Home Culture Books The Obsessive Bookseller Reviews: “Nyxia” by Scott Reintgen

The Obsessive Bookseller Reviews: “Nyxia” by Scott Reintgen

September 28, 2017

Book review: “Nyxia” by Scott Reintgen

Series: The Nyxia Triad #1 Genre: Teen Sci-fi The Overview: Goodreads

“Red Rising” fans: I have a YA recommendation for you.

As someone who has admitted to having trouble with young adult books lately, it should come with some extra weight that I loved “Nyxia.” It had a fun concept, fantastic competitions, and a page-turning story that promises even more in the books to come. So, personal endorsements aside, I think it’s important to know what you’re signing up for with “Nyxia.” All the advertising I’ve seen for it describes a gritty “Hunger Games” in space read that initially gave me the impression teens were being dropped on a planet (much like “The 100”) and forced to fight for survival and domination. While this might be true in future books, at the moment the story has very little to do with either space or new world discovery (other than on the periphery).

It is, in fact, a story much more similar to “Survivor” (the show) than “Hunger Games,” where teens subject themselves to grueling competition for eventual monetary rewards. Aside from the cool technology, this story could have taken place at any old facility on Earth. The “space” element of the whole thing was in concept only and definitely an under-realized aspect of the book.

But you know what? The characters and their competitions were so dang interesting, I didn’t care one whit about the lack of world-building.

I am a huge sucker for a book with a good competition, and “Nyxia” contained a nice variety of challenges that had me page-turning endlessly to see what would happen next! Based on how I normally evaluate books, “Nyxia” would receive a solid 4 stars. But because it struck a chord with me (for how well it did the things it did well), I’m giving it an extra half-star for that intangible “it” factor. I can’t wait for the next one!

Recommendations: I think the characters, the writing style, and the overall concept would definitely appeal to “Red Rising” fans, especially if you don’t mind the occasional YA read. It doesn’t have the same grit, but I’m hoping it is shaping up to have the same heart. Don’t go into this one expecting space-exploration and new world discoveries. Go in expecting great competition and loads of fun.

Want more book reviews? Check out my website at nikihawkes.com.

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