Review: Gemina

Title: Gemina
Authors: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Pages: 659
Published by: Rock the Boat
Release date: 20th October 2016
Synopsis:
Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminaecontinues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope

Purchase from: Amazon | Book Depository | Waterstones | Wordery

Review:

I actually can’t believe I waited so long to read this after first reading Illuminae all the way back in 2015. I’m ashamed. But if there’s one thing that long wait is proof of, is that Gemina was well worth it. And I am so glad that I could hop straight into Obsidio because I have never been so invested in a series!

Gemina picks up straight after Illuminae finishes off, in a new location with a whole new set of additional characters to fall in love with. It’s set on the Jump Station Heimdall, which you might remember, is where the Hypatia was fleeing to in book 1, and follows Hanna Donnelly and Nik Malikov as the station is invaded by Beitech. Hanna sets out to save the station from Beitech with the help of Nik and his hacker cousin Ella.

Hanna and Nik were two characters that completely snuck up on me; I wasn’t expecting to love them as much as I did. They were so funny and witty and sarcastic. I think my favourite of the new characters was Ella, though — she has to be one of the funniest characters I’ve ever read and she takes no crap from anyone. The interactions between these three were never boring. Gemina also sees the return of Kady, Ezra and the rest of the Hypatia crew!

The story is told in the same way as Illuminae is, with a dossier of hacked files including audio transcripts, messages, emails, and more from our favourite terrifying AI, AIDAN. I absolutely love the way that these books are told and it often meant that I could have read a hundred pages and not even realise because I was so hooked. The plot was fast-paced, mind-blowing and so, so addictive.

This is a book that you will not be able to put down. If you haven’t started this series yet, DO IT. You will NOT regret it! But also, make sure you have the next book to hand, too, because this is a series to binge read.

Rating: ★★★★★