 Written by: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner Published: January 22, 2019 by Disney Hyperion Synopsis: Trapped aboard the Undying's ancient spaceship and reeling from what they've learned there, scavenger Mia and academic Jules are plunged into a desperate race to warn their home planet of the danger humanity's greed has unleashed. From the mountains of Spain to the streets of Prague, the sequel to Unearthed is a white-knuckle ride that will send readers hurtling back to earth, and leave them breathless until the last page. The earth's fate rests in Mia and Jules's hands in the epic conclusion to New York Times best-selling authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner's tomb-raiding sci-fi duology. |
From their very first book together I have been in love with Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner's science fiction reads. When I was read Unearthed last winter I was instantly obsessed. It was creative and enthralling. I couldn't wait for the sequel so I grabbed this audiobook the same day it came out to find out what happened. And I was not disappointed.
With every book I am becoming even more impressed with the plot development of these authors. This book had a very different feel to it. It was more of a classic save the world kind of science fiction story, but it was no less exciting. It took what happened in the first book and raised the stakes in a way that had me on the edge of my seat and worried about what would be happening next. And while there wasn't much of a mystery here, there were some great elements from first book that came back in a big way in this one. The ending particular had me incredibly stressed. The last few chapters were a roller coaster ride of emotions that had me shocked, excited, angry, and so entertained.
However, the plot wasn't perfect. While I love the fact that this was a duology, I almost think it would have worked a little better as a trilogy. There were two concepts in this book that I don't think got their dues because this story needed to resolve everything. With two books they would have had some more breathing room.
That being said, I loved the world of this book. Amie and Megan do a great job creating science fiction worlds, combing science with fantastical ideas of the future. There is so much detail and depth to this world. I don't want to give too much away from the first book in the series but if you read it you know how this book ended and why learning more about the world of this book is so fascinating. I loved being able to learn more about The Undying, like who they are and where they came from. But the cool thing about this book too is that we are brought to earth. We get to see what things are like back on our planet and explore the political dynamics there are as well. Like the plot there was more to learn that we weren't able to get to because everything wrapped up, but what we did have was great.
What surprised me most about this book was the characters. In this one we have the two perspectives of Mia and Jules again. In the first book in the series I wasn't super impressed by either of them and I didn't love the romance. However in this book I did actually connect with them a lot more. Being back on Earth you were really able to feel their motivation and therefore their actions made more sense and had more weight. And because their personal relationship had more time it worked better for me. Plus I like the fact that Mia doubted it and wondered whether or not their romance had longevity, which is something I always think about so this helped me respect it more. Plus I think some additional secondary characters added a needed layer to the book. Dex and Atlanta were great complex antagonists which I appreciated. And the addition of Neil, Jules' cousin, was a much needed addition for both comic relief and as a foil for Jules.
The thing that probably helped the most with me enjoying the characters, however, was the fact that I listened to the audiobook. This was such a fantastic audiobook. The thrilling plot and engaging world translated really well to an audio format, which already had me interested. Then you add the fact that each perspective had a different narrator which is something I am definitely a fan of. Plus, Jules was narrated by Steve West who is one of my all-time favorite narrator. I can't help but fall in love with a character who is narrated by Steve West, it's just not possible.
While I don't think Undying was as good as the first book in this series it was a great read. And lately I have been totally loving science fiction so this was the perfect book to read to satisfy that desire.
I give Undying by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner 9 out of 10 stars
Have you read Undying? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!
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