Review of Doubleblind
Oct
10
2009

Doubleblind
by Ann Aguirre
320pp (Paperback)
My Rating: 8/10
Amazon Rating: 5/5
LibraryThing Rating: 4.3/5
Goodreads Rating: 4.38/5

Doubleblind is the third book in the Jax series by Ann Aguirre. This romantic space opera series should definitely be read in order – Grimspace, then Wanderlust, and finally this book. The fourth book, Killbox, is scheduled for release in October 2010, and there are supposed to be six books total.

Note: There are spoilers for the previous book in the plot description. If you haven’t read the first two books and want to avoid spoilers but still want to hear some about the book/series, skip past the part of this review above the horizontal line. Everything below the line is safe.

Sirantha Jax now finds herself in one of the most precarious situations yet – as a diplomat to Ithiss-Tor, a planet inhabited by a bug-like race of aliens who despise humans. If Jax does not succeed in procuring an agreement with the Ithtorians, all of humanity will pay the price for her failure. More and more human settlements have been attacked by the Morgut race of aliens, and the only way they can think of to protect themselves is to get the Ithtorians, whom the Morgut respect and fear, on their side. Since Jax is in the unique position of being the only human to befriend an Ithtorian (the bounty hunter Vel who once tried to kill her), she was chosen to represent humanity with Vel’s assistance as a guide and translator.

Meanwhile, Jax must also contend with the problem of March, who has still not recovered from the war he fought in the previous book. Ever since then, he’s been ready to kill anything that moves, and he no longer feels anything for Jax although he sticks with her because he can remember caring for her once. Jax refuses to give up on him and keeps him as part of her entourage even though she worries he may go crazy and jeopardize their mission. Instead of having to do one impossible task, she has determined to do two – secure an alliance with the Ithtorians and fix whatever is wrong with March.


Ever since I first read Grimspace shortly after it came out, Ann Aguirre has become an auto-buy author for me. The moment one of her books comes out I run to the bookstore and buy it. Actually, that’s not quite true – ever since I discovered books are sometimes on the shelves before their release date, I’ve tried to find her books a little early. I was so excited about Doubleblind that I looked for it three times in the same week and was rewarded by finding it one week early. As soon as I finished the book I was reading at the time, I started Doubleblind (which is rare for me as I tend to have book ADHD when it comes to what to read next).

This series appeals to me because they are fast-paced, entertaining, and have some great characters that I really enjoy reading about. Sometimes they are humorous, other times they are touching and they are always pure fun. They keep a great balance between character development/relationships and a plot that moves at a pretty good clip. Plus they are relatively short and easy to read (while I love long books, sometimes it’s nice to read something that isn’t going to take me more than 2 or 3 days to get through).

This newest novel was a little slower paced at the beginning and a bit harder to get hooked on than the previous two books for me. As with the previous book, the first chapter was largely summary of who everyone was and where the book had left off, but I was still completely unable to put the previous installment down by chapter 3. Although I did get to the point of not wanting to put this one down as well, it did take a bit longer than normal compared to the other books in the series.

Doubleblind was less action-packed than the previous books and more about politics and diplomacy, which I rather enjoyed once it did get going. One of my favorite types of space opera is the type in which a different people or species with a very different way of life is explored. Learning more about the Ithtorians was the main highlight for me, particularly since it revealed a lot more about the alien former bounty-hunter Vel.

Vel has become the most interesting character in the series to me, although perhaps that’s at least partially because I like outcasts as well as inhuman characters who occasionally show glimpses of humanity. Not only do we get to see the planet he came from in this book, but we also get to find out more about his past and why he left his home in the first place. Plus there are a few little bits of information about him that will hopefully be described in further detail in future installments. One of my favorite parts of Wanderlust was Vel and his developing friendship with Jax, and their interactions remained one of my favorite parts of this novel as well.

Jax herself has also grown a lot, as can be seen from her refusal to give up on March and her seriousness about her role as a diplomat. The roles have been reversed in her relationship – March used to always be the one looking out for Jax but now she’s the one looking out for him. Their situation (referred to in the above plot summary) provides some conflict for their relationship, but ever since the second book I’ve felt the focus has shifted away from the romance and more toward friendships. This one has more romance than the previous book, but I still felt that the plot and friendships were a better reason to keep reading.

