I loved the first book and this one didn't disappoint. The science in this book is surprisingly detailed and added so much to the book immersive ability. The action scenes are superb as is the character development. The cliffhanger ending was so cruel.

I definitely enjoyed reading this book and I'll start by saying that you definitely don't need to have read book one to get to grips with the plot. I don't doubt that you miss out on some of the worldbuilding and finer points of the story, but broadly speaking you can get by without. 

The plot of this book reminded me a little of Zero Repeat Forever in the sense that it's sort-of non-humans falling in love with humans despite the world suggesting otherwise. This book has a far heavier science fiction element, probably because Noemi as a character has more access to tech and space travel than the setting in Zero Repeat Forever. I thought that the way this world was set up, with multiple planets linked together in a loop, was well executed, though there seems to have been less travel than in the first book. 

This is one of those books that engage with ethical discussions through a science fiction lense. It's not unique in that sense, but this was a well thought out way of doing it. Especially since ideas like this often run their course in the first book, leaving the second feeling a little bit flat. In this case, it felt to me as if new ideas were being explored within the same setting, which was nice. 

There is a strong romance flavour to this novel, it's clear from the get-go. However, I thought it was well handled and worked well with the other plot elements to form a cohesive story. I thought that the connection between Noemi and Abel was well-established even without having had the first novel to set it up, but it also wasn't (for me) annoying or forced. You definitely care for these characters from early on. 

I thought this was a very strong book, it deals with difficult concepts in an easy to understand way, it tackles the idea of personhood and place in a powerful manner, and on top of all of that, it is an interesting and engaging story. 

Should you read this? I think it is worth reading, especially if you like lighter science fiction with a romance element to it. If you like ZRF you will certainly enjoy this.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Defy the Worlds releases on April 3rd 2018 so be sure to preorder if you want to read it as soon as possible!

I received a digital advanced review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a worthy sequel to the first book with once again excellent world building, endearing characters and some big themes tackled. In this instance it's the age old sci-fi question 'what makes you human? what makes you humane?' I really enjoyed Gray's exploration of that. Packed with a fun and somewhat terrifying look at the science of the future, this series is not to be missed. My main niggle is that it ended on such a cliffhanger and I hate it when author's do that!

This book was such a wild ride. There was so much action and I'm a little shook up after finishing it haha
Noemi and Abel are such amazing characters, and I love seeing Abel grow throughout these books.
The science and technology in these stories is so well thought out, although a little scary look for the future!

I'd say I didn't like this book quite as much as the first one, I can't place why exactly, I just didn't feel quite as amazed this time around.
But the action sequences in this book were fantastic and so well written. I think this series would make amazing films.

Warning though: this book does end on quite the cliffhanger, and I'm slightly broken haha

4.5/5

I found it hard to find myself back in this world after so long between this and this and the previous. Maybe at another time I would have enjoyed it more.

Did not finish.