Emily Skrutskie

A young pilot risks everything to save his best friend--the man he trusts most and might even love--only to learn that his friend is secretly the heir to a brutal galactic empire. "An exciting space opera full of action and adventure that explores the bonds of loyalty and love, and what happens when they are stretched to their limits."--Rebecca Roanhorse, Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author of Trail of Lightning Ettian's life was shattered when the merciless Umber Empire invaded his world. He's spent seven years putting himself back together under its rule, joining an Umber military academy and becoming the best pilot in his class. Even better, he's met Gal--his exasperating and infuriatingly enticing roommate who's made the academy feel like a new home. But when dozens of classmates spring an assassination plot on Gal, a devastating secret comes to light: Gal is the heir to the Umber Empire. Ettian barely manages to save his best friend and flee the compromised academy unscathed, rattled that Gal stands to inherit the empire that broke him, and that there are still people willing to fight back against Umber rule. As they piece together a way to deliver Gal safely to his throne, Ettian finds himself torn in half by an impossible choice. Does he save the man who's won his heart and trust that Gal's goodness could transform the empire? Or does he throw his lot in with the brewing rebellion and fight to take back what's rightfully theirs?

Book One of the Bloodright Trilogy

Bonds of Brass

Julie Burszan 

i [love] gal and will protect him with my life

A young pilot risks everything to save his best friend--the man he trusts most and might even love--only to learn that his friend is secretly the heir to a brutal galactic empire. "Riveting, wildly fun, and incredibly smart."--Emily A. Duncan, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Saints Ettian's life was shattered when the merciless Umber Empire invaded his world. He's spent seven years putting himself back together under its rule, joining an Umber military academy and becoming the best pilot in his class. Even better, he's met Gal--his exasperating and infuriatingly enticing roommate who's made the academy feel like a new home. But when dozens of classmates spring an assassination plot on Gal, a devastating secret comes to light: Gal is the heir to the Umber Empire. Ettian barely manages to save his best friend and flee the compromised academy unscathed, rattled that Gal stands to inherit the empire that broke him, and that there are still people willing to fight back against Umber rule. As they piece together a way to deliver Gal safely to his throne, Ettian finds himself torn in half by an impossible choice. Does he save the man who's won his heart and trust that Gal's goodness could transform the empire? Or does he throw his lot in with the brewing rebellion and fight to take back what's rightfully theirs? Praise for Bonds of Brass "Skrutskie's Bonds of Brass is a high-octane galactic adventure replete with heart, drama, and a keen edge of pain."--Caitlin Starling, author of The Luminous Dead "Full of breathless action and dazzling characters, Bonds of Brass is space opera at its most exciting."--Adam Christopher, author of Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town

Julia

Fatima Kadri 

If anyone ever asks me to recommend them a fun book, this is the direction I’ll point them in.

This is short, lighthearted (most of the time) space opera at its best. The action pieces were engaging and easy to follow, and when there wasn’t any action, the dynamic between Ettian and Gal was food for the soul. I love them so much. Pair all that with writing that just flows from one page to the next and…yeah. Just a really, really fun book. Could hardly put it down.

A young pilot risks everything to save his best friend—the man he trusts most and might even love—only to learn that his friend is secretly the heir to a brutal galactic empire. “An exciting space opera full of action and adventure that explores the bonds of loyalty and love, and what happens when they are stretched to their limits.”—Rebecca Roanhorse, Nebula and Hugo award–winning author of Trail of Lightning Ettian’s life was shattered when the merciless Umber Empire invaded his world. He’s spent seven years putting himself back together under its rule, joining an Umber military academy and becoming the best pilot in his class. Even better, he’s met Gal—his exasperating and infuriatingly enticing roommate who’s made the academy feel like a new home. But when dozens of classmates spring an assassination plot on Gal, a devastating secret comes to light: Gal is the heir to the Umber Empire. Ettian barely manages to save his best friend and flee the compromised academy unscathed, rattled that Gal stands to inherit the empire that broke him, and that there are still people willing to fight back against Umber rule. As they piece together a way to deliver Gal safely to his throne, Ettian finds himself torn in half by an impossible choice. Does he save the man who’s won his heart and trust that Gal’s goodness could transform the empire? Or does he throw his lot in with the brewing rebellion and fight to take back what’s rightfully theirs? Praise for Bonds of Brass “Skrutskie’s Bonds of Brass is a high-octane galactic adventure replete with heart, drama, and a keen edge of pain.”—Caitlin Starling, author of The Luminous Dead “Full of breathless action and dazzling characters, Bonds of Brass is space opera at its most exciting.”—Adam Christopher, author of Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town

