I can’t decide if I like this cover or not. It is interesting, but I’m not sure it would make me pick this book up if I didn’t already know something about it. I just loved the cover for The Diabolic, that metal butterfly just made me want to know more about it. But this cover does very much match the story inside as both Tyrus and Nemesis break through their bonds and transform into something new.

If you were put off by all of the violence in the first book, don’t read this one. There is way more violence, mostly on a vast scale. There is not as much killing by Nemesis on a personal level, but a lot of people die in some pretty horrific ways. Some of these deaths were quite unexpected and many times I found myself stunned by the darkness of this book. There are a lot of twists and turns especially after the half way mark. I am usually good at predicting plots, but this book totally threw me out of the water in it’s lack of predictability. I was very much afraid that everyone was going to die by the end, but there is a sequel, so just enough characters survive to keep the story going.

Both Tyrus and Nemesis go through huge changes in their characters. Nemesis learns some self restraint and that the answer to many of their problems is not to kill everyone. She definitely becomes more human in her thoughts and feelings. Tyrus probably goes through the most change and not for the better. I still love Tyrus though, even with how he was at the end of the book, and I hope things get better for him in the next book, but I really fear that he is doomed. Their love for each other goes through many dark moments and even gets to the breaking point by the end. It may or may not recover, but I’m trying to remain hopeful.

The first half of this book was not as violent or dark as the rest of it. We find out a lot more about how this world came to be and why all of the sciences have been banned. As this was one of the issues I had with the first book it was nice to finally get an explanation. There is also some science plot twists that have to do with black holes and the theory of relativity, which made the story that much more interesting. The basis of the religion in this world was also better explained and why creatures like Nemesis are so hated and not considered humans.

Even though this book is darker and more violent, and I am not happy with Tyrus’s storyline, it is still a good solid science fiction read that is very hard to put down. If you like the first book this second one will not disappoint.

After growing to love Nemesis and Tyrus in The Diabolic, I was eagerly awaiting this next installment in their story. There's no happy ever after for these two lovebirds though as they have to decide how far they're willing to go to keep their power. The Empress was a wild ride full of intricate politics and unexpected twists that was surprisingly dark.

Now that Tyrus has assumed the throne after the events of The Diabolic, he can finally begin to forge his own path forward. However, the Grandiloquy, the nobility, are not happy that he plans to make Nemesis, a genetically modified killer, his Empress or that he plans to release technology and knowledge to the Excess. Fighting rebellion from within the empire, Tyrus and Nemesis must decide how much of their humanity they're willing to sacrifice for their dreams while navigating a treacherous political minefield.

I can honestly say that this book took me completely by surprise in the best way possible. There were a few twists that I definitely did not see coming and I didn't expect the author to take this book in the direction that she did. I absolutely loved how dark this one became and I am so intrigued to see where S.J. Kincaid goes next with this story. I did wish that Nemesis and Tyrus's relationship had been a bit more developed at the beginning since I didn't feel the same spark between them that I did in the first book. I wasn't as emotionally invested in them and I don't think I had the same reaction to the plot as I otherwise would have (it was still good, just not destroys you because of the feels good).

You definitely need to have read The Diabolic to fully understand this one but it's best to go in blind otherwise. I would recommend The Empress to those who enjoy political intrigue and science fiction novels.

I really enjoyed The Diabolic, by S,J, Kincaid. With all the royal intrigue and double dealings, I rather thought of it as Ancient Rome...In space! So I was eager to read this sequel, called The Empress. While I still loved the main character, Nemesis, I was taken aback by some changes to other characters, and by the abrupt plot twists that left me confused and unsatisfied.

What I Liked:
Characters:

I really like how Nemesis evolves from almost a organic robot into a person with a deep feeling for humanity. While Nemesis will do anything to protect Tyrus, she also doesn't want to kill people needlessly. Her resolve is sorely tested by the conniving Senator von Pasus. She would love to kill him for what he is doing to Tyrus, but knows it is better to keep him alive.

Senator von Pasus is a classic villain. His schemes are complex, and his personality is cruel. He is dreadful, but with this character, you know to expect that he is up to no good. It is the reader's (and Nemesis's) job to figure out how he plans to sabotage your dreams.

