Honor Bound by Ann Aguirre and Rachel Caine Review

Title: Honor Bound

Authors: Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: The Honors, book two

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

                I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

                Honor Among Thieves was one of my favorite books of last year, and so I’ve been eyeing the sequel since before it came out. It’s been sitting in my library stack for a while now, and once I realized that I couldn’t renew it anymore, I pushed it to the top of the stack as soon as I was finished with Somewhere Only We Know. I devoured Honor Bound in two and a half days, and for the most part, this sequel did not disappoint! It took me a little while to remember what was going on, as it’s been over a year since I read Honor Among Thieves, but this series: It’s so unique and well-written. I’m such a sucker for space opera novels, and Honor Bound totally delivered. There were times when I was a bit lost, and the worldbuilding got a tad muddled, but I’m totally obsessed with these books, and I can’t wait for the sequel! I mean, this book has everything: aliens, war, secrets and political intrigue, love and friendship and danger! These characters and the story they tell are so unique and original to me, and I will never forget this ragtag band of space explorers! Aguirre and Caine have, yet again, stolen my heart and sent it soaring past dark, dangerous galaxies!

                Honor Bound picks up where Honor Among Thieves left off, with Zara, Bea, and Nadim scrambling to deal with the new vicious, voracious alien threat, a hive-mind horde known as The Phage. With their Leviathans, Nadim and Typon, both injured from the aftermath of the battle Honor Among Thieves ended with. Forced to go even deeper into uncharted territory, our Honors must make their way to a thriving crime planet known only as The Sliver. Once there, they must strike a dark, Faustian deal with a powerful alien being to stop The Phage. But as it turns out, a nearly forgotten threat has begun to stir, and our heroes must tap into their every ability in order to survive, or it could mean the destruction of the entire universe as they know it…

                This book; it was so awesome! Honor Among Thieves was one of my favorite books of last year, so needless to say, I’ve been very much looking forward to the sequel. And for the most part, it really lived up to my expectations. It took a little bit for me to remember what was going on, but once I did, I was absolutely captivated. Aguirre and Caine have created a dangerous, enticing world that I wish I could live in forever. The pacing was breakneck, and I was immediately at home again, among some of my favorite characters. I feel so close to them; they feel like my family. I also enjoyed Zara and Nadim’s narration. One of my favorite things about this book was the character development; I was cheering throughout the book for Zara, Bea, and their friends and Leviathans. The twists and turns, though, were what really made this book shine: I was laughing, crying, gasping and screaming as the book went on. And that ending! Oh, my goodness, it was crazy! I can only hope and pray to the gracious book gods that there will be a sequel! The only little flaws I have with this book was that the worldbuilding was a bit muddled, and it was difficult to keep up with all the different names and types of aliens, as well as planets, but that was only minor, and it didn’t distract from the main narrative too much. Honor Bound was well worth waiting for and like its predecessor, Honor Among Thieves, it has become one of my favorite books of 2019! Ann Aguirre and Rachel Caine make an unstoppable and dynamic team, queens of young adult! The bottom line: Lush, thrilling, high-octane, and unforgettable, I loved Honor Bound! I can only hope that there’s more to come in the future! Next on deck: Kingsbane by Claire Legrand!