Sunday 3 February 2013

Mad Musings on: A Million Suns AND Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

***Yes - this is a double book review, because I read these two back-to-back, and they seem like one book in my head.......

A Million Suns (Across the Universe, #2)   Shades of Earth (Across the Universe, #3)

Let me get this out of the way first.... *AHEM*

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHwhat-are-you-doing-to-us????AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

OK-whew that feels better...

The Blurbs: 
A Million Suns: Book two in the heart-stopping Across the Universe trilogy!

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision--no more Phydus, no more lies. But when Elder learns shocking news, he and Amy must race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed, all the while dealing with the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In the New York Times bestseller A Million Suns, Beth Revis deepens the mystery with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.


Shades Of Earth: The final book in the  New York Times bestselling trilogy, perfect for fans of Battlestar Galactica and Prometheus!

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

Mad Musings:  Like I mentioned before - Holy-Tension-Inducing, Batman!  Words fail to describe how much I enjoyed these books, except, Beth Revis - you are genius...


In Book #2, I was on the edge of my seat, and I didn't know where on Earth (heh heh, punny) this story was going.  The murder mystery In Spaaaaaace continues. I was hoping that the title of Book #3 meant that they would eventually find their way to Centari-Earth, but I refused to read the jacket cover so I wouldn't even have a hint of spoilers.  I had a feeling that life aboard Godspeed without the mind altering drugs would turn to chaos, but never did I imagine.... Humanity is humanity, no matter where or when.... And then the twist happened, again!  And it changed the whole story.....

Book #3 starts off seconds from where #2 ends, and we learn that starting a colony on their new planet is not at all what it seems - there are opposing forces working against them. The prices to pay are too high.  I yelled out loud "OMG NO!!!" waaayyy too many times.  I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I mourned.... I could see myself there with the colonists.... I sort of guessed what the ending might be, but I wasn't completely right about that either! (And thank-you for that!) I want to know more!!!  Although I hear that this is the end of the trilogy, Beth Revis has said to me that she is considering a novella of a prequel to Across The Universe, which makes me squeeeeeee, because I kinda want to see how this mission all started. So I look forward to that.  

Speaking of Novellas that Beth Revis wrote, I did read her short e-novella As They Slip Away (ATU #0.5) which takes place on board the Godspeed before Amy wakes up.  I found the background story I learned there to really help me understand the depths of the emotions experienced in the later books.  I recommend reading it after book #1. You can find it here.

*****5 Stars for A Million Suns
*****5 Stars for Shades Of Earth

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