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katyanaish's review against another edition
4.0
Let's start with: Things I Enjoyed.
1 - Sci-fi.
I used to read a lot more of it, but I have been in the UF cycle for a couple years now, and so it has been awhile. It was a refreshing change of pace to get back to some smart, well-built sci-fi. An awful lot of UF and YA seems to have a similar structure, so this felt even more brand-new by comparison, I think.
2 - World building.
Aguirre created a huge and well-developed world. I really immerse in my stories (let's just say that my imagination likes to play out in IMAX 3D), and I could see it all. Particularly in this book, with all the news bulletins intercutting the story, I really loved the feel of this complicated, interconnected universe.
3 - The secondary cast was fantastic.
In each book, we seem to have had a couple of them get featured particularly, and it has been a wonderful way to round out the secondary characters in this series. This book really featured Vel, and, as a surprise, Constance, who I think is becoming so much more than she seems. At points, it brought memories of Enders Game to me (with the development of his AI into a friend that was something more than just an AI), and I really enjoyed it. I am excited to see where Constance goes. And Vel as well. What a fantastic turn for this character to take - from the bounty hunter tracking her in the first book, to one of her closest, most loyal friends. Vel is a tragic hero in his own right, and I find him to be incredibly endearing.
Then let's go to: Things That Need Resolution.
1 - Keri: will someone please punch that spoiled brat in the face?
I have honestly disliked her from the instant she was introduced. Spoiled, beautiful, whiny princess, who is remarkably gifted at, apparently, everything she tries her hand at. Has the affection of a character we respect very much (that would be March), for no reason that I can fathom. We have actually never seen her do a single praise-worthy thing. In the first book, she blames Jax for all the failures of her own family's ill-advised scheming (and Jax just takes it, something that's really becoming a pet peeve of mine in these ass-kicking heroine books... more on that later). And in this book, we see the devastation she has wrought on March, a man we are led to believe she loves. She used him utterly, left him broken, and then didn't lift a single chi-master finger to help fix what she shattered. She disgusts me. She is utterly self-absorbed, and we need to either see her pay some karmic debt in these coming books, or we need to just never hear from her again. Because I swear to all the gods of publishing, if she "calls on" March again, and he goes, I am putting this series down and never picking it up again. That debt is paid. If he owes anyone now, it is Jax. Certainly not Keri.
2 - Jael: betrayed them for money... really? Really??
I guess I just don't buy it. I talked about that a little in my status updates, but... it feels out of character. Since we met him in book 2, he has been humanized by Jax. He was an outsider, a stray, and he became one of Jax's. And we saw him appreciate it. We saw him throw himself into situations he could have avoided, if he didn't honestly want to prevent harm to the crew. I saw trouble coming from Jael, but I honestly thought it was going to come from his affection for Jax. Aguirre laid down a foundation for it - Jael clearly was developing feelings for her that were something more. And he had begun to interfere in her relationship with March, begun to try and take March's place. So if Jael's betrayal was tied to Jax's reconcile / fixing of March, I would buy it. But that he would betray her for money... no. It is out of character for him. And I am hoping we see more of him later in the series, get more of the story. I don't imagine he will be held in the mines for long.
And finally: Things That Are Perplexing Me.
1 - There is a serious, and aggravating, lack of Jax using her ability in this series.
I swear, as a reader, I was suffering withdrawl pains with her. But since the last quarter of the first book, she has only jumped ONE SINGLE TIME. Yes, in 2+ books, one jump. We have had memories of other jumps. Doesn't count. In stories, we are following around a hero that is gifted in some way. It is a given: the hero/heroine always has a Gift. Ours never uses hers. Granted, her Gift has a backlash effect. But that element of danger only makes it more interesting. And Aguirre has developed the Gift even further - we are led to believe that, of the very few people that have access to this same Gift, our heroine is perhaps the Most Gifted among them. That she is particularly special, in ways that we are only beginning to understand. The Gift can't break her mind, like it does with others. It will still have a backlash effect, but it will manifest differently, and, we are told, can likely be controllable. Further, given that Grimspace is tied into her DNA from her conception, it seems likely that her Gift is going to unfold into something more, that we can't see yet.
But she never uses it! Jax gets through by the virtue of her personality. And while that isn't terrible, it devalues the Gift. Is it even necessary? Is it pointless? How does it impact her lift, her story? Thus far... not at all. So... what is going on here?
2 - strong female leads that are secretly whiners
Okay, that's not EXACTLY correct. And Jax isn't there YET. But she has tendencies that are setting off alarm bells for me. Firstly, I greatly dislike it when we have a plucky, no holds barred heroine who allows other people to treat her like dirt. There are a couple series where this has REALLY pissed me off lately, and it feels like it is becoming a theme... and as a result, I guess this is becoming a new pet peeve. It is a fine line. I want my heroine to be sensitive. I don't want her to be callous, happily trampling people and leaving corpses / smoking ruins in her wake. She can take criticism. If it is a first person story, we can see her stewing over criticism. But when someone gets in her face and blames her for a great big pile of shit that isn't 100% her fault (I'm looking at you, Keri. Also you, Dina. And a few other too.), I expect her to defend herself. Throw THEIR mistakes back in THEIR faces. When you develop a balls-out, brutally honest, speaks-before-she-thinks heroine, having her react like a kicked puppy when she is unfairly criticized really ticks me off. You are supposed to be a fighter! Defend your damn self! I feel like the authors are being uncreative, stumped by trying to portray a compassionate yet aggressive heroine. Well let me tell you, you can do it without giving them a martyr complex. Every error isn't THEIR error. I am just tired of this personality type. It isn't self-sacrificing. It is more like an utter lack of self-respect.
