Jordon
Written on Nov 8, 2015
The internationally and New York Times bestselling first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy that bends the sci-fi genre into a new dimension.
Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the worst thing she’d ever been through. That was before her planet was invaded. Now, with enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra are forced to fight their way onto one of the evacuating craft, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But the warship could be the least of their problems. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their biggest threat; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady plunges into a web of data hacking to get to the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: Ezra.
Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents, Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy.‘Never have I read a book so wholly unique and utterly captivating.’ Marie Lu
‘It certainly filled the Battlestar Galactica-shaped hole in my heart.’ Victoria Aveyard
Can’t get enough Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman? Try the epic Aurora Cycle series!
- ISBN10 178074837X
- ISBN13 9781780748375
- Publish Date 22 October 2015 (first published 20 October 2015)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Rock the Boat
- Format Paperback
- Pages 608
- Language English
Reviews
littleread1
Written on Nov 6, 2015
If audio is your go-to format for books, but you were holding off on this one because you, like me, were not sure how it would translate to audio - don't worry. It is great. I am so excited for the next book, which doesn't even have a title yet, that I can't stand it.
Read this book. If you only read one more book this year (ha! I know, I have jokes for days) make it Illuminae. You will not be disappointed. Promise.
jesstheaudiobookworm
Written on Nov 1, 2015
Because I'm grinning like a fool. I rated this at five stars within the first 15 minutes of starting it. Premature assumption? Not. One. Bit. This is easily my favorite book of the year. And I do mean easily. So easily, that it is actually unfair to the other 50+ books I've listened to in 2015. So easily, that I should probably take a little break before picking up anything else because it is already guaranteed to pale in comparison to Illuminae. As much as I thought I loved These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman, it in no way can compare to Illuminae. Kaufman seriously stepped up her game. I get that this type of "space drama" isn't for everyone, but I still think this book should be given a shot. You'll probably know within the first 15-30 minutes if it is for you. The style of writing may get some taking used to, but I think it drastically enhances the story's uniqueness.
Narration review: As already implied, I listened to this is on audiobook and cannot say enough about the entire audiobook experience. If it is possible for narrators to have chemistry, then these certainly do! The entire narration team did a superb job and I can't imagine that this story would have been as enjoyable without the enhancing sound effects. This sort of story lends itself to the audiobook format better than any I have ever heard. I wholeheartedly recommend the audiobook over the physical book. It enhanced my experience with Illuminae exponentially. ♣︎
Chelsea
Written on Oct 25, 2015
When I finished this book I couldn’t even put my thoughts into words. I was sad it was over (until the next book) but I felt satisfied with how it ended. My mind was blown from the way everything unfolded and at some points I was terrified for the character. There were a lot of emotions pouring out of me when I finished reading it and I couldn’t pick up another book for a little while.
What I Loved:
I really did love the format of this book. I know people are going on and on about it but I thoroughly enjoyed reading the story in this way. The interviews were probably my favourite part though because we got to see more of the characters personalities that way.
I also really loved the villain in this book. I guess there were a couple of them but the most concerning one was the AI system. I’m not sure if you’d count it as a villain really but it was just not nice. I think someone obviously programmed it wrong. It seemed too clever for a computer though and I think that freaked me out just a little. Computers just don’t work that way and it made it seem kind of unrealistic but the plot was good enough for me to look past it.
What I Didn’t Like:
There’s not much I didn’t like about this book. The only thing I can really think of is that because of the format of this book, it was hard to get a feel for the characters like in a normal book. I found myself a little distanced from them, not really caring if they lived or died. I wish the authors could have helped us just a little bit with that because it’s not a great book without getting attached to the characters.
One other thing that bothered me (which I’m sure will be remedied in the next book), was that we really didn’t get much information about the society before this war started. I didn’t quite understand the town they came from or why the war had started in the first place. It could have used just a little more work but I still found it a fantastic book.
Who I’d recommend To:
I’d recommend this book to anyone who can go into it with an open mind. There’s a ton of people who are gushing over this book but there’s just as many who aren’t a fan. I’m seeing a lot of sci-fi fans who didn’t like it because it was too similar t other sci-fi books and tv shows. Other people just couldn’t wrap their heads around the format. I think that if you want to read this book you have to go in with a clean slate and try not to judge based off of what you’ve seen or heard.
