Obsidio (Illuminae Files, #3)

by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

From bestselling author duo Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff comes the exciting finale in the trilogy that broke the mold and has been called "stylistically mesmerizing" and "out-of-this-world-awesome."

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza--but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion? Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys--an old flame from Asha's past--reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heros will fall, and hearts will be broken.

A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF 2018

• ISBN10: 0553499203
• ISBN13: 9780553499209
• Publish Date: 13 March 2018
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 7 December 2020
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 624
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780553499209

Reviews

4,5 stars

“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. 

[inlibrisveritas]

I won't lie, I read this entire trilogy for Aidan. The plot is pretty good, I love the style in which it is written and the impact some of the images have, I love the fully casted audiobooks...but Aidan is the true MVP.

I'm glad I finally decided to finish this.

[Nessa Luna]

I don’t even have words for this right now. Finished it at 5am with tears in my eyes.

[leahrosereads]

I'm being a bit generous with the 3 star rating. I absolutely loved Illuminae but didn't have the same love for Gemina, and this one was a bit more subpar than Gemina. Where I didn't enjoy the plot of Gemina, I couldn't get behind the characters here. It's always hard to follow characters that I've grown to love and then be introduced to new characters that I just don't care about. I think I would have enjoyed this series a lot more had the MCs been just Kady and the first book crew.

But that's not the case, and my enjoyment of these books suffered because of it.

[dragononabook]

I wanted to like this, I really did, but it felt like the formula for Illuminae and Gemina (which were already kind of similar) copy-pasted onto new characters, with the stakes upped even more. Obsidio also relied a lot more on surveillance transcripts, and that dragged the book down some. I would have much rathered leaving Rhys and Asha out, and focusing on the characters already in play rather than adding a whole new cast.

[adamfortuna]

This is the finale in the Illuminae series. I enjoyed the series, with the audiobook being more like a full movie with different voice actors playing different parts. The format of this series stands out as memorable too - composed of “files” that are each a piece of evidence in a trial. This allows for jumping around between topics while still following a central thread.

What I liked about this series is that it’s sci fi in space, but it still focuses on the people throughout. It never feels sci-fi first at the cost of the humans (and AI) inhabiting the world(s).

[kalventure]

BRIEFING NOTE: This is a fantastic end to one of my favorite series ever, chum. This is a trilogy that is excellently plotted into three acts and is never ███████ boring. If you haven't yet read Illuminae and Gemina, tread with caution as this review has spoilers for the first two books.
▪▪▪▪▪

"Every story needs its villain. And its hero. And its monster."

I am so sad that this amazing series is over, chum. If I am being honest, it took me almost two months to read this book because I didn't want it to end and was savoring every single page. I simply didn't want to say goodbye to the characters I had come to love, especially Nik.

After the events of Gemina, the Mao is left without a jump station and is essentially stranded in space. They know that BeiTech has mobile jump technology and begins making its way towards Kerenza IV to commandeer it so they can get the truth out about what BeiTech did.

"I am not good. Nor am I evil."

The main theme of the trilogy's finale is good versus evil and how those lines get blurred. In Illuminae and Gemina it was clear who the enemy was because they had their black hats and BeiTech armor, but the morality of war and following unjust orders are forefront in Obsidio. The story follows the characters we have come to know and love as the Mao makes its way towards Kerenza IV as well as characters on the ground of occupied Kerenza IV seven months after the attack on the colony (Asha, a civilian, and Rhys, a BeiTech techie brought into rotation on the ground). I really appreciated the way that Kaufman and Kristoff used an "outsider" BeiTech soldier to discuss the issues of morality in war and the struggles he feels with being told to do things he didn't agree with.

"I didn't sign up for this. I'm just a fucking tech.[...] I'm just trying to explain how I got here! I didn't see a poster on a wall that said 'Join the corps! See the galaxy! Bomb the ██ out of innocent people!' They forced me to go. And even if they hadn't, you think the recruiters tell you what you'd be in for when you sign up? None of these pounders knew they'd be in ██ like this. You think people honestly sit back and say to themselves, 'You know what? I think I'll get myself involved in planetary genocide this week?'"

