Review: Ann Aguirre’s “Grimspace”
Oh, what fun this was!
I’m always on the lookout for kick-ass women running around in spaceships, and “Grimspace” delivered the goods as promised. I’d never heard of the author, Ann Aguirre, before I saw this book on the bookshelf of my local outlet of Monster Book Conglomerate. (Oh, come on, there’s only two of them, right?) I bought it because the cover looked cool (I’m a sucker), and when I opened it up and read the first page, it didn’t make me roll my eyes.
“Grimspace” is a fast-paced read. Categorized as “romantic science fiction” (who knew that category existed?), this novel starts off with the kind of questions that nearly make you resent the author (”wtf is going on?”) except for the fact that the action is fun and the barbs are sharp and quick. This is the story of Sirantha Jax, a “jumper” with the genetic ability to see and sense the other-universe-wormhole-like grimspace between real space beacons. Cool premise.
The plot is tight and doesn’t veer off into weird subplots that cloud the story. Jax is accused of killing over 80 people - including her lover - in a space landing gone bad. The Corporation that has always treated her like a golden girl suddenly wants to turn her brain to mush by analyzing her over and over again in the aftermath of the crash. Then a strange man shows up in her cell and offers her the chance to escape her captivity. What follows is a whirlwind tour of Jax’s universe as she realizes that the folks who have saved her may not have her best interests in mind.
Good stuff: Great characters, believable action, romance wasn’t over the top - though there are a couple of rated R moments - and didn’t distract from the plot. I didn’t see a couple of the plot twists coming, which is very nice in a formula science fiction book. Aguirre manages to be straightforward in a way that doesn’t insult the intelligence, but it makes it easy to put the book down then pick it up later and sink easiliy back into the action.
Jax is grittier than some other book heroines I could name, e.g., Elizabeth Moon’s Kylara Vatta or David Weber’s Honor Harrington. I like that. It was nice to see a woman in a science fiction story who doesn’t always make the good or right choice, but somehow comes out ahead. Loved her. Can’t wait for more.
Not so good stuff: Aguirre is guilty of using randomly inserted characters to tie up plot points a tad neatly. This really isn’t a complaint - the book has to tie up somehow. Some folks might not like the plot leaps she takes to get to the endgame, but overall, I think she wrote a good book and even the negative aspects of it aren’t enough to keep me from recommending it.
In short, buy it. Over on Aguirre’s website, she mentions that the sequel has been contracted, though the title isn’t finalized yet, and it should be available later this summer. (Also, her blog is kind of a kick. Why does someone always ask about alien sex?)
Have you read “Grimspace” already? Drop me a line at ubergeeke@dotfiveone.com and let me know what you thought of it.
Related posts:
- What Women Are Doing In Science Fiction: Ann Aguirre
- Hardcopy: Ann Aguirre’s “Wanderlust”
- Review: Elizabeth Moon’s “Marque And Reprisal”
- Review: Maureen McHugh’s “Half The Day Is Night”
- Review: Elizabeth Moon’s “Trading In Danger”
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