Gemina

Patience and Silence had one beautiful daughter. And her name was Vengeance.

And now, born from the ashes, she's a warrior in bloodied black.

Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff - the sequel to the award-winning Illuminae, also known as the book-that-stole-my-heart. 

What a novel! 

I have never been this thrilled about space warfare and adventures at the edge of the galaxy as I was while reading Gemina (and Illuminae). This bestseller novel follows the lives of the passengers of the Jump Station Heimdall, more specifically the challenges and realities of Hanna and Nik. 

Let's jump straight into my threes: 

1. Unpredictable and fast-paced

Following the success of Illuminae, Gemina adopts a quick pace and introduces an intriguing series of events. The novel is plot-driven with convincing character developments and plot twists that surprise the reader from beginning to end. Each character grants new insight to the space warfare and mysteries of the Heimdall Station in an engaging and entertaining manner. The format of Gemina (transcriptions, graphs, and illustrations) adds depth to the novel and grasps the reader's attention. Expect an adventurous and action-packed story when picking up this masterpiece.

2. Intense and tragic

Without doubt, this novel features concepts of mortality, death, and destruction. Notorious crimes are committed, which are followed by grief and sorrow. The authors construct a unique and emotional story of friendship, family, love, and yet stay true to the cold nature of war. The fate of each character grasps the reader's attention and the novel presents the brutal consequences of greed and obedience. As a huge fan of the artificial intelligence "AIDAN", introduced in Illuminae, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the IA's presence in this novel too. AIDAN's role heightens the feeling of suspense and leaves the reader in a feeling of awe. 

3. Witty and humorous

Despite the horrendous events of space warfare and annihilation of humanity, Gemina attains a light-hearted and humorous tone. The authors weave humour and sarcasm within the continuous string of battle and action with endless banter and poking between character along with the use of humorous narration. This provides comic relief in a rich and tasteful manner and allows the reader to identify and recognise themselves within the dystopian world. I adored the character dynamics between Nik and his cousin, Ella, due to their use of personal jokes and engaging narration.