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4.45 AVERAGE
4.45 AVERAGE
Hrrrrm.
So. I loooved [b:Illuminae|23395680|Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)|Amie Kaufman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443433956s/23395680.jpg|26653661], and inhaled it within a single day. I liked the cast of [b:Gemina|29236299|Gemina (The Illuminae Files, #2)|Amie Kaufman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1480097137s/29236299.jpg|44560442] even more than the first book, and read that in 4 days. I was annoyed by both books' complete lack of consequences, but I entertained hopes that the wheels would finally come off in the last book, being the last of the trilogy and thus the right time to stop pulling your punches.
But this? Took me 2 whole weeks to read, dragging my heels a bit; instead of the adrenaline-fuelled race to the death of the first two books, the countdowns here started to feel like they were just arbitrarily rehashing the format of the previous books, just... because it had to, because that's what was expected of it. And then, too, because it combined the casts of the first two books and added even more new characters, it was juggling a helluva lot of characters without any of them really getting any development or much close personal focus, since they're just running on from emergency to emergency.
Mostly, I now found myself super-annoyed that it's been three whole books of "yet another heterosexual pairing with a plucky, rebellious girl and her handsome (ex/drug dealer/guy she squabbles and banters with)". Sigh. Hanna and Nik from Gemina were a bit different personality-wise (hence why I liked them more, probably), but I could barely tell you the difference between Kady Grant, Asha Grant, and Ezra Mason or Rhys Lindstrom -- even more emphasised by the fact that in the drawn portrait at the end of the book, I actually couldn't tell you who was who, and found the latest additions extremely bland and unmemorable. You couldn't have added just a little bit of romantic diversity to shake up the formula a bit? You've had three whole books!!
And yet Rhys' whole arc should have been my everything, because it was all about the military camaraderie and unwiring the toxic poison you've drunk, and footsoldiers being held at a remove from the horrors they've been pulled into, and I loved getting a glimpse into humanising the BeiTech corps (see also: [b:The Light Brigade|40523931|The Light Brigade|Kameron Hurley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537977912s/40523931.jpg|62896440], the last book I read and which had me itching for more military SF to begin with). Oshiro was my favourite character, actually, and I could've done with so much more from her: one of her scenes was the only one to make me tear up and get Emotional.
Some mild spoilers here: The little child, Katya/Mouse, was thrown in there and you're supposed to empathise with Asha's obsessive dedication to her, to the extent of screaming her name to the heavens (EYEROLL!!!), but you only see Katya in like two scenes and so her very existence is just a patent attempt at emotional manipulation of the reader. It was like an attempt at the Ripley/Newt relationship in Aliens, but completely unearned. And then the book didn't even have the guts to stick to its guns about it, either!!!
It didn't stick to its guns about AIDAN (twice), or Ezra or Nik, or Katya. There are literally no consequences to anything here. I'm actually furious about this because it's constantly teasing an emotional investment and then just yanking it away from you. /mild spoilers end
Honestly, I would recommend skipping this one. Just read the first book or two in this trilogy, then stop. You don't really need to know how it all turns out, because the last beats are p. predictable: they get the bad guys, the end.
Sigh. I'm bummed that the immense promise of this series couldn't have been carried through to the finale. But I'd read more from these authors, I guess.
So. I loooved [b:Illuminae|23395680|Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)|Amie Kaufman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1443433956s/23395680.jpg|26653661], and inhaled it within a single day. I liked the cast of [b:Gemina|29236299|Gemina (The Illuminae Files, #2)|Amie Kaufman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1480097137s/29236299.jpg|44560442] even more than the first book, and read that in 4 days. I was annoyed by both books' complete lack of consequences, but I entertained hopes that the wheels would finally come off in the last book, being the last of the trilogy and thus the right time to stop pulling your punches.
But this? Took me 2 whole weeks to read, dragging my heels a bit; instead of the adrenaline-fuelled race to the death of the first two books, the countdowns here started to feel like they were just arbitrarily rehashing the format of the previous books, just... because it had to, because that's what was expected of it. And then, too, because it combined the casts of the first two books and added even more new characters, it was juggling a helluva lot of characters without any of them really getting any development or much close personal focus, since they're just running on from emergency to emergency.
Mostly, I now found myself super-annoyed that it's been three whole books of "yet another heterosexual pairing with a plucky, rebellious girl and her handsome (ex/drug dealer/guy she squabbles and banters with)". Sigh. Hanna and Nik from Gemina were a bit different personality-wise (hence why I liked them more, probably), but I could barely tell you the difference between Kady Grant, Asha Grant, and Ezra Mason or Rhys Lindstrom -- even more emphasised by the fact that in the drawn portrait at the end of the book, I actually couldn't tell you who was who, and found the latest additions extremely bland and unmemorable. You couldn't have added just a little bit of romantic diversity to shake up the formula a bit? You've had three whole books!!
