*I received this for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
There will be some spoilers in this review as I discuss some slightly problematic content.
I remember hearing about THE DIABOLIC when it came out. I added it to my TBR but didn't pay much attention to it due to being in a weird slump. It wasn't a great time. So, imagine my surprise when I was scrolling through NetGalley one day and saw it up for request, as well as a sequel I had no idea was even in the works.
THE DIABOLIC is such a intriguing sci-fi novel. The entire story is told through our main character's POV — Nemesis. Nemesis is a Diabollic. This means she's a genetically altered humanoid who's sole purpose is to protect the person they are bonded to. I really loved seeing her growth and change throughout the story, as she moves from someone who thinks of herself as a monster with no soul, to someone realising she deserves happiness ad respect.
Her growth was one of the best things about the novel, which is really amazing because the rest of the book was incredible. It does take a while to get into the good stuff as the first few chapters are setting the scene, really. They're well written enough to be intriguing, to keep you hooked and patiently waiting for the action to start.
I really loved how brutal this world was — I really did not expect that at all. We normally see books pitched as being dark but very rarely deliver. But in this we see innocents get killed, a tyrannical Emperor rule by fear that we see first hand. And twists and turns that even I did not see coming. Especially that one death. Oh my God!
I loved how fleshed out the secondary characters were as well, especially Tyrus who is my precious baby. I did love him a lot — I loved how clever and devoted he was but I did have a problem with his character. He's considered insane by the entire population of this world. Everyone thinks he's "mad". The casually ableist language can be quite harmful itself, but when it's paired with the fact that he's not really dealing with any mental health issues, it's just an act to keep him safe from his Gran/Uncle who kill their relatives with no remorse.
I can understand the reasoning. Under such circumstances, when you're growing up with people who killed your parents and siblings, yeah, I think I would do anything to survive. But the problem I have is that, when he explains, there's not really a "I feel a little bad pretending to have this illness when I know people genuinely do suffer from it" moment. It's just seen as all right. Accepted. And that didn't really sit right with me.
I wish we had seen more of Sidonia who is the girl Nemesis is bonded to. I really loved her and Nemesis' relationship and as I was reading the first few chapters, all I could think was "this is gay. This is so gay." even though I knew that it never would be because hey, I've seen the synopsis for THE EMPRESS.
Now, I did like the fact that it was confirmed that Sidonia was in love with Nemesis. In a romantic way. And she would never do anything because she knew that Nemesis didn't have a choice about her feelings — the consent surrounding that would be extremely iffy, and I liked the way it was handled. I did wish it had worked out because hey, I'm a queer girl dying for queer girl rep, but I also really enjoyed Nemesis and Tyrus' relationship.
But sadly, I have a problem with this as well… and it's because Sidonia very clearly admits to being in love with Nemesis. Really, she's the only person Donia has had feelings for. She's the only queer character officially stated in the book — and she dies. This is a huge spoiler, I know, it was that death I spoke of earlier. And it's not just once, it's twice.
We're lead to believe that she dies early on in the book which is what brings Nemesis and Tyrus together. Then it turns out she lives, gets reunited with Nemesis and eventually gets killed in order to break Nemesis and Tyrus apart. Like I said, the book is dark and brutal and it's not out of place to kill innocents to further schemes of characters or undermine them… but why did the only queer girl have to die? And why did she have to die just to drive a stake between Nemesis and Tyrus; to further the Plot? I'm sorry, I really did enjoy this book, you can tell by my rating and rambling, but as a queer girl, I am sick of this kind of thing. I deserve more than this.
And maybe it would have been all right — not all right, but not as bad — had THE DIABOLIC just been a standalone. But now there are two more books in this series. I need to be reminded of the fact that I wasn't deemed worthy enough to survive for the rest of the series.
I did enjoy this book. I did. And I probably will continue with the series. But I just… I hate this. It's not fair to me. And it's especially not fair to younger queer girls who are growing up with this kind of narrative.
I started this knowing it was going to be a M/F romance. And when I started reading, I really thought I was in for some serious queerbating so I was over the moon when Sidonia's feelings were confirmed. I mean, I've fallen for allocishet girls before, I know that feeling — that's normal. What's not normal is to be overjoyed with a sliver of rep and then to be killed off a few chapters later.
All in all, this was a gritty, dark novel that I enjoyed but had some problematic content that upset me and I know would upset others.
Until next time,
~Charlotte.x

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.


