Book Nerds Across America

**Note: Proceed with caution if you haven't yet read Unearthed.**

Book Summary
Trapped aboard the Undying's ancient spaceship and reeling from what they've learned there, scavenger Mia and academic Jules are plunged into a desperate race to warn their home planet of the danger humanity's greed has unleashed. From the mountains of Spain to the streets of Prague, the sequel to Unearthed is a white-knuckle ride that will send readers hurtling back to earth, and leave them breathless until the last page.

Flo's Review
Undying was quite different from Unearthed, but every bit as enjoyable. I really enjoyed having Neal along for the journey. He brought so much to the team in so many ways. It was a fun journey seeing several places in Europe with this duo. Their romance continued to blossom and I loved being able to know both their thoughts on the situation. (This is truly an advantage of dual narration in books.) One of the final scenes was just so artfully and beautifully written. Kudos to Amie and Meagan for deciding to present it the way they did.

I listened to this one on audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed hearing from Alex McKenna and Steve West. Both of them did a great job bringing a unique, otherworldly sound to the Undying characters. I also thought this was a fun and captivating length -- I feel like it would have started to drag if it had tried to be a trilogy, so a duology was perfect. And -- as many other people have mentioned -- the recap of Unearthed at the beginning was phenomenal! I read that one right around the time it came out, so of course there were a lot of things I had forgotten about the story.

Finally, and most importantly in my opinion, I think that Jules Addison is officially my newest Book Boyfriend. Get all starry eyed and ramble to me about academics in your British accent, Oxford. I am so here for it!

Book Summary
When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.

For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.

In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race...

Flo's Review
From the moment I heard this book was a cross between Lara Croft and Indiana Jones in space, I was intrigued. What a great concept! I don't know much about Lara Croft, but the Indiana Jones movies were definitely a part of my childhood.

This book was fast-paced and a lot of fun. I enjoyed seeing how Jules and Mia figured out the various   puzzles that the Undying left behind. And I adored Mia and Jules together. I loved their relationship, from beginning to end.

Amie and Meagan came to my local bookstore, Books & Books, and I couldn't have been more excited. The two of them together are the best, and they are both so sweet, fun, and approachable.

I just love them, though!

They talked about the audiobook at the event and how they were excited to have Steve West narrating Jules. I knew him from the A Torch Against the Night audiobook and he does have a very enjoyable voice. (Seriously, though. Find a sample to listen to if you can!) Needless to say, he did a great job here as well. And so did Alex McKenna, who read Mia. But one thing I know about myself is that I have an audiobook limit. I can only do about 8 CDs max before it starts to seem too long. And this one was ten. Maybe that's why I struggled with the end. The last bit of the book seemed to drag a little bit for me? Or maybe I just enjoyed being with Jules and Mia and the puzzles and their brains better than anything else.

This is a duology, which is refreshing. I am looking forward to seeing everything wrap up in the next book.