#Review - Honor Lost by Rachel Caine, Ann Aguirre #YA #SyFy

Series: The Honors #3
Format: Hardcover, 448 pages
Release Date: Hardcover
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Science Fiction

Quick-thinking Leviathan pilot Zara Cole must stop a planet-eating monster or lose everyone she loves in the finale of this action-packed trilogy from New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre. 

Space renegade Zara Cole may have finally met her match. Lifekiller—a creature that can devour entire planets—is spreading terror throughout the universe, and it seems nothing can stand in the monstrous godking’s way.

Reeling from a series of battles, Zara and her wounded band of allies are going to need a strategy before they face Lifekiller again. Zara’s street smarts may not be enough when their enemy could be anywhere, destroying civilizations and picking his teeth with the bones.

And just when it feels like she’s reached a special place in her bond with Bea and Nadim, an ex from Earth with an ax to grind comes after her with nefarious intentions. With human enemies, alien creatures, and mechanical stalkers on her tail, it’s down to the wire for Zara to save the galaxy—and the people she calls home—before the godking consumes them all.

Honor Lost is the third and final installment in co-authors Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre's The Honors Trilogy. Picking up right where Honor Bound left off, 16-year old Zara Cole, Bea Teixeria, and their Leviathan ship, Nadim are trying to figure out a way to stop Lifekiller from destroying the galaxy. To make things even more dangerous for the crew, they receive a message from Earth accusing Zara and Bea of unlawful occupation of a Leviathan (Nadim) and are ordered to return to Earth immediately where they've been stricken from the Honors Program. 

Honor Lost raises the stakes of the first two books with not just one but two villains that will stop at nothing to destroy everything Zara holds dear. Thankfully, Zara & Bea have allies with the Leviathan Typhon, Chao-Xing Zhang and Marko, as well as Starcurrent, and Yusuf. Typhon tells Zara that he will stand alongside her against anyone who tries to come for her or Bea. Suncross and his crew are willing and able to sacrifice everything if it means helping the crew of Nadim surive against human and alien enemies.

By far one of the best scenes in this book, were Starcurrent and his Bruqvisz crew. They are 4 handed lizard aliens who are basically hard-partying warlike librarians. EMITU, the medical bot with a snarky disposition–courtesy of Bea’s mischievous streak–is turning into something of a rebellious nature, and the crew is forced to interact with him a little bit differently than they have so far. He really comes into his own in this volume.

The relationship that has slowly been developing between Zara, Bea, and Nadim comes to fruition in this volume. Not a fan, but perhaps you will like it. I really liked books one and two and the story of book three but it sort of, as the saying goes, “jumped the shark.” The storyline with Zara’s ex and his powerful, amoral boss has an anticlimactic finish but on the flip side, new characters were added like Jury who has the ability to do what Zara can't do. Finish her enemies.

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