Unearthed Series, Book 1

November 20, 2017
In this fast-paced SF adventure from the coauthors of the Starbound trilogy, a scholar and a scavenger reluctantly join forces to unravel the secrets of an alien temple. For 16-year-old Mia Radcliffe, discovering the long-lost technology of an extinct race known as the Undying could allow her to free her sister from indentured servitude. Jules Addison wants to redeem the reputation of his father, who decoded the Undying’s transmission and then repudiated his own work. Together, they must solve the Undying’s riddles and traps, all while being pursued by a ruthless mercenary team bent on exploiting the temple’s supposed riches. As Mia and Jules learn to trust—even care for—each other amid constant tension and brushes with death, they come closer to uncovering the Undying’s greatest secret. Mia and Jules have chemistry and work well together, their partnership is entertaining and believable, and the villains and dangers are similarly plausible. A nerve-racking cliffhanger will leave readers eager for the second half of this planned duology. Ages 14–up. Agency: Adams Literary.

January 1, 2018

POPGr 9 Up-Mia, a scavver from the dregs of dystopian future Chicago, and Julian, a genius British student with a family history he wants to hide, are an unlikely pair to explore the hidden depths of an ancient Undying temple on Gaia. Decades ago, Earth intercepted a message sent by an alien race known as the Undying-a message that was both a promise of greatness and also a warning. Since then, scientists and scavvers alike have been traveling to Gaia, attempting to uncover the treasures promised in the Undying message. Jules and Mia have different missions, but as they continue to unravel the temple's-and Undying peoples'-secrets, their combined strength and intelligence prove critical to escaping the temple to share their earth-shattering discovery with humanity before it's too late. A fast-paced plot, likable characters, and creative world-building guarantee this volume will find a following, especially with readers of Kaufman and Jay Kristoff's "The Illuminae Files" and the authors' "Starbound" trilogy. Mia, an intelligent, physically and emotionally strong female lead takes agency over her life and thinks on her feet, while Jules provides a gentler, quieter counterbalance. Their careful romance enhances, rather than overshadows, the intriguing mystery surrounding the Undying and the temple's hidden dangers. While the story drags slightly in the middle, interesting discoveries keep the plot moving forward in exciting, unpredictable ways. A twist ending leaves the door wide open for an equally engaging sequel. VERDICT A first choice, likely to be popular with teens.-Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, St. Paul Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2017
Two young people join forces in the abandoned temples of the planet Gaia in this sci-fi series opener.After successfully (and illegally) gaining passage to Gaia, Amelia, a white American, is raiding its temples to earn passage back to Earth only to be caught by other scavengers. She's saved by Jules Addison, a young, black English archaeologist, who interrupts the tense encounter between Amelia and the scavengers. After temporarily escaping capture, Jules and Amelia decide to help each other. They carry their own secret motives about why they wish to access the temples. Jules wants to find clues his father knows exists on Gaia to save Earth, clues left by the coded messages of the Undying. Amelia desperately needs money to save her sister. It is their respective altruistic intentions that lead them into a dangerous plot much bigger than their own. Only slightly varying cliched tropes--smart guy meets rebel girl--Kaufman and Spooner offer little imagination in this forced coupling, nor in the Latino side characters. Related in the protagonists' alternating voices, the complex back story regarding Earth's apocalyptic decline due to devastating climate change and how humans discovered Gaia tantalizes readers. Instead, these potentially engaging details are glossed over and compressed into Jules' early chapters, where telling and not showing slows the story down.Readers would be more invested in the ending if they could experience the actual beginning. (Science fiction. 14-18)

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December 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 Kaufman and Spooner team up to deliver an action-driven sf adventure that tips its hat to Indiana Jones. In a future where Earth's resources have dwindled to critical levels, hope lies in recovering the technology of an extinct alien race, ironically named the Undying, left behind on Gaia, a planet in another galaxy. On its canyon-scarred surface, Ameliaa member of an illegal scavver expedition to Gaia (intended to plunder the planet's technology)finds herself in danger after stumbling upon a rival, mercenary group of scavvers. She escapes with the unexpected help of Jules Addison, the genius son of Earth's leading expert on the Undying. The teens' reluctant alliance quickly develops into attraction as they try to outrun the scavvers and make their way through an ancient temple's puzzle-driven defenses. Alternating chapters reveal the compelling backstories and warring emotions of Amelia and Jules, while excitement and double-crosses fuel the plot. The fates of the protagonists and of Earth hang in the balance at the book's end, clearly signaling a sequel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)