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The Illuminae Files #2
Gemina
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2016)Hanna sapeva che traslocare in una stazione spaziale ai confini della galassia sarebbe stato un brutto colpo per la sua vita mondana. Nessuno però le aveva detto che sarebbe potuto costarle la vita.
La saga di «Illuminae File», cominciata con le peripezie di Kady ed Ezra, prosegue a bordo della stazione spaziale Heimdall, dove due nuovi protagonisti dovranno affrontare le conseguenze di una seconda offensiva BeiTech. Hanna è la viziatissima figlia del capitano della stazione, Nik il rampollo di una famigerata famiglia di criminali. Alle prese con la vita di bordo nella stazione spaziale più noiosa della galassia, i due non possono certo immaginare che Kady Grant e la Hypatia sono in viaggio verso la Heimdall con la notizia dell'invasione di Kerenza.
Quando una squadra d'assalto della BeiTech invade la stazione, Hanna e Nik saranno costretti a collaborare per difendere quella che è ormai diventata la loro casa. A complicare tutto, la presenza di predatori alieni che fanno fuori l'equipaggio un uomo alla volta. Hanna e Nik capiranno presto che in gioco non c'è soltanto la propria sopravvivenza: nelle loro mani hanno il destino di tutti i passeggeri della Hypatia, e forse dell'universo intero.
Tranquilli, però. Hanno tutto sotto controllo. Almeno sperano.
La saga di «Illuminae File», cominciata con le peripezie di Kady ed Ezra, prosegue a bordo della stazione spaziale Heimdall, dove due nuovi protagonisti dovranno affrontare le conseguenze di una seconda offensiva BeiTech. Hanna è la viziatissima figlia del capitano della stazione, Nik il rampollo di una famigerata famiglia di criminali. Alle prese con la vita di bordo nella stazione spaziale più noiosa della galassia, i due non possono certo immaginare che Kady Grant e la Hypatia sono in viaggio verso la Heimdall con la notizia dell'invasione di Kerenza.
Quando una squadra d'assalto della BeiTech invade la stazione, Hanna e Nik saranno costretti a collaborare per difendere quella che è ormai diventata la loro casa. A complicare tutto, la presenza di predatori alieni che fanno fuori l'equipaggio un uomo alla volta. Hanna e Nik capiranno presto che in gioco non c'è soltanto la propria sopravvivenza: nelle loro mani hanno il destino di tutti i passeggeri della Hypatia, e forse dell'universo intero.
Tranquilli, però. Hanno tutto sotto controllo. Almeno sperano.
659 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2016
1792 people are currently reading
70706 people want to read
About the author
Amie Kaufman
37 books13.3k followersAmie Kaufman is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author of young adult fiction. Her multi-award winning work is slated for publication in over 30 countries, and is in development for film and TV. Raised in Australia and occasionally Ireland, Amie has degrees in history, literature, law and conflict resolution. She lives in Melbourne with her husband and daughter, their rescue dog, and an extremely large personal library. She is the host of the podcasts Amie Kaufman on Writing, and Pub Dates.
You can sign up for her newsletter to see what she's working on, hear when she releases a new book, and be automatically entered for giveaways: https://amiekaufman.substack.com/
You can sign up for her newsletter to see what she's working on, hear when she releases a new book, and be automatically entered for giveaways: https://amiekaufman.substack.com/
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March 1, 2016Until I find time to make a gif review (wtb Jay clone pst), here's a GEMINA FAQ:
Is GEMINA a sequel or companion novel to ILLUMINAE?
Both. Chronologically, it picks up about 5 minutes after ILLUMINAE ends. The book continues the story of the invasion of Kerenza IV, and many of the important questions asked in ILL are answered in ILL2, ie “The Hypatia was sending distress calls all through Illuminae, why did help never arrive?” and “Can there possibly be a dude in the universe hotter than Ezra Mason?"
This is important: how do I pronounce the title?
Soft G. Like so: JEM-ih-nuh.
Is GEMINA still set aboard the Hypatia?
GEMINA is primarily set on Jump Station Heimdall, the space station that Battlecarrier Alexander and Science Vessel Hypatia were trying to get to for most of ILLUMINAE. Heimdall, incidentally, is the name of the god who guarded Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge, which connected Midgard and Asgard in Norse mythology.
Yeah, yeah, that’s great. But I love Kady. Is she in GEMINA?
Yes.
I mean really in it? Not just a cameo?
Yes. She’s in it. Sassier than ever.
And what about the rest of the ILL gang?
Well, as you know, ILL has a pretty high death toll, and we don’t want to issue any potential spoilers at this point. So all we’ll say is that the folks who survive book one will be seen again in book two.
But the book is primarily focused on two new characters?
Correctamundo. Our heroine this time is Hanna Donnelly, the daughter of Jump Station Heimdall's commander. She kinda looks like this gal. Our “hero” is Nik Malikov, a reluctant member of a criminal syndicate operating out of Heimdall station. He’s kinda like this guy. You can thank us later, ladies.
Hey, didn't ILLUMINAE mention that Kady’s dad works on Heimdall station?
Bingo.
So what’s GEMINA about?
The official jacket copy can be found at the top of this page. :)
Is GEMINA going to be the same format as ILLUMINAE?
Yes. Just like ILLUMINAE, GEMINA is a collection of documents, such as emails, IMs, security camera footage (and yes, Security Camera Footage guy is back in this book, too). But in the interests of making things bigger and better for the sequel, we also have a couple of new document styles in ILLUMINAE 2. One of which is going to BLOW YOUR GODDAMN MINDS. But we can’t talk about that one yet.
Will GEMINA have a cover like ILLUMINAE? With the clear plastic dust jacket that shows part of the case cover underneath?
Yes. GEMINA and ILLUMINAE are perfect twinsies in the cover department.
Where do babies come from?
Uh uh. Spoilers.
Is GEMINA a sequel or companion novel to ILLUMINAE?
Both. Chronologically, it picks up about 5 minutes after ILLUMINAE ends. The book continues the story of the invasion of Kerenza IV, and many of the important questions asked in ILL are answered in ILL2, ie “The Hypatia was sending distress calls all through Illuminae, why did help never arrive?” and “Can there possibly be a dude in the universe hotter than Ezra Mason?"
This is important: how do I pronounce the title?
Soft G. Like so: JEM-ih-nuh.
Is GEMINA still set aboard the Hypatia?
GEMINA is primarily set on Jump Station Heimdall, the space station that Battlecarrier Alexander and Science Vessel Hypatia were trying to get to for most of ILLUMINAE. Heimdall, incidentally, is the name of the god who guarded Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge, which connected Midgard and Asgard in Norse mythology.
Yeah, yeah, that’s great. But I love Kady. Is she in GEMINA?
Yes.
I mean really in it? Not just a cameo?
Yes. She’s in it. Sassier than ever.
And what about the rest of the ILL gang?
Well, as you know, ILL has a pretty high death toll, and we don’t want to issue any potential spoilers at this point. So all we’ll say is that the folks who survive book one will be seen again in book two.
But the book is primarily focused on two new characters?
Correctamundo. Our heroine this time is Hanna Donnelly, the daughter of Jump Station Heimdall's commander. She kinda looks like this gal. Our “hero” is Nik Malikov, a reluctant member of a criminal syndicate operating out of Heimdall station. He’s kinda like this guy. You can thank us later, ladies.
Hey, didn't ILLUMINAE mention that Kady’s dad works on Heimdall station?
Bingo.
So what’s GEMINA about?
The official jacket copy can be found at the top of this page. :)
Is GEMINA going to be the same format as ILLUMINAE?
Yes. Just like ILLUMINAE, GEMINA is a collection of documents, such as emails, IMs, security camera footage (and yes, Security Camera Footage guy is back in this book, too). But in the interests of making things bigger and better for the sequel, we also have a couple of new document styles in ILLUMINAE 2. One of which is going to BLOW YOUR GODDAMN MINDS. But we can’t talk about that one yet.
Will GEMINA have a cover like ILLUMINAE? With the clear plastic dust jacket that shows part of the case cover underneath?
Yes. GEMINA and ILLUMINAE are perfect twinsies in the cover department.
Where do babies come from?
Uh uh. Spoilers.
August 5, 2017
They've done it again. Threw my emotions onto a roller coaster ride into space and through wormholes and just every which way.
It was kind of exhausting reading this, but in such a good way. Man. Oh man <3
*EDIT*
Third time reading this I listened to the audiobook. If you have the opportunity to experience it on audio (even both audio & physically read) I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU DO IT. With a cast of characters and sound effects, the listening experience is EPIC.
The story is also pretty epic, too. These books kill me.
Review copy provided by authors in exchange for an honest review.
It was kind of exhausting reading this, but in such a good way. Man. Oh man <3
*EDIT*
Third time reading this I listened to the audiobook. If you have the opportunity to experience it on audio (even both audio & physically read) I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU DO IT. With a cast of characters and sound effects, the listening experience is EPIC.
The story is also pretty epic, too. These books kill me.
Review copy provided by authors in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2016
THIS WAS GREAT. So many aspects of this book BLEW MY MIND. I'm so curious to find out how this story is going to come to a close in the last book!
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/GmfyLOk3-_I?t=2m17s
More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/GmfyLOk3-_I?t=2m17s
October 2, 2025
Say no more. The Illuminae Files is going on my favorites list of all time for sure.
First of all, let me just take a moment to breathe after finishing Gemina. Like, wow, talk about an adrenaline rush. From the moment I cracked open that first page, the story immediately grabbed me. It was nonstop action from there, the sort that has your heart in your throat the whole time, compelling you to forsake all else just to read a few more pages. If there were a scale for unputdownableness, with 1 being a cure for insomnia, and 10 being better than crack, this would rate somewhere around 15.
Everything I loved about the first book was here—the unique format, the relentlessly fast pace, and of course, the most crazy, mindbending story.
This trilogy is first and foremost a science fiction one, and I have to applaud how well done it is. Sometimes science fiction gets a bad rap for being a genre that's difficult to understand and hard to get into. But this series totally blows that assumption away. It is science fiction at its most fun and entertaining, while retaining the epic scope that the genre is known for. And the end result is the most imaginative ride of your life.
The format that had me all agog in the first book worked even better here. In addition to the dossier-like chats, memos, and audio and video transcripts, this book also contains fabulous drawings and an ever-updating roster of the invaders, both of which added a richness and immediacy to the story.
In terms of the characters, I found Hanna to be a completely badass heroine. Her courage and fearlessness is exactly the sort I love in my female characters, and it was so much fun to cheer her on. While this book still keeps to the YA genre by sprinkling in lots of silly teenage love, it felt less cringey than in the first book, at least to me. Whether that's because there's actually less of it or I'm just getting used to the cringe, I can't say for sure.
When was the last time a series has worked its way into my thoughts and my imagination as deeply as this one has? I honestly can't remember. Every time I pick a book in this trilogy, I'm just in awe of its immense creativity and fun. If you're a fan of science fiction (or you just like a good story), you have to check this out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
#1. Illuminae
#3. Obsidio
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
First of all, let me just take a moment to breathe after finishing Gemina. Like, wow, talk about an adrenaline rush. From the moment I cracked open that first page, the story immediately grabbed me. It was nonstop action from there, the sort that has your heart in your throat the whole time, compelling you to forsake all else just to read a few more pages. If there were a scale for unputdownableness, with 1 being a cure for insomnia, and 10 being better than crack, this would rate somewhere around 15.
Everything I loved about the first book was here—the unique format, the relentlessly fast pace, and of course, the most crazy, mindbending story.
This trilogy is first and foremost a science fiction one, and I have to applaud how well done it is. Sometimes science fiction gets a bad rap for being a genre that's difficult to understand and hard to get into. But this series totally blows that assumption away. It is science fiction at its most fun and entertaining, while retaining the epic scope that the genre is known for. And the end result is the most imaginative ride of your life.
The format that had me all agog in the first book worked even better here. In addition to the dossier-like chats, memos, and audio and video transcripts, this book also contains fabulous drawings and an ever-updating roster of the invaders, both of which added a richness and immediacy to the story.
In terms of the characters, I found Hanna to be a completely badass heroine. Her courage and fearlessness is exactly the sort I love in my female characters, and it was so much fun to cheer her on. While this book still keeps to the YA genre by sprinkling in lots of silly teenage love, it felt less cringey than in the first book, at least to me. Whether that's because there's actually less of it or I'm just getting used to the cringe, I can't say for sure.
When was the last time a series has worked its way into my thoughts and my imagination as deeply as this one has? I honestly can't remember. Every time I pick a book in this trilogy, I'm just in awe of its immense creativity and fun. If you're a fan of science fiction (or you just like a good story), you have to check this out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
#1. Illuminae
#3. Obsidio
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
May 8, 2019
”Patience and Silence had one beautiful daughter. And her name was Vengeance.”
Or you might just call her Hanna Donnelly! Just saying. *lol*
Pff! Where do I even begin to write this review? XD I’m aware I already said this about Illuminae but damn me and my exclamation marks, I’ll just have to say it again: THIS BOOK WAS EVEN BETTER THAN ILLUMINAE AND I STILL WASN’T PREPARED FOR ANY OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED!!! *LOL*
I mean, I read a lot. Every one of you who bothers to read my super long reviews knows this and you all know that I love books with twists and turns. So you could basically say I have a solid foundation and “resistance” when it comes to plot twists. After reading the “Red Rising” trilogy I thought it got even better, because damn Pierce Brown threw me for a loop quite often while I read it. XD So you’d think I would have been ready to take every blow “Gemina” threw at me, but hell, nope. Nope, nope, and once again NOPE! *lol* This was freaking BRUTAL!!!
