A review by novelheartbeat
The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid

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! 
SpoilerDONIA. 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! :O


SpoilerSo 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...
WHY IS THERE NO SECOND BOOK LISTED I HOPE THERE'S A SECOND BOOK.

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.