Nyxia - Review

Nyxia (The Nyxia Triad, # 1)

By: Scott Reintgen

Publication: September 12th 2017 by Crown Books for Young Readers

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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Goodreads description--Emmett Atwater agrees to leave Earth behind when Babel Communications offers him a fortune. The catch? He has to launch into deep space to get it. One of ten selected recruits, Emmett boards the company's spaceship and sets course for a planet that Babel has kept hidden from the rest of the world.

Before long, Emmett discovers that all of Babel's recruits have at least one thing in common: they're broken. Broken enough that Babel can remold them however it pleases.

Every training session is a ruthless competition where friendships are tested and enemies are made. Each recruit must earn the right to travel down to the planet of Eden-- where they will mine nyxia, substance that has quietly become the most valuable material in the universe.

But Babel's ship is full of secrets. Secrets about the volatile substance they're hoping to mine, about the reclusive humanoids already living on Eden, and about the true intentions for the recruits.

Emmett will face the ultimate choice: win the fortune at any cost, or find a way to fight that won't forever compromise what it means to be human.

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"Brilliant concept meets stellar execution in this fast-paced deep space adventure. I was hooked from page one."
~Victoria Schwab, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

“A high-octane thriller . . . Nyxia grabs you from the first line and never lets go.”
—Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Young Elites series

"Impossible to forget. Impossible to put down. This wonderfully diverse epic is an utterly thrilling binge-worthy treat." —Jay Coles, author of Tyler Johnson Was Here

I got Nyxia for review years ago, and it just kept getting put off. My bad. When I saw it available on audiobook with the elibrary, I put it on hold. It finally came around, and I can mark it off my way overdue books.

Babel Communications has recruited a group of 10 kids in need of financial assistance to take to a new planet in order to mine a substance called nyxia. The trouble: only 8 spots are available, and two recruits will not be taken to Eden. The 10 recruits have to compete in a series of tests to see who will win the 8 spots. These tests are similar to all that we seem to enjoy in series like The Hunger Games, Divergent, Fourth Wing, Red Rising, etc.

Scott Reintgen writes the contestants in a way that you can't help but root for almost all of them. A few are less likeable than the rest, but even their motivations are usually clear and relatable. This gets you attached to characters that you have no idea whether they will be sticking around or not.

Nyxia had no lack of twists. The tests that Babel constantly threw at the kids kept them and the reader on their toes. The recruits don't know who they can trust, and even when they have moments of levity, eventually, they all had to face off against each other. Babel is keeping secrets. And things are never quite what they appear.

Sullivan Jones did a wonderful job narrating Emmett. I felt his attitude, anger, frustration, and fears through his narration.

Nyxia was much better than I expected. I hate that I put off reading it for so long. Emmett's story was gripping, and I wanted to keep listening when I had to stop. Nyxia gets 4 Stars. Have you read (or listened to) Nyxia? What did you think? Let me know!