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A review by justine_ao
Binary by Stephanie Saulter
4.0
The setting in Binary is some years after the events of [b:Gemsigns|17350538|Gemsigns (®Evolution, #1)|Stephanie Saulter|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1360600426s/17350538.jpg|24092177], and society is still settling into what it means to accept gems as full and equal members of society. There are still problems within the gem community as well. In particular, the issue of reproduction is complicated by the highly engineered state of gems, and there are the personal moral questions of how much intervention to do even if they are able to access the care they need to achieve a viable pregnancy. Bel'Natur, a former powerhouse gemtech, seems willing to help with that problem in exchange for some help with their research into a new infotech product they want to bring to market.
This time around the emphasis is more on the characters than the worldbuilding, which is basically in place from [b:Gemsigns|17350538|Gemsigns (®Evolution, #1)|Stephanie Saulter|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1360600426s/17350538.jpg|24092177]. That said, the characters in Binary are both richer and more subtle than they were in the first book. Interspersed with the story are flashback sections that flesh out the history of two of the main characters, which by the end of the book makes both seem far more substantial and human. All of this is woven through what becomes a very intense story of corporate black-ops and intrigue.
[b:Gemsigns|17350538|Gemsigns (®Evolution, #1)|Stephanie Saulter|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1360600426s/17350538.jpg|24092177] focused on the question of what makes us human. In a way, Binary asks what is needed for our human life to be a life worth living. Is it companionship? Children and family? Building a legacy? Love? Whatever it is, it isn't the past, but the future, that holds the promise of something better.
The past was indeed another country, full of peril and doubt; and she had been moving so fast for so long she had failed to notice how far she had left it behind.
Stephanie Saulter continues to impress in this second book and her already evident skill as a writer has clearly grown. If you liked [b:Gemsigns|17350538|Gemsigns (®Evolution, #1)|Stephanie Saulter|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1360600426s/17350538.jpg|24092177], you should be very pleased with Binary.
This time around the emphasis is more on the characters than the worldbuilding, which is basically in place from [b:Gemsigns|17350538|Gemsigns (®Evolution, #1)|Stephanie Saulter|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1360600426s/17350538.jpg|24092177]. That said, the characters in Binary are both richer and more subtle than they were in the first book. Interspersed with the story are flashback sections that flesh out the history of two of the main characters, which by the end of the book makes both seem far more substantial and human. All of this is woven through what becomes a very intense story of corporate black-ops and intrigue.
[b:Gemsigns|17350538|Gemsigns (®Evolution, #1)|Stephanie Saulter|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1360600426s/17350538.jpg|24092177] focused on the question of what makes us human. In a way, Binary asks what is needed for our human life to be a life worth living. Is it companionship? Children and family? Building a legacy? Love? Whatever it is, it isn't the past, but the future, that holds the promise of something better.
The past was indeed another country, full of peril and doubt; and she had been moving so fast for so long she had failed to notice how far she had left it behind.
Stephanie Saulter continues to impress in this second book and her already evident skill as a writer has clearly grown. If you liked [b:Gemsigns|17350538|Gemsigns (®Evolution, #1)|Stephanie Saulter|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1360600426s/17350538.jpg|24092177], you should be very pleased with Binary.