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Tyler Jones is the golden boy, the best in the group of graduating cadets at the space-training school the Aurora Academy, and he is eager to use the privileges he’s earned throughout his five years of school to pick the best of his fellow graduates for the perfect six-person squad to work with when they get to start carrying out missions for the interstellar neutral relief organization the Aurora Legion. But as he takes a little time to fly out into the Fold, an interdimensional part of space that makes very long-distance travel possible, just before the “Draft,” he comes across an old spaceship, one that had been lost for two centuries, and which is showing, unbelievably, signs that one passenger is alive.
The dangerous rescue of this one girl who’s been in cryo-sleep for 200 years, coincidentally named Aurora, makes Tyler a hero, but it also makes him miss the Draft. And he’s left with the dregs of the Aurora Academy graduates, plus his loyal twin sister and their best friend from childhood. Somehow, the group of young humans and aliens with all kinds of issues must figure out how to work together.
On their first assignment, which appears to be insultingly easy, they end up deep in a mystery: Aurora (who goes by Auri) ends up on their ship, and they seem to be attracting the attention of important galactic entities, who are bent on killing them and/or capturing Auri. And they can’t let either of those things happen. They have to figure out what exactly makes Auri so important, keep themselves alive —and maybe even help save the universe.
I put Aurora Rising on my to-read list without even reading the summary because I knew it was guaranteed I would like another YA space book from Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Their Illuminae series was fast-paced and super-entertaining, and this new book is the same. The characters are fun; there’s action galore, bits of space science, romance, witty banter … I can’t wait for more in the series!
Rated: Moderate. There are one instance of strong language and maybe 15 or 20 uses of moderate or mild language. Sexual content doesn’t even involve any kissing, but the characters talk about past relationships vaguely alluding to having had sex. There are some double-entendres and mature talk but without many details. These are 18- and 19-year-olds who are pretty worldly (or extra-worldly).
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