Technology:

This novel is set in the very distant future with cool technology like devices you wear in zero gravity to help you propel, medical robots to heal you, and beauty "bots" to give you instant plastic surgery!

One of the major plot points is about who can control a scepter that is used to control every piece of technology in the galaxy. As Emperor, Tyrus is supposed to be able to wield it, yet he is unable to. What will happen when he, or anyone, is able to control everything? What would that kind of power do to a person?

What I Didn't Like:
Character Changes:

Both Tyrus's and Neveni's personalities change drastically in this story. While I understand that story arcs always alter characters in some ways, their core essence should not. In the first book, Tyrus pretended to act like a spoiled member of the Grandiloquy while secretly holding heroic ideals. When he becomes Emperor, Tyrus begins put his ideas into action by implementing reforms. In this book, his character seems to change from an idealist to a cynic, drunk on power. I really didn't like this change, as it makes much of the sacrifices of the first book pointless.

Neveni, Nemesis's best friend, also drastically changes. The once loyal friend is changed forever when she witnesses a horrific tragedy. She then becomes cynical, murderous, and only concerned with herself. I grew to hate this character by the end of the book. She has no remorse for her actions, and Nemesis seems to forgive her all too willingly.

Drastic Plot Twists:

While I am all for keeping the reader on their toes, the rapid plot twists made me dizzy, and were very unsatisfying. One of the joys of the first book was the elaborate schemes and plots that various characters cooked up. As a reader, I want to see each plan through so there can be a resolution. But in The Empress, plots are developed, and then abandoned, briskly. It's as if the author couldn't decide how to proceed, so she just randomly threw a wrench in the scene so she didn't have to resolve it.

Overall, I would recommend this book as I still love Nemesis and her quest to be seen as a real person. The contrast between her and other characters who place little value on most people's lives illustrate how easy it is to lose our empathy in our own journey, unless we make a concerted effort to look for the value in everyone.

I feel really bad about this but I honestly just don't really care about all of the politics in this one. The last one intrigued me because it dealt so much with Nemesis and watching her become more human and more emotional and not just the killing machine creature that they created. I enjoyed watching her interactions with everyone around her. But the beginning of this one is just full of politics and so many characters that I don't remember from the first one and there's just so much going on and I can't keep it all straight and at this point, I don't really care to. I'm sure this expanded view of their world will become interesting and the politics will become interesting and dangerous, etc. but right now it's just not all that exciting for me. It's just people being mean and wanting to kill everyone else. So this is just a "it's not you, it's me" situation. I hope people who are excited for this one end up loving it.

I read The Diabolic, very much enjoyed it, and raced to request the sequel!

I will say it was extra-nice to have the events of The Diabolic so fresh in my mind. And The Empress absolutely didn't disappoint. It was really mostly a win, so let us talk first about what I loved, while being vague enough to not spoil anything for either book!

The plot was so wonderfully twisty! Ohhh I love a twist. And it is so hard these days for me to feel genuinely surprised by a plot twist. But The Empress shocked me over and over again. The author isn't afraid to go there.
It is dark, incredibly so at times. I think this ties into my first point, and how the author isn't afraid to make some shocking choices. But it's more than that- it's dark in a way that makes sense to the world. Makes the reader feel what it would be like to live in Nemesis's situation.
Moral gray areas FTW! The characters all have to make so many decisions. To betray or be loyal, to kill or be killed, and so much more. It isn't even just Nemesis that has to grapple with these tough calls, all the characters face really hard choices. And is there a right or wrong? It kind of reminded me of The 100, where all the choices might be crap and in the end, the characters just have to do what they think is best. And we all know that if I am comparing something to The 100, I clearly loved it.
Space adventures! Who doesn't love space adventures? I feel like the worldbuilding in book two was even better than in book one. I understood the world so much better, understood a lot of how things got to the current point. Lots of questions that I had were answered, and the worldbuilding became so much more believable to me!
The ending blew my damn mind. Like, jaw on the floor. And now I have to wait a year for book three. Sobs.

The only thing that prevents me from going full five-stars is that there were a few times that the political aspects of the book took over a little too much and I found myself skimming a bit. But otherwise, this was an incredible sequel and I cannot wait for more of the world and the characters!

Will I Read the Sequel: Um, clearly.

Bottom Line: Filled with impossible decisions, dark twists and turns, and characters who basically can't seem to catch a break, this sequel was a fabulous follow-up!

