Unearthed

Unearthed
Unearthed Book One
Written by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Science Fiction, Aliens, Romance, #LoveOzYA
352 Pages
Published December 2017
Thank you to Allen & Unwin Australia
Recommended retail price $19.99
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★★★★
We are the last of our kind. We will not fade into the dark. We will tell our story to the stars, we will be Undying.

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 massive environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, the Undying's 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.

Despite their opposing reasons for smuggling themselves onto the alien planet's surface, they're both desperate to uncover the riches hidden in the Undying temples. Beset by rival scavenger gangs, Jules and Amelia form a fragile alliance... But both are keeping secrets that make trust nearly impossible. As they race to decode the ancient messages left by the alien race, Jules and Amelia must navigate the traps and trials within the Undying temple and stay one step ahead of the scavvers on their heels. They came to Gaia certain that they had far more to fear from their fellow humans than the ancient beings whose mysteries they're trying to unravel.

But the more they learn about the Undying, the more Jules and Amelia start to feel like their presence in the temple is part of a grand design, one that could spell the end of the human race..
The Earth is no longer environmentally sustainable, humanity has depleted nonrenewable resources, communities abandoned and surviving through impoverished environments. The Undying are a former ancient archaic civilisation of Gaia, a technologically advanced species in distress. Gaia is now an abandoned and desolate planet, archaeologists believing the survival of Earth depends upon Gaia and the Undying technology. 

Amelia Radcliffe is an illegal scavenger upon the surface of Gaia, an unauthorised visitor exploring the ancient temples of the Undying for artefacts to be illicitly traded by her benefactor. Amelia is an intelligent and perceptive young woman who appears invincible, her vulnerability and compassion compelled by the freedom of her enslaved sister.

The expedition on Gaia is an opportunity for Jules Addison to explore the temples of the Undying, journeying to the sacred ruins. His father once a world renowned xenoarchaeologist now imprisoned and accused of sabotage. Seventeen year old Jules will continue his father's vocation from the temples of Gaia, determined to decipher the concealed message within the distress signal. Jules is overwhelmed by the magnitude of Gaia and proposes an alliance. Amelia will assist Jules in reaching the temple and consequently, Jules will appraise ancient Undying artefacts despite his disdain. Neither anticipated company.

On their delightfully adventurous escapade, Amelia and Jules collaborate to decipher the mysteries of the Undying, each temple chamber challenging the young explorers while avoiding capture. Although Gaia was ambiguous, the Undying temples and hieroglyphic language were elaborately illustrated. Characteristically, the romantic elements are incredibly charming, still allowing both Amelia and Jules to flourish as individuals and I also enjoyed the subtle reference to the Starbound Trilogy and the Gaia hypothesis. 

Thoroughly enjoyed it.

22 comments

  1. I have this one on audio and I cant wait to listen to it! I dont even like fantasy but these authors have great books on audio.

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    1. I'd say it's more so adventure science fiction so if you enjoyed These Broken Stars specifically, you'll love this. I haven't tried their audiobooks as yet but it's one of my reading resolutions this year, to listen to audiobooks while blogging.

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  2. An Amie Kaufman book? SIGN ME UP! I really need some more Sci Fi books in my life, definitely going on my Goodreads list!

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    1. She's amazing isn't she. Such a great read Noor, would love to see what you think of it!

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  3. Well this sounds like something I would read. I think I'm off to GR to add it! Thanks for the heads up and I'm glad you enjoyed this one!
    Rebecca @ The Portsmouth Review

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    1. It's a wonderfully entertaining read Rebecca, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

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  4. Amie Kaufman certainly is on fire with her books these last couple of years, isn't she? Awesome review!

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    1. She is! I can't wait to read her own debut as well, Ice Wolves. She's such a versatile author.

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  5. Amie Kaufman always do nice pairing =d can't wait

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    1. Who wouldn't want to be lining up to work with her though, she's wonderful and one of my favourite authors.

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  6. I'm not usually into alien stories but this one sounds like a very nice read. I'm glad you enjoyed it Kelly :) If ever I'm in the mood for this kind of story, I'll sure to check it out

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    1. They're an ancient species rather than present characters Vanessa and the focus is on humans. I think you'll really enjoyed this one, it's a great read!

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  7. This looks good! I didn't read the other series this pair did together and you saying there were subtle references to that series makes me want to check that out. Annoyingly I can't find that first series going at a decent price but this book certainly sounds like one I will enjoy.

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    1. It just mentions it very briefly but you don't need to read the Starbound trilogy as this is an entirely new series with no carry over characters. It's wonderful Becky and I would love to see what you think of it.

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  8. Glad you enjoyed it. I've got this one on my list for January.

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    1. Really excited to see what you think of it Sophia.

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  9. Reviews like this make me wish I liked sci-fi (I really don't lol I tried!) glad you enjoyed it Kelly!

    And I hope you had a fab Christmas!

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    1. I did! Exhausting but it was wonderful. I hope you and your parents did too sweetheart.

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  10. I've got the audiobook and it's really fun! Sci-fi is usually a hit-or-miss for me, but I really like Amelia and Jules' chemistry.

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  11. Great review. I've seen this book everywhere and although, I don't really read sci-fi, I'm glad this book is good. I think I'll add it to my TBR 😊

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  12. I loved their previous trilogy and I'm really looking forward to this book. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

    For What It's Worth

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  13. I really loved how Amelia and Jules worked together and how the authors allowed them to grow separately, great review!

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