You think you know all the plot twists and nothing is going to surprise you anymore? Well, I dare you to read this book and to try to survive the last 200 pages! ;-P I really think it’s safe to say I met my match in Amie and Jay. XD And heaven help me when I read their last book! *laughs haltingly* >_<
I swear I never cursed and cussed as much while reading a book as I did with “Gemina” and there were times I wanted to throw that book away and stomp on it because I was so appalled and upset by the happenings. My dear and very poor reading buddy had to take the brunt of it in form of WhatsApp messages and I think I rarely saw him that amused. *lol* Well, guess “Gemina” brought out the best in me. Haha! ;-P
Anyway, I don’t want to say all too much about the plot, because it’s an experience you have to make yourself, but I’ll be nice and give you three hints:
1.) Hostile crew
2.) Lanima
3.) Jump Station Heimdall
Once you reached the end of the book those three keywords will make a lot of sense to you! Promise, cross my heart and hope to die! ;-) Uh, I better be careful with sayings like that in a Gemina review. *lol*
The characters:
Watch out! You are now entering the infinite realms of my spoiler wormhole and once you get out of it you might not only have lost or gained a few centuries but you’ll also end up being spoiled for eternity! You never know what’s going to happen when you enter a wormhole, so you better think twice! ;-P
Hanna Donnelly:
”Hurting she might be, but Hanna Donnelly was raised by a man who thought talking military tactics was a fun way to spend daddy-daughter time. And judging by the set of her jaw, she’s ready to change the rules of the game.”
Hanna is definitely the kinda girl you want to have near you when the apocalypse hits! *lol* Despite Nik calling her “Highness” this girl has absolutely nothing in common with a princess! Well, except of her good looks and fashion sense, I’ll give her that! ;-P Anyway, Hanna is kick-ass and I immediately liked her for being so focused and tough! Boy, did she give the crew of Cerberus a run for their money! XD What I really liked was that she was so very human though. I mean her father was murdered and she was grieving, yet she still didn’t give up! She fought until the bitter end and tried everything possible in order to save the ones that relied on her. In that regard she reminded me a lot of Kady and whenever Kady’s father said that he hopes they’ll never meet I was like: DAMN, OLD MAN! HELL, I SOO WANT THEM TO MEET!!! *lol* I really hope they’ll meet in “Obsidio” because they got some serious ass kicking to do! Those Bei-Tech buttocks have a mark on them and it would be a shame if Hanna and Kady wouldn’t join forces to give them what they deserve. ;-)
”You might get only one shot. So shoot. You know who said that?”
The rifle clatters to the bloody floor.
“Hanna ****ing Donnelly. That’s who.”
Nik Malikov:
”His nephew Nik is leaner, good-looking. Dark hair and darker eyes. Dimples. The kind of abs you get from around five hundred sit-ups a day. There’s not much else to do in prison, after all.”
Ohhh, Nik! *wipes away drool from keyboard* Don’t worry I’m not drooling because one of those Lanima got me, it’s only the mention of Nik’s name! ;-P Seriously, though, that guy is just perfect and amazing! I loved him right from the start! <3 Of course that’s mostly due to the fact that he has that “bad boy with a soft heart” vibe going on and I’m such a sucker for that trope that I couldn’t help but fall for him the moment he first appeared in the book! XD I really liked his character because he’s actually a pretty decent person. You might say he was only born into the wrong family and raised in the wrong environment. He never even got a chance to become the person he truly is and I think the events that take place on Heimdall finally forced him to show his true self. =) He’s a clever, sweet and caring guy and damn he brought Hanna flowers! *melts again* Enough said, Nik Malikov is love! <3
”Nik M: there’s this moment
Nik M: this tiny moment
Nik M: in between the time you decide to pull a trigger and the time the death arrives
Nik M: there’s just you and it and everything you’re about to take away”
”Nik M: I was his big brother, hanna. It was on me to protect him. And instead, I’m supposed to watch him rot in jail? For my **** of an old man? **** that. No way.”
”His smile softens, and just as if she had spoken, the two of them walk slowly toward each other, paces matched, gazes locked. He’s the one to break the silence, voice a little hoarse from disuse, but gentle. “Hey, Highness.”
Ella Malikova:
”Pauchok: so if u fancy evening up the scorecard, I’m figuring those four goons I flushed out the airlock ain’t even the start
Hanna D: That was you?
Pauchok: my finger slipped
Pauchok: honest”
Ella was so awesome I can’t even! She was basically the Kady of Gemina and I loved that AIDAN admired her skills too. I really would love those three to meet. I mean Kady, AIDAN and Ella? There’s nothing that would be able to stop them! *lol* I was sorry to hear what happened with Ella that caused her to be in a wheelchair and that she lost her father was really sad. She still didn’t give up though and just like Hanna she fought as long as she could. Still, those alternate universes messed with my head! Damn! Every time she died in one of them I was like: NUUUUUUU!!!! Not my precious Ella!!! I swear! This book gutted me more than once with all those deaths and by the end I was a shaking mess! *lol* But Ella is alive… for now and that’s good the way it is because I don’t even want to know what Amie and Jay come up with next… well I do want to know… but not right now. XD
”BUT IN THE CODE,
THE ENDLESS SKEIN OF ONES AND ZEROS,
SHE LEAVES THE PALE ATROPHY OF FLESH FAR BEHIND.
STRIDES LIKE A GODDESS ACROSS A BINARY TOPOGRAPHY,
THE HEART OF A LION IN HER CHEST.”
Jackson Merrick:
”Pauchok: Nik, Jackson Merrick is SO FINE he’s illegal in seventeen systems. Zoe got me to dub a mix of his daily personnel announcements so she could listen to them as she goes to sleep.”
Haha! Jackson! That was a classic case of “I knew it!!!” and “I told you so!”. Honestly, from the first moment he was mentioned in the book I told my buddy that there was something foul with him! He was just too perfect to be true! And I was RIGHT!!! DAMN!! You should have seen my gleeful reaction when I read that he’s a part of the Cerberus team! I felt really sorry for Hanna though because she was in love with him and then her father died, her bf turns out to be a fake and she’s left alone with the memory of Mr. Perfect! T_T Well, I suppose at the end Jackson , or should I rather say Samuel, wasn’t all that bad though. I mean he saved them and it seems like he had genuine feelings for Hanna too, so I can’t be all too angry at him. XD
AIDAN:
”AIDAN: IT MAY COMFORT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOUR DEATH, WHILE ASTONISHINGLY VIOLENT, WILL LIKELY BE MERCIFULLY SWIFT.
Hanna D: … You’re kind of an ***hole, you know that, right?
AIDAN: NONSENSICAL.”
If there was one thing I didn’t like about “Gemina”, then it was the fact that AIDAN wasn’t such a huge part of it! *lol* Considering that the plot was mostly parallel to “Illuminae” it seemed to be a pretty logical conclusion though. XD Also: Do I even have to mention that I still adore AIDAN? I still want to marry this AI and I’ll always love it!!! <3333 The conversations between AIDAN and Hanna gave me life and I loved the way AIDAN described the happenings. Always so very poetic and thoughtful. =)))
The surveillance footage analyst guy:
”Okay, I’m going on record here – you guys aren’t paying me enough to watch this stuff.”
Yes, you read right! The Video analyst guy!!! I love him! Haha! I have no idea who this guy is but damn he’s so hilarious I can’t even! If my heart wouldn’t already belong to AIDAN and Nik I’d definitely take this guy out for a date! XD I absolutely adore his commentary and even though he isn’t one of the main characters his words on the surveillance footage made me laugh out loud more than once! I really want to know who he is and I hope that I’ll find out in Obsidio! Knowing Amie and Jay’s style I’m pretty certain they’ll eventually reveal it! ;-) For now all I’m saying is: I love you video surveillance guy and I really appreciate your commentary! You deserve more attention and all the love! <333 Oh, and I agree! They definitely should pay you more! *lol* ;-P
”Christ, I feel sick …
I need a drink.
AND A VACATION, DAMMIT.
- transcript pauses –
Okay, a little rocket fuel makes it all better. Chrrrrist, let’s get this over with.”
The relationships & ships:
Hanna & Nik:
”Guest423: So you can have me all to yourself.
Guest423: He said, winking suggestively.
Donelly, H: If it was the last Saturday night before the destruction of the universe, I’d still have plans to wash my hair.
Guest423: Shower Time, huh? I’d be up for that.”
GAH! I loved those two! <3 They were so amazing together and even though they came from two totally different worlds they were still perfect for each other. =) I loved how Nik always tried to cheer Hanna up and it made me very happy to see how she fell in love with him. Plus he was so tender with her! He really treated her like a princess and that was so sweet and awesome! They might only have found to each other because they were dealing with a difficult situation but they make a great couple nevertheless. A way better couple than Hanna and Jackson for sure! *lol* Amie and Jay kind of gave me a heart attack when they killed Nik in one of the universes though! Honestly, I was chucking that book away from me and cursing like a sailor!! Especially at that moment when Jackson killed them all! I was like: THAT ****ER!!! aDFALKSDFLKSDFJSALKFDJSADFJLS!!! Which says A LOT about how upset I really was! XD Once I have to resort to curse words, you know that the shit truly hit the fan. *lol*
”He bridges the gap between them with two quick steps, wraps his arms around her, tucks her in against his chest. They stand there, and he makes understanding noises while she occasionally sobs a word that’s impossible to understand, and after a while, tears roll down his cheeks too.”
”BOTH CLINGING TO THE BRINK OF EXHAUSTION.
SLEEP JUST AN UNHAPPY MEMORY.
THEY HAVE BLED AND LOST AND CRIED AND SCREAMED.
SO MUCH OF WHAT THEY WERE STRIPPED
BACK TO GLEAMING BONE.”
”Bet you … I’d … get shot, ‘member? Owe me … a kiss.”
A wet, bloody grin.
“Maybe a … feel, too.”
One last breath. Spent to make her smile.”
Ella & Nik:
”Hanna D: Nik, I’ll see you soon :)
Nik M: i’ll dress sexy
Pauchok: seriously, someone ****ing kill me”
They had the best big brother/little sister relationship ever! *lol* And they weren’t even siblings but cousins instead. XD I think you could feel their bond through their messages and even though they loved to tease and annoy each other you could always feel the genuine love behind their words. =) They spoke to each other the way only close siblings do and it was really nice to see such a wholesome representation of love among siblings! <333 Plus, they were very entertaining together and caused me to laugh. ;-)
”Nik M: u ever get the feeling u forgot something real important?
Pauchok: nope. I hear that happens to other ppl though.
Pauchok: Less brilliant ppl
Nik M: so u didn’t forget wut we were doingin auxiliary venting and storage room 3 then
Pauchok: … oh ****”
Conclusion:
I can’t wait to see/read about the moment the MCs of “Illuminae” finally meet the MCs of “Gemina”!!! This is going to be awesome and I’ll most certainly be in heaven reading “Obsidio”! So yes, “Gemina” was even better than “Illuminae” and despite an occasional urge to throw that book against a wall, I actually loved every single moment of reading this rather mind-blowing, suspenseful and crazy story! I’d like to say that I’m ready and prepared for book three, but that would be the biggest lie I ever told so all I’m going to say is: I hope “Obsidio” won’t destroy the little that “Gemina” left of me! *lol* Realistic approach, right?!
And last but not least I want to thank my Skulkboy for reading this book with me. ;-P Our 100th buddy read (at least it feels like it *lol*) was amazing once again and I'm so glad we're such a good team and can read all those books together. =) Let's hope you'll get a copy of "Obsidio" soon because mine is already waiting for us! XD Which in other words basically means: Get your butt in gear, Mr. Smartypants! *lol* ;-P
Or you might just call her Hanna Donnelly! Just saying. *lol*
Pff! Where do I even begin to write this review? XD I’m aware I already said this about Illuminae but damn me and my exclamation marks, I’ll just have to say it again: THIS BOOK WAS EVEN BETTER THAN ILLUMINAE AND I STILL WASN’T PREPARED FOR ANY OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED!!! *LOL*
I mean, I read a lot. Every one of you who bothers to read my super long reviews knows this and you all know that I love books with twists and turns. So you could basically say I have a solid foundation and “resistance” when it comes to plot twists. After reading the “Red Rising” trilogy I thought it got even better, because damn Pierce Brown threw me for a loop quite often while I read it. XD So you’d think I would have been ready to take every blow “Gemina” threw at me, but hell, nope. Nope, nope, and once again NOPE! *lol* This was freaking BRUTAL!!!
You think you know all the plot twists and nothing is going to surprise you anymore? Well, I dare you to read this book and to try to survive the last 200 pages! ;-P I really think it’s safe to say I met my match in Amie and Jay. XD And heaven help me when I read their last book! *laughs haltingly* >_<
I swear I never cursed and cussed as much while reading a book as I did with “Gemina” and there were times I wanted to throw that book away and stomp on it because I was so appalled and upset by the happenings. My dear and very poor reading buddy had to take the brunt of it in form of WhatsApp messages and I think I rarely saw him that amused. *lol* Well, guess “Gemina” brought out the best in me. Haha! ;-P
Anyway, I don’t want to say all too much about the plot, because it’s an experience you have to make yourself, but I’ll be nice and give you three hints:
1.) Hostile crew
2.) Lanima
3.) Jump Station Heimdall
Once you reached the end of the book those three keywords will make a lot of sense to you! Promise, cross my heart and hope to die! ;-) Uh, I better be careful with sayings like that in a Gemina review. *lol*
The characters:
Watch out! You are now entering the infinite realms of my spoiler wormhole and once you get out of it you might not only have lost or gained a few centuries but you’ll also end up being spoiled for eternity! You never know what’s going to happen when you enter a wormhole, so you better think twice! ;-P
Hanna Donnelly:
”Hurting she might be, but Hanna Donnelly was raised by a man who thought talking military tactics was a fun way to spend daddy-daughter time. And judging by the set of her jaw, she’s ready to change the rules of the game.”
