ARC Review: The Edge of the Abyss by Emily Skrutskie

Title: The Edge of the Abyss Series: The Abyss Surrounds Us #2 Written by: Emily Skrutskie Published: April 18, 2017 by Flux (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Three weeks have passed since Cassandra Leung pledged her allegiance to the ruthless pirate-queen Santa Elena and set free Bao, the sea monster Reckoner she’d been forced to train. The days as a pirate trainee are long and grueling, but it’s not the physical pain that Cas dreads most. It’s being forced to work with Swift, the pirate girl who broke her heart.  But Cas has even bigger problems when she discovers that Bao is not the only monster swimming free. Other Reckoners illegally sold to pirates have escaped their captors and are taking the NeoPacific by storm, attacking ships at random and ruining the ocean ecosystem. As a Reckoner trainer, Cas might be the only one who can stop them. But how can she take up arms against creatures she used to care for and protect?  Will Cas embrace the murky morals that life as a pirate brings or perish in the dark waters of the NeoPacific?

*** I received an advance copy of this book from Michelle who got it from the publisher at ALA in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I really liked the first book in this series and I was so excited to be able to read an advance copy of the second book. And while it's very different, it's just as good and maybe even better.

The Edge of the Abyss for one thing has and amazing and action-packed plot. I mean it's a book about pirates and sea monsters, how can it not be thrilling! And boy was it. There are so many amazing action scenes throughout the book and it really builds to an exciting climax. There was even so much build up that in the last twenty pages I made the decision to go somewhere late rather than not finish. It was that exciting. It took me just a few days to finish it because I really couldn't put it down.

The other great thing about this book is the world. I would say that much of the first book was about the Reckoners or sea monster, but most of this book is about the pirates. We get to see so much more about the inner workings of he pirate society here and even get to meet more of them. It was really interesting and I loved seeing Cas trying to figure out her place as a Reckoner trainer turned pirate. But don't think there are no sea monsters because there are. Oh man, there are plenty. Even that is expanded a little bit and we get to see them in action both wild and trained and it was really cool. These two things work together really well and definitely made for a fantastic and engaging world.

This book too has some great characters. In the first book we slowly got to know the crew of the Minnow. They're pirates so obviously they walk that fine line between good and bad. That line definitely got explored further in this book and I loved that. But no one got that exploration more than Cas. I really like her as a character. She's so complex. She's one of those characters who really tries to do the best thing even if that means doing some bad things for a good reason. I love those kinds of characters and it's one of the things I like about Cas. Plus she's so sassy. But all the characters here are great.

And honestly, I even like the romance here. The best part about it is that it's not easy. You can tell that the characters are deeply for one another but they are still constantly fighting. It's so on-again and off-again which I actually appreciate. It felt realistic and not forced. It's great to see that in a relationship. Plus it's a f/f relationship which added an even better level of awesomeness. In the end I totally ship it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a fast and action-packed read. I loved the first book in the series and this book is just as good if not better with a thrilling plot, an interesting world, and complex characters.

I give The Edge of the Abyss by Emily Skrutskie 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you enjoyed The Abyss Surrounds Us you will love this book. And if you haven't read that and you are looking for a thrilling book about pirates check this series out. It's great.

Have you read The Edge of the Abyss? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie

Title: The Abyss Surrounds Us Series: The Abyss Surrounds Us #1 Written by: Emily Skrutskie Published: February 8, 2016 by Flux (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: For Cassandra Leung, bossing around sea monsters is just the family business. She’s been a Reckoner trainer-in-training ever since she could walk, raising the genetically-engineered beasts to defend ships as they cross the pirate-infested NeoPacific. But when the pirate queen Santa Elena swoops in on Cas’s first solo mission and snatches her from the bloodstained decks, Cas’s dream of being a full-time trainer seems dead in the water.  There’s no time to mourn. Waiting for her on the pirate ship is an unhatched Reckoner pup. Santa Elena wants to take back the seas with a monster of her own, and she needs a proper trainer to do it. She orders Cas to raise the pup, make sure he imprints on her ship, and, when the time comes, teach him to fight for the pirates. If Cas fails, her blood will be the next to paint the sea.  But Cas has fought pirates her entire life. And she's not about to stop.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed by my opinion. ***

I went into this book thinking that it was going to be more of a hard SciFi novel and that's not what this book was. But strangely, that was not a disappointment. The Abyss Surrounds Us was not what I expected, in fact it was better than that. It was a fantastic read with an interesting world, great characters, and a fast-paced plot.

I was instantly engaged in the world of this book. It was this fantastic combination of a dystopian setting, fantasy creatures, and swashbuckling pirates. The world here definitely comes alive with a great show instead of tell style of world-building. I read this book as part of my pirates month so the sea faring aspects were fantastic and engaging but that was only the start of why this world was so good. It's a futuristic setting with fractured states and risks of pirates attacking ships that in and of it self would have been cool but it goes deeper than that. But what I liked is that it doesn't come right out and tell you about the inequalities of the world. You see them, you sense them, you feel them. This book had some great under currents of power and control which I loved. I also really enjoyed the fantasy creatures, the sea monsters. There was some great science involved with their creation and training. It felt rooted in real life which made it really interesting. Plus they were seriously badass.

But all the characters were just as badass, amazingly, and complex Most of the book took place on the pirate ship so there was a diverse and quirky cast of characters to meet and love, including a super devious villain that was terrifying and mysterious which I loved. But the best character was the main character. I almost immediately connected with Cas, and well it was more than the fact that she and I share a name. She was a wonderful strong female protagonist. Despite being captured by pirates and being in a very vulnerable position, and scared of what will happen to her, she doesn't take crap from anyone. She's tough and smart. But she's not perfect. She's a fantastic combination of brash and reckless while overthinking things at the same time. She was real and complex and I was so invested in her struggle. I was also invested in her relationships, especially the romance. This was a great slowburn romance. Like painfully slow at times. You could feel the growing attraction and affection between the characters but it wasn't until almost the end that things really happened for them. And it was also really great to see that portrayed in a f/f relationship. Not only do you not see that very often but it's super rare in SciFi/Fantasy.

Everything in this book combined to create a fast-paced and engaging plot. The Abyss Surrounds Us is not a long book. at under 300 pages it is a quick read. But that's not because of a lack of pages. I cruised through reading this book because the plot was engaging and interesting. For one thing, there was tons of cinematic action scenes and lots of high-stakes adventure on the high seas that really kept me reading. There was lots of drama between Cas and the pirates that kept me engaged as well. And while the twists weren't really surprising, but they weren't predictable either. It all flowed really well as things built to a thrilling conclusion.  I'm pretty sure this is the start of a series and I really liked that while it left things open for more, there was a clear conclusion and resolution. But I definitely need more. I need to know what happens next because I am seriously hooked.

On the whole, The Abyss Surrounds Us was a great book full of adventure, quirky and complex characters, a thrilling plot, and an interesting world. I enjoyed it so much despite the fact that it wasn't what I was expecting. It was a great read and I can't wait to see what's next for this world and this debut author.

I give The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you are looking for something different look no further. If you are like strong female protagonists, pirates, or a world full of fantasy creature then check this book out. It a fast an fun reading that I would definitely recommend.

Have you read The Abyss Surrounds Us? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!