Scan barcode
A review by nematome
Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre
4.0
Well, all I have to say is, if you’ve stopped reading this series after book two (Wanderlust), then please give it another chance! This was the best installment so far. With the first two books my reviews were a bit like, “I loved it…except for…” and “if it weren’t for this then I would have loved it.” But this book needs no qualifiers. I loved it all the way through!
Sirantha has just arrived on Ithiss-Tor (finally), in an attempt to gain an alliance against the brutal, gluttonous Morgut. Everyone expects her to fail, and they have good reason. Sirantha Jax isn’t exactly known for her tact or diplomacy skills (more like her drinking and table-dancing skills), and the Ithtorians are notoriously xenophobic and insular. To complicate matters, March has retreated into his cold, volatile mercenary persona after leading a violent rebellion to victory. With so many lives resting on her shoulders, Jax may find herself having to choose between the love of her life and the welfare of the entire universe.
This book feels more mature than both of the others: the action and horror elements are toned down, and there is a wonderful mix of political intrigue, mystery, and moral dilemma in their place. This is the kind of book that I really love, where the action takes place in significant glances and intellectual maneuvering instead of hand to hand combat. Although, there’s a bit of the other too if that’s what you prefer.
For the majority of this book, the side characters that I’ve come to know and love (Dina, Hit, Dr. Solaith, Jael, Constance, even March) are largely absent. But I think that Aguirre accomplishes something extraordinary by making me not care. The Ithtorian characters are subtle but compelling; I love all of the nuance that fills their imaginative customs and communication. And Vel, the mysterious Ithtorian bounty hunter, really steps out of the shadows in this book. His ostracism and quiet faith in Sirantha are so moving.
And I was also completely reminded of why I fell in love with Sirantha Jax herself in the first place. She’s strong but in a vulnerable, lay-it-all-out-there kind of way. She has that self-acceptance and maturity that only comes with age. And she’s just about the antithesis of TSTL.
The romance felt more real and mature in this installment than ever before, and it also surprised me. I love how March somehow manages to fill the stereotype of every damaged, “rabid dog barely on a leash” alpha male hero out there, but also completely destroys that stereotype. Maybe because Aguirre seems to realize that having an inner core of controlled violence might actually be a bad thing.
For us voracious genre-fiction readers, originality is worth its weight in Book Depository gift cards. There are only so many ways that two people can fall in love, or the day can be saved, or the murderer unveiled. Well, you’ll find it here. At the same time, this series reminds me in a good way of so many fantasy and sci-fi shows that I’ve loved. If you’ve been mourning the loss of Firefly since 2003, then I don’t think you’ll find a better balm than this series.
Perfect Musical Pairing
Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
At around page 86, I really thought this book was going in a certain direction, which immediately brought to mind a Marvin Gaye hit that I love. But then Aguirre went in a completely different direction, and I can’t say that I was sorry about that. It’s hard to let go of Marvin once I’ve got him in mind though…. Luckily I am a huge fan and I could probably find a way to fit every book this month with a Marvin Gaye song. This one is just right. “Ain’t no Ithtorian mining prison secure enough…”
Sirantha has just arrived on Ithiss-Tor (finally), in an attempt to gain an alliance against the brutal, gluttonous Morgut. Everyone expects her to fail, and they have good reason. Sirantha Jax isn’t exactly known for her tact or diplomacy skills (more like her drinking and table-dancing skills), and the Ithtorians are notoriously xenophobic and insular. To complicate matters, March has retreated into his cold, volatile mercenary persona after leading a violent rebellion to victory. With so many lives resting on her shoulders, Jax may find herself having to choose between the love of her life and the welfare of the entire universe.
This book feels more mature than both of the others: the action and horror elements are toned down, and there is a wonderful mix of political intrigue, mystery, and moral dilemma in their place. This is the kind of book that I really love, where the action takes place in significant glances and intellectual maneuvering instead of hand to hand combat. Although, there’s a bit of the other too if that’s what you prefer.
For the majority of this book, the side characters that I’ve come to know and love (Dina, Hit, Dr. Solaith, Jael, Constance, even March) are largely absent. But I think that Aguirre accomplishes something extraordinary by making me not care. The Ithtorian characters are subtle but compelling; I love all of the nuance that fills their imaginative customs and communication. And Vel, the mysterious Ithtorian bounty hunter, really steps out of the shadows in this book. His ostracism and quiet faith in Sirantha are so moving.
And I was also completely reminded of why I fell in love with Sirantha Jax herself in the first place. She’s strong but in a vulnerable, lay-it-all-out-there kind of way. She has that self-acceptance and maturity that only comes with age. And she’s just about the antithesis of TSTL.
The romance felt more real and mature in this installment than ever before, and it also surprised me. I love how March somehow manages to fill the stereotype of every damaged, “rabid dog barely on a leash” alpha male hero out there, but also completely destroys that stereotype. Maybe because Aguirre seems to realize that having an inner core of controlled violence might actually be a bad thing.
For us voracious genre-fiction readers, originality is worth its weight in Book Depository gift cards. There are only so many ways that two people can fall in love, or the day can be saved, or the murderer unveiled. Well, you’ll find it here. At the same time, this series reminds me in a good way of so many fantasy and sci-fi shows that I’ve loved. If you’ve been mourning the loss of Firefly since 2003, then I don’t think you’ll find a better balm than this series.
Perfect Musical Pairing
Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
At around page 86, I really thought this book was going in a certain direction, which immediately brought to mind a Marvin Gaye hit that I love. But then Aguirre went in a completely different direction, and I can’t say that I was sorry about that. It’s hard to let go of Marvin once I’ve got him in mind though…. Luckily I am a huge fan and I could probably find a way to fit every book this month with a Marvin Gaye song. This one is just right. “Ain’t no Ithtorian mining prison secure enough…”