ARC Review: Fallen

Lauren Kate
Fallen (Fallen #1)
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0385738935
ISBN-13: 978-0385738934
Young adult fantasy
December 8, 2009

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go.

Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

As reviewed for Amazon Vine, with some embellishments. And some spoilers. But I’ll label that section prior to stating them.

Before I get into why I thought the book was good – and why I also thought it came out a hot mess – I have got to hand it to the art team for that cover. Wow, now that is gorgeous…too bad it has nothing to do with the contents. The blurb is even intriguing, although it makes Luce come off as desperate, and while it does accurately represent the book, exciting isn’t exactly the word I’d use. Puzzling fits my experience more.

REVIEW: Leviathan

Scott Westerfeld
Leviathan (Leviathan #1)
Simon Pulse
ISBN-10: 1416971734
ISBN-13: 978-1416971733
Young adult steampunk
October 6, 2009

It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With the Great War brewing, Alek’s and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

Oh yes – my first steampunk read! What a fascinating aspect of this book, all the steampunk goodies. The airships, which in this case were made from the body of a flippin’ whale (the Leviathan itself), six-legged dog-like creatures that could sniff out hydrogen leaks, complex war machines that either walked upright like a man or crawled and scuttled like an insect…these were a few of my favorite things. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld was a great way to break into the steampunk genre, offering up a very pleasing amount of worldbuilding that brought back memories of my fascination with…Little House on the Praire by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Bear with me.

Tales From the iPhone: Whaaa…

I know I’m supposed to be taking that break, but another blog post somewhere (sorry unable to do links ATM) out there is trashing ARC book reviewers, calling them out on their honesty, integrity, objectivity and any other weighty word they care to use. This particular blogger even admits to knowingly offending many a blogger with their post. They do not feel bad for this. And I cannot fault a person for laying it on the table. For being honest.

But I can say – Fuck ‘em.

Why do we blog?

Tons of reasons, dude. I blog for fun. Others blog for a little money (ads, etc) mixed with a little fun. Others have a particular passion they want to get out and share. We all have our own style. But my blog is not going to crumble under the reins of disapproval. Yours shouldn’t either.

And there comes another person, yet again, they’ve got a problem with how so and sos do so and so. They have a right to their opinion!

Correct-a-mondo. Everyone has a right to state their opinion. Even the ones that hate something a fellow blogger has done, even if those things don’t hurt that current complainer at all.

Fuck’em.

I’m tired of the bitching. January will mark my second year blogging, and of the two, it’s been the most unpleasant in terms of the gosh damn bitching. The whining doesn’t have to mean anything to those it’s aimed at though. If there’s yet another red flag thrower on your play?

Fuck ‘em.

What is the complainer of this particular hour going to do? Nothing. Their rants don’t have to mean a damn thing to you.

So if you like reviewing FREE ARCs, and Complainer #12,456 wants to bitch about the fun YOU are having?

Fuck ‘em.

If you want to organize an award, a reading challenge, a charity fundraiser or a promo for a book you freaking LOVE and someone has a problem with it –

Fuck ‘em.

If you need a little petty cash and put ads on your blogs to get it. You gosh damn GO, motherFer, high five – and don’t forget:

Fuck ‘em.

Blog for you. Blog for fun. Blog what makes YOU feel like you’re having fun, however you want to do it. The rest is mearly noise.

Technology Is Not My Friend

Technical difficulties this weekend, lots of them. In fact the last several weekends have been full of lovely things like the internet crapping out. Now it’s that PLUS the house phone, cell phones – even the damn power for a while yesterday – all out. Apparently there’s some kind of ambiguos area-wide problem with our provider, who in my opinion sucks ass. Talking to you, AT&T.

Irritated.

I try not to bitch here, but I’m did I mention being irritated? I don’t know when I’ll get to do anything for the blog. Irritated. Actually, I think I’ll just call a break for the next several days. I mean, I have to do this from my IPhone for craps sakes. Irritated.

See yall in a few days, where hopefully I’ll have at least caught up on review writing. Stay classy, blogosphere.

Winner Winner, Blaze Dinner!

Drum roll, please!

Please?

OK, who needs it – we have our winners of the Blaze of Memory giveaway!

Out of 126 total entries (holy crap, yo, that’s a lot for this place), they are….

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

3
109

Timestamp: 2009-10-28 17:06:37 UTC

Willa and Gabriela!

Congrats, ladies! You each win your very own signed copy of Blaze of Memory to love and hug and well – read! Thank you to everyone that stopped by for a chance to win – and thank you to Ms. Singh again for the prizes. It was fun seeing all the comments roll in, even if my hand about fell off writing up all the names w/entry numbers. I really need to get a template that numbers comments…

Poll: The Twilight Train – Over It or More Please?

One thing about the craze of the Harry Potter Years is I didn’t see over-the-top endorsements for other series, such as If you liked Harry Potter, you MUST read Amberfinch’s Magical Circus – Potter fans will rejoice! I’m sure there were some instances (it is after all in the nature of marketing to take advantage of whatever is topping an industry’s charts, however unoriginal it may be…), although I remain blissfully unaware of them. I was able to enjoy the Potter series for what it was and never did it intersect the potential awesomeness of any other children or young adult title. There were no constant shots at the Glory that was Potter when it came to another book.

I’m a big fan of letting a book stand on its own. So when I finished My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent yesterday, I went online to Amazon to see other reader opinions, after which I planned to research some blog reviews. Then I saw the book trailer on its Amazon page. I clicked. I was about to click away when I saw that damning phrase, at :34 in – “Twilight fans will love it”.

Before I go any further, I can definitely see why some books are recommended based on logic like above. Some really do seem to imitate the marketing/fan loved phenomenon that is Twilight. Hell – I liked Twilight and most of it’s series sisters, and I watch the movie. It was fun. The end. After reading Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Fallen by Lauren Kate, which very much felt like Twilight with angels instead of vampires, sure – the comparison can be made.

Like anything, though, too much of a good thing is overkill and plain bad. Twilight cannot nor should it even attempt to represent the overall fun, imagination and talent that is inherent in the young adult umbrella genre today. My Soul to Take is absolutely nothing like Twilight. The phrase I mentioned above from its book trailer had this preceding the Twilight endorsement: “Plenty of paranormal thrills, mystery and romance.” And both books do, hell, lots of so-called young adult titles do – but this in no way means they are enough alike to slap the Twilight starburst of awesomeness on it. My Soul to Take is a great book and by God, it stands very well on its own. It doesn’t need Twilight to speak for it.

As Wendy pointed out to me on Twitter, books like Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols are phenomenal, yet they get little to no attention in comparison to Twilight (I know, I know, let’s point to the sales figures shall we…). While we’re at it, yes, this is all subjective, but honestly, how much more of this book and that book is for fans of brooding Edward and klutzy Bella do we need? My personal quota has been filled. My sparkles runneth over.

Of course, some authors might want a book like that to speak for theirs if it gets their work some attention. Totally and 100% understandable. But what about the sector that isn’t into Twilight? What if such a rec is off putting? I’m about at the point where it is.

What about you? Are you over the Twilight Train, or do you agree with and love all the places its sparkling bower of YA power is placed? Does it’s name on a new book automatically make you want to read said new book, or at least check it out (or Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice)? Feel free to vote in the poll on the upper right.

Cover Spotlight: Young Adult Mix

Releases December 22, 2009. For more info see the author’s site.

Nimira is a foreign music-hall girl forced to dance for mere pennies. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing with a piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new and better life. In Parry’s world, however, buried secrets are beginning to stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumors swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry’s involvement with a league of sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. Then Nimira discovers the spirit of a fairy gentleman named Erris is trapped inside the clockwork automaton, waiting for someone to break his curse. The two fall into a love that seems hopeless, and breaking the curse becomes a race against time, as not just their love, but the fate of the entire magical world may be in peril.

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The cover for this one’s been out for a while now, and I find myself interested in it still. Releases January 5, 2010. Visit the author’s site for more info.

From the author of the Chicagoland Vampires novels. A new series about a boarding school filled with something worse than homework.

Lily’s parents have sent her to a fancy boarding school in Chicago filled with the ultra-rich. If that wasn’t bad enough, she’s hearing and seeing bizarre things on St. Sophie’s creepy campus. Her roommate, Scout, keeps her sane, but keeps disappearing at night. When one day Lily finds Scout running from real-life monsters, she learns the hard way that Scout is involved in a splinter group of rebel teens.

They protect Chicago from demons, vamps, and dark magic users. It’s too bad Lily doesn’t have powers of her own to help. At least, none that she’s discovered yet…

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This one sounded like an interesting premise. Releases January 12, 2010.

For broken-hearted Olivia Larsen, nothing can change the fact that her twin sister, Violet, is gone… until a mysterious, beautiful gown arrives on her doorstep. The dress doesn’t just look magical; it is magical. It has the power to grant her one wish, and the only thing Olivia wants is her sister back.

With Violet again by her side, both girls get a second chance at life. And as the sisters soon discover, they have two more dresses-and two more wishes left. But magic can’t solve everything, and Olivia is forced to confront her ghosts to learn how to laugh, love, and live again.

In a breathtaking debut from Alexandra Bullen, WISH asks the question: If you could have anything, what would you wish for?

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This one sounds very interesting and imaginative. Releases January 26, 2010. Visit the author’s site.

Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible.

And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside- she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don’t realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know.

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Releases February 9, 2010. I’m not sure if this is the author’s official site, but give it a try.

Cooper Blake has everything going for him—until he wakes from a car accident with his football career in ruins and a mysterious, attractive girl by his side. Cooper doesn’t know how Samantha got there or why he can see her; all he knows is that she’s a ghost, and the shadows that surround her seem intent on destroying her.

No one from Cooper’s old life would understand what he can barely grasp himself. . . . But Delilah, the captain of the cheerleading squad, has secrets of her own, like her ability to see beyond the physical world, and her tangled history with Brent, a loner from a neighboring school who can hear strangers’ most intimate thoughts. Delilah and Brent know that Cooper is in more trouble than he realizes, and that Samantha may not be as innocent as she has led Cooper to believe. But the only way to figure out where Samantha came from will put them all in more danger than they ever dreamed possible.

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Releases February 1, 2010. Visit the author’s site for more info.

On his first trip to London to stay with his glamorous aunt and uncle for Christmas, Ivo Moncrieff steps off the train and stumbles into a nightmare. As he is waiting on the tube platform, a stranger thrusts a mysterious object into his hand, desperately muttering some unfamiliar words to him. On-board the tube moments later, the carriage next to Ivo’s is overcome with panic and when they enter the next station the passengers disembark to find that the stranger’s body has been brutally dismembered. Ivo guesses that perpetrators must want the object, and if they find out he has it, he will be their next target. But the attack on the tube is part of a larger scheme to bring chaos to the heart of London. As the capital seems in danger of sliding into anarchy, Ivo faces a race against time to break the ancient power of the Liberators, a power that has lain dormant for centuries but now threatens to destroy society itself. Philip Womack has written a gripping and thought-provoking tale that entertains at the same time as it explores what it means to be human and to be free.

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Releases March 16, 2010. For more info, click here.

Wade Jackson has always felt split, his love for playing and writing music competing with his ambition to do well in school. But when his mother dies, this need for order competes with his desire to leave it all behind. What follows is a split in his consciousness that takes him to two very different worlds.

Told in alternating chapters that together form one cohesive story, Split follows both Wades as they pursue what they think is the correct path. One Wade continues working hard in school, pulling all-nighters to write a computer code he believes will save the world. The other Wade pursues the dream of being a dive-bar singer, pulling all-nighters to party, gamble, and live on the edge. But when these two worlds begin to collide, each Wade will need to find a balance between control and abandon, order and chaos, life missed and life lost, in order to save himself.

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Definitely will be reading this one. Releases March 18, 2010. Atuhor’s site is here. Thanks to Katiebabs for the heads up!

THE TRANSFORMATION

Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.

THE LOVE AFFAIR

When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.

THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE

When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?

THE HEARTBREAK

The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.

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Releases May 1, 2010. See the author’s site for more info. Also, since I couldn’t copy/paste the book’s description in, see here for an interesting and informative look at the book.

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Releases May 18, 2010. Visit the author’s site for more info. Sounds like an interesting take on werewolves.

