So that's done. ( )

This novel is by the author who wrote the Rot and Ruin series, so this is science fiction with supernatural thrown in for some of the characters.

The world has been taken over by Bugs (aliens) who exist by instinct but not intelligence. Milo lives with other survivors who must scavenge to survive. Currently, they are living in a Louisiana bayou where it is humid and hot. His mother is a flash character--you see her briefly once but is supposed to be a good leader who brings most of her troops back alive. Milo has a couple of good friends, which they, as teenagers, do most of the scavenging to allow the adults to fight. It appears to be a losing battle, however.

One day Milo is out and finds wreckage near a pyramid with strange powers. Before he can call out for the others to come scavenge, he sees a wolf and a girl; the girl and someone Milo can’t see threaten him. Milo also has weird dreams where a witch talks to him, and his dreams often come true; it’s in these dreams that he somehow knows the girl’s name. No one believes Milo saw what he saw. It’s only when the Bugs attack that Milo learns who the girl and her friends are.

I didn’t find this novel particularly well-written or interesting. It wandered around trying to build suspense with absolutely nothing advancing. Then, the author had places where he spat out what you needed to know about what’s happened or who the Bugs are and what they’ve done instead of having the story be part of the plot. The title implies the novel is about the Nightsiders, but you don’t even meet them until around page 215-ish, so the author spends 200 pages trying to world build. There are only 389 pages, so there really isn’t much of a story left to tell. It’s also all been done before. The writing, plot, or characters are not good enough to interest you with another re-told alien story. With all of that said, I do think a lot of boys will enjoy the novel because there are aliens and several adventure scenes after you get past the boring parts. ( )

Milo and his community are barely getting by after the Bugs have invaded and will use up all the earth's resources. When his scavenge team comes across an old pyramid and Milo sees a pair of mysterious eyes in the bayou, they realize maybe there are other forces along with the Bugs and humans. Milo joins forces with the Nightsiders in order to fight back against the Huntsman, a malicious human who has been enhanced and merged with the hivemind of the Bugs.
Milo has vivd dreams. Part of the book is his dream journal. In these dreams he is visited by the Witch of the World who gives him insights and urges him to be a hero.
Much action and a (at times heavy-handed) message about working with those who are different in order to preserve the common good and survival.
Short chapters, lots of action, and good escapism. ( )

THE ORPHAN ARMY by Jonathan Maberry is the first book in the new Nightsiders fantasy series.

When Earth is invaded by aliens, young Milo becomes part of a group of scavengers helping soldiers in a remote area of the Louisiana bayou. During a scouting expedition, Milo stumbles upon magical creatures who are also battling the alien invaders. Together, they form a ragtag army, save their friends, and take back an ancient, magical artifact stolen by the evil Huntsman.

This fast-paced, science fiction adventure is well-written with engaging plot elements that keep the heart-pounding tension going from start to finish. Middle grade readers will enjoy the banter among the well-developed fantasy creatures reminiscent of Guardians of the Galaxy. The author skillful interweaves dream segments and diary entries to add appeal.

With both giant bug aliens and magical creatures, this new series will appeal to a wide range of fantasy and science fiction fans. Youth will be begging librarians for the next book in this hot new series.

To learn about the author, go to http://www.jonathanmaberry.com/.

Published by Simon & Schuster, May 19, 2015. ( )

This was one book that did not intrigue me as much as I hoped or would have liked it to. However as I did pick this book up for my nephews, I think that they will enjoy this book a lot more than me. Which is not a bad thing. In fact, this is a good thing as this book is written and geared towards my nephews ages of 11 and 12. So they will enjoy the whole storyline and characters. I myself personally could not get into the story or the characters. Yet, I did recognize that Mr. Maberry wrote this book in an easy to understand format that my nephews can read this book on their own. There was a right mixture of action to keep the story moving along at a steady pace. Although, I really can't comment too much on the story itself as I mentioned I was kind of bored with it and did not retain much myself. ( )