Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

The squad you love is out of time. Prepare for the thrilling finale in the epic, best-selling Aurora Cycle series about a band of unlikely heroes who just might be the galaxy's last hope for survival.

Is this the end?
What happens when you ask a bunch of losers, discipline cases, and misfits to save the galaxy from an ancient evil? The ancient evil wins, of course.
Wait. . . . Not. So. Fast.
When we last saw Squad 312, they working together seamlessly (aka, freaking out) as an intergalactic battle raged and an ancient superweapon threatened to obliterate Earth. Everything went horribly wrong, naturally.
But as it turns out, not all endings are endings, and the te4am has one last chance to rewrite thirs. Maybe two. It's complicated.
Cue Zila, Fin, and Scarlett (and MAGELLAN!): making friends, making enemies, and making history? Sure, no problem
Cue Tyler, Kal, and Auri: uniting with two of the galaxy’s most hated villains? Um, okay. That, too.
Actually saving the galaxy, though?
Now that will take a miracle.

Review:

The end of a book series comes with mixed feelings.  We want to finally have all the character's problems resolved, but we're also sorry to see them go.  I have really enjoyed the Aurora Chronicles, but Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.  It has been a really fun series filled with diverse characters and lots of humor.  Listening to the audiobooks as been (mostly) delightful, as the voice actors who narrate are wonderfully expressive.  As I listened to the final book in the series, Aurora's End, I again loved the humor, the characters, and how it is wrapped up.  I was a little mixed about some of the sound quality of the audiobook.  Also, although this is an action series, the battle scenes go on for far too long.  This actually slowed the book down.  But, even with these caveats, I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a worthy finale to the series.

What I Liked:

Characters:

With six main characters, it would seem difficult to give each of them their due.  The book focused mostly on Tyler, Scarlett, Zila, and Fin.  I liked this because the other books were more centered on Aurora and Cal.  We learned so much more about how Zila thinks and why she is so reserved, in particular.  Zila is one of my favorite characters, and it was great to see her come out of her shell.  And there are major developments int the relationship between Scarlett and Fin!  Tyler shows a side of himself that is quite unexpected.  But as the story continues, one can see how this came to be.

Book Series Recap:

I so appreciate that then beginning of the book has a recap of what happened in the two previous books!  When you have book series, I often find that I need to re-read the previous books so I won't be lost when I read the next one.  But, the authors bring the reader up to date on what happened so you can jump into the action without thinking, "who was that person again", or "Why are they at that place"?  It makes the experience so much better.  I wish more authors would do this.

Story:

The story takes place over multiple timelines.  I think the authors did a wonderful job of keeping everything logical, so it was easy to follow.  Without giving too much away, the story shows some of the characters at different ages, and it's fun to see how they changed as they got older.

What I Was Mixed About:

Audiobook Quality:

While I enjoyed the overall quality of the audio narration, for some reason one of the voice actors sounded like they recorded their lines in a closet.  When Steve West (who plays Cal) spoke there were strange echos that were not part of the story.  Just the quality of the sounds made it clear to me that he recorded his part separately from the other actors.  Hearing Cal was something I was really look forward to.  But with the sound quality so off, it was all I could focus on.

What I Didn't Like:

Story: & Pacing:

The story meandered around with various battles, again and again and again.  Part of that was built into the structure of the book.  But beyond that, there were too many epic "Final" battles.  Some editing would have given the book a faster pace, which is what this novel needed. 

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  November 9th, 2021

Authors:  Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Genre:  YA Science Fiction

Audiobook Publisher:  Listening Library

Audiobook Narrators:  Kim Mai Guest, Jonathan McClain, Lincoln Hoppe, Donnabella Mortel, Jonathan Todd Ross,  Erin Spencer, Steve West

Audiobook Length:  15 hours, 6 Minutes

Print Publisher:  Knopf Books for Young Readers

Book Length:  512 Pages

Source:  Penguin Audio

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  Even though the novel meandered around, there was still the signature humor and humanity in each character.  A worthy end to the sereis.

Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off...

The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.

Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory--or to an unimaginable doom.

And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life--and love--he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save--or destroy--all that he knows.

Review: 

This whole book series, beginning with An Ember In The Ashes, and concluding with A Sky Beyond The Storm, is an epic tale of empires, slavery, ancient wrongs, and how they continue from generation to generation.  But it is also the saga of the individuals who get caught up in these larger conflicts.  With rich world-building, unforgettable characters, and a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, A Sky Beyond The Storm is a worthy ending to a wonderful series.

What I Liked:

Narrators:

If ever there was a book series to listen to, this is it!  Book one began with two viewpoints:  Fiona Hardingham as Laia, and Steve West as Elias are the perfect voice actors to bring these characters to life, and quickly became some of my favorite narrators for any novel.  Book two added Katherine Lee McEwan as Helene.  You could hear the anguish in every sentence as she pines for Elias and is outmaneuvered  by the Commandant.  The final two books add Maxwell Caulfield as The Nightbringer.  With such a deep commanding voice, it may surprise you to know that this is a British actor best known for starring in Grease 2 back in the 1980's!  But he does an amazing job bringing this character to life, and maybe even forcing the listener to empathize with him.  As an added bonus, there is a short chapter where The Commandant, voiced by Nikki Massoud shares her point of view.

World-Building:

With each successive book, the world of the Martial Empire becomes more and more complex.  In this book, we finally learn much more about the Jinn, and the origins of the conflict between the Scholars and the Nightbringer.  Why is he so hell-bent on revenge?

Since the world of An Ember in The Ashes is modeled on the Ancient Roman Empire, this book showcases the many areas of this world.  We see several of the city-states, such as Marin, and the various cultural differences between each place. This not only adds to the richness of the setting, it also shows how challenging (and unsustainable) it is to maintain such a sweeping realm.

Characters:

I loved learning more about the Nightbringer.  In the previous books, the Nightbringer was more of a two-dimensional bad guy.  But, with A Sky Beyond The Storm, we get to hear his whole backstory.  He had a full life as a benevolent king, with loves, struggles, children, hopes and dreams.  The author never excuses the Nightbringer's actions.  But we see him as a whole person, which makes the story that much stronger.

Story:

So much of the series has lead up to this point.  You know there will be a "final" showdown between the humans and the Jinn.  The story focuses on how the humans build up the cooperation needed between the various cultures in the Empire.  As Elias is now the Soulcatcher,  Laia must find a way to reach Elias's last speck of humanity.  He's a great leader, but no one is going to follow him if he can't empathize with people. 

Helene, as the aunt of the baby emperor, must protect little Zacharias from the Commandant.  Her journey is to discover Keris Veturia's backstory, in order to find a way to defeat her.

All the elements come together for an epic (of course) final battle.

Ending of the Series:

As with any grand tale, the ending is both fulfilling and bittersweet.  As the author has hinted at, not everyone makes it to the finish line (get your kleenex box ready)!  But we also get to see how other characters will live out their lives.  This is so satisfying, which makes leaving these characters easier. But, "Skies, readers!",  I will still miss them.

Rating: 

Release Date:  December 1st, 2020

Author:  Sabaa Tahir

Genre:  YA Fantasy

Audio Publisher:  Listening Library

Narrators:  Fiona Hardingham, Katherine Lee McEwan, Steve West, Maxwell Caulfield, Nikki Massoud

Audio Length: 17 Hours, 10 Minutes

Print Publisher:  Razorbill

Page Length:  516 pages

Source:  Penguin Audio

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  A worthy ending to an epic series.   This was so satisfying and emotional.  If you are reading this series, I highly recommend the audiobook version.

Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this Audiobook from Listening Library in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

From New York Times bestselling authors Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff comes an Illuminae prequel digital novella that gives readers a hair-raising glimpse into the calamity that befell the invincible AI system known as AIDAN–and the daring young programmer who would risk her life to keep it from crashing.

AIDAN is the AI you’ll love to hate.

The advanced AI system was supposed to protect a fleet of survivors who’d escaped the deadly attack on Kerenza IV. AIDAN was supposed to be infallible. But in the chaotic weeks and months that followed, it became clear that something was terribly, terribly wrong with AIDAN…

Review:

This novella, by one of my favorite writing duos, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, is a VERY short story, coming in at a listening total of just over ninety minutes.  But, it quickly packs a powerful punch.  But be warned, true to their signature style, the authors created a story that will rip your heart to shreds.

via GIPHY

What I Liked:

Narration: 

This novella may be short, but it keeps the strong production values of the other books in the series.  There is a full cast, with sound effects, and music, all of which bring this story to life.  I particularly liked the voice of AIDAN, the computer who is developing a sense of self.  Lincoln Hoppe does a masterful job of making AIDAN both child-like and disturbing.

Story:

This short story is a terrific introduction to the Illuminae book series.  I shows the origins of one of the main conflict in the series.   AIDAN, the AI that runs the Kerenza spaceship is developing a sense of self.  But, due to the damage he sustains in the attack (that occurs in this book),  his decision making skills are flawed.  Or are his actions self-preservation?  

This story works for fans of the series as well, as we get more backstory on the members of the crew of the Kerenza, and an achingly beautiful love story to boot.  I LOVED Ethan and Liv.  But, knowing how these author roll, I knew their story was headed for...  I'm not going to spoil it!  But have your tissues ready.

via GIPHY

Rating: 

Release Date:  October 20th, 2020

Authors: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Genre:  Science Fiction

Audiobook Publisher:  Listening Library

Audiobook Length:  93 Minutes

Narrators:   

Olivia Klein, read by India Dupré
Ethan Wolf, read by James Fouhey
AIDAN, read by Lincoln Hoppe
Stephanie LeFevre, read by Emma Bering
Ezra Mason, read by Johnathan McClain
Narrator, read by Ryan Gesell
 
Featuring additional performances by Danny Campbell, Frankie Corzo, Chris Cuilla, Deepti Gupta, John Lee, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, Donabella Mortel, Austin Rising, Erin Spencer, and Nancy Wu.

Print Publisher:  Knopf

Page Length:  84 Pages

Source:  Publisher

Format:  Audiobook

Recommendation:  A must read for fans of The Illuminae series, and a great introduction to this series if you haven't read it.