True character development is best achieved through understanding and change, and Nemesis goes through some great emotional developments that really affect her and alter her world view. She is a non-human who must pretend to be human, and in the course of doing so, learns what it means to be human. But Nemesis also has some of the best character development I’ve read in a while. It isn’t just the literal definition of strong, which is true she was trained to fight and kill, so she is obviously strong. “Strong female character” is an oft overused trope – and usually a misnomer – but Nemesis could be described as such. Nemesis was undoubtedly the best thing about The Diabolic, so thankfully she is the main character. Now Nemesis must masquerade as human and navigate the dangers of court, where her discovery will mean not only her death, but possibly Sidonia and her family’s as well.

When Sidonia is summoned to court, her mother concocts a plan to send Nemesis in her place. The main protagonist of The Diabolic is Nemesis, a diabolic who was made for Sidonia, the daughter of a galactic senator whose revolutionary ideas have made him the target of the royal family and its supporters. A Diabolic has a single task: Kill in order to protect the person you’ve been created for.

They are created and go through a frankly brutal training before they are “bonded” to one individual – and they will do whatever they need to in order to protect that individual.Ī Diabolic is ruthless. Kincaid, diabolics are humanoids specifically engineered for the sole purpose of protection. The Diabolic is a futuristic sci-fi dystopian political thriller with an interesting premise and a slightly flawed execution.

The diabolic nemesis