Book Review: Doubleblind

Doubleblind

By:  Ann Aguirre

Publisher:  Ace Books

Publish Date:  October 2009

Format:  Paperback 310pgs, Pocketbook size

Genre:  Science Fiction, Fantasy

Series:  3rd book in Sirantha Jax Series; Book 1 ~ Grimspace, Book 2 ~ Wanderlust

Recommendation:  YES! Do you want to read science fiction but NOT get tied down and bored with all the technological details?  Do you like some romance, but loads of action and fast forward story?  Go get this series!

Book Synopsis:
It's not easy to tread lightly wearing steel-toed boots.

Sirantha Jax isn't known for diplomatic finesse.  As a "jumper" who navigates ships through grimspace, she's used to kicking ass first and taking names later - much later.  She's not exactly the obvious choice to sell the Conglomerate to the Ithtorians, a people whose opinions of humans are as hard as their exoskeletons.

And Ithtorian council meetings aren't the only place where Ambassador Jax needs to maneuver carefully.  Her lover is frozen in permanent kill mode, and his hair trigger threatens to sabotage the talks - no to mention their relationship.

But Jax won't give up on the man or the mission.  With the Outskirts beleaguered by raiders, pirates, and flesh-eating aliens, an alliance with the Ithtorians may be humanity's only hope.  Which has Jax wondering why a notorious troublemaker like her was given the job...

First Sentence:
The skip cuts through the atmosphere, taking us down.

My Thoughts and Summary:
We start exactly where Wanderlust stops.  Jax is heading down to the Ithtorian planet for the first time.  Ithtorian's, once roamed the stars but recoiled to their home dissolving all trading and connections to be isolated by choice, now Jax's mission as ambassador is to open this connection once again.  A mission to do her best and not fail at as it will affect the whole world.  March is broken over what he did on Lachion and Jax doesn't want to, or bare the thought, of losing him.  He remembers loving her but can't feel the love any longer.  Vel is at Jax's side helping and translating as he can.  But things always get complicated for Jax... both with the Ithtorians and March and her crew.

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.


I purchased this book for my own enjoyment.

This review qualifies for the Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by Floor to Ceiling books.