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Sirantha Jax #2
Wanderlust
Broke and unemployed, "Jumper" Sirantha Jax accepts a diplomatic mission for the government- only to find herself up against Syndicate criminals, man-eating aliens, and her own grimspaceweakened body.
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First published August 26, 2008
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About the author
Ann Aguirre
78 books7,034 followersNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Ann Aguirre has been a clown, a clerk, a savior of stray kittens, and a voice actress, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in Mexico with her family. She writes all kinds of genre fiction, but she has an eternal soft spot for a happily ever after.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 515 reviews
June 4, 2020
BR with my MacHalo Freaks Shelly & Jaime starting next week. No wait. Make that yesterday .
See this girl right there ↑↑↑? This is the fangirl in me right now. And you should consider your dear little selves blessed by Mother Mary of Anabolic Grace at the moment. You know, roll over, thank your lucky stars and all that. Because given this poor fangirl's pitiful state, you won't be getting the OMG-this-is-awesome, 2-hour long version of this review .
No. I will not go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about how amazing-fantastic-exhausting-nerve racking-brilliant-exasperating-awesome-maddening-astonishing-heart stopping-stressful-infuriating-astonishing-sad-funny-exciting Wanderlust is. No I won't. Now rejoice.
Oh I had this review all planned in my little head when I started reading this book: drink too muchalcohol coffee, unleash the fangirl in me, let the crazy out… I took 20 pages of notes while I was reading, highlighted like a maniac… Same old same old. Ha! The problem is, I'm spent right now. Exhausted. A nervous wreck. Pretty scary to look at. I don't think my own mother would recognize me at this point. And I don't care if this is the least informative review in the history of uninformative reviews. If you want to know what this book is about you will just have to read it. Muahahahaha you know where this is going don't you? No? So happy to refresh your memory: Because YES you are going to read this book. Whether you want to or not. And you are going to give this book a 5-star rating. Because I said so. It's not like you have a choice or anything. Whoever said this was a democracy?
Okay, I guess I'm supposed to say something about the book right? Besides the fact that it's amazing-fantastic-exhausting-nerve racking-brilliant-exasperating-awesome-maddening-astonishing STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT! OMG someone let the crazy fangirl out! Quick! Put her away before it's too late and GR membership starts plummeting again! Sorry about that, I thought she was too exhausted to make an appearance but I guess I greatly underestimated this series' effect on her. So, where were we? Oh yes, I was supposed to tell you something about the book. Right.
Well it looks like it really is your lucky day because I'm actually about to tell you several things about the book :
① Book 1 was pure fun. This one is pure angst. Well, it has its funny moments and great dialogues but the mood isn't as light as in Grimspace. Haha this is probably the understatement of the year right there. Wanderlust is much darker, sometimes enraging, many times heart-breaking, always exciting and stressful as hell. Just how I like it.
② Jax is a freaking mess. And I still love her. No matter what. Don't listen to the party poopers <-- don't be scared people, this isn't really a spoiler <-- you should know by now that my spoilers are usually non-spoilerish <-- unless I add a spoiler tag to warn you that the spoiler tag you are about to click on is potentially spoilerish <-- still with me? Good.
⑧ March is no comment. Because reasons.
④ The Awesome Crew is still awesome. Now much improved! With new awesome characters! Dina! Vel! Jael! Hit! Constance! Hahaha Constance!
⑤ Jax is a freaking mess. And I still love her. No matter what <-- YES, I know this was awesome fact # ②.
.
✔ That is all.
✔ Doubleblind awaits
✔ Bye now.
‧ Book 1: Grimspace ★★★★★
‧ Book 3: Doubleblind ★★★★★
‧ Book 4:Killbox ★★★★★
‧ Book 5: Aftermath ★
‧ Book 6: Endgame ★ (DNF at 20%)
See this girl right there ↑↑↑? This is the fangirl in me right now. And you should consider your dear little selves blessed by Mother Mary of Anabolic Grace at the moment. You know, roll over, thank your lucky stars and all that. Because given this poor fangirl's pitiful state, you won't be getting the OMG-this-is-awesome, 2-hour long version of this review .
No. I will not go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about how amazing-fantastic-exhausting-nerve racking-brilliant-exasperating-awesome-maddening-astonishing-heart stopping-stressful-infuriating-astonishing-sad-funny-exciting Wanderlust is. No I won't. Now rejoice.
Oh I had this review all planned in my little head when I started reading this book: drink too much
Okay, I guess I'm supposed to say something about the book right? Besides the fact that it's amazing-fantastic-exhausting-nerve racking-brilliant-exasperating-awesome-maddening-astonishing STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT! OMG someone let the crazy fangirl out! Quick! Put her away before it's too late and GR membership starts plummeting again! Sorry about that, I thought she was too exhausted to make an appearance but I guess I greatly underestimated this series' effect on her. So, where were we? Oh yes, I was supposed to tell you something about the book. Right.
Well it looks like it really is your lucky day because I'm actually about to tell you several things about the book :
① Book 1 was pure fun. This one is pure angst. Well, it has its funny moments and great dialogues but the mood isn't as light as in Grimspace. Haha this is probably the understatement of the year right there. Wanderlust is much darker, sometimes enraging, many times heart-breaking, always exciting and stressful as hell. Just how I like it.
② Jax is a freaking mess. And I still love her. No matter what. Don't listen to the party poopers <-- don't be scared people, this isn't really a spoiler <-- you should know by now that my spoilers are usually non-spoilerish <-- unless I add a spoiler tag to warn you that the spoiler tag you are about to click on is potentially spoilerish <-- still with me? Good.
⑧ March is no comment. Because reasons.
④ The Awesome Crew is still awesome. Now much improved! With new awesome characters! Dina! Vel! Jael! Hit! Constance! Hahaha Constance!
⑤ Jax is a freaking mess. And I still love her. No matter what <-- YES, I know this was awesome fact # ②.
“I am the fucking butterfly, causing ripples everywhere I go.”
.✔ That is all.
✔ Doubleblind awaits
✔ Bye now.
‧ Book 1: Grimspace ★★★★★
‧ Book 3: Doubleblind ★★★★★
‧ Book 4:Killbox ★★★★★
‧ Book 5: Aftermath ★
‧ Book 6: Endgame ★ (DNF at 20%)
March 17, 2015
Buddy read with some of the more impatient and OCD MacHalo Girls , Sh3lly and Liz. Some of the other MacHalo girls will follow next week.
I completely fell in love with Sirantha Jax in Grimspace and totally dived headfirst into Wanderlust expecting that love to grow and bloom for Jax into something of epic proportions. The only problem is that most of the things that I found so fantastic about her before tended to grate on my nerves a bit as she went to a few extremes. I get it everything wrapped up very nicely in Grimspace and so the author needed to shake some stuff up but I was not a fan of the direction of the Jax and subsequently March arcs…I’ll get back to that because first I want to talk about the things that were still awesome.
❀Supporting Characters❀
The thing that made this book for me was really the supporting cast. They really shined and made me forget sometimes that I was really mad a Jax and her stupid ‘I don’t need anyone I must work everything out on my own’ attitude.
✤ Vel - the shapeshifting mimicking bug like creature stole almost every scene he was in. He is the most honorable of all the crew and performs the role of cultural tutor to Jax on her upcoming role as ambassador to the bug people of Ithiss-Tor. Vel is badass and comes in handy in a fight as always not to mention he has computer skills that are out of this world.
✤ Dina – is again a great female character. She is tough and strong and even though she lost so much in her past life she makes every moment of this one count. She also has more mac-daddy skills than Joey from friends.
Seriously she makes even straight girls come running. I love how loyal Dina is to the people she considers friends and at the same time she isn’t all mushy and gushy…nope nothing so lame Dina is who she is and if that means she flips you off from time to time well that is just her way of showing affection.
✤ Jael – is a new addition to the crew and it seems that he has quite an interesting past that make him a perfect fit for our rag-tag crew of misfits. He is pretty but don’t let that handsome face fool you he has some brains and deadly skills under that good looking façade. It seems though that Jael might have a few secrets that could creep out in one of the next books and I’m totally ready to learn what really makes him tick.
✤ Hit – is another great female character. She is some sort of deadly assassin that will probably come into play a little more in the future. It seems the syndicate is a little afraid of her so I’m glad she is on our team at least for now it seems.
✤ AI-245 – I have a secret love of AIs that seem to develop personalities greater than their programming, I blame R2D2 and Weebo from Flubber for this. She is completely interesting and I love the direction the author is taking with her character. It will be interesting to see now that she is a bit more mobile how much her character can do in upcoming installments.
✿The Story✿
Overall this seemed like a transition book to me. Everything was tied up so well in Grimspace that I wasn’t really ready for it all to become so broken again so fast. Basically the premise is that Jax is being sent with Vel and crew on a diplomatic mission to forge an alliance with the Bug People of Ithiss-Tor. It doesn’t take long for everything Jax touches to really just blow up in her face. Nothing goes right from the beginning as it appears that for as many people that want her to succeed there are just as many that want her to fail, and those people are not above killing her.
The thing I really like about these books is that there is a lot of action constantly happening as all these things are going wrong. Jax is always in some sort of danger or crisis and it makes it a lot of fun to read. I get drawn in and I’m not ashamed to admit that even though I hated the Jax/March trope, yes, I’ll still get to that, I finished the entire book in a day as I couldn’t put it down. Everything moves along so fast and some situations are funny and others are just dire but all are entertaining.
….And Finally we come to the part I hated ღRocky Relationship Roadღ:
Who are these people???what happened to the March and Jax from Grimspace???
❤March❤ - became two very different people in this book. The extremes were so extraordinary in the beginning he is really needy and later in the book he was almost completely detached. Talk about flopping around. At first I wondered if it would be too mushy with dialogue like
But there is no fear of that since it doesn’t take long before Jax needs to have space and time to deal with her issues.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the health issues given to Jax in this either. I liked how strong and wreckless she was in Grimspace but here she is a shadow of that and almost fragile. The way she pushes March away, hurting him, so she wouldn’t hurt him more…bleh I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. I get the direction of the story and it is building how will she save herself and be the Jax of old, but I seriously hope that it doesn’t last that long.
So then there is the uncaring March who
So pretty much I just blame Jax for stupid relationship drama.
Normally all the angsty relationship stuff would have ruined this for me to the point I’d give it 2 stars. But the supporting cast and all the crazy situations plus the twist toward the end, , made everything else so great that I’m going to let it go ahead and give it a solid 4 star rating.
Sometimes the truth doesn’t set you free; it just presents a different set of problems
I completely fell in love with Sirantha Jax in Grimspace and totally dived headfirst into Wanderlust expecting that love to grow and bloom for Jax into something of epic proportions. The only problem is that most of the things that I found so fantastic about her before tended to grate on my nerves a bit as she went to a few extremes. I get it everything wrapped up very nicely in Grimspace and so the author needed to shake some stuff up but I was not a fan of the direction of the Jax and subsequently March arcs…I’ll get back to that because first I want to talk about the things that were still awesome.
❀Supporting Characters❀
The thing that made this book for me was really the supporting cast. They really shined and made me forget sometimes that I was really mad a Jax and her stupid ‘I don’t need anyone I must work everything out on my own’ attitude.