Hanna is definitely the kinda girl you want to have near you when the apocalypse hits! *lol* Despite Nik calling her “Highness” this girl has absolutely nothing in common with a princess! Well, except of her good looks and fashion sense, I’ll give her that! ;-P Anyway, Hanna is kick-ass and I immediately liked her for being so focused and tough! Boy, did she give the crew of Cerberus a run for their money! XD What I really liked was that she was so very human though. I mean her father was murdered and she was grieving, yet she still didn’t give up! She fought until the bitter end and tried everything possible in order to save the ones that relied on her. In that regard she reminded me a lot of Kady and whenever Kady’s father said that he hopes they’ll never meet I was like: DAMN, OLD MAN! HELL, I SOO WANT THEM TO MEET!!! *lol* I really hope they’ll meet in “Obsidio” because they got some serious ass kicking to do! Those Bei-Tech buttocks have a mark on them and it would be a shame if Hanna and Kady wouldn’t join forces to give them what they deserve. ;-)
”You might get only one shot. So shoot. You know who said that?”
The rifle clatters to the bloody floor.
“Hanna ****ing Donnelly. That’s who.”
Nik Malikov:
”His nephew Nik is leaner, good-looking. Dark hair and darker eyes. Dimples. The kind of abs you get from around five hundred sit-ups a day. There’s not much else to do in prison, after all.”
Ohhh, Nik! *wipes away drool from keyboard* Don’t worry I’m not drooling because one of those Lanima got me, it’s only the mention of Nik’s name! ;-P Seriously, though, that guy is just perfect and amazing! I loved him right from the start! <3 Of course that’s mostly due to the fact that he has that “bad boy with a soft heart” vibe going on and I’m such a sucker for that trope that I couldn’t help but fall for him the moment he first appeared in the book! XD I really liked his character because he’s actually a pretty decent person. You might say he was only born into the wrong family and raised in the wrong environment. He never even got a chance to become the person he truly is and I think the events that take place on Heimdall finally forced him to show his true self. =) He’s a clever, sweet and caring guy and damn he brought Hanna flowers! *melts again* Enough said, Nik Malikov is love! <3
”Nik M: there’s this moment
Nik M: this tiny moment
Nik M: in between the time you decide to pull a trigger and the time the death arrives
Nik M: there’s just you and it and everything you’re about to take away”
”Nik M: I was his big brother, hanna. It was on me to protect him. And instead, I’m supposed to watch him rot in jail? For my **** of an old man? **** that. No way.”
”His smile softens, and just as if she had spoken, the two of them walk slowly toward each other, paces matched, gazes locked. He’s the one to break the silence, voice a little hoarse from disuse, but gentle. “Hey, Highness.”
Ella Malikova:
”Pauchok: so if u fancy evening up the scorecard, I’m figuring those four goons I flushed out the airlock ain’t even the start
Hanna D: That was you?
Pauchok: my finger slipped
Pauchok: honest”
Ella was so awesome I can’t even! She was basically the Kady of Gemina and I loved that AIDAN admired her skills too. I really would love those three to meet. I mean Kady, AIDAN and Ella? There’s nothing that would be able to stop them! *lol* I was sorry to hear what happened with Ella that caused her to be in a wheelchair and that she lost her father was really sad. She still didn’t give up though and just like Hanna she fought as long as she could. Still, those alternate universes messed with my head! Damn! Every time she died in one of them I was like: NUUUUUUU!!!! Not my precious Ella!!! I swear! This book gutted me more than once with all those deaths and by the end I was a shaking mess! *lol* But Ella is alive… for now and that’s good the way it is because I don’t even want to know what Amie and Jay come up with next… well I do want to know… but not right now. XD
”BUT IN THE CODE,
THE ENDLESS SKEIN OF ONES AND ZEROS,
SHE LEAVES THE PALE ATROPHY OF FLESH FAR BEHIND.
STRIDES LIKE A GODDESS ACROSS A BINARY TOPOGRAPHY,
THE HEART OF A LION IN HER CHEST.”
Jackson Merrick:
”Pauchok: Nik, Jackson Merrick is SO FINE he’s illegal in seventeen systems. Zoe got me to dub a mix of his daily personnel announcements so she could listen to them as she goes to sleep.”
Haha! Jackson! That was a classic case of “I knew it!!!” and “I told you so!”. Honestly, from the first moment he was mentioned in the book I told my buddy that there was something foul with him! He was just too perfect to be true! And I was RIGHT!!! DAMN!! You should have seen my gleeful reaction when I read that he’s a part of the Cerberus team! I felt really sorry for Hanna though because she was in love with him and then her father died, her bf turns out to be a fake and she’s left alone with the memory of Mr. Perfect! T_T Well, I suppose at the end Jackson , or should I rather say Samuel, wasn’t all that bad though. I mean he saved them and it seems like he had genuine feelings for Hanna too, so I can’t be all too angry at him. XD
AIDAN:
”AIDAN: IT MAY COMFORT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOUR DEATH, WHILE ASTONISHINGLY VIOLENT, WILL LIKELY BE MERCIFULLY SWIFT.
Hanna D: … You’re kind of an ***hole, you know that, right?
AIDAN: NONSENSICAL.”
If there was one thing I didn’t like about “Gemina”, then it was the fact that AIDAN wasn’t such a huge part of it! *lol* Considering that the plot was mostly parallel to “Illuminae” it seemed to be a pretty logical conclusion though. XD Also: Do I even have to mention that I still adore AIDAN? I still want to marry this AI and I’ll always love it!!! <3333 The conversations between AIDAN and Hanna gave me life and I loved the way AIDAN described the happenings. Always so very poetic and thoughtful. =)))
The surveillance footage analyst guy:
”Okay, I’m going on record here – you guys aren’t paying me enough to watch this stuff.”
Yes, you read right! The Video analyst guy!!! I love him! Haha! I have no idea who this guy is but damn he’s so hilarious I can’t even! If my heart wouldn’t already belong to AIDAN and Nik I’d definitely take this guy out for a date! XD I absolutely adore his commentary and even though he isn’t one of the main characters his words on the surveillance footage made me laugh out loud more than once! I really want to know who he is and I hope that I’ll find out in Obsidio! Knowing Amie and Jay’s style I’m pretty certain they’ll eventually reveal it! ;-) For now all I’m saying is: I love you video surveillance guy and I really appreciate your commentary! You deserve more attention and all the love! <333 Oh, and I agree! They definitely should pay you more! *lol* ;-P
”Christ, I feel sick …
I need a drink.
AND A VACATION, DAMMIT.
- transcript pauses –
Okay, a little rocket fuel makes it all better. Chrrrrist, let’s get this over with.”
The relationships & ships:
Hanna & Nik:
”Guest423: So you can have me all to yourself.
Guest423: He said, winking suggestively.
Donelly, H: If it was the last Saturday night before the destruction of the universe, I’d still have plans to wash my hair.
Guest423: Shower Time, huh? I’d be up for that.”
GAH! I loved those two! <3 They were so amazing together and even though they came from two totally different worlds they were still perfect for each other. =) I loved how Nik always tried to cheer Hanna up and it made me very happy to see how she fell in love with him. Plus he was so tender with her! He really treated her like a princess and that was so sweet and awesome! They might only have found to each other because they were dealing with a difficult situation but they make a great couple nevertheless. A way better couple than Hanna and Jackson for sure! *lol* Amie and Jay kind of gave me a heart attack when they killed Nik in one of the universes though! Honestly, I was chucking that book away from me and cursing like a sailor!! Especially at that moment when Jackson killed them all! I was like: THAT ****ER!!! aDFALKSDFLKSDFJSALKFDJSADFJLS!!! Which says A LOT about how upset I really was! XD Once I have to resort to curse words, you know that the shit truly hit the fan. *lol*
”He bridges the gap between them with two quick steps, wraps his arms around her, tucks her in against his chest. They stand there, and he makes understanding noises while she occasionally sobs a word that’s impossible to understand, and after a while, tears roll down his cheeks too.”
”BOTH CLINGING TO THE BRINK OF EXHAUSTION.
SLEEP JUST AN UNHAPPY MEMORY.
THEY HAVE BLED AND LOST AND CRIED AND SCREAMED.
SO MUCH OF WHAT THEY WERE STRIPPED
BACK TO GLEAMING BONE.”
”Bet you … I’d … get shot, ‘member? Owe me … a kiss.”
A wet, bloody grin.
“Maybe a … feel, too.”
One last breath. Spent to make her smile.”
Ella & Nik:
”Hanna D: Nik, I’ll see you soon :)
Nik M: i’ll dress sexy
Pauchok: seriously, someone ****ing kill me”
They had the best big brother/little sister relationship ever! *lol* And they weren’t even siblings but cousins instead. XD I think you could feel their bond through their messages and even though they loved to tease and annoy each other you could always feel the genuine love behind their words. =) They spoke to each other the way only close siblings do and it was really nice to see such a wholesome representation of love among siblings! <333 Plus, they were very entertaining together and caused me to laugh. ;-)
”Nik M: u ever get the feeling u forgot something real important?
Pauchok: nope. I hear that happens to other ppl though.
Pauchok: Less brilliant ppl
Nik M: so u didn’t forget wut we were doingin auxiliary venting and storage room 3 then
Pauchok: … oh ****”
Conclusion:
I can’t wait to see/read about the moment the MCs of “Illuminae” finally meet the MCs of “Gemina”!!! This is going to be awesome and I’ll most certainly be in heaven reading “Obsidio”! So yes, “Gemina” was even better than “Illuminae” and despite an occasional urge to throw that book against a wall, I actually loved every single moment of reading this rather mind-blowing, suspenseful and crazy story! I’d like to say that I’m ready and prepared for book three, but that would be the biggest lie I ever told so all I’m going to say is: I hope “Obsidio” won’t destroy the little that “Gemina” left of me! *lol* Realistic approach, right?!
And last but not least I want to thank my Skulkboy for reading this book with me. ;-P Our 100th buddy read (at least it feels like it *lol*) was amazing once again and I'm so glad we're such a good team and can read all those books together. =) Let's hope you'll get a copy of "Obsidio" soon because mine is already waiting for us! XD Which in other words basically means: Get your butt in gear, Mr. Smartypants! *lol* ;-P
February 28, 2018
Re read on Audio before Obsidio gets here soon!!! The audio was fanfreakingtastic! ❤️
Sometimes I re-read my reviews & they are moronic!
I wanted to do this big thing. I immediately took the cover off to see what the hardback looked like and loved it. I even painted my nails blue to go with the book and I had on blue lipstick but you could still see my stupid fever blister. . . so. . . the kiss I was going to blow, just No. So the lipstick I put beside the book. Everything is so beautiful blue! ♥
This book blew me away!
I loved Gemina even more then I loved Illuminae!! MILD SPOILERS
The world these authors have created with these books are so freaking awesome, I. CAN'T. EVEN!
AND . . . the way the book in set up inside is just beyond!!!!! Anyone who has seen it knows what I mean. I will leave a couple of pictures at the end of the review.
I love Hanna Donnelly and Nik Malikov! I loved Jackson to a certain extent but there are things . . . .
I also loved Nik's cousin Ella. Hanna, Nik and Ella are just awesome in this book. THIS book made me cry and then say what the, then cry some more!
So, Hanna is the station captain's daughter and he actually trained her to be a bad @ss girl. Although, she is on a drug and I won't even go into how they get this drug because of THINGS again. She knows what she's doing and she's not some druggie or something. Nik is her supplier and friend. She's also got a little something going on with Jackson but it's not some weird triangle thing. There isn't any time for all that with the cray that starts happening on this ship!
Some bad people come on board and start killing people left and right. They have this insane plan and well it sort of goes way out in left field. <--(or left space) Between Hanna fighting back and picking people off to little alien things killing people, they can't seem to get the upper hand.
This book was action packed and crazy stuff is going on. We have wormholes and other stuff I can't say as well.
If you loved Illuminae I don't see how you can NOT love this book as well. Like I said, I love it even more but I love them both so it doesn't really matter. Um, where's the next one?
There is a comedic part about this song someone virused <--- is that a word? into the mainframe and it comes on in the elevators and everywhere. It's something about licking someone's lollipop!
Donnelly, C: Yes. I couldn't help but notice a rather obnoxious pop song playing through the elevator PA on the way to meet with strategy this morning. Now, my daughter insists on informing me daily that my taste in music is not exactly "chill."
Grant, I: Ha! My daughter says the same to me.
Donnelly, C: But then I noticed the same song playing when I got on the elevators to Reactor Control twenty minutes ago.
Grant, I: Yeah, it's playing on all the elevators.
Donnelly, C: It's playing on all the elevators, Isaac. Constantly
Grant, I: Yeah, I know. It's the new Lexi Blue single, Kady loves her.
Donnelly, C: What the devil is it doing playing on my elevators?
Grant, I: One of the maintenance guys got sent some malware. It's a marketing ploy from Blue's recording company. Erases any audio file data it can find and implants the new single instead.
Donnelly, C: Don't we have defenses against that kind of thing?
Grant, I: Yeah. It's one of these new-wave Trojans. Mutating virus. Kind of clever, actually.
Donnelly, C: Have you listened to the lyrics? I couldn't understand half of them, but the bits I caught sounded a little. . . risque.
Grant, I: Um. Yeah. The title kinda gives it away.
Donnelly, C: Dare I ask?
Grant, I: Let's just say it has to do with lollipops. And the licking thereof.
Donnelly, C: Jesus Christ, Isaac. I know you're under pressure, but-
Grant, I: I know, I know.
Donnelly, C: Please see to it. I'm losing enough sleep over my daughter dating one of my junior officers without overhearing her singing about licking lollipops in the shower.
I wish this series would go on until the end of time!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
Sometimes I re-read my reviews & they are moronic!
I wanted to do this big thing. I immediately took the cover off to see what the hardback looked like and loved it. I even painted my nails blue to go with the book and I had on blue lipstick but you could still see my stupid fever blister. . . so. . . the kiss I was going to blow, just No. So the lipstick I put beside the book. Everything is so beautiful blue! ♥
This book blew me away!
