The Reading Bud

Book Details:

Author: Jackiem Joyner
Release Date: July 29, 2026
Series: Book 1 of 2: Zarya: Guardians of Cydnus Series
Genre: Young-Adult, Science-Fiction, Adventure
Format: E-book
Pages: 352
Publisher: Big Treble Media
Blurb:
Zarya is only fifteen, but her planet’s fate lies in her hands. Will she stop Gerik and his secret weapon in time to save the people?
Governed by a brutal military, Cydnus is a wasteland where everything is under surveillance and everyone is controlled. It’s a fact, the way of life, and no one dares question it.

Review

Zarya: Cydnus Final Hope by Jackiem Joyner is a young-adult science-fiction adventure that combines futuristic technology, aerial competition and political conspiracy with a daughter’s determination to uncover the truth about her missing parents. Fifteen years after scientists Aaron and Messina disappear following the discovery of a planetary energy crisis, their daughter Zarya has grown into an exceptionally gifted programmer and an audacious airboard rider. Raised by the loving Guida and supported by her mechanically brilliant best friend, Kizzy, Zarya begins following the fragments her father left behind, gradually uncovering a threat that reaches far beyond her own family.

The novel’s greatest strength is the exhilarating sense of movement Joyner creates through Zarya’s airboard. Her modified board, Sochi, possesses enough character to become a companion in its own right, and the aerial pursuits, canyon manoeuvres and high-speed escapes are among the most enjoyable sequences in the book. The annual Speed Games provide a particularly cinematic showcase for Zarya’s nerve and ingenuity, while the desert planet of Cydnus—with its crowded airborne cities, repair drones, energy cells and concealed military installations—offers an accessible setting with considerable visual potential.

I also appreciated that Zarya’s achievements are never entirely solitary. Her programming ability may place her at the centre of the story, but Kizzy’s mechanical intelligence repeatedly turns possibility into something tangible, while Si’Ida develops from an intimidating rival into one of the book’s more compelling allies. Their abilities acquire additional significance in a society that restricts what girls are permitted to build, operate and become. Zarya’s refusal to accept those limitations gives the adventure an appealing rebellious energy, and her search for Aaron and Messina supplies the spectacle with an emotional purpose.

The pacing, however, would benefit from a more disciplined balance between its different narrative strands. The Speed Games are entertaining but occupy substantial space just as the mystery surrounding Zarya’s parents and the energy crisis begins gathering urgency, whereas the rescue, political reckoning and several important reunions unfold very quickly near the conclusion. Some dialogue reiterates information the reader has already understood, and the system of gender discrimination introduced on Cydnus deserves deeper exploration because it has such direct relevance to Zarya and Kizzy’s talents. Allowing the friendships, family reunion and political consequences more room to settle would make the final movement considerably more affecting.

Even with these reservations, Zarya: Cydnus Final Hope is a spirited debut filled with inventive technology, accessible scientific ideas and a heroine whose boldness remains infectious. Joyner delivers an energetic story about friendship, inherited purpose and refusing to let authority determine the limits of one’s abilities. The unresolved dangers in the epilogue clearly prepare the way for a continuing series, and readers who enjoy young-adult science fiction, futuristic racing and fast-moving adventures led by resourceful girls should find this an engaging introduction to the world of Cydnus.

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