✤ Vel - the shapeshifting mimicking bug like creature stole almost every scene he was in. He is the most honorable of all the crew and performs the role of cultural tutor to Jax on her upcoming role as ambassador to the bug people of Ithiss-Tor. Vel is badass and comes in handy in a fight as always not to mention he has computer skills that are out of this world.
✤ Dina – is again a great female character. She is tough and strong and even though she lost so much in her past life she makes every moment of this one count. She also has more mac-daddy skills than Joey from friends.
Seriously she makes even straight girls come running. I love how loyal Dina is to the people she considers friends and at the same time she isn’t all mushy and gushy…nope nothing so lame Dina is who she is and if that means she flips you off from time to time well that is just her way of showing affection.
✤ Jael – is a new addition to the crew and it seems that he has quite an interesting past that make him a perfect fit for our rag-tag crew of misfits. He is pretty but don’t let that handsome face fool you he has some brains and deadly skills under that good looking façade. It seems though that Jael might have a few secrets that could creep out in one of the next books and I’m totally ready to learn what really makes him tick.
✤ Hit – is another great female character. She is some sort of deadly assassin that will probably come into play a little more in the future. It seems the syndicate is a little afraid of her so I’m glad she is on our team at least for now it seems.
✤ AI-245 – I have a secret love of AIs that seem to develop personalities greater than their programming, I blame R2D2 and Weebo from Flubber for this. She is completely interesting and I love the direction the author is taking with her character. It will be interesting to see now that she is a bit more mobile how much her character can do in upcoming installments.
✿The Story✿
Overall this seemed like a transition book to me. Everything was tied up so well in Grimspace that I wasn’t really ready for it all to become so broken again so fast. Basically the premise is that Jax is being sent with Vel and crew on a diplomatic mission to forge an alliance with the Bug People of Ithiss-Tor. It doesn’t take long for everything Jax touches to really just blow up in her face. Nothing goes right from the beginning as it appears that for as many people that want her to succeed there are just as many that want her to fail, and those people are not above killing her.
The thing I really like about these books is that there is a lot of action constantly happening as all these things are going wrong. Jax is always in some sort of danger or crisis and it makes it a lot of fun to read. I get drawn in and I’m not ashamed to admit that even though I hated the Jax/March trope, yes, I’ll still get to that, I finished the entire book in a day as I couldn’t put it down. Everything moves along so fast and some situations are funny and others are just dire but all are entertaining.
….And Finally we come to the part I hated ღRocky Relationship Roadღ:
Who are these people???what happened to the March and Jax from Grimspace???
❤March❤ - became two very different people in this book. The extremes were so extraordinary in the beginning he is really needy and later in the book he was almost completely detached. Talk about flopping around. At first I wondered if it would be too mushy with dialogue like
A shudder runs through him. “Sometimes I’m afraid I’ll wake up and you won’t be here.”
Part of me—the part that’s still raw over losing Kai— wants to back away from such unabashed need. I’m afraid I can’t handle it, that I’ll hurt him again like I did on Gehenna. Part of me needs him every bit as much, though. I’m afraid of that, too. I wasn’t always such a contrary bundle of fears
But there is no fear of that since it doesn’t take long before Jax needs to have space and time to deal with her issues.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the health issues given to Jax in this either. I liked how strong and wreckless she was in Grimspace but here she is a shadow of that and almost fragile. The way she pushes March away, hurting him, so she wouldn’t hurt him more…bleh I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. I get the direction of the story and it is building how will she save herself and be the Jax of old, but I seriously hope that it doesn’t last that long.
So then there is the uncaring March who
So pretty much I just blame Jax for stupid relationship drama.
Normally all the angsty relationship stuff would have ruined this for me to the point I’d give it 2 stars. But the supporting cast and all the crazy situations plus the twist toward the end, , made everything else so great that I’m going to let it go ahead and give it a solid 4 star rating.
March 22, 2015
Actual Rating: 4.5
BR withthe MacHalo Ladies NO ONE because it's every man for himself now!
Disclaimer: if you haven't read the first book, I won't spoil you a thing but I WILL hit you with a stick because this series is fantastic.
I am the fucking butterfly, causing ripples everywhere I go.
If Wanderlust had a real challenge this week was to prove itself as good as Grimspace. While its predecessor introduced us in a new world with amazing characters, Wanderlust was about the beginning of a dangerous journey for Jax and the crew, and the challenge of a new relationship with March. Despite the fact that some details didn't work for me one hundred percent, I should admit this book kicked the Sequel Syndrome's butt and prevailed victorious.
Jax is one of the most dark, vulnerable, crazy and hilarious MC I've read in the genre. She's not Kate or Mac, she's another thing completely . I love the way she tries to be tough and confident but she's honest enough with herself to admit her own flaws. I love the way she protects and admires her friends. I love the way she inspires loyalty in her crew when she was always selfish and self-centered. I love how she wants to be a better person now and blames March for it because he's a better man.
I'm excited we finally get to know more about what makes her so special and I can't wait to see her jumping again feeling the rush of grimspace.
March and his relationship with Jax is the reason I'm not giving it five whole stars. We already knew he had a very dark past but
HOWEVER, and this is a big however, I LOVED THIS BOOK.
The second characters are as intriguing and entertaining as Jax. Dina and Vel are amazing with Jax and the introduction of Jael *swoon* and Hit *hands down* was so smart. I like it when the author gives us new characters we can enjoy or hate freely and they are complex enough not to be outshone by the MC.
AND CONSTANCE IS THE IKO OF URBAN FANTASY!
I'm reading book #3 right away and I must say I'm a little worried because my spidey senses are tingling andHope to be wrong, Mary helps us all.
BR with
Disclaimer: if you haven't read the first book, I won't spoil you a thing but I WILL hit you with a stick because this series is fantastic.
I am the fucking butterfly, causing ripples everywhere I go.
If Wanderlust had a real challenge this week was to prove itself as good as Grimspace. While its predecessor introduced us in a new world with amazing characters, Wanderlust was about the beginning of a dangerous journey for Jax and the crew, and the challenge of a new relationship with March. Despite the fact that some details didn't work for me one hundred percent, I should admit this book kicked the Sequel Syndrome's butt and prevailed victorious.
Jax is one of the most dark, vulnerable, crazy and hilarious MC I've read in the genre. She's not Kate or Mac, she's another thing completely . I love the way she tries to be tough and confident but she's honest enough with herself to admit her own flaws. I love the way she protects and admires her friends. I love the way she inspires loyalty in her crew when she was always selfish and self-centered. I love how she wants to be a better person now and blames March for it because he's a better man.
I'm excited we finally get to know more about what makes her so special and I can't wait to see her jumping again feeling the rush of grimspace.
March and his relationship with Jax is the reason I'm not giving it five whole stars. We already knew he had a very dark past but
HOWEVER, and this is a big however, I LOVED THIS BOOK.
The second characters are as intriguing and entertaining as Jax. Dina and Vel are amazing with Jax and the introduction of Jael *swoon* and Hit *hands down* was so smart. I like it when the author gives us new characters we can enjoy or hate freely and they are complex enough not to be outshone by the MC.
AND CONSTANCE IS THE IKO OF URBAN FANTASY!
I'm reading book #3 right away and I must say I'm a little worried because my spidey senses are tingling andHope to be wrong, Mary helps us all.
July 10, 2015
I lost interest in this sci fi action/adventure about halfway through, when the relationship angst got added to all the other stress and problems that were going on. A peek at the end (I know, I'm sorry, mea culpa) let me know that pretty much all of Jax's problems continue past the end of this volume in the series. The first book was a fun romp, but this one just didn't do it for me.
2 1/2 stars.
2 1/2 stars.
April 26, 2012
First of all, there are too many spoilers in the reviews. So I'll keep this to my impressions- mostly, fawning. I love these books.
The characters and goings-on are so real because, aside from drawing from actual circumstances and issues, Ann Aguirre also includes the morally ambiguous, ambivalent musings that we really entertain in our heads and in dialogue too, the events they experience also grey. For example, a few times I wondered about the placement of Lachion in the story and the characters' decisions to help or go there. If it were me, I'd have nothing to do with a place where might is brutally right in the struggle for resources and one's allegiance is so arbitrary, i.e. determined by clan. Personally, I would have recommended all the residents of Lachion to GTFO a long time ago. One can't lead a life in a place where one's at risk of death 24/7 -the age-old trade-off for government- and problems with authority aren't worth it, to my mind.
Associating her characters' loyalties with such an ambiguous place is a brave decision on Aguirre's part. Actually, just making a place in the story for such a society -and with respect- is open-minded. Aguirre never leads the reader to believe that any character is "safe" from death either, except for the first person narrator, naturally, but Aguirre is not unaware of this. Sirantha Jax herself often contemplates her curse of living long after her friends.
This in mind, with regular observations on people or society or emotions captured with raw honesty, it's easy to see why I wanted to quote every other page. Anyway, it's continuous food for thought, and for that reason, I never looked to the back of the book to see the number of pages left. Wanderlust could have gone on forever, and I don't think I would have minded so long as she kept supplying those little nuggets that suit this gritty story so well and which she seeded as carefully as the summaries -"reminiscences"- for book one. No infodumps.
Also, there are monsters and more stuff blown up. Enjoy!
Update: It's funny looking back, after reading Doubleblind (#3), at my so-positive reviews of Grimspace and Wanderlust. I liked them, but I must have seen more hope for the characters there than I did in Doubleblind, or else Aguirre really upped the depression to unbearable levels, or I lost patience with Jax-- because Doubleblind was just tedious and made me fall out of love.
The characters and goings-on are so real because, aside from drawing from actual circumstances and issues, Ann Aguirre also includes the morally ambiguous, ambivalent musings that we really entertain in our heads and in dialogue too, the events they experience also grey. For example, a few times I wondered about the placement of Lachion in the story and the characters' decisions to help or go there. If it were me, I'd have nothing to do with a place where might is brutally right in the struggle for resources and one's allegiance is so arbitrary, i.e. determined by clan. Personally, I would have recommended all the residents of Lachion to GTFO a long time ago. One can't lead a life in a place where one's at risk of death 24/7 -the age-old trade-off for government- and problems with authority aren't worth it, to my mind.
Associating her characters' loyalties with such an ambiguous place is a brave decision on Aguirre's part. Actually, just making a place in the story for such a society -and with respect- is open-minded. Aguirre never leads the reader to believe that any character is "safe" from death either, except for the first person narrator, naturally, but Aguirre is not unaware of this. Sirantha Jax herself often contemplates her curse of living long after her friends.
This in mind, with regular observations on people or society or emotions captured with raw honesty, it's easy to see why I wanted to quote every other page. Anyway, it's continuous food for thought, and for that reason, I never looked to the back of the book to see the number of pages left. Wanderlust could have gone on forever, and I don't think I would have minded so long as she kept supplying those little nuggets that suit this gritty story so well and which she seeded as carefully as the summaries -"reminiscences"- for book one. No infodumps.
Also, there are monsters and more stuff blown up. Enjoy!
Update: It's funny looking back, after reading Doubleblind (#3), at my so-positive reviews of Grimspace and Wanderlust. I liked them, but I must have seen more hope for the characters there than I did in Doubleblind, or else Aguirre really upped the depression to unbearable levels, or I lost patience with Jax-- because Doubleblind was just tedious and made me fall out of love.
