Review ~ Wanderlust by Ann Aguirre

TITLE: Wanderlust
AUTHOR: Ann Aguirre
COPYRIGHT: 2008
TYPE: Sci/Fi ~ fantasy
PAGES: 312
SERIES:1. Grimspace
2. Wanderlust

REASON FOR READ:Read book one and loved it thought I should see how the series turns out since book 4 is coming out this month.

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):
Broke and unemployed, "Jumper" Sirantha Jax accepts a diplomatic mission for the government—only to find herself up against Syndicate criminals, man-eating aliens, and her own grimspace-weakened body

 THOUGHTS/OPINION:This one took me longer to get into then the other one and I can't place why it did. I enjoyed it and about half way through it really started flying for me.

The most exciting part for me happened at the end so once I reached that last 3rd I couldn't put it down.

THINGS I LIKED:
- I like that Jax is growing. Nothing gets my goat then a character that never grows or changes.
- The nice little bit with Jax's mom was very interesting I won't say more b/c it was a great part that I really enjoyed.
- I love that new characters were introduced in a way that was not just a simple plot deviced but was used in a way that flowed and made sense.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
- I hate that Jax is always thinking on death or how she will die. I know that is part of her morbid self but still after a while it got old. But then something wonderful happen and she got a reason to live.

- I really hate how she focuses so much on Kai and how much she misses him while at the same time claims how much she loves March. I understand you might have some feelings but I think its cruel to keep bringing up the dead to a man you supposely love.

- Hate what happens to March no I won't go into details but UGH!!!! (email me if you wish to discuss)

Are you keeping it or passing it on? After borrowing this book from Coffcat I decided to pick up the whole series. So yeah I'm keeping it.

Would you recommend this book? Uh yeah!!!

Favorite Quotes: Hold on to your pants there are a lot

“Big deal,” I mutter. “Everything makes me nervous. It’s a wonder I haven’t developed a tick.”
“You have,” March puts in ever helpful. “Your left eye sort of-”
“Thanks, baby you’re a gem.”
Page 8

“You alright?” If I had a credit for every time March has asked me that question, I wouldn’t be mourning my missing money.
Page 28

If the Psychs can be trusted – which they can’t- I suffer from borderline paranoid dysfunction. I suspect everyone of treachery and subversive plots against me. But like the old adage goes: Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.
Page 43

I wish I had a penis.
March’s amusement ripples through me. Yeah that’s going on the list of things I never want to hear again. I grin, knowing I’m not going to explain the contex.
Page 61

Challenges:
100+ Book Challenge

Reviewing Next:

Battle Royal by Koushun Takami

Review ~ Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

TITLE: Grimspace
AUTHOR: Ann Aguirre
COPYRIGHT: 2008
TYPE: Science Fiction/Fantasy
PAGES: 312
SERIES: Yes first in the series

REASON FOR READ:.
All my friends kept raving about this series and well book 4 comes out in a few weeks so I thought I would give it a go

SUMMARY (from Goodreads):
As the carrier of a rare gene, Sirantha Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace—a talent which makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. Then a crash landing kills everyone on board, leaving Jax in a jail cell with no memory of the crash. But her fun's not over. A group of rogue fighters frees her…for a price: her help in overthrowing the established order



THOUGHTS/OPINION:
I have to say I am truly disappointed in myself for not picking up this book sooner. This blew my expectations out of the water. I enjoyed Jax I liked how flawed she was, how selfish she was, and how much of a coward she was. But and here's the major kicker that sold me... she GREW as a person and a character. She FREAKING grew and matured in one book PRAISE GOD someone got it right when it comes to flawed characters.

THINGS I LIKED:
- Jax she was flawed and still is but you could see her actually growing throughout the story which was refreshing.
- I liked that March and his crew didn't like Jax they did what they did b/c they had to save people. Not because they liked her and it took her a while to really fit in a lot of her fitting in had to do with her actually maturing.
- I liked learning about the crew and not all at once. The crew was the most enjoyable part
- The worlds Ann created were amazing each one different, each one had different spieces that didn't all talk the same language, they all looked different and had different cultures.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
- There honestly isn't much and that says a lot b/c let's be honest I can find something wrong with most things.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Keeping

Would you recommend this book? Yes I highly recommend this book and I hope that I can recommend the next couple.

Favorite Quotes:I can see why that’d be a particular concern for him, seeing as he can’t fight at al. Not even monster. He’s reliant on me now for his protection. And if that’s not the shitest twist of fate ever, I don’t know what is. ~ page 66

Nodding I fall in behind March not b/c I acknowledge his authority in any fashion but b/c if by some chance we were wrong and there’s something big and ugly left in these wetlands I really prefer it eats him first. Give me a chance to run.
“Nice,” he says, spearing a glance over his shoulder. “Really nice.”
Oh sure, that he hears. ~ page 112

Challenges:
TBR
Romance Reading
100+ Book

Reviewing Next:
Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

Review ~ An Accidental Goddess by Linnea Sinclair

TITLE: An Accidental Goddess
AUTHOR: Linnea Sinclair
COPYRIGHT: 2005
TYPE: Sci/Fi romance
PAGES; 448
SERIES: nope stand alone

REASON FOR READING: I am a great fan of Ms. Sinclair’s work and have been glooming her back list.

