The Life Below

            Hello, dear reader. Today’s review is about the continuation of The Final Six, so I would suggest reading that book before reading this review! There may be a chance for spoilers in this one (i.e., finding out who the Final Six are and aren’t).

            The Life Below is a continuation of The Final Six, following those who got chosen for the mission being sent along in the spacecraft, as expected, while Leo stays behind on Earth. As they travel through space from Earth to Mars and then to Europa, things inevitably go wrong with no help nearby. They all knew the risks of the mission—dying slowly, floating through space without enough food, or dying once reaching Europa—but are they truly prepared for what they will find?

            Naomi and Leo both face several challenges in this sequel. Their lives, the lives of the crew of the Pontus, and the lives of all those left behind on a dying Earth are threatened when the Pontus arrives on Europa and enters a nightmare that no one saw coming. I’ll talk about their characters in this review, as I have already stated the plot in the previous review, and I can’t talk about the rest of the plot without giving major spoilers. I don’t want to do that—I want everyone who finds these books interesting to try them!

Both characters continue along their arcs very well, with both being affected by the horrors of space. Leo, finding himself working with Dr. Wagner on Earth, is working towards meeting up with the Pontus while they make their planned stop in Mars orbit, but a storm threatens his take-off. His risk is greater even than the Final Six—no one knows he’s out there, in his own tiny spaceship, trying to reach the Pontus. Even worse, the Pontus has lost communications and can’t identify him. Naomi has been continuing with her training as a communications specialist alongside the rest of the Final Six when disaster strikes. Communications cut out and they reach Mars only to realize that the calculations are all wrong—and that they might not be able to dock with the ship to get the much-needed food. These are only the beginning of what these characters must deal with and react to in the strange world of space.

            As I did with The Final Six, I want to point out that this series does some exceptional and believable things with science. I find it hard to read or watch science-fiction that doesn’t have believable equations or creatures on alien worlds, but this one is phenomenal. I read this book so fast and I’m heartbroken that there isn’t another one I can lose myself in. It’s quickly becoming a favourite series of mine.

            Sci-fi fans, Star Trek fans, and anyone looking for an easy read to get into sci-fi, The Final Six and The Life Below are the books to read! I’m sure there will be another one soon, though I couldn’t find anything on it.

            That’s everything for today. Please head on over to my Instagram and TikTok, both @litandleta and follow me for updates on future reviews. Have a wonderful day!

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5