September 12, 2016
3.5 that I'm rounding up. These aren't particularly great books, but they are entertaining. The action is always on the move and I do like Sirantha (though occasionally want to shout at her). Very curious about some dangling threads left in this one.
March 15, 2015
Prediction: An all out binge read of this series. All weekend.
Because it's soooooooo good!
The tone of this book is noticeably different from that of the first. I get that this is a filler book (so, bring on book III!) but TBH, I did quite a lot of skimming. That's not to say that it was bad at all, just different.
Most of this is going to be spoilery, because I totally need a character rant.
Jax is quieter in this book. She is worried, and that worry certainly tones down her badassery. She made some fucking poor choices here. I'm giving her a pass on this one because much of her behaviour is somewhat justified.
March was pretty much a dick the from about 20% on. I feel like my ability to forgive his dickheadedness will rate somewhere up with my ability to forgive the Saints for trading Jimmy Graham. Come on! . Okay, I'm pretty sure that is rant over.
What saved this book were the support characters. Vel is awesome. Like, Sazed type awesome, unassumingly so. Jael is my new love and Jax should ditch March for him ASAP. Although, . Dina is the type of best friend none of us know that we need and was at her snarky best again. Seriously, nothing gets that girl down.
Okay. Book III. Go.
Because it's soooooooo good!
The tone of this book is noticeably different from that of the first. I get that this is a filler book (so, bring on book III!) but TBH, I did quite a lot of skimming. That's not to say that it was bad at all, just different.
Most of this is going to be spoilery, because I totally need a character rant.
Jax is quieter in this book. She is worried, and that worry certainly tones down her badassery. She made some fucking poor choices here. I'm giving her a pass on this one because much of her behaviour is somewhat justified.
March was pretty much a dick the from about 20% on. I feel like my ability to forgive his dickheadedness will rate somewhere up with my ability to forgive the Saints for trading Jimmy Graham. Come on! . Okay, I'm pretty sure that is rant over.
What saved this book were the support characters. Vel is awesome. Like, Sazed type awesome, unassumingly so. Jael is my new love and Jax should ditch March for him ASAP. Although, . Dina is the type of best friend none of us know that we need and was at her snarky best again. Seriously, nothing gets that girl down.
Okay. Book III. Go.
January 16, 2016
4.5 Stars
This series is just… So… Good. Ann Aguirre continues to rock my socks off with this sci-fi story, with her multi-dimensional characters, amazing worldbuilding, and emotional whammies I never saw coming. These book are just flat out fantastic. And if you haven’t read them already, you should stop reading this review right now and go “one-click” these bad boys straight to your e-reader. Then get comfortable, because you are not going to want to stop reading.
All that being said, I didn’t love this book quite as much as Grimspace, though it was pretty close. There are some frustrating moments, as our characters try to find their respective places in their new lives. But Aguirre does so many things right that I would quickly get over the things that would bother me. Too much is happening to linger too long on any one thing. The pace moves at breakneck speed and never lets up from beginning to end.
The story picks up right on the heels of the last book and it’s a whole new world in the aftermath of the Corp’s downfall. Now Jax has to find a new life and when the Conglomerate offers her an ambassador job on Velith’s homeworld, it really kind of is a job she can’t refuse. Let me just say how excited I was to see Vel again. He was one of my favorite characters from Grimspace and I love that Aguirre is developing his character and his unique homeworld. Anyway, it’s a very difficult journey to Ithiss-Tor and it puts Jax and her crew through the wringer even more than anyone could have imagined.
I don’t want to spoil all of the bombs that blow up in their faces. I will say, though, that it’s gory and physically grueling. And Jax is fighting an illness she doesn’t understand –which is driving a major wedge between her and March. This is one of those frustrating things I was talking about. These two are so good together, but they are both so very damaged. I really thought things were great with them as the book began, but they make bad choices out of fear and hurt, and it made me angry and sad and I may have cried a little before raging at the injustice of it all. You could also say that is a testament to how much I have come to care about these characters that I got to this point. You could also say that their choices completely reflect their general state of emotional disrepair. But that didn’t stop me from cursing out loud when things went south.
All of our main characters are evolving. Some just take steps back along with their steps forward. I am so impressed by how distinct and vital all of these characters are: Jax and March, of course, but also Vel and Dina, as well as an intriguing new guy named Jael. Each is so unique and engaging. I want more of them all. And each helps Jax grow in their own way. I’ve got to say that it’s hard to see Jax so weakened after we’ve seen the strength within her, but I have to believe some of that strength will be back –either physically or emotionally, as her story continues.
This book isn’t all sunshine and roses. But it’s full of action, romance, and so many surprises. And it’s really kind of epic. I can’t wait to jump into book 3.
Rating: B+
This series is just… So… Good. Ann Aguirre continues to rock my socks off with this sci-fi story, with her multi-dimensional characters, amazing worldbuilding, and emotional whammies I never saw coming. These book are just flat out fantastic. And if you haven’t read them already, you should stop reading this review right now and go “one-click” these bad boys straight to your e-reader. Then get comfortable, because you are not going to want to stop reading.
All that being said, I didn’t love this book quite as much as Grimspace, though it was pretty close. There are some frustrating moments, as our characters try to find their respective places in their new lives. But Aguirre does so many things right that I would quickly get over the things that would bother me. Too much is happening to linger too long on any one thing. The pace moves at breakneck speed and never lets up from beginning to end.
The story picks up right on the heels of the last book and it’s a whole new world in the aftermath of the Corp’s downfall. Now Jax has to find a new life and when the Conglomerate offers her an ambassador job on Velith’s homeworld, it really kind of is a job she can’t refuse. Let me just say how excited I was to see Vel again. He was one of my favorite characters from Grimspace and I love that Aguirre is developing his character and his unique homeworld. Anyway, it’s a very difficult journey to Ithiss-Tor and it puts Jax and her crew through the wringer even more than anyone could have imagined.
I don’t want to spoil all of the bombs that blow up in their faces. I will say, though, that it’s gory and physically grueling. And Jax is fighting an illness she doesn’t understand –which is driving a major wedge between her and March. This is one of those frustrating things I was talking about. These two are so good together, but they are both so very damaged. I really thought things were great with them as the book began, but they make bad choices out of fear and hurt, and it made me angry and sad and I may have cried a little before raging at the injustice of it all. You could also say that is a testament to how much I have come to care about these characters that I got to this point. You could also say that their choices completely reflect their general state of emotional disrepair. But that didn’t stop me from cursing out loud when things went south.
All of our main characters are evolving. Some just take steps back along with their steps forward. I am so impressed by how distinct and vital all of these characters are: Jax and March, of course, but also Vel and Dina, as well as an intriguing new guy named Jael. Each is so unique and engaging. I want more of them all. And each helps Jax grow in their own way. I’ve got to say that it’s hard to see Jax so weakened after we’ve seen the strength within her, but I have to believe some of that strength will be back –either physically or emotionally, as her story continues.
This book isn’t all sunshine and roses. But it’s full of action, romance, and so many surprises. And it’s really kind of epic. I can’t wait to jump into book 3.
Rating: B+
April 26, 2010
So...I really like this series. Basically if you like Mass Effect games, this will be up your alley, lol. Definitely reading #3, I just like the characters heaps!
January 31, 2010
Grimspace introduced us to jumper Sirantha Jax. With a wry, nasty twist of humor, we were unceremoniously dumped inside the head of a woman warped by sensory addiction and despair. It was a fascinating place to be.
Over the course of Grimspace, she transformed from a selfish braggart into a reluctant hero. When we left her, the universe was in upheaval, with Jax right at the center.
Wanderlust starts just a week or two later. Jax is frustrated, exhausted and penniless. To make matters worse, her health is declining and she has no idea why. She doesn't have many options at the start of Wanderlust, but it's a sure thing whatever she does will be explosive. Chaos always follows in her wake.
In an ironic turn of events, she's made an Ambassador. Her unlikely friendship with a particular bounty hunter puts her in a prime position to intercede on the Conglomerate's behalf in their dealings with the xenophobic inhabitants of Ithiss-Torr.
But though this is about Jax the Ambassador, she does very little in the traditional diplomatic vein. That should be expected, I suppose. Where Jax is concerned things never go according to plan.
Wanderlust is more about the journey, about how Jax continues to morph into someone very different from the ego-centric nav-star who preferred to drink, fight and fuck. On her "goodwill tour," she faces death time and again. Her perseverance and bravado are a facade--a thin crust that suffers cracks with every narrow escape. That woman with the feral smile and the quick temper has been usurped by someone fragile whose fears often overwhelm her.
Aguirre's stark writing style is most poetic in the bleakest moments of Jax's life. We can feel her panic closing tight, making it hard to breathe. We feel the pangs of frustration at Jax's helplessness and her dreaded need to rely on others. At one point, March and she part ways and it's so damned heartbreaking. My throat constricted and I ached right along with Sirantha, wanted to rail against her certainty that they'd never meet again.
Aguirre is efficient at conveying these emotions, never harping too long on one train of thought. Like with any person in a stressful situation, Jax's thoughts focus and fade. The ebb and flow gives her a realism I've rarely experienced.
Through Jax's eyes, we meet some new characters, and get to know old ones a little better. My favourite by far is Vel. His quiet, capable ways make him a stabilising force for Jax. His presence is comforting. No matter how topsy-turvey things get, he has the ability to make everything all right. He's also fascinating to watch. The more time he spends with Jax and crew, the better he becomes at mimicking humanity (and in most ways, he surpasses it).
Jax travels a hard road in Wanderlust. She remakes herself all over again. She contends with guilt and regret--results of a conscience she unwillingly developed over the course of Grimspace. She deals with taking a back-seat in more ways than one and resigns herself to no longer being dazzling and fearsome. Amidst all this, she also acknowledges her burgeoning authority and her growing concern for the people she's brought together...not to mention her responsibility to humanity in general.
It's a hell of a lot for an ailing civilian to take on. I couldn't help but feel a little broken, a little drained myself when I finished Wanderlust. The heaviness that sits in Jax's gut is translated so well that I can only furrow my brow and sigh with her, hoping the next book will find her in a better place. On to Doubleblind...
Over the course of Grimspace, she transformed from a selfish braggart into a reluctant hero. When we left her, the universe was in upheaval, with Jax right at the center.
Wanderlust starts just a week or two later. Jax is frustrated, exhausted and penniless. To make matters worse, her health is declining and she has no idea why. She doesn't have many options at the start of Wanderlust, but it's a sure thing whatever she does will be explosive. Chaos always follows in her wake.
In an ironic turn of events, she's made an Ambassador. Her unlikely friendship with a particular bounty hunter puts her in a prime position to intercede on the Conglomerate's behalf in their dealings with the xenophobic inhabitants of Ithiss-Torr.
But though this is about Jax the Ambassador, she does very little in the traditional diplomatic vein. That should be expected, I suppose. Where Jax is concerned things never go according to plan.
Wanderlust is more about the journey, about how Jax continues to morph into someone very different from the ego-centric nav-star who preferred to drink, fight and fuck. On her "goodwill tour," she faces death time and again. Her perseverance and bravado are a facade--a thin crust that suffers cracks with every narrow escape. That woman with the feral smile and the quick temper has been usurped by someone fragile whose fears often overwhelm her.
