Voice of Youth Advocates

Technically, Riven is illegal. She is a human with cyborg DNA, engineered by her scientist father to be a perfect soldier. Having fought for an alliance between worlds in The Almost Girl (Sky Pony, 2016), Riven is now in the Otherworld chasing her father in the hope of making him pay for his crimes. But back on Neospes, trouble is brewing, with the fallen prince, Cale, raising an army to restart the Tech war. Even with all the advantages that Riven's cyborg abilities can give them, she and her allies need her father's help to take down Cale, but what he wants in return is Riven's complete surrender.This second book of The Riven Chronicles is packed with action, but knowledge of the first book is helpful for understanding the full story. The conflict between Neospes and the Otherworld is not explained, nor is Riven's personal vendetta against Cale. Imagery is the highlight of this book, particularly the rich descriptions of rare botanical gardens in Avaria, a country where Riven finds new allies. Science fiction fans will find nothing new here, although some steamy scenes between Riven and her love interest, Caden, may appeal to those who like romance with their science fiction. Purchase this book for large collections.Elizabeth Norton.

School Library Journal (Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Gr 9 Up-This is the second formerly defunct Strange Chemistry series to be republished and continued, this time by Sky Pony Press. The first volume, The Almost Girl , appeared back in 2013 and introduced readers to Riven, a 17-year-old girl who arrives on Earth from a parallel world that is dying from a war with androids. Riven is a Legion General, a high-ranking official in Prince Cale's army, and she was not too happy to be sent to Earth to find Cale's long-lost brother, Caden. Riven found herself in a totally different world that she was unprepared to navigate as she was forced to set aside her training as a soldier in order to blend in and act like an average human girl. The second book opens with Riven coming to terms with her true identityshe is such a good soldier because she is a human with cyborg DNA flowing through her veins. Thinking that her home of Neospes is in good hands now that the rightful ruler has been reinstated, she leaves to hunt down her father and make him pay for his crimes against her people. The heroine learns that not all is right in Neospesthat the army has been annihilated and no one is left to stand up against the new threat but Riven and her estranged father. However, her father demands her complete surrender to him in exchange for his help. Will she choose to save herself or give in to her father and save her people? Hand this lesser-known series to fans of "The Hunger Games" and "Divergent" who are still looking for new dystopian battles to get invested in.

ALA Booklist (Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

Riven is hot on the trail of her rogue scientist father when she is called home to Neospes, a city under siege by an unknown force controlling hordes of reptilian killing machines. She must put aside her romantic feelings for the Lord King, her hostility toward her father, and a growing attraction to the elusive Bass in order to save what's left of her world. An engaging combination of soap opera and space cowboys, this sequel to The Almost Girl (2016) charges along from action scene to action scene, with a few tender moments thrown in. The hero is an amped-up girl with cyborg DNA and some nifty tech to both fight and conquer, including portals that move people from Earth to Neospes and its surroundings. Although the action is planetside rather than in true space, give this to readers who liked Star Wars or Melissa Lander's Starflight (2015). As the concluding volume in the Riven Chronicles duology, readers will want to begin with the series' first title.