Review of this Jay Kristoff-AmyKaufman’s latest release by Darshana Shah

*Semi-spoiler alert*

Synopsis : Our Heroes are back. Kind of.

First, the bad news: an ancient evil- you know, your standard consume-all-the-life-in-the-galaxy deal- is about to be unleashed. The good news? Squad 312 is standing by to save the day. They’ve just go to take care of a few small distractions first.

Like the clan of gremps who’d like to rearrange their favourite faces. And the cadre of illegit GIA agents with creepy flowers where their eyes used to be, who’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on Auri.

Then there’s Kal’s long lost sister, who’s not exactly happy to see her baby brother, and has a Syldrathi army at her back. With half the known galaxy on their tails, Squad 312 has never felt so wanted.

Shocking revelations, bank heists, mysterious gifts, inappropriately tight bodysuits and an epic firefight will determine the fate of the Aurora Legion’s most unforgettable heroes- and maybe the rest of the galaxy as well.

Review

Caution: Not for the faint hearted.

Squad 312 is back with a blast (pun intended of course) to save the day, and of course the entire galaxy. Oh wait…they’re being blasted. And then you realize that being blasted is the least of their concerns looking at the danger that lies ahead. Each character in this book has been given a new depth to their already distinctive (and amazing) personalities. The way each of them has been built up, their thoughts, emotions and attributes explored while being put to test constantly is commendable. What I did not expect was science fiction revolving around space and the universe to delve so deep into philosophy, feelings and those nuances that makes humans…well, human.

As the story progresses, the plot seems to be pretty straightforward: battle the whole galaxy that has turned against them to save that galaxy from an ancient evil by using the power that Aurora has been blessed with. I mean, what else could go wrong except for a chase across the galaxy, different worlds at war, a few million deaths including, maybe, those of one or more of our squad members?

Post Aurora Rising

After Aurora rising, this much was sure. So, when the plot unravels steadily, the goal is made clear, and the enemies well-known, it seems that Squad 312 will have a smooth sailing to the goal- with a lot of bumps. When enigmas that question time arise and love blooms without ending in tragedy, I start believing in the existence of virtuous authors.

And then, it’s almost as if you can hear the authors speak, “I think we need some real drama up there, wars and deaths are boring”. And then it begins. Discoveries that blow you, pasts intertwined, powers mastered as love burns and a plot that rips your heart out and hands it back to you only to shatter it to pieces all over again. This book had me extremely happy, utterly perplexed, exceptionally furious, inexplicably frightened and immensely heartbroken in a span of a few minutes.

Cliffhangers

Despite it being obvious that that book would conclude at a cliff hanger, I definitely could not have anticipated this end. It was as if the authors decided to throw you off the cliff, caught you just before you went over, then hung you at the edge using a rope that could give away any moment making death certain. When you’re sure that you’re about to die, you spot a safety net and are relieved only to realize that it doesn’t stretch to your end of the cliff. And that is when the authors bid farewell, leaving you to contemplate if jumping straight off the cliff would’ve been a better idea than being suspended here for what seems like eternity until they make their mind to either throw you down or save you.

Darshana Shah is a counsellor by profession, reader by attention and dancer by passion. She’s a master of comebacks and a true Virgo who can psycho-analyse and sort you #likeaboss. Connect with her on Instagram @darshu_08.