Aguirre's stark writing style is most poetic in the bleakest moments of Jax's life. We can feel her panic closing tight, making it hard to breathe. We feel the pangs of frustration at Jax's helplessness and her dreaded need to rely on others. At one point, March and she part ways and it's so damned heartbreaking. My throat constricted and I ached right along with Sirantha, wanted to rail against her certainty that they'd never meet again.
Aguirre is efficient at conveying these emotions, never harping too long on one train of thought. Like with any person in a stressful situation, Jax's thoughts focus and fade. The ebb and flow gives her a realism I've rarely experienced.
Through Jax's eyes, we meet some new characters, and get to know old ones a little better. My favourite by far is Vel. His quiet, capable ways make him a stabilising force for Jax. His presence is comforting. No matter how topsy-turvey things get, he has the ability to make everything all right. He's also fascinating to watch. The more time he spends with Jax and crew, the better he becomes at mimicking humanity (and in most ways, he surpasses it).
Jax travels a hard road in Wanderlust. She remakes herself all over again. She contends with guilt and regret--results of a conscience she unwillingly developed over the course of Grimspace. She deals with taking a back-seat in more ways than one and resigns herself to no longer being dazzling and fearsome. Amidst all this, she also acknowledges her burgeoning authority and her growing concern for the people she's brought together...not to mention her responsibility to humanity in general.
It's a hell of a lot for an ailing civilian to take on. I couldn't help but feel a little broken, a little drained myself when I finished Wanderlust. The heaviness that sits in Jax's gut is translated so well that I can only furrow my brow and sigh with her, hoping the next book will find her in a better place. On to Doubleblind...
March 17, 2015
This probably ends up just slightly under 3 stars for me. I feel kind of 'meh' about this book. It's definitely a bridge book, so I'll try to forgive it a lot, but I feel like this book could have been less than half the length and still accomplished everything it wanted. There was no real climax, and based on the first glance at Doubleblind the story picks up right where it left off.
I loved the new additions to the crew, Jael and Hit are fantastic. Vel is also pretty awesome, a great friend, and interesting character.
My heart broke a couple of times while reading this book, and then broke even more occasionally. There was a lot of internal angst from Jax, that repeated itself frequently. It was a little annoying, and I skimmed quite a bit of it.
I'm anxiously looking forward to getting into the next book!!
And
I loved the new additions to the crew, Jael and Hit are fantastic. Vel is also pretty awesome, a great friend, and interesting character.
My heart broke a couple of times while reading this book, and then broke even more occasionally. There was a lot of internal angst from Jax, that repeated itself frequently. It was a little annoying, and I skimmed quite a bit of it.
I'm anxiously looking forward to getting into the next book!!
And
March 22, 2015
I loved it!!! The addition of Jael and Hit were perfect. I had all kinds of feels while reading it. My only gripe is that it didn't have a solid ending. It felt like the end of a chapter instead of a book. I need to go buy book 3 now.
November 12, 2023
Stars: 3 out of 5.
I liked this book better than the first one, probably because I was already somewhat familiar with the world, so I wasn't as lost. Plus, the story progresses from the events of the last book, and our protagonist's actions have some very real consequences.
I am less annoyed with Sirantha in this book as well. She is still an emotional wreak, but she seems more self-aware at least. And she is finally becoming a lot less selfish then she was in the first book. I think she finally realized that she isn't just a jumper anymore who has no other responsibilities than to get the ship from point A to point B through Grimspace without loosing anyone in the process. Even if in the beginning she only accepted the mission of ambassador to get off planet (and frankly because she didn't have two coins left to rub together), by the end of the book she started taking this mission very seriously.
I think seeing the Morgut infested space station had a lot to do with that change of heart. You can't really remain selfish when you realize that there is a species out there who thinks humans are delicious, and destroying the Conglomerate just rang the dinner bell. Honestly, I think the segment of them exploring that space station was the best part of the book. It was scary and intense, and reminded me of some of the best space horror titles I read this year.
I still have issues with Sirantha's and March's relationship though. It feels very unhealthy to me. I mean, they claim to love each other unconditionally. To always be there for each other and all that stuff. Yet, they can't talk things through when they hit a difficult bump on the road and get their feelings hurt. Or just plain abandon the other because someone else needs them more. I'm trying to avoid spoilers here, but I honestly still can't understand March's decision on Lachion. Probably because I didn't give a flying fig about the war between the clans on that planet. Honestly, that part of the book was a slog to read.
What I am saying is that I don't understand why the author keeps pushing these two characters together when they are obviously toxic for each other. If that's her idea of a perfect relationship, I will have a problem with the rest of the books. I like my relationship on the non-abusive spectrum.
Oh, and the whole subplot about Jax's mother was very far-fetched in my opinion. Are you honestly expecting me to believe that in all those years Sirantha was growing up, she never noticed that her mother was at the head of a crime syndicate? Right...
However, I am interested enough in the worldbuilding to give the next book a try. If nothing else, I really want to know how they will resolve the Morgut problem. I am also interested to learn a bit more about Grimspace, and why Sirantha can sense it even when not jacked up.
I liked this book better than the first one, probably because I was already somewhat familiar with the world, so I wasn't as lost. Plus, the story progresses from the events of the last book, and our protagonist's actions have some very real consequences.
I am less annoyed with Sirantha in this book as well. She is still an emotional wreak, but she seems more self-aware at least. And she is finally becoming a lot less selfish then she was in the first book. I think she finally realized that she isn't just a jumper anymore who has no other responsibilities than to get the ship from point A to point B through Grimspace without loosing anyone in the process. Even if in the beginning she only accepted the mission of ambassador to get off planet (and frankly because she didn't have two coins left to rub together), by the end of the book she started taking this mission very seriously.
I think seeing the Morgut infested space station had a lot to do with that change of heart. You can't really remain selfish when you realize that there is a species out there who thinks humans are delicious, and destroying the Conglomerate just rang the dinner bell. Honestly, I think the segment of them exploring that space station was the best part of the book. It was scary and intense, and reminded me of some of the best space horror titles I read this year.
I still have issues with Sirantha's and March's relationship though. It feels very unhealthy to me. I mean, they claim to love each other unconditionally. To always be there for each other and all that stuff. Yet, they can't talk things through when they hit a difficult bump on the road and get their feelings hurt. Or just plain abandon the other because someone else needs them more. I'm trying to avoid spoilers here, but I honestly still can't understand March's decision on Lachion. Probably because I didn't give a flying fig about the war between the clans on that planet. Honestly, that part of the book was a slog to read.
What I am saying is that I don't understand why the author keeps pushing these two characters together when they are obviously toxic for each other. If that's her idea of a perfect relationship, I will have a problem with the rest of the books. I like my relationship on the non-abusive spectrum.
Oh, and the whole subplot about Jax's mother was very far-fetched in my opinion. Are you honestly expecting me to believe that in all those years Sirantha was growing up, she never noticed that her mother was at the head of a crime syndicate? Right...
However, I am interested enough in the worldbuilding to give the next book a try. If nothing else, I really want to know how they will resolve the Morgut problem. I am also interested to learn a bit more about Grimspace, and why Sirantha can sense it even when not jacked up.
October 27, 2011
Ann Aguirre starts out with a lot of promise in her first book, but it degenerates by the end of it, and gets much worse in the second book. She created a great character, Sirantha Jax, who is flawed, difficult, and often weak. In other words, wickedly human. But rather than develop this story into something her audience can connect to, Aguirre ruins the series by devolving into sloppy romance, bad plot devices, and static characters that never change.
Her second book has a basic premise that is poorly imagined from the start: Jax is chosen as the ambassador of the new government, in hopes to draw in other races, specifically the Ithiss-Tor species. Why oh why would a new government choose someone who has no proven leadership skill? Of course, the logical explanation: because she is a hero, even though most people hate her...yeah, that makes sense. Then there's the mafia boss who wants her to fail in her mission, which he assumes she will do anyway, but sweetens the pot by threatening to destroy her mother...whom Jax could give two-you-know-whats about. Sure, this is REALLY logical.
Next comes pregnant aliens whom we drop from the plot when they are no longer needed, other unexplained pilots which we add when we need them, poor representations of the characters from the first book, and a winding, incoherent plot that doesn't even provide much tension. Subtlety is apparently lost on Aguirre's audiences, as she ensures her characters tell us the subtext...multiple times.
Aguirre is so excited to have a lesbian mechanic that she can't resist pointing it out over and over. A sad fact, as Dina is one of the few characters who maintains her peronsality consistently and holds some real mystery.
Jax is pathetic in this book: weak, whining, and lacking any draw for the reader. She has no inner strength beyond her crying over her love interest March, and most times, she's not even sympathetic. To make it worse, now she's ill with bone disease, so she can only sit on the sidelines and either describe the action she thinks is happening, or be told later by her friends. Oh, and moan at how she wishes things were different.
I could go on, but why bother? It was disappointing, and the only reason I chose to finish it was in hopes that I'd see a glimmer of that first couple of chapters in the first book. Unforunately, Aguirre never returns to that moment of brilliance.
Her second book has a basic premise that is poorly imagined from the start: Jax is chosen as the ambassador of the new government, in hopes to draw in other races, specifically the Ithiss-Tor species. Why oh why would a new government choose someone who has no proven leadership skill? Of course, the logical explanation: because she is a hero, even though most people hate her...yeah, that makes sense. Then there's the mafia boss who wants her to fail in her mission, which he assumes she will do anyway, but sweetens the pot by threatening to destroy her mother...whom Jax could give two-you-know-whats about. Sure, this is REALLY logical.
Next comes pregnant aliens whom we drop from the plot when they are no longer needed, other unexplained pilots which we add when we need them, poor representations of the characters from the first book, and a winding, incoherent plot that doesn't even provide much tension. Subtlety is apparently lost on Aguirre's audiences, as she ensures her characters tell us the subtext...multiple times.
Aguirre is so excited to have a lesbian mechanic that she can't resist pointing it out over and over. A sad fact, as Dina is one of the few characters who maintains her peronsality consistently and holds some real mystery.
Jax is pathetic in this book: weak, whining, and lacking any draw for the reader. She has no inner strength beyond her crying over her love interest March, and most times, she's not even sympathetic. To make it worse, now she's ill with bone disease, so she can only sit on the sidelines and either describe the action she thinks is happening, or be told later by her friends. Oh, and moan at how she wishes things were different.
I could go on, but why bother? It was disappointing, and the only reason I chose to finish it was in hopes that I'd see a glimmer of that first couple of chapters in the first book. Unforunately, Aguirre never returns to that moment of brilliance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2010
A really good sequel. I'm not giving it 5 stars, though, because it's a little more mainstream than the fantastic .
Here, Jax dons the hero suit and sets off to do "the right thing." Her band of misfits is still pretty cool, but most of their internal issues have been resolved so it's easy to present a united front. As a result, you get the clear feeling of "us against the world" and "the good guys vs. the bad guys." I like the fact that Jax is growing up and that now they can trust each other—mostly. But still, it sort of takes the edge off. In Grimspace, everyone has misgivings about one another, which makes for interesting moments… and you have to love a book with a scene in which the "heroine" seriously considers leaving her love interest behind because he's slowing her down while running away. Little things like those are missing here. That doesn't mean it's not a great book, only that it's a little bit more ordinary than the 1st.