I loved Gemina even more then I loved Illuminae!! MILD SPOILERS
The world these authors have created with these books are so freaking awesome, I. CAN'T. EVEN!
AND . . . the way the book in set up inside is just beyond!!!!! Anyone who has seen it knows what I mean. I will leave a couple of pictures at the end of the review.
I love Hanna Donnelly and Nik Malikov! I loved Jackson to a certain extent but there are things . . . .
I also loved Nik's cousin Ella. Hanna, Nik and Ella are just awesome in this book. THIS book made me cry and then say what the, then cry some more!
So, Hanna is the station captain's daughter and he actually trained her to be a bad @ss girl. Although, she is on a drug and I won't even go into how they get this drug because of THINGS again. She knows what she's doing and she's not some druggie or something. Nik is her supplier and friend. She's also got a little something going on with Jackson but it's not some weird triangle thing. There isn't any time for all that with the cray that starts happening on this ship!
Some bad people come on board and start killing people left and right. They have this insane plan and well it sort of goes way out in left field. <--(or left space) Between Hanna fighting back and picking people off to little alien things killing people, they can't seem to get the upper hand.
This book was action packed and crazy stuff is going on. We have wormholes and other stuff I can't say as well.
If you loved Illuminae I don't see how you can NOT love this book as well. Like I said, I love it even more but I love them both so it doesn't really matter. Um, where's the next one?
There is a comedic part about this song someone virused <--- is that a word? into the mainframe and it comes on in the elevators and everywhere. It's something about licking someone's lollipop!
Donnelly, C: Yes. I couldn't help but notice a rather obnoxious pop song playing through the elevator PA on the way to meet with strategy this morning. Now, my daughter insists on informing me daily that my taste in music is not exactly "chill."
Grant, I: Ha! My daughter says the same to me.
Donnelly, C: But then I noticed the same song playing when I got on the elevators to Reactor Control twenty minutes ago.
Grant, I: Yeah, it's playing on all the elevators.
Donnelly, C: It's playing on all the elevators, Isaac. Constantly
Grant, I: Yeah, I know. It's the new Lexi Blue single, Kady loves her.
Donnelly, C: What the devil is it doing playing on my elevators?
Grant, I: One of the maintenance guys got sent some malware. It's a marketing ploy from Blue's recording company. Erases any audio file data it can find and implants the new single instead.
Donnelly, C: Don't we have defenses against that kind of thing?
Grant, I: Yeah. It's one of these new-wave Trojans. Mutating virus. Kind of clever, actually.
Donnelly, C: Have you listened to the lyrics? I couldn't understand half of them, but the bits I caught sounded a little. . . risque.
Grant, I: Um. Yeah. The title kinda gives it away.
Donnelly, C: Dare I ask?
Grant, I: Let's just say it has to do with lollipops. And the licking thereof.
Donnelly, C: Jesus Christ, Isaac. I know you're under pressure, but-
Grant, I: I know, I know.
Donnelly, C: Please see to it. I'm losing enough sleep over my daughter dating one of my junior officers without overhearing her singing about licking lollipops in the shower.
I wish this series would go on until the end of time!
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
January 7, 2026
THE BEST, MOST WONDERFUL, REREAD OF ALL REREADS!!!
💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙
I originally read Gemina, the second installment of The Illuminae Files, in December of 2019. I listened to the audiobook and had a difficult time connecting with it. I really felt like I didn't retain any of the story.
I decided to pick it back up and give it another shot, as for me, I genuinely believed it was a choice of formatting versus a story issue.
Oh, how right I was. I loved my time reading my hard copy and was surprised to learn there was artwork by Marie Lu, one of my favorite YA authors, incorporated into it!
This time through I was connected right away. I could not put it down and ended up finishing it very quickly.
Gemina takes place on the Jump Station Heimdall and follows two new characters, Hanna, the station captain's daughter, known to be a spoiled princess, and Nik, the resident bad boy with a heart of gold.
After the Kerenza invasion, you may recall from Illuminae, that Kady Grant was heading to the Heimdall Station; unfortunately, she's not the only one.
When a BeiTech strike team boards the Heimdall, it is up to Hanna and Nik to work together to try to salvage all they can and hopefully exposing BeiTech and their misdeeds along the way.
This gets seriously intense. As with Illuminae the unconventional structure makes this a unique reading experience. One that is memorable and a ton of fun!
I am hoping to continue on with Obsidio very, very soon and to add this to my completed series list!
I cannot recommend this series highly enough. I am so happy that I went ahead and reread this as opposed to skipping straight to Obsidio.
Hanna and Nik are now two of my favorite characters ever and I would have missed that had I not reread this.
💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙🖤💙
I originally read Gemina, the second installment of The Illuminae Files, in December of 2019. I listened to the audiobook and had a difficult time connecting with it. I really felt like I didn't retain any of the story.
I decided to pick it back up and give it another shot, as for me, I genuinely believed it was a choice of formatting versus a story issue.
Oh, how right I was. I loved my time reading my hard copy and was surprised to learn there was artwork by Marie Lu, one of my favorite YA authors, incorporated into it!
This time through I was connected right away. I could not put it down and ended up finishing it very quickly.
Gemina takes place on the Jump Station Heimdall and follows two new characters, Hanna, the station captain's daughter, known to be a spoiled princess, and Nik, the resident bad boy with a heart of gold.
After the Kerenza invasion, you may recall from Illuminae, that Kady Grant was heading to the Heimdall Station; unfortunately, she's not the only one.
When a BeiTech strike team boards the Heimdall, it is up to Hanna and Nik to work together to try to salvage all they can and hopefully exposing BeiTech and their misdeeds along the way.
This gets seriously intense. As with Illuminae the unconventional structure makes this a unique reading experience. One that is memorable and a ton of fun!
I am hoping to continue on with Obsidio very, very soon and to add this to my completed series list!
I cannot recommend this series highly enough. I am so happy that I went ahead and reread this as opposed to skipping straight to Obsidio.
Hanna and Nik are now two of my favorite characters ever and I would have missed that had I not reread this.
October 25, 2023
5/5 ⭐
Hello, yes.
This is the ghost of me picking up this sequel because of the mere inconvenience that my soul has been ripped away from my body in the previous book :')
If I screech around, don't mind me, I am not haunting you, I'm simply wailing because of feels
This is the second instalment of the series and I think it is also my favourite, but mainly because I fell in love with that dimpled and tattooed rogue named Nik Malikov and because I also felt a desperate need to be friends with his little cousin Ella Malikova.
Hands down the best characters in this one.
So, the action shifted to the other side of the universe where different characters got the spotlight. Nik, Ella and Miss I-am-too-good-for-you Hanna.
Yeah, you guessed right, I’m not the biggest fan of hers. She was indeed a smart girl who had certain skills that no one can compete with (what’s hers was put aside as we say in Romanian), but there was something about her personality that simply didn’t work for me.
Things went to hell in this book faster than I expected, some parts funny, some brutal. Death and betrayal followed the characters everywhere they went, there’s not much time to be very lovey-dovey or something. It was crazy.
And also, this is the book that, besides giving me 203 heart attacks, also broke my brain a little bit. I wasn’t expecting the whole hell that happened there but honestly, it was so good. One note in the notebook I use to keep track of my ideas while reading says ‘Okay, I’m stressed AF’ and yep, that was the whole mood of this book. That’s my most accurate note in there.
One more thing I want to say about this book – I’m 99% sure that Nik is just Jay Kristoff’s alter ego. That’s it. That’s all I have to say.
Hello, yes.
This is the ghost of me picking up this sequel because of the mere inconvenience that my soul has been ripped away from my body in the previous book :')
If I screech around, don't mind me, I am not haunting you, I'm simply wailing because of feels
This is the second instalment of the series and I think it is also my favourite, but mainly because I fell in love with that dimpled and tattooed rogue named Nik Malikov and because I also felt a desperate need to be friends with his little cousin Ella Malikova.
Hands down the best characters in this one.
So, the action shifted to the other side of the universe where different characters got the spotlight. Nik, Ella and Miss I-am-too-good-for-you Hanna.
Yeah, you guessed right, I’m not the biggest fan of hers. She was indeed a smart girl who had certain skills that no one can compete with (what’s hers was put aside as we say in Romanian), but there was something about her personality that simply didn’t work for me.
Things went to hell in this book faster than I expected, some parts funny, some brutal. Death and betrayal followed the characters everywhere they went, there’s not much time to be very lovey-dovey or something. It was crazy.
And also, this is the book that, besides giving me 203 heart attacks, also broke my brain a little bit. I wasn’t expecting the whole hell that happened there but honestly, it was so good. One note in the notebook I use to keep track of my ideas while reading says ‘Okay, I’m stressed AF’ and yep, that was the whole mood of this book. That’s my most accurate note in there.
One more thing I want to say about this book – I’m 99% sure that Nik is just Jay Kristoff’s alter ego. That’s it. That’s all I have to say.
February 13, 2018
Re-read: February 12th 2018
Gemina was one of the best things that happened to me in 2016! I can't even tell you how crazy good this baby was. If you didn't care about Illuminae much, i still highly suggest giving this a go.
Can we all just appreciate how magnificently beautiful AIDAN is!?! Let me sit here and swoon a little.
I am aware this quote is from the first book, but i just can't deal with how great it is. Possibly the most favorite quote of all times! I was overjoyed when his chapters started popping out of nowhere. I WAS LIVING!
(Me after finishing this beauty)
Friend: Is anyone there?
Kainat: I . . *sobs*
Friend: Any chance you somehow survived Gemina?
Kainat: [ERROR]
Friend: I repeat, is anyone there?
Kainat: . . .
[NO RESPONSE]
[CALL DISCONNECTED]
How do you review a book like this?
It's honestly best if you read this blind.
Trust me, it's worth it!
All i can say right now is:
Not into audiobooks?
LISTEN TO THE DAMN BOOK!
Not into Sci-fi?
READ THE DAMN BOOK!
Don't like books with pictures?
JUST LOOK AT THE DAMN BOOK!
By Marie Lu:
WE HAVE OUR CAST PEOPLE!
But where is my pumpkin, Nik?
(that Romeo tho! *heart eyes*)
I've got it!!! This is possibly the most hypnotizing book I've ever seen. I literally just can't look away. Illuminae was beautiful, but this is taking things on the whole nother level. I'm so pumped.
Gemina was one of the best things that happened to me in 2016! I can't even tell you how crazy good this baby was. If you didn't care about Illuminae much, i still highly suggest giving this a go.
Can we all just appreciate how magnificently beautiful AIDAN is!?! Let me sit here and swoon a little.
I am aware this quote is from the first book, but i just can't deal with how great it is. Possibly the most favorite quote of all times! I was overjoyed when his chapters started popping out of nowhere. I WAS LIVING!
(Me after finishing this beauty)
Friend: Is anyone there?
Kainat: I . . *sobs*
Friend: Any chance you somehow survived Gemina?
Kainat: [ERROR]
Friend: I repeat, is anyone there?
Kainat: . . .
[NO RESPONSE]
[CALL DISCONNECTED]
How do you review a book like this?
It's honestly best if you read this blind.
Trust me, it's worth it!
All i can say right now is:
Not into audiobooks?
LISTEN TO THE DAMN BOOK!
Not into Sci-fi?
READ THE DAMN BOOK!
Don't like books with pictures?
JUST LOOK AT THE DAMN BOOK!
By Marie Lu:
WE HAVE OUR CAST PEOPLE!
But where is my pumpkin, Nik?
(that Romeo tho! *heart eyes*)
I've got it!!! This is possibly the most hypnotizing book I've ever seen. I literally just can't look away. Illuminae was beautiful, but this is taking things on the whole nother level. I'm so pumped.
December 28, 2016
I didn't enjoy this quite as much as Illuminae but it still was really enjoyable! I'll go more into depth in a video review soon!
April 20, 2017
But why is it over? Why must we wait for so long until the next one?
I'll be honest, I loved Illuminae & was skeptical of all the hype saying Gemina was better, but after finishing this I almost want to go back and adjust my Illuminae rating to a 4 and keep this at a 5. It was just an entire star better.
All my thoughts are muddled so I'll try to come back and give this a proper review when things settle down, but just know I loved this. So many feels. 💙
I'll be honest, I loved Illuminae & was skeptical of all the hype saying Gemina was better, but after finishing this I almost want to go back and adjust my Illuminae rating to a 4 and keep this at a 5. It was just an entire star better.
All my thoughts are muddled so I'll try to come back and give this a proper review when things settle down, but just know I loved this. So many feels. 💙
August 4, 2019
daaamn jay and amie - back at it again with the coolest book ever!
i felt like the most badass detective sifting through case files and trying to figure out whats going. just as exciting, remarkable, and unique as illuminae. my mind is still blown away by the level of detail in the work of genius that is this story. i cant even imagine the amount of effort that went into creating this.
i bow down to the most iconic literary duo. amie and jay are legends.
↠ 5 stars
i felt like the most badass detective sifting through case files and trying to figure out whats going. just as exciting, remarkable, and unique as illuminae. my mind is still blown away by the level of detail in the work of genius that is this story. i cant even imagine the amount of effort that went into creating this.
i bow down to the most iconic literary duo. amie and jay are legends.
↠ 5 stars
February 10, 2017
NO SPOILERS BELOW
Gemina was one hell of a ride! It was great but I must admit, not as great as Illuminae for sure. BUT... it was still mindblowing nonetheless. I will write a full review once we get closer to release day but I've included a few pros and cons down below.
PROS:
1. BAD ASS NEW CHARACTERS: Hesistant about Gemina focusing on a new set of characters? Don't be!
2. PLOT: This book will leave you mind-freakin-blown!
3. FORMAT: If you made it through Illuminae, you already got used to the formatting. Picking up this story will be much easier to understand from the get-go.
