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Rating: 4.7/5 Stars
Title: Gemina (Illuminae Files #2)
Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Synopsis:
Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.
The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.
Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy's most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.
When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station's wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.
But relax. They've totally got this. They hope.
Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless.
Initial thoughts:
After reading Illuminae, I had a feeling that I was going to have trouble getting through this book as I had the first, but I loved the story so much that I decided to keep going and push through the processing complications I had experienced. I really enjoy science fiction stories and wanted to see what was in store for Kady and Ezra after everything that happened in the first book. Especially after that cliffhanger that we were left with! So, with that, I jumped right into reading this book.
Plot:
What I liked:
I missed Kady, Ezra and AIDEN from the first book as this story follows a different set of characters, but I did enjoy learning about what was happening at the station (And I gotta say I really enjoyed the newer characters a little bit more). The plot of the story was well paced and full of realistic characters that reacted as I would have expected them to in response to the pressures placed upon them. Even the protagonists were human in many aspects and showed emotion amidst stressful situations (of course some were described as being more robotic in expression, but I digress).
I loved the humor that was put into the story as well as the sass of the characters. They were witty and clever, bringing out the severity of a situation while still staying real and coping using humor.
What I didn't like:
Again, this was tough book to get through because of the constant switching of fonts and occasional artistic texts. Though it added to the atmosphere of the story, I found it difficult to read and process. So, the book took me much longer to finish. I am assuming that Obsido is going to be the same way.
Characters:
Hanna Donnelly: She was so much more than just your pretty party girl. Hannah was my favorite character (Even above Kady which was weird to me) and I loved following her around and seeing just what she was going to do in certain situations. She was smart, witty, and strong and I found myself drawn to her character.
Nik Malikov: The bad boy with a heart of gold. I loved Nik and I found his character really endearing and I was rooting for him. He was silly, and though he toes the line of what he should and shouldn’t say, I felt like he knew when to stop and take a step back.
Ella Malikova: I loved this girl! She was sassy, but still a good person. I liked reading her thoughts on the situation aboard the station.
Travis Falk and his Team: He was crazy and I thought he was a fantastic villain, and his team was very quick thinking (for the most part). I liked how they all worked together. I would equate them to a pack of dogs, to be honest, on how they hunted and how they showed no mercy.
Overall:
This book was fantastic and I seriously loved it! It was a roller coaster ride from start to finish with so much conflict riddled throughout it. I really think that the story was so well written and executed. I liked how the beginning and end come together as if in a trial setting. The first book was like a warning while the second is the actual follow through. The characters were fantastic and I actually enjoyed this book a little more than Illuminae and cannot wait to start the third book, Obsidio.