Grimspace by Ann Aguirre Review

By all accounts, Sirantha Jax should have burned out years ago…

As the carrier of a rare gene, Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace-a talent which cuts into her life expectancy, but makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. But then the ship she’s navigating crash-lands, and she’s accused of killing everyone on board. It’s hard for Jax to defend herself: she has no memory of the crash.

Now imprisoned and the subject of a ruthless interrogation, Jax is on the verge of madness. Then a mysterious man breaks into her cell, offering her freedom-for a price. March needs Jax to help his small band of rogue fighters break the Corp monopoly on interstellar travel-and establish a new breed of jumper.

Jax is only good at one thing-grimspace-and it will eventually kill her. So she may as well have some fun in the meantime…

I like SciFi. I really, really like it. Reading it? Eh, depends. I do love Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, cozy mysteries, and really, just across the board when it comes to what I will read. Science Fiction is something I generally WATCH rather than read, I am not sure why, but when it comes to the written form I have a harder time getting in to it but put it on the screen I am hooked! I am a huge fan of Firefly/Serenity, Star Trek, Stargate Franchise and many others.

I came across a copy of Grimspace and thought what the heck? Might as well give it a shot. I am so glad I did! From page one, I was sucked in and the story refused to let me go! Sirantha Jax is a force to be reckoned with a very broken, yet solid female lead and her uniqueness as a Jumper and her history made her a very edgy, yet likable character. March, (a Psi) her pilot and lover, is another broken but very solid character. The dynamics of their relationship and adventures is one of which, as a reader, you hope and need them to succeed. I find that as complicated as it is, it's real and they need each other. Hell, I need March and Jax to succeed!

The Universe that Aguirre creates is amazing. The characters are all outstanding. I love Dina, Doc, and Velith (who although he appears near the end, is one of my favorite key characters in the sequels).

I am currently on the third book, Doubleblind, after finishing Grimspace and Wanderlust (#2) and Jax is staring at me from the cover of Killbox (#4) giving me the look that I better hurry up and read as she has more to tell me. Sigh. I have hooked my coworker on this series. I hope more fall in love with the Jax/March and their Universe.






Disclaimer: This book was purchased by me out of my pocket. Sooooo, no need to disclaim about being honest and impartial. LOL. Except, I do get a small commission (REALLY SMALL) if you click on the amazon.com link and make a purchase. You really should, this is a GREAT series!

Review: Darkest Edge of Dawn - Kelly Gay

It takes a strong woman to keep the peace in a city of endless night. . . .

Deep beneath Underground, a cunning bid for power and revenge has begun—one that threatens to make Atlanta the new battleground in the ultimate confrontation between good and evil. The powers of hellish Charbydon have the upper hand after plunging the city into primordial night. And under the cover of darkness, a serial killer targets the most powerful Elysians in the city, the angelic Adonai. For Detective Charlie Madigan and her siren partner Hank, tracking deadly predators is all in a day’s work . . . but this case will test the limits of their strength and friendship as it draws them into a deadly world of power plays, ancient myths, explosive secrets, and a race against time that risks all that Charlie holds dear.

A superb follow up to Kelly Gay's first book, Better Part of Darkness (see my review here ), The Darkest Edge of Dawn doesn't let the fans of the first book down.

Charlie Madigan and her siren partner, Hank are back and better than ever. Spicier, deadlier and toss in some necromancy, and you have the recipe for a damn good read. All the characters and story lines of the first book are brought over to the follow up with much more complex and pressing issues and intensity. Charlie is dealing with more emotionally and physically as her body is in a able with her mixed dna, emotions with her daughter, her ex, the spirit living in his body, and so much more. I definitely recommend this series to fans of Dark Urban Fantasy. One big recommendation? Read the first two in a row. Darkest Edge of Dawn is definitely not a stand alone book. I read the first one and it took me a bit to catch up and remember some of the details of The Better Part of Darkness.

The Charlie Madigan series is a MUST read for Dark Urban Fantasy Fans.

















disclaimer: This book was provided to me by Simon and Schuster for my true and honest review. The fact that this book was provided to me has no bearing on my ability to remain impartial and honest. I did not receive financial compensation, however, I do receive a TINY, I do mean TINY, commission on any books/CDs/DVDs/etc purchased through an Amazon.com link.