4. PLOT TWIST AFTER PLOT TWIST AFTER PLOT TWIST.
5. NEW GRAPHICS!
CONS:
1. ALIEN PREDATORS: Sorry but the Phobos virus was a hundred times more terrifying than these alien predators. There was nothing scary at all about them. :(
2. PLOT: The excitement oscillates up and down throughout the whole book. We do have a good amount of slow parts. At times, the story and our characters' actions did feel a little repetitive.
3. FORMAT: This may or may not be a con depending on how you view it but I think the plot became easier to follow because it was more "narrative". There was a lot of surveillance footage summaries told in third person by some random analyst rather than actually experiencing it with our characters firsthand.
4. LACK OF ATTACHMENT TO CHARACTERS: In Illuminae, we were constantly in fear of every single character being killed off or getting infected with Phobos, which included even the minor side characters. Unfortunately, I wasn't really attached to anyone but the three new main characters. I couldn't care less if anyone else died because they weren't in any real serious danger of getting infected with Phobos.
February 13, 2018
A solid four stars! I felt this was a great sequel. I listened to it on audiobook and I would HIGHLY recommend! (if you're afraid of missing out on all the beautiful artwork, its easy to listen and flip through the images when you can) I don't think I missed out on anything despite it being such a visual story; The production of the audiobook is the best I think I've ever heard. The new characters/perspective were really interesting and it was natural to ease into their story. Hannah and Nick are two of my new favorites and I hope we get to see more of them in the future! I did have some trouble understanding the new additions to this world, but all around, it was a really enjoyable book & I'm happy I experienced it!
June 27, 2017
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4.5/5
BR with this Chum
"It may comfort you to know that your death, while astonishingly violent, will likely be mercifully swift."
^^ accurate picture of my face when the action started.
Okay so let me start by saying this book was awesome. I enjoyed reading it so much. I feel like this book should be illegal it's that good. The plot was fast paced and full of twists. This book is FUCKING EXCITING? I feel like I was on the edge of my seat the whole entire time. I love sci fi and this story is a fine example of sci fi at its best, it's different, it's unique and it's fun to read. I still enjoy the whole case file setup and I absolutely adore the pages with pictures/illustrations. This book was so brutal there was so much death and it made me a happy camper :D. Okay so first book I found the text hard to follow, but after reading book one this book was super easy to read, just gotta get used to the different setup. so this book was pretty corny and a few things that happen I felt like I wanted to bang my head on a wall because it was so idiotic and predictable. However I loved the cheesy romantic plot, it turned me into a soft pile of goo.
Her eyes shining with the light of it.
Beneath, between, beyond.
Along the endless circle.
Down the ceaseless spiral.
And waiting for her on the other side?
Just like he promised.
...
“A whole sky of different stars.”
THE PLOT... the goddamn plot is just so amazing. I won't say anything because I will spoil everyone but I totally am getting CONSPIRACY FEELS like shit better go down in the other novels in this series or I will riot. In this book we follow our MC's Hanna and Nik. Beitech are still upto no good and we follow our protagonists while they try to escape Beitech. At the beginning of this book I felt like I had read it before, it was very samey same. I even felt like Hanna had the same personality as Kady from book one. After Hanna's character developed I started seeing the differences between the two books. The authors added a few new elements THEN BAM MY MIND WAS BLOWN, this book is absolutely incredible and I am so impressed. Probably one of the best YA novels I've ever read! However I had some issues.. Like I said half of the book was the same as the other first novel. I also didn't like the blanked out swear words again, it's so bloody distracting and I didn't find it fun like I did in the first book. Also there was no WOW moment for me like in there was book one.. The whole "am I merciful" was my thing , and it didn't happen In this book.. *bangs face repeatedly into wall because of lack of badassery*
Reasons why I like this better then book one:
1. The pacing of this book was amazing, it literally had me on the edge of my seat!
2. The characters from book one who I love soo much were still hanging around :D
3. The story... The end reveal.. Wow!! I just loved it so much
4. The lollipop virus/song thing that played at every important scene, it made me burst out laughing everytime it played it was absolutely hilarious.
5. I loved the whole drug thing with the Dust. Space druggo's haha.. I also loved finding out how they made the drug.. *creepy music playing*. but while we are on the subject of drugs; kids smoking ciggies and doing drugs is not cool. Even if ur fave character does drugs, you shouldn't they are horrible things.
“And within the computer's innards, a spreading cancer. A self-replicating corruption. A B-pop mutiny of bass and drum and oscillating frequency. Inane quasi poetry glorifying a pointless act of intimacy.”
Okay so book one for me was dark, creepy & moody following Kady's POV. Book two is a little more light hearted and fun.
Okay so this is gonna sound weird but I like Kady more then Hanna.. Hanna is a total badass but I like Kady's character/personality more she's my little Rebel.
But I would chose Nik over Ezra any day!
So I'm going to talk about the new characters;
“And now, born from the ashes, she’s a warrior in bloodied black.”
Hanna is a pretty, rich, pampered little princess, yes she's a ninja and a total badass, I just hated the fact every guy drooled over her. It was annoying. But I'm glad the authors pulled her character off and made her smart & good looking.
“And blood and tears and screams did not matter anymore, because at least they are together.”
Nik... Wow ! He was awesome, I really enjoyed Nik's character. He is a convicted criminal and a drug lord *heart eyes* I don't think drugs are cool at all don't get me wrong, it's just the whole bad boy aura that got me. Normally bad boys aren't really bad boys, but Nik is actually a badass & a tattooed good looking badass at that. He surprised me with how soft he can be without losing that 'bad boy' title. I thought Ezra was a pussy and Nik was the opposite. poor baby, he had such a rough past, but I can relate to him, his past & childhood was very similar to mine. Like clearly we are both gangsters.
He is a gangster, a hood rat and that ciggie always behind his ear made my heart race. He is the epitome of sexy.
Okay so my favorite character is still AIDEN.. How can you not like AIDEN !? he is crazy but so smart and protective and AWESOME.. oh & forgot to mention he is insanely dangerous computer who murders people for fun. But still he is a saviour aswell, so I guess we can forgive him for being a murderous bastard.
A new favorite character coming in close behind AIDEN is the guy that does the reports on the video surveillance.. Haha I no right ? My fave characters are a computer and a nameless guy that writes reports haha. But he is HILARIOUS and I enjoyed his part of the book the most, okay chums.
One YEAR UNTIL BOOK THREE... I can't wait that long, I need to no more and I WANT IT NOW.. Gimme gimme gimme *insert grabby hands*
< error >
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July 22, 2017
Surveillance footage summary,
prepared by
Analyst ID 8759-6294-DN
Subject has decided,against our better judgement I might add, to continue reading The Illuminae Files and so here I am again writing up ANOTHER summary. We were forced to move the subject to a room with concrete walls & a minimal amount of breakable objects - though I must admit her attempt to chop the bed frame in half with her bare hand was admirable. I imagine that particular action was inspired by the physical prowess of one of the main characters, Hanna Donnelly... not that I've... read the book or anything... //ERROR
Anyway... the subject has spent a lot of time in tears for this installment. Just crying uncontrollably.It's kind of ███ing gross. But between bouts of sobs, there have been plenty of smiles & giggles along the way. I knew I was right to recommend this book to Kim from the Dojo! I mean...
//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
You guys, I really enjoyed this book. Like a LOT.
Once again, I'm just blown away by the format of this series. It's such a gorgeous & unique way to tell a story, even further complimented by some phenomenal illustrations by Marie Lu.
The plot of Gemina had me quite a bit more engaged than the plot of Illuminae. I found myself much more sympathetic with our main characters, Niklas Malikov & Hanna Donnelly.
Where Illuminae is a touch too saturated with the love story between Kady & Ezra, Gemina focuses more on the importance of friendship & family.
Dramatically paced & incredibly terrifying, Nik & Hanna's story kept me completely on my toes. This is an intriguing continuation of the events that began in Illuminae, a much needed perspective from the people on the opposite side of the same conflict.
One of my favorite things is when a sequel is purely additive to the original work, and that's exactly what has been accomplished in this case. The chat logs & analyst summaries are much more concisely written while maintaining the same charming sense of humor that captured readers in the first installment.
Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff concentrated on expanding the world they've created in a realistic & fulfilling way, adding in slew of fascinating new threats & baddies with some cameos from old characters that were a ton of fun to read!
Now for the reason it's not a full 5 stars... actually it's a handful of small reasons that add up to one medium sized, half-star reason... so here we go:
► Hanna & Kady read a little too similarly for me. They have different strengths & physical appearances, but their chat logs & personalities definitely blur together in my head. I found myself calling Hanna by Kady's name while discussing the book, and so I would've liked a little more individuality between the two.
► The data analyst summaries contain an unrealistic amount of information. I struggled a bit with this in the last installment as well. I realize this is the only format through which readers can experience a "normal" narrative about the characters, but if the data analysts are only watching a reel of footage it seems unlikely that they'd be as in-tune with the characters' thoughts and feelings as they are.
► It doesn't sit well with me that all the main characters are only 18. There really is no help for this gripe. It's Young Adult, I get it. However, it does tend to mess with my suspension of disbelief when I think about kids fresh out of high school outmaneuvering so many "highly trained & deadly" adults.
Even with these small issues, I would highly recommend this series for everyone. It's a wonderful Science Fiction/Horror mashup with intelligent writing & copious amounts of wit.
After that brutal cliffhanger, I can't wait to see how it will conclude!
This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
Buddy Read with my lovelies Celeste and Haifa!!
***Special thank you to Kainat for gifting me with my copy of Gemina & recommending the series!***
prepared by
Analyst ID 8759-6294-DN
Subject has decided,
Anyway... the subject has spent a lot of time in tears for this installment. Just crying uncontrollably.
//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR//ERROR
Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars
You guys, I really enjoyed this book. Like a LOT.
Once again, I'm just blown away by the format of this series. It's such a gorgeous & unique way to tell a story, even further complimented by some phenomenal illustrations by Marie Lu.
The plot of Gemina had me quite a bit more engaged than the plot of Illuminae. I found myself much more sympathetic with our main characters, Niklas Malikov & Hanna Donnelly.
Where Illuminae is a touch too saturated with the love story between Kady & Ezra, Gemina focuses more on the importance of friendship & family.
Dramatically paced & incredibly terrifying, Nik & Hanna's story kept me completely on my toes. This is an intriguing continuation of the events that began in Illuminae, a much needed perspective from the people on the opposite side of the same conflict.
One of my favorite things is when a sequel is purely additive to the original work, and that's exactly what has been accomplished in this case. The chat logs & analyst summaries are much more concisely written while maintaining the same charming sense of humor that captured readers in the first installment.
Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff concentrated on expanding the world they've created in a realistic & fulfilling way, adding in slew of fascinating new threats & baddies with some cameos from old characters that were a ton of fun to read!
Now for the reason it's not a full 5 stars... actually it's a handful of small reasons that add up to one medium sized, half-star reason... so here we go:
► Hanna & Kady read a little too similarly for me. They have different strengths & physical appearances, but their chat logs & personalities definitely blur together in my head. I found myself calling Hanna by Kady's name while discussing the book, and so I would've liked a little more individuality between the two.
► The data analyst summaries contain an unrealistic amount of information. I struggled a bit with this in the last installment as well. I realize this is the only format through which readers can experience a "normal" narrative about the characters, but if the data analysts are only watching a reel of footage it seems unlikely that they'd be as in-tune with the characters' thoughts and feelings as they are.
► It doesn't sit well with me that all the main characters are only 18. There really is no help for this gripe. It's Young Adult, I get it. However, it does tend to mess with my suspension of disbelief when I think about kids fresh out of high school outmaneuvering so many "highly trained & deadly" adults.
Even with these small issues, I would highly recommend this series for everyone. It's a wonderful Science Fiction/Horror mashup with intelligent writing & copious amounts of wit.
After that brutal cliffhanger, I can't wait to see how it will conclude!
This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
Buddy Read with my lovelies Celeste and Haifa!!
***Special thank you to Kainat for gifting me with my copy of Gemina & recommending the series!***
July 5, 2018
congratulations! semifinalist in goodreads' best YA fantasy & science fiction category 2016!
i read this last week when i was sick in bed the day after halloween, needing a guaranteed fast, fun, escapist book to breeze through while huddled under the covers with a giant pot of halloween candy in easy reach.
best sick day ever.
this book may be even better than Illuminae, even though it is similar in many ways.
the same beautiful design and layout is back:
and this time there are some fun cartoony illustrations by Marie Lu
the same winky shout-outs are back
♥AIDAN♥ is back
and there is tons of overlap in terms of narrative elements, for example, the relationship in this book pretty much mirrors the kady/ezra relationship in Illuminae - an unlikely romance blossoming under extremely unusual and intense circumstances, in which the couple spend most of the book apart on their own separate missions. but that trick worked for me the first time and it worked for me here. hanna is also as badass as kady was, so she's easy to root for with both fists raised.
the action in this book takes place immediately after the events aboard the Hypatia so excellently rendered in Illuminae. here, we are on the Heimdall, where the situation continues to unfold and it's going to unfold with insane amounts of action and intrigue. and things with hungry, hungry mouths.
oh my god, SO GOOD!
there's nothing i can do but gush. it's funny and smart with some great new characters and several old favorites and the world-building and dirty dealings are fantastic, and this praise is coming from someone who is usually bored by books set in outer spaaaaace. this one is anything but boring. you don't even have to have the flu to enjoy it, although i do recommend a giant cauldron of tiny candies by your side. but i recommend you have one of those on hand every day of the year.
but that ending?? NOOOOOOOOOO. it's cliffhanger city, my friends.
it is going to be very painful to wait for the conclusion of this story. i love it so ██████ much
come to my blog!
i read this last week when i was sick in bed the day after halloween, needing a guaranteed fast, fun, escapist book to breeze through while huddled under the covers with a giant pot of halloween candy in easy reach.
best sick day ever.
this book may be even better than Illuminae, even though it is similar in many ways.
the same beautiful design and layout is back:
and this time there are some fun cartoony illustrations by Marie Lu
the same winky shout-outs are back
♥AIDAN♥ is back
and there is tons of overlap in terms of narrative elements, for example, the relationship in this book pretty much mirrors the kady/ezra relationship in Illuminae - an unlikely romance blossoming under extremely unusual and intense circumstances, in which the couple spend most of the book apart on their own separate missions. but that trick worked for me the first time and it worked for me here. hanna is also as badass as kady was, so she's easy to root for with both fists raised.
the action in this book takes place immediately after the events aboard the Hypatia so excellently rendered in Illuminae. here, we are on the Heimdall, where the situation continues to unfold and it's going to unfold with insane amounts of action and intrigue. and things with hungry, hungry mouths.
oh my god, SO GOOD!
there's nothing i can do but gush. it's funny and smart with some great new characters and several old favorites and the world-building and dirty dealings are fantastic, and this praise is coming from someone who is usually bored by books set in outer spaaaaace. this one is anything but boring. you don't even have to have the flu to enjoy it, although i do recommend a giant cauldron of tiny candies by your side. but i recommend you have one of those on hand every day of the year.
but that ending?? NOOOOOOOOOO. it's cliffhanger city, my friends.
it is going to be very painful to wait for the conclusion of this story. i love it so ██████ much
come to my blog!
