Book Shelf: Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

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 Illuminae continues 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.

More info on Goodreads..... 


Review: 

Gemina is the second novel in The Illuminae Files and is another out of this world sci-fi adventure by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff that will leave you hooked until the final page!

Hanna Donnelly’s father is the captain of Jump Station Heimdall. Nik Malikov is a reluctant member of a notorious crime family. Their lives seldom cross until BioTech launch their latest attack on the fleet and invade Heimdall, taking the inhabitants prisoner. Hanna has always been seen as the pampered daughter and Nik a lowly drug dealer, but as they team up to take on the mercenaries and defend their home they must use all their wit, cunning and tenacity if they hope to survive. A surprising pairing, Hanna and Nik race against time to outsmart the combat team tasked with getting control of the ship, but with alien predators picking off the residents and a malfunction of the stations wormhole, they’ll need a miracle if they want to save themselves and all the residents of the Heimdall. No pressure, right?

After enjoying Illuminae, I was excited to dive straight into Gemina. The beauty of coming to the series late is that the whole trilogy is available and there is no dreaded wait for the next instalment. And thank goodness for that because Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff sure know how to get the adrenaline pumping with this series! Gemina is an exhilarating and action packed adventure full of twists, turns and developments that readers won’t see coming. There was even one shock that had me saying, “Say, what?!”.

Gemina follows protagonists Hanna and Nik who are easy to follow and get behind. As with the first novel, Gemina unfolds through a series of schematics, security footage, emails, reports and radio transmissions that detail Hanna and Nik’s story with humor and wit. Gemina is a forward moving and eventful novel. There’s always something happening and it’s a game of cat and mouse as the BioTech strike team hunt for them within Heimdall and Hanna and Nik fight back any way they can.

I enjoyed that Kaufman and Kristoff wrote Hanna and Nik to be more than they were seen to be and with the tools and abilities to take care of themselves. Hanna is seen by those on Heimdall as the spoiled captain’s daughter but in Gemina she really shows what she is made of as she uses all the tactical training and stealth she has learnt to stand up to those that threaten her home. She’s no fragile flower and she proves it. Nik too isn’t the cold gangster people believe him to be and I enjoyed his story and seeing the closeness he has with his cousin Ella.

There’s no shortage of surprises as Hanna and Nik fight to defend their home. Our previous protagonists, Kady, Ezra as well as the Hypatia crew are on course to reach Heimdall with the two stories beginning to intertwine. Action and fight sequences mingle with sarcasm and humor as the novel builds towards an eventful and climactic ending.

Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff once more leave me dying to see what happens next and I can’t wait to read what I’m sure will be a thrilling conclusion with the third and final novel Obsidio!

Rating:
Source: Purchased by me
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 18th 2016
Buy: Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: A solid sequel--I'm ready for the next one!