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jestersandpages 's review for:
The Diabolic
by S.J. Kincaid
This book as quite frankly amazing, I’d highly recommend it to all. The premise alone is very unique and new. Further there is no instalove at all really. It’s been I while since I’ve read a book that left me positively stunned and giddy. I’m quite eager to read the second in the series.
It’s overall a whirlwind of insanity, showing the cruelty of religion and why it’s very very bad to have religion controlling those in power (a stark reminder of the importance of separation of church and state), and showing the affect classing someone as a monster or lower just cause of their creation/DNA has on people.
Now for a summary: The main character is Nemesis who is a diabolic. Diabolic’s are manufactured creatures made to serve and if needed violently protect one person. This one person for Nemesis is Sidonia. Sidonia is a sweet innocent lamb (as described by her mother) who is the daughter of a know heretic and cunning mother. Eventually, her fathers’ heresy forces Sidonia to be summoned but Nemesis goes instead to protect her by pretending to be her. In going instead we get many “a fish out of water” moments due to be diabolic’s being vastly different and quite terrifying to normal people. Uncharacteristically, For a diabolic, she makes a genuine friend tho she, characteristically for a diabolic, never really trusts her. This serves her well in fitting in and is all in all just a nice positive thing. Later due to particular spoiler events Nemesis makes an alignment and great questions of power, lies and if a Diabolic is truly a “person” come into play. The ending of the book is quite spectacular, glorious, poetic and fitting; I love it.
For characters, the hilariously insane clever Tyrus, the sweet cinnamon role Sidonia, and the overtly violent Nemesis; are the stars of the show and they play off each other fantastically. However within this book practically all the character are either some level of extreme or are borderline insane. And I have to give basically a “trigger warning” about there being two characters in the book who are flat out serial rapist, all the other characters know they are but do nothing about it. I also absolutely love that the main character is a violent and dangerous person, no soft weak girl that needs to be cared for to be found in her. On to the stars of the show firstly with Nemesis. Her personality is extreme, rash, often without emotion, and devoted. Her devotion is obviously shown frequently via her reactions to anyone being even slightly unkind or threatening towards Sidonia or towards her when she’s pretending to be Sidonia. Her extreme and violent nature, as a diabolic, is shown easily via how she will just flat kill some or snap at people. But these kills and snaps are darn near completely unpredictable to the reader. The mere idea or dream of Sidonia’s death causes completely rage and lashing out. Most of Nemesis’s interactions with Tyrus are either totally insane or completely adorable. All of Nemesis and Sidonia’s interactions are adorable and filled with devotion (to the point of hinting at being gay, as it’s very mutual devotion). Now Sidonia is a total sweetheart and just wants Nemesis to be happy and to believe that she is not just someone’s property. Sidonia is a lot less seen in the book so there’s not much to say about her. Tyrus on the other hand is a massive ball of insanity and complication which is impossible to explain without spoilers. But just like Sidonia, he helps (practically utterly unintentionally tho) Nemesis in seeing herself a person deserving of life. I find it quite hilarious to see the madman that he is, do literally anything in the book. Even when you think him might be sane he does something completely insane right after or during. Just to point out one action of insanity that isn’t spoiler worthy there is just outta no where a naked royal man. Just naked like it was nothing.
As for world-building: The book starts out running, barely giving you time to foot yourself in the world before treason and heresy come into play. Quite the rush. But it explains things that need be explained, like the hellonic religion, in proper time. Without it feeling like it was just there to be explication to the reading. The hellonic religion is a cruel and unkind religion that’s just plain ol’ bad, the book explains this quite well. This religion remains a driving force of the entire book behind many characters actions or inaction. The religion is extremely anti-science and oppressive of knowledge/information. But they also use their religion as a jab at the old religions that “worship human-like beings”. Studying math and science specifically is banned as it’s blasphemous. The build of Diabolic’s being less than humans and just being emotionless devout killing machines is harsh and feels cruel; as it should. While it also manages to be touching and hinting at the diabolic’s being more human-like than believed. Nemesis herself believes her kind to be monsters and without souls. Even the religion beats diabolic’s being monster in as diabolic’s can’t be blessed under the religion. The only way the reader knows that this all takes place off of earth and in basically spaceships. Is the occasional mention of things like starships and of the people who still live on planets. This separates the story from traditional sci-fi stereotypes and is warmly welcomed. This will also make the book more appealing to people who are less fond of the sci-fi genre.
Some other things: There are multiple points when Nemesis gets some hope for being an equal person/having a soul, but this is basically constantly crushed either by her or someone else. It’s crushing to read but fits the story and character typical to a Diabolic. The cover is unassuming but, just like the book it’s self, is clever and well thought out. Lastly, I find Nemesis to be highly relatable even tho she is framed as this emotionless inhuman monster.
