Aurora Burning: The Aurora Cycle, Book 2

Another riveting space opera from Kaufman and Kristoff, who've combined greater exposition, poignant romance, and even more pulse-popping, high-stakes adventure for a memorable sequel. The Aurora squad is definitely not okay after the heartbreaking events at the end of the first book, and the dead character is mentioned and thought of in a believable manner, since the crew is newly grieving her loss. Some sci-fi/fantasies gloss over the many deaths, even of important characters, but not these co-authors, who've made sure every single surviving character really thinks about the lost person. The story, while overall a riveting read, slows a tad in the second act, particularly when Aurora begins supernatural training to harness her powers. On the flip side, the final epic showdown is almost rushed by comparison, ending with a monumental cliffhanger that's sure to make some fans throw the book.

What makes these authors' books so easy to cherish is their ability to bring the best of their writing strengths together: layered and nuanced characterization, intricate plotting with plenty of twists, expressive, realistic, humorous dialog, and both slow-burning *and* fast-moving romantic relationships. There's also an impressive and seamlessly integrated diversity in this book. The main characters are different colors, backgrounds, sexual identities and orientations, and species, and they each come to terms with biases and stereotypes they held about the others in the group. Even though parts of the book are painful to read, there's joy, laughter, and love too -- they are one another's ride or dies (literally), and together they will defeat the spawning menace ready to infect all of the universe.