Review: The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid

We take a look at S.J. Kincaid’s latest book, a YA novel that stands all by itself, and see what we like and don’t like about it.

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers published The Diabolic, by S.J. Kincaid. That may be the only reason I can confidently call it a YA, because this book has plenty of crossover appeal. Well, that and the fact that it has characters in their teens as the protagonists.

You’ll notice we use protagonists rather than hero and heroine. Nemesis and Tyrus don’t act like your typical YA heroes, and that’s not a bad thing.

Before we get further: Nemesis is a Diabolic, sort-of-but-not-really a person, engineered to be strong and devoted to just one person, Sidonia. When Sidonia’s father, a galactic senator, defies the emperor, the emperor summons Sidonia to court. Nemesis goes instead, masquerading as her mistress and finding herself more human than she ever thought possible.

In other words, she must be the serpent ‘neath the flower.

Overall, we give The Diabolic 4/5 stars and a very hearty recommendation, on the basis of its clever world-building and characters.

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The Good

Nemesis and Tyrus are some of the more engaging protagonists I’ve encountered in YA as of late. Tyrus, in particular, works very well as a protagonist aware of the consequences his actions might take. He balances Nemesis’ general desire to punch her way through everything she can (and she can punch her way through a lot). Meanwhile, their partnership, though fraught at times, sizzles with chemistry.

Nemesis, meanwhile, spends plenty of time somewhat oblivious to the feelings that she experiences — and to the feelings others might have. While that’s not necessarily new, the plot manages to actually justify the obliviousness. Nemesis simply doesn’t know about feelings because she didn’t have to bother with them as a Diabolic serving Sidonia.

The official summary of this book compares it to Red Queen and to The Hunger Games. However, Red Rising feels like a better comparison. The twists and turns in the decadent court called the Chrysanthemum keep a reader guessing, much like that series did. Moreover, the novel does not shy away from showing just what the emperor and other assorted antagonists are actually capable of.

Also, the idea of showing what happens after people start to lose the knowledge of the space technology that fuels the empire actually feels fresh and novel. More often than not, tech just whizzes on in the background, with problems only when the plot demands some extra tension. Here, its use — and its failures — play not-insignificant portions in the story.

The Not-So-Good

The Diabolic isn’t necessarily hefty in terms of page count. Goodreads says 416 pages. However, it can feel slow at times because of all the plotting and maneuvering that Tyrus and Nemesis must execute. If you like that sort of thing, you won’t mind much; if you don’t, you’ll certainly mind. Moves and countermoves dominate a significant portion of the narrative, punctuated by brief instances of violence.

And here is where some readers looking for a generally bloodless (or very gently written but still quite bloody) YA sci-fi novel may be turned off. Nemesis, even weakened to aid the illusion that she’s not a Diabolic, possesses a lot of strength. She shows that strength often. Blood gushes everywhere. Yours truly didn’t mind it, but did have to put down the book at one point late in the work and exclaim loudly while wondering how this got published as a YA novel. No swearing, probably.

Finally, although Nemesis does have to come to grips with her feelings, the choice to narrate in first person seemed like it occasionally did the story a disservice. “I knew” shows up a lot and occasionally jars the reader out of the narrative.

The Recommendation

Give this one a read. Don’t be scared off by the YA classification, be prepared for blood, and give yourself plenty of time to read it. Savor this one, since it’s a standalone to my knowledge.

Next: 11 Non-Fiction Books about Famous Women to Read

You can find The Diabolic at your bookseller of choice.