Began reading: 14.2.2017
Completed reading: 18.2.2017
Overall rating: 5 stars
A Diabolic is ruthless.
A Diabolic is powerful.
A Diabolic has a single task: kill in order to protect the person you've been created for.
Nemesis is a Diabolic. Created to protect a galactic Senator's daughter, Sidonia. The girl who has grown up by her side and who is as much a sister as a master. There's no one Nemesis wouldn't kill to keep her safe. But when the power-mad Emperor summons Sidonia to the galactic court as a hostage, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia.
She must become her.
Now one of the galaxy's most dangerous weapons is masquerading in a world of corruption and Nemesis has to hide her true abilities or risk everything. As the Empire begins to fracture and rebellion looms closer, Nemesis learns that there is something stronger than her deadly force: the one thing she's been told she doesn't have - humanity. And, amidst all the danger, action and intrigue, her humanity might be the only thing that can save her, Sidonia and the entire Empire...
The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid is a fictional young adult novel that contains science fiction and fantasy. I fell in love with the cover instantly, and it took me forever to decide whether to buy the white cover or black cover – eventually, I chose the white because it made the butterfly stand out. This book exceeded my expectations, and has become one of my favourites. There were absolutely no flaws, which is rare.
The story is told from Nemesis’ perspective – a dangerous and ruthless Diabolic, designed to protect Sidonia Impyrean. After Sidonia’s father is caught trying to aid a rebellion against the Empire, Sidonia is summoned by the Emperor to be a hostage at the Chrysanthemum. For her safety, Nemesis impersonates Sidonia and interacts with the royal family, while discovering that she has the ability to feel – something that she was taught to believe doesn’t exist among Diabolics. While trying to blend in at court, Nemesis develops a close relationship with the Emperor’s nephew, Tyrus Domitrian, who shows her that the galaxy will perish unless the pious Emperor and his deadly mother are killed. As the two most powerful individuals in the galaxy grow suspicious of their motives, Nemesis and Tyrus must learn to work together to demonstrate to the court that religion will not save the Empire, which creates a number of dangerous enemies and plots to end their lives. Nemesis will have to believe that humanity, despite being told it’s impossible, can grow in Diabolics and has the power to influence who ends up on the throne.
The book was well-written, perfectly paced and impeccably structured. Furthermore, the use of various literary techniques assisted with adding depth and detail to the narrative. For example, the use of foreshadowing was utilised in the tale of the frog and the scorpion. Usually, it would take me a while to recognise foreshadowing, but Kincaid did an excellent job with emphasising the importance of that tale. There were also some great quotes in the book, including:
Of course I would die for Sidonia. She was my entire universe. I loved nothing but her and valued nothing but her existence. Without her, there was no reason for me to exist.
Death would be a mercy compared to that (p. 17).
…sometimes fate did not offer the choices we preferred, but rather the ones we must accept for lack of better alternatives (p. 107).
‘All of us are fated to return to the same oblivion. And you can choose what happens between now and that final hour. No one else can’ (p. 187).
A strange idea struck me: now that I had learned to see it, I might glimpse beauty anywhere. Even, perhaps, in another’s face (p. 253).
I knew my role as Sidonia’s Diabolic: to avenge this hideous betrayal. To tear out his heart as he’d torn out mine. To rip him apart (p. 379).
The pale-eyed Domitrians surveyed each other like foes over a devastated battlefield (p. 384).
More quotes from the book can be found here.
I LOVED the idea behind the plot, as it was interesting and creative. Yes, there are books and films out there that share similar ideas, but this book definitely stood out for me. I’m not much of a galactic-living reader, mainly because it doesn’t seem too realistic or relatable BUT this text challenged my prejudice. I enjoyed reading about space, especially the stars and how they dictated life in the Chrysanthemum. Also, impersonating Sidonia made the plot more suspenseful, as I was often wondering if Nemesis will reveal her true identity or if she’ll be caught. The plot was just so creative, making the story more interesting for me.
The secondary characters in the book were noteworthy for a few reasons. A good supporting character needs to have an interesting backstory, are flawed, and help with the protagonist’s development. In this novel, the secondary characters had diverse personalities and varying agendas, reflecting a real-life situation. The way in which these characters interacted with each other and reacted to particular situations made the plot more interesting. It was obvious that the characters helped Nemesis develop, which is great. There was a mixture of likeable and unlikable characters, which gave me a range of people to relate to.
Plot twists were meticulously placed at particular places in the book, ensuring that readers would be surprised. Not one of the twists was predictable, which was good. The plot twists made the narrative dramatic, shocking me in a positive way. I loved the unpredictability of the story, making it more entertaining and making me think, “Oh sh*t!” Like I said, the surprises were placed strategically, so I believe that Kincaid did a fantastic job with the writing!
The relationships within a novel can make or break a book, in my opinion. I enjoy reading about characters interacting with each other – if the relationship is weak, I’m not going to like it. However, the characters’ relationships in this book were on-point; Kincaid did an excellent job with highlighting the types of relationships that each character had. Similarly, there was a good amount of romance. The book did not make love a primary theme, so it was there but wasn’t prominent. I’m not mushy, so I thought it was a nice little plot line to add a bit of intrigue to the story.
Cliff-hangers are a great way to build up anticipation for the next book, but this novel did not leave me shocked. The book did not end with a cliff-hanger, but still left me wanting more! The conclusion wrapped everything up, but implied that there will be a lot of action in the sequel. There was quite a bit of drama and tension, which means that there will be some juicy things to come!
My favourite character had to be Nemesis – I knew it before I even read the book. Nemesis is formidable, fierce, loyal, compassionate and a badass. I loved that she remained ruthless throughout the book, no matter what she went through. The way she punished Devineé and Salivar when she first arrived at court was brutal, as was her fight with Elantra. I LOVED IT!
This book had everything, including characters that we loved to hate. Elantra and Cygna were really flawed and made the book more interesting. They kept their cruel personalities throughout the book, and I hated them for what they did. Still, they were well-developed, and I’m glad that they got what they deserved. I like Tyrus, but I’m still somewhat suspicious about him. I’m just hoping that Cygna was lying about him.
I LOVED the entire book, but my favourite parts were when Nemesis and Tyrus were together, and Tyrus’ disavowment with ‘Sidonia’. These two together were incredible! I just couldn’t get enough! There were so many fangirl moments, including these two:
I shook my head. ‘How would I possibly stand by your side at all these occasions you suggest? If everything you say is true, the Emperor will never allow you to have a bodyguard, so how will you explain keeping me with you?’
‘Because you’ll be my wife’ (p. 185).
When I looked up, his keenly intelligent eyes seemed to pierce me, to stare into my very depths. ‘You are extraordinary,’ he said softly. ‘Is it selfish that all I can think now is that I want you for myself?’
I stuttered around the words. ‘Want me…how…?’
An odd smile curved his mouth.
And then he kissed me (p. 270).
I also liked when Tyrus disavowed ‘Sidonia’ because it was extremely dramatic, even though we knew what was really going on. I just like dramatic scenes, such as that one.
Recommendation time! If you like the Arc of Scythe series by Neal Shusterman, Metaltown by Kristen Simmons, Valentina by Kevin McDermott, and the Throne of Glass series by Sara J. Maas, you will love this book. Also, I recommend this book to anyone who likes Elysium, Oblivion, In Time and Gattaca.
I will also be reviewing the rest of the series when the book become available. Keep an eye out for those!
Happy reading!
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