Beware readers! I am reviewing all three books in one go. There may be spoilers from books 1 and 2 in the review of book 3.
When Illuminae was first released, it was one of those immense buzz-books from the get-go. Remember? I was excited about it, too, and I bought the book as soon as was possible. Then, I left it on my shelf. Until I went to BEA in 2016, where I got an advanced copy of Gemina... which I also put on my shelf once I returned home. See a pattern here? The books appealed to me, but I just kind of didn't get to them. Until one of my favorite authors told me that her co-author is one of the full cast narrators. And that the audiobooks were awesome. And so, in late February, I started listening to Illuminae. And I was totally blown away!
A full cast is the way to go when it comes to audiobooks. It made it so easy to follow everything, and I loved getting the sound effects for the AI, AIDEN, the different sounds for the briefing notes and all... The story was very exciting, as it started with an attack on Kady and Ezra's planet. BeiTech used some kind of biological agent to make the population easy to take - only they hadn't counted on other space ships being near enough to save several of them. Ezra and Kady were separated when they were saved. Those who weren't hurt went to one space shuttle, those who were hurt to a second, and those who could help with scientific problems to a third. Only, nobody knew that some people had been infected. And that the virus would mutate in close quarters.
Illuminae is not only a fantastic science fiction, it is also filled with mystery and suspense, and my emotions were all over the place. I cried so, so hard at one place I almost had to pull over on my way to work - I couldn't see the road! Extremely well written, with characters that were fleshed out and realistic, I was spellbound from start to finish!
Story:
In Gemina, we were taken to Heimdall to see why they never showed up to help the survivors from Kerenza. Here, we got to meet Hanna, the rich girl who followed her father's work, and Nik, a drug-dealer hiding in plain sight. Again, the pace was fast, and the intricate plot unfolded with just enough clues to not feel completely clueless, yet still not able to figure anything out. Again, I went through all the emotions possible to humans. I laughed, I cried, I was afraid for the characters, I wondered if anyone would make it. And the heartbreak of seeing how some had no scruples betraying others was strong.
Again, I found the characters to be well fleshed out, and the suspense kept me wanting my commute to be longer. Little by little, we also learned a little bit about whether anyone from Kerenza was still alive, and I have nothing but good things to say about both Gemina and The Illuminae Files.
Story:
In Obsidio, the readers are taken back to Kerenza. To where the survivors live under siege, and the whole situation is not only hard, it's also a question of loyalty, friendships, trust, and how to ultimately win against BeiTech. Asha has been quietly rebelling against BeiTech forces with others in the resistance, and this part of the overall story made a lot of sense to me. There will always be people who will never accept defeat - and that's part of what makes us human.
When Rhys arrives on Kerenza, Asha doesn't want anything to do with him - he's working as an IT tech for BeiTech, and she doesn't trust him. At all. Until she realizes that she might be able to sway him to the other side. Obsidio is just as fast-paced as the other Illuminae Files stories, and I loved how the authors managed to show the readers (or listeners as the case may be) that the human beings on both side of a conflict are just that - human. And that for soldiers who are used to following orders, it can be very difficult after a while to differentiate between right and wrong.
The ending to The Illuminae Files was just as strong as the first two stories, and I felt a sense of accomplishment at the end. I cannot recommend this series enough! And if you're a fan of audiobooks, you should listen to them - you'll feel like you're on Hypetia, Kerenza and Heimdall with the characters. Running, hiding, strategizing, trying to stay alive with them.