Into the Black

by Ava Jae

Overview

The world ruler is dead, technology foundational to their society has been destroyed, and Safara is on the brink of collapse. Half-human, half-alien Eros is the rightful heir to the world throne, but before he can return to the capital, he’s abducted by a rebel group of humans who call themselves The Remnant—and they won’t release him until he swears to help them overthrow the very government he’s inheriting.

With Eros missing, ex-queen Kora is determined to stave off mad grabs for the throne. But as royalty from across the territories flock to the capital, and a new charismatic candidate takes the spotlight, Kora sets off into the desert with a skilled prince-turned-bounty hunter to find Eros before it’s too late for both the future king and his kingdom.

Finding Eros is only half the problem, though; if they can return to the capital, he’ll need to be ready to prove he’s worthy of the throne to the high council, to the Sepharon and human people, and, most importantly, to himself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781510722378
Publisher:	Sky Pony
Publication date:	11/14/2017
Series:	Beyond the Red Trilogy , #2
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Ava Jae is a Latinx tomboy who writes YA speculative fiction featuring marginalized characters grappling with identity. When they aren’t working on their next book, completing freelance editorial work, or buried under their TBR pile, you’ll likely find them on Twitter at @Ava_Jae, where they talk about the importance of representation and throw book recommendations at anyone who will listen. They are also the author of the upcoming Into the Black, the second book in the Beyond the Red trilogy. They reside in Boston, MA.

Editorial Reviews

"Eros and Kora are back after Beyond the Red in a political adventure where the world ruler is dead, important technology is destroyed, and Safara is on the edge of destruction. Eros was named as the rightful heir to the world throne, but many are hesitant to accept a half-human, half-alien as their king—including Eros himself. Ex-avra Kora is determined to find Eros and have him face his destiny, but she cannot do it alone. Royalty across the territories are introduced, including Deimos, who is seemingly on team Eros, and the former ruler Ashen who will stop at nothing to keep Eros off the throne. Told in alternating perspectives, Kora and Eros are again together and torn apart as they navigate their roles as political leaders. The sequel is slower paced than the first, with many open-ended questions left for the trilogy’s conclusion. The exciting world-building of an alien civilization and attention to detail makes up for the lack of action. Sexual content and mature language makes this more appropriate of older readers. VERDICT Fans of Beyond the Red will be eager to see how Kora, Eros, and their new friends evolve in this series sequel. A good choice for postapocalyptic fiction shelves."—School Library Journal

Praise for Beyond the Red

"An engaging and amusing read for fans of sci-fi romance." —School Library Journal

"The breathless pace of the plot, smoldering romance between Kora and Eros, and inventive yet comfortably familiar world will engage science fiction and romance readers alike." —Booklist

"Jae's writing style is a perfect mix of stop and go, and her world comes to life within the first few pages." —Lindsay Cummings, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Zenith

"Dangerous, exciting, and fast-paced . . ." —Francesca Zappia, author of Made You Up

"Eros and Kora are back after Beyond the Red in a political adventure where the world ruler is dead, important technology is destroyed, and Safara is on the edge of destruction. Eros was named as the rightful heir to the world throne, but many are hesitant to accept a half-human, half-alien as their king—including Eros himself. Ex-avra Kora is determined to find Eros and have him face his destiny, but she cannot do it alone. Royalty across the territories are introduced, including Deimos, who is seemingly on team Eros, and the former ruler Ashen who will stop at nothing to keep Eros off the throne. Told in alternating perspectives, Kora and Eros are again together and torn apart as they navigate their roles as political leaders. The sequel is slower paced than the first, with many open-ended questions left for the trilogy’s conclusion. The exciting world-building of an alien civilization and attention to detail makes up for the lack of action. Sexual content and mature language makes this more appropriate of older readers. VERDICT Fans of Beyond the Red will be eager to see how Kora, Eros, and their new friends evolve in this series sequel. A good choice for postapocalyptic fiction shelves."—School Library Journal

Praise for Beyond the Red

"An engaging and amusing read for fans of sci-fi romance." —School Library Journal

"The breathless pace of the plot, smoldering romance between Kora and Eros, and inventive yet comfortably familiar world will engage science fiction and romance readers alike." —Booklist

"Jae's writing style is a perfect mix of stop and go, and her world comes to life within the first few pages." —Lindsay Cummings, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Zenith

"Dangerous, exciting, and fast-paced . . ." —Francesca Zappia, author of Made You Up

From the Publisher

11/01/2017
Gr 8 Up—Eros and Kora are back after Beyond the Red in a political adventure where the world ruler is dead, important technology is destroyed, and Safara is on the edge of destruction. Eros was named as the rightful heir to the world throne, but many are hesitant to accept a half-human, half-alien as their king—including Eros himself. Ex-avra Kora is determined to find Eros and have him face his destiny, but she cannot do it alone. Royalty across the territories are introduced, including Deimos, who is seemingly on team Eros, and the former ruler Ashen who will stop at nothing to keep Eros off the throne. Told in alternating perspectives, Kora and Eros are again together and torn apart as they navigate their roles as political leaders. The sequel is slower paced than the first, with many open-ended questions left for the trilogy's conclusion. The exciting world-building of an alien civilization and attention to detail makes up for the lack of action. Sexual content and mature language makes this more appropriate of older readers. VERDICT Fans of Beyond the Red will be eager to see how Kora, Eros, and their new friends evolve in this series sequel. A good choice for postapocalyptic fiction shelves.—Emily Bayci, Naperville Public Library-Naper Boulevard Library, IL

School Library Journal

2017-08-27
The revelation of Eros' parentage in Beyond the Red (2016) leads to political intrigues and a change in his relationship with Kora.Half-human, half-Sepharon Eros, the son and heir to the Sira, is less concerned with the Sepharon than taking care of his 13-year-old human nephew, Mal, who struggles with partial blindness from the earlier attempted nanite genocide. Eros decides to take Mal to the Sepharon city Asheron to beg for medical treatment. In chapters that alternate in Kora's voice, it's revealed that to abort that genocide, all nanites were disabled, severely setting back Sepharon technology and destabilizing their civilization. Now an Emergency Council has been called to decide a new Sira, and Kora needs Eros to return and fight for his place. Her holding pattern is finally disrupted by charismatic Deimos, and the two go to find Eros—who has found human rebels who want him to become Sira, help take down the government, and bring equality to the two species. Padded exposition, endless cast introductions (including similarly named characters), and Sepharon words draw out the first act. The fun starts once Eros makes a play for the throne in earnest, a plotline with surprises. While the romance between him and Kora fizzles, he gains a new one that grows out of a friendship—and Kora gains a storyline separate from him. Most characters of either species are brown-skinned, and there's positive LGBTQ representation. The ending sets up the trilogy closer. Distracting alien language and languid first act aside, an improvement on the first outing. (Science fiction. 13-17)

Kirkus Reviews