Iain Hawkes’s Reviews > Gemina > Status Update

I'm probably repeating myself, but I'll do so anyway - I really don't think the idea of a parallel universe fits this setting. That said, the physics of it as presented here are well done, so there's that. Also, the AIDAN "twist" - is that really a twist when AIDAN's presence in this story has already been established?

...timelines thing...okay, I knew this would feature due to having read some of Obsidio before this, so it's arguably unfair to criticize it too much, but it feels like a distraction, and kind of out of place for this type of setting. Anyway, we'll see where this goes.

I'm repeating myself, but I'll say it again - I like the story just fine when it's free of teen drama, but unfortunately, teen drama keeps worming (is that a reference to the lamia? Maybe...) its way back in. When one of said beasties gets the drop on Nik's sister, it feels like a riff on Alien, but it's done well all the same. The drone fleet is handled well, both aesthetically and tactically. The parallel...

...execution, but swear words are still bleaped out. Maybe that's part of the joke, given the manner of the story's implementation?

Still Die Hard in Space, for better or worse (mostly better). Poor Mr. Biggles. I think the stuff with Hanna and Nik is okay, but while the reveal of his sordid past is decent (along with her reaction), the "true story" reveal happens far too close to the original for said original to have as much weight as it should. Also, I find it kind of hilarious that the story is happy to show everything from asphyxiation to...

So I guess this is Die Hard in space right now? Anyway, it's fine. Hannah is...fine, her feats of evading the kill team stretch credulity, but the story's already doing that, and it does give a rationale for how to do that through her father. Anyway, like I said, it's fine. Also, I find it low-key hilarious that swearwords are censored, but the story's happy to show death? Or is that the joke?

The problems I have with this book are much the same I had with its predecessor. It's a unique way of telling a story, but there's far too much teenage drama. It's arguably worse here, in that Iluminae arguably had the excuse to start with that (start small, work your way up), but as a sequel, what's Gemina's excuse?