Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff | ARC Review

Aurora Burning
by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
Series: The Aurora Cycle #2
Published on May 5, 2020 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Format: eARC
Pages: 512
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

First, the bad news: an ancient evil—you know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy deal—is about to be unleashed. The good news? Squad 312 is standing by to save the day. They’ve just got to take care of a few small distractions first.

Like the clan of gremps who’d like to rearrange their favorite faces.

And the cadre of illegit GIA agents with creepy flowers where their eyes used to be, who’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on Auri.

Then there’s Kal’s long-lost sister, who’s not exactly happy to see her baby brother, and has a Syldrathi army at her back. With half the known galaxy on their tails, Squad 312 has never felt so wanted.

When they learn the Hadfield has been found, it’s time to come out of hiding. Two centuries ago, the colony ship vanished, leaving Auri as its sole survivor. Now, its black box might be what saves them. But time is short, and if Auri can’t learn to master her powers as a Trigger, the squad and all their admirers are going to be deader than the Great Ultrasaur of Abraaxis IV.

Shocking revelations, bank heists, mysterious gifts, inappropriately tight bodysuits, and an epic firefight will determine the fate of the Aurora Legion’s most unforgettable heroes—and maybe the rest of the galaxy as well.

Review

Erm…So…The thing is…I have been absolutely dreading writing this review. I wish I could go back in time and be all like, “Hey! Katie! Maybe don’t go into Aurora Burning with SUCH high expectations!” Because let’s be honestly, I was so hyped for this book. Aurora Rising was absolutely one of my favorite books from last year. I was blown away by it! So, naturally, I was pretty darn excited for it’s sequel. And…I just…I haven’t been this disappointed in a book in a really long time. (And I might be taking it a *little* bit personal)

Ok, I guess I should say that just because I’m ultra disappointed in Aurora Burning, it’s not a bad book. I just don’t think it’s as good as it should have been. It felt entirely phoned in to me, which is something I’m seeing more of lately and I. Hate. It. But that’s a whole other rant for a whole other day. But while Aurora Burning maybe wasn’t bad, per say, it definitely wasn’t anywhere near as good as the first book.

First, those characters that I fell in love with in book one. They just…weren’t as good this go around. And it’s hard to pinpoint why exactly? I just felt like there was a wall between them and me, like I could never relate to any of them as much as I did before. Zila got a bit more of a spotlight this time, and her chapters were actually some of my favorites. But for everyone else, especially Aurora, they either felt stiff or boring, or both. Saedii, one of the new characters, was awesome, and I wanted more of her, but even she couldn’t save this book for me. The relationships started in the first book continued in this one, but as they grew it never felt natural. I still don’t quite buy Aurora and Kal as a couple and that feeling was strengthen by how rushed their story felt in this installment.

Now for the story. I was bored for like, most of the book. I kept shocking myself with how much I wanted to set this aside in favor of a different read. All of the action that kept me glued to the first book was missing in this one. There were some good moments, and admittedly some were very good, but it wasn’t the nonstop action I was expecting from a group of characters on the run. All of the in between moments felt so drawn out and my mind kept drifting as I read. At the end things finally started to pick up, but that leads me to my final issue…

What was that ending?! Look, I like a good cliffhanger as much as the next gal. In fact, I love cliffhangers. They’re what keep me eager for the next book. But with a good cliffhanger, I expect just a little give. I need something in return for having to wait X amount of months/years for the next book. This book gave NOTHING. In fact, it felt like it just ended on the climax. All buildup, buildup, buildup and then BAM! It was over. It didn’t give me that fun, exciting feeling I get from a cliffhanger. It gave me that feeling I get when I at the best part of a movie and my power goes out. It was just over, no new answers, no new questions. When it ended, and I realized there were no more pages, I felt nothing but frustration. And weeks later I’m still feeling that same frustration, that same want for something more to make that ending worth it.

Ah, now I’m sad. And annoyed. I was supposed to love this book. I thought Aurora Burning would be in my top five of the year. It definitely won’t be. I’m still reeling from how disappointed I feel in this book. I am planning to finish the series, but from this point on I’ll be going into subsequent books hesitantly instead of eagerly. The funny thing is, I think a lot of people will love this one, so maybe it’s me and not the book. But I’d say that if you’re as excited for Aurora Burning as I was, maybe consider going into it with lowered expectations…