Quick Review:
This is a great book for anyone looking to start a journey in sci-fi. It has all the parts of a great story that’s made even better by taking place in space. The unique format in which it’s told only makes reading this book more of an adventure that you’ll be sucked into. You’ll be dying for the next book after finishing this one.
Beth C.
Written on Oct 25, 2015
This is a very thick book, but it is not a straight-up novel. It is written in the form of an investigation dossier, complete with transcripts, messages, and countdowns. It's like some wicked combination of '2001: A Space Odyssey', Resident Evil...and some crazy-awesome writing that turns all the disparate things into an amazing whole. The characterization within the story is very well done, and at times is *so* well done that the story is truly painful. Because, without any spoilers, this is a book where people die. Some with more honor than others, and some in ways that are never really seen - but are strongly felt nonetheless. The action flows fairly hard and heavy from the get-go, interspersed with some smart-ass observations and a smidgen of romance. BUT. Please do not let the word "romance" scare you away (as it would normally do to me). It is light, absolutely story-appropriate, and never treads into treacle territory.
Take note - I'm a big fan of e-readers, but not for this book. This book (and, presumably, those that follow) demand the tactile sensations to go along with the narrative and the dossier style.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It is exceptional in its story and in its execution. It's a keeper for the shelves.
Amber
Written on Oct 19, 2015
Illuminae is probably one of the most hyped up releases of 2015, and I can't really figure out why. Neither author's previous works are that big, and the book itself really isn't all it's cracked up to be. Maybe I need to be enlightened. But I found the entire thing to be incredibly average and just simply "good". There are little other ways to describe it.
I did really like the presentation of the story. It's not written like a normal novel, and instead it's presented as a case file made up of various documents and logs and chat archives. It was awesome and original, and while it did take a little while to get used to, I ended up really liking this way of telling the story. I've not read anything like that before. And the little Easter eggs with authors' names being thrown around in there were cute. It all made a huge book go by a lot faster.I didn't connect with either of the main characters. This probably has something to do with the fact that this wasn't a normal novel where we're inside the characters' heads 100% of the time. And there were also about a million other side characters who were mentioned and I was kind of lost for most of it as to who exactly those characters were.
I made some, shall we say, questionable shipping choices. I'm not going to say who or what I was shipping, but I will say that it wasn't Kady/Ezra, which I wasn't invested in at all. In fact, one half of the ship isn't even human. I could go on to tell you that a certain 50% of the ship doesn't have a body, and is probably just as bad as that time I shipped a main female lead with a cat. At least the cat turned out to be a shapeshifter right at the very end. I don't think I can really justify it this time. But no matter. I shall ship on.
My biggest issue with this book - meaning the one thing that actually made me feel any emotion - was how incredibly infuriating the "twist" ending turned out to be. I'm just so BITTER AND ANNOYED. For two reasons. #1 - The same thing happened at the end of These Broken Stars and I am so sick to death of it. What the fuck is their problem. #2 -
Anyway, I'll carry on with this series because I liked it well enough, but I'm not going to be batting people out the way at the book shop to get my hands on the sequel next year. I'll read it at some point.
meowstina
Written on Oct 6, 2015
Honestly, when I received this book I was a little hesitant. I’m not really a sci-fi fan, and this tome is just so big. I wasn’t really looking forward to spending a long period of time reading what was probably a mediocre story that I’d have to push myself through. Alas, when the time came, I decided to read it regardless.
I finished it in two days. And that was only because I had to work.
I could not stop reading this story! It’s so engaging and intense and twisting. It is awesome. Plus it’s told in various documents and chats, which makes things so interesting and moves the story along quite nicely. I absolutely love this kind of setup, and it works really well to establish the story and the characters.
The characters are also pretty awesome. I think the dialogue is done so realistically with the back-and-forth between different characters and everyone’s personality is pretty fleshed out. I do wish more of Kady and Ezra’s past was explained, because things are left a little shady. Once the computer comes into play I became a little skeptical, but overall I think things are done super well.
