***ARC provided by Crown Books for Young Readers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*** 
 Holy smokes! This was a debut novel? Woah... that really blows my mind because Nyxia is written with such emotional depth that I would have thought this was from a more established author. Since this isn't technically out yet, I want to make this review as spoiler free as possible. Here goes... 
 The gist of Nyxia is that there's a company called Babel that has recruited teenagers from all over the world to go on a mission to a new planet called Eden. On Eden, the recruits are to mine a substance called nyxia. Nyxia is a substance that can be manipulated into anything with just a thought; hence it's the most valuable thing in the universe at the moment. All of this is well and good except for when you consider all the other variables in the mix: 
 1.	This is a competition. Not all the recruits will get to go to Eden. 
 2.	Eden is not an uninhabited planet and the natives aren't known for being all that friendly. 
 3.	The exact nature of nyxia is still undetermined. 
 4.	The exact nature of Babel is still undetermined. 
 When you consider all the variables you get a sci-fi mystery and a lesson in psychological stress. The psychological strain is a running theme throughout the novel as these kids are constantly reminded of the fact that their spots aren't guaranteed and in order to succeed, someone else will have to fail. However, these teens still seem to be able to come together and find a sort of kinship with each other despite the stinging truth of their situation. I enjoyed the duality of their existence and it gave the story a great emotional depth. 
 Emmett is a wonderful protagonist. His voice and internal struggles are very complex and I find him to be an Intriguing character. He's constantly in conflict with his morality. He knows the score here: Babel is keeping secrets, everyone is a competitor, and nyxia isn't something to be taken lightly. As Emmett acknowledges the truth of his situation he continually has to make the decision to be a better man. Babel is trying to create a monster out of him and he refuses to lose his humanity. 
 O my goodness... that ending! I'll give a fair warning that it's a total cliffhanger but it's done in a way that is so bad ass I can't even be mad about it. It was the perfect place for this story to end and it makes me really want to get my hands on the next book in the series. Now comes the dreaded waiting period until I can find out what happens next!