Anyway, I probably got off on a rant there. Jax isn't that bad. But sometimes she starts to lean that way, and it worries me. I hope Aguirre steers clear.
And I also hope August comes soon, so I can read KILLBOX. Because all things said, this series is scrumptious.
mellhay's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked the whole set up of the Ithtorian and their organic world. This is just as new to Jax as it is to us, and she adjusts well. With adjusting you see, in this book, just how much Jax has grown since the day March helped her escape from the hospital after her crash. She has become stronger mentally as a character and leader. She is coming to realize what she needs and wants, and what needs to be done for the larger good. She has come a LONG way from the star struck nav.
I love that March is broken here. This is a way to show March is not the perfect man Jax thinks he is. And also to show that there is only one man for Jax alone with how she learns to cope with things. Seeing March broken this way brings March into a new light. And we get to learn more about his past. We even get to learn about the Mair who saved March from himself all those years ago, by way of journal files she kept.
The writing style is pretty much the same, except we get little glimpses of the Syndicate through short clips. These clips are done through tv shows, people views of current and past happenings, news bulletins and etc. These are wonderful ways to share and get small indications of what is happening out in the universe while Jax is here working to try to get an ally for the Conglomerate.
The beginning isn't even bogged down with the rehashing of past events. There is a quick paragraph on each character with a brief history. But this is done in a nice way as Jax is looking over her crew as she is descending to the potential hostile new world.
This really is a wonderful science fiction read that does NOT get weighed down with the technical science technology things. Wonderful with always moving forward, action, and characters who are changing with it all.
I WILL be moving on to the next book, Killbox.
tensy's review against another edition
3.0
nevclue's review against another edition
4.0
uberaubs's review against another edition
5.0
lizzy_22's review against another edition
5.0
Doubleblind picks up exactly where we left off at the end of Wanderlust with Sirantha just about to begin her diplomatic mission on Ithiss-Tor. She is hoping to broker an alliance between the Conglomerate and The ‘Bugs’ to deter the chaos and unrest developing after the fall of the Farwan Corporation. It doesn’t help that the deadly Ithtorians have been completely isolated from other races for many years and detest the human race for their soft skinned, dead meat eating ways! But Sirantha is nothing if not tenacious and even though ambassadorship is the least likely avenue she could have imagined herself pursuing she honors her commitment with no less dedication than usual. Never say die, that’s our girl!
What I liked about this book:
• The extreme attention to well rounded world building that Ann Aguirre does best. The Ithtorians are mantis like creatures whose social structure and customs are completely alien to humans. Sirantha has to navigate both cultural and political minefields in order to present her case for cooperation between the races. Aguirre has created an intricate society with cultural mores, language, architecture and politics that is so different from human kind I was extraordinarily immersed.
• Vel! Lucky for Sirantha the diplomatic minefield she navigates is made easier by her secret weapon, the Ithtorian ex-bounty hunter Velith, who has become an invaluable ally and close friend. Loyal, resourceful, brilliant, there were so many times where Sirantha would have been completely adrift without him and I loved that this story took us deep into their friendship and showed how close they’ve become despite how different they are! We also get to learn more about Vel and his history which led from his banishment from Ithiss_Tor to his career as a bounty hunter.
• The March and Jax reunion. We left March back on Lachion in the middle part of Wanderlust, his unassailable sense of obligation to Mair and Keri keeping him in the middle of the brutal civil war with the McCulloughs. By the end of Wanderlust he has returned to Jax, a completely broken shell of his former self, barely recognizing the love and deep connection they shared as pilot and jumper. Sirantha, knee deep in the political maneuverings of her mission, has made the decision to mend the mental destruction wrought by the war and the way she does it is simply brilliant, intimate and inspired.
• Sirantha in general. I love everything about this character. She is dedicated and loyal and also smart and tenacious. Impetuous, instinctual, and strong yet vulnerable when it comes to her friends and the people she loves. Jax has grown up quite a bit since we saw her at the beginning of the series. Once a darling of the media for her unique and brilliant jumper abilities, she would party hard and flash her tits for the late night paparazzi. Now she’s cultivated a sense of responsibility to March and the rest of the crew with whom she is tightly bound to. She has found her place; a new, responsible Jax and the character is made hugely better and more interesting for it.
There was not much I didn’t like in Doubleblind. Almost predictably their mission is sabotaged but by a character I did not suspect. Their scramble to set things right before leaving was also a bit fortuitous but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world as they jumped away to new adventures mostly intact. I can guess that now Sirantha will find some kind of trouble as she resigns from the ambassadorship and returns to making her own way with March and the rest of her crew. Next up: Sirantha Jax 4:Killbox!
librovert's review against another edition
4.0
I was a little upset with the March arc. I felt like the resolution to it was a little anti-climactic, I was expecting more crazy.
On to the next!
andimontgomery's review against another edition
3.0