These issues on the ground pair well with the ethical dilemma that AIDAN presents time and time again throughout the trilogy. "AM I NOT MERCIFUL?' AIDAN is an AI that is programmed to protect humanity no matter the cost - and those costs never being in line with morality of Kady & Co. But chum, the ███████ brilliant thing that Kaufman and Kristoff have done with this book is set Rhys and his unit be the BeiTech version of the morality debate. It can be argued that the pounders on Kerenza have the same protocols as AIDAN: soldiers are conditioned and programmed to follow orders above all else. Morality in times of war fall to the wayside because failing to follow Admiral Sun's orders is not an option. The conversations that rhys has with his commanding officers mirror those kady has with AIDAN on the morality of the situation.

"This is war!" Oshiro roars. "'Right' is whatever the people who're standing at the end say it is. 'Right' is decided by the people who win."

Sorry this kind of turned into a philosophical analysis of the book, but I honestly just couldn't help myself! I think a reason that I love this trilogy so much is how many parallels I see with my favorite show Battlestar Galactica, which was the subject of my honors thesis in university. Morality gets blurred in times of war and while it is never right to commit atrocities against humanity, it is important also to realize that history is written by the victors and it is the winning side who will assign blame.

"I have heard it said that evil is simply a point of view. The villain is always the hero in is own story. And the definitions of 'wrong' and 'right' ever shift on the inconstant tides of human morality."

One of the things that amuses me when reading young adult SFF is that the teenagers receive no support or hesitation from the adults in the world. A lot of times the book seems to be devoid of adults, which is unrealistic. One of the things that I think is done so well is the pushback and tension from the adults aboard the Mao that think they know better than a bunch of teenagers. We all know that people generally feel like age and seniority automatically makes them the most experienced and knowledgeable person, disregarding the opinions and expertise of their younger counterparts. I see this all the time professionally and am treated like a child because of their preconceived notions, and it was incredibly realistic and powerful to see that power struggle among the crew of the Mao. Just like the lack or morality in war isn't right, neither is ignoring the expertise of the Illuminae Group and it was exciting to see the main characters do their part and earn the respect of the others.

The characters all continue to grow in this final installment and I enjoyed learning about the process of pulling together the Illuminae Files -- and the identities behind the analysts. It seems so obvious now that they've been unmasked for me. One of the most resonant parts of the book for me was Hanna grappling with the aftermath of what happened in Gemina. It is obvious that Kaufman and Kristoff took great care in crafting these characters and I am sad to see them go.

Overall this was an incredibly satisfying end to an amazing trilogy. While the overarching plot is simple enough, this is a story about the characters. Ordinary people who are put into tough situations and do extraordinary things. No, not magical things chums! They sacrifice themselves for the greater good of others, determined to "live a life worth dying for.". That all people see themselves as the hero of their own story and that in war - as in life - the world is painted in shades of grey.

Blog | Twitter | Pinterest

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews After listening to the first two books I was so glad that I didn't need to wait to listen to the final book.

In this book, we have all of the guys from the previous book together and we also have some new characters. The story flick between the Mao where Kady, Ezra and the gang are and Kerenza. This is the first time we have seen what has been going on, on Kerenza since the initial attack. Back on Kerenza is Kady's cousin Asha. Asha has been trying to survive since the attack.

I really enjoyed flicking between the two and seeing the various perspectives of this story. There were many characters from the first two books and it was great to see them interacting with each other. Asha and Rhys were such a good addition to this already varied and entertaining cast.

This book was an excellent conclusion to an epic series that will stay with me for a very long time. I hear that Jay and Aime are releasing a new series next year and I honestly cannot wait for this!

[writehollydavis]

Oh. Em. Gee. It took me forever to get to page 130 and then I devoured the next 485 pages in 2 days. Granted I was on vacay, but I needed the free time to binge read this book. I literally didn't want to get up to go to the bathroom because I wanted to keep reading. Ha ha. In this final book in the trilogy, Kaufman and Kristoff perfectly wrap up the complicated story they built. They are the masters of tension, page turners, and plot twists. I love this series so much and hope we get to read more of this format as there will be more coauthored books in the future. :)

[Chelsea]

Read for Popsugar's 2018 Reading Challenge #40: Your favourite prompt from the 2015-2017 challenge: a book involving travel (2017)

I was a little disappointed with the clean ending but it was far from bad. I wasn't quite as hooked as I was with the previous books but I still really enjoyed this one and I'm sad it's all over!