Aurora's End (The Aurora Cycle #3) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff - Restarting June 13th 2022

[Maddie]

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.

[Maddie]

So I downloaded the sample. I'm on the chapter titled 3. It'll make sense once you get to it.
(view spoiler)[This time loop is so insane! How are they going to get out??? I need to know what's happened with the other people! (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Yay got the book!

[Maddie]

15% (view spoiler)[Wooooah they're back 203 years ago!! That's still later than where Auri is from right? As she wasn't at war back then? I think she's from 220 years ago. (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

23% (view spoiler)[This is what I was waiting for. What a shocker. Knew Zila had to be paired up, and knowing she's bi, of course it's got to be a woman -_- (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

28% (view spoiler)[Dorian Manon vibes here.... I cannot relate at all (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

33% (view spoiler)[Okay WHAT!? All this time confusion!! Tyler being 40!? Why do I feel like Lae is Tyler and Saedii's child? I can't wait for them to realise Ty and Sae had the Pull LOL (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

40% (view spoiler)[Haha the description of the book (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

65% (view spoiler)[This feels more all like it's one big part, the other two have been split more clearly. This is more cohesive. I'm liking seeing Tyler's journey to where he is now though! Although this Squad 302 is kind of confusing, I didn't like being thrust into another cast of characters. (hide spoiler)]

Did you know Squad 312 is named after Jay and Amie's first meeting? March 2012! I just got off the Aussie launch event and it was so fun and interesting!

[Maddie]

71% in, this is taking me a while to read. It feels a lot slower than the other two. Doesn't have the same feel, the same dynamic, and I feel more lost. It's not as fast-paced

[Maddie]

Finished! I know from the Aussie launch that this wasn't the ending sequence they initially planned, so I wonder what that ending was! This ending was satisfactory. My least favourite of the three books. I felt pretty confused at times and had to re-read parts, but that was to be expected with hard sci-fi like this, I'm not used to it. I loved seeing all of the characters and reading new things from them :D It didn't break my heart or even make me well up like the previous two :( But the beginning of this book was AMAZING, and so was around 70-80%. The formatting at that part just really added so much extra punch. Jay and Amie really know how to make everything as dramatic as possible and it's amazing :o I stayed up an extra hour last night reading because there was no way I could stop at 75%. And I started work 45min late today just so I could finish this book. It's the end! I need more series like this!

[Katie]

Chapter 9-I'm SO ready for this! (view spoiler)[ I liked the time loop with Fin and Scarlet! I'm so curious to hear how the time travel works into this! But I'm looking forward to squad 312 being reunited! I miss their scenes together. (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Katie wrote: "Chapter 9-I'm SO ready for this! [spoilers removed]"

Yes (view spoiler)[the first few Chaper 2 chapters confused me so much but then I got it and I was SO EXCITED. In the launch I watched Jay and Amie speak about how no one should EVER write time travel because it's like writing a game: you need to remember every detail and make sure it all ties together and matches up (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Jumping in since I'm curremtly reading as well! Finished through ch 10 yesterday!

(view spoiler)[ the time travel thing is awesome - but totally see how hard it would be as a writer because of all the little details.

And I'm completely shipping Fin and Scarlett right now <3 (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Yeaaaah (view spoiler)[I love Fin and Scar <3 (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Finally starting this one now!

[Maddie]

OMG yay!

[Jenn]

Part 1: (view spoiler)[ oh my gosh so much to dissect! So scarlett, finn, and zila are all stuck in the past. Tyler is being held captive by saedii. Auri and Kal are in the future?? I need answers! (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Maddie wrote: "65% [spoilers removed]

Did you know Squad 312 is named after Jay and Amie's first meeting? March 2012! I just got off the Aussie launch event and it was so fun and interesting!"

Ok that 312 tidbit is awesome!

[Maddie]

Jenn wrote: "Part 1: [spoilers removed]"

Auri and Kal are (view spoiler)[not in the future, they're in the current time period they were in before (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Jenn wrote: "Maddie wrote: "65% [spoilers removed]

Did you know Squad 312 is named after Jay and Amie's first meeting? March 2012! I just got off the Aussie launch event and it was so fun and interesting!"

