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sznnbrgrn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
katyanaish's review
5.0
This book, this whole series, is so incredibly hard to read. And I mean that in the very best of ways. I just finished Aftermath moments ago, and I am crying my eyes out.
There are so many things to say about this book. This is the book where Jax ties up loose ends. All of the dangling bits from the reckless, selfish person that she used to be, all the promises she made to herself and others, all the things weighting down her soul... that is what is handled here. It feels like.... a ritual cleansing. A step-by-step cleansing, an unbinding of all the things that kept her from being free.
And it is an unbinding of people, too. It hurts to a shocking degree to see the cast of secondary characters come to a fork in the road and go a different direction. Like in the book previous, this one continues with the unmaking of Jax, ... and that necessarily includes the unmaking of her team. And what is illuminated, the person she is when the rest of it is stripped away... it is truly beautiful. The real depth of emotion here is magnificent, and it sets this series apart.
I don't know how to begin talking about the relationship between Jax and Vel, or the relationship between Jax and March. The one is her companion, and the other is her lover. Vel's love for Jax may be the most beautiful, and breathtaking, love I have ever read. And for so much of the book, it occurred to me over and over how right the two of them are together. Whereas nothing about March and Jax feels right.
But then the last 2 chapters... I cried the whole way through. It was beautiful and heartbreaking, just completely devastating.
I can't see how this will end happily, and so I am terrified of Endgame, but I am too entwined in this story to give it up. I better just make sure to have a fresh carton of kleenex on-hand when it comes out next year.
There are so many things to say about this book. This is the book where Jax ties up loose ends. All of the dangling bits from the reckless, selfish person that she used to be, all the promises she made to herself and others, all the things weighting down her soul... that is what is handled here. It feels like.... a ritual cleansing. A step-by-step cleansing, an unbinding of all the things that kept her from being free.
And it is an unbinding of people, too. It hurts to a shocking degree to see the cast of secondary characters come to a fork in the road and go a different direction. Like in the book previous, this one continues with the unmaking of Jax, ... and that necessarily includes the unmaking of her team. And what is illuminated, the person she is when the rest of it is stripped away... it is truly beautiful. The real depth of emotion here is magnificent, and it sets this series apart.
I don't know how to begin talking about the relationship between Jax and Vel, or the relationship between Jax and March. The one is her companion, and the other is her lover. Vel's love for Jax may be the most beautiful, and breathtaking, love I have ever read. And for so much of the book, it occurred to me over and over how right the two of them are together. Whereas nothing about March and Jax feels right.
But then the last 2 chapters... I cried the whole way through. It was beautiful and heartbreaking, just completely devastating.
I can't see how this will end happily, and so I am terrified of Endgame, but I am too entwined in this story to give it up. I better just make sure to have a fresh carton of kleenex on-hand when it comes out next year.
mellhay's review against another edition
5.0
Jax has reconfigured the beacons to stop their enemy, but its disabled the Conglomerate and everyone else from jumping as well. And what about anyone who might have been jumping at the time she reconfigured? She needs to tell everyone not to jump, and how to jump the new configurations. When Jax and Hit make it back to Venice Minor they see the Morguts have attacked the planet, burning the hanger and buildings. There's no sign of life. Jax is worried the Conglomerate will find her guilty of working without orders, High Treason, going AWOL, and death of ships full of crew in grimspace. Jax fights to get back to civilization and is imprisoned for her way of saving so many lives. Then Jax has a whole journey to correct her wrongs, and hold her promises and Vel goes with her.
By the time you have gotten to this book, you know what's going on. You don't need the rehashing of all the previous events and you are ready to move on. This book briefly mentions the ending of Killbox, but that is because Aftermath starts exactly at that point. This is the wonderful thing about this series, you are fully invested by now. As we come to the carrying through with promises and old friends revisited, you remember the feelings and happenings right with Jax as you need them. Ann does a wonderful job of bringing back those feelings and not bogging down the story with old events.
Jax has grown so much as a person in these books. She is now aware of the results her actions leave behind and tries to correct those, or at least make amends with them. Then we have all the promises Jax has made along the way through the last four books. This book is one that ties a lot of those up, cleaning up lots of lose ends. Jax is paying her debts, training the new patterns, and making visits on needed promises.
While Jax was incarcerated we get to read letters back and forth between Jax and March. We start to see these two might have different paths to follow, but love each other so. But this is the way we get to keep March in the picture. We get Vel back in this book. God is he a great friend to Jax. The only one who seems to completely get her and her ways. Vel is the rock that Jax needs here. They get their own adventure in the Makers land, which brings them EXTREMELY closer.
We still have correspondents between Edun and Tarn. This gives us a small glimpse of the political end and what they are doing to help with the trial. These letters seem more personable along with business. Then Tarn and Edun are done with their business here as well. But! I'm hoping we might get to meet Edun in person in the next book. I am left with a small glimmer of hope that it could happen.
This series has taken me on an amazing ride of emotions. We have had fun and laughed, been serious, fought a war, lost friends along the way, fell in love, and now cried when life's paths go askew. This book brought tears to my eyes for the last hundred or so pages, and I cried at the end. I loved how Ann has taken these characters to the point of no return and makes those tough choices. All along the way I have fallen for these characters.
