Grimspace | |||||
Ann Aguirre | |||||
Ace, 320 pages | |||||
A review by Michael M Jones
Of course, now that she's free, it seems as though nothing at all is going the way it was planned. No sooner does the motley
group, including a cranky mechanic, a pacifist savant, a mild geneticist, and the aforementioned telepathic pilot, reach their
destination, then violence erupts as a deal goes bad. Surviving that, Jax learns that her new friends are dedicated to defying
the Corp and developing their own breed of jumper to crack the Corp's monopoly on interstellar travel. They need her, because
they might have the key to preventing the inevitable burnout. She needs them because of the implacable, unrelenting bounty
hunters set on her path. And so begins a series of wild, perilous adventures that take Jax and her allies across the known
worlds, from backwoods colonies to alien villages to a pirate's paradise, and finally to an ultimate reckoning against the
Corp itself. Meanwhile, Jax can't help but get unsettlingly close to March, whose powers let him see past the attitude and
bluster and scars, and right into her heart. But some heavy sacrifices will be made along the way, including their potential
happiness, especially as they try to figure out what really happened to cause the crash on Matins IV. Will they be able to
see this quixotic quest through to the end?
Grimspace is the sort of science fiction adventure that grabs you right from the beginning with an action-laced escape
sequence, and proceeds to fire the afterburners for a long time afterwards, carrying the reader from one perilous situation
to the next until you're well and truly caught up in the story. It's one thrill after another as our heroes fend off Corp
security, a treacherous rival clan, and bloodthirsty alien critters, all before they have a chance to relax for a few
minutes. And after that, well, it's surprises and twists and turns from one planet to the next as they challenge the odds and
occasionally suffer unacceptable, necessary losses. Swept up in Jax's story, I couldn't put Grimspace down until I was done.
Sirantha Jax is a fascinating protagonist. Fearless, foul-mouthed, brash, independent, and severely broken on the inside,
she won't let anyone -- or anything -- mess with her for long. She's got good reasons to hurt, but she doesn't wallow in
her pity unnecessarily, accepting the need to change and grow as her experiences teach her, thus proving that at the core,
she's really quite a strong character. Her chemistry with March is fun to watch, as she takes her measure of the telepath
and gives plenty of attitude in return. Her relations with the rest of the tight-knit crew are equally fun, as she deals
with their quirks and issues. My favorite of the secondary crew has to be Dina, the rough-and-tumble mechanic who always
has an insult, snarky comment, or pointed truth to offer her friends, even as she works miracles with the ships that they
use and abuse in their line of work. If Ann Aguirre ever decides to focus on Dina as a protagonist, I'll be one of the first
in line to pick up the book.
Grimspace reminds me a lot of the cult-favorite TV series-turned-movie, Firefly, in terms of attitude
and atmosphere and the ragtag band of hard luck adventurers struggling against the system. It also reminds me, in some way
I can't quite finger, of S.L. Viehl's Stardoc series, especially when looking at the way Jax and March deal
with one another, from their first uneasy interaction to their growing partnership. Put these elements together, along
with all the other influences that Ann Aguirre has drawn upon, and you have a rip-roaring, attention-grabbing debut from an
author who definitely has a lot of potential. I'm already hooked, and I'll be eagerly looking forward to whatever
Aguirre does next.
Michael M Jones enjoys an addiction to books, for which he's glad there is no cure. He lives with his very patient wife (who doesn't complain about books taking over the house... much), eight cats, and a large plaster penguin that once tasted blood and enjoyed it. A prophecy states that when Michael finishes reading everything on his list, he'll finally die. He aims to be immortal. |
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