Summary : {From Goodreads}
Raheiran Special Forces captain Gillaine Davré has just woken up in some unknown space way station, wondering where the last three hundred years have gone. The last thing she remembers is her ship being attacked. Now it seems that while she was time-traveling, she was ordained a goddess…. Gillaine’s only hope of survival rests with dangerously seductive Admiral Mack Makarian, who suspects her of being a smuggler—or worse. But he can’t begin to imagine the full extent of it. For Gillaine is now Lady Kiasidira, holy icon to countless believers, including Mack—a man who inspires feelings in her that are far from saintly…feelings she knows are mutual. But when their flirtation is interrupted by a treacherous enemy from the past, Gillaine’s secret—and secret desires—could destroy them both

THOUGHTS/OPINION:
Okay as the summary stated this book takes place in space 300 hundred years in the future from the last place Gillie was at. The last place she was at was fighting a great enemy and protecting the same people who now worship her as a Goddess. The book had a lot of back story, religion and culture in it in order to help us understand the situation. It was a little tedious at times but at other times I found myself wanting more. Of course there is a romance element to it with Mack and Gillie together. At first it was a little hard to swallow considering that they had just met 2 weeks prior but towards the end of the book it felt natural. Even if I didn’t like the reason she gave behind it.

Things I enjoyed:
-I enjoyed the plot. What would you do if you woke up in a sick bay to find out that not only were you 300 plus years in the future but also worshipped as a Goddess? I know I would be just as upset as she was. Especially if I felt that they were taking my words and actions and making them into something more than they were.
-Gillie was a character that was born into greatness and people recognized that early on. She had no choice in the matter and only desired to be treated as a normal everyday person. Even in relationships most of the guys wanted to date her b/c of her power or her heritage and that hurt. So when she acted out or denied who and what she was it made sense. I did like how at the end she learned that she had to except who and what she was in order to save those she loved.
-The secondary characters were lovely I enjoyed Simon and the others and thought it was handled well. Simon actually stole the show a few times.

Things I didn’t care for:
-As I mentioned above I didn’t care for the whole falling in love thing in 2 weeks. It just doesn’t happen in real life and I have a hard time falling for it in books. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn’t.
-I didn’t care for some of the movement in the story it just seemed to slow down in places then in others it felt as if it moved super fast. All and all it was good but I felt there were parts that could have been cut and still made it a good book..

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Keeping it

SCORE: 7 out of 10

Anything Else: .This is yet another great read from a fantastic author. I would check out any of her previous books as well as this one.

Go and Check out the website for further questions http://www.linneasinclair.com/

Also as a bonus: ~If you like this author you might like these authors: Susan Grant, Robin D Owens, Patti O’Shea, Rowena Cherry, Deidre Knight, Susan Kearney, Ann Aguirre, Susan Sizemore, and JD Robb

Review ~ Shades of Dark by Linnea Sinclair

TITLE: Shades of Dark
AUTHOR: Linnea Sinclair
COPYRIGHT: 2008
TYPE: sci/fi romance
PAGES: 392 (in ebook format)
SERIES: Yes 2nd one in the series first was Gabriel Ghost

REASON FOR READING: I loved GG and couldn’t wait to see where Ms. Sinclair took the main characters

SUMMARY: [from Goodreads ]
Before her court-martial, Captain Chasidah “Chaz” Bergren was the pride of the Sixth Fleet. Now she’s a fugitive from the “justice” of a corrupt Empire. Along with her lover, the former monk, mercenary, and telepath Gabriel Ross Sullivan, Chaz hoped to leave the past light-years behind—until the news of her brother Thad’s arrest and upcoming execution for treason. It’s a ploy by Sully’s cousin Hayden Burke to force them out of hiding and it works. With a killer targeting human females and a renegade gen lab breeding jukor war machines, Chaz and Sully already had their hands full of treachery, betrayal—not to mention each other. Throw in Chaz’s Imperial ex-husband, Admiral Philip Guthrie, and a Kyi-Ragkiril mentor out to seduce Sully and not just loyalties but lives are at stake. For when Sully makes a fateful choice changing their relationship forever, Chaz must also choose—between what duty demands and what her heart tells her she must do.

THOUGHTS/OPINION:

Alright this book has action, romance, hawt menz, suspense, and of course a dozen or so plots that all come together at the end. (I mention this b/c I was really worried as we got close to the end on how she was going to wrap this up)
This book is the second in a series however, I don’t believe you need to read the first in order to understand what is going on but it would help. Reading the first would help to understand how the characters work together and even got together. This is a fairly complicated book in the sense of all the different subplots and different storylines going on.

Things I enjoyed: I really liked being able to see Sully and Chaz’s relationship as it grew. There were times when I worried they wouldn’t make it and other times when I knew they would struggle through it. The relationship that Ms. Sinclair has set up is priceless. She shows how hard it is to work in a relationship and a relationship is just that work. She doesn’t make it easy on these two and for that their relationship really grows. Ms. Sinclair had me laughing, crying, shaking in anger, and really hoping that these two would end up together. She is a powerful writer when it comes to this aspect.

Also her world building is to die for. I could perfectly see what a Kyi killer was. She gives just enough description to make you understand what the weapon or for that matter the ship should look like. But not so much description you can’t add in your own thoughts.

Things I didn’t care for: Ms. Sinclair was really bad about having us in Chaz’s head but then making sure that Chaz told us everything we might not have remembered from reading the first. It was annoying b/c I know when I am thinking of Kyi in my head I am not giving a full on description of what I know about them. Then turning around and explaining “to myself” how I know this information. I just felt like everytime she did this I was pulled out of the book.

Would I recommend this book? Yes I would highly recommend both this one and the first

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? Nope the author wasn't new to me. I have read a couple of this author’s works and enjoyed everyone.

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Keeping

Anything else? I think if you are going to read this you should also look into reading GG you won’t regret either choice.