Ok..."

Right! So cool!

[Jenn]

Maddie wrote: "Jenn wrote: "Part 1: [spoilers removed]"

Auri and Kal are [spoilers removed]"

Are they? Lol im so confused (view spoiler)[ the last line of part 1 was Kals dad saying " it is not a matter of where me ambition has gotten me, my son. It is when." So i was automatically like THE FUTURE lol (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Exactly haha

[HeatherH]

Just finished part 2!

I love the time travel aspect and how they are all in different time periods. And I am adoring Hawk aka Niri but worried about getting attached to her and the idea of (view spoiler)[ her and Zila together (hide spoiler)] because how can that possibly work?! Really annoyed that I only have physical of this and not audio because I'm struggling to get time to sit and read!!! I need answers!

[Vanessa Gayle ⚔️]

20%

(view spoiler)[What the frack is happening? Are they really in a time loop? What prevented them from dying in a massive explosion and how did they get to this part of space? Where is the battle?

Fuck yes! Tyler and Saedii kissing is evrything that I needed! And Saedii being the one to initiate it is even better. Best kiss-fight ever.

2177---->2380? Fuck yes, time travel!

The flashbacks that Kal has to his childhood were so raw and vivid. His mother getting beaten by his father, his father letting his sister beat the shit out of him to make him learn his ways, his memories of his mother, it was all so emotional.

How did the Ra'haam overtake Earth? Did Kal, Auri, and the Starslayer time travel too? And if so, did they travel forward or backward since the Ra'haam have devoured worlds? (hide spoiler)]

[Vanessa Gayle ⚔️]

Maddie wrote: "15% [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I know! I wonder how Scarlett, Fin, and Zila time travelled to the past and how Auri, Kal, and the Starsleyer travelled to the future? I am thinking that maybe it has something to do with the Eshvaren crystals they had - Scarlett's necklace and the weapon was made of the crystal - since Tyler and Saedii seemed to stay in the present when everything went wonky. (hide spoiler)]

[Vanessa Gayle ⚔️]

Katie wrote: "Chapter 9-I'm SO ready for this! [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[The time loop was interesting and weird. I can't wait to find out the reason for it. And I miss the squad being together as well. They have the best chemistry together. (hide spoiler)]

[Vanessa Gayle ⚔️]

HeatherH wrote: "Jumping in since I'm curremtly reading as well! Finished through ch 10 yesterday!"

(view spoiler)[I agree, I think that writing a time travel story would be confusing as heck. And I am fangirling over Scarlett and Fin too! (hide spoiler)]

[Vanessa Gayle ⚔️]

Jenn wrote: "Part 1: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I know! The time travel stuff is weird. I can't wait to find out how that even happened. It does seem like Kal and Auri are in the future and that Saedii and Tyler are in the present and we know that Scarlett, Zila, and Fin are in the past. They are all split up and in different time periods, it seems like. (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

End of part 2: (view spoiler)[ Future Tyler is heartbreaking. To see all that they have lost and to think that Auri just had abandoned them. And while I'm happy that Scarlett and Fin are getting close, their time loop is getting shorter. They need to figure out why they are there and what they need to do. Everything is so chaotic! (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

End of part 3: (view spoiler)[ I am a sobbing mess. I'm happy that Zila found someone but omg, her leaving the messages and everything, knowing she put all of this into motion. I can't. And future Tyler sacrificing himself for his daughter. Nope. Just sobbing. (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

I didn't cry in this one :(

[Jenn]

Really? I was sobbing at the end of part 3 and even at the last chapter of the book. Everything just hit me really hard

[Jenn]

Finished: (view spoiler)[While I'm not too sure on the whole 'love saved the day' thing, and I'm a little fuzzy on what actually happened to the Ra'haam, I loved the sense of family that was found in this book. I'm honestly surprised no one besides Cat died. I would have thought Jay would have upped the ante here considering he couldn't kill anyone in the Illuminae Files (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

Jenn wrote: "Finished: [spoilers removed]"

I agree! I don't completely understand what actually happened. I'll need a re-read sometime. It had a different feel to the others.

