Sirius Academy (Jezebel's Ladder Book 2) - Scott Rhine

Title: Sirius Academy (Jezebel's Ladder Book 2)
Author: Scott Rhine
Genre: Science-Fiction
Published: 2012
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“Sirius Academy” is the second book in Scott Rhine’s “Jezebel’s Ladder” series of science-fiction novels. The majority of the story is set sixteen years following the final events from the previous novel “Jezebel’s Ladder” and follows the development Jezebel’s daughter, Miracle Redemption Hollis as she attends an astronaut school on an island somewhere in the Pacific. Mira must overcome kidnappers, terrorists, meddling family members and her teachers as she attempts to persuade the Academy that she is the best choice to unlock multiple alien secrets.

As I have come to expect with a Scott Rhine novel, the reader is blasted with non-stop action throughout the story. The pacing therefore travels along at a blistering speed although if I am honest I think it is a fraction slower than the previous novel in the series, but I actually think this was a benefit as it did allow for Rhine to build up some tension in the story. There are some romance side-plots which seemed a little bit weak and unrefined to me but they may appeal to young readers who enjoy the militarily school drama elements of the novel.

In regards to the characters, I was a little bit in two minds about them. Unfortunately, there are few characters from the first book and those we do see aren’t given any large role. I had grown to like the previous characters so having to start with a whole new cast was a little disappointing. Luckily, the new characters are engaging and enjoyable in their own right. Rhine portrays them all in a manner which highlights their unique characteristics so that the reader is always aware of which character we are following. Mira herself is a little bit hard to like due to her self-centred outlook on life but I appreciated the fact that I could at least understand why she was like that.

Overall, this is another enjoyable, fast paced sci-fi adventure story in the “Jezebel’s Ladder” series although this book did feel a bit more YA than the previous one due to its school setting with associated romance sub-plots. It was a shame that we didn’t get to see a more complex insertion of characters from the previous novel but the new characters were interesting enough to make up for this.