Definitely a fantastic series.
Here, Jax dons the hero suit and sets off to do "the right thing." Her band of misfits is still pretty cool, but most of their internal issues have been resolved so it's easy to present a united front. As a result, you get the clear feeling of "us against the world" and "the good guys vs. the bad guys." I like the fact that Jax is growing up and that now they can trust each other—mostly. But still, it sort of takes the edge off. In Grimspace, everyone has misgivings about one another, which makes for interesting moments… and you have to love a book with a scene in which the "heroine" seriously considers leaving her love interest behind because he's slowing her down while running away. Little things like those are missing here. That doesn't mean it's not a great book, only that it's a little bit more ordinary than the 1st.
Definitely a fantastic series.
February 24, 2014
You know you like a book when you're dissecting its meanings and layers before you finish the last sentence.
I'm not going to go off topic too much (let you take a glimpse of my rather nerdy self) but I will take a moment to mention a few things.
This is the second book in the Sirantha Jax series and I'm not going to spend too much time on the known characters. Frankly, if you've read the first book there is no need for you to read about them. If you haven't - well you shouldn't be reading this.
The book's title is Wanderlust and I can't think of a more appropriate title. It alludes to something romantic and unreachable. I've experienced it before and it is a bittersweet pain when you realize that no matter how long you travel, you just don't get it . What that it is; well it's hard to explain but what it measures out to be is something unattainable but vital and something you search for because you can't find it within. Perhaps a therapist could Wizard of Oz an answer or a better description of the feeling but sadly, I am not a therapist and I am also not the man behind the curtain.
In this installment, Jax is realizing that the very thing she loves most in the world, what sets her apart will kill her sooner rather than later and she's not sure exactly what that means to her. On top of that, she is an Ambassador, a title that is 'bestowed' on her in the midst of mysterious disease that is weakening her body and fueling her paranoia. See, someone is trying to kill her and the Syndicate (the MOB if you will) is trying to stop her from being successful at her new role of bringing in the 'Sliders' as part of the Conglomerate. They are also threatening to kill her mother if she doesn't abide by their rules.
Jax has never been good at rules. Most of the time it feels like it's because she doesn't quite understand them nor does she care to. However, with her new role, there's a lot to understand and again she has to make a choice between her desires and the desires of millions.
Jax is unable to set down roots which is part of her problem with March. March, as it becomes clearer in every book, is a man who can grow roots (both literally and figuratively, rutabagas anybody??) as long as it is with someone he can grow with (pardon the pun). Jax on the other hand doesn't quite know herself well enough to allow herself that kind of dependence. What Jax fails to understand, at first, is the difference between dependence and co-dependence. It only takes a war, several worlds apart and a near death experience to realize exactly what it is that March and Jax need.
There are some bittersweet moments in this book and there are times, as a reader, where you get a little sad and go "wait, no!" and then there are times when you, like Jax, are too worried about whether or not the action is going to land you someplace safe or someplace .... well, dead.
The new characters, Jael and Hit (I can't really count Vel because we met him last book, although he is fast becoming a really close friend to Jax) are also 'outsiders'. Just like Jax was in the last book. Jael is a modified human being while Hit is an assassin. Both are lost and seek to become part of a whole - although you see it more with Jael. Jael by the way is a very interesting character and makes me wonder if he could be giving March a run for his money...or whether he will be very a great friend.
As things stand now, nothing is certain. Though this book takes place in space and in the future, there are a lot of realistic and relevant emotions and examples to take from.
It didn't let me down, this book, and I can't wait to start the next.
I'm not going to go off topic too much (let you take a glimpse of my rather nerdy self) but I will take a moment to mention a few things.
This is the second book in the Sirantha Jax series and I'm not going to spend too much time on the known characters. Frankly, if you've read the first book there is no need for you to read about them. If you haven't - well you shouldn't be reading this.
The book's title is Wanderlust and I can't think of a more appropriate title. It alludes to something romantic and unreachable. I've experienced it before and it is a bittersweet pain when you realize that no matter how long you travel, you just don't get it . What that it is; well it's hard to explain but what it measures out to be is something unattainable but vital and something you search for because you can't find it within. Perhaps a therapist could Wizard of Oz an answer or a better description of the feeling but sadly, I am not a therapist and I am also not the man behind the curtain.
In this installment, Jax is realizing that the very thing she loves most in the world, what sets her apart will kill her sooner rather than later and she's not sure exactly what that means to her. On top of that, she is an Ambassador, a title that is 'bestowed' on her in the midst of mysterious disease that is weakening her body and fueling her paranoia. See, someone is trying to kill her and the Syndicate (the MOB if you will) is trying to stop her from being successful at her new role of bringing in the 'Sliders' as part of the Conglomerate. They are also threatening to kill her mother if she doesn't abide by their rules.
Jax has never been good at rules. Most of the time it feels like it's because she doesn't quite understand them nor does she care to. However, with her new role, there's a lot to understand and again she has to make a choice between her desires and the desires of millions.
Jax is unable to set down roots which is part of her problem with March. March, as it becomes clearer in every book, is a man who can grow roots (both literally and figuratively, rutabagas anybody??) as long as it is with someone he can grow with (pardon the pun). Jax on the other hand doesn't quite know herself well enough to allow herself that kind of dependence. What Jax fails to understand, at first, is the difference between dependence and co-dependence. It only takes a war, several worlds apart and a near death experience to realize exactly what it is that March and Jax need.
There are some bittersweet moments in this book and there are times, as a reader, where you get a little sad and go "wait, no!" and then there are times when you, like Jax, are too worried about whether or not the action is going to land you someplace safe or someplace .... well, dead.
The new characters, Jael and Hit (I can't really count Vel because we met him last book, although he is fast becoming a really close friend to Jax) are also 'outsiders'. Just like Jax was in the last book. Jael is a modified human being while Hit is an assassin. Both are lost and seek to become part of a whole - although you see it more with Jael. Jael by the way is a very interesting character and makes me wonder if he could be giving March a run for his money...or whether he will be very a great friend.
As things stand now, nothing is certain. Though this book takes place in space and in the future, there are a lot of realistic and relevant emotions and examples to take from.
It didn't let me down, this book, and I can't wait to start the next.
March 27, 2017
After absolutely falling in love with this world and these characters when I read Grimspace I couldn't wait to dive into Wanderlust. It's not often I find a series as addictive as this one and I'm happy that the second book continued that trend, I wouldn't say this was quite as good as the first book but it wasn't far off it and I'm still incredibly excited about reading the rest of the series. Where Grimspace was full of action and humour Wanderlust takes a darker turn, it still had it's humorous moments but there was some relationship drama that made it a little more angsty. The side characters and the amount of action pulled me through that though, there was enough going on that I could easily ignore the things that irritated me and I still love this world.
I love some of the changes we've seen in Jax, the way she wants to be a better person and how she tries to do the right thing is great but I do find it annoying that she tries to do everything on her own and doesn't ask her friends and crew for assistance even when she really needs their help. I also didn't like the way she tried to push Marsh away "for his own good", you don't get to make that kind of decision on someone else's behalf - especially not when you're hurting them in the process! I guess it was more realistic that their relationship wouldn't be plain sailing though, they both have difficult pasts and thats bound to effect the way they deal with things and lets face it they've not really had much time to get to know each other yet. I actually respected Marsh for his decision to stay behind to help Keri with her battle, she obviously needed his help and she's like a little sister to him so I think it's important that he didn't just abandon his family for Jax. It was still disappointing to see Jax and Marsh separated for so much of the story though and it's going to be interesting to see how their relationship proceeds now he's such a different man.
The side characters continue to be one of my favourite things about this series. I love that Ann Aguirre is happy to surround Jax with strong women as well as men, that's something we don't always see enough of. Dina and 245 remain favourites but we also have a new addition to the kickass women of the crew in Hit, a lethal assassin who luckily is on Jax's side (well for now anyway, let's hope she remains there!). The boys are still represented too and Vel is definitely one of my favourite characters in the series, for a shapeshifting giant praying mantis he's actually a pretty sweet character but he's always full of surprises and definitely a good person to be near in a fight. I love new addition Jael, what we've learned about his background is intriguing and definitely left me wanting more, he's a fun character but I'm a little nervous about the apology he made towards the end of the book so I'm going to be keeping a close eye on him in the future.
This series has quickly become one of my favourites and I can't wait to continue reading it.
I love some of the changes we've seen in Jax, the way she wants to be a better person and how she tries to do the right thing is great but I do find it annoying that she tries to do everything on her own and doesn't ask her friends and crew for assistance even when she really needs their help. I also didn't like the way she tried to push Marsh away "for his own good", you don't get to make that kind of decision on someone else's behalf - especially not when you're hurting them in the process! I guess it was more realistic that their relationship wouldn't be plain sailing though, they both have difficult pasts and thats bound to effect the way they deal with things and lets face it they've not really had much time to get to know each other yet. I actually respected Marsh for his decision to stay behind to help Keri with her battle, she obviously needed his help and she's like a little sister to him so I think it's important that he didn't just abandon his family for Jax. It was still disappointing to see Jax and Marsh separated for so much of the story though and it's going to be interesting to see how their relationship proceeds now he's such a different man.
The side characters continue to be one of my favourite things about this series. I love that Ann Aguirre is happy to surround Jax with strong women as well as men, that's something we don't always see enough of. Dina and 245 remain favourites but we also have a new addition to the kickass women of the crew in Hit, a lethal assassin who luckily is on Jax's side (well for now anyway, let's hope she remains there!). The boys are still represented too and Vel is definitely one of my favourite characters in the series, for a shapeshifting giant praying mantis he's actually a pretty sweet character but he's always full of surprises and definitely a good person to be near in a fight. I love new addition Jael, what we've learned about his background is intriguing and definitely left me wanting more, he's a fun character but I'm a little nervous about the apology he made towards the end of the book so I'm going to be keeping a close eye on him in the future.
This series has quickly become one of my favourites and I can't wait to continue reading it.
April 24, 2016
“Sirantha Jax doesn’t take chances… she jumps at them“
I was eager to read “Wanderlust” because I liked “Grimspace”. I wanted more Jax, more March, and more surprises about how the crash of Corp will affect them and the world around. Although “Wanderlust” was not quite as good as the first book in the series, I found the same intriguing characters (I really adored them in “Grimspace”), and a skillfully constructed world that continues to surprise me. I enjoyed the action, suspense, adventures and characters. And of course I found the same space stuff *frowns*.
As always, Jax deals with the serious situation using her sense of humor and it kept me engaged in the story, grinning from her jokes and irony.
Sometimes I find characters, which are so dear to me that I enjoy finding them in a book and they remain with me for a longer time. That’s Jax and her crew <3 I loved the teasing between them. It made me laugh, and gave the characters so much life and interest. Jax and March are my favorite. I had some doubts after the first book, because I was worried that their relationship will lose the spark. Their relationship just rocked the floor in “Grimspace” and a simple Happy Ever After wouldn’t be enough for me. I was happy to find plenty of conflict as Jax and March each have their demons to fight with. There were parts I enjoyed, but I found a lack of sparks in this one. Also I liked Vel and his relationship with Jax, it was something new and I was amazed how his character developed. He is so unique with his inhuman official style and the way he changes into a nice, caring person.
