Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that’s made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn’t much better than a prison cell.
Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she’s headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan—a race of sentient alien ships—to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.
Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth’s dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she’s assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.
I WOULD GIVE IT MORE THAN 5 STARS IF I COULD !!!!!!!!!!
This review will contain spoilers.
The moment I heard Rachel Caine was doing a co-write with Ann Aguirre, I researched like mad to find out what I could as I hadn’t read anything of Ann Aguirre’s before.
I absolutely adore Rachel Caine’s works, Yet the writing style of the book, you can hardly tell that it was co-written. They have blended so well, it’s made the book even more enjoyable – I’ve mentioned this incase anyone was concerned about two different writing styles.
The story: we meet Zara. She hasn’t had the best start in life but she has made what she can of it to get by and survive. Living on the streets, she has a friend, Derry.
Zara and Derry together, they end up on the run from a gang boss when a job goes awry & his right-hand ends up dead. Fearing for their lives, they split up. Zara ends up in what seems like a detention center/community center for those in need of her age. Realising she would put everyone in danger, she asks for help and ends up at a stricter facility. As time goes by, she starts to think she is safe, until ever so slightly, she lets her guard down and gets attacked, fights her way to safety and fears for when the next attack will happen.
This is when the Honor’s come knocking, begging her to join. She almost refuses, as she knows something’s not right, not all is what it seems with the Honors. But it is a chance for a fresh start.
What is the Honors? The Honor’s is a space program that pairs Humans with Sentient ships called Leviathans. Not much is known but what is allowed to be said, almost everything is kept on the hush hush. Those that get the chance to go to space, they are given trails, check for compatibility with the humans and the ships. Any weakness’s or fails, the human/’s sent get exchanged in the hopes they find a better fit. Once settled, they go on a journey to check their skills, again another test. If they pass, they are sent on a single year quest to collect samples and update the alien databases. Again if this is successful, and the Human to Leviathan partnership works, they are offered an upgrade to go to distant planets etc on what is called The Journey. A lifelong commitment.
Zara is introduced to Nadim – the Leviathan ship. Instantly, there is a spark of recognition. Familiarity. If you have ever watched Farscape, the ship John gets taken aboard – Moya, it is a living ship.
Nadim and the rest of the Leviathan’s are based around that idea.They are living ships, capable of learning and adjusting to the needs of the beings and creatures aboard them. If a bond is made, the person or persons they bond with, merge with the ship becoming one. It’s fascinating to read what happens. To know what the alien ship can do. What is a little more intriguing, Zara grows to love the ship as if it is a part of her due to the soul bond they share. And by the middle & end of the book, they rely on that to keep each other alive.
Zara is paired with a girl called Bea (Nickname) to drive the ship. She is reserved, polite but has a sassy dark side that comes out once in a while unless you make her angry. Then you face the wrath of Beatriz, and you better get out of her way. Note: She is great at hacking electronic devices and robots. LOL. She is fantastic.
I won’t say much about Zara’s past, as that will ruin a big plot within the book. But it’s mentioned throughout the book, it explains a lot of the story.
It is a BRILLIANT, thrill ride through space.
I love the relationship between Zara and Nadim. It’s unique and unusual. Their relationship develops into, I would say romantic feelings. Not in the crude sense, but she can feel what the ship feels. The universe, the stars, the planets etc, they sing… They have a frequency (think whales underwater, but imagine that up in space. Hearing a star explode like it’s music, hearing planet’s thrumming with life) that’s what Nadim can hear, but Zara senses and catches by the emotions and the bond she has with Nadim, and he shows her how he sees, thinks, and opens doors he finds hard to shut, because Nadim, he has emotions that are far-reaching and a weakness. He fears he will be left to float around space in the dark and without a voice.
As the main plot thickens, the main plot surrounds what the Leviathans really want with humans. Zara wants answers that leads her to go to war with an older ship that can decimate Nadim. Nadim is almost killed and left to float around space. Zara sets her goals, to protect Nadim, to find out the secrets of the Leviathans, and to find out if the planet they visited had any little green men on it hiding in plain sight. (You’ll find out when you read it, and it is brilliant.)
I could keep rambling on forever, as i was really sucked into their world. Last notes on Zara. Zara is brave, loyal. protective. She has one of those personalities that rubs off on those she surrounds herself with – gives them a voice & confidence. If she feels someone she loves has had some injustice done to them, she will try her best to get even.
Trust me when i say it is worth the buy!!! I write this, after literally just finishing the book. I spent hours reading; I’ve barely slept because I wanted to finish this book in almost one sitting. I now can’t wait for book two.
Enjoy!!! Favorites of 2018
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