This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic 
 Avalon is the story of a rag tag gang of thieves - in space. A simple premise but a compelling one. I didn't need to hear anything more than that to convince me to read it. Last week I reviewed another space adventure - Entangled by Amy Rose Capetta. I am always happy to see more YA science fiction but I am especially happy to see more books set in space. It is the final frontier after all. 
 There's a lot of characters in Avalon but the story really centres around the Captain of the bunch - Jeth. Jeth is a bit rough around the edges. Intelligent and quick he caught the eye of the local crime boss, Hammer, early in life and was quickly recruited to head up an all teen gang of thieves. Despite the circumstances of this arrangement, Jeth is extremely protective of his team and they in turn are incredibly loyal to him. Though he comes across hard or insensitive at times, it is his connection to his team that really made him a character worth cheering for. 
 I also grew rather attached to Lizzie and Sierra. Lizzie is Jeth's sister and a computer wiz. Though she is the youngest team member she makes up for it with intelligence and spunk. If you liked Kaylee on Firefly, you'll love Lizzie. Sierra is a little more of a mystery. They meet her on one of their missions and you really don't know much about her for most of the novel. I like how Mindee Arnett is able to develop this complex character and still be able to keep us in the dark about her background. 
 Beyond that the rest of the characters kind of blended together. I call this Thorin's Company Syndrome. A few characters - Jethro, Lizzie, Sierra - stick out, while the others all blend into the background. I can recall some small details about each one but nothing more substantial. I understood that they all had a purpose on board the Avalon but they ended up feeling a tad superfluous - there only to prop up the actions of the central players. I felt no attachment to them and was not invested in their well being. This is probably my biggest disappointment with Avalon, especially since I grew to love the other three characters so fiercely. 
 I found Avalon to be a refreshing read because it's pacing is much different than your typical Young Adult science fiction novel. It's not slow, but deliberate. Instead of simply throwing you into the action/conflict it takes its time to let the reader get acquainted with the world, the technology and story of Jeth and Lizzie. It helps to ground the reader, which just makes the many twists later on even more shocking. 
 Avalon may not be fast paced but is a complex and compelling book that approaches a number of different themes. Themes like survival, freedom, and family. Personally I was really happy to see the focus on family. Not only the relationship between Jethro and Lizzie, but the relationship between Jethro and his uncle Milton. Both relationships weren't perfect but they weren't horrendous either. I think they were a great example of an ordinary family struggling with extraordinary circumstances. 
 Avalon is a must read books for those who adore the show Firefly or science fiction adventures in general. Those who prefer science fiction that's similar to Across the Universe by Beth Revis, might find it a tad slow or be bogged down with an abundance of technical information. But those who enjoy books like Amy Kathleen Ryan's Glow series and Amy Rose Capetta's Entangled are sure to love it.