Belleza - Empress of a Thousand Skies [Apr 1, 2020]

[Jenna, I'd be free if not for Temper & Edgewalker]

Empress of a Thousand Skies - Rhoda Belleza

April 1, 2020.
Requested by Tammie and Charlie.

[Peggy]

I'm in!

[Tammie]

I started this last night. Has anyone else gotten to it yet? Peggy? Charlie?

[Peggy]

Tammie wrote: "I started this last night. Has anyone else gotten to it yet? Peggy? Charlie?"

I totally forgot this one I'll start it in few hours sorry :D

[Tammie]

No problem Peggy.

[Peggy]

I just read the first chapter, and I have to say it feels like another YA fantasy, I'm not used to reading sci-fi books and I just thought ok another try and I'm not regretting starting this book!!!!
will read more tomorrow :)))

[Tammie]

I'm in chapter 12, 51%. I like it ok so far. It's actually going pretty fast, but I don't feel like very much has happened. (view spoiler)[The deaths are pretty gruesome for YA, at least I think they are. I was cringing at the one that the DNA scrambler pill caused. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

well I just finished chapter 4 and it feels good, and I like Alyosha's chapters more!!!

[Tammie]

Peggy wrote: "well I just finished chapter 4 and it feels good, and I like Alyosha's chapters more!!!"

I was the opposite, I like Rhee's chapters more, but Aly is growing on me. Especially now that (view spoiler)[ he has met this mysterious girl. Also, it was really sad when Vin died. (hide spoiler)]

[Tammie]

Chapter 19 (view spoiler)[It seems like Kara is probably the lost princess. (hide spoiler)]

[Tammie]

Chapter 25, 95% (view spoiler)[that was quite the rescue! Jet packs and that weird gel that he shot at her so she could breath. Pretty cool! (hide spoiler)]

[Rlygirl]

I read this book last Spring and liked it! Hope you all are enjoying it!

[Tammie]

I just finished it, and overall I did enjoy it.

[Peggy]

omg!!!! you are sooooooo fast, I wanna cryyy!!!!!

[Tammie]

Peggy wrote: "omg!!!! you are sooooooo fast, I wanna cryyy!!!!!"

I just have a lot more time to read right now. Try doing a buddy read with Iain sometime. 😂 I swear the guy must listen to 3-5 books a day! I can never keep up.

[Peggy]

Tammie wrote: "Peggy wrote: "omg!!!! you are sooooooo fast, I wanna cryyy!!!!!"

I just have a lot more time to read right now. Try doing a buddy read with Iain sometime. 😂 I swear the guy must listen to 3-5 book..."

and here I am struggling to finish 1 book in 3 days and never succeeding...

[Choko]

I am starting now (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

[Peggy]

Choko wrote: "I am starting now (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)"

omg I thought I'm the only one left, I'm just 6 chapters in, hope u catch up...

[Tammie]

Charlie was also going to read this, but I'm not sure of she still is.

[Choko]

Only up to Ch 2, and Ch. 1 finished kind of shockingly... (view spoiler)[ I figure Rhee is going to be just fine, since the books are about her, I think, but I totally didn't expect him to be the one trying to kill her... I expected something from the lady who was her primary caretaker... WTH? (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

Peggy, I am glad I am not the only straggler either (•‿•)... It starts quite promising, so I hope we enjoy it!

[Peggy]

Choko wrote: "Peggy, I am glad I am not the only straggler either (•‿•)... It starts quite promising, so I hope we enjoy it!"

I usually don't read sci-fi it's not really my treat but this one is enjoyable and kinda feels like a fantasy book!!!!

[Choko]

It is enjoyable! I do have a bit of an issue with how petulant the Empress comes off at times, but I am sure it is so she has space for growth as a character. I am not sure whom to trust at this point. It seems everyone is ready to stab everyone else in the back, except for our two protagonists, of course. Everyone else is suspect.

I like the different species and the robots(•‿•)

[Choko]

Up to Ch. 16... I wonder if (view spoiler)[ Nero is the one behind her family's deaths and assassination attempts...
Also, I am not happy with what tattoo boy is doing and how he acts, but I think he is the better choice for her safety than Nero... I hope she is not stupid enough to go to him. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

I finished chapter 10 in a late night attempt and now missed my morning online class, totally worth it :D

[Choko]

Haha! awesome ◉‿◉

[Tammie]

Choko wrote: "Up to Ch. 16...

There are so many things I want to say about your spoiler.

[Tammie]

Peggy wrote: "I usually don't read sci-fi it's not really my treat but this one is enjoyable and kinda feels like a fantasy book!!!!..."