There are times when a book comes into your life that you think you won’t like, but you somehow end up loving. That book for me was The Diabolic. It has so many elements that I usually dislike: an overpowered heroine, a cocky-on-the-outside-but-soft-and-squishy-on-the-inside hero, the ‘this could all be resolved if we actually sat down and talked about our feelings’ romantic subplot. However, everything came together really well and just works.

Nemesis is a Diabolic. Created to protect a galactic Senator’s daughter, Sidonia. There’s no one Nemesis wouldn’t kill to keep her safe. But when the power-mad Emperor summons Sidonia to the galactic court as a hostage, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia.

She must become her.

Now one of the galaxy’s most dangerous weapons is masquerading in a world of corruption and Nemesis has to hide her true abilities or risk everything. As the Empire begins to fracture and rebellion looms closer, Nemesis learns that there is something stronger than her deadly force: the one thing she’s been told she doesn’t have – humanity. And, amidst all the danger, action and intrigue, her humanity might be the only thing that can save her, Sidonia and the entire Empire…*

The world that Kincaid creates is astonishing. It’s not the kind of gritty sci-fi dystopian world that we are so well acquainted with these days — it is a very different kind of dystopia. The upper classes live on fantastically opulent spacecraft and rule from among the stars. Lesser humans are planet-bound and rely upon the nobility for literally everything — they can never be self-sufficient and therefore can never rebel against the ruling classes.

The best bit for me was the religion and the halt on scientific progress. Study of the sciences is completely banned. So how did they get these ships and the space-faring technology that allows them to rule from above? They’re using the technology left behind by their ancestors — technology that they don’t know how to repair or replicate. These factors come together to create an empire on the brink of collapse and a commentary and warning on certain segments of our own society.

Although the world is interesting and well-written, this novel would have sunk without Nemesis. When the novel opens, we are introduced to the Diabolic, genetically engineered bodyguards that protect only the highest of the nobility. Nemesis is a Diabolic who has been bonded to Sidona, the daughter of a galactic senator. The plot revolves around Nemesis taking Sidonia’s place as a hostage at the emperor’s court. Nemesis is the key that holds the book together. The book is told in first person, so we get her inner thoughts as she struggles to suppress everything she has been created to do. She isn’t the Terminator, running around completely stone-faced and killing everyone in sight. Nor is she hiding a fluffy conscience underneath her hard exterior. She’s a character who struggles with the humanity she was always told she never had. As Sidonia’s double, she is finally treated as an equal rather than an object. She sees the treatment of other genetically manipulated beings under the aristocracy’s control and wants to change things for the better. Nemesis could easily have been a one-dimensional character, but Kincaid makes her so much more.

There is so much more to discover in The Diabolic. From romance, to political back handedness, to betrayal, this book is a fun, fast-paced read that hooked me from the beginning. It is a ridiculous roller coaster of a book that hides a surprising level of humanity and social commentary. It’s an easy story to fall into for anyone looking to begin reading science fiction, but will still please established readers of the genre.

The Diabolic by S J Kincaid is a book that I've wanted for a while now but haven't been able to get my hands on. So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw it on NetGalley. Unfortunately for me, I got it at a busy time so I found myself unable to focus sometimes but that didn't take away from how great this book was.

This is a YA sci-fi book about a genetically engineered girl called Nemesis who was made to protect her owner, Sidonia. Only Sidonia becomes a close friend, one who when is targeted, Nemesis us happy to pretend to be to keep her safe from the Emperor's imprisonment.

What I Liked

I really liked Nemesis as a character. You understood her from the off but were able to watch as she grew. I loved the fact she loved dogs and I loved that she was unapologetic. What I loved, even more, was Nemesis and Sidonia. They were so cute and it was so obvious from the off that Sidonia was in love with Nemesis. I wanted it to happen so bad but I knew it wasn't going to happen. I'm just glad that Sidonia's feelings were voiced. As for the romance that did happen...I did like Tyrus and Nemesis but not as ugh. I felt like we could have seen more of them though so I'll be looking forward to that in book 2.

The world building in the book was good. I liked seeing all the different ships and the planet. I do wish we'd gotten more on the religion and history but again, hoping for that in book 2. I liked the political intrigue and I liked seeing how people could be almost anything.

Finally, I liked Nevani.

What I Didn't Like

I think it was last year that there was a big thing of TV shows burying their gays, especially the female characters. And, spoilers, this book did the same thing and killed off its single lesbian character after she admitted her feelings. It was depressing as hell and as much as I loved the book, I didn't like that.