[Jenn]

Maddie wrote: "Jenn wrote: "Finished: [spoilers removed]"

I agree! I don't completely understand what actually happened. I'll need a re-read sometime. It had a different feel to the others."

I agree with that. This definitely felt more sci-fi than the others

[Maddie]

And (view spoiler)[less squad interaction which is why I loved it. More sci-fi complex talk too. It honestly took everyone way too long to realise the girl was Ty and Saedii's child. I knew straight away, same that Zila was gonna get with that other woman. I forget names haha (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Maddie wrote: "And [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ Yeah I think too much time was spent on Scarlett/Fin/Zila's time loop. I agree with you, what i missed was the squad togetherness. There's just magic when they are all together so it hurt to have them apart for 90% of the book. (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

It all felt like (view spoiler)[one flow-through book, whereas the first 2 books had different settings and different pacings. (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Jenn wrote: "End of part 2: [spoilers removed]"


I'm really enjoying this part of the book! I'll be honest...I don't *LOVE* time travel a whole lot (in books, TV, movies, etc.) but I'm finally starting to enjoy Scarlet, Fin, and Zila's story line.

(view spoiler)[ I have a bad (and sad) feeling that sacrifices are going to be made in both the past and the future....

And I'm starting to think the commander with Tyler might be his daughter?? Is she the blond that he was having visions of earlier in the book???? (hide spoiler)]

[Jenn]

Katie wrote: "Jenn wrote: "End of part 2: [spoilers removed]"


I'm really enjoying this part of the book! I'll be honest...I don't *LOVE* time travel a whole lot (in books, TV, movies, etc.) but I'm finally sta..."

I enjoyed the sci-fi element too, it just took a minute to wrap my brain around what was happening haha

[Katie]

Chapter 27 (view spoiler)[ Zila is going to stay behind and help Nari?? I had a feeling someone was going to have to stay to help when they kept failing the time loops. Now hopefully they make it work! (hide spoiler)]

[Katie]

Chapter 31 (view spoiler)[ WHOA! So much to digest in this chapter. I didn't think Tyler would die... I was thinking Lae was his daughter since she was so angry with Kal's father, and she seemed to know so much about their past. But dang...I need to take a quick break before continuing on. I don't think I was prepared for that.

(hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

It's weird how some people get affected. I just keep reading. Plot twists never really affect me, only urgency. Deaths or surprise moments don't get me

[Katie]

Jenn wrote: "Really? I was sobbing at the end of part 3 and even at the last chapter of the book. Everything just hit me really hard"

I haven't gotten to the end yet, but I was crying during the last part of part 3...especially with (view spoiler)[ the message from Zila to Tyler...ooof....that had me pretty emotional. (hide spoiler)]

[Maddie]

You guys making me feel heartless

[HeatherH]

Jenn wrote: "End of part 2: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Future Tyler really broke my heart. And all those years of believing his friends had all died or abandoned him. How lonely and awful of a way to live through everything happening to his world. (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Finished yesterday! So so good!!!!

(view spoiler)[ Tyler having to kill Cat broke my heart so damn much and when Aurora first figured out Nila was no longer in their time.. man :( but this was a helluva ride and I loved the ending! (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Katie wrote: "Jenn wrote: "Really? I was sobbing at the end of part 3 and even at the last chapter of the book. Everything just hit me really hard"

I haven't gotten to the end yet, but I was crying during the l..."

(view spoiler)[ Zila's message to him had my eyes watering.. Several moments in this one did. (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Jenn wrote: "Finished: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Illuminae is really the only of either author I'd read before these so I didn't expect much death.. honestly because of those, I kept expecting them to find a way to bring Cat back lol. But yeah, I LOVED the found family aspect of this series!!! (hide spoiler)]