Grimspace ( Sirantha Jax 1) by Ann Aguirre

Hello to all,

                   April is the month for the sci-fi romance subgenre in the romance challenge, i've already in the past read some books from this category but it was a long time ago so in a way it's a novelty.
I won't read only that of course but i will try to present you several series and authors that i'm discovering.

First we start with the Sirantha Jax serie, book 1 Grimspace by ann Aguirre.

all the best,

Editor : Ace Books ( penguin group)

Publication : 2008

ISBN: 0441015999 

Genre: Science-fiction romance
Violence: Strong
Langage: mild
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodread :

 By all accounts, Sirantha Jax should have burned out years ago…


As the carrier of a rare gene, Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace—a talent which cuts into her life expectancy, but makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. But then the ship she’s navigating crash-lands, and she’s accused of killing everyone on board. It’s hard for Jax to ...moreBy all accounts, Sirantha Jax should have burned out years ago…

As the carrier of a rare gene, Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace—a talent which cuts into her life expectancy, but makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. But then the ship she’s navigating crash-lands, and she’s accused of killing everyone on board. It’s hard for Jax to defend herself: she has no memory of the crash.

Now imprisoned and the subject of a ruthless interrogation, Jax is on the verge of madness. Then a mysterious man breaks into her cell, offering her freedom—for a price. March needs Jax to help his small band of rogue fighters break the Corp monopoly on interstellar travel—and establish a new breed of jumper.

Jax is only good at one thing—grimspace—and it will eventually kill her. So she may as well have some fun in the meantime…

 
My opinion:

          If Grimspace can be a bit difficult during the first pages, it‘s mainly because you don’t have a strong sci-fi reading background. I was a bit put off at the beginning because I didn’t understand some words and English not being my native language I wasn’t sure of me. But each sci-fi world has a universe with specify words and while an addendum, a listing to explain those words would have been great you can do without. After the fist chapters you are immersed in the world and you understand the meaning of the terms used naturally.

I was afraid I wasn’t going to like this book however the more I read the more I loved it. The characters revels more of themselves progressively and you start to love them a lot. The action is full packed and the intrigue important. You get the reason of why the situation is what it is only in the last chapter. Even then , you know that there is more so the next book isn’t read soon enough because there is still a lot we don’t know about Jax for example.

Sirantha is a strong heroine, strong willed and in the same time so vulnerable. She is living a life that she knows, or believes, is killing her but she thinks she doesn’t deserve more. She starts with losing her pilot and in this universe a pilot is more like a soulmate so she looses a part of herself and her confidence. She will have to find who she is or decide who she wants to be. Even if she rejects March at first because she is seeing him as a betrayal of her last pilot, Kay, she needs him.

March is like Sirantha, hiding behind what he would like. He thinks he is a monsters and doesn’t deserve happiness…he is just a psi and I really think it must be hard to know what people are really thinking. But for him, Sirantha jax is a strange phenomenon, their minds are attuned to each others so the link is stronger than most and she isn’t hiding. Both have been hurt and both have trusting issues.  If they didn’t choose to collaborate at first, now they are a team and rely on each other.

The romance is strong, first in the memory of jax and Kay, after it’s building with March. The secondary characters are interesting too, I was so sad for Loras and I found Vel so attaching. I would love to see more of this bounty hunter, it could be great if he joined the team.

For a first step in the Sci-Fi romance subgenre, I don’t regret it at all and I recommend it.

Score:  4/5

Challenges:

Book read for the Reading Challenge 2012



This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge

Book read for the 2012 TBR reading Challenge