Doubleblind

Sirantha Jax is finally on Ithiss-Tor, feeling way over her head as an ambassador for the Conglomerate. The Conglomerate needs her to bring the bug-like aliens, the Ithtorians to their side because they need an ally against increased attacks by the Morgut (a species of violent, frenzied eaters that see everyone as food). The Ithtorians are the only species the Morgut have ever respected. A "jumper" and former party-girl, Jax doesn't feel in her element as someone responsible for such an important task, and March, who has always been at her side isn't himself to help her. I would have finished this much faster if it weren't for those pesky things like parents coming to visit, going to work, eating, sleeping, blah blah. All I wanted to do was read this book. I love space opera and science fiction romance. This is one of my favorite series. I think I've been anticipating it so much that by the time I got it I was getting lightheaded with giddiness and enthusiasm and I had a feeling that perhaps I was talking too much about it. The thing is, it is so hard to stay quiet while reading this book, because there's these elements you just want to talk to *someone* about. For me it was character development and the twists in the plot. I think Ann Aguirre has an evil streak. First of all, she wrote Wanderlust and ended it the way she did (if you read Wanderlust, you know what I mean). What she puts her characters through has me looking around desperately for someone so I can discuss what I just read. First of all, you would think that by now, the third book, March and Jax's relationship would be stable. But Aguirre did something that was the equivalent of pressing the "reset" button, and it is delicious. Neither March or Jax are the same people they were at the start of this series. In fact, I'd say that what they've been through has pretty much reversed their roles, although their old selves are in there somewhere. The first half of the book had me hanging on to every word or gesture between the two of them. I kept saying "intense", because that was the word to describe it (besides "AHHH!!"). It was kind of torture, yet I was happy. It was well worth going through the wringer in Wanderlust and here to come out the other side. There was one particular scene early in the book where March and Jax talk that had me completely involved and.. well I just don't have the words. Aguirre seems to excel at character growth. Since we're on Vel's home planet and diplomacy is the reason for being there, Vel has the biggest role besides Jax, who is the narrator. I was really interested in finding out more about Vel in Wanderlust so I was pleased with learning more about him through Jax. The others were around less often (they weren't needed for all the negotiations that Jax attended), but everyone in Jax's circle is multi-faceted, and you catch a glimpse of inner depth in Jael, Dina, Hit, and Doc. If you're familiar with Ann Aguirre, you know these aren't always happy

Every time I review one of these books, I go on and on about the narration style and Jax as protagonist. There's a reason for that: both are phenomenal. As the series progresses, we get to watch Jax grow and change, but shades of her former, more selfish self poke through often enough to highlight how difficult the progression is for her. She's still a wonderful combination of tough but broken, and her voice is inarguably what makes this series so addictive to me. The first person perspective is urgent and powerful, and I'm pretty sure if Jax were telling me in great detail about her efforts doing the laundry, I would be fascinated. The voice and narration style just suck me in at page one and don't let go until I've finished the book, at which point I turn the page, realize there's no more writing, and glare at the back cover for awhile, sulking that I don't have the next installment right now. Readers intrigued by Vel or Jael will have lots to appreciate in Doubleblind, which delves a little deeper into both gentlemen. (If, by the way, anyone finds a Vel around, please send him my way. I'm up for adopting one.) Some of the secrets hinted at in previous books are explored, and Vel in particular becomes an increasingly major presence in Jax's life. The book isn't as action-packed as its predecessors, but since Jax is currently acting as a diplomat, that's probably a good thing. The pace doesn't suffer for the lack of fight scenes, though, and since the character driven nature of the books has always been primarily what's drawn me to them, I was just as delighted to read about their political and social struggles as see them get into a knife fight. Since Jax is pretty far out of her element here, it's a lot of fun to watch the inner struggle as well as the political outer conflict. It's more personal in a lot of ways, and I felt like I'd run through the emotional gamut every bit as much as the characters had by the time I'd finished the book, which in my mind is the mark of effective storytelling. And now for the million dollar question: does the book hold up to Wanderlust? Is it as good as its predecessor? Actually, it's not. It's even better. How is this possible? Well, you'd better get yourself pre-ordering to find out!

Greed. Betrayal. Testing the strength of love and trust in both friendships and love. All of this is found in Doubleblind, the third Sirantha Jax book. I enjoyed watching Jax mature as the newly appointed ambassador. She and her crew (along with a darker March) land on Ithiss-Tor where their goal is to get the "bugs" to align themselves with the Conglomerate in hopes of subduing further Morgut attacks. But with a race already full of hate for humans and change, and Jax's mom , the head of the Sindicate, working against her that task becomes more difficult by the minute. With crime and chaos increasing around the universe, Jax's job becomes vital for humanity's survival. I do not usually read sci-fi, but Jax is a character that is easy to love and this book would not let me put it down.

The third book in the Sirantha Jax series, I've been waiting for Doubleblind to come out for months. I was absolutely not disappointed. I found myself unable to put it down, and finished it in less than a day! The characters are so well thought out, and well and truly messed up that you can't help but feel involved in their story. There weren't as many new worlds to explore in Doubleblind, but Ithiss-tor was presented with such interesting visuals and contrasts that it didn't matter. I have to say though, I never suspected who turned out to be the villain in this one, way to go Anne! Great Read and I would recommend to anyone who loves good sci-fi or amazingly honest and real character stories.

Sirantha Jax, finally on Ithiss-Tor, is sticking to her ambassador duties. She's going to do right by the Conglomerate, and by the world. Even though she sometimes feels like it's at the risk of her friends lives and her own personal feelings and beliefs. Her job is to get the Ithtorians on their side, so they can fight against the Morgut. A very poisonous enemy that they will be unable to defeat alone. Since the Morgut are "allergic" to the Ithtorians, and are the only being they respect, it's key to gain their alliance. Sirantha feels very off kilter doing what is "right" instead of what she WANTS to do, and most of the Ithtorians aren't very welcoming to her kind on their planet. She also doesn't have the help that she usually does from March, who is dealing with his own inner demons. I'm loving this series, and I can't wait till the fourth book comes out. Which is sad since this one comes out tomorrow! I'll have to wait a little while. Sirantha Jax is one of my favorite protagonist ever. She sticks to her guns, even when she doesn't want to. She's got a smart mouth, but it's not over done. She's strong, even though she doesn't think she is. Doubleblind shows her working through some tough stuff. Dealing with the Ithtorians is difficult, especially since most don't want her there, and some want to kill her. March isn't even there, he's off in a deep dark place inside his head. He knows he used to have feelings for Jax, but he doesn't feel them now. He's just doing what he thinks he should be doing, even though most of the time he wants nothing more than to tear the closest being's head off. There was a huge chunk missing from this story, and that was Hit, Dina, and Doc. They definitely weren't around enough. This is due to the politics on Ithiss-Tor, and Jax dealing with March in her spare time. She also spends a lot of time with Vel, who is one of my favorite characters of the series. He's so different from the rest of his species, and I love his little quirks. Him and Jax get along really well, and I can't wait to see their friendship grow even stronger. A plus about Doubleblind is that Jax and March are not the same characters they were in Grimspace. They have grown so much, and I believe it's for the better. Even though they have a rough road ahead of them. I can't get enough of this couple. The bit of romance in this Sci-fi tale is the perfect amount. Loving the Sirantha Jax series, and can't wait to read more. If you enjoy Sci-fi, or if you don't know if you'd like Sci-fi, you should give this series a chance. Ann Aguirre captures another exciting, and well thought out story, and I'm so happy I had the chance to read it.