Kincaid also killed off the adorable pet dog and that was a nope for me as I know it will be for many others.

In general, I really loved the book and I would definitely recommend it to others. I just feel that readers should be warned about certain things.

I thought this book was spectacular. It's non-stop action, with some really creative and gripping ideas and honestly I couldn't put it down or get it out of my head. It starts off as every good book does, you know when you just know that this book is one you'll love? That rare feeling? Well this did it for me, it grabbed me and didn't let go until it crushed me at the end.

The most important thing you need to know is that a Diabolic is someone who is created specifically to protect someone; usually someone of importance. And Diabolics are engineered in such a way that they are bonded to a single person they would do anything to protect. They're also incredible, bad-ass killing machines with super-human strength. What's not to love?

This story focuses on one such Diabolic, Nemesis. Nemesis is bonded to a Senators daughter, Sidonia. Sidonia is an equally likeable character for a multitude of reasons, most notably that she isn't your typical damsel in distress. But Nemesis must impersonate her and travel to the Emperors domain in her place, in order to protect her.

The story moves quickly and is always interesting, but what I liked the most was the wonderful world-building. The setting is unique, but a few of the concepts within are fun and creative. For example, I loved the idea that people altered their appearance (sometimes in all kinds of gruesome manners) in order to look younger, thinner, more attractive or simply to be like someone else. Whilst this might seem shallow, it's actually really well delivered and had lots of potential to put a few twists and turns in the plot. Equally, the nature of Diabolics is explained well and perfectly fleshed out with background explanation to give you an idea of how it works.

There is a romantic element to the book, which becomes more of a focus towards the latter parts of the story. This didn't really interest me as much as Nemesis did as a character by herself, so to me wasn't particularly needed, but it didn't detract from the plot especially.

A really good book - I can't wait to see if the sequel is as good!

I’d actually already bought this book before I requested it on Netgalley, I just hadn't realised. I’m an idiot. I picked it up on the ‘buy one get one half price’ Waterstones table… not the first time I’d popped in for one book and come out with 2 thanks to this offer. Anyway, the ‘how’ isn't important, it’s the ‘why’ I gave a book (which frankly, I was not looking forward to reading,) five stars. Let me explain.
I freaking loved it: from the characters to the world building, to the plot, which just wouldn't let up and (yep, I live for this stuff,) the romance. I’m a sucker for an imperfect romance. The book was sold to me by the sticker on the front, which, stated shamelessly that the heroine was ‘a character to join Celena and Katniss.’ They weren't wrong. Nemesis was every bit as fierce and well rounded as these two characters. She was never going to topple Feyre, but I wasn't promised that, so I’m happy. However, saying that, I didn't like her as much as Celena but that’s purely personal preference so you can choose to ignore me there!
The novel is set in a dystopian society, which is usually a type of book I tend to shy away from. Yet, here I am again, sucked in just as I have been with many other books in a similar ilk. They’re addictive and wonderful and ‘The Diabolic’ was no exception. I flew through this book and loved every second.
It was this protagonist that drew me in and kept me reading, (occasionally even behind the counter at work, but we’ll keep that between us!) Nemesis is a Diabolic; she's ‘programmed’ to protect another human. She is strong, to a fault. But it is never pretended that she's something other than a means of protection and she's ‘bred’ for such a purpose. It’s in her genetic makeup to harm anything that gets in her ‘charge’s’ way. And that’s what she does, whatever the cost. If anyone tries to harm Sidonia, her charge, Nemesis will neutralise the threat by doing whatever she can eliminate it.
One thing I will point out is that this book it brutal from the off. But, saying that, you do see the heroine’s caring side. She doesn't change, not drastically and not in one chapter, but she develops. Her voice never once fails which is something I enjoyed. I didn’t get the sense that when she met her love interest everything about her changed, which is completely refreshing for YA. There are also Female friendships which were given as much sort and ‘page time’ (!!!) as those romantic ones – again, something YA seems to lack, and I will very much enjoy seeing more of!
I am so freaking excited for the next book it’s unreal. I know some reviewers have criticised the choice of developing this into a trilogy, but I for one am thrilled.

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy.