Hanover Falls hasn’t had a werewolf problem in over one hundred years. Seattle, Copenhagen, Osaka–they’ve had plenty of attacks. But when humans begin dying in Claire Benoit’s town, the panic spreads faster than a rumor at a pep rally. At Claire’s sixteenth birthday party, the gruesome killings are all anyone can talk about. But the big news in Claire’s mind is the fact that Matthew Engle–high-school soccer god and son of a world-renowned lycanthropy expert–notices her. And flirts with her. A lot.

That night, Claire learns that she is the latest in a long line of Benoit werewolves, and that contrary to popular belief, all werewolves are female. Killing humans is forbidden by the code of the pack, but a rogue werewolf has been breaking that law, threatening the existence of Claire’s new pack. As the pack struggles to find and fight the rogue werewolf and Claire struggles with her lupine identity, her heart and her loyalties are torn in two. Claire must keep her new life a secret from even her best friend–and especially from Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt…and with whom Claire is impossibly and undeniably falling head-over-paws in love.

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Releases January 5, 2010. Visit the author’s site here. This appears to be a sequel to Need.

Zara and her friends knew they hadn’t solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king’s needs grow deeper every day he’s stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It’s made him vulnerable. And now there’s a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he’s one of the good guys. Nick isn’t buying it, though Zara isn’t as sure — despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it’s a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It’s her life — and his.

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Releases March 23, 2010 and sounds very good. Looking forward to it. You can find more info here. Thanks to the Smugglers for the heads up!

Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him.

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing. Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers. Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry.

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Releases May 18, 2010. For more info, visit the author’s site.

Lani and Erin are bonded for life. One thing that connects them is their fascination of fate. Lani wonders how much of our lives has already been decided and how much we can actually influence. Since the Unknown can unexpectedly change our lives forever, how much can we really control?

From the minute Lani meets Jason, she can’t deny the intense connection they share. It feels like she’s known him forever. She’s not sure if he feels it, too. But it doesn’t matter. Because Jason is Erin’s boyfriend. Lani is determined to ignore her feelings for Jason, no matter how powerful they are, rather than risk hurting her best friend.

How long can Lani keep running from the boy who might be her destiny?

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Releases March 2, 2010. Blurb found here. Author’s site is here.

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the parking lot to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

NEW Author Spotlight! Kris Greene

I’ve had my eye on this one for a while, finding the title an interesting one several months ago. We finally have a cover (which looks like a dos Santos work, but it’s not on his site, so not sure)…and still no author site, that I can find. If you know of anything, let me know! Releases February 2, 2010. From Amazon:

THE LEGENDS ARE TRUE.

Gabriel is a New York City college kid who loves to bury his nose in books, looking up stories of long-dead cultures, lost languages, and forgotten legends. He never imagined one of those legends would come looking for him—until a tough-talking girl named De Mona Sanchez thrusts an ancient weapon into his hands…and recruits Gabriel in a dark epic war he was born to fight.

THE DEMONS ARE HERE.

Banished centuries ago by warrior knights, a demonic army is storming through a dimensional rift into our world. Stalkers are prowling the streets. Corpses are rising up to fight. And Gabriel—a descendant of one of the original warriors—has no choice but to drop his textbooks and start kicking demon butt alongside his new friend De Mona…who has a few secrets of her own. If Gabriel fails, humanity loses. If war is hell, this is hell on earth…

ARC REVIEW + Giveaway: Blaze of Memory

Nalini Singh
Blaze of Memory (Psy/Changeling #7)
Berkley
ISBN-10: 0425231119
ISBN-13: 978- 0425231111
Paranormal romance
November 3, 2009

Dev Santos discovers her unconscious and battered, with no memory of who she is. All she knows is that she’s dangerous. Charged with protecting his people’s most vulnerable secrets, Dev is duty-bound to eliminate all threats. It’s a task he’s never hesitated to complete…until he finds himself drawn to a woman who might yet prove the enemy’s most insidious weapon.

Stripped of her memories by a shadowy oppressor, and programmed to carry out cold-blooded murder, Katya Haas is fighting desperately for her sanity itself. Her only hope is Dev. But how can she expect to gain the trust of a man who could very well be her next target? For in this game, one must die…

I’ve usually been more inclined towards the changeling side of this series. The half human, half animal characters feel so viscerally alive within the confines of the books, making for some of the more passionate scenarios. The Psy are almost their complete opposite, or they seem so as they are now. At one time the Psy could feel as strongly as any changeling. At one time, the Psy had just as much choice, just as much freedom as a changeling. If you’ve been following the series, you’ll know by now that they haven’t truly enjoyed freedom for a long time. This installment sheds more light on the struggles of the Psy and on the fact that they are every bit as deeply layered as their more animalistic opposition.