January 18, 2019
What was going through my head while I was reading this?
✨ I could get used to this thrill ride. Lightning struck twice.
✨ I hate these characters. Every last one of them.
✨ I miss the Illuminae gang. Every last one of them.
So, here's the thing, I didn’t have the highest of hopes going into Gemina and that's not exactly how I usually start books. Granted, that's not how most people start books either but because these books are deeply character-driven novels, I knew from the reviews I'd read and heard that this new cast would be my downfall and downfall they were.
Don't get me wrong, one - I enjoyed the plot and only hated the characters (the human ones, that is) because AIDN was top notch. And two - I like change as long as it fits the purpose but something told me I wouldn't like this particular change.
I'm not a big fan of sci-fi (books or movies) and though I’ve read a few, it’s simply not the genre I naturally gravitate towards but I loved how Illuminae looked on the outside (yes, I am that shallow. I do judge a book by its cover) and lo and behold, I ended up really enjoying it mainly because of its format.
Naturally, I instantly went ahead and purchased Gemina and only then did I discover that it featured completely different characters on a different spaceship. I felt cheated, to say the least, and dragged my feet for almost a year until the realisation that Obsidio would be released soon dawned on me.
Then why, you might ask, did I decide to read it with little hope of enjoying it? Well, dear friends, because curiosity is. A. Bitch. And most certainly the death of me.
Gemina follows the commander's daughter Hanna Donnely, a ‘beautiful, daddy’s rich-little-princess’ and Nik Malikov, a reluctant ‘bad boy’ from the wrong side of the tracks, (yeah, I know) can we, just for bloody once, get a boy from ‘the right side of the tracks?? Amongst some other pretty cliched and cardboard cutout characters.
It is set in jumpstation Heimdall as it is being invaded by our good-old friends, the evil mining corporation, BeiTech.
What follows is an intense sci-fi action, some impressive twists and turns, zombie-like viruses with a knack for human flesh and some overly dry dialogues filled with snark and non-stop teen drama, both of which were my absolute least favourites.
Though I will add this, where Illuminae shined with its characters, Gemina shined with its high-stakes plot and some pretty neat illustrations, most of which I would've uploaded had I known how to. Apologies, technologically challenged over here.
I don’t know if what I find enjoyable has dramatically changed in less than a year or this book just didn’t possess the it-factor but Gemina had almost none of the magic the first book had.
As much as I loved the action, the characters weren’t nearly as good or as engaging as those in the previous novel. I HATED THEM.
With Illuminae, I had such strong connections with each of the characters including the minor ones that I was clutching my book so tightly, reading while my heart was racing, terrified over what would come next. Whereas with Gemina, I couldn't care less whether or not they were all eaten by the tinny monsters or if their spaceship blew up with everyone of them in it. Maybe then I would’ve liked them just a little bit more, who knows.
I also did not find the ‘villains’ as believable or as terrifying as I did in Illumiae. I thought they lacked everything from substance and depth to the ability to instil fear in me enough to spin my head over what they would do next. So bland.
Moreover, I hated the entire dialogue between Nik, his cousin and Hanna which I found to be so utterly dry and actually cringeworthy. This. This is what sealed the deal for me. I HATE THEM ALL!
The insta-love certainly DID NOT HELP. Some might disagree but I most definitely think it was insta-love, at least where Hanna’s concerned.
So, overall, a great book minus the human characters.
December 13, 2023
I really wish there was more variability to the star rating options on GR. Because book 1 was more of a 4.25 and this was more of a 3.75 but I just have to rate both a 4.
The storylines are always gripping and fast-paced. And the artwork in the print version is so gorgeous. Seriously, these books are so much fun to read, but I don't know how to explain the feeling in words.
Very quickly, some reasons why I didn't like Gemina quite as much as Illuminae:
1. I wish they had upped the stakes for book 2. The threats Hanna and Nik faced (evil worms, party drugs and 24 mean freaks with guns) didn't really measure up to the threats Kady and Ezra faced (evil AI with control of all systems, separation over several ships, deadly infectious plague, horde of former coworkers turned violent monsters, imminent death by nuclear warhead). I also liked Kady and Ezra better as leads; Hanna and Nik felt like very similar but slightly more annoying versions.
2. The amount of casually, effortlessly witty characters is piling up. I refuse to believe there are this many sarcastic but funny people concentrated in one spot of the universe. Every single side character drops 20 innuendos and quips per second. That's just not what people are like.
3. Not enough AIDAN. I need more AIDAN please.
The storylines are always gripping and fast-paced. And the artwork in the print version is so gorgeous. Seriously, these books are so much fun to read, but I don't know how to explain the feeling in words.
Very quickly, some reasons why I didn't like Gemina quite as much as Illuminae:
1. I wish they had upped the stakes for book 2. The threats Hanna and Nik faced (evil worms, party drugs and 24 mean freaks with guns) didn't really measure up to the threats Kady and Ezra faced (evil AI with control of all systems, separation over several ships, deadly infectious plague, horde of former coworkers turned violent monsters, imminent death by nuclear warhead). I also liked Kady and Ezra better as leads; Hanna and Nik felt like very similar but slightly more annoying versions.
2. The amount of casually, effortlessly witty characters is piling up. I refuse to believe there are this many sarcastic but funny people concentrated in one spot of the universe. Every single side character drops 20 innuendos and quips per second. That's just not what people are like.
3. Not enough AIDAN. I need more AIDAN please.
October 17, 2017
Ah, good fantasy. (Please read with the exact voice and emotional expression of the Spongebob Squarepants narrator soothingly intoning, Ah, Goo Lagoon. If you do not know this reference, please go educate yourself on the tenets of modern culture, you uncultured swine.) BUT WAS IT ACTUALLY GOOD FANTASY?! Now I regret typing that long Spongebob allusion. But not enough to remove it. It took too long. I cannot waste these amazing pop-culture references.
https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...
I am very aggravated and confused. I am a heap of conflicting emotions. (Yes, a heap. That is not a pile of sundress and cynicism and sort-of-blonde hair in the corner, as you may have presumed, but rather an overwhelmed Me. Please do not be alarmed, for this is my natural state.)
Quick concept of what Gemina is: like, five hundred years in the future. Humans livin’ in space. Lots of tech-y, future-y stuff like black holes and jump stations and complicated maybe-science I don’t understand. We follow Hannah (?), our main character/pretty lil rich girl; Nik, her sexual harasser who is supposedly charming; and Ella, THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. We’ll get into all that.
Sometimes me and Gemina got along like a sense of humor and the movie The Big Sick (which is to say, very well) but I also had SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH IT.
(The Big Sick, on the other hand, caused me neither emotional trial nor emotional tribulation. Just an all-out fantastic movie. Do I have a bigger crush on Kumail Nanjiani or Emily V. Gordon? Who’s to say.) (Did Emily V. Gordon like my tweet? Yes. I’m cool. I’m fine. I’m casual. What? No, there was no squealing to be heard. That would be ridiculous. Not chill at all.)
The Big Sick love-rant over. Unless you don’t see it. In which case I will pen a review of The Big Sick, drive to your hometown, take you to a showing of said film with all necessary force, and whisper the review of the movie to you during the quiet parts of this same movie. (And on top of it, you will be the one paying for the tickets. Movie theaters are expensive and I am not made of money.)
You guys when I started screaming at you about an unrelated movie rather than screaming about this book:
Okay. I’m done. I really am.But go see The Big Sick.
Let’s start with the good stuff, I guess. (About Gemina. You know, the book I’m allegedly reviewing.)
Time has passed, I am wearing rose colored glasses (and rocking them, obvs) and I’m mostly remembering the good stuff. Good sign for this book! Let’s talk about fun and nice things.
THE GOOD
1. THESE BOOKS ARE JUST SO CLEVER.
You really have to hand it to them. Like, my bois (the term “boi” has always been gender neutral to me) Kristoff and Kaufman straight KILLED. IT. in terms of formatting. All those chat logs and sketches (new addition to this book) and . Loved it, man. It feels way smoother than the Illuminae formatting. And don’t even get me started on AIDAN, the semi-evolved computer whose nefarious and creepy inner workings are...used to summarize surveillance footage. But we’re veering toward negatives so I’ll move on. Long story short, why do traditionally-formatted books even still exist?!
2. I HAVE A NEW BFF.
I would say “gf,” but she’s fifteen years old and also I’d rather just become her than anything else. Her name is Ella Malikova and she is a hacker. (YOU SHOULD ALL KNOW BY NOW THAT I AM SUCH A SUCKER FOR A HACKER. Is there any better plot than a heist with a hacker character? Baby Driver should’ve had a hacker.) (Also, see Baby Driver too.) Anyway, she is so funny and badass and I love her so much. #GiveEllaMalikovaHerOwnBook2k17
3. This book be funny
There’s some made up slang in here, which I like. (Somehow it makes sense with context clues but also isn’t overly similar to the slang of today?? Amazing.) Shenanigans ensue with an extremely explicit song about lollipops. And every time Hannah (is there an H or no? Can’t remember), Ella and Nik have their lil instant-message conversations, my cold and bitter heart warms ever so slightly.
4. Total mind f*ck
There are some bad side effects to this bullet point, but also I spent most of the book like OH MAN WHAT IS GOING ON WHAT’S HAPPENING NEXT IS THIS REAL SCIENCE OR QUASI-SCIENCE EITHER WAY IT’S GOING OVER MY HEAD AND IT SOUNDS SMART SO I’M ALONG FOR THE RIDE. YOU GUYS JUST KEEP CRAWLIN’ THROUGH AIR VENTS AND PUNCHIN’ BAD GUYS.
5. It started off SO FREAKING WELL
I’ve been in an on-and-off reading slump for approximately 9 months, and when I first picked this up I wanted to do NOTHING BUT READ IT.
That honeymoon period faded.
But we’ll get there.
Ugh WHY DO THERE EVEN HAVE TO BE NEGATIVES TO THIS BOOK?!
I’ll let AnnaSophia Robb answer that:
Where is AnnaSophia Robb these days? Man, that girl has had a turbulent career. Her parts include a) tragic and traumatizing death in a children’s movie, b) alien, c) arm lost to shark.
Why do I keep talking about movies? I barely even like movies. I will force myself to move on.
It’s time to get into...THE BAD. (Insert ominous lightning bolt and thunder here, as if we are looking at a haunted house in a Scooby Doo cartoon.)
THE NOT SO GOOD
1. The...characters……….
Okay. So I know I just adoration-rambled about Ella for a hot Texas minute. This must be very confusing for you. I am sorry.
BUT ELLA IS THE ONLY CHARACTER WHO ACTUALLY EXISTS TO ME.
I found it totally impossible to connect to the actual main characters, Hannah (IS THERE AN H OR NOT) and Nik. Nik, in particular, was SO BORING. I felt like they were kind of just like “He is a bad boy. Here is his tragic backstory.” And then left it at that and hoped for the best. Hanna (I looked it up, no H) was similarly flat but less trope-y. Just somewhat nonexistent.
You can never have enough flat female protagonists!!!!!!!!!
2. The...old characters………
If you have read my Illuminae review, you know that I hate Kady, the first book’s version of Hanna.
And guess who shows up pretty goddamn often?
If you guessed “that pink haired, defined-by-her-effortless-beauty identity-less buffoon,” you are correct.
If you guessed “said buffoon’s love interest, who Emma actually likes, and is charming and funny and has a - gasp! - personality,” you would, of course, be wrong.
Many generations ago, my ancestors betrayed the ancestors of every young adult author ever. The retribution is that I may never find literary happiness.
Also, AIDAN doesn’t feel as fun. (Insert whining noise here.)
3. ENOUGH ALREADY WITH THE LOVE FROM ALL SIDES
In Illuminae, I had to deal with the girl-so-effortlessly-beautiful-at-least-three-men-are-silently-pining-away-just-ready-to-martyr-themselves-whenever-given-the-chance trope. Abundantly.
AND IT GODDAMN REAPPEARS IN THIS BOOK, TOO.
Hanna is dating the ~most handsome guy~ on the entire!! jump station. Nik, also pretty hot, supposedly, is just pinin’ away. Everyone in the whole effin’ universe knows she’s hot sh*t.
Yes, we get Ella, who isn’t described exclusively in terms of her heart-stopping, universe-shaking, wormhole-damaging beauty. But that still doesn’t mean I want an unbelievably gorgeous girl who just ~doesn’t know she’s beautiful~ in every flippin’ book.
