I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Unearthed by Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner Published by Disney Hyperion on January 9th 2018
Pages: 318
Source: ARC from Publisher
Amazon-Indiebound
Goodreads
When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.
For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.
In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race...
My Thoughts:
I absolutely adored Amie and Meagan’s first co-authored series, The Starbound Trilogy. (These Broken Stars * This Shattered World * Their Fractured Light) When I heard they had another series coming (and that it was described as Indiana Jones in space!) I was so in.
Unearthed by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner has two narrators: Mia and Jules. As the book summary says, they are both on Gaia for very different reasons. At least, it appears that way on the surface. As we get to know the characters we see that they may have more in common than they realized. I loved getting the story from both of their perspectives. It was so interesting to get their takes on the world they are in. Even more than that, I loved watching the ways their perceptions of one another changed as they got to know each other. So much tension!
Another aspect I really enjoyed about this one was the archaeology component. One of the most obvious reasons Jules is on Gaia is to learn as much as he can about the alien culture that led them there. He’s interested in their language, their customs, the structures they built… everything! He wants to know more about what was behind the transmission that Earth intercepted. The more he learns, the more questions he has. The archaeology geek in me loved this.
I can’t end this review with out talking about the adventure! Mia and Jules are in a race against time from the get-go. Things only get more high stakes as the story progresses. I loved this build up. It kept me turning the pages and drew me further and further into the story.
Unearthed is fast paced and engaging, just my kind of sci-fi!
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