The first part of the book made some trouble to me. It began slowly. Also like the first book, the story in “Wanderlust” is told using episodes and that just made a little mess for me, because it broke the pace. It is really more noticeable in this book than in the first. What is more, I had trouble understanding the importance of some twists and became impatient to read through some pages. Of course the twists were really important and made everything fall to a neat and impressive picture, but maybe I just have to blame myself. I wish that there were more cohesiveness in the story. Anyway I think there was too much time spent in Jax's own personal dilemmas. She wasn’t peevish like a spoiled girl but I just wanted to move on with the story. Oh and let’s not forget the so called “coincidences”. The relationship between Jax and March was not going well in Lachion and there was a hint that March and Jax may part. And how convenient it was, that Jax ran into another pilot by accident. The pilot is a rough-tough woman, who knows how to fight, also she charms the mechanic. And another “coincidence” with an amazing new body for AI-245, Jax talks about a need to have some new stuff for her BFF, AI-245, a couple of times, but she has no money and voila she finds a perfect body. Maybe a little bit too smooth? Yep, I’m an ass. Here goes the angry mob of Jax's fans :)))))))
To sum up, I liked “Wanderlust”, though it was weaker for me comparing it with “Grimspace”. “Wanderlust” has its wonderful and yummy moments as well as some untasty ones.
I was eager to read “Wanderlust” because I liked “Grimspace”. I wanted more Jax, more March, and more surprises about how the crash of Corp will affect them and the world around. Although “Wanderlust” was not quite as good as the first book in the series, I found the same intriguing characters (I really adored them in “Grimspace”), and a skillfully constructed world that continues to surprise me. I enjoyed the action, suspense, adventures and characters. And of course I found the same space stuff *frowns*.
As always, Jax deals with the serious situation using her sense of humor and it kept me engaged in the story, grinning from her jokes and irony.
Sometimes I find characters, which are so dear to me that I enjoy finding them in a book and they remain with me for a longer time. That’s Jax and her crew <3 I loved the teasing between them. It made me laugh, and gave the characters so much life and interest. Jax and March are my favorite. I had some doubts after the first book, because I was worried that their relationship will lose the spark. Their relationship just rocked the floor in “Grimspace” and a simple Happy Ever After wouldn’t be enough for me. I was happy to find plenty of conflict as Jax and March each have their demons to fight with. There were parts I enjoyed, but I found a lack of sparks in this one. Also I liked Vel and his relationship with Jax, it was something new and I was amazed how his character developed. He is so unique with his inhuman official style and the way he changes into a nice, caring person.
The first part of the book made some trouble to me. It began slowly. Also like the first book, the story in “Wanderlust” is told using episodes and that just made a little mess for me, because it broke the pace. It is really more noticeable in this book than in the first. What is more, I had trouble understanding the importance of some twists and became impatient to read through some pages. Of course the twists were really important and made everything fall to a neat and impressive picture, but maybe I just have to blame myself. I wish that there were more cohesiveness in the story. Anyway I think there was too much time spent in Jax's own personal dilemmas. She wasn’t peevish like a spoiled girl but I just wanted to move on with the story. Oh and let’s not forget the so called “coincidences”. The relationship between Jax and March was not going well in Lachion and there was a hint that March and Jax may part. And how convenient it was, that Jax ran into another pilot by accident. The pilot is a rough-tough woman, who knows how to fight, also she charms the mechanic. And another “coincidence” with an amazing new body for AI-245, Jax talks about a need to have some new stuff for her BFF, AI-245, a couple of times, but she has no money and voila she finds a perfect body. Maybe a little bit too smooth? Yep, I’m an ass. Here goes the angry mob of Jax's fans :)))))))
To sum up, I liked “Wanderlust”, though it was weaker for me comparing it with “Grimspace”. “Wanderlust” has its wonderful and yummy moments as well as some untasty ones.
January 12, 2011
Loved it!!!
Ohhhh, Mrs. Aguirre……You have me in your clutches now!!!
I first became acquainted with Ann Aguirre writing as Ava Gray. (Skin series) I loved those writings so much, that I set out to find more, which led me to this series. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the “science fiction” theme, but I decided to give it a go. And I am so glad I did!!!
This story is told in the first person POV, through the eyes of Sirantha Jax. Aguirre does this skillfully, not letting me miss anything from the other characters. The first book in this series is GRIMSPACE, which throws you into Sirantha Jaxs’ universe. Complete with spaceships, aliens, AI, and droids. There is lots of action, adventure, and even romance!! Don’t let me forget to mention that there are some smexy times too, it’s not loaded, but enough to keep that part of you satisfied.
I’m not going into the plot, I always feel that’s best left for the reader to unwrap that prize! I am however, going into characterization; again Aguirre does this as masterfully as she does in her works as Ava Gray.
At the beginning of the series, I didn’t immediately love Jax, I found her to be self absorbed. By the end of GRIMSPACE and going into this book, I love her so much. During her journey, she has met up with people and an Ithorian that have changed her for the better.
Now March…..March is the bomb!!! I really believe he can do anything, and by all means, don’t jack around with his woman, he’ll tear up any and everything to get to her!!!!
Now, I don’t know if I can say enough about the secondary cast of characters. I’ve got a great big group hug for all of them!!! I CAN NOT stress enough how awesome they are, Vel (xoxo), Dina, Jael, and Hit!!! I laughed so much reading this book, the bantering going back an forth between them is hilarious!!! However, they are a team in every sense of the word. They do a lot of trash talking, but when the chips are down….there’s no one left behind!!!
I’m definitely an Aguirre “fan girl” now!!! If she writes it, I will read it!!
Thank You Mrs. Aguirre, for the numerous hours of entertainment!!!
Ohhhh, Mrs. Aguirre……You have me in your clutches now!!!
I first became acquainted with Ann Aguirre writing as Ava Gray. (Skin series) I loved those writings so much, that I set out to find more, which led me to this series. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the “science fiction” theme, but I decided to give it a go. And I am so glad I did!!!
This story is told in the first person POV, through the eyes of Sirantha Jax. Aguirre does this skillfully, not letting me miss anything from the other characters. The first book in this series is GRIMSPACE, which throws you into Sirantha Jaxs’ universe. Complete with spaceships, aliens, AI, and droids. There is lots of action, adventure, and even romance!! Don’t let me forget to mention that there are some smexy times too, it’s not loaded, but enough to keep that part of you satisfied.
I’m not going into the plot, I always feel that’s best left for the reader to unwrap that prize! I am however, going into characterization; again Aguirre does this as masterfully as she does in her works as Ava Gray.
At the beginning of the series, I didn’t immediately love Jax, I found her to be self absorbed. By the end of GRIMSPACE and going into this book, I love her so much. During her journey, she has met up with people and an Ithorian that have changed her for the better.
Now March…..March is the bomb!!! I really believe he can do anything, and by all means, don’t jack around with his woman, he’ll tear up any and everything to get to her!!!!
Now, I don’t know if I can say enough about the secondary cast of characters. I’ve got a great big group hug for all of them!!! I CAN NOT stress enough how awesome they are, Vel (xoxo), Dina, Jael, and Hit!!! I laughed so much reading this book, the bantering going back an forth between them is hilarious!!! However, they are a team in every sense of the word. They do a lot of trash talking, but when the chips are down….there’s no one left behind!!!
I’m definitely an Aguirre “fan girl” now!!! If she writes it, I will read it!!
Thank You Mrs. Aguirre, for the numerous hours of entertainment!!!
August 27, 2011
4.5 stars - lots of friction in this book, compared to Grimspace.
This book begins with March and Jax separated due to questioning regarding the events at the end of Grimspace. Once satisfied that Jax and March are innocent, they are released. Since the events of Grimspace, there is a power struggle in the universe, and many factions are grasping for control. Jax is asked to become an ambassador to Vel's home planet. Since Vel is her friend and protector, she is the only one who can handle this job. The Bugs are isolationists, but humanity wants to open up trade with them. Humans also want to make sure that the Bugs don't side with the Moreguts, which would spell doom for the human worlds.
Jax reluctantly agrees, even though her mother tried to stop her. Jax's mother, Ramona, is under duress caused by The Syndicate. The Syndicate is basically the mob, and Ramona owes them some serious money. Jax pretty much ignores her mother, who seems shallow and sniveling.
Jax, March, Dina and one of March's old merc buddies and his wife, head out on a ship. During this time, Jax is feeling increasingly unwell. She's tired and weak, and is convinced that something is wrong with her. On board, medical situation occur where the ship needs to stop and receive attention, so they stop at the Embry outpost, where things get ugly real quick. I don't want to spoil it, but I will say that Ann Aguirre's writing had me on the edge of my seat. It was scary to read this section of the book. It was filled with suspense and a sense of dread.
After leaving Embry, the crew makes a fast track for Lachion, so Jax can find Doc and maybe figure out what is wrong with her. On the way, From this point on, things change for the worst.
The crew get stuck on Lachion, in the middle of a clan war. March does a real a-hole thing, in my opinion, regarding Jax. I was fuming at March. I understand that he feels a sense of duty to Lachion because of Mair, but this is above and beyond.
When there is a break in the fighting, Jax, Dina, Vel and Jael set off to find a way off the planet. They meet a new character, Hit, who is pure awesomeness. She's a pilot and can definitely fight for herself. When they attempt to flee Lachion, another faction basically kidnaps them.
I really enjoyed the addition of Hit to the cast of characters in this series. She is bad ass! Jael is also proving to be multi-dimensional and is proving his loyalty to Jax. Jael is the one who comforts Jax in her time of need, and sees Jax at her most vulnerable. Vel is still the BFF Jax never had. He's very cool under all sorts of circumstances. I just love this misfit crew. And believe me, they are all misfits in their own ways. We see March later in this book, but he's not the same, and it's heartbreaking. Jax is on the mend by the end of this book.
Again, this book is character-driven. These multi-dimensional characters make all the difference in this harsh world(s) the story is set in. Ann Aguirre's writing is gut wrenching. She makes the reader feel like they are actually in the setting. It's very well done. During the emotional parts of this book, I was close to tears. And I rarely cry, and almost never because of a book. The pain and desperation Jax feels during times in this book are suffocating. And I really did want to punch March in his face at other times.
I am beginning Doublebind immediately - I have to see where Ann Aguirre and her intense imagination are taking Jax, March, Jael, Dina and Hit next.
This book begins with March and Jax separated due to questioning regarding the events at the end of Grimspace. Once satisfied that Jax and March are innocent, they are released. Since the events of Grimspace, there is a power struggle in the universe, and many factions are grasping for control. Jax is asked to become an ambassador to Vel's home planet. Since Vel is her friend and protector, she is the only one who can handle this job. The Bugs are isolationists, but humanity wants to open up trade with them. Humans also want to make sure that the Bugs don't side with the Moreguts, which would spell doom for the human worlds.
Jax reluctantly agrees, even though her mother tried to stop her. Jax's mother, Ramona, is under duress caused by The Syndicate. The Syndicate is basically the mob, and Ramona owes them some serious money. Jax pretty much ignores her mother, who seems shallow and sniveling.
