ya sci-fi – Story-eyed Reviews

She wanted to find her place in the universe. She never imagined it might not be on Earth.

When Emily Murphy over slept the morning of her college entrance exam, she thought missing her test was the worst thing that could happen. She never expected she would wind up lost halfway across the galaxy, battling aliens with laser guns and mages hurling lightning.

Like most seventeen year olds, Emily’s main concern had been navigating the perils of high school, not surviving shootouts and sorcery. That changed when her school was attacked and a student was kidnapped. While everyone else smartly fled from danger, she recklessly ran toward it mounting an impossible rescue that would lead her on a journey unlike anything she could have imagined.

Dropped into a strange world teeming with merciless criminals and ruthless aristocrats, surrounded by violence and betrayal, Emily must untangle a web of intrigue and deceit to solve the mystery behind the abduction, save her classmate, and discover the destiny which awaits her.

It is either that, or die trying…

What an absolutely fun read.

I had no expectations when I picked this one up, just excitement and hope. A debut novel that mixed three of my favorite things: YA, Fantasy, and Sci-Fi? Yeah, I was down for the ride, and I was not disappointed.

The Necromancer’s Prison has a lot of strengths going for it. For one, the mix of genres feels fresh and unique. More and more in YA, and fantasy in general, I see magic and aliens/technology being mixed and connected in some way. It’s such a cool effect. Because of this, there are tropes and plot points in the book that feel fresh if only because of this interesting perspective. The mix of genres also mixes the reader’s expectations and kept me on my toes the entire time, wondering what would happen next.

Second, I felt a particular fondness for the main character, Emily. She is a smart, strong, determined, young woman and even when she didn’t know what to do, I never felt that she (or the writer) were taking the easy way out with any of her choices. Even the side characters were written so well; the banter and spectrum of relationships between them felt so natural and real. At their core, Whitesell’s characters are relatable as hell and you find yourself rooting for them easily throughout the book.

Lastly, I have to commend the author for how he kept the pace of the plot moving throughout the whole book. Sometimes in big concept books like this the middle does this thing where it- drags, I guess. The exposition gets too heavy and things slow down. Not in this book. The Necromancer’s Prison kept things fast, tight, and quick. The plot was thoughtful and clever and I found myself reading faster and faster as I got through the book. The writing is compelling and engaging and, most of all, I think that’s what made this book such a fun and entertaining read.

Overall, this was such a strong debut novel for Whitesell and I enjoyed it a lot. The Necromancer’s Prison is creative and explosive, action-packed and full of faceted characters. If you’re a Sci-Fi/Fantasy fan, definitely go check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

A big thanks to Alec Whitesell for providing me with a review copy of his book in exchange for an honest review! I had so much fun reading it and I look forward to reading whatever you write next.

See you tomorrow, folks! x

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After an attack on earth, all reflective surfaces become weapons to release monsters, causing a planet-wide ban on mirrors. Despite the danger, the demand rises, and 17-year-old Marty Callahan becomes a distributor in an illegal mirror trade―until he’s caught by the mayor’s son, whose slate is far from clean. Both of them are exiled for their crimes to one of the many abandoned cities overrun by fog. But they soon realize their thoughts influence their surroundings and their deepest fears begin to manifest.

With fast pacing and riveting characters, this is a book that you’ll finish in one sitting.

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Refraction by Naomi Hughes was an intense, compelling, ultimately fun read that I kept itching to pick back up. During work or driving home, I’d be thinking about where I left off and what theories or guesses I had about the story. Ultimately, I enjoyed this a lot. Another win for YA Horror in 2019.

First and foremost, the characters felt real and so did their connection. They felt like people: engaging, likable and flawed. I still rooted for them. I wanted them to survive. Marty’s drive to get to his brother and Eliot’s need for approval were so relatable, honest, and human that my empathy survived through every fumble, twist, and turn.

I also loved that there wasn’t a romance in this book. I don’t mind romance, usually I enjoy it, but because it seems to be in absolutely every story lately, this was— a refreshing change of pace. It was nice to not be distracted for once, especially in a story where it would have felt forced. It wasn’t needed. The story kicked ass on its own.

The plot was wild, dark, and frequently terrifying. I’ve always been particularly creeped out by scary stories involving mirrors and this one took that trope and ran with it. The author does a fantastic job of keeping the reader guessing and the reveal(s) took me off guard more than once.

Not everyone likes an open ending, but I do. This one left just enough room for the imagination, while providing enough of a foundation to still be satisfying. I’d love to read a sequel, if that’s in the cards. Who knows?

Ultimately, I enjoyed Refraction a whole lot. I have high hopes whenever I dive into a YA scary story, and this mix of horror and sci-fi was the perfect tone to set my spine tingling. I loved the focus and detail the story was written with, and it was just unbelievable enough that I was swept up along for the ride. If this genre is your jam, don’t miss Refraction this year.

Hey! I’m Naomi Hughes, writer of quirky young adult fiction (usually involving physics and/or unicorns). I live in the Midwest US, a region I love even though it tries to murder me with tornadoes every spring. When not writing, my hobbies include reading (of course), traveling, and geeking out over Marvel superheroes and certain time-traveling Doctors. My debut YA sci-fi standalone novel, Afterimage, is available now from Page Street Publishing. My next novel, Refraction (also a standalone YA sci-fi), comes out in Nov 2019. I also offer freelance critique services at naomiedits.com.

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