Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff ♛ 5 Star Review

Both Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff are extremely talented authors on their own and in their other works. But pair them together and something truly magical happens with their writing. The Illuminae Files is one of my favorite series and I’ve read the books several times. I was a little scared to see how anything they’d write could ever live up to that trilogy, but they definitely did not disappoint. Aurora Rising proves that they are a force to be reckoned with.

“If your squad was hard to find, or you’re still looking, then this one is for you.”

The writing was incredible and it really made this a super fast-paced read. I read the majority of this 473 page book in a single day. I tend to always do that with their books. But while there is no crazy AIDAN in this one, there are still a few pages that were very Illuminae-esque that featured funny inserts from another AI. Along with those, the story is told in 7 different POVs. I know that might sound intimidating, but trust me, it’s perfect. Each POV is narrated by one of the members of squad 312.

“Who am I to deny gravity? When you shine brighter than any constellation in the sky?”

I will admit that there were several things in the plot that I saw coming a mile away. So was it a little predictable? Well, yeah. But that didn’t take anything away from me. I still found this incredible and couldn’t get enough of it.

♛ Legion Roles ♛

Alphas: So these are the leaders of each squad. They’re knowledgeable on a plethora of subjects and excel at keeping their legionnaires both safe and in line. They’re generally pretty level-headed and can come up with ideas quickly when they’re in a tight spot.

Faces: These are the diplomats. These attractive people are incredibly good at negotiating and getting their way. They’re able to speak a large number of languages and have extensive knowledge on all sorts of foreign customs.

Aces: The pilots. They’ve had extensive training and can fly just about anything that has wings. This job means they generally have quick reflexes and quick thinking.

Brains: Intelligent scientists responsible for medical duties and all things nerd. They have unimaginably high IQs and are able to spout out all kinds of complicated data on the fly. Their training includes both medical and scientific.

Gearheads: They’re the smart ones in charge of all mechanical/computer work and any kind of repairs. These hackers and mad inventors are basically the McGyver of each squad.

Tanks: These are the combat specialists. They’re trained in numerous different forms of combat, weapons, and gravity conditions. On top of that training they have a high pain tolerance and extensive anatomy knowledge which means they know how to make you suffer the most.

♛ Squad 312 Characters ♛

Our story opens up with Tyler Jones aka “Goldenboy” whom has been training intensely for 5 years to graduate at the top of his class and become an Alpha. His dimples apparently make the galaxy stop breathing, but he wasn’t what I thought he would be. I liked his character from the beginning, and although he’s not a favorite, I have to admit that he’s a good leader.

Our next member is the titular character, Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley aka “Auri” who happens to be the last surviving passenger a ship that’s been missing for over 200 years. She has her breakdowns, but to wake up centuries after she should have, she’s really strong and holds it together pretty well. This girl out of time captured me from the very first page and I loved seeing her development. She’s one of my favorites and I can’t wait to see her get even stronger.

Then we get to see Tyler’s twin, Scarlett Jones who just so happens to be the Face of the squad. I didn’t know what to think of her at first, but she really grew on me. She’s very cocky and confident in her sexuality and isn’t afraid to flaunt her femininity. Basically she’s a futuristic sci-fi version of Isabelle Lightwood but with more smooth talking and sarcasm and a lot less demon fighting.

Next up we have Cat Brannock aka “Zero” who has been best friends with the twins since they were all 5 years old. She’s the Ace of the squad and just like Tyler, she graduated top of her class and really knows her way around a ship. I liked her appearance, but that’s where my interest in her stops. I did not like her character at all. She came off kind of racist and territorial. She grew on me a little by the end, but she’s definitely my lease favorite of the cast.

Our next squad member is the one and only Zila Madran. This mysteriously adorable and gorgeous genius is the Brain and boy does that show. The rest of the team find her a little odd, but if I had an IQ as off the charts as her, I’d probably be “odd” too. Her chapters were super short and we honestly didn’t learn that much about her. I was kinda bummed about that. But I really liked her and I hope we find out more of her story in the future!

Then we have the one and only Finian de Karran de Seel aka “Fin“. First of all this guy is disabled and I freaking loved that about him because it didn’t stop him from performing his Gearhead duties. He’s the “class clown” and his sarcasm definitely had me smirking throughout the book. His bisexuality is talked about a lot and I just really loved him and couldn’t get enough of his chapters.

And last, but most definitely not least, is Kaliis Gilwraeth aka “Kal“. He is my favorite character from the novel and I love him with my whole heart. He’s the Tank of the squad and oh boy can he kick some serious butt. Essentially he’s an outcast to his entire race of people and it just really hurts me. He’s a little agnsty, very violent, and misunderstood. I just love him okay.

(all character designs from the talented Kira Night)

Rating: ★★★★★

Aurora Rising was an astounding novel that I’d highly recommend to all fans of these authors, young adult, or just sci-fi in general. This has made it onto my list of all-time favorites and I will most definitely be rereading it in the future. I’m super excited about the next book in the series!

Have you read this yet or want to read it? Let’s discuss!