I became pretty emotionally invested while reading this book, which I usually take as a good thing. It captivated me and made my heart all twisty with suspense. I love the way the story is told as well, so all in all I think this is a fantastic beginning to a trilogy I will be anticipating.
kimbacaffeinate
Written on Oct 4, 2015
Caffeinated Breakdown of Illuminae
- The year is 2075 and we have two rival mega-corporations at war over an illegal established planet. On the day of the attack Kady and Ezra who broke up the night before are in class when the planet is attacked. They are separated but saved by the same fleet of ships. Incidentally, the enemy is pursuing these ships.
- The ships are now over capacity and damaged. With the enemy threatening a decision is made to recruit all non-military civilians with any usable skills.
- Ezra is enlisted as a pilot. I liked him and found him to be loyal. He is very much a team player but has rebel streak. Kady? Let us just say Kady is not a team player. She does however put her considerable computer skills to good use hacking into the system to find out what is being kept from them.
- The second chance romance is sweet and I liked their playful banter. Their reason for initially splitting up is explored and I loved how romantic Ezra was. While it is not the focus, it is a powerful thread that will have the reader emotionally invested. I shed tears people. Real tears! The two of them communicate secretly online. Who says instant messaging and email isn’t romantic?
- In between chapters the tale is enhanced using dossiers, emails, instant message, hacked documents, schematics and military files including medical, interviews and so much more. All of it held me captive and amplified this science fiction thriller.
- As if being pursued by a warship capable of destroying everyone on board isn't enough, this fleet of ships has to deal with a mutant virus. This thread felt plausible and the documentation on the progression of the virus was freaky. The authors delivered just enough detail to deliver a creeptastic tale and will have the reader pulling the blankets a little tighter.
- This writing team delivered an action packed story with twists and turns the kept the suspense high and the reader guessing. While I was able to guess a few twists, it was all brilliantly done and geektastic. The characters are strong and Kady is a serious badass. The story despite all that is happening had layers of humor, sweetness and comradery. I became attached to these characters, feared for them, and loved seeing them in action.
Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer
cornerfolds
Written on Oct 2, 2015
I love that Jay Kristoff calls Illuminae "a YA Sci-Fi... thing," because that's exactly what it was. This book has been on my radar ever since I saw who the other author was. Even though I'm not a huge fan of science fiction, Amie Kaufman's Starbound series is absolutely amazing and I will read anything she ever writes. Ever. I didn't know what to expect from this one, though. The synopsis sounds awesome, but it really doesn't reveal much. All I knew was that it would be really long, really weird, and really awesome. And I was really right. I feel like I can't say too much because this is a really easy book to spoil, but I'll do what I can!
This book starts off weird. It's a little jarring to be thrown directly into documents and emails and interviews. At first I didn't know if I'd be able to adjust - it was just way different than what I normally read. The writing style did make the reading go by insanely fast. I think I finished this book in two days in between a trip to Disney and 18 hours of driving. Once I started, it was really hard to stop!
Kady and Ezra are the two main characters throughout this reading experience (because it really is an experience). They are recently broken up and trapped on two different ships with only intermittent (and probably illegal) email and IM communications between them. It's really incredible that a relationship and a romance was able to exist in this kind of book, but my heart was totally invested in theirs. I loved what these two built amidst such dire circumstances.
Illuminae has it all - action, adventure, thrills, and romance. There was so much suspense building up to the ending... Artificial Intelligence is an area that both excites and terrifies me, and this book really plays on those fears. The AI is really frightening but is also sentient enough to have a distinct personality. Somehow the AI became a main character in Illuminae - one I actually found myself feeling for. And you know Amie Kaufman had to throw in one of her heart-stopping, tear-jerking moments that she is quickly becoming famous for (at least in my mind).
Amie Kaufman has struck once again and solidified my devotion to her beautiful books. I say again: I will read anything this woman writes. I've never read anything else by Jay Kristoff, but I certainly will be keeping an eye out for him in the future! Definitely check this one out no matter what your feelings are on Sci-Fi! I really doubt you'll be disappointed!
//I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review//
shannonmiz
Written on Sep 21, 2015