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RE-READ April, 2018

I definitely enjoyed this more the second time around. Full four stars. While I still think Sidonia is my least-favorite character, I didn’t dislike her nearly as much. I also didn’t feel like the book dragged in the first half like I did the first time I read it.

This second go around I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. I’m so glad I revisited this story before just jumping into the sequel, because while I remembered the basics, there are so many characters and plot points I didn’t really remember.
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3.75 stars. Rounded this up because the second half is so much better than the first.
I have been looking forward to this book for awhile now. I have been yearning for more YA sci-fi, and look at that cover. Seriously. Plus the synopsis intrigued me from the get-go. Deadly assassin thrown into a world of political intrigue and has to pretend to NOT be a deadly assassin?! I am so here for that.

Now, I can't lie. The first part of this book dragged for me. I just couldn't get into it to the extent that I wanted. It just wasn't a book that I had to keep reading because I was so hooked. I feel like a big part of that was my reaction to both Sidonia and Nemesis in the first half. I was just not feeling Sidonia at all. For someone who is going to be a senator one day and is expected to understand the intricacies of court and royal politics, she makes some stupid decisions. She is far too reactionary. At one point, Sidonia tells Nemesis she will throw herself out of a window if anything happens to her. Nemesis then thinks that Sidonia threatening to kill herself if Nemesis dies shows her that Sidonia is indomitable. In my mind, it reminds me of a child stamping her feet and holding her breath when she doesn't get her way. She redeems herself somewhat later in the book, but I still didn't find myself in love with the character.

I also had 'meh' feelings for Nemesis in the beginning of the book. I think it was because she was so lacking in emotion. This story being told through her perspective in first person makes it difficult to connect, because the only time she displays emotion in the first half of the novel is when it is concerning Sidonia, a character I was not very fond of. When she and Tyrus team up, I began to warm to her very quickly. I love their interactions, and she shows such growth throughout the story in the way she relates to the people around her. She starts exhibiting free will, and I really appreciated that.

I read a couple of reviews that criticized the violence in this book. And there is violence. It's abrupt and sometimes gruesome. But what did readers expect? This is about an ASSASSIN. I know that there are certain assassins in certain series that are more concerned with how they are dressed and eating cake than they are about actually being bad-ass assassins, but I appreciate the authenticity in this story when it comes to her character.

Also, I really enjoyed the romance element in this story. It started as just a partnership, turned to friendship, and then love, which I appreciated. I've read WAY too many insta-love situations recently. I also liked that they were both strong characters; Nemesis with her physicality, and Tyrus with his mental fortitude and strategic abilities. They complement each other very well.

The world building was very interesting. The idea that as a society they take advantage of technology, but have no idea how it works is fascinating. Things break down, and no one knows how to fix it because education is pretty much illegal. This leads to one of my favorite quotes in the book:

"Our ancestors sought knowledge, but we, their descendants, glorify ignorance." -Tyrus

I liked the descriptions of the world, and really want to go to a ball in a zero-gravity dome. How cool would that be?!


I also love the fact that this appears to be a stand alone novel. I love series, don't get me wrong. But I also love a contained story that is able to get our characters from A to Z in one book without completely sacrificing character development.

Some things I didn't like:
I wish there had been a little more closure between Nemesis and Neveni. A scene at the end of the book would've been nice.
Speaking of the ending, it felt a little rushed to me. I liked what I read, but I wish there was more, especially if this is a stand alone book. I just wanted a little more of these characters. Pure selfishness on my part :)
Even when Sidonia came back (which I thought she would) I wasn't super excited about her character. I wish she'd been fleshed out a little more. I also saw her revelation about her feelings for Nemesis coming from a mile away.
For the most part, I wasn't surprised by any of the twists or reveals. Sidonia's 'death' shocked me at first, but I immediately suspected she had survived somehow.

All in all, I really liked this book. It is my first S.J. Kincaid and it definitely won't be my last. I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

Oh, and one more thing. I've heard this compared to Red Queen and Hunger Games. I don't see that at all. The only thing it has in common with Red Queen is that both main characters are forced into a ruse in the middle of a royal court. The only correlation I see to The Hunger Games is the attempted overthrow of a corrupt government and a main character who kills people. The Diabolic is its own unique story. I really wish people would stop with the, "it's 'book x' meets 'book y'! I get the purpose behind it. If you liked books x and y you should like this book. I get it. But why can't they just say, "If you liked books x and y you will like this."? Okay, rant over.