Geekspace for Women

Posted by ubergeeke on October 1st, 2008 in blogpost

I was very excited about Ann Aguirre’s “Wanderlust”, the sequel to “Grimspace”, and practically inhaled it. That said, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I thought this would be a mad dash from one wild confrontation to another, like “Grimspace”, but that wasn’t the case.

This is a better book than its predecessor. Sirantha Jax, grimspace jumper of that world-between-worlds sensed by a fortunate few, is still reeling from the implications of the revelations at the end of “Grimspace”. The universe is without balance as new powers rise to fill the gaps left by the fall of the Conglomerate, and Jax finds herself in the unenviable position of ambassador. Along with March and Dina, lover and colleague respectively from the first book, a new host of characters join our heroine as she heads off on a new adventure.

The Good: Jax gets a little depth in this book. Finally, we see some true character development, and see Jax grow as a person. She notices the people around her, starts taking responsibility for her own actions, and finally realizes that she can make a difference in her universe. The sexy romance gets put on the back burner - mostly - in this book, which is welcome. The political intrigue jumps a notch as well, and the plot twists are well-executed and surprising. Nice.

The Bad: March doesn’t get any depth in this book, and is basically the big badass who has one soft spot. It gets old. At times, the book seems to meander with no purpose, but these moments are rare, and have all but dissipated by book’s end.

Overall: This one is a good solid “B”, and worth buying. *I* did, and I wasn’t disappointed. This is Saturday afternoon reading - pure escapism that flows quickly and tightly. Enjoy!

How about you? What do you think of Ann Aguirre’s “Wanderlust”? Drop me a line at ubergeeke@dotfiveone.com, or leave a comment here!