Book One of The Bloodright Trilogy

Maga P

Liked the writing well enough, loved the main characters, will most probably read book 2... But I'm torn on the idea of a white woman writing a mlm story featuring characters of color. I'm not in a position to judge if she pulls it off, but please don't forget to support own voices sci-fi authors.

sophia n

this was a lot of fun and i definitely can't wait to read book two. i probably would have rated this 4 stars, but i flagged a little in the middle and actually ended up putting down the book for like three weeks because i was a bit annoyed with how angsty it was feeling from the main characters pov. as much as i understand why, it just grated on me a little at a certain point. i also felt incredibly ambivalent to the side character introduced to make it a trio, which felt like a miss for me. that being said, the pacing was pretty non-stop and high energy, and i really enjoyed the plot and setup happening and will definitely read the next book. while it had a lot of similarities to a certain fandom pairing, it also was it's own fun story, and just felt a lot like a homage rather than just. published fanfic, lol. also that ending, damn.

Latitude Tamarind

this book is so good

"it doesn’t seem possible that in a galaxy where empires rule entire systems, where city-ships wage war, where annihilation is a threat that can be made good on, there’s room for something as small, and tender, as a boy’s gentle hand on my throat”

Y E A H

i would like to own this book in hardcover. thanks

Lauren Sullivan

“[T]he worlds are cruel and friends are fleeting and you’ve got to hold on to the good things as tight as you can.”

Ah yes, the angst, the pining, the PTSD from watching your world burn and being rescued by the conquerors! This first came on to my radar as being, well, basically Fin/Poe fanfic, but it’s ever so much more than that. It’s a feels-laden, trope heavy (fake dating! only one bed! best friends to lovers!) exploration of colonialism through one teen’s relationships. It’s about trauma, about meeting your heroes (and enemies), and about resurrecting dead dreams – and nightmares.

“Archon is dead. It’s gone. I can’t carry it with me. The only productive thing I can do is latch on to the opportunities that rise out of the postwar reconstruction. That’s what’s kept me alive for the past seven years.”

While there’s plenty of action (wiretram fight! fancy space battles! umbrellas!), the complex characters and their relationships are what made me fall in love with this book. Ettian is stuck in a no-man’s-land between the Archon rubble and the Umber scaffolding he’s build himself back up with. Even still, he’s convinced that his only worth is in protecting Gal – Gal, who he believes will change the course of the empire when he inherits the throne. A survivor of the bombardment of Trost, Rana’s capital city and the heart of the Archon empire, Ettian spent several years on the streets before ending up in foster care. He stopped caring about what happened and excelled at being the perfect soldier – following orders and parroting back the Umber party line. While he trusts Gal – even has feelings for him – he’s never told him about what happened before the string of foster homes, never told him about the first few years after Umber defeated Archon or anything that happened before. The only Ettian Gal has ever known is the Ettian that’s been cobbled back together from the ashes, and the worst part is that he doesn’t even realize there was a before and after. Gal, after all, still believes the Umber imperial propaganda – that they were rescuing the starving Archons from mismanagement, not that what the empress really wanted was their mines to build more ships.

“It’s just the two of us. No titles. No bloodrights. Nothing but what we carry.”

And that part of the relationship is what really kept drawing me back to the book. It’s obvious how much Ettian loves Gal, and Ettian’s pining is a core piece of the book, but Ettian is such a kindhearted person that he literally feels protective of people he just met. From the first page of the book, Ettian’s covering for Gal, from remembering his lost helmet to helping him with his half-assed assignments to rescuing him (again). Gal knows that he’s asking a lot of Ettian since he drug him into this whole mess, though Ettian disagrees, and Gal does try to shield him from the consequences of their actions. But their relationship is still uneven, and maybe it’s just because we lacked Gal’s viewpoint, but I had a hard time not viewing his actions with suspicion. Does he have the strength to stand up against his parents? Is he just saying whatever Ettian wants to hear in order to secure his help? So while I had so many feels from this relationship, I’m reserving judgement on it until we get Gal’s viewpoint in the next book.