By the time you have gotten to this book, you know what's going on. You don't need the rehashing of all the previous events and you are ready to move on. This book briefly mentions the ending of Killbox, but that is because Aftermath starts exactly at that point. This is the wonderful thing about this series, you are fully invested by now. As we come to the carrying through with promises and old friends revisited, you remember the feelings and happenings right with Jax as you need them. Ann does a wonderful job of bringing back those feelings and not bogging down the story with old events.
Jax has grown so much as a person in these books. She is now aware of the results her actions leave behind and tries to correct those, or at least make amends with them. Then we have all the promises Jax has made along the way through the last four books. This book is one that ties a lot of those up, cleaning up lots of lose ends. Jax is paying her debts, training the new patterns, and making visits on needed promises.
While Jax was incarcerated we get to read letters back and forth between Jax and March. We start to see these two might have different paths to follow, but love each other so. But this is the way we get to keep March in the picture. We get Vel back in this book. God is he a great friend to Jax. The only one who seems to completely get her and her ways. Vel is the rock that Jax needs here. They get their own adventure in the Makers land, which brings them EXTREMELY closer.
We still have correspondents between Edun and Tarn. This gives us a small glimpse of the political end and what they are doing to help with the trial. These letters seem more personable along with business. Then Tarn and Edun are done with their business here as well. But! I'm hoping we might get to meet Edun in person in the next book. I am left with a small glimmer of hope that it could happen.
This series has taken me on an amazing ride of emotions. We have had fun and laughed, been serious, fought a war, lost friends along the way, fell in love, and now cried when life's paths go askew. This book brought tears to my eyes for the last hundred or so pages, and I cried at the end. I loved how Ann has taken these characters to the point of no return and makes those tough choices. All along the way I have fallen for these characters.
bookloverchelle's review against another edition
4.0
I’m so mad at myself that I’ve gotten so far behind in the Sirantha Jax series. I’m typically a pure romance reader but every so often something can pull me from my comfort zone and Jax is one of them. I adore how Ann Aguirre’s mind works because there is no way I’d ever be able to imagine what she does. In the second to last installment in the series we’re riding with Jax as she tries to save the world from the dreaded flesh-eating aliens. When her plan causes mass casualties she has to face what she’s done. This was a wonderful and emotional story with Jax coming face to face with some tough decisions on the ground and in space. I’m just hoping that the last book in the series gives the kind of HEA I’m hoping for.
xvicesx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nevclue's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
Wow I genuinely did not expect this book or what looks like the series to go in the direction it did. This is not at all a complaint. However, I think the plotting of this book was weaker than that of the previous books. It seemed more like a series of vignettes than a cohesive through narrative. The plot nonetheless raised some fascinating character developments. We get lots of Vel, whom I'm a huge fan of. I can't wait to see what the last book brings to the table.
Wow I genuinely did not expect this book or what looks like the series to go in the direction it did. This is not at all a complaint. However, I think the plotting of this book was weaker than that of the previous books. It seemed more like a series of vignettes than a cohesive through narrative. The plot nonetheless raised some fascinating character developments. We get lots of Vel, whom I'm a huge fan of. I can't wait to see what the last book brings to the table.
claire_loves_books's review against another edition
3.0
I hated this ending
Spoiler
March and Jax go separate ways but somehow it's all Jax' fault- March blames her, Jax blames herself. March has Sasha to look after but it's still his choice to stay on one planet- if Jax can set up a new school for jumpers March could at least look at doing that for Sasha- but he seems to expect Jax to give up her plans (of saving a whole World from slavery) and then is angry at her that she doesn't. She's made a promise and she feels that she owes Loras a debt (March arguably owes just as much/more too- he nearly let Loras die and then Loras saved his life- Loras at least made a choice when Jax abandoned him)julieabe89's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love this book. It has such a bittersweet ending. I cannot get enough of this main character. I can’t wait to read Endgame!
lizzy_22's review against another edition
5.0
I just bumped this up to 5 stars because as I thought about the review I would write the feelings I had when I finished Aftermath reared up on me again.
Rather than recap and analyze what has happened in the Jax series so far I would rather say that despite what I am sure shippers of Sirantha and March would say was a sad and disappointing ending, I saw the most optimistic and beautiful threads of love, friendship and destiny laid out for the last book, Endgame, to weave into what I am sure will be a magnificent finish.
Much of this has to do with Sirantha's relationship with the incomparable Vel. Their friendship and deep connection has to be the most amazing and heartfelt I've ever read between two non-romantic companions ever. Their understanding and empathy towards each other along with the commitment and loyalty they feel is just amazing and as breathtakingly peaceful as it is simple. I get the sense that they are two integral souls never to be parted and no matter where she ends up on this journey, Vel will be there at her side.
Rather than recap and analyze what has happened in the Jax series so far I would rather say that despite what I am sure shippers of Sirantha and March would say was a sad and disappointing ending, I saw the most optimistic and beautiful threads of love, friendship and destiny laid out for the last book, Endgame, to weave into what I am sure will be a magnificent finish.
Much of this has to do with Sirantha's relationship with the incomparable Vel. Their friendship and deep connection has to be the most amazing and heartfelt I've ever read between two non-romantic companions ever. Their understanding and empathy towards each other along with the commitment and loyalty they feel is just amazing and as breathtakingly peaceful as it is simple. I get the sense that they are two integral souls never to be parted and no matter where she ends up on this journey, Vel will be there at her side.