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Bonds of Brass
(The Bloodright Trilogy #1)
by
A young pilot risks everything to save his best friend--the man he trusts most and might even love--only to learn that he's secretly the heir to a brutal galactic empire.
Ettian Nassun's life was shattered when the merciless Umber Empire invaded. He's spent seven years putting himself back together under its rule, joining an Umber military academy and becoming the best ...more
Ettian Nassun's life was shattered when the merciless Umber Empire invaded. He's spent seven years putting himself back together under its rule, joining an Umber military academy and becoming the best ...more
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Start your review of Bonds of Brass (The Bloodright Trilogy #1)
Jan 08, 2020
chai ♡
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
young-adult,
poc-rep,
trope-it-s-about-the-yearning,
2020-releases,
trope-slow-burn,
fiction,
lgbtq-rep,
arc,
ya-sff,
lgbtq-mm
*slowly removes my heart-shaped sunglasses* so did you hear that this is gay sci-fi with a bffs-to-lovers romance between a pilot and his best friend who is the (secret) heir of a galactic empire? has pretty much every trope that sings to my heart, including but not limited to: forbidden romance, “and there was only one bed”, fake dating, and ANGST with a side of pining?
I really enjoyed this book. Skrutskie deftly handles character definition, the well-constructed pacing, and lean action, and au ...more
I really enjoyed this book. Skrutskie deftly handles character definition, the well-constructed pacing, and lean action, and au ...more
Jan 09, 2020
amy ☂︎
marked it as to-read
emily skrutskie said if i can't have canon finnpoe i'll just do it myself and i respect that
...more
BONDS OF BRASS is my big little troublemaker. It was the book I wrote in the spring of 2016—remember those days?—and it'd been the joyful light that's carried me through the time since then. It's made of secrets and lies and the ultimate question of how far you can trust someone who's been lying to you the entire time. It's got a half-burnt girl with a rainbow umbrella whom I love with my entire heart, and two disastrous bisexual boys who might bring the entire galaxy down around them for each o
...more
Jan 08, 2020
Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ Campbell
marked it as wishlist
Tor: We have the LGBT+ sci-fi market cornered, bitches 😎
Del-Rey: WE'RE CHANGING OUR NAME TO DEL-GAY
---
I keep begging for ARCs of this. This is my third Goodreads giveaway application. I have no shame bc I WANT DIS ...more
Del-Rey: WE'RE CHANGING OUR NAME TO DEL-GAY
---
I keep begging for ARCs of this. This is my third Goodreads giveaway application. I have no shame bc I WANT DIS ...more
Jan 09, 2020
rin (￣ヘ￣) read/watch mo dao zu shi
marked it as to-read
this is so totally a finnpoe book isnt it
ill have 10
ill have 10
Some vague-ish spoilers ahead.
Bonds of Brass: Here is an evil conquering empire.
Bonds of Brass: The empress murdered her own sister.
Bonds of Brass: Much evil. So bad.
Bonds of Brass: Here is a poor, conquered world.
Bonds of Brass: They fought so bravely.
Bonds of Brass: Look at these wicked cool flying knights they had!
Bonds of Brass: Look at all these bad-ass rebels, fighting to destroy the evil empire! They're so likable and cool. These one has a metal arm and used to be a pirate! Aren't they gr ...more
Bonds of Brass: Here is an evil conquering empire.
Bonds of Brass: The empress murdered her own sister.
Bonds of Brass: Much evil. So bad.
Bonds of Brass: Here is a poor, conquered world.
Bonds of Brass: They fought so bravely.
Bonds of Brass: Look at these wicked cool flying knights they had!
Bonds of Brass: Look at all these bad-ass rebels, fighting to destroy the evil empire! They're so likable and cool. These one has a metal arm and used to be a pirate! Aren't they gr ...more
A simple truth: Sci-fi is my weakness.
Hearing that Bonds of Brass was a galactic warfare/space opera with the addition of best friends to lovers romance, I was sold.
