Waverly again? Will his health hold out long enough to help her topple their enemies? And will Waverly find a way to unite with her friends before they all fall? Nothing is sure and every moment is a risk in this explosive finale of the Sky Chasers series.

The Review: Flame is the highly anticipated finale to Amy Kathleen Ryan's explosive Sky Chasers series, and this time we see Waverly, Kieran and Seth trying to take down their enemies aboard the New Horizon in completely different ways. With Anne Mathers trying to organize peace on board, things don't exactly smooth when the people of the Empyrean find it hard to forget. They've lost so much - their home, their friends and their families and starting over on the New Horizon with people that rule with an iron fist, is not what they had in mind. Can Waverly, Kieran and Seth help their people get back all that they lost - or will they forever be under the rule of Anne Mathers? 

As soon as I started Flame, everything I adore about Amy Kathleen Ryan's writing came flooding back to me. From the very first page of this series, I've been completely at Amy's mercy because of her addictive storyline and with each book she's wrote it's been even better than the last, so Flame certainly didn't disappoint. I'm always worried when I head into a final book to a series because you just never know what to expect, and with Amy throwing in so many shocking twists, in all, it was a fantastic conclusion. 

I've always been a fan of Waverly's and this time around, she was just as good. She's clearly had a rougher time because she couldn't see anyway out of the mess her and her friends were in, and the fact that she felt so alone didn't help either. I think she's a very strong character, one that always tries to do the right thing, even though the right thing was not done to her. Her connection with Seth is as strong as ever and I was glad the story didn't focus on the love triangle - if anything, there isn't one any more. All three players - Waverly, Kieran and Seth all know what they want, and I was glad there was a happy ending for all. Seth and Kieran, by the end, I loved both of them. In the first two books I was on one team and then another, but like I said before, I'm glad Flame was more about the plot and not the romance. 

There are many players in the plot of this book, it's exciting to unravel whose really the 'good' person and who deserves to be the leader the most. Old faces pop up and new faces, and the whole story is a really driven plot. It's full of suspense and quiet emotional in parts. So as you can see, there's nothing that I didn't like about this story, there's nothing not to like. I think what stood out for me was the ending. I believe Amy really took the time to deliver an ending that would be unforgettable and do her readers proud, one that if I'm honest shocked me - but in such a good way. I honestly never would have thought about ending it the way she did, but I loved the idea and what she did for the characters was fantastic. 

I'm glad I decided to pick up the Sky Chasers series because it's one of my favourite science fiction series and I honestly don't have many, because I don't read much of the genre. But Amy has created a great series and I'm exciting to see what she writes next! 

A Review for Spark (Sky Chasers #2) by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Posted by Donna

Expected Release Date: August 2nd, 2012

Finished Date: August 3rd, 2012

Publishers: Macmilliam

Source: For Review

Format: Paperback

Pages: 375
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Waverly and Kieran are finally reunited on the Empyrean. Kieran has led the boys safely up to this point, and now that the girls are back, their mission seems slightly less impossible: to chase down the New Horizon, and save their parents from the enemy ship. But nothing is truly as it seems…Kieran’s leadership methods have raised Seth’s hackles— and Waverly’s suspicions. Is this really her fiancé? The handsome, loving boy she was torn from just a short time before? More and more, she finds her thoughts aligned with Seth’s. But if Seth is Kieran’s Enemy No. 1, what does that make her? 
In one night, a strange explosion rocks the Empyrean—shooting them off course and delaying their pursuit of the New Horizon—and Seth is mysteriously released from the brig. Seth is the most obvious suspect for the explosion, and Waverly the most obvious suspect for releasing him. As the tension reaches a boiling point, will Seth be able to find the true culprit before Kieran locks them both away—or worse? Will Waverly follow her heart, even if it puts lives at risk? With the balance of power precarious and the clock ticking, every decision counts… every step brings them closer to a new beginning, or a sudden end...

The Review: Spark....I'll put it plain and simple - I LOVED IT! I don't know how Amy Kathleen Ryan does it, I can remember reading Glow when it was first released, and while reading it, I was a bundle of nerves. Amy has a way words that sets you're whole body on fire  and Spark is nothing short of amazing. 

After the shocking events in Glow, the Empyrean are trying to move on with their lives and get things back to as normal as possible. However, with the New Horizon far from everyone's minds, the goal is to chase it down and save everyone's. Meanwhile, Seth escapes from the brig and someone on board is killing people, it's becoming more and more dangerous on board. And not only that Waverly drifts further apart from Kieran and closer to Seth. But the big questions are can they find the killer in time? And can they rescue their parents? 

