Avalon

Author: Mindee Arnett
Goodreads Rating: 3.85
Pages: 432
Format: ARC from NYCC13

A ragtag group of teenage mercenaries who crew the spaceship Avalon stumble upon a conspiracy that could threaten the entire galaxy in this fascinating and fast-paced sci-fi adventure from author Mindee Arnett.
Of the various star systems that make up the Confederation, most lie thousands of light-years from First Earth-and out here, no one is free. The agencies that govern the Confederation are as corrupt as the crime bosses who patrol it, and power is held by anyone with enough greed and ruthlessness to claim it. That power is derived from one thing: metatech, the devices that allow people to travel great distances faster than the speed of light.
Jeth Seagrave and his crew of teenage mercenaries have survived in this world by stealing unsecured metatech, and they're damn good at it. Jeth doesn't care about the politics or the law; all he cares about is earning enough money to buy back his parents' ship, Avalon, from his crime-boss employer and getting himself and his sister, Lizzie, the heck out of Dodge. But when Jeth finds himself in possession of information that both the crime bosses and the government are willing to kill for, he is going to have to ask himself how far he'll go to get the freedom he's wanted for so long.
Avalon is the perfect fit for teens new to sci-fi as well as seasoned sci-fi readers looking for more books in the YA space-and a great match for fans of Joss Whedon's cult hit show Firefly.

Let me start this post off by saying how much of love Mindee Arnett, and that everything that she writes will be GOLD for me. I mean, she can do no wrong. I absolutely loved this book. It would seem that lately the popular book trend is books about space. There's These Broken Stars, Avalon, Tin Star and Salvage all this year alone, and I know that I've forgotten one or two. This trend started with Across the Universe and it has only grown from there.

This book was amazing, the love that Jeth felt for his sister Lizzy and for his crew who were very easily his family.  I loved Jeth's story and dedication to saving those around him at his own expense and his strong fight for Avalon. I loved the story of how Avalon was named. I fell in love with every one of these characters. They felt so real to me when they were on a mission and doing their thing.

I pictured Jeth as a young Nathan Fillion and it made this book that much more enjoyable. The plot kept me wound in the story that when my train came to my stop it was painful pulling my head out of space and back into the real world. I'm not usually a big fan of books that center around boys (call me sexist if you must) but I don't think the story could have been as effective centered around any other character.

I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. Even a title might tide me over and make the wait bearable, but alas, I have to hear about it with everyone else. I can't wait to see what they'll do for the next cover too. (Although I will admit to not really understanding the cover of this one, but thats usually how books are, you don't really get what the cover has to do with anything.

The Court's Decision: