Gemina by Jay Kristoff, Amie Kaufman

Gemina (Illuminae Files, #2)

by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

‘Wholly unique and utterly captivating.’ Marie Lu

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 strike team invades the station, the two 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 might be ripped apart 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.

Picking up about five minutes after Illuminae ends, Gemina is an electrifying sequel.

Reviewed by Beth C. on

5 of 5 stars

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Space station Heimdall. The keeper of the wormhole that should allow the Hypatia - and everyone on her - to finally reach safety. Unfortunately, Heimdall has just become a target for Bei-Tech, as the company frantically attempts to prevent any communications about their activities. When a team of killers is smuggled aboard Heimdall to with the mission to destroy her, all hell breaks loose - along with some creepy slithery things and an unlikely partnership that might be the only thing that keeps everyone on board Heimdall (and maybe the universe) from death. Picking up right after Illuminae, Gemina digs deeper into the events orchestrated by Bei-Tech - and it will keep you on your toes.

First - if you've have not read Illuminae, it's not an absolute requirement, but it would certainly be helpful. There are a lot of references back to that first book that might not make sense. Plus - it's just a seriously amazing book, so...there's that. Also, the book’s format is the same as Illuminae – composed of transcripts, emails, and schematics (among other things), it is not your everyday novel. But the format enhances the story in a way that standard format would not.

As for Gemina - wow. My brain was mush by the time I finished it. So much crazy sciency stuff, a bit of old-school horror, plus some romance and a few psychopathic killers - once the book starts, it simply does. not. stop. There is violence, but it doesn't feel gratuitous in any capacity - it's literally kill-or-be-killed here. I must confess, I was a little anxious about whether book two would be as amazing as book one, simply because the first book was so unusual and exciting that it blew me away. But...my fears were absolutely unfounded. Kristoff and Kaufman make a terrific writing team, and I think they must have some sort of crazy alien mind-meld going on. Devastation will ensue if they don’t write together again after this trilogy is (*sob*) complete.

Long story short? Get this. Read it. Maybe cower under your blanket if you’re reading at night with a flashlight. Definitely double-check your vents. But READ GEMINA!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 5 August, 2016: Finished reading
  • 5 August, 2016: Reviewed