4. TOO MUCH LOVE, PT 2
THERE’S SO MUCH ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK. And there was so much romance in Illuminae. And all signs point to an equally immense sh*t ton of lovin’ in Obsidio, the upcoming third book, too.
Romance is fine as a subplot. But I’m not here for some interstellar romancing. I just want some badassery…in space.
5. THIS LOVE SUCKS: A Companion Novel to the “Too Much Love” Duology
So, at the beginning of this book, Hanna is getting it on with the aforementioned hunk-boyfriend. Nik is her drug dealer. Nik constantly sexually harasses her and repeatedly asks her out despite her consistent lack of interest. At one point, Hanna points out that Nik doesn’t know anything about her except that she’s pretty. And he’s like “aw :( yeah i guess u hot kween.”
And then she’s all, ok, kiss my face for the rest of the book.
Which...what? Am I supposed to find this CUTE? I am supposed to “““ship””” “““this”””???? Bleh. Just punch more bad guys, please.
6. Is this just Illuminae?
An unlikely romance. A file folder containing documents that delineate the attempts of a corporation to kill civilians, being presented in order to prosecute that corporation. A hot, badass girl. A hot, badass boy. AIDAN. An unnamed employee taking ““humorous”” notes on surveillance footage. Lots of quasi-science and bad guy killing. A really gross and unexpected biohazard to add a twist of fun.
Like, did I read the same book twice? And the third book will just be me reading it a third time?
7.
8. I love mild confusion!!!!
Luckily, I truly enjoy being constantly perplexed! I find a light dusting of befuddlement to be invigorating. Feeling utterly uncertain for 700 pages? Count me the hell in!
8. These people have GOT to be superheroes
For roughly three-quarters of this book, our three main characters (plus, like, 200 side characters), go without eating or sleeping. One (1) character uses a bathroom one (1) time. These fools are constantly sprinting and crawling and shooting and fighting and experiencing one emotional trauma after the next. But no, feel free to mention one sleepless night and hint at the ingestion of raw meat and call it a fictional day.
9. ok...and the formatting wasn’t perfect
I know most people love surveillance-footage guy, the unnamed dude (maybe just person? Can’t remember if the character’s gendered) who summarizes the video from security tapes.
I don’t love him, BECAUSE HE SHOWS UP ALL THE TIME IN THIS BOOK. I needed more formatting variety.
Also, they censor the curse words in this series. What was charming in Illuminae is really distracting here. I don’t want to take 17 seconds every other page to try to analyze whether that blacked-out word is f*ck or sh*t.
And it’s not like the court documents of today black out curse words. Right?
10. One thing this review and this book have in common: they’re WAY TOO LONG
Gemina dragged. Not as bad as I’m sure this review is dragging, but still, man, it dragged.
Bottom line: This was a very strange experience. I have no clue what to rate it. Bits were four stars, even five, but also three and two and one.
I guess I just have to give it that old placeholder rating of three stars.
Still read this book if you feel like it.
-----------------
currently-reading updates
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what is it about these books that prevents me from liking the characters?? storytelling-wise, plot-wise, creativity-wise, all fully brill. then when it comes to the characters, i am asleep. because i am bored. because i do not care. my lack of shits to give is preventing me from staying awake.
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whoa.
this is already, like, a million times better than just-pretty-good illuminae.
but can these bozos write a female protagonist who isn't getting heart eyes from all sides??? bo-ring
https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...
I am very aggravated and confused. I am a heap of conflicting emotions. (Yes, a heap. That is not a pile of sundress and cynicism and sort-of-blonde hair in the corner, as you may have presumed, but rather an overwhelmed Me. Please do not be alarmed, for this is my natural state.)
Quick concept of what Gemina is: like, five hundred years in the future. Humans livin’ in space. Lots of tech-y, future-y stuff like black holes and jump stations and complicated maybe-science I don’t understand. We follow Hannah (?), our main character/pretty lil rich girl; Nik, her sexual harasser who is supposedly charming; and Ella, THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. We’ll get into all that.
Sometimes me and Gemina got along like a sense of humor and the movie The Big Sick (which is to say, very well) but I also had SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH IT.
(The Big Sick, on the other hand, caused me neither emotional trial nor emotional tribulation. Just an all-out fantastic movie. Do I have a bigger crush on Kumail Nanjiani or Emily V. Gordon? Who’s to say.) (Did Emily V. Gordon like my tweet? Yes. I’m cool. I’m fine. I’m casual. What? No, there was no squealing to be heard. That would be ridiculous. Not chill at all.)
The Big Sick love-rant over. Unless you don’t see it. In which case I will pen a review of The Big Sick, drive to your hometown, take you to a showing of said film with all necessary force, and whisper the review of the movie to you during the quiet parts of this same movie. (And on top of it, you will be the one paying for the tickets. Movie theaters are expensive and I am not made of money.)
You guys when I started screaming at you about an unrelated movie rather than screaming about this book:
Okay. I’m done. I really am.
Let’s start with the good stuff, I guess. (About Gemina. You know, the book I’m allegedly reviewing.)
Time has passed, I am wearing rose colored glasses (and rocking them, obvs) and I’m mostly remembering the good stuff. Good sign for this book! Let’s talk about fun and nice things.
THE GOOD
1. THESE BOOKS ARE JUST SO CLEVER.
You really have to hand it to them. Like, my bois (the term “boi” has always been gender neutral to me) Kristoff and Kaufman straight KILLED. IT. in terms of formatting. All those chat logs and sketches (new addition to this book) and . Loved it, man. It feels way smoother than the Illuminae formatting. And don’t even get me started on AIDAN, the semi-evolved computer whose nefarious and creepy inner workings are...used to summarize surveillance footage. But we’re veering toward negatives so I’ll move on. Long story short, why do traditionally-formatted books even still exist?!
2. I HAVE A NEW BFF.
I would say “gf,” but she’s fifteen years old and also I’d rather just become her than anything else. Her name is Ella Malikova and she is a hacker. (YOU SHOULD ALL KNOW BY NOW THAT I AM SUCH A SUCKER FOR A HACKER. Is there any better plot than a heist with a hacker character? Baby Driver should’ve had a hacker.) (Also, see Baby Driver too.) Anyway, she is so funny and badass and I love her so much. #GiveEllaMalikovaHerOwnBook2k17
3. This book be funny
There’s some made up slang in here, which I like. (Somehow it makes sense with context clues but also isn’t overly similar to the slang of today?? Amazing.) Shenanigans ensue with an extremely explicit song about lollipops. And every time Hannah (is there an H or no? Can’t remember), Ella and Nik have their lil instant-message conversations, my cold and bitter heart warms ever so slightly.
4. Total mind f*ck
There are some bad side effects to this bullet point, but also I spent most of the book like OH MAN WHAT IS GOING ON WHAT’S HAPPENING NEXT IS THIS REAL SCIENCE OR QUASI-SCIENCE EITHER WAY IT’S GOING OVER MY HEAD AND IT SOUNDS SMART SO I’M ALONG FOR THE RIDE. YOU GUYS JUST KEEP CRAWLIN’ THROUGH AIR VENTS AND PUNCHIN’ BAD GUYS.
5. It started off SO FREAKING WELL
I’ve been in an on-and-off reading slump for approximately 9 months, and when I first picked this up I wanted to do NOTHING BUT READ IT.
That honeymoon period faded.
But we’ll get there.
Ugh WHY DO THERE EVEN HAVE TO BE NEGATIVES TO THIS BOOK?!
I’ll let AnnaSophia Robb answer that:
Where is AnnaSophia Robb these days? Man, that girl has had a turbulent career. Her parts include a) tragic and traumatizing death in a children’s movie, b) alien, c) arm lost to shark.
Why do I keep talking about movies? I barely even like movies. I will force myself to move on.
It’s time to get into...THE BAD. (Insert ominous lightning bolt and thunder here, as if we are looking at a haunted house in a Scooby Doo cartoon.)
THE NOT SO GOOD
1. The...characters……….
Okay. So I know I just adoration-rambled about Ella for a hot Texas minute. This must be very confusing for you. I am sorry.
BUT ELLA IS THE ONLY CHARACTER WHO ACTUALLY EXISTS TO ME.
I found it totally impossible to connect to the actual main characters, Hannah (IS THERE AN H OR NOT) and Nik. Nik, in particular, was SO BORING. I felt like they were kind of just like “He is a bad boy. Here is his tragic backstory.” And then left it at that and hoped for the best. Hanna (I looked it up, no H) was similarly flat but less trope-y. Just somewhat nonexistent.
You can never have enough flat female protagonists!!!!!!!!!
2. The...old characters………
If you have read my Illuminae review, you know that I hate Kady, the first book’s version of Hanna.
And guess who shows up pretty goddamn often?
If you guessed “that pink haired, defined-by-her-effortless-beauty identity-less buffoon,” you are correct.
If you guessed “said buffoon’s love interest, who Emma actually likes, and is charming and funny and has a - gasp! - personality,” you would, of course, be wrong.
Many generations ago, my ancestors betrayed the ancestors of every young adult author ever. The retribution is that I may never find literary happiness.
Also, AIDAN doesn’t feel as fun. (Insert whining noise here.)
3. ENOUGH ALREADY WITH THE LOVE FROM ALL SIDES
In Illuminae, I had to deal with the girl-so-effortlessly-beautiful-at-least-three-men-are-silently-pining-away-just-ready-to-martyr-themselves-whenever-given-the-chance trope. Abundantly.
AND IT GODDAMN REAPPEARS IN THIS BOOK, TOO.
Hanna is dating the ~most handsome guy~ on the entire!! jump station. Nik, also pretty hot, supposedly, is just pinin’ away. Everyone in the whole effin’ universe knows she’s hot sh*t.
Yes, we get Ella, who isn’t described exclusively in terms of her heart-stopping, universe-shaking, wormhole-damaging beauty. But that still doesn’t mean I want an unbelievably gorgeous girl who just ~doesn’t know she’s beautiful~ in every flippin’ book.
4. TOO MUCH LOVE, PT 2
THERE’S SO MUCH ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK. And there was so much romance in Illuminae. And all signs point to an equally immense sh*t ton of lovin’ in Obsidio, the upcoming third book, too.
Romance is fine as a subplot. But I’m not here for some interstellar romancing. I just want some badassery…in space.
5. THIS LOVE SUCKS: A Companion Novel to the “Too Much Love” Duology
So, at the beginning of this book, Hanna is getting it on with the aforementioned hunk-boyfriend. Nik is her drug dealer. Nik constantly sexually harasses her and repeatedly asks her out despite her consistent lack of interest. At one point, Hanna points out that Nik doesn’t know anything about her except that she’s pretty. And he’s like “aw :( yeah i guess u hot kween.”
And then she’s all, ok, kiss my face for the rest of the book.
Which...what? Am I supposed to find this CUTE? I am supposed to “““ship””” “““this”””???? Bleh. Just punch more bad guys, please.
6. Is this just Illuminae?
An unlikely romance. A file folder containing documents that delineate the attempts of a corporation to kill civilians, being presented in order to prosecute that corporation. A hot, badass girl. A hot, badass boy. AIDAN. An unnamed employee taking ““humorous”” notes on surveillance footage. Lots of quasi-science and bad guy killing. A really gross and unexpected biohazard to add a twist of fun.
Like, did I read the same book twice? And the third book will just be me reading it a third time?
7.
8. I love mild confusion!!!!
Luckily, I truly enjoy being constantly perplexed! I find a light dusting of befuddlement to be invigorating. Feeling utterly uncertain for 700 pages? Count me the hell in!
8. These people have GOT to be superheroes
For roughly three-quarters of this book, our three main characters (plus, like, 200 side characters), go without eating or sleeping. One (1) character uses a bathroom one (1) time. These fools are constantly sprinting and crawling and shooting and fighting and experiencing one emotional trauma after the next. But no, feel free to mention one sleepless night and hint at the ingestion of raw meat and call it a fictional day.
9. ok...and the formatting wasn’t perfect
I know most people love surveillance-footage guy, the unnamed dude (maybe just person? Can’t remember if the character’s gendered) who summarizes the video from security tapes.
I don’t love him, BECAUSE HE SHOWS UP ALL THE TIME IN THIS BOOK. I needed more formatting variety.
Also, they censor the curse words in this series. What was charming in Illuminae is really distracting here. I don’t want to take 17 seconds every other page to try to analyze whether that blacked-out word is f*ck or sh*t.
And it’s not like the court documents of today black out curse words. Right?
10. One thing this review and this book have in common: they’re WAY TOO LONG
Gemina dragged. Not as bad as I’m sure this review is dragging, but still, man, it dragged.
Bottom line: This was a very strange experience. I have no clue what to rate it. Bits were four stars, even five, but also three and two and one.
I guess I just have to give it that old placeholder rating of three stars.
Still read this book if you feel like it.
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currently-reading updates
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what is it about these books that prevents me from liking the characters?? storytelling-wise, plot-wise, creativity-wise, all fully brill. then when it comes to the characters, i am asleep. because i am bored. because i do not care. my lack of shits to give is preventing me from staying awake.
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whoa.
this is already, like, a million times better than just-pretty-good illuminae.
November 19, 2017
4.5 Stars
ahhh!! I still love it!! RTC
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Yes, I am reading this again.
Third time and I feel no shame. These books are so much fun??
First-buddy read with the lovely maybelline ❤️
ahhh!! I still love it!! RTC
---------------
Yes, I am reading this again.
Third time and I feel no shame. These books are so much fun??
First-buddy read with the lovely maybelline ❤️
March 20, 2018
Reread March 2018 on audiobook. IT WAS EVEN BETTER THE SECOND TIME I JUST CANT
If I could give this book 10 stars I wouldn't hesitate; hell, even a million stars wouldn't do it justice.
GEMINA. WAS. AMAZING.
