Obsidio

I’m surprised this book wasn’t longer due to all the storylines and conflicts. With each Illuminae Files novel a new set of characters is introduced. The down side to this is that they’re normally an ex-couple on the verge of getting back together. It would have been better if the third set of characters were best friends or relatives.

To break it down, the first book, Illuminae, features Kady Grant and Ezra Mason. These two have the best chemistry all of the characters. They are playful, witty, sarcastic, and highly skilled in their own fields. Kady is a tech savvy, and Ezra is the best fighter pilot. When no words are spoken between them, it obvious how they feel and what they want to say. These two literally start off breaking up and being separated onto different ships after Kerenza IV (a remote illegal work zone) is attacked.

The second book, Gemina, featured Hannah Donnelly, Nickolas Malikov, and Ella Malikova (Nik’s cousin). These three have an odd upbringing. Hannah is already dating a different character before she starts falling for Nikolas. However, it is Nikolas who keeps harassing her with compliments and what he would do for her if they were dating. Ella is mostly involved with Nikolas throughout the book until the end approaches, and she starts bonding with Hannah. Nikolas and Hannah have a typical Romeo and Juliet love story because Nikolas’s family is known as the house of knives, an elite gang that deals drugs and violence whereas Hannah’s father is the captain of the Heimdall station. We also don’t find out until the end that Hannah is a hella talented combat fighter. This would have been neat to find out earlier on and follow her story on developing her ability.

The third book, Obsidio, involves Kady, Ezra, Hannah, Nikolas, Ella, and a new set of characters, Asha Grant and Rhys Lindstrom. Asha has the same last name as Kady because they’re cousins. Asha is older and is a certified nurse. Her relationship with Rhys is very similar like Kady’s and Ezra’s. When they were younger, Asha and Rhys were madly in love and had the world in their pocket. They were both developing their skills as con-artists together. They even got matching tattoos of their names to remind them of their undying love for each other. Except, when they were forced to break up, Rhys removed his and Asha kept hers.

Rhys was sent to military school and joined the BeiTech industry forces. Asha secretly joined a revolutionary organization (they were referred to as rebels since they had no official name). Ex relationships can be rather interesting to read about, except this relationship wasn’t all that thrilling. Asha is very much 2D. She doesn’t have much of a personality. She ends up persuading Rhys to join the revolution, but it’s so subtly done that it’s not very interesting. Rhys on the other hand is a tender soldier since he didn’t choose to become one in the first place. He has a strong morale with not killing children even if ordered to.

Rhys and Asha’s relationship did develop, but not into a way like Hannah and Nikolas’s or Kady and Ezra’s. They occasionally kissed, but it didn’t develop back into anything. Asha is standoffish about her feelings towards Rhys. She remembers their passionate romance, but also remembers the dangers it brought. By the end of the book, they don’t officially get back together, but they do have new feelings for the other which might lead back to intimacy.

Aside from all the relationship drama, this book has a better pace than Gemina. With there being more characters, the story is way more interesting. Even though there is a lot of Video Footage pages (which is written in prose), they are short and action packed. I really enjoyed having AIDAN back (an A.I. that has a hard time pleasing everyone). As we near a future with more and more A.I. it’s highly accurate to have a character that is digitally existing. He provides insightful theories and observations about human kind and as well as natural selection.

I believe this is the final installment of this series especially since the case file has come to a verdict. Which was obvious from the beginning as to who would be found guilty. Overall, I enjoyed this series for its bold choice in story telling format and beloved characters. Hopefully some epilogue novellas are created later on, so we can see what the characters are up to in their adult lives.

#Obsidio #IlluminaeFiles