Aileen Erin

“In this bleak world, one spark of hope soon turns into an inferno. And just like a fireball, once this story is ignited, it just doesn’t stop.” — Maria V. Snyder, New York Times bestselling author of Navigating the Stars. From USA Today Bestselling Author Aileen Erin comes an epic adventure in space. Maité Martinez has survived the last thirteen years on the streets, going hungry and struggling to get through every day. The only people left on Earth are the ones too poor to flee to a SpaceTech-owned colony in the stars, but it’s not just money keeping her from escaping. It’s her secret. Because Maité isn’t exactly human. If anyone discovers her alien heritage, she’ll be dragged through the streets, beaten, and executed while screaming to be saved. But no one will save her. Only Maité can save herself. And that’s just what she has done. . Until she makes the biggest mistake of her life. Arrested and sent across deep space, she’s forced into a dangerous work detail on a volcano planet where her every move is recorded. Her screams of pain will be sent through the universe, and if she can’t find a way to escape, her death will cause an interstellar war big enough to end all life in the universe. “Suspenseful sci-fi with complex world-building and a tough-as-nails heroine you’ll want to root for!” — Elizabeth Briggs, New York Times Bestselling Author of Future Shock

Off Planet

jess

Off Planet came as a total pleasant surprise. Sci-fi is usually totally hit-and-miss for me, and this one was definitely a hit. It was well-written, with strong characters, strong worldbuilding, and a breakneck plot that kept my eyes glued to the page and my brain still in the story even when I wasn't reading.

The book took a few chapters to really get going, but when it did I was so invested in Maité and her story. The plot doesn't stop, there are so many twists and turns, and every time you think that something can't get worse, what happens is even worse than you were imagining. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book because there's so much that happens. I thought this book was way longer than it actually was because it's so packed with action. Maité spends the whole book fighting against SpaceTech on the planet Abbadon, even though she's trapped on a hell planet where everyone wants to kill her.

I loved Maité. It's been a while since I've seen a character go through this much and fight every second to survive. I was not expecting how absolutely brutal some parts of Off Planet is. What Maité goes through in the book is horrifying--the planet she spends most of the book on is basically literally called Hell, and she's there because people want her to die in the cruelest and most painful way possible. I felt so much for her, because Erin's writing is so raw and real. All of Maité's pain and fear throughout the book is described in excruciating detail--and Erin didn't skimp on discussing the trauma it caused Maité, either.

The secondary characters were also all fairly fleshed-out. Maité is surrounded by so many sympathetic characters to make up for all the nasty ones in the book. I also liked the general lack of romance during Off Planet. There's hints at a romance with one of the Aunare, Lorne, and maybe a possible love triangle with a SpaceTech defector, Declan. But it definitely wasn't a focus--just offhand comments on how attractive these boys were, which, okay, but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment. This story is Maité's story, and about her survival, which was something I really liked.

The worldbuilding was strong, and there was a lot to figure out, but I didn't find myself particularly confused. There's SpaceTech, an evil interstellar corporation that basically has authoritarian control over their territory, and the Aunare, an alien race that was wiped off of Earth. I thought the Aunare were quite interesting, especially with their unique physiology and how they interact with humans, especially SpaceTech. I did have a lot of questions that I'd like to see answered in the next book, however. There's not a whole lot about the Aunare and its culture, because Maité is kept in the dark for most of the book.

Readers should be aware that there's a fairly graphic scene of sexual assault early on in the book, and Maité shows symptoms of PTSD.

Off Planet was such an engaging and engrossing read, and I honestly enjoyed every second of it, even if some pats had me gritting my teeth in sympathy. If you like sci-fi, you'll probably like this book, and even if you're not a sci-fi but you're a fan of amazing female characters who never stop fighting, you might like Off Planet.

