Illuminae by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff Series: The Illuminae Files #1
Publisher: Knopf (2015)
Hardcover (599 pages)
Rating:
Also by this author: These Broken Stars, This Shattered World, Their Fractured Light
Reading Challenges: Read 2016
Synopsis
This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.
This afternoon, her planet was invaded.
The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.
Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.
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My Review
This book is one of the most unique books I have ever read. It is all material compiled in a dossier following some pretty tragic events.
The planet Kerenza IV was attacked by BeiTech warships. Kady Grant and Ezra Mason had broken up that morning. Now they were fighting to stay alive. Kady ended up aboard the science vessel Hypatia while Ezra ended up aboard the UTA warship Alexander.
The story follows what takes place in the months following the Kerenza disaster. The fleet of survivors aboard ships Copernicus, Hypatia, and Alexander are fleeing from pursuit. The BeiTech warship Lincoln is pursuing the refugees, likely to eliminate all witnesses to the attack at Kerenza.
Ezra ends up conscripted into the UTA military as a fighter pilot. Kady ends up covertly learning hacking skills aboard the Hypatia. All is as well as could be expected as the refugee fleet flees towards civilization and, hopefully, help.
Then, unexpectedly, the artificial intelligence of the Alexander, AIDAN, attacks the Copernicus. Some survivors of the Copernicus are quarantined aboard the Alexander and AIDAN is shut down. There is a problem, though. Without AIDAN, the Alexander and the Hypatia cannot outrun or fight the Lincoln. And the Lincoln is fast approaching. However, AIDAN may have had a reason to order attack on the Copernicus.
Really, this is such a unique book. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the way everything unfolded. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to see what happens next. I don’t even know what other words to use. This book was amazing!
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