I started to read this and then realized how happy I was with the first book as a standalone, so I just couldn't finish it. I know if I had pushed myself to finish I would not have enjoyed myself and the rating would reflect that, so I just kinda skim read the rest of the book. Enough to know what happens and to know that I'm still happy with the first book as a standalone. Maybe when the third book comes out I'll check it out and see if I like where things go and then come back to this, but I'm 100% happy with the way things ended in the first book. Maybe I'll come back to it, maybe I'll continue living in my happy little world where this was a standalone. We shall see.

I enjoyed the first Diabolic but would have been fine had it been a stand-alone novel. I felt slightly underwhelmed. I really did enjoy the first novel so I knew what I was getting into reading this but the majority of the book kind of lulled but I was surprised by the ending.

You know when you get SO excited for a book, your expectations are SO high. . . and then reality sets in and crushes everything you expected. The Diabolic was easily one of my top 5 favorite reads of 2016 and when I learned it was getting a sequel I completely freaked out. I needed the next book. I got the next book. 

Overall, The Empress was disappointing. I think a part of it is definitely because I had some pretty high expectation. It took me a while to really get into the story and then stay hooked. I devoured book one in a single sitting. This one? I put it aside several times in favor of something else. It finally started picking up about halfway through but until then, I was kind of bored. There's more of the romance introduced in the previous book, more politics and intrigue, both things which I usually really enjoy. But I honestly don't know what happened with The Empress because it just didn't work for me. I wasn't really shipping Nemesis and Tyrus anymore (weird, I know) and I wasn't caught up in the intrigue and scheming I usually fall for.

Yet the other aspects of the book were really well done. Nemesis is a character I can't help but love. She's strong and manages to be this Diabolic who is programmed to be a body guard, someone honed as a living weapon. At the same time she has to be soft, she's learning to love which was previously a foreign emotion. I loved seeing her progress to seeing herself as more than just a Diabolic. 

Once the story picked up, it was like WHAM plot twist! WHAM action! There was SO MUCH going on but at the same time I was a bit lost at times in the shuffle. I think I left a bit too much time between reading The Diabolic and The Empress because one leads right into the next and I wouldn't say there's all that much review like some books do. I had definitely forgotten a few things -- events from the last book, character relationships, etc. -- which made falling back into the world a bit tougher but that's not necessarily the fault of the book.

Honestly, this isn't a bad book. Kincaid creates a beautifully complex plot with her fabulous characters I can't get enough of. My only real issue with The Empress comes down to the pacing at the beginning and too high of expectations after The Diabolic. No, I don't think this book was as good as the first one but it's decent and I'm definitely interested to see what happens next!

Ok. I am real, real upset right now.


Like...MIND BLOWINGLY HURT AND ANGRY.

But also...it was...kind of amazing.

And awful.


And amazing.

And I hate S. J. Kincaid.

All of the twists and turns and betrayals. And oh. The betrayals.

The Diabolic was one of those books that I was actually glad to find out it was a stand alone. Then they announced it to be a trilogy and I just was like...why? It was perfect, ya know?

Alas, we cannot always have what we want and all happy plots with no stabby pain inflicted doesn’t usually make for good storytelling.


My main hope for The Empress was as follows:

LEAVE. MY. OTP. ALONE. AND. LET. THEM. BE. HAPPY.

Tyrus + Nemesis = Perfection


I really don’t want to give anything away, so I will just leave you with a few randomized words:

1. Hamlet
2. Poison
3. Anguish
4. Stabby
5. Me-crying-in-a-corner

Basically, everyone read this and join me in the pain. The pain sucks. The pain hurts. The pain should go off itself and give me the happy ending that was in The Diabolic.

I shall be drowning myself in mint chip coconut milk ice cream if anyone needs me.

A HUGE thank you to the publishers over at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book.

I remember after I read Diabolic, I really enjoyed it but just felt... incomplete. The world was so big and the upheaval that the whole Empire had gone through just seemed like there was so much more story to be told about Nemesis and Tyrus. I highly doubted it would be an easy road for them. I talked to SJ at the time, and she said she had no plans to write another, that it was meant to be a standalone. But lo and behold, to my shock and delight months later, she said was coming out with Empress. And boy, did she just gut me from start to finish. This is the book I wanted her to write, and there was very little sophomore slump. In fact, I would say this book surpasses Diabolic by a lot.