If you’re in the mood for a book that’s quite stabby, is constantly on the high of insanity, and is very fantastical I’d highly recommend this read.
It’s overall a whirlwind of insanity, showing the cruelty of religion and why it’s very very bad to have religion controlling those in power (a stark reminder of the importance of separation of church and state), and showing the affect classing someone as a monster or lower just cause of their creation/DNA has on people.
Now for a summary: The main character is Nemesis who is a diabolic. Diabolic’s are manufactured creatures made to serve and if needed violently protect one person. This one person for Nemesis is Sidonia. Sidonia is a sweet innocent lamb (as described by her mother) who is the daughter of a know heretic and cunning mother. Eventually, her fathers’ heresy forces Sidonia to be summoned but Nemesis goes instead to protect her by pretending to be her. In going instead we get many “a fish out of water” moments due to be diabolic’s being vastly different and quite terrifying to normal people. Uncharacteristically, For a diabolic, she makes a genuine friend tho she, characteristically for a diabolic, never really trusts her. This serves her well in fitting in and is all in all just a nice positive thing. Later due to particular spoiler events Nemesis makes an alignment and great questions of power, lies and if a Diabolic is truly a “person” come into play. The ending of the book is quite spectacular, glorious, poetic and fitting; I love it.
For characters, the hilariously insane clever Tyrus, the sweet cinnamon role Sidonia, and the overtly violent Nemesis; are the stars of the show and they play off each other fantastically. However within this book practically all the character are either some level of extreme or are borderline insane. And I have to give basically a “trigger warning” about there being two characters in the book who are flat out serial rapist, all the other characters know they are but do nothing about it. I also absolutely love that the main character is a violent and dangerous person, no soft weak girl that needs to be cared for to be found in her. On to the stars of the show firstly with Nemesis. Her personality is extreme, rash, often without emotion, and devoted. Her devotion is obviously shown frequently via her reactions to anyone being even slightly unkind or threatening towards Sidonia or towards her when she’s pretending to be Sidonia. Her extreme and violent nature, as a diabolic, is shown easily via how she will just flat kill some or snap at people. But these kills and snaps are darn near completely unpredictable to the reader. The mere idea or dream of Sidonia’s death causes completely rage and lashing out. Most of Nemesis’s interactions with Tyrus are either totally insane or completely adorable. All of Nemesis and Sidonia’s interactions are adorable and filled with devotion (to the point of hinting at being gay, as it’s very mutual devotion). Now Sidonia is a total sweetheart and just wants Nemesis to be happy and to believe that she is not just someone’s property. Sidonia is a lot less seen in the book so there’s not much to say about her. Tyrus on the other hand is a massive ball of insanity and complication which is impossible to explain without spoilers. But just like Sidonia, he helps (practically utterly unintentionally tho) Nemesis in seeing herself a person deserving of life. I find it quite hilarious to see the madman that he is, do literally anything in the book. Even when you think him might be sane he does something completely insane right after or during. Just to point out one action of insanity that isn’t spoiler worthy there is just outta no where a naked royal man. Just naked like it was nothing.
As for world-building: The book starts out running, barely giving you time to foot yourself in the world before treason and heresy come into play. Quite the rush. But it explains things that need be explained, like the hellonic religion, in proper time. Without it feeling like it was just there to be explication to the reading. The hellonic religion is a cruel and unkind religion that’s just plain ol’ bad, the book explains this quite well. This religion remains a driving force of the entire book behind many characters actions or inaction. The religion is extremely anti-science and oppressive of knowledge/information. But they also use their religion as a jab at the old religions that “worship human-like beings”. Studying math and science specifically is banned as it’s blasphemous. The build of Diabolic’s being less than humans and just being emotionless devout killing machines is harsh and feels cruel; as it should. While it also manages to be touching and hinting at the diabolic’s being more human-like than believed. Nemesis herself believes her kind to be monsters and without souls. Even the religion beats diabolic’s being monster in as diabolic’s can’t be blessed under the religion. The only way the reader knows that this all takes place off of earth and in basically spaceships. Is the occasional mention of things like starships and of the people who still live on planets. This separates the story from traditional sci-fi stereotypes and is warmly welcomed. This will also make the book more appealing to people who are less fond of the sci-fi genre.
Some other things: There are multiple points when Nemesis gets some hope for being an equal person/having a soul, but this is basically constantly crushed either by her or someone else. It’s crushing to read but fits the story and character typical to a Diabolic. The cover is unassuming but, just like the book it’s self, is clever and well thought out. Lastly, I find Nemesis to be highly relatable even tho she is framed as this emotionless inhuman monster.
If you’re in the mood for a book that’s quite stabby, is constantly on the high of insanity, and is very fantastical I’d highly recommend this read.