novelheartbeat's review against another edition
5.0
I'll do it or I'll destroy this empire trying.
HOLY. WOW. YOU GUYS. I was totally blown away by this book! This is one of the most unique concepts I've read in a very long time! The Diabolic has a very vivid setting with thought out, complex world building. It felt very real and I was super impressed! (A map would have been nice though. Hopefully in the finished copy!)
This book felt much like a mixture of Red Rising & Hunger Games. Everything about the Chrysanthemum strongly reminded me of the Capital. But it had a very strong Red Rising feel to the story and society. (I loved Red Rising - if you loved it too then you'll probably love this one!) Yet it was still completely different! I LOVED the concept of Diabolics, it was amazing! I will admit that the pacing was a little slow at first. It seemed like the first half took forever for some reason! I wasn't really bored, but it did seem to take a long time to get to the last half.
"The Emperor wishes me to send my innocent little lamb to the slaughter. No. Instead, I'll send him my anaconda."
Nemesis was, of course, a badass. She was born and bred for it. At times it was hard to relate to her because she was so invincible. But, at her core she struggled greatly with her humanity and what she was, and that made her more human. Her internal struggle was what made her relatable.
The relationship between Nemesis and Donia was beautiful! Literally everything she did was for her. She was engineered to be bonded to her, sure, but it wasn't purely chemical or instinctual. Despite the doubts Nemesis had about her humanity, she truly loved Donia.
I had no soul and very little heart, but what heart there was belonged to her.
I'm very glad that romance took a back seat in this one. Tyrus and Nemesis grow close, yes, but I love that it didn't glorify their relationship; because she was still a diabolic. (And it wasn't instalove-y!!) While she did discover her own humanity, she was still a ruthless killing machine. There was nothing she wouldn't do to protect Donia. The book didn't make light of what she was by building a fluffy romance.
This book was BRUTAL! And I freaking loved that! I love when authors don't spare characters, it makes it so much more realistic. It also adds a strong emotional attachment to the book, which is extremely valuable to me!
Spoiler
DONIA. OMG. It hurtssss. It's really heartbreaking that she went in Donia's place to keep her safe and she ended up dying anyway. But DAMN she ripped that bitch's heart right out! :OSpoiler
So was it really Cygna? Or did Tyrus have a hand in it?! I NEED TO KNOWWWWW. (& if it was him I hope she FUCKS HIM UP.) When it first happened I was thinking it was simply Cygna's scheme to turn them against each other. But when it was revealed that he lied about her electrodes, I started to doubt. If he is capable of one deception, why not more? But he was also upset about the life he took, and he knows how much Donia meant to Nemesis. Hmm...Favorite quotes:
"It's a terrifying thing, to realize your own decisions will shape your destiny."
Having a heart that burned with emotion meant having a flame that could be extinguished - doused in an instant by forces you could not fight, perils you could not see. To care was to be helpless in the worst possible way.
This review was originally posted on Novel Heartbeat. To see a breakdown of my assessment, please visit the full review here.
cloudycolour's review against another edition
4.0
freyawills's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
amarylissw's review against another edition
5.0
The first half was enjoyable, immediately pulling you into the story and giving you a strong introduction to Nemesis's character, as well as the politics of the world. Then, the second half is like a total roller coaster. Twists and turns at every corner, emotional upheavals, and not knowing who to trust . . . this book got better and better. I loved the way our protagonist approached things -- not with the usual MC mindset, and it was a very fresh POV. Likewise, the love interest was lovely to read about: calculating and entertaining, and confident in his emotions and beliefs. The romance, though it didn't really start until the second half (and moved a little bit fast for my taste, especially considering who Nemesis is) was still amazing and very well-written.
The world-building in this story is also superb. I mean, a zero-gravity ball? Count me in! I loved how Tyrus and Nemesis interacted with the other characters (his uncle and grandmother, mainly) in order to gain the upper hand, using underhanded or obvious tactics to gain the people's favor. It was all genius, and the ultimate climax was brilliant.
Overall, a definite five stars from me. And yes, so excited for the sequel!
duskbladedrow's review against another edition
3.0
not_a_violin's review against another edition
3.0
Politics in space with artificial people. I thought, 'why not? It could be interesting.' Did it turn out that way? Sort of.
I've read at least one other book by S.J. Kincaid, and I remember really enjoying it. This one - not so much. Don't get me wrong: it wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't great either. The writing was good, the character development wasn't too shabby, and I didn't find the characters to be too annoying overall. Still, I found the storyline someone weak and really slow.
The second half of the book was noticeably faster than the first. I almost gave up around the pg. 150 mark, but decided to keep going after I started catching glimpses of what was to come. Overall, the plot against the emperor was well done, but at the same time, it was too normal for me. I almost wish there was more time spent with Tyrus acting insane than there was of the drama between him and Nemesis when she was almost trying to deny herself human feelings. I cannot say much more about this part without revealing any spoilers.
Sometimes, even with books I'm really in love with, I just want them to be over with. I want to know how everything is going to be wrapped up. This morning, I got to the last twenty or thirty pages, and just wanted it to end, but then another major catastrophe happened, and I almost gave up on the book yet again. Had there not been such a short amount left in the book, I might have put it down.
The ending itself was okay, but it was hardly from anything I didn't see coming. I don't know. I don't really know what else to say other than this book was like a really good chicken recipe cooked too much so that it's dry and flavorless. I know that's a strange comparison, but it's the best I've got. It had some really good parts with some really good potential, but I think it fell just a little flat in the end.
If this kind of book is your thing, I would recommend picking it up and giving it a shot. If you're looking for something completely different from anything you've ever read before, then I suggest you find something else. For me, it was worth reading all the way to the end, but I probably won't be rereading it anytime soon.
linaria's review against another edition
1.0
I could do very little to hurt Tyrus, but I could do this: die passively at his unwilling hands. It was the cruelest blow I could strike at him and the only weapon left in my arsenal.
Really? REALLY? That's ALL you could do? Super-engineered lethal assassin and THAT'S your plan.
It started off amazingly. I loved the world-building. The scheming and politics was a lot of fun. BUT about halfway through the book, it takes a turn for the worse. I had trouble connecting to the characters and at this point the book REALLY wanted me to have all the feels for the main characters and their relationships BUT I just really, really didn't care. During what I guess was supposed to be a pretty dramatic death scene, I felt absolutely nothing. I just looked at the page count and wondered how the author could possibly wrap the book up in like 50 pages.
The author wrapped it up quickly by making it a confusing series of double-crossings that made no sense in terms of character development. The last few chapters are full of lying, betraying, backstabbing bullshit, but it's so convoluted that I wonder if it needed a few more passes with editing. Like honestly, it's like the author tried to make everyone super schemey but it just didn't really come out well.
I'm not sure whether I'll end up reading the sequel. I may, but hopefully it takes a little longer in the editing room.