Welcome to the book tour for YA sci-fi, Nova's Blade by Will Scifi! Read on for my review and more details!
Nova’s Blade by Will Scifi is the first in this his new science fiction novel series and I can’t wait to find out what happens in Nova’s story. This science fiction novel details the story of Nova. She’s a young woman just simply trying to get by. She works hard to take care of her family which consists of her ailing mother and her teenager sister, Luna. It seems that life has decided to throw Nova some roadblocks. Some unforeseen incidents cause her to be late to work, which creates a new set of problems that cost her her job. What is she going to do now? Her family depends on her. When an essential task slips her mind, it sets the scene for yet another dangerous moment of Nova’s life. She thinks she’s finally able to claim something that was stolen, but instead she finds herself drugged and kidnapped. The show that she was admired from a distance has now claimed her and many other young women. Their told this simple truth – you survive or you die, because there will be no returning home or second chances for. Welcome to The Last Valkyrie.
Nova’s Blade is the first book that I have read by this new author, but it will not be the last. The beautiful cover art caught my attention first, but the blurb is what hooked me in. As I read this book, I really get “Hunger Games” vibes from it, but it’s way darker. This book has dystopian feel as the world is dark and changed. Corporations run by powerful families make the rules and run things. Nova has a dark history with one family in particular and the truth behind the story is heartbreaking.
This story is truly well-written overall. As you read this book, you’d almost believe that you’d be able to interact with these characters in reality. Whether the mother would ever admit it she has the child that she prefers. This is exhibited by the fact that Nova is tasked with a particular responsibility while her younger sister is not. The relationships between the characters, especially in Shed Court, is one of family and looking out for each other. I really like this. The real shock of how life is there for the people is in the police force. I literally frowned and reared back when Nova asks for help in one particular scene and I read the officer’s reaction/response. I was like...what?! Are you serious? On one hand, I couldn’t believe it, but on the other hand...strangely enough it made sense in a twisted way.
Now, when I say that I devoured this book in a day, I mean exactly that. I wanted to know what was going to happen with Nova. She is a fighter and you see that every step of the way. The circumstances that she finds herself in are truly frightening, but she overcomes her fears. The only things that I don’t like at times are some of Nova’s behavior. She’s a bit of a hot-head. She’s quick to get angry and fly off the cuff. Of course, this adds the spice of danger to the story which fuels it being a page-turner, so I can’t complain too much about it. I just don’t like that she only thinks about the consequences of her actions after she’s done something that she truly can’t come back from.
If I had to say that I have a least favorite character, it wouldn’t be any of the other Valkyries that Nova has to deal with or even the people who are putting her through this. It would honestly be her sister, Luna. Luna, for me, comes off as a very selfish and self-centered character. She’s 16 years-old, and the author does a good job reflecting the behavior and mentality of a 16-year-old. Luna talks that she cared so much about their family, but when a crucial situation appears she doesn’t step up and instead blames Nova for the tragic aftermath. I can’t help but question – what was Luna doing that was so important that she couldn’t do what was necessary? When Nova never came back, why didn’t Luna step up? What was stopping her from asking someone/anyone for help? I say NOTHING. So, it’s so easy for her to blame the person who’s not there. Now, I’m not saying that Nova is perfect, but she is caught up in a game of where survival is all that she can focus on from the beginning all the way to the end.
I appreciate that the author gives me some backstory into Nova’s past because it really helps me to connect the dots when it comes to her hatred. However, I really feel that her friend should shoulder a healthy amount of the blame. There are a nice variety of characters in this story that really help bring it to life. I like that the author gives little tastes of some characters’ backstories and why they are where they are. Nova looks at them all like they have a choice, and I did, too at one point, but the truth is always something darker than we know. It really makes the story intriguing, though I would have loved to know more about her stylists stories as well.
While I did enjoy this book there are some flaws. There are details that I feel are missed in the telling of the story. While the major details create the overall image, the minor details really bring the story and the picture to life. The details I’m hinting at tend to center around Nova herself, usually concerning her appearance. In one particular scene, Nova has her straight down her back, but then a couple chapters later (with no mention of the change), her hair is up and held in place with a pen. I feel like this particular detail is put in there for the sake of what’s to come, but it makes me feel like I missed something somewhere. I literally went back to see if I accidentally missed a passage in the story.
This dystopian/scifi novel is definitely one worth checking out though. If you read the blurb to this book and it piques your interest, grab this book. I’m choosing to rate this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. I’m being a bit nit picky about the details, and I would have liked less flare-ups from Nova, but this story is truly a page-turner. I will end my review with this warning: this book might not be for everyone due to the amount of violence throughout. It honestly should be a given based on these fights are to the death, but just in case it’s always nice to give a bit of a reminder as well. I’m eagerly anticipating this author’s next novel because I know that Nova’s road ahead is going to be a truly chaotic one.
Thank you to the author and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Nova’s Blade
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Genre: YA Dystopian/ Science Fiction
THIRTY-TWO WOMEN. ONE ARENA. A BATTLE TO THE DEATH.
After a long war, corporations have replaced countries. Sports are fought to the death. The most popular game is Last Valkyrie, a live tournament where women kill each other for marriage into a powerful family.
For Nova, living in poverty with her mother and sister is a harsh reality that she cannot escape. But when she is kidnapped and forced to fight on the show, her world changes. If she refuses to fight, the bomb in her head goes off. Now winning means her freedom.
With death lurking at every moment, Nova has no idea if her next fight will be her last. But one thing she knows for certain: only one is making it out alive.
Perfect for fans of Hunger Games, The Selection, and The Princess Trials. You won’t want to put down this exciting page-turner!
Available on Amazon
About the Author
Will Scifi is a pen name for an author from and based in California. He loves writing mainly science fiction that touches on themes surrounding modern day culture and society. Outside of writing, he loves going to the gym, theater, watching tv, reading comics and books, and playing video games. He thanks all of his fans for their support and highly encourages anyone who has read his work to always leave a review. Reviews go a long way in helping the author!
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