“I swear, Wen. You know what? Every person in every system is going to know your name someday. I’ll make it my personal mission. No one’s going to forget Wen Iffan again.”

And now switching gears to a character I’m not ambivalent about! Wen is my absolute favorite part of the book – my terrifying genius rainbow chaos girl. Ettian is initially baffled by her, partly due to the degree of chaos she creates around herself and partly because he recognizes she’s his mirror. Wen’s mom was originally a crime boss in the Delos slums, and when she was murdered, Wen got a job working for her mom’s replacement – and murderer. But despite doing what she needs to survive, Wen’s held on to her vengeance, and it both shames and fascinates Ettian. There’s a recurring theme through the book about what you can’t carry with you – in terms of Ettian having to let the Archon empire go because it’s too large of a trauma for him to conceptualize, in terms of how Gal and Ettian’s relationship works. Wen is the one relationship that shows that having someone who understands you, like Wen understands Ettian, makes the burden lighter and turns it into something that you can carry.

“At least I actually fight my battles,” I snap. It’s harsh, given our current situation, but Gal knows what’s in my head better than anyone, and he gives me exactly what I expect.
“And I talk my way out of them like a rational human being.”
“Couldn’t talk your way out of this?”
“That’s what I have you for.”

Besides the characters, the plot is also excellent, tightly plotted and quickly paced. I adored the world building, from the Archon Knights to the different stone/metal/gems associated with each empire to the idea of bloodright. There’s a degree of fanfic silliness to the book through lots of Easter eggs, including several Star Wars jokes (Ettian telling another pilot to “cut the chatter” being one of them), and the banter between the characters is excellent. The one place I had concerns was the rep. I’m neither a person of color nor a bisexual man, and neither is the author. I, personally, think the story and its exploration of colonialism was done well, but I do have some discomfort around that, though it’s lessened a lot by the fact that this is obviously science fiction and not wholly appropriative of a real-life culture. I don’t necessarily believe that a white person can never write a person of color, but, as American Dirt showed, there is definitely a lot more conversation needed around whose stories we’re telling and who gets to tell them.

“She’s trouble.”
“Undoubtedly.”
“A junker girl.”
“A waypoint.”
“A distraction.”
“Chaos incarnate, more like.” I pause. “But she’s smart. Terrifyingly, brilliantly smart one second, and then the next she’s blowing up a ship. And somehow that was smart too.”

Overall, complicated relationships and ambivalent feelings about characters and silliness and all, I loved this book, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next book!

I received this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Alicia Hinojosa 

I was uncertain about this book when I started it, but once I actually sat down and read it, it was a good read. I love the characters in the book (even tho Gal low-key pisses me off) & I like how the author deals with the storyline and how uncertain Ettian is of his alliance. I do wish there was more conversations between Ettian & Gal when it came to their history and backgrounds, but we’ll see what the next book brings.

Tânia Borges

This one is a solid 4 stars. The writing and the plot were nice, the characters' arcs well done, and the only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars it's because I found some things to be the tiniest bit predictable (especially the last third of the story, since I can already tell how this is going to end. Or not. I honestly hope I'm right, or else this series is not gonna end well and I'm not sure I'd be satisfied with a sad ending. There's enough drama going on in real life to last us all for a while, I think). I am super excited for the next installment. I loved the atmosphere and Ettian and Gal's relationship and the world and the tension and everything in between. The time I'll have to wait for the next book will be agonizing. My own fault, really, I should know better than to start a new series that isn't finished when I'm pretty sure I'm going to like it. Oh well. Here's to waiting, then.

Juliette Raven 

Definitely one of my favorites books of the year! I enjoyed myself so much reading that book!
I haven't read a lot of Science Fiction but I think I must. The scenes in spaceships gave me StarWars vibe but with a refreshing new touch.

