Avalon by Mindee Arnett

Avalon by Mindee Arnett
Avalon #1
Release Date: January 21, 2014
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Star Rating: ★★★★
Rating: Essential

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.

Stealing a spaceship shouldn't be this easy.

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Avalon is on a lot of people's most anticipated books for this year, and I can say that I am almost certain that most people will end up really enjoying it. Science fiction is my favourite genre, and Avalon is packed full of space-y goodness. You sci-fi fans should definitely give it a go, and even if you're hesitant towards the genre, you should know that it's not necessarily the sci-fi element that makes it fantastic. Sure, it's set in space and there are spaceships, but the most important part of the plot is the family part. The action is pretty good too. 

Avalon reminds me a lot of These Broken Stars in that way that it pulled me into the story. I was sucked in right away, and I especially enjoyed the fact that there was minimal romance, and more teenage criminals. I don't know about you, but thieves/pirates will always be my downfall.

Avalon is packed full of action, and I found it to be a hard book to put down. There was so much going on without having the relationships being overridden. There were gun fights, impressive escapes, some exploring... it was all going on and I loved it. There was even a twist that I didn't see coming, even though now that I think about it it was totally obvious, in an "in plain sight" kind of way. Those are the best kinds of twists because they mess with my brain.

The romance, as I said, wasn't a huge focus. It took a back seat to the overall theme of family, and I really appreciated that Mindee Arnett did that, especially in a space adventure. I thought that the romance was a bit rushed for my liking, and I didn't feel any chemistry between the two characters. While I really liked them both individually, I didn't see any chemistry or connection there. I am a fan of slow relationships, though, so almost everything is too fast for me.

Jeth was a really good main character. I enjoyed reading about his backstory and his inner conflict when it came to making decisions for the group of teenagers that he travelled with. We also got some brief history on the other characters that he was with, and I hope to see more of them in the sequel because they all have a story to tell, I'm sure. 

Avalon was a very engaging read, and it definitely made up for Arnett's less than stellar debut, The Nightmare Affair. I had a lot of fun reading it, and it's exactly what I needed when I was in search of something that was action-packed, but with the underlying theme of family and friends that I so often seek out.