Bonds of Brass follows Ettian, a young pilot in training. Seven years ago, his life was destroyed by the Umber Empire's invasion of his homeworld. Ettian’s m ...more
Hearing that Bonds of Brass was a galactic warfare/space opera with the addition of best friends to lovers romance, I was sold.
“On my left, power without fathom in the fragile body of a boy. On my right, a nightmare of a girl who should be ruling these streets. And in the middle, there’s me.”
Bonds of Brass follows Ettian, a young pilot in training. Seven years ago, his life was destroyed by the Umber Empire's invasion of his homeworld. Ettian’s m ...more
Ultimately a gripping science-fiction that features a him-and-him star-crossed romance within a political landscape on the cusp of a revolution. One side came to power in blood while the other side seeks justice, and Ettian must decide where his loyalties lie.
Ettian, our protagonist, is in love with a boy that tests his loyalty to his origins. His family died during the revolution when he was a kid, and he's lost so much that he's content to simply be alive and fed. His priority now is protecti ...more
Ettian, our protagonist, is in love with a boy that tests his loyalty to his origins. His family died during the revolution when he was a kid, and he's lost so much that he's content to simply be alive and fed. His priority now is protecti ...more
Sometimes, you just have a powerful feeling that you're going to love a book and in my experience, that instinct is never to be ignored. Bonds of Brass first came to my attention randomly, on twitter. Still in the depths of my Star Wars obsession and salty over Rise of Skywalker (oh so salty), I had to request it. It seemed tailor-made for what I wanted and needed.
And it was fantastic. What it promised, it delivered in spades. Fast-paced, yup. Heavily Star Wars inspired, yup. Fun, fanfic-style r ...more
And it was fantastic. What it promised, it delivered in spades. Fast-paced, yup. Heavily Star Wars inspired, yup. Fun, fanfic-style r ...more
“My only allegiance is to an empire that doesn’t exist yet, to the possibility of Gal’s future rule. Maybe that makes me a traitor. Maybe it forfeits my soul. But for him—for this disastrous boy sleeping next to me—I would, I will.”
...
Bonds of Brass isn't just a fun, action-packed space opera, despite its genre trappings. This first book in the Bloodright Trilogy is a story brimming with complex characters, twisty motivations, and the horrifying affects of war. I was utterly compelled from begin ...more
...
Bonds of Brass isn't just a fun, action-packed space opera, despite its genre trappings. This first book in the Bloodright Trilogy is a story brimming with complex characters, twisty motivations, and the horrifying affects of war. I was utterly compelled from begin ...more
I really liked the first 40-50% of this book but after that point I got kind of bored and confused with the story. I didn't like the pacing. There was too much action and not enough character interactions. And I don't think it had enough of Ettian's thoughts and feelings to really understand his motivations.(though I do think that that was intentional)
The relationship between Ettian and Gal seemed a little too rushed and I didn't understand why they wanted to be together. There wasn't enough of ...more
The relationship between Ettian and Gal seemed a little too rushed and I didn't understand why they wanted to be together. There wasn't enough of ...more
Bonds of Brass is the first book in the Bloodright trilogy. It features- one tired pilot, a hidden prince, lots of mutual pinning, and a girl whose biggest weapon is her lethal Rainbow... umbrella.
In other words this book should have been everything to me. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.
Like I do with all of my three star reviews, let’s start with the positives: First and foremost- WEN FREAKING IFFAN!
Wen Iffan was the HIGHLIGHT of the whole novel. The story isn’t even about her but from th ...more
In other words this book should have been everything to me. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.
Like I do with all of my three star reviews, let’s start with the positives: First and foremost- WEN FREAKING IFFAN!
Wen Iffan was the HIGHLIGHT of the whole novel. The story isn’t even about her but from th ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
this is one of my FAVORITE BOOKS I'VE READ THIS YEAR IT'S SO MUCH FUN.
...more
Star Rating —> 4.5 Stars
!!!!!
THIS WAS JUST... !!!!!!!!!
SO GOOD
I haven’t enjoyed an adventure in space this much since well, most recently, Gideon the Ninth, but also either of the Kaufman/Kristoff collabs (Aurora Rising, Illuminae)! I am so grateful I found another author who can KILLLL ITTTTTT in space!