The characterization is great I'm rooting for the characters so much I will definitely continue on with this series 🤩

Anna Agarwal

Nathalie Matsuda

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! 
(4stars for dragging a little in the middle, but OH MY, I need book2 asap)

sam k

This book! The twist! The ending! The characters 😍 Counting down the days until book 2 💖 Ettian, Gal & Wen are gifts. 😘👌

Kerri McDonald

Before I jump into this review, I want to say thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. It is very much appreciated!

Have you ever read a book that made you pace as you read it? That made it impossible to sit still while the story unfolded? That caused you to actually yell when Big Things happened?

Yeah, this is that kind of book! I was so freakin’ HYPED while reading Bonds of Brass and it’s been a long time that I’ve read something so action-packed! I was just going through my notes so I could start writing this review and I got hyped all over again 😂

Our main character, Ettian Nassun, has had a rough life. His world was destroyed when the militaristic Umber Empire invaded and overthrew the Archon rulers. Ettian spent years just surviving, but now he has fought his way into the Umber military academy and is one of it’s top pilots. He’s striving to forget the past and try and build a life for himself in this new empire. But then, Ettian saves his best friend (and possible crush), Gal Veres, from an assassination attempt and learns a disturbing truth: Gal is the heir to the Umber throne. Now, he has to try and safely deliver Gal home, but he finds himself torn. Does he throw his lot in with a Gal, the man who he has fallen for and trusts to not be as cruel as his parents? Or does he join the brewing rebellion and help them to take back their empire?

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I don’t know any other way to say it! This was a heart-pounding ride that snatches you in, buckles you up, and says, “Ya better hang on to something.” The plot grabs you from page one and rolls out in such a well-paced, thrilling way that you can’t help but enjoy the journey! The action has your heart in throat and you pumping your fist. And, even though it’s a mile-a-minute, it doesn’t feel rushed or unreal. It’s perfectly paced, in my opinion, and such a delight to experience.

And the characters! Can I just gush about Ettian for five pages? Because I absolutely adored Ettian! He’s so conflicted and nuanced and brave and wonderful. Emily Skrutskie did such a fantastic job creating a character that has two sides of himself in constant conflict: the side that is a proud Archon and the side that is trying to be a dutiful Umber citizen. It’s such an interesting dynamic and one of my favorite parts of the book. Gal is pretty alright, too… I guess…

Can you tell I have a favorite? Naaahhhhh 😅

Kidding aside, all of the characters in this book were beautifully written. They were all well fleshed-out, which I appreciate in the first book of a trilogy. I want to be able to get a feel for the major players right away, not wait til book three to finally get some layers. I also thought the romance was super adorable. Just… so freakin’ cute! I was rooting for our boys from the moment they took off on their journey. I don’t really like it when romance takes over the plot of a fantasy/sci-fi story, but this was perfectly balanced.

Another aspect of this book that I really appreciated is… kind of hard to describe? I’ve mentioned before that I grew up in the military and was in the military for over six years. When I was reading about Ettian and Gal’s time at their military academy, it just brought back so many memories! And the descriptions of the base was so spot-on for many an Air Force base where I’ve worked. I just really loved that feeling of the familiar. I know, I know, it’s pretty niche, but it’s yet another reason this book was so incredible!

Also, THE ENDING! Prepare yourself. Honestly, even if you prepare yourself, YOU ARE NOT READY! So. Good.

Final thoughts: Are you in the mood for a thrilling space adventure with a dash of m/m romance, a pinch of rebellion, and a hell of a lot of conflict? Then you will absolutely love Bonds of Brass! It’s a white-knuckle thrill ride that will have you bouncing out of your chair. I’m stupid excited that this is the first book in a trilogy!

diana

i know it’s to build “suspense” and “intrigue” and “ANGST” but why can’t the gays have a happy ending for once

Lisa Beasley

I really wanted to love this more than I did. My main issue with it was I never really felt like we got to know Gal and as such I never really felt convinced by his relationship with Ettian. And I do think too much was made of Ettian's big secret/conflict, which I kind of guessed very early on in the book. I did like the ending, I think it sets it up to be very interesting and I absolutely adored Wen, she is awesome. I will definitely be reading the next book.

3.5 stars

Bonds of Brass Book One of the Bloodright Trilogy

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