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Lauren Sullivan

Content notes: (view spoiler)[Genocide, Roman-style public executions, sexual assault, harassment by police figures, xenophobia, acephobia, vomiting, painful medical procedures, imprisonment, PTSD, burns (which nearly kill MC several times) (hide spoiler)]

This is one of those young adult science fiction books that hit the fairy tale retelling itch for me. So while this isn’t the most innovative book ever, it’s immensely fun.

Thirteen years ago, Maité and her mother escaped being killed with the rest of the alien Aunare on Earth when SpaceTech, the giant corporate conglomerate that runs Earth, decided to break their peace treaty. After years on the run, they’ve spent the past almost decade in Albuquerque, where they both work at a diner. In the first few weeks after everyone else was killed, Maité had a hard time not speaking Aunare or talking about things that would get them picked up, so she had her memory wiped, and while she’s saving her money to try to get her and her mother off Earth, she has no memory of her Aunare father or anything that happened before she was six, and long ago accepted that her father wasn’t coming for her. So when a mysterious man from SpaceTech shows up at their apartment, Maité’s suspicious – until her mother reveals that they used to be friends. Declan swears he can get them off Earth if they just stay low for a few more days. But Declan’s not the only person who’s found her, and she finds out that there are even worse places than Earth for an Aunare halfer to be. But her capture has set off a chain of events that may lead the galaxy into all-out war. Can Maité survive, plan her escape, and prevent a war?

“You don’t need to worry about Maité. She can more than take care of herself.”
“Just because she can take care of herself doesn’t mean that she should have to.”
Roan’s smile disappeared. “You think you know her better than I do?”

There’s a certain fairytale quality to the book that allows me to hand-wave some of the more unbelievable aspects of the story. Maité is literally a princess in hiding. She has to go through a lot of adversity – she goes through hell, almost literally, and definitely literal torture – to get that fairy tale happily ever after (or at least the chance of one). It’s told solely from Maité’s point of view, meaning that we’re just as confused as she is when people she’s supposed to know show back up in her life. Roan, her best friend in Albuquerque, was her sidekick and a great source of humor, though I didn’t like his tendency to overshare details about her life. Ahiga, the soldier assigned to protect her, was basically a knight. There was also hints of a love triangle between her, Declan (the double agent SpaceTech heir and childhood friend) and Lorne, an Aunare prince who remains mostly mysterious for most of the book. It’s obvious that some sort of “fated mates” situation is being set up, so the love triangle felt a bit extraneous.

“I was a di Aetes. I didn’t want or need anyone to save me. I would save myself.”

There were other bits I didn’t like, as well. Maité’s intensely private, and Declan (and her father) both breech her trust to share videos of her in pain. After everything she’d been through at that point, it felt like a betrayal. While I understood why the characters chose to do that, it soured me on both of them. I find it hard to believe they couldn’t have found some other way. There’s also a lot of political aspects that seemed a bit underdone, and Maité’s ability to find allies everywhere stretched my incredulity. But, again, fairytale, so I just went along and enjoyed the ride.

“I know who you are. You, Declan, and Lorne. The three of you together—you’re the ones that could change this. It might seem like a lot, but that’s what you were born into. I can’t change who you are, but I can help you as much as I’m able[.]”

Unfortunately (for her at least) unlike in a fairy tale, being rescued and reuniting with her family doesn’t mean the end to Maité’s story. There’s a lot of expectations on her, and while she may be safe for the moment, she’s still dealing with a lifetime of trauma of having to stay hidden in order to survive, not to mention the PTSD from Abaddon. All of this is, of course, setting up the next book in the series, which definitely spiked my curiosity.

Overall, this is a fun and quick young adult scifi, and I’m looking forward to the next in the series!

Kaele Perkins 

Wow. This book was amazing. Maite is a great main character. I love all the supporting characters too. Ahiga and Audrey and Tyler, and Roan. As of the second half of the book, I love Lorne. I'm already excited for book 2. Cant believe book 3 isn't until December. Definitely liked this series and will keep reading.

Lysh (She/Her)

Fair, but seemed drawn out in places. I drifted off from the audiobook a few too many times.

Off Planet

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