Tyrus and Nemesis are together and while it seemed like everything might be perfect after what they've gone through, nothing could be further from the truth. The whole universe seems to be balking at Tyrus' golden vision of bringing back science to the world, and people still do not see Nemesis as a human being. This is all I'm going to say about the plot. You have to discover it for yourself.

From start to finish, this is a rollercoaster ride where the action, politics, and character development doesn't stop. You can't even take a breath as a reader. And when you think things couldn't get any worse or more heartbreaking, think again. I don't think I've read a second book in the recent past as a good as this one. And that's hard to do. Usually I see second books as filler. This book seemed even more important and the stakes that much higher than the first. I'm not even sure that it can be completed in a third, but we'll see. After my heart and guts were on the floor at the end and I was gasping for breath, I just came to in amazement. I've always been a huge fan of Kincaid and think that her Insignia trilogy is largely underappreciated. But she has just improved and improved, and I'm just delighted for her. She has the guts to take things all the way, and I hope others now see what I've seen in her from the beginning.

You have to read this book the moment it comes out. You won't be disappointed and you'll be clamoring for the next one like I am.

Nemesis has now fully come out as a Diabolic to the universe. The girl Nemesis was genetically engineered to protect is dead and her affinity for Tyrus, the next Emperor, is full blown. Everything is good for Tyrus and Nemesis, except the ruling class, the Grandiloquy, doesn’t accept a diabolic as being a person. There is also a religious faction that is the popular enough to make real trouble for Tyrus when he announces that Nemesis will be his bride and Empress. I rooted so hard for Tyrus and Nemesis to be happy and accepted. The author had other things in mind though.

It took me a minute acclimated to who was who in this story. It jumps right in with Tyrus ruling and Nemesis by his side. They aren’t married yet, but the plans are in the works. They are a good team. I loved how Tyrus and Nemesis trust each other above all others. They thwart quite a few assassination plots as some would rather see Tyrus’ cousin on the throne.

You’d think this would just be a cat and mouse game of Tyrus and Nemesis fighting off the evil in the universe. It definitely starts off like that, but then the author throws in these clever twists that make failing the most probable outcome. This story really kept me on my toes. By the time I hit the middle of the story, I was completely ignoring those around me to read this book and figure out how the lovers would get out of this.

The futuristic technology in this series gets more of an explanation in this installment. In book one it was science versus religion, and this book explains why. The person responsible for all of that will be known. There is also heavy use of narcotics in this book. I don’t remember much of that from book one, but Nemesis was so new to the universe we discover all the dirty details along with her.

Although the story does take us, once again, traveling through space and exploring, the details were not as descriptive as they were in the first book. I didn’t understand some of the scenes, especially in space, but it didn’t really matter since it wasn’t the point of the story. The struggle between the characters was the whole point of this story.

I loved that the author kept this whole story in Nemesis’ POV. We know everything she knows and yet we are all in the dark at what is going on behind closed doors. Nemesis still feels like a diabolic in this story, but she does have some things happen to her which opens here eyes to what it really means to be weak, and fully human.

It seems like some characters were new to me, but they probably were introduced in the first book and just didn’t seem as important at the time. Maybe reading book one then this book would have cleared things up for me. Once again, it didn’t really matter to me enough to take away from this story. I just thought I would mention it here, in case you are like me and forget character details a year later. Character relationships are important in the progression of this story line.

In the end, the author did things to make me feel some kind of way. Things are not working out the way I thought they would. Maybe you will see it coming. I held out hope for other things. I guess I still do. Admittedly, I didn’t love this book as much as book one but I would still highly recommend it. It is a really good science fiction series with a kick-ass heroine. There is no way I could not read the next book in this series. I need to see what happens next.

If you naively believed that after being appointed future empress by Tyrus, life would be a quiet river for Nemesis, it means that you don't know her or her world. The first few pages testify to this and begin with an attempted murder! That's all it is!

But what a pleasure to see Nemesis and Tyrus again! I was amazed at the maturity given to our heroes and their strategies. They know it, the danger is everywhere and a recurrent problem prevents Nemesis from becoming an empress: her status as a Diabolic and at the same time, her lack of humanity.

