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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Politics and mystery and betrayal in a closed society. Exploration of a very different culture.
Loveable characters:
Yes
[a:Ann Aguirre|835348|Ann Aguirre|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1275442049p2/835348.jpg] keeps up the good work in this, the third Sirantha Jax novel.
As with all previous Jax books, nothing is sacred and things don't always turn out rosy in the end. In fact, like in real life, it is guaranteed that things do not go well. Aguirre's Jax universe reminds me a lot of Whedon's Firefly universe: gritty, realistic, and harsh. But Jax's indomitable spirit and smart-ass attitude, along with so many of the other character's personalities, keep the story for getting mired in depression and despair while keeping the intensity ratcheted high.
On to #4, [b:Killbox|10035224|Killbox (Sirantha Jax, #4)|Ann Aguirre|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293430612s/10035224.jpg|6913748]!
Spoiler
Impulsive and frank, Jax has to adapt to the life of a goodwill ambassador, brokering a critical alliance with the Ithtorians. The importance of her mission is paramount--if she fails, known civilization is doomed; if she succeeds, humanity (and all the various other sentient races of the universe) has a fighting chance against the insatiable monstrous Morgut. So, no pressure.As with all previous Jax books, nothing is sacred and things don't always turn out rosy in the end. In fact, like in real life, it is guaranteed that things do not go well. Aguirre's Jax universe reminds me a lot of Whedon's Firefly universe: gritty, realistic, and harsh. But Jax's indomitable spirit and smart-ass attitude, along with so many of the other character's personalities, keep the story for getting mired in depression and despair while keeping the intensity ratcheted high.
On to #4, [b:Killbox|10035224|Killbox (Sirantha Jax, #4)|Ann Aguirre|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293430612s/10035224.jpg|6913748]!
I kept reading in hopes that the series would get better. Unfortunately it has not and it's time to give up on this series.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5 that I'm rounding up. This was a subdued Jax entry, but enjoyable. I like my slightly trashy sci-fi, what can I say? I enjoyed the character development for Vel a great deal in this one. (I wish he was her romantic interest, I must admit. March is getting boring/creepy.)
This, the third novel in this series is fun, while not as prone to random plot whorls as it's previous two, and has a mix of diplomacy, mystery, romance, and action.
Ms Aguirre manages to create a love story in these novels that is strong enough to get over itself. Nothing in these books have been about the main character's love interest being the thing that defines her or the singular thing that drives her. In fact, it ends up being the first thing she has to sacrifice in many cases. And yet, she and March are mature enough and level headed enough that they can get over themselves and deal with the problems at hand and then find a way to return to what they are/what they had.
To be honest, I was a little worried about this novel's plot. Political intrigue can be and a tricky thing to pull off well, and I wasn't sure what to expect, especially with a main character as vocal about her ineptitude with this sort of thing as Sirantha is. But she did it very well. The amount of help that Sirantha receives seems like the amount she'd need to perform in her task. And overall, this very alien situation came across feeling very real.
Ms Aguirre manages to create a love story in these novels that is strong enough to get over itself. Nothing in these books have been about the main character's love interest being the thing that defines her or the singular thing that drives her. In fact, it ends up being the first thing she has to sacrifice in many cases. And yet, she and March are mature enough and level headed enough that they can get over themselves and deal with the problems at hand and then find a way to return to what they are/what they had.
To be honest, I was a little worried about this novel's plot. Political intrigue can be and a tricky thing to pull off well, and I wasn't sure what to expect, especially with a main character as vocal about her ineptitude with this sort of thing as Sirantha is. But she did it very well. The amount of help that Sirantha receives seems like the amount she'd need to perform in her task. And overall, this very alien situation came across feeling very real.
Despite a soul-wrenching plot twist, I loved this. This series is just awesome!
Love the characters. Love the world. But this book just seemed really uneven. My least favorite of the series so far. Although it did pick up toward the end...maybe I was just bored with the political stuff?
I didn't like this installment as much as the first two books. Jax is still a great protagonist and the secondary characters are still varied and interesting so there's no problem there. We finally see Jax arrive at Ithis-Torr to make a stab at forging an alliance between that world and the Conglomerate. This is where the story drags for me as I was just not very interested in the diplomatic shenanigans going on. Jax attending one diplomatic function after another just doesn't hold the same level of attraction for me as a good old fashioned firefight, but that's just a matter of personal preference.
What I did really enjoy was reading about March's battles with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and how that impacts heavily upon his relationship with Jax. Having worked with combat soldiers with PTSD, I found that March's presentation was very true to life. Once again I am very pleased to see that Jax and March are navigating very honest problems in their attempts to be together. I would have preferred to see the PTSD plot thread stretched out over the next book but I will say that the manner in which Jax helps March is inspired. The last third or so of the book yields an unexpected betrayal and a daring rescue so that grabbed my attention again. This is still definitely a series to keep reading.
What I did really enjoy was reading about March's battles with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and how that impacts heavily upon his relationship with Jax. Having worked with combat soldiers with PTSD, I found that March's presentation was very true to life. Once again I am very pleased to see that Jax and March are navigating very honest problems in their attempts to be together. I would have preferred to see the PTSD plot thread stretched out over the next book but I will say that the manner in which Jax helps March is inspired. The last third or so of the book yields an unexpected betrayal and a daring rescue so that grabbed my attention again. This is still definitely a series to keep reading.