Book Discussion: Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen

NOTE: Nyxia Unleashed is the Sequel to Nyxia by Scott Reintgen. As usual I will include as few spoilers for Nyxia Unleashed, but there will probably be significant spoilers for Nyxia in this post. If you think you might be interested in reading this series, but you haven’t read Nyxia yet, you can find my spoiler free discussion for book 1 here.

 

I am a huge fan of Nyxia, and I was so excited to get my hands on Nyxia Unleashed, so this review is long overdue.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, here’s the cover:

And here’s the synopsis:

Emmett Atwater thought Babel’s game sounded easy. Get points. Get paid. Go home. But it didn’t take long for him to learn that Babel’s competition was full of broken promises, none darker or more damaging than the last one.

Now Emmett and the rest of the Genesis survivors must rally and forge their own path through a new world. Their mission from Babel is simple: extract nyxia, the most valuable material in the universe, and play nice with the indigenous Adamite population.

But Emmett and the others quickly realize they are caught between two powerful forces—Babel and the Adamites—with clashing desires. Will the Genesis team make it out alive before it’s too late?

 

One of the biggest complaints floating around about Nyxia was that the whole book builds up to contact with an alien species on an alien planet, but it didn’t happen in book one. I didn’t have any problem with this, and the reason why is realized here in book 2. Reintgen holds back the big reveal until volume 2, which makes for less of a “middle book” feel. Introduction of an alien race, and the building of an alien world ensure that Nyxia Unleashed doesn’t fall flat as many middle volumes in a trilogy tend to do. Point goes to Reintgen.

Speaking of worldbuilding, I will say that I expected a bit more. There’s a lot there, to be sure, but we’re dealing with a whole new planet. Reintgen gives just enough for the story to unfold, leaving many details to be assumed by the reader. That’s a viable strategy, but an alien planet is a tough setting in which to employ it, especially considering the anticipation of arrival felt by the characters and the reader alike. The result here is a planet that’s presumed to be very similar to Earth. Whether or not that’s the intent is unclear to me.

Alright, the criticism is out of the way, and it’s time to go back to talking about why Reintgen is one of the best writing in the genre right now.

The cast of Characters from the Genesis crew, already very well developed, continue to grow and interact in ways that are totally believable. They are what made Nyxia exceptional, and that trend continues in Nyxia Unleashed. I particularly enjoy that Reintgen allows Emmet and the others to make mistakes in a way that many authors do not. Speculative YA authors all too often seem to forget that we’re writing about kids put into extreme situations. Hard lessons need to be learned, and that’s where Reintgen hits it out of the park.

I won’t give too much away about the Adamites here, but I do want to note that I’m pleased with their introduction and development. They are the strongest aspect of Reintgen’s worldbuilding, and the individual characters among them are a great addition to those we’re already familiar with.

If you liked nyxia, (talking about the substance here, not the book itself) you’ll be pleased with its continued use in book 2. The Genesis crew continue to discover creative uses for it, and witness even more at the hands of the true masters of its manipulation, the Adamites.

Not everything on Eden is fun and games though. As the Genesis crew learned in Nyxia, nothing is straightforward where their employers, Babel Communications are concerned. Once they’ve arrived on Eden, they begin to suspect that their presence might serve a totally different purpose to Babel than they’ve been lead to believe, while the intentions of their Adamite hosts may also unclear. The Genesis crew soon find that they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place on an unfamiliar world.

Time to wrap this up before I give too much away.

In short: Reingten’s Nyxia triad continues to impress in Nyxia Unleashed. While worldbuilding on the planet Eden leaves some to be desired, spectacular character development still shines through. Nyxia Unleashed is thoroughly engaging and leaves the reader eagerly awaiting the final volume.

 

Any thoughts? Chime in below!