Wanderlust (Sirantha Jax, #2) in SOS: Serious Overload of Series

Jan 26, 2010 The Flooze rated it really liked it

Shelves: vanquished_2010, favorites, sci-fi, owned

Grimspace introduced us to jumper Sirantha Jax. With a wry, nasty twist of humor, we were unceremoniously dumped inside the head of a woman warped by sensory addiction and despair. It was a fascinating place to be.

Over the course of Grimspace, she transformed from a selfish braggart into a reluctant hero. When we left her, the universe was in upheaval, with Jax right at the center.

Wanderlust starts just a week or two later. Jax is frustrated, exhausted and penniless. To make matters worse, her h Grimspace introduced us to jumper Sirantha Jax. With a wry, nasty twist of humor, we were unceremoniously dumped inside the head of a woman warped by sensory addiction and despair. It was a fascinating place to be.

Over the course of Grimspace, she transformed from a selfish braggart into a reluctant hero. When we left her, the universe was in upheaval, with Jax right at the center.

Wanderlust starts just a week or two later. Jax is frustrated, exhausted and penniless. To make matters worse, her health is declining and she has no idea why. She doesn't have many options at the start of Wanderlust, but it's a sure thing whatever she does will be explosive. Chaos always follows in her wake.

In an ironic turn of events, she's made an Ambassador. Her unlikely friendship with a particular bounty hunter puts her in a prime position to intercede on the Conglomerate's behalf in their dealings with the xenophobic inhabitants of Ithiss-Torr.

But though this is about Jax the Ambassador, she does very little in the traditional diplomatic vein. That should be expected, I suppose. Where Jax is concerned things never go according to plan.

Wanderlust is more about the journey, about how Jax continues to morph into someone very different from the ego-centric nav-star who preferred to drink, fight and fuck. On her "goodwill tour," she faces death time and again. Her perseverance and bravado are a facade--a thin crust that suffers cracks with every narrow escape. That woman with the feral smile and the quick temper has been usurped by someone fragile whose fears often overwhelm her.

Aguirre's stark writing style is most poetic in the bleakest moments of Jax's life. We can feel her panic closing tight, making it hard to breathe. We feel the pangs of frustration at Jax's helplessness and her dreaded need to rely on others. At one point, March and she part ways and it's so damned heartbreaking. My throat constricted and I ached right along with Sirantha, wanted to rail against her certainty that they'd never meet again.

Aguirre is efficient at conveying these emotions, never harping too long on one train of thought. Like with any person in a stressful situation, Jax's thoughts focus and fade. The ebb and flow gives her a realism I've rarely experienced.

Through Jax's eyes, we meet some new characters, and get to know old ones a little better. My favourite by far is Vel. His quiet, capable ways make him a stabilising force for Jax. His presence is comforting. No matter how topsy-turvey things get, he has the ability to make everything all right. He's also fascinating to watch. The more time he spends with Jax and crew, the better he becomes at mimicking humanity (and in most ways, he surpasses it).

Jax travels a hard road in Wanderlust. She remakes herself all over again. She contends with guilt and regret--results of a conscience she unwillingly developed over the course of Grimspace. She deals with taking a back-seat in more ways than one and resigns herself to no longer being dazzling and fearsome. Amidst all this, she also acknowledges her burgeoning authority and her growing concern for the people she's brought together...not to mention her responsibility to humanity in general.

It's a hell of a lot for an ailing civilian to take on. I couldn't help but feel a little broken, a little drained myself when I finished Wanderlust. The heaviness that sits in Jax's gut is translated so well that I can only furrow my brow and sigh with her, hoping the next book will find her in a better place. On to Doubleblind... ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Dec 14, 2009 Kati rated it liked it

Shelves: in-english, sci-fi, work-reviews, 2013

I was rather surprised that a good half of the main characters from the first book was relegated to supporting parts only in this installment. I'm talking about March and the Doc. They were basically replaced by Vel, Jael and Hit in Jax's crew. Not something I expected to see. The new characters were very likable but I missed Jax's interaction with March and the Doc, I missed the closeness that used to be between them...

Jax seemed a bit too... whiny in this part, more often than not her thoughts ...more

Like · see review

Jan 06, 2011 Alisha rated it really liked it

Quick Take: This installment didn't grip me as quickly and unrelentingly as its predecessor, but it was nonetheless a solid and exciting entry to the series. The characters are absolutely addictive, even though this is an episodic, plot-driven book.

Review:
Sure, this is only book two, but I already know that the Sirantha Jax series is going to go down as one of my favorite series. How do I know this? For one, the cast of characters is so magnetic. Unlike with many other books I've read, the detai Quick Take: This installment didn't grip me as quickly and unrelentingly as its predecessor, but it was nonetheless a solid and exciting entry to the series. The characters are absolutely addictive, even though this is an episodic, plot-driven book.

Review:
Sure, this is only book two, but I already know that the Sirantha Jax series is going to go down as one of my favorite series. How do I know this? For one, the cast of characters is so magnetic. Unlike with many other books I've read, the details about these personalities cement themselves easily and thoroughly in my mind. I feel like these characters are my friends…how nutty is that? But so it is. It certainly doesn't hurt that Sirantha's first-person present-tense narration is vivid and fits seamlessly.

And speaking of characters, I am really liking one in particular: Vel. Oddly enough, he's an insect (in a manner of speaking). But darnit if he isn't also the most magnetic, nuanced, mysterious character of the lot. The next book, Doubleblind, is supposed to (finally!) be about Vel's home planet, so I'm very much looking forward to further exploration of the compassionate yet regimented bounty hunter.

Now, if comparing this book to its predecessor, Grimspace, I'd have to say that this book was not as gripping. To me, it was largely due to the plot driver; it wasn't until the end of the book that the reason for said plot driver was revealed (leading me to remark, "Oh! So that's why they're supposed to have given a crap about what they spent the last 300 pages doing!"). Before that point, I didn't completely buy into the adventure (since I thought it had no point and felt like it aimlessly drifted). But ultimately, the story was still engaging enough to keep me wanting to find out what perils were to befall my beloved characters. ^_^

Like in Grimspace, Wanderlust is highly episodic in nature. This makes for a very fun read, especially since each successive "episode" ends up more "high stakes" and perilous than the last. I'd be perfect for setting the book down for stretches…except, it's very difficult to put the book down at all. :o)

All's I know is that Ann Aguirre is a great storyteller and a skilled craftswoman when it comes to shaping characters. Wanderlust is a solid piece of science fiction--part of a series that is perfect for urban fantasy fans looking to test the waters of speculative fiction. I want to jump into the next book, but this series needs to be savored. Besides, Wanderlust will make for a great re-read.
...more

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 02, 2009 Louise rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, ebook, sfr, re-reads, z-2009-fall-challenge, hibernating, z-2012-112-challenge, setting-future, friendship, family-of-choice

I enjoyed this book even more than the first in the series, perhaps because of the continued growth of the characters, particularly Jax, and the relationships that kept developing. I loved the (very different!) friendships that Jax has developed with Vel and Dina. Jax herself becomes more interesting and rounded with every little detail we learn about her, and she seems to finally be accepting that she can get over her addiction to grimspace, rather than wanting to eventually give in to it. Then ...more

Like · see review

Nov 29, 2010 Caroline rated it really liked it

book 2 of the Sirantha Jax series was a much more rounded book than the first. seemed to have more content and characterisation. Even got to love some of the new characters.

Jax is freed of the responsibilty of the crash from book one and is now poor and jobless due to the breakdown of the corp. She's approached to become an ambassador to Vel's people in the hope of bringing them into the congolerate. Things really don't go according go plan.
We have a war, a kidnap, horrible creatures who just lo ...more

Like · see review

Apr 16, 2013 Gisela rated it liked it

Shelves: could-ve-been-better, double-decker-challenge, sf-romance, z2016

Jax spent too much time whining and there was unnecessary relationship angst in the first half of the book. Luckily, things pick up in the last quarter of the book.

Like · see review