Aurora Burning: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

We meet again!

I’m too excited to jump back into this so I’m really not even going to do an intro. Here we go :)

Brief Synopsis:

The utter destruction that Squad 312 left in the ending of Aurora Rising is waiting for them as soon as Aurora Burning begins. They’ve left Cat behind to be taken over by the Ra’haam, against their own will, and they’re just trying to get the hell away from everyone/thing that is trying to destroy all of them. Mostly Auri. But, you know, solidarity.

This time, a new foe is thrown into the mix and it’s someone closer to them than they first imagined: Kal’s sister, Saedii. She’s a nasty one, too. She desperately wants Kal to join with the Unbroken and it seems like she will stop at nothing to make that happen. An attempt to dive deeper into Auri’s history and continue their journey to stop the Ra’haam results in Saedii and her crew taking Squad 312 hostage, but come on guys, they’ve gotten themselves out of stickier situations than being captured by a bunch of blood thirsty enemies before.

While in her clutches, Tyler tries to learn more about Saedii and see if there is possibly any decency left within her. Though Zila uses her quick thinking to get them out of captivity, they ultimately end up having to leave one of their rank behind: their squad leader, though it kills them all to do it. The last time they see Tyler, him and Saedii are being captured by the GIA.

The rest of the squad know that it’s still up to them to stop Ra’haam and save everyone else, and they decide that they just have to believe that they’re on the right trajectory. This belief is backed when seemingly unimportant gifts given to them (planted seven years ago, which makes zero sense) start to do the unthinkable: save their lives.

A blast that should have killed Kal is blocked by the cigarillo box that was gifted to him that he had on his person. How was it predicted that that would be needed? Inside the box is a note that is seemingly in Fin’s handwriting, with a message to tell the truth. How did he write a note seven years ago about something that was going to happen in the future? Of course, they have no damn idea.

They continue onto their journey, now separate, and the story goes. Tyler ends up making a very… unwelcome but interesting connection with Saedii, and in turn they both have revelations of their own about the upcoming battle, the world itself, the enemies. They learn far more than any of them had known by themselves before, and all that’s really left for them is being able to break out of their captivity before the bastards of the GIA end up killing them both. Meanwhile, Aurora goes on a journey of her own, bringing Kal along.

They find out just who the Eshvaren are, and they journey into the Echo so that Auri can channel her power and become the trigger that she’s supposed to be. The ancients end up pissing her off, though, and after what is months for them but hours for the rest of the squad waiting for them, they take off. It had an effect on Auri regardless, and she’s different when she emerges. Seemingly more ready for her fate than before.

Another revelation comes due to the Starslayer, and the group gets even more divided than before. A final battle looms, and it really becomes so confusing as to who is actually on the right side of things anymore.

Concluding this book honestly made me SO HAPPY that I didn’t jump the gun and start reading them before the third one came out, because good God, that ending. Having to actually sit and wait to find out what happened to the squad would have been a literal form of torture.

My Rating:

10/10. I am just inhaling these books and I couldn’t be happier about it. I haven’t been this invested in a while and I’m so happy.

Favorite Quote(s):

“She is a dream, alive and warm in my arms, and I burn with the feel of her, the smell of her, the taste of her. She is smoke and starlight, she is blood and fire, she is a song in my veins as old as time and deep as the Void, and as I feel her surge against me, the flutter-soft touch of her tongue against mine, she almost destroys me.”

“No matter what the storybooks say, monsters rarely look the part.”

A book I read with similar vibes:

Okay, the humor is so reminiscent of the Percy Jackson novels that I really don’t know how I didn’t see it before. The sexuality is definitely turned up, but it reminds me a ton of Riordan’s writing.

Check out my Goodreads (Traci Bishop) to see what I’m currently reading and to see a good chunk of the books I have already read. My Instagram can be found on the home page and I will share whenever a new post is up as well!

Until next time <3