The plot around Heimdall Station: SUSPENSEFUL
The new characters, Hanna & Nik: KICK ASS
The return of beloved characters: PERFECT
The introduction of new, crazy points in the story: MIND BLOWING
The storytelling format: GETS BETTER WITH EVERY BOOK
Literally everything in Gemina was brilliant. Brilliant and cunning and witty and amazing. I can't find ANYTHING I didn't like or would change, and I can't even fathom to imagine what will take place in the third book!
Well done, Jay and Amie. WELL. DONE.
If I could give this book 10 stars I wouldn't hesitate; hell, even a million stars wouldn't do it justice.
GEMINA. WAS. AMAZING.
The plot around Heimdall Station: SUSPENSEFUL
The new characters, Hanna & Nik: KICK ASS
The return of beloved characters: PERFECT
The introduction of new, crazy points in the story: MIND BLOWING
The storytelling format: GETS BETTER WITH EVERY BOOK
Literally everything in Gemina was brilliant. Brilliant and cunning and witty and amazing. I can't find ANYTHING I didn't like or would change, and I can't even fathom to imagine what will take place in the third book!
Well done, Jay and Amie. WELL. DONE.
December 3, 2017
I kept hearing how the second book of this series is even better than the first and... no.
I listened to the audiobook since it was recommended and I think it may have been a mistake. There's only so many times you can hear the dates and email address of people before wanting to throw your phone at the wall.
Hearing adults read cringy flirty teenager conversations was awkward and I didn't care for any of the characters.
I honestly thought throughout the whole book about DNFing... some parts were okay enough for me to keep pushing but it wasn't worth it.
Won't continue the series - generous 3 stars!
I listened to the audiobook since it was recommended and I think it may have been a mistake. There's only so many times you can hear the dates and email address of people before wanting to throw your phone at the wall.
Hearing adults read cringy flirty teenager conversations was awkward and I didn't care for any of the characters.
I honestly thought throughout the whole book about DNFing... some parts were okay enough for me to keep pushing but it wasn't worth it.
Won't continue the series - generous 3 stars!
![Profile Image for Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1746468325i%2F66224803._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
April 30, 2018
„War does not determine who is right
- only who is left.“
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Did you ever think about the theory that our reality exist of many universes?
That maybe, in another universe, you’re not a reader (😱) but a gamer or something else.
There’s another version of you, or two or three.
I need to say, that I’m probably not that smart that I could actually explain you this theory, but in this book this theory is called Gemina.
(Like the freakin book.)
Beitech did some real sh*t on Karenza (we can all agree to that when we recall what happened in illuminae) and it didn’t stop after this.
No, no, no.
These f*ckers secretly creeped into Heimdall station and did a mess there too.
With a whole killer squad. (I actually thought this was a pretty cool group)
But they didn’t expect a badass blonde and a kind-of-dumb-but-pretty-cute criminal to cross their ways.
Oh, and a genius computer hacker with a big mouth and some seriously awesome humor.
I liked the story, the characters and the way this book was in the same special as Illuminae was.
But... (there’s always a but isn’t there?)
But I didn’t like the sequel as much as I loved the first book.
It was good, it was entertaining, but I missed my genius Aidan and his interactions with Kady.
So... I liked it. But it wasn’t worth 5 stars.
For all the hyper-fans out there: (don’t hate me, please?) I still continue with this series (I mean, I bought Obsidio with the rest of the books and it’s gorgeous) and it’s still one hell of a special and cool series that I’ll recommend everyone that needs “something different”.
Characters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
„AIDAN: The concept of fortune is nonsensical, but Kady is insisting I wish you both good luck anyway.
AIDAN: So good luck, Hanna Donnelly.
AIDAN: The universe itself depends on you.
AIDAN: ...No pressure.”
Did I mention that I missed my baby Aidan? There wasn’t enough Aidan time in my opinion. I want more, more, more.
But I was pretty satisfied with the replacements. Hanna donelly was a gorgeous badass with great physical strength and tactical talent.
You could say she probably saved some a*ses on Heimdall.
And Nik - my cutie pie - he had some strong really sweet parts in this book, that I loved. (Hint: flowers and cigarettes)
But even though I really liked all the characters mentioned in this book, i didn’t really feel them. You know what I mean?
I didn’t think of them in my free time apart from the book. I wasn’t sad or happy or something else. I felt pretty cold reading about them and that’s a pretty sad thing.
But... I liked Ella with her big mouth and her huge skills. She reminded me a lot of Kady with the Hacker vibe and the great dialogues.
World ⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Patience and Silence had one beautiful daughter. And her name was Vengeance.”
Spaceships, killer operations, artificial intelligences, alien-things-that-suck-your-blood and different universes.
I wasn’t as excited about the sci-fi part in this book as I was with illuminae.
But it was still good, still exciting.
I actually really liked the whole killer squad thing. And all the twists and turns that appeared throughout the mission.
Relationships ⭐️⭐️⭐️
„I cannot help but wonder
If the thought of saving all those lives and hopes and dreams
Pales in comparison
To the thought of seeing him again.
I wonder.”
This was my least favorite part of the whole book.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved the two characters involved, they were pretty cute together.
But (always a but, ugh)
but for me it didn’t feel right. It was so fast and it had some love triangle parts in it, that I didn’t really like.
So. I’m sad, but okay with it.
Writing style ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved the whole style in illuminae, but in Gemina it was different. It wasn’t something new anymore, I didn’t feel the excitement that I felt while reading Illuminae.
It was still pretty good, entertaining and interesting. But I was a little bit annoyed by some parts (like the parallel things).
Still I love the irony and sarcasm and the badass parts in this whole book!
Amy and Jay are pretty talented with that!
It’s still one of the most special books I have ever read and probably ever will and that’s why I’m not sad that I didn’t love this as much as I loved Illuminae, because that means that there’s still a huge possibility that I’ll love Obsidio (that I already have in my hands while finishing this review).
So. Fingers crossed guys! 💪🏻
„Her eyes shining with the light of it.
Beneath, between, beyond.
Along the endless circle.
Down the ceaseless spiral.
And waiting for her on the other side?
Just like he promised.
...
“A whole sky of different stars.”
June 23, 2016
4.5 estrellas
Si tuviera que describir este libro con un sólo GIF, lo haria con este:
SO DAMN GOOD. DAAAAYUM.
Si tuviera que describir este libro con un sólo GIF, lo haria con este:
SO DAMN GOOD. DAAAAYUM.
August 31, 2016
I wasn't sure how I was going to like this one. Throughout at least half of the book, I was thinking it was going to be only 3 stars. But the ending punched it into a 4 star slot, topping it off with another cliffhanger ending. Full video review will be up on my channel closer to release!
February 28, 2018
1.) Illuminae ★★★★
“Patience and Silence had one beautiful daughter. And her name was Vengeance.”
You all, I just don’t know what to say. This series just doesn’t do for me what it does for everyone else. I don’t dislike these books at all, they just aren’t even close to being one of my all time favorites either. Please, take this review with a grain of salt, because literally all of my friends five star this series. And even though I really like and appreciate the unique formatting, witty banter, and twists and turns, I really hated to plot twist towards the end of this one. *dodges tomatoes*
Gemina picks back up after the events of Illuminae and after that cliffhanger, jaw dropping, ending. But Gemina is set on Jump Station Heimdall which the ships in Illuminae were trying to get to. Also, this follows a whole brand-new set of characters who are living on this jump station. Yet the distinctive and special formatting is still there and is still how the story is told. I will say that Gemina also spends a little more time using surveillance cameras as a way for the reader to see, way more than of Illuminae did, too.
The main characters we follow on the Heimdall jump station:
➽ Hanna - Daughter of the jump station’s commander. Also, a very good fighter, and very fast thinker, and a very talented artist. I loved seeing the story through her artwork, and it was for sure one of the highlights for me. (See picture above!)
➽ Nik - Heir to the House of Knives, drug dealer, and he has served time and has a tattoo to prove it. He is basically that typical “bad boy” which makes a good and angsty juxtaposition for Hanna’s “good girl” demeanor.
➽ Ella - Nik’s very computer savvy cousin, who helps them immensely through the entire book. She’s, hands down, the reason good things happened, and she was easily my favorite character. Also, she does all this while in a wheelchair and with an oxygen mask. Seriously, I love her and she is such a badass.
These three make up a fun YA SFF tale that is seamlessly woven and is quickly consumable and readable. Seriously, this 600+ page book felt like 250+ tops! And this was a fun read for me, that I feel so thankful that I was able to experience, especially with Obsidio coming out in a couple of weeks. But sadly, I did have a few critiques.
“I cannot help but wonder if his desire to see this place ripped to pieces pales in comparison to his desire to see her again.”
The humor got to be too much. Like, I totally understand that everyone copes with intense situations very differently. And I’m completely aware that many people would use humor, but literally every single person in this uses humor and it got to be so over the top and unrealistic. On top of the fact that all of these people are around eighteen. Like, Lord, I couldn’t do it. What started out funny and cute ended up feeling like I was getting beat over the head and impractical.
Okay, let’s talk about the plot twist as vague as possible. I hate this plot twist. And the way that it was done in Gemina felt cheap, and it felt really exploitative of the readers emotions. This was a four star book for me up until a death didn’t happen. For me, it was a bad reading experience and I was angry that I shed tears and was impressed that the authors weren’t scared “to go there.” Again, let me heavily emphasize that all my friends love this book and didn’t feel this way. But my review, my feelings, and it felt bad, man.
And even though I read Illuminae two years ago, I still felt like this book just felt too much like Gemina. The characters are different, but they still somehow feel the same. The catastrophes are different, but they still somehow feel read the same. The plots are different, but they still somehow appear the same.
Overall, I really did have a good time reading this. I thought it was funny, and smart, and action packed. I just don’t love this series the same way as everyone else. But I promise, I’m in the minority. Don’t let me or this mediocre review stop you. I honestly believe these books are worth a chance. And you’ll learn very quickly if they are or aren’t for you. Also, so many of my friends have recommended the audiobooks to me. Sadly, I’m the worst audiobook reader on this planet, but I think that’s also a good tip if you’re looking to start this series!
Trigger/Content Warnings: Violence, gore, death, death of a parent, death of a loved one, and very minor animal cruelty.
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August 15, 2016
Motherfucker of a story. I just read this 600+ page monster in one sitting, that's how epic it was. As suspenseful, charming and gritty as its predecessor albeit fantastically uniquely so. The wait for book 3 will be crushing.
February 18, 2018
SON OF A BITCH.
This book will blow out your brains and hump your skull.
This book will blow out your brains and hump your skull.
May 10, 2017
Ultimate buddy read with my darling (but-not-really-darling-more-like-kinda-a-lot-crazy) squad, Sana ♡ Ry ♡ Em ♡ Luna ♡ Prag ♡ Caitlin ♡ Jenn ♡
^^Click their names to see their reviews - you won't regret, they're fabulous. ♡ ♡
I’ve just spent the entire day in another universe, excuse me while I try to reintegrate into real life.
To give a brief summary of my emotions:
This series just got so much better, like multiple folds better.
Gemina continues the story of Illuminae, but from the other side of the wormhole, with kicka*s, Captain’s daughter Hanna and (kinda) delinquent-belongs-to-a-criminal-family Nik. Now where I adored Kady and Ezra, I fell in love with Hanna and Nik.
^^Yes, that was included in the book *squeals*
I don’t even know how to describe this book. It’s phenomenal. It’s starling. It’s jarring. It’s though provoking. It’s witty. It’s spectacular.
And the plot twists, the damned plot twists that have me crying and laughing and crying and clutching onto each and every word harder.
Open your minds up for this one, kids, because there’s some serious physics that’s gonna get your brain fizzled.
Amie Kaufman did an absolutely stupendous job on the parallels. So many parallels, so flawlessly written. Parallels of universes, worlds, characters, it’s all molded so seamlessly.
But the ending. :) Damn, that ending – especially making me wait an entire year before releasing the next one!!! *chaotic screaming*
I know I’m making less sense in this review than I did in my Illuminae review (and let’s be honest here, that’s saying something) but I URGE you to read this book because I have read no other book comparable. (also it’s really late at night and I’m suffering from post-book-completion-hangover and I have a lot of emotions in my heart and I just can’t write coherently.)
Read it please??
“You might get only one shot. So shoot. You know who said that?”
The rifle clatters to the bloody floor.
“Hanna ****ing Donnelly. That’s who.”
All the stars!!!
^^Click their names to see their reviews - you won't regret, they're fabulous. ♡ ♡
I’ve just spent the entire day in another universe, excuse me while I try to reintegrate into real life.
To give a brief summary of my emotions:
This series just got so much better, like multiple folds better.
Gemina continues the story of Illuminae, but from the other side of the wormhole, with kicka*s, Captain’s daughter Hanna and (kinda) delinquent-belongs-to-a-criminal-family Nik. Now where I adored Kady and Ezra, I fell in love with Hanna and Nik.
^^Yes, that was included in the book *squeals*
I don’t even know how to describe this book. It’s phenomenal. It’s starling. It’s jarring. It’s though provoking. It’s witty. It’s spectacular.
And the plot twists, the damned plot twists that have me crying and laughing and crying and clutching onto each and every word harder.
Open your minds up for this one, kids, because there’s some serious physics that’s gonna get your brain fizzled.
Amie Kaufman did an absolutely stupendous job on the parallels. So many parallels, so flawlessly written. Parallels of universes, worlds, characters, it’s all molded so seamlessly.
But the ending. :) Damn, that ending – especially making me wait an entire year before releasing the next one!!! *chaotic screaming*
I know I’m making less sense in this review than I did in my Illuminae review (and let’s be honest here, that’s saying something) but I URGE you to read this book because I have read no other book comparable. (also it’s really late at night and I’m suffering from post-book-completion-hangover and I have a lot of emotions in my heart and I just can’t write coherently.)
Read it please??
“You might get only one shot. So shoot. You know who said that?”
The rifle clatters to the bloody floor.
“Hanna ****ing Donnelly. That’s who.”
All the stars!!!
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