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adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Murder, War
Moderate: Torture, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment
Minor: Confinement, Grief
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Holy jeebus, what a series finale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Confinement, Drug use, Suicide
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Super compelling, the format is unrivalled
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Slavery, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
There was just too much going on. Too many side stories and too much drama that is all handled way too easily. So easy that these dangerous and life threatening situations don't feel as authentic as they have before. Plus, I didn't really feel any connection to the new main characters introduced and found their "reconnection" a little laughable considering all the war happening around them.
Did I still enjoy this? Yes. I also wish that it had a better ending. I would have liked to see more of the court transcripts from the tribunal against BeiTech and I would have liked a different conclusion for AIDAN. Still a solid story, I think I just had higher expectations because I adore the first two books in this series.
Did I still enjoy this? Yes. I also wish that it had a better ending. I would have liked to see more of the court transcripts from the tribunal against BeiTech and I would have liked a different conclusion for AIDAN. Still a solid story, I think I just had higher expectations because I adore the first two books in this series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual harassment, War
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War
adventurous
emotional
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A really satisfying conclusion to this trilogy; I liked the tension and action as usual and overall was just a lot of fun.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood
Moderate: Genocide, Violence
Minor: Body horror, Sexual assault
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Holy shit I finished a book!!!!
This was the dynamic finale I expected from this series, but it just didn't *hit* like the others. I think part of the problem is that the irreverent humour and liveliness with which the narrative parts are presented seem particularly incongruous in this section, mixed up as they were with detailed descriptions of straight up genocide so like. There was that.
I did like the themes of conscience, consciousness and humanity (a staple theme in scifi) but I'm a little disappointed too that we didn't get to see the larger ramifications of the Kerenza IV conviction. The whole series harps on about how complex and redeemable humanity is, so making the Big Bad just..... a woman..... and to suggest on top of that that she is somehow less redeemable than the soldiers who actually committed the heinous war crimes she ordered them to seems to be a little bit abortive. Where is the systemic analysis here? The logical conclusion of the arguments the whole series makes seems to be that capitalism is the real evil - through this lens, slapping some corporate head honchos with a guilty verdict hardly seems to qualify as the justice owed to the Kerenzan refugees.
Maybe that's a lot to ask of a series like this, but it just didn't sit right with me.
Despite all these complaints (and a lamentable dearth of queer characters, like wtf was with that??? Three central couples and all of them hetero????), I really loved this series. Kaufman and Kristoff really do The Most with form, and I think it's brilliantly executed. Found footage is an absolute FAVE of mine, conceptually speaking, but I often find the actual works hard to digest (lookin @ you, shaky cam footage), but the frame narrative drew everything together neatly here. AIDAN was a particular favourite of mine, because it added a really excellent element of exisistential dread all the way through the series (and because I am a SUCKER for a what-makes-us-human AI plotline). Most impressively, I my opinion, is that the threads of emotional anguish stayed taut throughout even the most clusterfucky action sequences and I think that's a really hard line to walk without becoming heavy-handed. I found this particularly incisive because of the way that aligned with the goals of the Illuminae Group - I'm thinking specifically of the choice, both by the authors and by Kady & co., to include the notes from Dr. Grant - seemingly irrelevant to the narrative itself but serving a particular persuasive purpose in the context of the court case.
Anyway this is the longest review I've written in approximately 1 million years so I guess it deserves recognition for causing a stir in my cold, dead heart.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Confinement, Sexual harassment
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
*Please don't read unless you've read Gemina
Thoughts
An epic conclusion to an epic series.
If you like action, found family, questioning of good vs evil, strong female characters you may enjoy this series.
Things I Loved
- The Characters: I feel like I've said this for all the books. I love sassy characters. And since the characters from the first two books come back we get a whole lot of sass. We have the introduction of Asha who has experienced A LOT but has big heart. Issac Grant is underrated and in the background in this story. There are a lot of teenagers in these books and having him as an adult figure was such a joy to read. I just love the cast of characters and I liked the dynamics between them.
- The Plot: Honestly I loved how it all came together. I love that Illuminae and Gemina have story arcs of their own but this final books brings it all together and I thought it was done in a really clever way. I also never felt bored. So this kept me engaged.
- The Dilemma: Illuminae touched on this also but this book delves into what is good, what is evil, what is a monster and while there is no straight forward answer to this it just makes you think. And I like that.
Things I Didn't Like
- If I'm being very very picky the are aspects of the writing I don't like but it was nothing detrimental to the story. Yes this book does use the same tropes as the first two books there are some people who will enjoy that and some who won't. I did. But I can see why people wouldn't be a fan of this 3rd book. I am but I thought I'd include it as a "con".
So overall. Loved this series. Loved this finally. So glad I gave this series a try.
Representation
Lesbian (side characters), POC (side characters)
Content Warning
Death, Suicide, Blood, Pedophilia (not on page), Genocide, Grief
Thoughts
An epic conclusion to an epic series.
If you like action, found family, questioning of good vs evil, strong female characters you may enjoy this series.
Things I Loved
- The Characters: I feel like I've said this for all the books. I love sassy characters. And since the characters from the first two books come back we get a whole lot of sass. We have the introduction of Asha who has experienced A LOT but has big heart. Issac Grant is underrated and in the background in this story. There are a lot of teenagers in these books and having him as an adult figure was such a joy to read. I just love the cast of characters and I liked the dynamics between them.
- The Plot: Honestly I loved how it all came together. I love that Illuminae and Gemina have story arcs of their own but this final books brings it all together and I thought it was done in a really clever way. I also never felt bored. So this kept me engaged.
- The Dilemma: Illuminae touched on this also but this book delves into what is good, what is evil, what is a monster and while there is no straight forward answer to this it just makes you think. And I like that.
Things I Didn't Like
- If I'm being very very picky the are aspects of the writing I don't like but it was nothing detrimental to the story. Yes this book does use the same tropes as the first two books there are some people who will enjoy that and some who won't. I did. But I can see why people wouldn't be a fan of this 3rd book. I am but I thought I'd include it as a "con".
So overall. Loved this series. Loved this finally. So glad I gave this series a try.
Representation
Lesbian (side characters), POC (side characters)
Content Warning
Death, Suicide, Blood, Pedophilia (not on page), Genocide, Grief
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Suicide, Blood, Grief
Minor: Pedophilia