Welcome to my stop on The Apollo Academy’s Blog Tour!
eighteen-year-old Aurora Titon can have whatever she wants—clothes, expensive
gadgets, anything money can buy. All she really wants is to escape her
pampered, paparazzi-prone life for the stars. Becoming the first female pilot
to train as an astronaut for the Apollo Academy is exactly the chance for which
she has been waiting. Everything would be perfect if it weren’t for
her unreciprocated crush on a fellow student, the sexy astronaut bent on making
her life hell, and the fact that someone keeps trying to kill her.
science fiction series, The Apollo
Academy, is an action packed story of love, discovery, and survival.
Available NOW at Amazon and Barnes&Noble!
P. Chase holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle
Aeronautical University, which basically means she’s kind of a geek and loves
flying airplanes. Naturally, her books tend to include aviation, hot flight
instructors, aviator glasses, and—let’s not forget—kissing! When Kimberly’s not
writing or reading, she’s hanging out with her husband, four-year-old son, and
two dogs.
Here’s a chance to win a free electronic copy or an Apollo Academy Launch Specialist t-shirt!
How Science Fiction Influenced Me
by Kimberley P. Chase
Science fiction movies, shows, and books are a big part of my life and always have been. I’ve been watching Star Wars, reading Ben Bova, and looking through a telescope since middle school. And because of that, it’s no surprise that science fiction is my favorite genre to write. There’s just something about creating a world of your own where you can make and break the rules.
I vividly remember the day my father took me to see Apollo 13. I was twelve and I felt an instant connection with the main character, Jim Lovell. (played by Tom Hanks) You see, we both had the same last name and an obsession with the world above. Apollo 13, though not typical science fiction, was a turning point for me. I started taking flying lessons soon after, covered my ceiling with stars and planets, and devoured everything space related I could get my hands on. I went to Space Camp while most of my friends were hanging out a swimming pool. I continued to fly, eventually earning all of my flight ratings and Aeronautical Science degree in college.
Science Fiction influenced my interests and helped mold me into the geek I am today! Without these interests and experiences, I would never have been inspired to write THE APOLLO ACADEMY.
FAV SciFi Movies: Contact, Star Wars, Star Trek, Gattaca, Independence Day, Men In Black, Sphere, Jurassic Park, Starship Troopers, Tron, The Matrix, Wall-E.
FAV SciFi Books: ANYTHING Ben Bova! Scarlet, Ender’s Game, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Starters, Sherrilyn Kenyon The League Series, Brave New World. . .
My Review:
*I received this book for honest review from the author.
Teens at astronaut school? A mystery to unravel? What could be better! The novel seemed right up my alley with a great blurb that immediately hooked me and a stunning cover that made me want to get to know all about that fiery redhead and the boy staring so longingly at her.
While I wasn’t totally enamoured with the first chapter and somewhat cliche way of throwing the two main characters together, I was so intrigued by Zane I just had to keep reading and I’m glad I did because the story goes from strength to strength.
The author certainly knows her stuff. I’m not a huge fan of hard sci-fi and there were times when I felt sections became a little too info dumpy, but the author manages to balance the science with the action in a way that never made me want to put the book down and stop reading.
The Apollo Academy features three POVs. I didn’t care for the third POV and would’ve preferred to stick with Aurora and Zane because they were the two characters I cared the most about. At times the romance felt a little forced and the love triangle seemed a little contrived. I didn’t really get Aurora’s attraction to boy number 2 or why the spark there turned so hot and heavy so quickly. But then I’m a sucker for the under dog and was totally Team Zane, which may have made me biased. The fact that Aurora went for boy 2 at all, made me dislike her quite a bit. Couldn’t she see how awesome and conflicted Zane was?
The strength in this book was the world-building. The author creates a future that feels real and probable complete with competing technology companies, zealous activists and environmental issues at stake. These aspects were the best part of the book for me and were handled expertly by the author.
This story straddles the YA/NA division. At times, the characters came across much younger and definitely more YA, complete with awkward flirtation and cute first timer moments. Then the story switched gear with some overt sexual references – particularly in the boys’ POV chapters – and a few steamy scenes that pushed the story into NA territory. While at times this felt genuine for the characters in that in-between stage of not quite a teen, not quite an adult yet, I never really felt I understood some of the choices the characters made when it came to the romance.
All in all an enjoyable read and one I’d recommend for those who are into spacey futuristic stories with a liberal amount of romantic angst. A good 3.5 ink splats from me.
