Title: Defy the Fates
Author: Claudia Gray
Series: Constellation #3
Price: $19.99AUD
Publication Date: April 2nd 2019
Synopsis: "ABEL
Abel only has one mission that matters: save the life of Noemi Vidal. To do that, he must face the one person in the galaxy who has the means to destroy him.
NOEMI
Brought back from the brink of death, Noemi must find her place in a universe where she is utterly unique, all while trying to create a world where anyone - even a mech - can be free.
The final battle between Earth and the colony planets is here, and there are no lengths to which Earth won't go to preserve its domination over all humanity. But together, the universe's most advanced mech and its first human-mech hybrid might have the power to change the galaxy for good..."
My thoughts: Just going to note here, in case you missed it above - this is the third book in a trilogy, so if you haven't read the previous two, you may be in for some spoilers if you continue to read this review. Or if you read the synopsis. So yes, warning!
It took me about twenty seconds to remember the events of the previous book, Defy the Worlds, before I was right back in to Abel and Noemi's story. This book starts fast. Noemi is still in a cryosleep pod, and Abel is the closest he has ever been (perhaps can ever be) to panicking. Gray does a good job here of explaining some key points from the previous books in the first two chapters without it feeling overly information-overloady (yes that's a word, because I said so), and she conveys the urgency but also the mind-numbing grief of this point in this story really well.
This book was a ride. I felt like the pace pretty much never let up. Sure, there were moments of calm between the many many storms, but the were so brief that I felt like I hardly had time to remember to breathe before something else catastrophic/life-changing/terrifying was happening. In one respect, this made the book incredibly easy to read, and I read it comfortably in about two sittings. In another... I found myself feeling a little frustrated at times. This is definitely my own preference, but I think I would have preferred to have more downtime, or at least a little more exploration of a couple of the moments when world weren't exploding (just hyperbole... or is it?!) so that I could spend some time with some really awesome characters. And they are awesome. Gray has made these characters that I actually adore, and I wanted to spend so much time with them, more than perhaps even the confines of these three books.
Anyway, despite my own preferences making it a little difficult at times for me to really get on with the rapid storyline, I still really enjoyed this conclusion. It made me well-up with tears a few times, and I just adore the exploration of what it is to be 'human'. Gray has written a good'un, here.
{I received a review copy of this book from Allen & Unwin in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!}
A favourite line from the book: 'Metal floor, alloy composed primarily of steel with a significant amount of aluminum, precise percentages undetermined. Metallurgical analysis advised.
So says the unwelcome intruder in Noemi's brain.'
You would like this book if: well, if you've read the previous two, I think that's a pretty good bet; if you like fast-paced scifi with a lovely romance mixed in.
Tea to drink while reading this book: Lord, I don't know. I'm going to go with T2 Strawberries & Cream, as that is my tea of choice lately.
Rating: 8/10
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