Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Release Date: September 8, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Science Fiction
The final book in the brilliantly paced Extraction series. About a fearless girl who wins escape from a brutal life only to find herself battling to save her planet from destruction.
Clementine's world is on the brink of destruction. An army of aliens from the distant planet Marden has arrived with a massive fleet of battleships, intent on finally putting an end to the war Kiel's old rulers initiated. With the Alliance headquarters reduced to rubble and one of the rebel leaders close to death, Clementine and her friends have no choice but to retreat to the Core to escape the alien ships attacking the Surface.
But safety in the Core means forming a temporary alliance with their sworn enemy, Commander Charlie. He's a ruthless man and a liar, but striking a bargain with him—his pardon in exchange for their help defeating the Mardenites—is the only way the rebels might survive the war. And Charlie needs their help too, for Marden's force is more powerful than anyone anticipated, with weapons and technologies never before seen on Kiel. Unless old feuds can be set aside long enough for a diplomatic solution to be found, all of Kiel's people will be destroyed, and everything Clementine and her friends have sacrificed in their fight for peace will have been for nothing.
But safety in the Core means forming a temporary alliance with their sworn enemy, Commander Charlie. He's a ruthless man and a liar, but striking a bargain with him—his pardon in exchange for their help defeating the Mardenites—is the only way the rebels might survive the war. And Charlie needs their help too, for Marden's force is more powerful than anyone anticipated, with weapons and technologies never before seen on Kiel. Unless old feuds can be set aside long enough for a diplomatic solution to be found, all of Kiel's people will be destroyed, and everything Clementine and her friends have sacrificed in their fight for peace will have been for nothing.
Stephanie Diaz's Evolution concludes the saga of Clementine and Logan, two surface dwellers wrenched apart thanks to the Extraction, and Clementine's mission to reunite them and end the planet's destruction. Set on a fictional planet known as Kiel, Evolution picks up right where Rebellion left off. When we last left our protagonist Clementine, she had fallen to one of Commander Charlie's mind control drugs which forced her and others to attack the former base of the Rebellion.
But, things got a whole lot more dangerous when Marden's warships arrived in the skies over Kiel. As the story picks up, Clementine and others are racing for their lives to return to the core, but things get hot and heavy, and a whole lot of action takes place. As the Marsden ships appear to free reign over the entire planet, except the Core, things go from bad to worse when the aliens start taking hostages.
There's also the question as to why certain characters continue to treat Clem as though she was a very important person. Could it be because she was personally selected by Charlie? Could it be because of her ability to fight off drugs that are supposed to make her more submissive? Or, it could be because she is something special that makes her invaluable to the efforts in combating and defeating the Marsden invasion force?
There are only two things keeping Clem from abandoning all hope. Logan, the love of her life, and her desire to see Charlie destroyed for all the crap that he has put her, Logan, and the rest of the people of the Core through for his personal war against the Marsden's. I do believe that the author has given plenty of subtle hints of things to come. In fact, she introduced a character in the first book that holds all the keys to Clem saving her friends and finally defeating Charlie and the Developers. But, you need to actually read the first book.
Clem has to figure out who she can trust and it definitely isn’t an easy decision. Clem also needs to make a deal with the devil. But, which one? Charlie, who wants to travel to Marsden and destroy their planet? Or, the Mardenites who believed that Charlie's predecessors killed their leader and ruined their plane and no need humans in order to stabilize their planet? Also, do you think the author have any more on Clementine's shoulders without adding yet another surprising revelation that truly makes her a special snowflake?
The reason for my overall rating is the abrupt nature of the way things were wrapped up. It was like the author tossed up her hands and said, Yay! I am finished! I would have actually loved to have part of this story set on Marsden instead of just leaving them in orbit and saying That's All Folks! It fails to impress me when anyone says that this series is a dystopian series. No, it's a science fiction story. It is set on another PLANET with actual aliens. Prove me wrong. I double fudge dare you.
The end of your review had me chuckling. I do read some scifi and you have made me a bit curious.
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental