Caenogenesis is the debut novel by Tasha He, a dystopian sci-fi epic set in Ignis, a city-state after a nuclear war. Book 1 of The Gemini Files, the title may seem a slightly confusing choice at first, but it apparently refers to developmental changes that deviate from ancestral evolution, essentially, abnormal development. I’ll be honest, I had to look that one up (and I thought I had a good vocab). It’s the kind of title that makes more sense the deeper you get into the story. And this is a story that will have no problem holding your attention, throwing the reader right into the action.
In the book’s world of Ignis, the gleaming Inner Ring is where the elite live, and then there’s Retro Ignis, the grungy outer districts where gangs run things and people barely scrape by. It’s a set-up that gives major Hunger Games district vibes. Kraken is a genetically enhanced rebel trying to survive in Retro Ignis while working to undermine the city’s corrupt power structure. Yin, the second of the book’s main protagonists, is a lab-engineered soldier called “Project Gemini” who escapes when her Creator’s facility gets raided. She’s drugged, disoriented, and let loose in the worst parts of the city. That’s where she runs into Kraken, who is fleeing his old gang, the Metal Vultures.
Their first meeting is a proper fight. Kraken thinks Yin might be an android he can salvage for parts (or a sex bot). She wakes up and nearly kills him. When the gang catches up, they’re forced to work together. What starts as survival gradually becomes an odd partnership. From there, the alliance deepens as Kraken offers her a place to stay, a “home”, a word that unsettles her. Before long, Yin and Kraken will become embroiled in an unlikely adventure, as the corrupt political forces that created her begin closing in, setting the stage for drama and action alike.
I really appreciated how much care and thought clearly went into the worldbuilding. There’s lots of little details, like how everyone has identity chips implanted at birth that track everything from your bank account, and ads that get projected directly into your vision through these eye implants called com-tacts, and the fact that no one’s seen the sun since the war. The world of the book is clearly dark, but there’s humor to it as well that keeps the story from feeling too bleak. Every chapter starts with an illustration of the POV character, which is a nice touch and keeps things clear.
He’s writing has personality and a knack for making you want to see what happens to the characters. Instead of just saying “he blushed,” we get, “Heat burned Kraken’s cheeks as he glared at his friend.” The prose moves at a good clip, knows when to slow down for the emotional beats, and the action scenes focus on tactics and consequences rather than just violence for its own sake. The book feels very well-edited and put together, like something that easily could have come out of a traditional publishing house. There is little to nothing in the way of typos or errors.
Yin is my favorite character. Watching her try to make sense of human behavior is pretty funny. When they go to this burger joint called Cheeseburgers in Paradise, she studies the menu before announcing, “I will order the Vegan Hippie Hash. It consists primarily of starches but includes a variety of vegetables. It represents the least nutritionally catastrophic option available.” She takes everything literally in a way that feels like someone on the spectrum. Someone says they have a “hollow leg” and she’s confused about the anatomy. These moments are funny, sure, but watching her slowly grapple with concepts like “home” and “friend” gives the book its emotional weight.
The relationship between Yin and Kraken is the heart of the book, and seeing the push and pull of their two personalities is fun to read. Yin operates on pure efficiency and logic, the opposite to Kraken. When Kraken mercy-kills his enemy Markus to end his suffering, she can’t understand why you’d show compassion to an enemy. There’s this moment in the sewers where she bandages his injured ankle, then explains it’s purely logical because infections are dangerous. As Kraken wonders if this is her version of concern, the subtext of growing feelings is obvious.
The conflict of the story, namely all the dystopian political stuff adds tension and layers, keeping the story rolling forward. It gave me both Star Wars and Borderlands vibes. There’s this resistance group called the Outsiders trying to take down the corrupt government. There’s also failed military experiments that led to people like Kraken. Various political factions fighting for control and then there’s Aja, the main antagonist who wants Yin back. Reading our book’s two main characters as they navigate this mess while trying to stay alive is a treat.
My one real complaint is that I would’ve loved a glossary. There are so many terms, such as Recombinant, Project Prometheus, R.R.C.A., Revivalists, Traditionalists, that keeping track occasionally got overwhelming. A quick reference guide at the back would’ve been helpful. Otherwise, the book is fairly long and leaves quite a lot hanging for the sequel, so readers looking for a self-contained or quick read should probably look elsewhere.
To sum up, this is a smart, character-focused sci-fi novel and an epic adventure that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Yin’s journey from weapon to whatever she’s becoming is beautifully explored, and the world and adventure of the book is immersive to get lost in. If you liked Blade Runner, Never Let Me Go, or The Hunger Games, you’ll probably enjoy this. Just be ready to immediately want book two of The Gemini Files, because this one ends right when things are about to get really interesting.
Final verdict: For fans of Veronica Roth, Isaac Asimov and Suzanne Collins, I highly recommend this book. Caenogenesis hits that sweet spot between philosophical sci-fi and dystopian thriller, and its page-turning prose and lovable characters will keep you turning pages well into the night.
Thanks to the author for the ARC, and you can preorder Caenogenesis here, out April 14!