I need my hands on The Bloodright Trilogy #2 ! NOWWWW! 😭
I’M DYING!
I seriously need time to process this. RTC
BUT ALSO... GAYS IN SPACE!
Thank you Ms. Skrutskie; I don’t know how I didn’t realize ju ...more
!!!!!
THIS WAS JUST... !!!!!!!!!
SO GOOD
I haven’t enjoyed an adventure in space this much since well, most recently, Gideon the Ninth, but also either of the Kaufman/Kristoff collabs (Aurora Rising, Illuminae)! I am so grateful I found another author who can KILLLL ITTTTTT in space!
I need my hands on The Bloodright Trilogy #2 ! NOWWWW! 😭
I’M DYING!
I seriously need time to process this. RTC
BUT ALSO... GAYS IN SPACE!
Thank you Ms. Skrutskie; I don’t know how I didn’t realize ju ...more
i can't express how much i dislike this cover but i heard this book was gay so i'm in.
...more
↠ 4.5 stars
If you haven’t gotten around to reading this amazing sci-fi friends to lovers about two fighter pilots who realize that one is the heir to the throne of the empire that overthrew his home world, then you are contractually obligated to do so after reading this run on sentence. This book had everything—excellent world building, complex and well flushed out characters, and a frustratingly slow romance between the two main characters. Everything from the underlying ethical dilemmas, to th ...more
If you haven’t gotten around to reading this amazing sci-fi friends to lovers about two fighter pilots who realize that one is the heir to the throne of the empire that overthrew his home world, then you are contractually obligated to do so after reading this run on sentence. This book had everything—excellent world building, complex and well flushed out characters, and a frustratingly slow romance between the two main characters. Everything from the underlying ethical dilemmas, to th ...more
I both really liked some and really struggled with other parts of this book, but what I think it comes down to is that the impressions and expectations I got from the way Bonds of Brass was advertized did not match with what it delivered.
Read the full review here.
Content warnings include: violence, war, invasion and oppression, what essentially boils down to attempted genocide, hostage/being taken prisoner situations, homelessness; mentions of torture, death of parents, execution, electrocu ...more
Read the full review here.
Content warnings include: violence, war, invasion and oppression, what essentially boils down to attempted genocide, hostage/being taken prisoner situations, homelessness; mentions of torture, death of parents, execution, electrocu ...more
Jun 05, 2020
Shealea
marked it as will-avoid-forever
I'm not interested in white women writing from the perspective of a Black queer man. Also, this Twitter interaction is a huge yikes.
Give Black queer stories to Black queer authors, thanks. 💛 ...more
Give Black queer stories to Black queer authors, thanks. 💛 ...more
BOYS GOOD. READ THE BOYS.
I blurbed this book and said: "An exciting YA space opera full of action and adventure that explores the bonds of loyalty and love and what happens when they are stretched to their limits."
Lots of fun, great tension between the characters, danger, excitement - it's all there. The resolution was a bit jarring but not fatally so. A solid YA space opera. ...more
Lots of fun, great tension between the characters, danger, excitement - it's all there. The resolution was a bit jarring but not fatally so. A solid YA space opera. ...more
Apr 08, 2020
Lea | That_Bookdragon
marked it as to-read
So I just found out about this book and I need this in my life so bad
From the outset, the world of BONDS OF BRASS is absolutely fascinating: from the naming system to the mechanics of every ship flown, Skrutskie has clearly put a lot of time and effort into the creation of the world Ettian and Gal inhabit, and that work has paid off. I particularly appreciated learning why Rana was conquered by the Umber Empire, as I have often been disappointed in books' explanations for war and conquest. The characters, too, were an absolute delight to read about, from Wen to E
...more
So... this was bad. But not for the reason you could think of.
If any of you is here to read a stormpilot fanfic... WHY?! Just go on AO3.
This is not a fanfic, rightly so.
But it is bad. So this is more a romance than everything else. I like romance, but when I want to read a romance I read a romance. Could you like this book? Probably. I kinda did. But you could read something else with similar elements and appreciate that more.