REVIEW: Graceling

Kristin Cashore
Graceling (book #1)
Harcourt Children’s Books
ISBN-10: 015206396X
ISBN-13: 978- 015206392
Young adult fantasy
October 1, 2008

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight–she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace–or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

I have to agree with the blurb above. Graceling did indeed hold me captive for the most part and I definitely wanted more. So much so that I immediately sought out the second book only to find out it’s more of a prequel with different characters on the menu. More on that later.

The thing that impressed me most is that this was a young adult novel. While I see the argument a lot that young adult books are just for young adults, it’s not a sentiment I agree with. As with adult novels, young adult is populated with all kinds and levels of skill – Graceling exceeded my expectations in terms of skill. Not only is it perfect for young adults, but for adults as well that are of the fantasy persuasion.

Powerpuff Girls REVIEW: Perfect Chemistry

I was invited to be Buttercup for a Day after Bubbles, Blossum and I had been discussing Perfect Chemistry. Usually Buttercup is AWOL, from what I hear, so I’m both delighted and honored to share my thoughts on a book in lieu of the real Buttercup. Bubbles will be reviewing Perfect Chemistry at The Book Smugglers, and Blossum will be over at Babbling about Books and More.

Simone Elkeles
Perfect Chemistry
Walker Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0802798225
ISBN-13: 978-0802798220
Young adult contemporary
December 23, 2008

At Fairfield High, everyone knows that south siders and north siders aren’t exactly compatible elements. So when cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners, the results are bound to be explosive.

Neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all – love. Can they break through the stereotypes and misconceptions that threaten to keep them apart?

What I don’t like about books tends to stick out too much to me when I write reviews, so I’m forcing myself to go with the positive first…

The author’s site describes Perfect Chemistry as “a whole new take on star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story, bad boy meets good girl…” I also couldn’t help but think of the History Channel’s Gangland series, too, and the musical classic Grease as well, but the Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story tributes are definitely rich throughout this book.

Katiebabs and I Discuss Doubleblind, Part 1

In lieu of a normal review, dear ‘ole Babs, of Babbling About Books and More, and I decided to get our blah blahs on about the latest Sirantha Jax installment, Doubleblind. This is Aguirre’s third in the series and I’m pretty happy to say it is still going strong…

Beware of a few spoilers!

KB: Can I say how happy I am that Jax and her crew are back in Doubleblind, the wonderful sci-fi series by Ann Aguirre? Jax is one of my favorite heroines of this decade and the way things even with Wanderlust with Jax and her lover March who has channeled his psycho killer instincts one again had me gasping! Before we discuss Doubleblind, what were your thoughts on Grimspace and Wanderlust and the Jax and March relationship up to this point?

KMont: I’m actually wishing that I’d had time to reread Grimspace and Wanderlust prior to Doubleblind because I felt a little jarred at the beginning of the third book. Jarred in the sense of who are some of these characters? I couldn’t remember if some of the crew was introduced in Wanderlust or not. Aguirre does do a good job of getting us familiar with everyone though so thankfully it ended up not being a big deal in the long run.

Grimspace was definitely an intriguing book, but Wanderlust blew me away, and of the three books so far, it is still my favorite. While I enjoyed Doubleblind, it’s the devil-may-care, wilder Jax that I find I prefer. I am interested to see how the changes we see from her in Doubleblind will effect her characterization overall in the next book.

March and Jax are a great pair, and I enjoyed the way they were built up in Grimspace and challenged in Wanderlust. I feel they’re a little up-in-the-air with Doubleblind, but I’m looking forward to continuing on with them in the fourth book.

And what about you, Ms. Babs?

KB: Well, Ms. KMont, reading Doubleblind was like coming home. The way Ann writes Jax is like meeting an old friend you haven’t see in awhile. I love how Jax walks into a situation and will try to handle it the best way she can even though she knows she may screw up or things may go wrong. Her insights and internal dialogue are so well written. Everything she thinks, is what I would be thinking.

