Review: "Gemina" (The Illuminae Files, #2) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Gemina by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary from GoodReads

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 saga that began with Illuminae continues on board the space station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of BeiTech’s 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 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 may 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. 

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AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY

REVIEW

*Still drifting around the galaxy*

After the beauty of ILLUMINAE, which introduced us to a new category of books, Jay and Amie returned with yet another amazing story which is also the direct sequel of the first book. GEMINA takes place close to the same time when the events of ILLUMINAE occured and is the story of Hanna and Nik.

Hanna is the daughter of the space station's captain while Nik belongs to the space-mafia family which also resides within the space station Heimdal. Since the name is SO fitting this space staion is in fact a giant wormhole which works as a passing point from one part of the galaxy to another.

Which brings me to the part where all hell breaks loose with Hanna and Nik right in the middle of it. While Hanna does act like a pampered princess she is truly a badass with amazing fighting skills and a quite good sense of humor! And Nik knows how to flirt and crack a joke.

And of course having an alien form lurking around in the station is a must if you want to raise the stakes. Needless to say, they kind of reminded me of Alien, but scarier.

Told through emails, transcripts and a hilarious diary (made by Marie Lu!) GEMINA is an amazing sequel which kept me glued to the pages with unforgettable characters and my favorite kickass AI! ;)

About the authors:

Amie Kaufman is the New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae (with Jay Kristoff) and These Broken Stars, This Shattered World, and Their Fractured Light (with Meagan Spooner.) She writes science fiction and fantasy for teens, and her favourite procrastination techniques involve chocolate, baking, sailing, excellent books and TV, plotting and executing overseas travel, and napping. 

She lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband, their rescue dog, and her considerable library. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.

Jay Kristoff is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of THE LOTUS WAR, THE ILLUMINAE FILES and THE NEVERNIGHT CHRONICLE. He is the winner of two Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, nominee for the David Gemmell Morningstar and Legend awards, named multiple times in the Kirkus and Amazon Best Teen Books list and published in over twenty-five countries, most of which he has never visited. He is as surprised about all of this as you are. He is 6’7 and has approximately 13030 days to live. He abides in Melbourne with his secret agent kung-fu assassin wife, and the world’s laziest Jack Russell.

He does not believe in happy endings.