Jax, March, Dina and one of March's old merc buddies and his wife, head out on a ship. During this time, Jax is feeling increasingly unwell. She's tired and weak, and is convinced that something is wrong with her. On board, medical situation occur where the ship needs to stop and receive attention, so they stop at the Embry outpost, where things get ugly real quick. I don't want to spoil it, but I will say that Ann Aguirre's writing had me on the edge of my seat. It was scary to read this section of the book. It was filled with suspense and a sense of dread.
After leaving Embry, the crew makes a fast track for Lachion, so Jax can find Doc and maybe figure out what is wrong with her. On the way, From this point on, things change for the worst.
The crew get stuck on Lachion, in the middle of a clan war. March does a real a-hole thing, in my opinion, regarding Jax. I was fuming at March. I understand that he feels a sense of duty to Lachion because of Mair, but this is above and beyond.
When there is a break in the fighting, Jax, Dina, Vel and Jael set off to find a way off the planet. They meet a new character, Hit, who is pure awesomeness. She's a pilot and can definitely fight for herself. When they attempt to flee Lachion, another faction basically kidnaps them.
I really enjoyed the addition of Hit to the cast of characters in this series. She is bad ass! Jael is also proving to be multi-dimensional and is proving his loyalty to Jax. Jael is the one who comforts Jax in her time of need, and sees Jax at her most vulnerable. Vel is still the BFF Jax never had. He's very cool under all sorts of circumstances. I just love this misfit crew. And believe me, they are all misfits in their own ways. We see March later in this book, but he's not the same, and it's heartbreaking. Jax is on the mend by the end of this book.
Again, this book is character-driven. These multi-dimensional characters make all the difference in this harsh world(s) the story is set in. Ann Aguirre's writing is gut wrenching. She makes the reader feel like they are actually in the setting. It's very well done. During the emotional parts of this book, I was close to tears. And I rarely cry, and almost never because of a book. The pain and desperation Jax feels during times in this book are suffocating. And I really did want to punch March in his face at other times.
I am beginning Doublebind immediately - I have to see where Ann Aguirre and her intense imagination are taking Jax, March, Jael, Dina and Hit next.
May 30, 2013
Wanderlust reminded me, unfortunately, of why it is I prefer stand-alones to sequels. As a follow-up to Grimspace, this book only disappoints. From the beginning itself, the story is slower, full of unnecessary details by the first third that only slow down the narration. Jax herself soon becomes irritating, chock-full of contradictions and repeating her thoughts too much for me to enjoy. Sirantha is a complex heroine, one whose paranoia and fear make her seem vulnerable when she truly is an iron core. And striking this balance isn't easy. Granted, Sirantha had her fair share of panic moments in Grimspace, but she also grew immensely as a character. With Wanderlust, her fear is still present - almost too potent - and her neediness irritated me. While I appreciated the direction Aguirre took with her character plot, separating her from March and allowing her to form close friendships with new secondary characters, I still never felt the same sense of growth from her.
Furthermore, the romance this time around is flat-out annoying. It's the third worst romance trope of we-should-stay-away-for-your-own-good (right after love triangles and insta-love if you were wondering). And while that may work in some situations, it doesn't work in this one. Especially as March and Jax go through a period of drama, get back together, and then logically separate. Honestly, their relationship goes nowhere in this one, running around in circles. Where I loved their complex relationship in the predecessor, this novel doesn't do much except to shed light on the fact that even March cannot deal with all of Jax's mood swings - and thank god for that. Sirantha Jax isn't an easy character - or person - to like, but there are certain qualities about her that keep people loyal to her. While the end of this novel ties up the relationship between March and Jax on a much more realistic footing than the ending of Grimspace did, I certainly did not enjoy all the drama it took to get there.
And, lastly, I can't not mention the fact that this series is one of those where a certain degree of belief suspension is required. Certain events happen that are too convenient, but you have to look past that. For the most part, this is easy. Aguirre's writing flows with sassy dialogue and close friendships, which is really what saved this novel for me. I may not have liked Wanderlust, but I plan to give this series one more book before completely giving up on it. Hopefully, Sirantha Jax will charm me again. *fingers crossed*
Furthermore, the romance this time around is flat-out annoying. It's the third worst romance trope of we-should-stay-away-for-your-own-good (right after love triangles and insta-love if you were wondering). And while that may work in some situations, it doesn't work in this one. Especially as March and Jax go through a period of drama, get back together, and then logically separate. Honestly, their relationship goes nowhere in this one, running around in circles. Where I loved their complex relationship in the predecessor, this novel doesn't do much except to shed light on the fact that even March cannot deal with all of Jax's mood swings - and thank god for that. Sirantha Jax isn't an easy character - or person - to like, but there are certain qualities about her that keep people loyal to her. While the end of this novel ties up the relationship between March and Jax on a much more realistic footing than the ending of Grimspace did, I certainly did not enjoy all the drama it took to get there.
And, lastly, I can't not mention the fact that this series is one of those where a certain degree of belief suspension is required. Certain events happen that are too convenient, but you have to look past that. For the most part, this is easy. Aguirre's writing flows with sassy dialogue and close friendships, which is really what saved this novel for me. I may not have liked Wanderlust, but I plan to give this series one more book before completely giving up on it. Hopefully, Sirantha Jax will charm me again. *fingers crossed*
February 10, 2010
I think I have papercuts from turning the pages so fast... I could NOT get enough of this one!!
Jax is pretty much in a crappy position. She has no money, she has no job (because the corp is she worked for previously has crumbled - reasons are given in the first book) and so she is approached by the new head of the Conglomerate with a mission for her. They want her to become an ambassador and go on a diplomatic mission to Ithiss-Tor. Sort of a peace keeping thing, and since bounty hunter Vel is a native of that planet he's offered to accompany her.
The problem of course, is that the mission is filled with danger. At every turn Jax is pushed from all sides, everybody wanting something different from her. Trouble is on the front with March, there are some new players in the game who may or may not be allies, and the ever present Vel. Plus, Jax is not really feeling up to her normal self and is starting to worry what that might mean for her and her friends.
Fantastic... book, I put it down once to get something to eat, but then it was right back in my hand. This book went a little smoother for me than the beginning of the first did. I was used to Aguirre's writing style which is in the present tense. The reader goes along with Jax as she's doing things or thinking about things, with no clue as to what will happen next. And I do have to say... I teared up a bit in this one. I've already marked all the rest of the books as to be read, even though they haven't been released yet lol.
Jax is pretty much in a crappy position. She has no money, she has no job (because the corp is she worked for previously has crumbled - reasons are given in the first book) and so she is approached by the new head of the Conglomerate with a mission for her. They want her to become an ambassador and go on a diplomatic mission to Ithiss-Tor. Sort of a peace keeping thing, and since bounty hunter Vel is a native of that planet he's offered to accompany her.
The problem of course, is that the mission is filled with danger. At every turn Jax is pushed from all sides, everybody wanting something different from her. Trouble is on the front with March, there are some new players in the game who may or may not be allies, and the ever present Vel. Plus, Jax is not really feeling up to her normal self and is starting to worry what that might mean for her and her friends.
Fantastic... book, I put it down once to get something to eat, but then it was right back in my hand. This book went a little smoother for me than the beginning of the first did. I was used to Aguirre's writing style which is in the present tense. The reader goes along with Jax as she's doing things or thinking about things, with no clue as to what will happen next. And I do have to say... I teared up a bit in this one. I've already marked all the rest of the books as to be read, even though they haven't been released yet lol.
June 13, 2016
What a challenge: could prove itself better or at least equal to ? For me it almost got there. After the first book introduced us to a new world with amazing characters, Wanderlust seems a transition work as it is about the beginning of a dangerous journey for Jax, March and their motley crew. For me, it didn't work one hundred percent; still a great read. 3.5 stars.
June 11, 2012
I stayed up all night long reading this, and that is only impressive because I have been pretty sick this past week, and worn out is an understatement. I haven't stayed up past midnight for at least 2 weeks, but I didn't put this little baby down until 2am.
Jax and her crew are unique in my reading experience, and considering how many books there are in my favored genre that is quite a feat to accomplish. All of them are adults and all of them have issues of some sort. Not trivial ones either that they simply snap their fingers and get over. Dina, Jax, March, Vel, Jael, and Hit all have things that haunt them in real ways. I love that Jax hasn't forgotten Kai and I love that once in a while we see shadows in Dina's eyes. One of the things I love the most in this series is how the characters all feel so normal. No super powers, no amazing good lucks that give them everything, and even Jax's blunt honesty about her fears and cowardice, all make my love get deeper and deeper.
I am too into my fangirl feelings right now to know how to do this series justice. It's much like when I try to make people realize that the Fever and Downside world deserve special places in their lives, lol. I'll have to approach these once I've revisited them again to give a better review.
Jax and her crew are unique in my reading experience, and considering how many books there are in my favored genre that is quite a feat to accomplish. All of them are adults and all of them have issues of some sort. Not trivial ones either that they simply snap their fingers and get over. Dina, Jax, March, Vel, Jael, and Hit all have things that haunt them in real ways. I love that Jax hasn't forgotten Kai and I love that once in a while we see shadows in Dina's eyes. One of the things I love the most in this series is how the characters all feel so normal. No super powers, no amazing good lucks that give them everything, and even Jax's blunt honesty about her fears and cowardice, all make my love get deeper and deeper.
I am too into my fangirl feelings right now to know how to do this series justice. It's much like when I try to make people realize that the Fever and Downside world deserve special places in their lives, lol. I'll have to approach these once I've revisited them again to give a better review.
April 4, 2016
Highly entertaining read. Plot is fast paced and full of edge of the seat action just like in the first book. Some of the action scenes reminded me of Aliens and Pitch Black – so if you enjoyed these movies I think you’d love this book as much as I did.
Romantic subplot - not so much. It became too melodramatic for my taste. With so much going on and lives at stake adding love drama wasn’t necessary imo. Hence the 4 stars.
But the beauty of fast paced plot – events evolve too fast to linger on negative. There is no time for the heartache in deathrace – the only thing that matters is survival. And it’s not just about Sirantha’s own life and that of her crew anymore. Stakes are much higher.
Recommended for sci-fi and fantasy readers who like intense action and don’t mind some romance thrown into the mix; also people who enjoyed those movies I mentioned.
Seeing so many worlds rouses an odd sensation; I’d call it wanderlust, but it’s more like a fierce need to move on, because I don’t have anywhere like these folks do. Whatever its faults, they have somewhere they call their own. One they’d fight for, die for. Home.
I don’t put down roots. I live for the next jump, even though the next might be my last.
Romantic subplot - not so much. It became too melodramatic for my taste. With so much going on and lives at stake adding love drama wasn’t necessary imo. Hence the 4 stars.
But the beauty of fast paced plot – events evolve too fast to linger on negative. There is no time for the heartache in deathrace – the only thing that matters is survival. And it’s not just about Sirantha’s own life and that of her crew anymore. Stakes are much higher.
Recommended for sci-fi and fantasy readers who like intense action and don’t mind some romance thrown into the mix; also people who enjoyed those movies I mentioned.
Seeing so many worlds rouses an odd sensation; I’d call it wanderlust, but it’s more like a fierce need to move on, because I don’t have anywhere like these folks do. Whatever its faults, they have somewhere they call their own. One they’d fight for, die for. Home.
I don’t put down roots. I live for the next jump, even though the next might be my last.