In this second volume, we plunge deeper into space, but also into religion and its opposition to the sciences considered dangerous and love, the beautiful and the true, is anchored in the heads of our two favourite characters. But all of this is accompanied by murders, attempted murders and countless rollovers. Too much even?

Yes, because I had the clear impression that this volume consisted only of that, attempts on attempts and reversals on reversals. Clearly, this volume leaves us no time for respite, my heart was beating faster and faster with each betrayal, a turnaround, in short, this book did not leave me alone!

This second volume ends in a climax, we don't know and we can't guess what will happen in the next volume. And it's very exciting!

In conclusion, there were a little too many twists and turns (even compared to the first volume) but the author's writing and imagination is still at its best, and I can assure you that by reading the end, you'll want to have the rest!

First and foremost make sure you have read The Diabolic before reading this sequel or you won’t have the full nuances of what is going on which are in fact important in order to actually enjoy the story as it was intended.

The Diabolic felt like it was an encapsulated story with no further additions needed which was a breath of fresh air in the dystopian genre that seems addicted to sequels and trilogies. Obviously we have The Empress so you known Kincaid decided her story needed more and now it’s been said this is actually going to be a trilogy. I’m having a love-hate thing going on with that right now.

While I think Kincaid is a great writer who put out a FANFREAKINTASTIC first book with Diabolic and wanted more of her writing I’m also completely over the trilogy thing. You’d think after the commercial failure of trying to bring the Divergent trilogy to theaters to the point they just up and quit without filming the last part of the story the idea of doing any more dystopian trilogies would get a hard NO. Apparently not.

But it’s here so let’s not digress any more and just look at is Empress worth your time or can you live happily knowing how Diabolic ended?

The one not great thing that could potentially drive readers crazy is that Empress, as expected, reads like the middle of a trilogy. It feels incomplete and kind of like that point in the road trip where someone is bugging the hell out of everyone by asking “Are we there yet” a 1000 times to the point you want to throw them out of the moving car.

We get lots of build up in conflict, characters, settings and creating the bridge between Diabolic and wherever the 3rd book is going. This translates to slower pace and obviously not a nice, tidy, wrapped up ending. Towards the end we do finally get some action and the intensity factor skyrockets to a monster cliffhanger.

Now if you had Empress and whatever the 3rd book is so you can binge the trilogy you’ll probably not mind so much since after all you need the middle part of the journey so you can appreciate how you got to your destination. However until the 3rd hits shelves you could experience some irritation – decide whether you’re going to read now or later.

I firmly believe your level of enjoyment is going to be based solely on two factors. Did you like Diabolic and want more story? AND …… Can you handle knowing this is a bridge piece so you won’t get the full story until book 3? Even if you answered yes to the first and no to the second then just think about holding off on Empress until the 3rd hits so you can read them back to back rather than risk reading Empress now and getting irritated which could lead you to leaving bad reviews.

Diabolic was one of those books I decided to just give a chance last year. I had never read anything by S.J. Kincaid before and the premise (diabolics are human-hybrids with powerful abilities that are bonded to a single person to protect at all costs) sounded interesting. And wow, I ended up enjoying the book so much! It was a good mix of sci-fi, thriller and romance and I was very invested in the main character, Nemesis, and someone else who becomes very important to the series (especially in this book), Tyrus. It was meant to be a standalone so I was excited to learn there’d be more books, which is where Empress comes in. I typically just jump right into the next book instead of re-reading its predecessors but I actually think it would’ve helped a lot in this case. It took me a bit to get re-acclimated with the world. Once I got my footing though, I was quickly reminded of why I loved these characters. They were facing new challenges, personal and outwardly, and I think the plot was at its strongest when it was Nemesis and Tyrus against the world. But the second half just started to lose its way and the obstacles they faced became so relentless to the point of repetitiveness that I started to think - ugh, when will it stop? I actually felt exhausted by the end of the book.

Do I recommend? I can’t say I’m in a rush to continue the series after reading this installment. But if you’re curious to know how Nemesis’ story evolves, then I say check it out (from the library).