And yet Rhys' whole arc should have been my everything, because it was all about the military camaraderie and unwiring the toxic poison you've drunk, and footsoldiers being held at a remove from the horrors they've been pulled into, and I loved getting a glimpse into humanising the BeiTech corps (see also: [b:The Light Brigade|40523931|The Light Brigade|Kameron Hurley|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537977912s/40523931.jpg|62896440], the last book I read and which had me itching for more military SF to begin with). Oshiro was my favourite character, actually, and I could've done with so much more from her: one of her scenes was the only one to make me tear up and get Emotional.
Some mild spoilers here: The little child, Katya/Mouse, was thrown in there and you're supposed to empathise with Asha's obsessive dedication to her, to the extent of screaming her name to the heavens (EYEROLL!!!), but you only see Katya in like two scenes and so her very existence is just a patent attempt at emotional manipulation of the reader. It was like an attempt at the Ripley/Newt relationship in Aliens, but completely unearned. And then the book didn't even have the guts to stick to its guns about it, either!!!
It didn't stick to its guns about AIDAN (twice), or Ezra or Nik, or Katya. There are literally no consequences to anything here. I'm actually furious about this because it's constantly teasing an emotional investment and then just yanking it away from you. /mild spoilers end
Honestly, I would recommend skipping this one. Just read the first book or two in this trilogy, then stop. You don't really need to know how it all turns out, because the last beats are p. predictable: they get the bad guys, the end.
Sigh. I'm bummed that the immense promise of this series couldn't have been carried through to the finale. But I'd read more from these authors, I guess.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
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:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
so i became emotionally attached to all of them, and what about it?
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
4,5 stars
Obsidio might not be the 'perfect' book for me, but I can't fault it because it was engaging, enjoyable and entertaining. I started a few pages of this book, went to sleep and finished the rest in one sitting the next day. I couldn't put it down.
Obsidio, like the rest of the books in The Illuminae Files series, has a unique format which makes it a treat to read. However, most of the story is told through camera surveillance footage and reads more like a traditional novel. This meant that I got attached to the new characters, Asha and Rhys, pretty quickly because there's a clearer sense of their thoughts, emotions and actions through the narrative.
There are too many characters in Obsidio, which means that some characters aren't as developed as others. There's characters like Kady, who we know almost everything about, and then there are characters like Ezra, who are just there. There's awesome characters who fade into the background such as Hanna and Nik, who played such a huge role in Gemina, but aren't really involved in the events of Obsidio until the end. Then there's new characters whom I either got attached to pretty quickly, but remained underdeveloped or that I just didn't care about.
However, I still love the characters and certain aspects related to them. AIDAN is the stand-out character and the driving force of this series. I never would have thought that the PoV of a very psychotic and unstable AI machine could make me so emotional. There is also a really precious scene between Kady's father and Ella and I loved the friendship between the main characters and the beginnings of the Nik and Ezra bromance.
The topic of war is also portrayed in an interesting manner. Obsidio tries to show the effects of war, the different players, the atrocities and brutalities and how it affects the common person and the soldiers. It also makes the villainous BeiTech slightly more nuanced and human through the soldiers that work under it.
While reading Obsidio, it felt like the world got too complex and the authors didn't know how to proceed with it. The books in The Illuminae Files series are the same story with different covers, settings and main characters, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying them.
I'm still not a fan of the tone of this series or the humour. The humourous moments appear in the wrong places and are over the top. Humour is subjective though, but it doesn't work for me.
The plot is still the best part of this series. It scrambled my brains and blew my mind. The plot progression is interesting and the ending is fantastic. I wanted the characters to succeed and get home safely. I wanted them to make the company that started it all pay.
The Illuminae Files is a unique and epic series and I had such a fun time while reading it. However, while I highly recommend this series, I don't think I'll go back to it anytime soon.
“Live a life worth dying for.”
Obsidio might not be the 'perfect' book for me, but I can't fault it because it was engaging, enjoyable and entertaining. I started a few pages of this book, went to sleep and finished the rest in one sitting the next day. I couldn't put it down.
Obsidio, like the rest of the books in The Illuminae Files series, has a unique format which makes it a treat to read. However, most of the story is told through camera surveillance footage and reads more like a traditional novel. This meant that I got attached to the new characters, Asha and Rhys, pretty quickly because there's a clearer sense of their thoughts, emotions and actions through the narrative.
