So this was a great start to a new sci-fi series, one that though starting somewhat slowly when it did actually take off it gathered such momentum steamrollering me along for the entire addictive journey.
So the story is told completely from Maité Martinez Pov.
Half Earther and half Aunare Maité is in hiding with her mother from spacetech on Earth.
After her arrest and sham sentence to a volcano prison planet, she soon starts to learn the meaning of what it is to be tortured on a daily basis.
For a YA series, this certainly doesn't pull its punches at all and with fantastic world building and a host of fully dimensional secondary characters, this was a really strong start to this new imaginative sci-fi series.
There wasn't any major romance started in this first instalment but what it does do is set the stage for further progression down the line so I am interested to see where that does go.
a couple of observations from me mainly regarding Maité and her thought process which at times did make me question her actual sanity.
The first being that I don't know why she keeps referencing feeling so safe around Declan considering his current track record with her, well let's just say I am more inclined to agree with Lorne on that subject.
Also, there's a huge difference between pride and privacy and everyone seeing the videos of her time on Abaddon in the grand scheme of things isn't really that much of a major deal, yeh I get the whys of why she didn't want them out there but considering the reasons she really just needs to deal with it after everything thing shes endured its not really a bleep on the radar.
Also, there were times I felt Maité pride prevented her from taking in the bigger picture and what needed to be done whatever her own personal feelings on the matter.
Also after all her strength and resilience throughout her ordeal for her then to go and spit her dummy out just seemed a tad out of character to me.
She basically switched to spoiled brat mode which did confound me slightly.
In conclusion, though this has definitely sucked me in and I really am now invested in what's to come so I will most certainly be watching this space for what’s to come from this series in the near future.
This really was an intense and imaginative introduction to a new series.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Off Planet.
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )

So this was a great start to a new sci-fi series, one that though starting somewhat slowly when it did actually take off it gathered such momentum steamrollering me along for the entire addictive journey.
So the story is told completely from Maité Martinez Pov.
Half Earther and half Aunare Maité is in hiding with her mother from spacetech on Earth.
After her arrest and sham sentence to a volcano prison planet, she soon starts to learn the meaning of what it is to be tortured on a daily basis.
For a YA series, this certainly doesn't pull its punches at all and with fantastic world building and a host of fully dimensional secondary characters, this was a really strong start to this new imaginative sci-fi series.
There wasn't any major romance started in this first instalment but what it does do is set the stage for further progression down the line so I am interested to see where that does go.
a couple of observations from me mainly regarding Maité and her thought process which at times did make me question her actual sanity.
The first being that I don't know why she keeps referencing feeling so safe around Declan considering his current track record with her, well let's just say I am more inclined to agree with Lorne on that subject.
Also, there's a huge difference between pride and privacy and everyone seeing the videos of her time on Abaddon in the grand scheme of things isn't really that much of a major deal, yeh I get the whys of why she didn't want them out there but considering the reasons she really just needs to deal with it after everything thing shes endured its not really a bleep on the radar.
Also, there were times I felt Maité pride prevented her from taking in the bigger picture and what needed to be done whatever her own personal feelings on the matter.
Also after all her strength and resilience throughout her ordeal for her then to go and spit her dummy out just seemed a tad out of character to me.
She basically switched to spoiled brat mode which did confound me slightly.
In conclusion, though this has definitely sucked me in and I really am now invested in what's to come so I will most certainly be watching this space for what’s to come from this series in the near future.
This really was an intense and imaginative introduction to a new series.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Off Planet.
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com ( )

Though Goodreads tells me I've read the second book in the author's other series, Becoming Alpha, I don't remember it and so I'm going to count this as the first book I've read by the author. Very different from her usual books, Off Planet follows a girl named Maite as she goes through life a halfer, half alien race called Aunare, a humanoid species that glows when feeling any exaggerated emotions, and has intricate glyph tattoos all over their bodies. This is one book I can't wait to get a copy of for my bookshelf, and can see myself reading it again, I just love it so much. Now I know that I need to really check out other books by the author.

Check out my full review here!

https://radioactivebookreviews.wordpress.com/2019/04/04/off-planet-aunare-chroni... ( )

This is one of the most exciting reads I've seen this year, and I can't wait to dive into book two.

SpaceTech controls most things on the planet, and powerful as they are, they are at constant odds with the Aunare —an alien culture who leads Earth in many areas. SpaceTech has fought this by killing all Aunarians on the planet. Maite, the daughter of the leader of the Aunarian and part human, has been hiding on Earth ever since the first wave of genocide with her mother, living in constant fear of being discovered, while working at a diner and teaching martial arts in the evenings. When a strange man appears at her apartment and claims to have been searching for her for thirteen years in cooperation with her father, she's not sure whether to be happy or flee. Just before the extraction can happen to meet with her father again, the head of SpaceTech tricks her into committing a so-called crime, and the horror begins.

From the very first page, this story grabbed me in. Maite's plight draws at the heartstrings, especially when it becomes clear that she's doing the best she can...not being stupid...and yet, manages to fight against the corruption and help in her own small way. She's a great fighter but not unbeatable. She walks a tight balance, and it's wonderful to see a character who isn't a complete fool and handles logic, mistakes and troubles with a pretty natural and believable feel.

There are many side characters, but each one holds their own purpose and personality. The author reveals enough backstory to make each character leave an impression while still holding many questions to be answered in the rest of the series. But this is the same as far as Maite is concerned. Her memory has been wiped for very good reasons, and this leaves a wonderful fog for lots of interesting twists and turns to come.

While the first chapters sink into Maite's life and start to give the impression that the story might be slow, the impression is completely incorrect. The tale builds and gains on pacing, not only exposing more and more layers of intrigue but also growing in character depth and tension—harsh, at times—with every passing page. This is even true on the romance end. There are so many hints at what might become a triangle or other interests, but that is not the main thrust of this story, and even this side remains very open for much more in the books to come.

The world building is very well done. The first chapters are very familiar and allow the reader to first gain a connection to Maite before heading off into the stronger science fiction elements. These are built with care and seep in mostly with logic and careful pacing. The one or two stumbles on explanations are easily forgiven and didn't bother the story in the slightest. Science fiction fans definitely get their thrill as the chapters deepen, and the tech and alien possibilities expand in exciting ways.

This is a great begin to a very promising science fiction series, and I'm looking forward to see where the adventure goes next.

I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and was so thrilled by how good this story was that I'm more than willing to leave my thoughts. ( )

There was not one moment of OFF PLANET that I didn't totally love what I was reading.

This story sucked me in and kept me interested until the very end. Maité is a simple yet complicated heroine. All she wants to do is stay under the radar and live her life, but her life was complicated from the moment she was born and she is now learning just who she is and by the end what's expected of her.

I loved the characters and I loved the world. All the characters brought a little something to the storyline and the world was both intriguing and well developed.

There is a bit of a love triangle happening. I like both of the guys, but think one is defiantly MADE for Maité and the attraction to the other is just there because Maité hasn't yet realized the true extent of the connection to the other as well as she is fighting her destiny.

I can't wait to read more. I wish Aileen had book two up on her Goodreads so I could add it to my wishlist and have a date to look forward too.

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )