A review by drey72
Breakout by Ann Aguirre

4.0

drey’s thoughts:

The Plot: Well, Havoc sure left a whole lot of bodies in its wake, but that doesn't mean there's less action and drama in Breakout. Oh, no. Instead, due to the depleting food supply - and general deteriorating condition of the Perdition - Dred and the surviving members of her team are throwing their lot in with the remaining mercenaries, hoping they'll now have the numbers to make it past Silence's crazies.

Cue the double-crosses and ambushes, because what's a good space drama without either?

The Characters: Our heroine is tired - of losing her people, of the constant watchfulness, of not being able to trust anyone other than Jael. She's hopeful that her alliance with the mercs will last long enough to get them off the dratted ship, but the bodies falling around them force her to re-evaluate.

Dred's got all of the qualities my favorite heroines possess: she kicks ass, doesn't put up with crud, and cares for her people. She'll do what's best for the group every single time, even if it's not what she personally prefers; and even if she knows she might not survive it.

And while Breakout's not all-Dred all the time, she is my favorite character in the series. Jael is cool and all, and I liked learning the rest of his story, but there's only so much "wow" left for the indestructible love interest, ykwim? I actually liked the merc leader's backstory and motivations, though I wasn't a fan somewhere around the middle-isn of the book. But, he had to trust his instincts, even if they're not quite the right ones.

The Story: Breakout rounds out Aguirre's Dred Chronicles trilogy nicely. There's plenty of action and drama to offset the mystery of Silence, just enough romance to not be annoying (I read sci-fi for the sci-fi, not the romance), and tension so taut you could feel it, as you wonder if your favorite characters are going to make it off the Perdition.

Space drama fans should start with Perdition, and meet Dred properly. Happy reading!

drey’s rating: Excellent!This review was originally posted on drey's library