Aurora's End

September 15, 2021
The final installment of the Aurora Cycle finds Squad 312 in far-flung reaches of space and time, racing to save the galaxy from being consumed by the Ra'haam. After the disastrous battle of Terra that concluded the previous book, this entry opens with the members of Squad 312 in confusion. Squad leader Tyler Jones has just witnessed the abrupt disappearance of the Ra'haam-destroying Eshvaren weapon with Aurora and Kal aboard, while the ship bearing the remaining three members cannot be found at all. Where have they gone? Or rather, when? The weapon needed to save the galaxy has been severely damaged and flung into a terrible future, while Scarlett, Zila, and Finian have gone in the opposite direction, a couple of centuries into the past. Independently, the three cohorts must figure out what they are meant to do within their timelines, how to get back home, and how to defeat the Ra'haam. This volume is the most action-packed of the trilogy, with nonstop plot twists, battles, and revelations at every turn. Loose threads from previous installments are tied up, romances blossom, and throughout, there's no shying away from the violence of battle. Even so, there's room for humor, as the banter and affection between the humanoid squad members, who are diverse in skin tone, remains at the fore. The happy ending may be a tad melodramatic, but who's complaining? An action-packed and satisfying conclusion. (series overview and cast list) (Science fiction. 13-18)

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February 1, 2022

Gr 7 Up-Squad 312 is racing to save the galaxy after the disastrous battle at Terra, but they're not all in the same place, much less the same time. Thrown forward into a dismal future and centuries into the past, our favorite misfits must figure out how to stop the Ra'haam and how to get back to their own time. The stakes have never been higher, but this time they don't even have one another. Kaufman and Kristoff are masters at planting humor into high-stakes action sequences, and this book is no exception. Romance, space plant horror, and the end of life as we know it may be a little melodramatic as the story unfolds, but with such a satisfying ending it's hard to care. While the story wants to be ethnically diverse the truth is: they're mostly aliens. VERDICT A worthwhile conclusion to a highly hyped series.

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