SPOTLIGHT Star Quest Academy: Above and Beyond by Adrian Lynch

Hi friends! Welcome to my spotlight on the tour organized by TheWriteReads for Star Quest Academy: Above and Beyond by Adrian Lynch. Check out my post to learn more about the book and the author. 

About the Book

Title: Star Quest Academy: Above and Beyond
Author: Adrian Lynch
Age Category: Middle Grade
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 280 Pages
Published: February 13, 2025
Buy the Book: Amazon
Add on Goodreads and TheStoryGraph

For centuries, trillions of life forms throughout space have allowed humanity to believe we’re alone in the Universe. Any alien who dared to befriend us has met an unfortunate end: eaten, squashed, sent to a zoo, or even planted in a garden pot. But our advances in space exploration now threaten every civilisation across the Cosmos.

Amelia, a savvy, street-smart orphan, is one of four exceptional children selected from around the globe to represent humanity in the Human Inclusion Programme at the intergalactic Star Quest Academy. Here, they’ll unravel the Universe’s wonders, explore strange new worlds, and encounter magical creatures. Earth’s safety from invasion hinges on their success as cadets, but if any of them fail, Earth will be invaded by ruthless warlords.

When a series of sinister incidents jeopardise their mission, it becomes clear that someone – or something – wants them to fail. To save their world, the cadets must overcome their differences and combine their unique skills.

About the Author

Adrian was born a long time ago in Harrow Weald, North London. He is dyslexic, which wasn’t allowed in those unenlightened times. As a kid, when he wasn’t learning to be ‘normal’, (he failed), he would hang out in the nearby bluebell-carpeted woods. To him, they harboured space aliens, mysterious creatures and the ghosts of Grims Dyke whose mournful songs rustled autumnal leaves. This inspired stories that Adrian would tell eager audiences for pocket money.

Following successful careers within the NHS and as a Company Director, Adrian obtained a BA degree in Creative Writing from the Open University and is now bringing those fantastical stories to life in his novels. The Star Quest Academy – Above and Beyond is the first to be published. Adrian hopes that it will be as exciting and fun to read as it was to write.

Adrian now lives in North Bedfordshire.

REVIEW Vendetta Road (Torpedo Ink #3) by Christine Feehan

Vendetta Road (Torpedo Ink #3) by Christine Feehan
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: January 28, 2020
Format: eBook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Berkley

Vengeance Road by Christine Feehan is the third book in the Torpedo Ink series, and while entertaining will definitely not be for everyone. Explosive, action packed, and filled with romance, its also filled with explicit violence and sex scenes. 

While the members of Torpedo Ink are all powerful in their own right and have worked on building a life for themselves on the coast, they are not by any means "stable". All of the members suffered long term abuse when they were children, and its left them scarred and unable to perform as 'normal' members of society. When they find their person though, thats it for them and Ice and Soleil are no exception. The book is dark and full of scary things (like the human traffickers the club works to hunt down and stop), but there are also happy moments.

Ice and Soleil grow together, and figure out their own way to make their needs work. As opposed to some of the other relationships in the series, theirs felt balanced. I'm definitely commited to seeing more of their relationship in the future, and hope they continue to show up in more books (like Anya/Reaper, Steele/Breezy, and Blythe/Czar have). I would recommend this book to mature fans of paranormal romance, who love the motorcycle club sub-genre and the found family trope.