The Empress, by author S.J. Kincaid, is the second installment in The Diabolic trilogy. In the first book in the series, the author introduced us to Nemesis Impyrean, a genetically engineered Diabolic who was bodyguard to Sidonia Impyrean, the daughter of an important political figure in the Empire. Knowing that Sidonia was most likely going to be killed, Nemesis traveled with her to protect her. She eventually met & connected with 19-year old Tyrus von Domitrian who has since risen to become Emperor. 

As their plan of marrying moves forward, Nemesis is set to become the first genetically engineered person to rise to the position of Empress. Unfortunately for Nemesis, a great may of the Gradiloquy, as well as the Helionics, hate her with a passion. Their attempts at keeping her from becoming the Empress has led to assassination attempts, and a treacherous Senator named Pasus who will do anything to put a boot to the neck of not only Tyrus, but Nemesis as well. Tyrus has his own issues as well. He is no longer the crazy person people have watched for years. He is now in the seat of the most important person in the galaxy. 

Tyrus must bring the various factions together so that he can keep his people safe from outside forces. One of the curious trips in this book was Tyrus and Nemesis' trip a galaxy known as Transaturnine where a Sacred City exists. It is home to the Interdict, leader of the Vicars who have the power that Tyrus needs to make his scepter work. Tyrus not only wants the Interdict's blessing for his rise to being Emperor, but he also wants the Interdict to impart human-hood on Nemesis so tat they can marry with his blessing. It is during this trip, that a bit of history of the human race is revealed.  

Nemesis only true ally might end up being Neveni, but will revenge against the Empire be too much to keep their friendship on even keel? Nemesis, as a character, really goes through the garbage disposal before being spit out to leave her bloodied and having to refocus her own path to happiness. She really can't rely on anyone else. I dare say that this book takes a whole lot of twists, and shocking turns of events. I'm still hyperventilating at the last 3 chapters of this book, and how Kincaid ends the story.

This is a story that was supposed to be happy time for the apparent happy couple, only to turn into hell on earth for both of them, which makes you curious what will happen in the third installment. I offer up that I, like many others, would have been happy had the first installment been a standalone. Now, with all that has happened, and all that is to come, one can't ignore the itch to discover what happens next to Nemesis and Tyrus.

S.J. Kincaid does a wonderful job in this second novel in the Diabolic series! Like the first book "Diabolic" the world building is spot on with detail and imagination. The action is described in a way that "hooks" you into the plot and moves it forward without sacrificing the characters or the feel of the story. Be careful where you think that this story may be heading, more than likely you are wrong. :0 I love that!
Some have been critical that a second book was written after "Diabolic" was said to be a single volume. I do not have that issue, not at all. This is well written and not the usual "second book of a series " fluff. Excellent read!!!

The Diabolic felt like closure. This book reopened wounds I didn't even realize existed. The twists and turns of this book was truly intense.

I found the plot to be incredible in the way that there were so many layers of actions going on at once and how each plot twist had me making notes in all caps. However, although the start of the book drew me in quickly and deeply I found the middle of the novel to be a bit slower and only regained that speed and page turning action again, near the end of the book.

I thought Nemesis was pretty developed in The Diabolic ... but she is at A. WHOLE. NEW. LEVEL. For a character who is supposed to lack emotion I have never felt so much emotion. (and I definitely see her emotions everywhere, which only makes me curious as to if Diabolics were ever devoid of feelings?!) Half the time I expect her to cry out of her non-existent tear ducts and the other half I can see the cruelty, ... but who said people weren't just as cruel.

The martyr complex. ... It was definitely present in the first book and it has definitely continued to make an appearance in the Empress and though I don't completely hate it, I did get annoying at times because real people are selfish and these characters always viewed their own lives as so easy to give away.

The romance twists and turns of this book were IN ANOTHER WORLD (literally and figuratively). I can't say too much without spoilers, but I was definitely unprepared for everything regarding love in this book. Most books leave me feeling happy, sad, mad, but this book has made me shocked to the core and that definitely made it such a unique read and I can't wait for the next book!

