Vortex by S J Kincaid

Vortex (Insignia Trilogy, #2)

by S.J. Kincaid

Tom is back for more action-packed adventure!

Now in his second year as a superhuman cadet-in-training, Tom's been promoted to a mid-level member of the elite training corps known as Camelot Company, or CamCo. As training intensifies and the moment arrives to impress the multinational corporations who will make or break the cadets' careers, Tom finds himself drawn into a power struggle that's more dramatic - and with far higher stakes - than anything he ever imagined. There are nefarious new enemies to outwit, old friendships that take on new faces, a romance that Tom is encouraged to betray, and an increasing desire on Tom's behalf to demand nothing less than 'justice for all' - even if he sabotages his own future in the process. But what will his idealism cost?

Filled with camaraderie, wit, action and intelligence, the second book in S. J. Kincaid's futuristic trilogy continues to explore fascinating and timely questions about power, politics, technology, loyalty and friendship.

Reviewed by Ashley on

4 of 5 stars

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BookNook — Young Adult book reviews

3.5 Stars

Vortex didn't quite have the same magic for me that Insignia did. It was still a good book, it just didn't have me screaming and shrieking like an excited, insane girl. Vortex had a bit of a slower start and I didn't get fully sucked into the book until half way or 3/4 of the way through.

I kind of had a love/hate relationship with Tom in this book. He definitely came across very immature at times. It almost made me wonder, Was he always like this and am I only now noticing it? Or is this just a new thing in Vortex?

Tom could just be so arrogant, so cocky, and not consider the consequences of his actions. His teachers would specifically tell him, "Don't do this, it's dangerous." Then he would turn around and do it, and something bad would happen (as promised). Another example: now that he is no longer a plebe, he and Vik got together and chased the plebes out of the common room area so they could have it all to themselves, just because "they could". He just acted like an arrogant prick a lot of the time.

But on the other hand, I do really admire how he refused to suck up to the big corporate guys. Many of those guys were legitimately bad people, and I really appreciated that Tom didn't kiss their asses just for the sake of his career. Instead, he acknowledged that they were bad guys and didn't let them push him around, and didn't take any crap from them. He told them exactly what he thought of them, and it was awesome.

My other frustration was with Medusa; her relationship with Tom was like whiplash. It was an annoying cycle of: they're fighting, they don't talk for weeks, they make up, later in that conversation Tom screws it up and they fight again, they don't talk for weeks, etc. Rinse and repeat. As a result, it felt like Medusa was barely in the book and just popped in and out at seemingly random times. At least whenever Medusa did make an appearance she was kicking some serious ass.

Although the beginning of the book was only 'okay' for me, things really picked up at the end. The corruption and conspiracies finally started to unravel, driving some excitement into the story. There was more defiance, rebellion, and more "big reveals". Those were the bits I finally loved!

Overall, I guess Vortex had a stronger focus on the politics. We learn more about the corporations that sponsor the fighters and what stakes they have in the war. It's interesting information, but it wasn't always the most exciting.

I am a bit bummed that I didn't enjoy Vortex quite as much as Insignia, but it was still a pretty good book.

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Reading updates

  • 26 March, 2013: Started reading
  • 30 March, 2013: Finished reading
  • 30 March, 2013: Reviewed