Review: Avalon by Mindee Arnett

Avalon by Mindee Arnett
Publisher: Balzar & Bray
Release Date: Jan 21, 2014
Purchase: Amazon / B&N

A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett.

Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light.

Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.

Avalon is the perfect fit for teens new to sci-fi as well as seasoned sci-fi readers looking for more books in the YA space-and a great match for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit show Firefly

My Thoughts:
Sci-Fi books are always a challenge for me.  I usually like them, but picking them up is never easy for some reason.  I'm guessing it might be due to all the strange tech and worlds that always seem to be in each novel, but usually when I do pick one up I am quite satisfied and surprised at how much I truly do like this genre.  Avalon not only held true to this, but it turned out to be one of my favorites among all the other Sci-Fi books on my shelf.

Jeth is a thief, but he is one of the best thieves out there.  With his crew behind him he knows he can pull off any con.  Problem is that he works for Hammer, the crime lord that nobody every thinks to disobey.  Jeth is has to work for him only long enough to earn back his ship Avalon, which his drunken uncle lost in a card game a long time ago.  If Jeth can pull off enough cons he will have just the amount he needs and take his crew including his 13 year old sister with him far far away from Hammer and his reign of terror.  Unfortunately a huge kink gets thrown into his plans when he gets sent on his last job.  All he has to do is retrieve a spaceship that is lost in the Belgrave, don't board it no matter what, and bring it back to Hammer.  Easy right?  Wrong, when Jeth discovers that this ship isn't exactly empty he decides to disobey Hammer and in doing so he opens up a whole can of worms.

This has to be one of the funnest books I have ever read.  It totally kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time!  I absolutely loved that the author chose to make the tough situations real.  There wasn't any overpowering or eye rolling saves.  It all felt real and things didn't always go the way the characters wanted and I loved it.  Sometimes this genre can get a little too much and the heroines don't feel real at all.  Things just always work out for them, but Jeth and his band of misfits learned that things hardly ever go the way they need them too.  With this though they learned how to create opportunities and it was exciting to see them find a way to escape certain situations.  Like I said I was on the edge of my seat wondering how things would turn out and man was it an exciting ride!

The story is very believable which again I sometimes find not all books can pull off.  I could totally grasp the world that Ms.Arnett created and it all made sense.  I really enjoyed her twist thrown in the middle and even though I did guess what the culprit was behind things it was still thrilling to see the reveal.  I really love seeing the light bulb go off in a characters head and when Jeth learns the truth it was like BAM!  I relearned it too and it made it feel like I had never known to begin with.  Ms. Arnett is one talented author!

I think one of my favorite parts was the way the romance was woven in.  It wasn't in your face and it was a very nice spin on the story especially since this was told in Jeths POV.  I thought it was very sweet and took up enough of the story to where I knew it was there, but not enough to where I thought it took center stage. 

The true story is the why's behind the metatech and why Jeth is in the situation he is in.   I am really hoping that there will be a sequel to this and there definitely is enough unanswered questions to make one.  I have to say one more thing before I close out this review.  I will forever be haunted by the spider thingys that the author uses in this story *shudders* She describes them in such detail even down to the suction sounds that I am forever scared.  ICK!  But I have to say it was a brilliant addition to the story and I want to know more!!

5 Snowflakes

*A copy was provided for review by the publisher*