Holy freakin' sh*t! Alright, so I loved The Diabolic. Like, I devoured it and immediately wished for the sequel because I needed more. I was all over how Nemesis was a complete badass female who could easily kill people and thought she was incapable of love, only to find out that maybe she can love, but that that love didn't make her soft. I was down for it and ready to join her squad, so when it came to this one I expected a lot of violence and Nemesis being a badass and stuff.
All that being said, this one kind of didn't meet my expectations, but at the same time I'm not really complaining? Like, Nemesis is still kind of a badass, but at the same time she is definitely more tame in this book, so there was a lot less violence, which made me sad. And Tyrus is...well, I still don't know how to feel about him, though at the end of this one I can tell you my feelings for him are definitely leaning in the direction of stabbing.
It did start off slow, so slow that I ended up putting it down at like 20% and starting (and finishing) another book. This one focuses a lot more on politics and the religion of the people, which made it drag for me, because I get enough politics in reality, I definitely didn't want to read about how it was messing up another galaxy too. I mean, I get how it added to the story and was the main reason for the conflict in the story, but that doesn't mean I enjoyed reading about it.
But I gotta say, this book quickly picked up steam and didn't slow down till the end where instead of stopping it crashed into a brick wall and I didn't survive. Like, once the foundation was laid with all the politics/religion, everything got rolling with the characters and it just took off. Some things I expected, mainly because there was no way everything could be okay when the book isn't even at 50%, but also because I knew something had to be up. Some other things were definitely plot twists or me that caught me completely off guard and had me reeling, because they came out of nowhere and I was just like, "Say what? HOW?! WHY?!"
The betrayals I definitely didn't expect, because how could I? They were the last things I expected to happen, and then they did, and all I could do was stare at my Kindle screen in complete bafflement. The last betrayal I especially didn't expect and it ended up making me ugly cry, because all I could think about was the mistakes made and how everything could have been different and how I know in the next book things are GOING DOWN and because it made my heart hurt.
This is definitely a good sequel that I have been dying to read and it definitely didn't disappoint me, but now I'm dying for the next book because I NEED to know what happens, because my heart is weak and I just don't think I can survive spending a year convincing myself everything will be okay only to have the next book come out and crush me, because after that ending? Yeah, nothing is sacred, the author has no shame in our tears, and nothing is off-limits, which means we will die.

The Empress by S.J. Kincaid is the second book in the young adult science fiction/fantasy series, The Diabolic. The first book in the series introduced readers to Nemesis who is a Diabolic. Diabolics are engineered to be human like but extremely strong and powerful and meant to bond to one person and protect them at all costs. Nemesis had been bonded to a young girl, Sidonia, who had been summoned to appear before the emperor. It was thought that Sidonia might be walking into a trap so Nemesis had taken her place to protect her. During that time Nemesis bonded with Tyrus who was in line to take the throne.

Now Tyrus has ascended to the throne with Nemesis by his side but there are many that oppose a Diabolic becoming the next Empress. Tyrus and Nemesis must deal with many who wish to control the young Emperor as he fights to bring technology and knowledge back to the masses. The ruling class, the Grandiloquy, however do not wish Tyrus to continue to rule and will do anything to see that his reign is ended to keep their control of the empire.

When picking up The Diabolic, the first book in this series, I was quite under the impression that the book was meant to be a standalone at the time it was published. I think though there were many that asked for the story to continue since it was a really good one that left a lot of room for continuation so now it seems that this is due to become a trilogy and I was quite excited to continue on reading of Nemesis’ world.

The Empress sort of reads as if the middle book of a trilogy in the fact that it spent a lot of time building up conflict and connecting the story which gave it a slower pace. I was beginning to wonder if we were in for the shocks and surprises that the first book held or simply a lot of world building. At the end of this book the intensity really picked up yet again leaving the reader at a huge cliffhanger to lead into the next book. So while this one seemed a slower pace I still ended up really excited to continue on and would definitely recommend checking out this series, it’s definitely one that needs to be enjoyed from the beginning though and not out of order.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This book.  I may need a moment - not that it would help.  Deep breath. 

I went through bouts of happiness, rage, frustration, hopelessness, and had to step away from this novel at times, but it is undoubtedly one of my best YA sci-fi reads this year because of the completely shocking, soul-crushing, and infuriating twists the story takes.  

Tyrus may possibly be one of my favorite YA characters - he's intelligent and usually ten steps ahead of everyone else, flawed, idealistic, and has a strong moral compass, but his soul is striated with shades of gray.

Occasionally, second books in a series are filler before the finale, but beware, folks - that isn't the case here.  This is an emotionally gut-wrenching tale that will leave you in agony waiting for the next book.  

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.