Grimspace (A Sirantha Jax Novel, #1)

[Amanda]

Original review (live 3/7/12): http://onabookbender.com/2012/03/07/review-grimspace-by-ann-aguirre/

Part of my problem with science fiction books has always been orienting myself in the world — or in this case, worlds. Perhaps because there is so much to include: space travel, how it works, different worlds, different species, different rules, how the government — if any — operates, all of which are vastly different from building a world even loosely based on earth (paranormal books, for example). I’ve also not been exposed to much science fiction — in book, TV, or movie form — so I think this also puts me at a disadvantage. Grimspace was really no different from other books in this regard, but I stuck with it, and I am incredibly glad that I did. I am still a little disoriented about the world(s), but there is enough beyond that to keep me reading.

The biggest reason why I loved Grimspace is Sirantha Jax herself. It’s narrated in first person present tense, and while the narration took me some getting used to, I made a very strong connection with Jax. At the beginning, we find Jax imprisoned by the Corp after being the only survivor of a ship crash. We know as much as she does — which is pretty much nothing — but there is also a sense that there is something wrong with the situation and that there is more to it than what is presented. But Jax is tough. And even though she does not quite know what is going on, she continues to plow forward. She makes mistakes and realizes she doesn’t quite know who she is, but beyond all that, I found Jax to be a compelling and likable character who changes and grows throughout the course of the book. More than just being the main character, she makes Grimspace shine.

Very quickly, we are introduced to March and his crew. While the answers about why he needs Jax and what his overall goal is are only slowly answered, we are gradually introduced to the politics of the Corp, being a Jumper, and why Jax is so important in the game. There is some romance in Grimspace, but it felt more ‘romance lite’ to me, in the way that the romance is not an integral part of the plot or overall story, but it is a nice diversion. I love me some romance, and it was nice to see it here, though I loved Sirantha Jax enough that Grimspace could have been a stellar book even without the added romance. And yes, March makes for a very delicious love interest.

This is quite obviously only the beginning. March and his crew are on a mission to find and create more jumpers, but this mission was derailed by Jax’s problems with the Corp and the ship crash that was supposedly her fault. Still, Jax is important to accomplish the mission, and not just because she is a jumper herself. There is something that sets her apart from other Jumpers, something that could be key. I already have the second book, Wanderlust, on my to be read list, and look forward to picking it up.