Obsidio
Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff 
Page Number: 615 Pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Knopf Books
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Book Number of 2018: 36 of 30
Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they’ll find seven months after the invasion?
Meanwhile, Kady’s cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza’s ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha’s past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict.
With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.
After finishing Illuminae and Gemina, the first two books in the Illumine Files, I waited to read Obsidiofor several weeks. The truth was I did not want the series to end, but I also felt that I had read a lot of just that series so I wanted to take a break. However, the final book of the trilogy was everything I had hoped for and more.
Obsidio completed the Illuminae Files trilogy by connecting everyone’s stories but also, by adding additional characters to the plot that helped solve the big problems. In Obsidio, readers are introduced to Asha, Kady’s cousin, and Rhys, Asha’s ex-boyfriend. They are both on Kerenza, the same place Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik are headed back to because Heimdall was destroyed. These new characters give readers another type of character to relate to and understand. Asha is focused on living, but she has dark secrets from her past to hide. Rhys does not understand what he signed himself up for but soon realizes he must decide which side he is willing to fight for. Through these two characters, readers can understand how difficult decisions are and how your past does not have to define you.
Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman did an excellent job connecting all six of the main characters timelines, plots, and paths. One concern was that the characters’ paths would deviate or separate. Through the final novel, readers still may think this is probable because of the near-death experiences the characters experience. However, the paths conclude together after many questions and concerns about Kady, Ezra, Hanna, Nik, Asha, and Rhys’ well-being. By connecting the different paths, but not in the cliché, expected way, Kristoff and Kaufman created a trilogy that comes full circle for readers and allows them to panic, cry, worry, and care for each of the characters in all three novels.
One of the other exciting parts of the final novel was everyone’s favorite artificial intelligence, AIDAN. In the book, AIDAN continues to make decisions for the fleet that cause pain through sacrifice. “I have heard it said that evil is simply a point of view. The villain is always the hero in his own story” (259). However, in the end, AIDAN comes to the aid of Kady and helps them defeat the other ships at a loss of AIDAN’s own self. Through this act of bravery, readers can see that AIDAN truly cared about the ship but cared even more for Kady.
Overall, the books were phenomenal, and I highly recommend them to anyone who likes science fiction. I feel like these novels are a strong indicator of our future in dealing with technology. Also, a variety of readers can benefit from and enjoy these novels!
“It is entirely possible to be alone in a crowded room” (51).
“This is forever” (183).
“At least our lives will have been worth dying for” (194).
“A soldier’s first duty is to their conscience” (238).
“I have heard it said that evil is simply a point of view. The villain is always the hero in his own story” (259).
“But imagine what life would be like if it only gave us what we asked for?” (300).
Rader of the Books 