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STAR Academy #3
The Hive Engineers
Yalena Russo, you're behind enemy lines now.
Yalena wades into the darkness. Sinister mood throws her bulldozing into enemy terrain, where plans quickly turn into havoc, and end in a discovery that is as gut-wrenching as the blood it cost her to reach it.
Eric is reeling. His desperate attempts might save the ones he loves, but at what cost? With personal and political goals headed for a collision, the support he hopes to inspire is running thin.
Relying on unlikely allies and aided by people they long thought were lost, Yalena and Eric will lead the defense of the near worlds against a gruesome plan to erase humanity as it is known.
Strap in for a wild chase through the galaxy, more than one dynamic duo, and the unnerving truth behind the cryptic warning "You have no idea what's coming."
- GenresScience Fiction
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2019
10 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
Emilia Zeeland
11 books66 followersEmilia Zeeland is a Young Adult sci-fi and fantasy writer. Her stories include coming-of-age tales, detailed worlds, unimaginable consequences, deep friendships, and romances that sneak up on you.
She’s not afraid to push her characters to their limits and give them a depth that firmly plants them in readers’ hearts. In Zeeland’s writing, readers will be transported to another world, where they are not alone, but part of a tightly-knit, perfectly imperfect family.
Visit www.emiliazeeland.com for exclusive bonus content!
She’s not afraid to push her characters to their limits and give them a depth that firmly plants them in readers’ hearts. In Zeeland’s writing, readers will be transported to another world, where they are not alone, but part of a tightly-knit, perfectly imperfect family.
Visit www.emiliazeeland.com for exclusive bonus content!
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 31, 2021
Rounded up from 4.5 stars
This is the third book in Emilia Zeeland’s STAR Academy trilogy, which follows eighteen-year-old language prodigy Yalena as she rises through the years at an elite space academy, making new friends and facing new threats along the way. Since this was the final installment in the series, I was expecting things to get super heavy and real. We got some new twists, a bit of a perspective switch-up (which I really enjoyed), and LOTS of spacey goodness!
While the book does have a satisfying conclusion, it totally put my emotions through the wringer to get there 😭 a few of my favorite characters died, and nobody came out the other side unscathed. But yanno, I’ve lived through character massacres before, I can take it *sobs uncontrollably into a pillow*
Long story short, if you’re looking for a found family space academy book to fill the wait for the third Aurora Cycle installment, I definitely recommend checking out the STAR Academy series!
This is the third book in Emilia Zeeland’s STAR Academy trilogy, which follows eighteen-year-old language prodigy Yalena as she rises through the years at an elite space academy, making new friends and facing new threats along the way. Since this was the final installment in the series, I was expecting things to get super heavy and real. We got some new twists, a bit of a perspective switch-up (which I really enjoyed), and LOTS of spacey goodness!
While the book does have a satisfying conclusion, it totally put my emotions through the wringer to get there 😭 a few of my favorite characters died, and nobody came out the other side unscathed. But yanno, I’ve lived through character massacres before, I can take it *sobs uncontrollably into a pillow*
Long story short, if you’re looking for a found family space academy book to fill the wait for the third Aurora Cycle installment, I definitely recommend checking out the STAR Academy series!
October 2, 2019
The Hive Engineers is the third and final book in Emilia Zeeland’s STAR Academy series, and it’s a must read for anyone who has enjoyed the prior books. Since the first book in the series, I have been hooked, and I was extremely happy with how this story ended.
I confess, at first it took me a while to get into this one. It has been a while since I read the second book, and it took time for some of the pieces to fall back into place. Once everything had fallen back into place, I could not put it down. It was a story I had to complete in a single sitting, leaving me unable to put the book down until I knew how everything played out.
I will be honest and say this is my least favourite book in the series, but that does not make it a bad book. The Hive Engineers is a solid four-star rating, I simply considered giving the prior books a five-star rating. It’s still a fabulous read, one I highly recommend, but it isn’t my favourite book in the series.
Despite the fact, it brought everything together so well. Not only do we get to see how things play out, we also have more twists and turns thrown in to keep us guessing. There were plenty of surprises, plenty of moments that will leave you smiling, and a lot of the things we’ve come to love about the series.
Without a doubt, The Hive Engineers is a great ending to a wonderful series.
I confess, at first it took me a while to get into this one. It has been a while since I read the second book, and it took time for some of the pieces to fall back into place. Once everything had fallen back into place, I could not put it down. It was a story I had to complete in a single sitting, leaving me unable to put the book down until I knew how everything played out.
I will be honest and say this is my least favourite book in the series, but that does not make it a bad book. The Hive Engineers is a solid four-star rating, I simply considered giving the prior books a five-star rating. It’s still a fabulous read, one I highly recommend, but it isn’t my favourite book in the series.
