My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In some series, the second book experiences the dreaded sophomore slump. This is not one of those cases. As much as I dearly loved Illuminae, I fell even more in love with Gemina upon my reread. As a result, I had to bump Illuminae down to a 4.5 and this held the coveted 5-star spot.
We are introduced to two new protagonists in Nik and Hanna. I enjoyed their rapport in this book immensely and they immediately became my favorite characters in the series, so far. Hanna could have been the typical spoiled rich girl without a brain cell in her head, but she was well fleshed out and developed. Since her father was the head of the ship where they lived, he had that strategic military background that is so important. He made sure that his daughter was just as educated and trained as he was. That made her a force to be reckoned with and I love that she was not a weak, damsel in distress.
Nik also could have been the prototypical bad boy who walks on the side of danger and seduces the pretty rich girl, but just like Hanna, he was given so much more depth. I love how real the authors made the characters feel. They had layers and were dynamic, so you were completely engaged in the story. I can’t explain why I love Nik so much without spoiling aspects of the story because he really develops throughout the book. I will just say that you need to read the series and then we can talk about it.
The audiobook continues an absolutely spectacular fashion. It has definitely solidified itself as my favorite audiobook. Each character is narrated by a different person who breathes life into the characters and allows them to stand out in their unique ways. The sound effects just bring the audiobook up another level and completely immerse the reader.
The book will take you on an emotional ride. I was incredibly engaged the entire time that I was reading the book and didn’t feel that there were any pacing issues. You just get so invested in the characters that you will find yourself actively reacting in the real world to events going on in the book. It was brilliantly written and I would highly recommend this series to people, even if they don’t feel that they are normally sci-fi fans. It will not disappoint.
Kyera's Library 
Leave a Reply