All I can say is wow! I've been in a bit of a reading funk lately yet I managed 'Diabolic' in one sitting. Nemesis is a diabolic, a genetically engineered humanoid designed to protect her master at all costs. What she shouldn't feel is human emotions beyond devotion to her master but her thoughts about the world and her place in it are challenged when she is sent to the Emperor as a hostage masquerading as her master. Set in space far in the future in a world reminiscent of ancient Rome, 'Diabolic' is a book that will have you riveted from beginning to end.

The Diabolic is one of my favourite YA novels of the year. Set in a galatic setting with Greco-roman influences and a dystopian flair, Nemesis must travel to the Emperor's court in the guise of a Senator's daughter in order to keep said Senator's daughter safe.

I've heard Nemesis being compared to Katniss Everdeen and Celaena Sardothien but I felt there were more similarities with Lada Dragwyla because they are both vicious and I loved reading about every second of their viciousness. I'm simultaneously kicking myself for not discovering The Diabolic earlier and yearning for The Empress.

I received this book from Netgalley a little while ago and finally got around to reading it this evening.

This is set in a futuristic world where AI is prevalent. Creatures called Diabolics were created by humans to protect and love only one person (those who they are purchased for). Nemesis will protect Sidonia at any cost, even her own life.

I loved the writing in this book and I thought the plot and overall idea was really good too, very original for the most part.

Kincaid crafts the plot beautifully in order to toy with the reader. My initial thoughts were that the book would develop into a love story as soon as Nemesis met Tyrus. Which in part was an accurate prediction, however a lot more happened.

I truly believed Tyrus was guilty when the electrodes happened but hadn't been convinced before that. Also the plot twist with Sidonia I didn't see coming at all!!

I feel like there should have been more build up between Tyrus and Nemesis because all of a sudden they seemed to be in love. I also think that we're lacking some answers in terms of Nemesis' ability to love - was it there all along or is she special?

Definitely worth a read and I believe there is another book in this series!

This is one of those novels where, within about ten pages you know exactly what you're getting. That is by no means a bad thing in this case, there's a certain comfort to predictability. I could tell from the off that I was getting a pretty standard YA main character, even if Nemesis is by definition not a standard young adult.

Having said that, I can see why this concept has grabbed people. The idea of someone designed not to feel (or to only feel for one person) becoming something so much more than they were originally intended is one of those stories that captures the imaginations of quite a lot of people. There's something almost Beauty and the Beast about the transformation. A 'well who'd've thought they had it in them?' shall we say.

The writing in this book was, as I say, pretty standard YA. There are some incredibly cool concepts within though. My personal favourite was the idea of a ball held in zero gravity, clearly the author had thought about what that meant and all the things it would entail, right down to the shoes you would wear in that scenario. There's an attention to detail in this book that surprised and delighted me. You all know I like a well thought out world.

The plot of this was, in my opinion, not particularly surprising, but that didn't make it bad. It was interesting seeing how the things I had predicted played out.

Finishing this book reminded me of the feeling I got when I finished The Hunger Games way back when I was a teenager. There's that release of emotion as you get to the finish but also a huge sense of anticipation for the sequel, which thankfully releases pretty soon!

All in all, this is a really strong YA sci fi novel. It's got a great concept and it has something very reminiscent of other great YA books I have read in the past.

My rating: 4/5 stars

By the way, I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

An amazing read, one I couldn't put down once I started it. It's a fascinating look into the future. I loved that it was all from inside Nemisis' head, all from her point of view. I always enjoy seeing what not quite humans think of us. I was very upset by poor Donia...not the first time, I was fairly sure she was still alive then, but the second time. I liked the ending, too, Tyrus' clever plan. I'd love to know what happened next, how they reshaped the world.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book.

