Avalon: Review

Synopsis:

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.

***

Avalon takes space traveling to a whole new level. The concept of metatech, starships traveling between stars that lies thousands of light years from each other as well as Earth (aka First Earth), the corruption of the ITA, all the secrets behind ITA...this makes up one of the greatest story I've ever read.

Avalon is unique. There are no good guys in the book. Not even the main protagonist, Jeth. Everyone has their own agenda and ends. And they will do anything -- including betraying their own family or friends in order to achieve their goal. The big bad hides a lot of secrets. Secrets that will have you stunned and horrified. These leads to only one thing: Surprises. And Avalon is full of surprises. Right from the first chapter of the book. And the trend continues in the book, leaving me breathless and awed.

Despite all the betrayal and secrets in Avalon, one thing stands out from all the darkness: loyalty. The loyalty of Jeth's crew towards Jeth is remarkable. Even when Jeth makes wrong decisions. Even when the whole team is on the verge of dying. Even if they are safe from harm. They don't leave Jeth behind. It's not something you will see every day in this world, let alone the dark futuristic world. 

I'm so glad that I find a great new series. My only regret is that I didn't buy Proxy from Amazon. I'm sure Proxy will be a good prequel for a book as explosive as Avalon. 

Rating: 8.5/10