Shades of Earth

From Goodreads: (full of spoilers for books one and two)

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.

My Rating: *****

I love this series and I love Beth Revis's kind of sci-fi, full of mystery and danger and excitement, but with romance and friendship and family to balance it out. I'm very happy with how things have ended for the whole series and can't wait to see what Beth Revis does next!

SPOILERS (for books 1 and 2)
Have I warned you enough yet?

Amy and Elder have made it off the ship and onto Centauri earth and I think I've been waiting for this moment as long as they have. I tend to be a bit claustrophobic and it was so nice not to be trapped in space anymore. :D Of course, Beth Revis wastes no time and before long, Amy's parents are unfrozen and war is being waged on the hostile planet, which is hostile in every way - from plant life to animal life to... well, there's something else out there and I won't spoil it. As usual, there are plenty of surprises and nothing that you are expecting to happen happens (unless you're expecting everything to go wrong). Also as usual, Beth Revis has no problems blowing important things up and killing off people I like.

Somehow, there are still clues left behind by Orion and don't forget Orion himself has been brought down to Centauri Earth. He may be frozen, but he still causes trouble. I like that he's been a unifying theme through the whole series and that, much as I want to hate him and call him evil and unhinged, he definitely has a point (and he knows things). Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the dynamics between the frozens and the shipborns. The frozens expect to take charge, but it's not that easy and I like that eventually they have to learn respect for each other if they want to survive.

There's so much more going on here than the romance (one of the reasons I like this series), but the romance is still important. Amy and Elder have only had each other, but pretty quickly (once the frozens arrive on the scene), Elder has competition and Amy is a bit bewildered at having a choice. I liked that it didn't feel like a contrived love triangle, but that it really made them think about their relationship, since before there was really no other choice. And the resolution is good. Great, actually.

It ends with a bang and I, for one, loved it. Beth Revis is a master at foreshadowing, so when the surprises come, it's just mind-blowing, because I saw it coming, but I TOTALLY DIDN'T. If that makes sense :D.

Recommended for fans of sci-fi, mystery, romance, and great storytelling.