Despite the fact, it brought everything together so well. Not only do we get to see how things play out, we also have more twists and turns thrown in to keep us guessing. There were plenty of surprises, plenty of moments that will leave you smiling, and a lot of the things we’ve come to love about the series.
Without a doubt, The Hive Engineers is a great ending to a wonderful series.
December 9, 2019
*** Read in Kindle Unlimited ***
This is the third and final book in the Star Academy series and I must say that this is a series that has had me hooked from the start. The action and suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat while you watch Yalena and her friends uncover all the pieces that were hidden throughout the series.
This is the third and final book in the Star Academy series and I must say that this is a series that has had me hooked from the start. The action and suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat while you watch Yalena and her friends uncover all the pieces that were hidden throughout the series.
November 4, 2020
So much going on in Book 3. Our STAR Academy teams are all split up. Many are lost. Many are saved. Yalena learns more about her heritage as she looks for a way to defeat Felix. Lots of action and on the edge of your seat moments. Great sci-fi series.
January 11, 2022
I’m so sad it’s over!!
This book was full of action, heartbreak, love, friendship & heroes. As I’ve said before Emilias world building is just incredible as are her characters.
‘All we have is who we are’
There were some great quotes throughout. I don’t think I can put into words how much the series took me to such a wonderful place.
There wasn’t a character I didn’t like (well maybe Felix!) but all of them just made me wish I was part of their team going on a mission with them.
This series would make a massive hit as a Netflix series - if you’re listening!! 😆
Loved every second of the journey with Yalena and all her friends and family. Just brilliant.
This book was full of action, heartbreak, love, friendship & heroes. As I’ve said before Emilias world building is just incredible as are her characters.
‘All we have is who we are’
There were some great quotes throughout. I don’t think I can put into words how much the series took me to such a wonderful place.
There wasn’t a character I didn’t like (well maybe Felix!) but all of them just made me wish I was part of their team going on a mission with them.
This series would make a massive hit as a Netflix series - if you’re listening!! 😆
Loved every second of the journey with Yalena and all her friends and family. Just brilliant.
March 20, 2021
Wow, so full of action, keeps you glued to the pages! Great ending to the series, going deeper than any of the rest. Loved it and cannot recommend it enough. I can see this book become a great movie!
December 24, 2020
A thrilling end to this incredible trilogy. This book diverts from the paths the previous books have taken and start off with action right from the get go. The combination of narration from Yalena's and Eric's perspective was well executed and really added to the story. I am thoroughly impressed with this series.
August 18, 2020
'All we have is who we are.'
A fantastic conclusion to the star academy trilogy!
Honestly what a ride.
For a series about space and other intelligent life these books really deal with what it means to be a human.
There are so many diverse and varied characters, all of which grow and mature through each book.
There's also a fair share of disaster, excitement, dismay, death, self-doubt, grief, adventure and philosophy and I loved every minute.
In this book especially there was some similar themes to Ender's Game (another book that I love) so I appreciated that.
With this book the mysteries just continued to become more and more intricate, it was almost like going down the rabbit hole; it just got more wild as the book went on.
That being said, whatever happened was always firmly planted within reality and that's one of my main praises for this series. Everything is so real and has been thought out so well you could very easily see it happening. This also applies to the science behind it, along with the actions & psychology of the humans throughout the history of this series.
I also really enjoyed that the middle section of the book was from Eric's POV so we could see what was happening with the battle and seeing more of Eric's personality, he's such a sweetheart. It also made it easier to get back into his head when reading the short prequel The Candidates.
These books are honestly a hidden gem and more people should read them. It you like sci-fi then I would definitely recommend. Well done Emilia 👏
A fantastic conclusion to the star academy trilogy!
Honestly what a ride.
For a series about space and other intelligent life these books really deal with what it means to be a human.
There are so many diverse and varied characters, all of which grow and mature through each book.
There's also a fair share of disaster, excitement, dismay, death, self-doubt, grief, adventure and philosophy and I loved every minute.
In this book especially there was some similar themes to Ender's Game (another book that I love) so I appreciated that.
With this book the mysteries just continued to become more and more intricate, it was almost like going down the rabbit hole; it just got more wild as the book went on.
That being said, whatever happened was always firmly planted within reality and that's one of my main praises for this series. Everything is so real and has been thought out so well you could very easily see it happening. This also applies to the science behind it, along with the actions & psychology of the humans throughout the history of this series.
I also really enjoyed that the middle section of the book was from Eric's POV so we could see what was happening with the battle and seeing more of Eric's personality, he's such a sweetheart. It also made it easier to get back into his head when reading the short prequel The Candidates.
These books are honestly a hidden gem and more people should read them. It you like sci-fi then I would definitely recommend. Well done Emilia 👏
October 22, 2019
3.5/5*
Original review
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Emilia Zeeland!
The Hive Engineers is the third book in the STAR Academy and continues the story of Yalena and her friends and family.
