A stunning blend of action-packed science fiction and love against the odds. Perfect for fans of the DIVERGENT series.
Noemi Vidal dreams of travelling through the stars one more time - but she is now an outcast from her home planet of Genesis after a forbidden trip through the galaxy with Abel, the most advanced cybernetic man ever created. But when a deadly plague arrives on Genesis, Noemi gets her chance. As the only soldier to have ever left the planet, it will be up to her to save its people...if only she wasn't flying straight into a trap.
On the run to avoid his depraved creator's clutches, Abel believes he's said goodbye to Noemi for the last time. After all, the entire universe stands between them...or so he thinks. When word reaches him of Noemi's capture by the very person he's trying to escape, Abel knows he must go to her, no matter the cost.
But capturing Noemi was only part of Burton Mansfield's master plan. In a race against time, Abel and Noemi will come together once more to discover a secret that could save the known worlds, or destroy them all.
Initial thoughts: Even though I had enjoyed Defy the Stars, I didn't really have this sequel on my radar. I only listened to the audiobook because it happened to be available on Overdrive. I didn't exactly love this one either but it did surprise me. I found it to be a satisfying continuation to the Constellation series. It continued to explore the dichotomy between artificial intelligence and humanity.
Noemi was as stubborn as ever, preferring to act on her own initiatives rather than on orders from her superiors. That injecting some excitement into the plot and made things a little more unpredictable compared to the first book. I thought Able was more interesting as he straddled his existence between that of a machine and that of a human being. His internal dialogues led to some poignant philosophical dilemmas.
Overall, Defy the Worlds was a good book about biological warfare, interplanetary relations, the pursuit for immortality, sacrifice and loyalty. I'm a bit more curious about how the third book in the series will continue the story but again, I won't be sitting on hot coals waiting for it.