There are too many characters in Obsidio, which means that some characters aren't as developed as others. There's characters like Kady, who we know almost everything about, and then there are characters like Ezra, who are just there. There's awesome characters who fade into the background such as Hanna and Nik, who played such a huge role in Gemina, but aren't really involved in the events of Obsidio until the end. Then there's new characters whom I either got attached to pretty quickly, but remained underdeveloped or that I just didn't care about.
However, I still love the characters and certain aspects related to them. AIDAN is the stand-out character and the driving force of this series. I never would have thought that the PoV of a very psychotic and unstable AI machine could make me so emotional. There is also a really precious scene between Kady's father and Ella and I loved the friendship between the main characters and the beginnings of the Nik and Ezra bromance.
The topic of war is also portrayed in an interesting manner. Obsidio tries to show the effects of war, the different players, the atrocities and brutalities and how it affects the common person and the soldiers. It also makes the villainous BeiTech slightly more nuanced and human through the soldiers that work under it.
While reading Obsidio, it felt like the world got too complex and the authors didn't know how to proceed with it. The books in The Illuminae Files series are the same story with different covers, settings and main characters, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying them.
I'm still not a fan of the tone of this series or the humour. The humourous moments appear in the wrong places and are over the top. Humour is subjective though, but it doesn't work for me.
The plot is still the best part of this series. It scrambled my brains and blew my mind. The plot progression is interesting and the ending is fantastic. I wanted the characters to succeed and get home safely. I wanted them to make the company that started it all pay.
The Illuminae Files is a unique and epic series and I had such a fun time while reading it. However, while I highly recommend this series, I don't think I'll go back to it anytime soon.
this book was my favorite of the three. i liked that everything like connected together and there wasn’t anything crazy i had to try and understand!!! yay!!!
aidan speaking in like all song lyrics and titles (he was just saying words but im a fan girl) was so goofy. also… why the fuck was he trying to get jiggy with kady?! wtf?????????
um anyways. this book really pissed me off with the final nik and ezra death fake out. like genuinely everyone in this series has been “revived”.
the like 20%-60% of this book was really good and felt very movie. i kinda wish asha and rhys weren’t introduced (just hard for me to find stakes with them at this point) but that scene where he made out with her so they wouldn’t get in trouble was hot so ill let it slide.
i just wanted to read that “guilty” line so bad but they didn’t give it to me :(
the illustrations and like composition of this book were again so cool. the audiobook was also again so cool. this book narratively felt a little cluttered but the overall reading experience was nice.
nik and that dumbass parachute. he wouldn’t stop yapping about it i knew it would come back around.
i also remember why i read this series in the first place!! when that guard stephanie garber ran in i was like oh yeah!!!! i added this series to my tbr because she posted she had a cameo in it a while back!! shout out stephanie garber.
this cover was just unfortunately my least favorite and kinda ruined my bright fun rom com aesthetic. like why couldn’t it have been purple ffs.
OMG THE REVEAL THAT NIK WAS THE SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE TRANSCRIPT GUY MADE ME SCREAM LIKE WHATTTTTT. i just wasn’t expecting it to be someone we knew??
aidan speaking in like all song lyrics and titles (he was just saying words but im a fan girl) was so goofy. also… why the fuck was he trying to get jiggy with kady?! wtf?????????
um anyways. this book really pissed me off with the final nik and ezra death fake out. like genuinely everyone in this series has been “revived”.
the like 20%-60% of this book was really good and felt very movie. i kinda wish asha and rhys weren’t introduced (just hard for me to find stakes with them at this point) but that scene where he made out with her so they wouldn’t get in trouble was hot so ill let it slide.
i just wanted to read that “guilty” line so bad but they didn’t give it to me :(
the illustrations and like composition of this book were again so cool. the audiobook was also again so cool. this book narratively felt a little cluttered but the overall reading experience was nice.
nik and that dumbass parachute. he wouldn’t stop yapping about it i knew it would come back around.
i also remember why i read this series in the first place!! when that guard stephanie garber ran in i was like oh yeah!!!! i added this series to my tbr because she posted she had a cameo in it a while back!! shout out stephanie garber.
this cover was just unfortunately my least favorite and kinda ruined my bright fun rom com aesthetic. like why couldn’t it have been purple ffs.
OMG THE REVEAL THAT NIK WAS THE SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE TRANSCRIPT GUY MADE ME SCREAM LIKE WHATTTTTT. i just wasn’t expecting it to be someone we knew??