I think it feels like fantasy because it's more of a space opera, and those lean closer to space fantasy than sci-fi.

[Choko]

This is definitely space fantasy! I am deep into the book, and I seeing why it is a YA. I think if I was in any of my teen years, I would give this book 5 stars... It is a bit easier to predict than the more adult books of the genre. I am still enjoying it, but I think I will go with 4 stars, unless something changes dramatically in the last 40 pages. I am excited to read the next book too, so I hope you guys want to read it together. We can decide when , after every one catches up, of course, and we can still use this thread(•‿•)

[Tammie]

I liked this ok, but I didn't love it. I gave it 3.5 stars. I felt like it lacked something. I'm on the fence about reading the second book.

[Peggy]

I'm not sure if I want to read the second book, at least not in the next two months to come... still might change my mind depends on how it ends...

[Choko]

Ok, I am here no matter what◉‿◉

[Charlie]

I just started! I'm hoping I like this one!

Sorry I'm late, I completely forgot about it and I've been rubbish checking GR lately. I've been late to all my BRs for the last month or so, so sorry!

[Peggy]

good that yhere is someone else now, my reading speed reduces everytime I'm reading something alone, not that its that high when it's at full speed, but whatever, hope u enjoy it!

[Choko]

I am still here to chat◉‿◉

[Peggy]

Choko wrote: "I am still here to chat◉‿◉"


good, what did u think of Alyosha's acts in the 2nd part of the book?!
am I the only one who thinks he is being childish???

[Choko]

No, he is definitely acting out! I know he has this difficult childhood, but that doesn't automatically make him wiser somehow. His tantrums are just as bad as hers at times◉‿◉

[Charlie]

Finished the first 2 chapters, I'm liking it so far. (view spoiler)[I do think the first chapter went over too quickly. we're introduced to the princess, we're just getting a bit of background and then suddenly theres an assassination. I feel like it would have been better pacing wise to have a few chapters about her and her life on the planet she's been living, it was a bit info-dumpy.

The space crew in chapter two are cool. I like that they're part of a reality show, I wasn't expecting that. It's a unique idea. Chapter two was much shorter than chapter 1 so hopefully we'll see more of them soon. (hide spoiler)]

[Peggy]

Charlie wrote: "Finished the first 2 chapters, I'm liking it so far. I do think the first chapter went over too quickly. we're introduced to the princess, we're just getting a bit of background and then suddenly t..."

the whole story is fast paced and we don't get much description or back grounds, that was one of my troubles with the book...

[Charlie]

Tammie wrote: "I'm in chapter 12, 51%. I like it ok so far. It's actually going pretty fast, but I don't feel like very much has happened. [spoilers removed]"

I feel exactly the same Tammie. Read 10 chapters today so I'm also at chapter 12 and while it is really fast paced, I wish it would slow down. (view spoiler)[I don't feel connected to the characters at all. We didn't even get to know either of them before their lives were thrown into peril so I'm struggling to care.

I also thought the deaths few super gruesome for YA! the DNA scrambling was awful. (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

Yeah, that was horrible!

[Tammie]

More character development would have been nice, and probably would have made we like the book enough to want to read the next one.

[Charlie]

Tammie wrote: "More character development would have been nice, and probably would have made we like the book enough to want to read the next one."

I feel the same. I've got about half of the book left so I'm hoping it picks up. Aly has just met that girl and my prediction is (view spoiler)[ she is the lost princess. (hide spoiler)]

[Charlie]

Just finished chapter 16 (view spoiler)[ Okay so what they're doing to the scientists is awful. I feel so bad for them, I hope they can be fixed.

I'm not convinced Nero is the traitor. It's highly possible that he's a puppet and someone is telling him what to say. Rhee is a very unreliable narrator, she's known to make rash judgements based on 0 evidence so I don't think he's guilty just because she's decided he is. (hide spoiler)]

[Charlie]

Finished (view spoiler)[ I wanted to love it, I just didn't. I can't put my finger on why exactly, I just didn't care about the characters. I'm not going to continue with book 2.

It's a shame, I had high hopes. (hide spoiler)]

[Tammie]

Charlie wrote: "Finished..."

I felt the exact same way. I decided not to continue as well.

[Charlie]

@Tammie I'm actually having second thoughts about not finishing the series! Even though it was only a 3 star read for me, I've checked and it's only a duology so I might read book 2 just because it's the last one then I won't feel so bad for abandoning the series. I know books don't have feelings but I still feel bad abandoning it!

[Tammie]

I thought about finishing it, since it's a duology, but decided I didn't care enough. I might read the thread if you and Choko read it, then I can just get the spoilers about what happens.