Another YA entry beckons, this time for fantasy. As I love both, I’m definitely not complaining- and The Diabolic was a great read. Combining fantasy, sci-fi, romance and action into one story, its strong heroine and twisting plot practically begged to be read in one sitting.
Fortunately, I did. The Diabolic takes place in the far-flung future, a dystopia where humans have colonised the stars, and conquered everything from genetic engineering to space travel. Nemesis is the product of this engineering. She is a Diabolic, a bloodthirsty test-tube warrior raised to be the bodyguard of an influential senator’s daughter, and as such she is not supposed to feel anything but absolute loyalty to her employer: to the point of murder. As the story takes place from Nemesis’ point of view, we are immediately plunged into her frame of mind.
Though at first it makes for uncomfortable reading- especially as she kills people without doubt, or guilt afterwards- Nemesis’ gradual development as a character takes place so gradually, and delicately, that by the end you really do believe her transformation into a person capable of love, fear and sadness rather than outright bloodlust. She’s a strong, determined heroine that absolutely capable of kicking ass in her own right, which I love. Kincaid also delicately raises some interesting points about humanity: Nemesis is genetically engineered, so does she have a soul? She is effectively a slave, seen as inferior by the rest of the Empire, so what happens when she starts to feel- and want- things for herself?
Though she’s been engineered to be a killer, Nemesis’ one weakness is Sidonia, the Senator’s daughter to whom she is bonded- and whom Nemesis impersonates when Sidonia is summoned to the Emperor’s court, a maze of treacherous courtiers and even more treacherous politics. Watching blunt, tactless Nemesis navigate the court makes for some hilarious reading, especially when she takes on the snakes and gossips of the court, and tangles with the heir, Prince Tyrus, whom, it is rumoured, is mad. (Spoiler: he’s not.) Their relationship is for me one of the highlights of the novel: watching them carefully circle each other, suspect each other, and double-bluff each other is genuinely exciting, and makes the romance that grows out of it, in time with Nemesis’ emerging humanity, feel organic and natural.
The second highlight was the setting of the novel. The author creates an unusual, exciting space-world where planet-dwellers are viewed with suspicion, and people live in vast, interconnected spaceships where they hold anti-gravity balls, create genetically modified creatures to fight each other for fun, and race spaceships around the nearest stars. The world-building is great, and the court really does feel like a decadent, treacherous place where anything could happen- even in space.
The Diabolic is an interesting, engaging YA read that combines sci-fi with romance into a page-turner. For people who like their books with a whole lot of heart, this is the one to read.

Fantastic start to a new series! The Diabolic is brutal and violent with political intrigue, action, romance, and twists mind games. The characters are incredible - full of complexity and just so compelling. The world-building is outstanding and vivid. You can imagine this galactic empire perfectly. There is no dispute that this would make a blockbuster movie. It perfectly blends the fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian genres. The description "Game of Thrones in space" is more than accurate. If you've been looking for the next great YA series, this is it. Be sure to check out The Diabolic today!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Despite a slightly clunky start, the Diabolic moves swiftly into a fast paced and twisting tale of what makes us human? what makes us humane? with all the trappings of a far future sci-fi society. The Empire is corrupt - most are - but this one is rotting from the inside, the Grandiloquy (the aristocracy) are refusing to see that they are heading for a societal collapse, instead amusing themselves with fashions, intrigues, narcotics, blood sports and other dissipations both petty and cruel. In that aspect there is a hint of Capitol from the Hunger Games but this book really is a different animal.

Our viewpoint MC is Nemesis, a diabolic bred and reared in the corrals to be stronger, faster and many hundreds of times more deadly than a human, but not to actually be human. Conditioned to fight and kill but not to feel by genetecists who have, like most scientists of the empire, lost touch with the progress of science and instead rely on past discoveries without seeking to fully understand or improve on them. In part this is due to a repressive and Empire sanctioned religion based on unthinking worship of the great cosmos. Diabolics are conditioned to love and protect just one person and Nemesus is bonded to the heir of the Impyrean senatorship, Sidonia. But when Nemesis is ordered to take the place of her master at court, the story really kicks into gear and we follow her journey as she struggles to reconcile herself with the conditioning she us being forced to break.

This is a fascinating and somewhat snarky look at our most privileged section of society today and also shines an unforgiving light on the idea of people as possessions. If you've always been taught to think you're owned and then suddenly you're treated as if you are autonomous is that what makes you free? Or do you need to reclaim that freedom and the responsibility that goes with it from within?

I really don't want to spoil this for anyone. Suffice to say that while there are examples of extreme brutality and cruelty in this story, there are also small shining moments of unconditional kindness as well. There are few likeable characters at court which really is a nest of scorpians, but it serves to make the few truly decent (notice I say decent not good - this book has a serious body count) stand out even more. I found the romance believable and painful - it was never going to be without doubt. The friendships were engaging. My only gripes were that one particular death cleared the way a bit too conveniently (it might just be me) and the ending happened so fast. It wasn't rushed but it was sudden. Most of all I enjoyed the way that in the end this book was about celebrating intelligence and compassion, wanting a better future and reaching for it. I'm glad it was a stand alone novel but I could have easily read more.

This is YA that pulls no punches with its themes and is still an engaging story.