I liked The Hive Engineers, but I don’t know why it took me a while to get into the story. I really liked the previous books in the series, so I’m not sure why I took me that long to get into the story. I got into the story around 50%, and then I finished the book pretty quickly.
I really liked the concept of this story, it’s so original and nothing like I’ve read before. The characters are interesting and I wanted to know how the story was going to end. However, I will be honest and say that this wasn’t my favourite one in the series, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t like it!
I liked The Hive Engineers and it’s a great ending for the series. I’m looking forward to Emilia Zeeland’s next series!
Original review
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Emilia Zeeland!
The Hive Engineers is the third book in the STAR Academy and continues the story of Yalena and her friends and family.
I liked The Hive Engineers, but I don’t know why it took me a while to get into the story. I really liked the previous books in the series, so I’m not sure why I took me that long to get into the story. I got into the story around 50%, and then I finished the book pretty quickly.
I really liked the concept of this story, it’s so original and nothing like I’ve read before. The characters are interesting and I wanted to know how the story was going to end. However, I will be honest and say that this wasn’t my favourite one in the series, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t like it!
I liked The Hive Engineers and it’s a great ending for the series. I’m looking forward to Emilia Zeeland’s next series!
October 10, 2019
This conclusion to a great trilogy is absolutely epic! There is love, loss, and bravery, especially as exhibited through the characters of Yalena and Alec. It was wonderful to see these characters grow and develop over the course of these books, and I would highly recommend this series to anyone who like YA scifi / fantasy with lots of energy to keep the reader on their toes. Definitely read all three, you won't be disappointed!
November 25, 2021
4/5 stars.
The pacing of the book felt a little rushed with all the pairings that appeared for the characters that didn't have one and the several amounts of plot twists that were in the book. I liked reading Eric's point of view it helped to expand the world and see how he thinks, but I felt we should have seen a little more about how he was dealing with his grief, same thing with Yalena.
I would have liked it if we had gotten a few chapters with Alec's point of view so we could have seen how he managed to do the crazy stunts that he pulled in the book. That part of the story felt to me a bit lacking, rushed. But regardless of this details, it was a good book with a satisfying ending (mostly because of one tiny...very... Important detail... Emilia you down write killed my favorite character ;-;)
The pacing of the book felt a little rushed with all the pairings that appeared for the characters that didn't have one and the several amounts of plot twists that were in the book. I liked reading Eric's point of view it helped to expand the world and see how he thinks, but I felt we should have seen a little more about how he was dealing with his grief, same thing with Yalena.
I would have liked it if we had gotten a few chapters with Alec's point of view so we could have seen how he managed to do the crazy stunts that he pulled in the book. That part of the story felt to me a bit lacking, rushed. But regardless of this details, it was a good book with a satisfying ending (mostly because of one tiny...very... Important detail... Emilia you down write killed my favorite character ;-;)
July 25, 2021
Solid Read
A very solid read. All the loose ends get tied up in the book. And there are still plot twists that weren’t what I expected but were well foreshadowed especially the ending.
A very solid read. All the loose ends get tied up in the book. And there are still plot twists that weren’t what I expected but were well foreshadowed especially the ending.
December 2, 2020
Very entertaining read
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that like space opera and strong heroes
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that like space opera and strong heroes
January 22, 2020
Fantastic conclusion to this series.
January 17, 2020
I've been reading the series since the first book came out and I'm a big fan. With each book, the story gets more complex, more intense and the characters go through a lot... a lot. :)
The story starts soon after the second one ended. After the attack, Yalena and her friends are up to another mission. With new tech, that makes their ships invisible, they fly to the enemy territory looking for an army. They are meat with loads of difficulties and loss. There is no break for them.
What follows is the epic conclusion to one of the best sci-fi series, I've read in a long time.
Also, it's one of those stories that are soooo much better if you binge read 'em. :)
Loved it!
The story starts soon after the second one ended. After the attack, Yalena and her friends are up to another mission. With new tech, that makes their ships invisible, they fly to the enemy territory looking for an army. They are meat with loads of difficulties and loss. There is no break for them.
What follows is the epic conclusion to one of the best sci-fi series, I've read in a long time.
Also, it's one of those stories that are soooo much better if you binge read 'em. :)
Loved it!
January 15, 2020
Not what I expected
A good ending. Sad about who they lost. Lots of suspense and excitement. And a satisfying ending indeed. Possibly room for a slightly more sedate series to follow......
A good ending. Sad about who they lost. Lots of suspense and excitement. And a satisfying ending indeed. Possibly room for a slightly more sedate series to follow......
September 30, 2019
We dive into another adventure with Yalena and her friends to uncover all the pieces of the story. They fight at every turn to do the right thing and survive against all odds. The Hive Engineers is full of tough choices and loss but also of love, compassion and empathy. I strongly recommend it!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews