Published: March 2018
Pages: 618
Series: Illuminae Files #3
Summary
Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza–but who knows what they’ll find seven months after the invasion?
Meanwhile, Kady’s cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza’s ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys–an old flame from Asha’s past–reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heros will fall, and hearts will be broken.
My thoughts
The most painful of the series I’ve read all year. Wow. I’m writing this 2 months after I finished this book and I’m still struck. That was so upsetting and so good but so emotionally wrecking! Am I making any sense?
“Live a life worth dying for.”
There are so many themes and messages across this series but for me, the lasting message is to live. Choose to live. We have no idea what is going to happen tomorrow. We (or maybe its just me) don’t quite appreciate what we have until its threatened or gone. Choose to live with conviction, make choices and open up your heart to others.
“I was thinking,” he murmurs. “There’s a billion different versions of you out there, in a trillion different universes. And I still can’t get over how lucky I am that, out of all those versions, you’re the one that’s mine.”
And then there is the hope. When a community of people come together it can be a beautiful thing, even despite the circumstances. The sacrifices that are made to give others a chance of life. The decisions that are made to better the good of others. Sorrow and grief can twist you, make you feel desperate but also make you feel as if you have nothing left to lose. We see that turmoil in this book, it really hits a boiling point for our characters and it is so painful to read. I don’t remember who recommended this series to me but we need to have words..
“The flare of my thrusters burns like tiny suns
In the sea of starlight all around her.
When the light that kisses the back of her eyes was birthed, her ancestors were not yet born.
How many human lives have ended in the time it took that light to reach her?
How many people have loved only to have lost?
How countless, the hopes that have died?
[But still…]
Not this one.”
The scenes just come to life, the characters are so well captured, their emotions, their thought process. Not just that but the environment there in. We’re not told they are in a war zone, we are shown. I was gobsmacked at some of the events that happen in this book. The raw cruelty. Even if you badge it up as ‘following orders’ cruelty is still cruelty. A life taken is still another life gone. And some of these soldiers enjoy it. Although it is also a really good perspective to include those that feel conflicted with their orders and seeing how that plays through. I can only feel absolutely grateful that I’ve never been in a position of war because this is real life for many in the world today. Everything being played out by executives dishing out orders that they don’t have to see with their own eyes, or act with their own hands.
I also really loved the snippets of these soldiers lives. Who they have waiting at home, despite their lack of action or percieved cruelty. It just adds this completely complex layer of being human and all the moving parts. We are individuals and the downstream impacts are ripples.
“You believe there is always an alternative. Always a chance for a miracle. But I told you once before that miracles are statistical improbabilities. There is no such thing in real life.”
Children… I have to mention this. I am sensitive when it comes to children. I have two of my own and they’re very small. There were many moments in this book I felt sick to my stomach. Its easy to dismiss this as a fictional story but this happens in real life. The realities of war, starvation, enemy cruelty.. this was at times painful to read but also incredibly worthwhile. It’s vital that we open ourselves up to different realties, otherwise how will we ever learn to emphasise and understand others?
“I am not good. Nor am I evil. I am no hero. Nor am I villain. I am AIDAN.”
Given this is a sci-fi I should make mention of all the technology. With AI playing a fundamental role throughout this trilogy, I thoroughly enjoyed the evolution of Aidan and seeing the connections of AI with humanity. The recent discussion in the world today is AI taking over jobs and losing that human touch. Even in this series written a decade ago it captured it perfectly. AI is not human and there are many battles of understanding between the Aidan and our human characters. I just really, really enjoyed watching it play out. I’m going to stop there so I don’t give any spoilers!
Again.. the cringey dialogue is back but I’m going to ignore that because the rest of the book is so soul destroyingly good. Having the pieces of book one and two come together in this finale was fantastic.
Would I recommend?
YES!! READ THIS TRILOGY.