It's just not well written, there are so many elements to create tens ...more
If any of you is here to read a stormpilot fanfic... WHY?! Just go on AO3.
This is not a fanfic, rightly so.
But it is bad. So this is more a romance than everything else. I like romance, but when I want to read a romance I read a romance. Could you like this book? Probably. I kinda did. But you could read something else with similar elements and appreciate that more.
It's just not well written, there are so many elements to create tens ...more
DNF @ 64%
The writing itself is fine in this, Emily Skrutskie is clearly a talented writer. I just have concerns about pretty much this entire book. I actually won this copy in a giveaway, not through requests, but am reviewing on Netgalley as that was how the copy was sent to me.
Initially I was worried to start with, as the book is written from the perspective of a gay/bisexual Black man with a gay/bisexual Latinx love interest, but written by a white woman. I was worried about how well the POV ...more
The writing itself is fine in this, Emily Skrutskie is clearly a talented writer. I just have concerns about pretty much this entire book. I actually won this copy in a giveaway, not through requests, but am reviewing on Netgalley as that was how the copy was sent to me.
Initially I was worried to start with, as the book is written from the perspective of a gay/bisexual Black man with a gay/bisexual Latinx love interest, but written by a white woman. I was worried about how well the POV ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Nice! This was even better than I expected.
A great adventure and hidden-identity story, augmented with a typically angsty-ish (but in a totally good way) m/m young adult romance. Lots of feels. Lots of fun. The summary of the book pretty much delivers as promised.
I'm definitely reading the next book, Oaths of Legacy.
Note on the audiobook: the narrator did an amazing job; this is definitely a good choice if you are considering audio. ...more
A great adventure and hidden-identity story, augmented with a typically angsty-ish (but in a totally good way) m/m young adult romance. Lots of feels. Lots of fun. The summary of the book pretty much delivers as promised.
I'm definitely reading the next book, Oaths of Legacy.
Note on the audiobook: the narrator did an amazing job; this is definitely a good choice if you are considering audio. ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Jan 08, 2020
Benjamin
marked it as to-read
With this book, my dreams are officially coming true.
Narration 5++++
Story 4.5!!
Yowza! A book that held my interest and made me love and hate the MC’s throughout!!!!
The first in a space trilogy.
YA
All action—space fighters!
No steam
Sultry kisses!!
Who is who?
Who lies?
What is worse...betray your love or your people?
What is worse...lead thousands to the death or save the man you love?
It all begins at an officer training academy &
Ends with a crown,
With lots of plot stuff in between
One side character is awesome! Others are a bit flat, but not a big part ...more
Story 4.5!!
Yowza! A book that held my interest and made me love and hate the MC’s throughout!!!!
The first in a space trilogy.
YA
All action—space fighters!
No steam
Sultry kisses!!
Who is who?
Who lies?
What is worse...betray your love or your people?
What is worse...lead thousands to the death or save the man you love?
It all begins at an officer training academy &
Ends with a crown,
With lots of plot stuff in between
One side character is awesome! Others are a bit flat, but not a big part ...more
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Emily Skrutskie is six feet tall. She was born in Massachusetts, raised in Virginia, and forged in the mountains above Boulder, Colorado. She holds a B.A. in Performing and Media Arts from Cornell University, where she studied an outrageous and demanding combination of film, computer science, and game design.
She is the author of THE ABYSS SURROUNDS US and its sequel, THE EDGE OF THE ABYSS, as wel ...more
She is the author of THE ABYSS SURROUNDS US and its sequel, THE EDGE OF THE ABYSS, as wel ...more
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The Bloodright Trilogy
(3 books)
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“No empire is worth it if I don’t have you too.”
—
10 likes
“It feels ridiculous to say it now. For gods’ sake, we just caved into this. But two and a half years is more than enough to know, even if you’ve only been kissing for a microscopic portion of them, so it doesn’t feel shameful in the slightest to whisper, “I love you,” into the inches between us.
And it feels a thousand times more ridiculous when Gal whispers, “I love you too,” back.”
—
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And it feels a thousand times more ridiculous when Gal whispers, “I love you too,” back.”