May 18, 2016
Sirantha Jax saved me...kind of. I was wandering in a funk, couldn't find anything to read that caught my interest until I happened to look at the scifi shelf and found waiting for just this moment. Sirantha is one badass...ummm, "jumper"? She mostly doesn't navigate spaceships in this one because most action takes place on the ground. She manages to get herself into some very tough situations, with aliens and other people trying to kill (or eat) her and her crew. Her crew is fantastic, every one of them a great addition to the story. This book bridges Sirantha's role in bringing down the Farwan Corp (first book) and her appointment as the ambassador to an alien world (next book). As always, the action never stops. Highly recommended!
February 18, 2017
Loved it! I am so rapt with this series. Wanderlust is more sombre than Grimspace, but it has much more depth. We get to know the characters better and are introduced to a few new ones. Jax is having a tough time - she is feeling rundown, emotionally vulnerable and it seems as though everyone is after her. Her team help her through it all - and what a mixed bag they are. I love them all! (Vel is my favourite). We don't see a lot of March, but he makes an impression when he does show up. Can't wait to dive into the next book and see how the diplomatic mission goes.
March 16, 2017
Wanderlust continues where stopped, but in very different tone. In the end I am left with the feeling that this book was a little lost.
+ World building has settled down and is no more overwhelming.
+- Not sure what is happening with romance.
- We visit old planets, but there are no fascinating new landscapes or species that caught my attention.
- Jax is less kick-ass and more fragile.
- Some of my favorite quirky side characters are not there, or have less focus.
I'm not sure if Wanderlust is calm before a storm or a new direction for this series. I guess I will have to read the next book to find out. (But I am not giving up on Sirantha just yet.)
+ World building has settled down and is no more overwhelming.
+- Not sure what is happening with romance.
- We visit old planets, but there are no fascinating new landscapes or species that caught my attention.
- Jax is less kick-ass and more fragile.
- Some of my favorite quirky side characters are not there, or have less focus.
I'm not sure if Wanderlust is calm before a storm or a new direction for this series. I guess I will have to read the next book to find out. (But I am not giving up on Sirantha just yet.)
July 16, 2014
3.5 stars
"I’m Sirantha Jax, and I have had enough."
Poor Sirantha Jax can't seem to catch a break. Soon after taking down the corrupt Corps and appointed as a New Terra ambassador. So she starts the journey to Ithiss-Tor. Unfortunately, further demonstrating her bad luck, she's forced to make more than one stop, in the middle of a war zone and a monsters-infected station. Jinx, thy name is Jax. In the meantime Jax is ill, and both she and March will be forced to make some tough choices.
What to say, what to say... For one, I hate it when someone pulls It's for their own good in a relationship. It rarely is, and even if that's true, it should be their choice, no? With everyone being a grown up and all.
"How can you miss someone who’s right beside you?"
"And I want him; I miss him. But I can’t let myself need him, not because I’m physically incapacitated."
Jax isn't used to relying on anyone, and it's hard for her to do so, now. So she takes the easy way out and pushes March away, with the excuse it would be easier for him when she eventually dies. Yeah, Sirantha Jax thinks more about dying than any character I've read about. She has that fatalistic jumper attitude down pat.
“I had no idea you were such a fucking coward, Jax. You think you love me enough to die for me. Big fucking deal; you don’t love me enough to live for me. You’ve quit on us before we ever began.”
So, March gets(rightfully) pissed off. Their relationship becomes rocky and then later on, he's forced to deal with his own demons and they're separated. I hope all remains well with him. I like tough, stubborn, honorable March. Jax needs him.
That's it about their relationship. About Sirantha herself. Well. There is definite progress, when you thik about the start of the series. She used to be so, so selfish, and there are traces of it now, from tim to time. Her hunger for attention, fame.
"Am I disappointed that I don’t get to be a martyr? Shit. I don’t like what that says about me. I don’t have to be the center of attention. I can sit back and ride like everyone else. I can."
But she is trying. And she's learned the value of friends she sticks up for and who do it for her. Speaking of, I love the diversity of the side characters.
Vel, the honorable "bug". Dina, gay, tough as nails mechanic and former princess. Jael, the cocky Bred. And everyone else. They're so cool and they allow this book and the series to feel like more than a sometimes screwed up Jax-verse.
Oh, and there was a scene, with man-eating bug things, a closed, dark hangar and blood and parts on the floor and our heroes fighting to live. Very, very, very creepy and scary. No lack of excitement here.
Why not a higher rating? Well, I have to admit Jax annoyed me at times. I just can't comprehend some of her choices and stances. I hope she sticks with March or I'll be pissed off. Yes, mostly I sympathize with her and she does good, brave, stupid things. But, well, you know. She can do better. But otherwise this book is a good sequel, with the trademark humor and action present.
Quotes
"March is the first one out. He skins down the ladder with a grace I can’t help but admire. Or maybe it’s his ass."
"Nothing else will keep me from grimspace. Even now, the siren song makes me feel itchy with need. The colors, the feeling that comes howling through me as my mind expands. I need to be there like I need nothing else."
“I mean, we can assume they know we know something, and they can try to guess what we know, but nobody really knows what anybody else knows, you know?”
"I’m Sirantha Jax, and I have had enough."
Poor Sirantha Jax can't seem to catch a break. Soon after taking down the corrupt Corps and appointed as a New Terra ambassador. So she starts the journey to Ithiss-Tor. Unfortunately, further demonstrating her bad luck, she's forced to make more than one stop, in the middle of a war zone and a monsters-infected station. Jinx, thy name is Jax. In the meantime Jax is ill, and both she and March will be forced to make some tough choices.
What to say, what to say... For one, I hate it when someone pulls It's for their own good in a relationship. It rarely is, and even if that's true, it should be their choice, no? With everyone being a grown up and all.
"How can you miss someone who’s right beside you?"
"And I want him; I miss him. But I can’t let myself need him, not because I’m physically incapacitated."
Jax isn't used to relying on anyone, and it's hard for her to do so, now. So she takes the easy way out and pushes March away, with the excuse it would be easier for him when she eventually dies. Yeah, Sirantha Jax thinks more about dying than any character I've read about. She has that fatalistic jumper attitude down pat.
“I had no idea you were such a fucking coward, Jax. You think you love me enough to die for me. Big fucking deal; you don’t love me enough to live for me. You’ve quit on us before we ever began.”
So, March gets(rightfully) pissed off. Their relationship becomes rocky and then later on, he's forced to deal with his own demons and they're separated. I hope all remains well with him. I like tough, stubborn, honorable March. Jax needs him.
That's it about their relationship. About Sirantha herself. Well. There is definite progress, when you thik about the start of the series. She used to be so, so selfish, and there are traces of it now, from tim to time. Her hunger for attention, fame.
"Am I disappointed that I don’t get to be a martyr? Shit. I don’t like what that says about me. I don’t have to be the center of attention. I can sit back and ride like everyone else. I can."
But she is trying. And she's learned the value of friends she sticks up for and who do it for her. Speaking of, I love the diversity of the side characters.
Vel, the honorable "bug". Dina, gay, tough as nails mechanic and former princess. Jael, the cocky Bred. And everyone else. They're so cool and they allow this book and the series to feel like more than a sometimes screwed up Jax-verse.
Oh, and there was a scene, with man-eating bug things, a closed, dark hangar and blood and parts on the floor and our heroes fighting to live. Very, very, very creepy and scary. No lack of excitement here.
Why not a higher rating? Well, I have to admit Jax annoyed me at times. I just can't comprehend some of her choices and stances. I hope she sticks with March or I'll be pissed off. Yes, mostly I sympathize with her and she does good, brave, stupid things. But, well, you know. She can do better. But otherwise this book is a good sequel, with the trademark humor and action present.
Quotes
"March is the first one out. He skins down the ladder with a grace I can’t help but admire. Or maybe it’s his ass."
"Nothing else will keep me from grimspace. Even now, the siren song makes me feel itchy with need. The colors, the feeling that comes howling through me as my mind expands. I need to be there like I need nothing else."
“I mean, we can assume they know we know something, and they can try to guess what we know, but nobody really knows what anybody else knows, you know?”
April 29, 2016
One of the things I like about the Sirantha Jax series is the fact that its 카지노싸이트 Fiction. Alright, alright, Chick Sci Fi, but Sci Fi none the less. Its not fantasy-rom. Its not paranormal-rom. Clean and Simple Space Opera. This? Is something I want more of.
Wanderlust took us to multiple places...but felt like we got no where. It starts on Sirantha Jax's homeworld, jumps to an emergency space station, then onto March's "home" planet, back into space, to end on a Star Trek Next gen Risa-esque planet.
Along the way we pick up characters to add to the mix, but really, in the end, this second novel in the series seems to be a bridge getting Jax from where she was, to where she's going. You know in the beginning that she's to go to the homeworld of one of her closest allies- as newly anointed Ambassador for the fledgling government instated in the aftermath of the first novel, Grimspace. But it takes the entire book to get her there and ends with only her arrival.
And I'm okay with that. Why? Because Aguirre managed to keep the H/h's relationship compelling even though their HEA was pretty much assured in the first novel. I'm all about character driven novels. Jax and March's HEA assurance all changed in Wanderlust. I will say the book ends with them together too, but again, nothing is assured now.
Seriously, I'm really okay with this. And why would I say this, diehard romancer that I am? Because it feels real. Look, it took me awhile to pick this up from the first one because, I couldnt see where else this was going after Grimspace, and frankly, didn't care a whole hangofa lot. They defeated the baddies and they were together. Good enough for me. But Wanderlust sets us up for what's to come I think, and now I'm intrigued. Sure I would have enjoyed less in in Sirantha's head- (it's a little difficult to nail down her character motivations when she thinks things that are incongruous from the way she was established in the first nove)- and more in other characters' ::cough March cough:: but wth? I'm reading on.
Wanderlust took us to multiple places...but felt like we got no where. It starts on Sirantha Jax's homeworld, jumps to an emergency space station, then onto March's "home" planet, back into space, to end on a Star Trek Next gen Risa-esque planet.
Along the way we pick up characters to add to the mix, but really, in the end, this second novel in the series seems to be a bridge getting Jax from where she was, to where she's going. You know in the beginning that she's to go to the homeworld of one of her closest allies- as newly anointed Ambassador for the fledgling government instated in the aftermath of the first novel, Grimspace. But it takes the entire book to get her there and ends with only her arrival.
And I'm okay with that. Why? Because Aguirre managed to keep the H/h's relationship compelling even though their HEA was pretty much assured in the first novel. I'm all about character driven novels. Jax and March's HEA assurance all changed in Wanderlust. I will say the book ends with them together too, but again, nothing is assured now.
Seriously, I'm really okay with this. And why would I say this, diehard romancer that I am? Because it feels real. Look, it took me awhile to pick this up from the first one because, I couldnt see where else this was going after Grimspace, and frankly, didn't care a whole hangofa lot. They defeated the baddies and they were together. Good enough for me. But Wanderlust sets us up for what's to come I think, and now I'm intrigued. Sure I would have enjoyed less in in Sirantha's head- (it's a little difficult to nail down her character motivations when she thinks things that are incongruous from the way she was established in the first nove)- and more in other characters' ::cough March cough:: but wth? I'm reading on.
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