Spark is a pulse-quickening, dangerous, and heart-breaking read which makes this a fantastic sequel in my book. I'm amazed and astonished by how unpredictable this story is and everything I loved about Glow is turned upside down - but definitely for the better. There's definitely some jaw-dropping moments and I can't believe how my feelings have changed. The people I once loved, I now hate and the people that I hated, I now love. Yes, I'm talking about Kieran and Seth. I was reading my review for Glow and I can't believe what I wrote;

"Kieran is down to earth and he’d be the first to tell you, he doesn’t know where to start on running the ship. Yes, he makes mistakes but who doesn’t. I love his integrity and how he always manages to have hope and I really love his and Waverly’s relationship because it  felt very real to me.

But then, there’s Seth. I’m honestly still not sure how I feel about him as a character. I did like him to start with but then he becomes a monster on board the Empyrean and I really started to hate him. I know the story slowly points to a love triangle but I really hope he and Waverly don’t get together. I just can’t see them as a couple, maybe if Seth redeems himself in the next two books, then I may change my mind, but for the moment, it’s a no go for me." - wrote October 6th, 2011

Well let me tell you, it's official, I'm a hypocrite! LOL. I so want Waverly and Seth to be together! After reading Spark, I see their relationship in a whole new light. They have a connection that's deeper and stronger than what Waverly has with Kieran and because Glow was mainly focused on Keiran and Waverly's relationship, we don't see how deep Seth's is. Kieran changes and becomes a person I hardly recognised. He's mean and cold hearted to Waverly and he's just not a lovable guy this time around. Now Seth, ummm....Seth, just becomes a lovable character. He realises his mistakes and tries to help as much as he can even when he's on the run. And getting inside his head this time around was just amazing. We get to really see how he feels for Waverly and it's very touching and so very sweet. 

"She looked so determined, so strong, he wanted to kiss her. He thought he could take her by the shoulders and press his mouth against hers, test her, she what she did. If she were any girl other than Waverly Marshall, that's what he'd do. But one wrong move with her....He didn't want to think how it would hurt if she rejected him once and for all. 
Still, she cried in front of him. Had he unlocked her, too?
He watched her face  but she only looked back at him, examining his features as though she was still undecided if she could really trust him. 
She's not yours, he reminded himself. She can't be yours." - page 142 UK edition

All in all, Spark is an immense and thrilling read and it will leave you wishing you had book three ready and waiting for you. Amy Kathleen Ryan has done a fantastic job and it defiantly lived up to it's expectations. 

A big thank you to Macmilliam for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

A Review for Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Posted by Donna

Published Date: October 7th, 2011

Finished Date: October 6th, 2011

Publishers: Pan Macmilliam

Source: ARC, For Review

Format: Paperback

Pages: 385

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The Blurb from Goodreads: What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue? Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them... Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth. But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

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The Review: 4.5 out of 5: When I first heard about this book I have to admit I wasn’t to sure it would be my kind of thing. So, I waited to read a few reviews first and continually heard great things about it. So when I got it I knew I wanted to start straight away and you know what? I’m so glad I did. It’s was pretty amazing.

Glow is broken down into five sections which we see alternate been our two main characters, Waverly and Kieran. From part one, I was completely enthralled and was so disappointed when general life kept getting in the way of me reading. I was eager to get back to it because it’s very intriguing and captivating. Not only that but it’s also exciting and it kept me engaged all the way through. I’m not usually a sci-fi fan and don’t get me wrong, I have read a few books which I liked but I absolutely loved the concept of Glow. The general plot of the story left me gasping and on the edge of my seat because you didn’t know what would happen next. I was left battling with myself which ship I liked more and which one was the worst but they both have good and bad points. The twists and turns through out kept you on your toes and even though, I kind of guess part of the story I had no idea how it would end.

Our main characters Waverly and Kieran were great to read about. Both very strong but both have completely different experiences during the book. Waverly, I believe had a more emotional time being a captive on the New Horizon. She has one of the most unthinkable things happen to her but no matter what, she always tries to remain strong. Kieran was totally down to earth and he’d be the first to tell you, he doesn’t know where to start on running a ship. Yes, he makes mistakes but who doesn’t. I loved his integrity and how he always manages to have hope. I really loved his and Waverly’s relationship and it very much felt real to me. But then there’s Seth. I’m honestly still not sure how I feel about him as a character. I did like him to start with but then he becomes this monster on board the Empyrean and I honestly started to hate him. I know the story slowly points to a love triangle but I really hope he and Waverly don’t get together. I just can’t see them as a couple, maybe if Seth redeems himself in the next two books I may change my mind but at the moment, it’s a no go for me.

I was going to rate this book a 5 because I loved everything about it, well that’s until I got to the epilogue and I have to say….it left a sour taste in my mouth. I loved how part five ended and then I just felt slightly disappointed with the epilogue. Yes, it was kind of a cliff-hanger which I honestly didn’t mind, I just didn’t like the direction the relationship pointed…I didn’t like it but I admit, it’s left me intrigued.

Overall, Amy Kathleen Ryan has done a great job with Glow. This book won’t be for everyone but I’m so glad it was one I loved. I totally recommend it especially for you Across the Universe fans.