Undying (An Unearthed Novel)

This took me forever to finish, and I wasn’t entirely invested until the about 100 pages. I just could not get into it, even though I was enjoying the plot. Maybe the writing just wasn’t as good as Starbound. I sometimes got confused between points of views because they weren’t separate enough. I really did enjoy the way that it ended. It all wrapped up nicely. 3.5

I loved this sequel. I thought the was such a unique science fiction read. I have never read story like this before. I also really did loved both main characters in the story. I really also liked the romance that developed more in this book. I also really liked the side characters that we got to meet in this read. I did think the ending was a bit rushed but overall a solid read!!

DAMMIT YOU MADE ME CRY. Very fun book, good ending too.

The front of this book says it's an "epic conclusion" to the sci-fi duology. Epic? Not the word I would use to describe it? Overall, the story was okay. Fine. But that was about it. I didn't engage with the book, in the same way I didn't engage with Unearthed. I didn't feel any feelings for the characters. The plot felt like a fairly generic, end-of-the-world, save=the-earth remix. And while the first book had the added elements of Indiana-Jones inspired temple runs and puzzles, the plot of this story had... aliens? But also barely any aliens for an alien book? The romance was bleh. If anything, I loved the f/f german couple that randomly make an appearance in the middle more than any of the main characters. The ending as well was... just okay. And that is about it. The book was okay. I don't know why, but as much as I love Kaufman everytime she teams up with Spooner I feel underwhelmed.

** spoiler alert ** SPOILERS AHEAD. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Pace 4/10 The first half...why? The pace was very slow compared to the first book. I felt like it was dragging on for forever. It wasn't until halfway that this picked up and then sprinted to the finish. Instead of the puzzle base, it was a mystery base, but with a very slow trickle of information with which to work with. Not a fan. Could have turned this duology into a standalone easily. Strength of plot 5/10 Ok. Let's accept the time travel. Sure, that can be a thing. Sci-Fi, yep. Cool. But there were too many other convenient plot points thrown in along the way. Characters 9/10 The characters are the strength of this duology. I adore Mia and Jules. They are such a great pair to follow, with often opposing views and strengths to work with. Neal was a great addition to the dream team and props for having heard about him before this instalment. I loved that we were introduced to characters we had heard in passing in the first book. That was a nice touch. Character growth 6/10 The growth felt very jolty. It was there, but it didn't flow like I hoped it would. The relationship between Mia and Jules was the main culprit. Entertainment 5/10 Not as entertaining as the first book, but there's definitely something there! The humour of the main characters was appreciated. Individuality 8/10 I feel like the time travel was used in a bit of a tropey way. I haven't read much sci-fi, but even the main characters in the book were annoyed that this was the answer. However, the fashion in which this is presented with switching points of view is fun and unique and I found the core ideas weaved throughout to be different to other books I've read. Writing style 9/10 Although this is more of a middle grade writing style, the way these two authors meld their voices together is unbelievable. It flows excellently and you can't tell who wrote what. Brilliant. Just enough description and detail without overdoing it. Ending 5/10 I enjoyed the ending overall. I didn't need the Dex follow up. I felt that was a little too much - Would have rather left this to my imagination! Also, have the guts to kill off your characters, guys. I really love it when authors take gutsy steps but they took it too far to bring it back and then did it anyway. I was so let down when I found out that character was still alive. Gosh. I'm such a sucker for sadness. Thought provoking 8/10 Definitely makes you think about where Earth is headed and how we would react in this circumstance. Relevance 9/10 Global Warming. Need I say more? Total 68/100 = 4/5 STARS I initially rated this 3/5 but after going through my new rating formula I found it was actually higher on the scale. I really do think this would have been a 5/5 star read if it was all put into one book. Oh well.

I had so much fun with this duology. It was action packed, self-aware and intriguing, with a few surprising plot twists here and there that actually managed to catch me off guard, which I loved. The characters were fab, the romance was sweet and at no point did the plot lose my attention. I very much picked this duology up on a whim but I'm so glad I did. Audiobook: 3.5/5* Whilst the narrators were great individually and told the story brilliantly, unfortunately when it came to character voices:accents, it became a little jarring, with each narrator seeming to decide on different voice styles for various characters.