The Nemesis / S.J. Kincaid

4.5/5

I was actually wondering to myself when the last time I finished an entire series was (other than TFOTA). Even if I like a book, it's rare that I get around to picking up the sequel, and even more unlikely that I make it to the third. That I kept up with S.J. Kincaid's releases through the years is a testament in itself to how invested I was in Nemesis' and Tyrus' stories.

I waited a long time to write this review because I had so many feelings while I was reading this book I had to clear my head. While sometimes I was frustrated with Nemesis or impatient with the politics, most of the time I eagerly anticipated Nemesis and Tyrus' romance and despaired at the hopeless circumstances. I was completely hooked throughout the entire novel because after the twists of The Empress, I had to learn what became of Tyrus. I stayed up throughout the night to absolutely devour this novel and I even teared up one specific line; for the sake of spoilers I won't say what it was, but it was said by Tyrus and when you read it you'll know what I mean. I just felt so frustrated at all of the trials they each had to go through, and for a moment I truly thought S.J. Kincaid was going to take the dark path and deny us a happy ending. Honestly, I could've made my peace with that, but I'm so glad we did end up getting our ride into the sunset.

I rated this novel so highly because I was so invested in Nemesis, in Tyrus, and in their relationship, and because of that The Nemesis kept me utterly engaged. But there are a few weak points. Though this novel does not disappoint with more plot twists, there are almost a few too many; the constant flipping back and forth got a little bit old. I continued to adore Nemesis's logical mindset, but at times her complete loyalty to Tyrus was a little frustrating. The biggest flaw is that the novel has many, many preachy passages. Kincaid drones on about the merits of a democracy throughout the entire novel and I was literally sitting there thinking, yes, I live in America, I've already been indoctrinated. Honestly, I didn't give a *** about the empire or the politics; I was only there for Nemesis and Tyrus, as I'd imagine most readers at this point in the series are, so I skimmed repetitive passages as necessary.

The positive characteristics of the novel shine brightly enough to blot out the flaws. Nemesis's relationship with Anguish was a very pleasant surprise and can be described by one of my favorite lines from the book: "We are more than friends. We are equals." Once I read that I realized that was exactly why I loved their relationship so much. The other strength of this novel is the way Kincaid was able to capture the spirit of the rebellion. When I read the phrase "NEMESIS LIVES" I get chills, and that's hard to do.

If you're a fan of morally gray characters, novels set in space, corrupt empires and rebellions, complicated relationships (think The Shadows Between Us but more complex)...I highly recommend you pick up this series, if you haven't already. If you've read the first or the first two and have hesitated to complete the series because you worry it may ruin the previous novels, fear not, for The Nemesis does its predecessors justice.