Caught in the middle of a corporation war, teens Kady Grant and Ezra Mason are forced to flee their home planet after being attacked. Thrust into a battle of their own, they must fight their way through the deceptions of the fleet’s Artificial Intelligence, which should be protecting them, and a deadly virus.

Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff’s captivating first sci-fi novel, “Illuminae,” propels readers into the far reaches of the universe.

Packed with suspense, action, and a hint of romance in 599 pages, this book is well worth the read.

People who do not enjoy reading traditional novels are likely to love this series from the authors’ unique writing style that continuously keeps readers interested through encrypted files, emails, documents, and notes to determine the true meaning of the events.

Often times, words are crossed or blacked out and files are given out of context. The true meaning of these hidden details are gradually explained as the story unravels. This format and style is rarely seen in novels and greatly adds to the enthralling storyline.

Exes, Kady and Ezra are very well developed and connect well with readers. Kady is a 16-year-old who loves her father unconditionally, despite him always being away on business. Meanwhile, Ezra is a star athlete who will do anything to protect his home planet of Kerenza. As everyday teens, they give readers a connection to the story in an otherwise far-fetched series of events.

Although I learned to love this book, in the beginning, I found it quite difficult to comprehend the exact storyline from the lack of details given, making it hard to figure out what was happening.

While it might a painful first 100 pages, reading the story is worth it. Additionally, this novel is not a light read and involves a lot of deductive skills and patience. Because of this, I would only recommend this book to teens and adults.

“Illuminae” is only the first installment of a trilogy. The sequel called “Gemina,” gives readers a look into what is happening in a space station that’s facing its own problems due to the war. New characters Hanna and Nik must save their own space station. These events take place at the same time as the first book, but the story is set in a different location. “Gemina” is even longer than the first novel at 659 pages. The second book is beautifully written and I strongly recommend it to those who enjoyed the first.

The third book, dubbed “Obsidio,” is set to be released March 18, 2018. I recommend keeping an eye out for the final installment, as it will tie together the first two books and combine both sets of characters and plot.

Overall, I think that this is an amazing series and anyone who’s interested in heart-stopping, action-packed adventures should give this series a try.