As for Jax’s relationships, the two main ones for me are the ones she has with March and Vel. March has the ability to destroy her and I don’t mean because of his killer instincts or mind control. She allowed March into her heart after losing someone so very close to her that she still cannot let go. I love, love the way Jax compares her feelings for March against her feelings for her dead lover Kai:

Kai was a warm sunny day, and he trickled into every fiber of me. You’re more like a strong rain, but you’ve gotten inside me just the same.

That sounds so very poetic coming from Jax.

As for Vel, it is very interesting how he and Jax are not very good friends because he was suppose to kill her and he is a different species all together. Seriously, if there was no March, I would love to see Jax and Vel together, even though it maybe a bit tricky.
I have to say that Vel really shined in Doubleblind. Even though Jax is the main central character, it seems at certain points Vel took over the story.

KMont: This really was Vel’s book – and this is a great way to point out that Jax shares the series very well with others, allowing readers, through her first person present voice, to really see each character. This is something that has really improved more and more with each book.

I’ve got to agree with you real quick on your first point. Yes, it really does feel like coming home in this book! That is actually the first reaction I had, a kind of sighed bliss that here was a book I’d been waiting for, for what seemed too long, and yet when the book opened, it felt like we hadn’t been apart from Jax that long at all. Like sliding into comfy PJs.

Jax and March have several heartbreaking and melting moments in this book. There was a part where March feels Jax has done something too risky, and he says something that gives her hope:

“I don’t want anything to happen to you. You’re mine.” The answer slips out from somewhere deep…because he looks as astonished as I feel.

Possessiveness isn’t love. I’m not even sure it qualifies as an emotion. But if he’s feeling territorial, that’s progress from nothing at all. I can work with protectiveness. It’s a stepping-stone to other things.

“Am I still?” I ask quietly. “Or do you just remember that I used to be?”

You mention how poetic Jax sounded in your example and I’m reminded that she even remarks on this to herself. She believes through the poetic movements of the Ithorians – the alien, bug-like species they’re negotiating with – she herself is becoming more poetic in her words and movements. Remember the time Vel translates the meaning conveyed with one of her traditional bows the Ithorians use (much, I imagine, as Asian cultures bow), her wa? Sirantha is surprised that one bow can actually convey such deep and beautiful meaning, and then she begins to become more aware of this and skilled at making beautifully “worded” wa.

I admit that at first, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy the world building in this one. I couldn’t really get into the thought of an entire book dealing with an insectile species. I couldn’t help but imagine them like the life-size bugs in those funny Orkin commercials! But then Aguirre changed all that for me, and she began to show the species with more layers and depth. I think it was interesting to see their cutthroat politics and culture, especially pitted against Vel, who left his home planet and people due to an extreme divergence of differences. I don’t think the Ithorian traditionalists would have been half so interesting had it not been for Vel. And I wonder if I would have been able to relate to them at all without Vel.

As for Vel and Sirantha Jax “together”? I can see it and agree when he was so there for her in this book, a true friend…but the totally divergent biology! If people have read a great short story by Aguirre on Vel’s life before he met Jax, we know it’s possible, but…it might be a little too different for me. Just can’t help it.

What else did you enjoy about the book, or were there any parts you didn’t like?

KB: In Grimspace and Wanderlust, Jax and the gang are on the go, jumping from planet to planet, but in Doubleblind they are on one planet for a short amount of time and it still had the feel of an action packed adventure novel. Perhaps more on the side of a inter galactic mystery like Law & Order or CSI in space? I didn’t find myself bored at all as Jax interacts with the various Ithorians. After awhile I didn’t think of them just as huge Cricket type aliens. Ann had a way of giving them great personalities and traits.

I felt as if March didn’t have enough to do. I know he is in killer mode, but it seemed he just floated from scene to scene trying to stay in control. I was also confused by Jax going deep into his mind and psyche, she was able to break through and reach him. Of course after that, the way March thanks Jax was something I had been waiting for since I began reading.

To continue this discussion, my peeps, hop-and-a-skip on over to Bab’s place, Babbling About Books and More. She’ll be posting the second half of our totally off the charts cleverness any minute now. Later. At some point. It’ll be up soon!