Other than Vel, March and of course Jax herself, most of the other characters are in the background in this book. They show up but they don’t undergo any major development.

Although I do find the Jax series to be immensely entertaining, this does not mean I don’t have to suspend my disbelief quite a bit when reading them. I don’t mean because it has psychics, aliens, genetically engineered super people, talking computers and all the things I love about space opera. In this book, I found it difficult to believe that anyone would send Jax on a diplomatic mission of supreme importance. Although it becomes clear in this novel that she’s matured a lot, not all that long ago Jax was a party-girl infamous for getting drunk and flashing her tits in bars. She does not seem like the responsible type one would trust with the fate of the galaxy. Sure, she had a genuine Ithtorian to help her, but Vel was an outcast on Ithiss-Tor since he ran away from it and lived among the humans. So I don’t see why his presence would help endear them to the Ithtorians, although it was useful that he could teach Jax what she needed to know about their customs. Not only did they send Jax to Ithiss-Tor as a diplomat, but they did not send any humans with actual experience in this arena to keep an eye on her and make sure no disasters occurred, which would have at least made a little more sense to me.

Also, there was one point toward the end where Jax and Vel were trying to solve a mystery and the solution seemed rather obvious long before they figured it out. Although I can see Jax having difficulty putting two and two together, it really seemed like Vel should be smarter than that, although I suppose he didn’t have some of the information that Jax did.

Even though I did find it difficult to believe at times and a bit more difficult to get into than the other two books in the series, Doubleblind was as much fun as the previous books once it got going. Jax is still a great heroine to read about, and if you are a fan of Vel or curious about Ithiss-Tor, you definitely won’t want to miss this one!

8/10

How I got my reading copy: As mentioned in my review, I bought this one.

Read an excerpt

Other Reviews of Doubleblind:

Reviews of other books in the Jax series:

Interview with Gail Carriger
Oct
08
2009

After I had a delightful time reading Soulless, I contacted Gail Carriger to see if she would be a guest on the blog. She kindly agreed to an interview and I am pleased to have her answers today to share with all of you.

About Gail Carriger (from her website):

Ms. Carriger began writing in order to cope with being raised in obscurity by an expatriate Brit and an incurable curmudgeon. She escaped small town life and inadvertently acquired several degrees in Higher Learning. Ms. Carriger then traveled the historic cities of Europe, subsisting entirely on biscuits secreted in her handbag. She now resides in the Colonies, surrounded by a harem of Armenian lovers, where she insists on tea imported directly from London and cats that pee into toilets. She is fond of teeny tiny hats and tropical fruit. Soulless is her first book.

FC: How did you begin writing?

GC: My Mum used to read to me in bed and if I didn’t like the end of the book I would explain to her very carefully that the author got it wrong and then inform her of the real ending. That was the start of the madness.

FC: Was it difficult to go through the process of publishing your first novel?

GC: Some aspects were challenging and some were frustrating but never the parts I expected. In the end, looking back, I was pretty darn lucky.

FC: Did you learn anything about the process that you wish you’d known beforehand?

GC: Lots of terms that I won’t bore you with here (like “in house copy”), a few behavior modifications, and one or two better luck next times. The one specific thing I feel compelled to pass on to budding authors is: the response when you get The Call, even if you have no agent, is: “Thank you so much for your interest, let me pass you along to my agent.” Nothing more.

FC: Your website says there will be two more books after Soulless. Is it likely there will end up being more than three books in the series total?

GC: My contract is for three books. Which isn’t to say I wouldn’t love to write more. I think we have to see how readers like Soulless first.

FC: Have you considered writing any prequels about the history of the vampires and werewolves and how they became accepted in Great Britain?

GC: I’d love to write a bit about Alexia’s father, but to go that far back, I’m not sure. That would be during the time of the Tudors, not a period of history that greatly interests me, and more clockpunk than steampunk. Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind. I’m intrigued by both Lyall’s past and Lord Akeldama’s past, there may be books hidden there. I’d also love to explore the future, turn-of-the-century Old West steampunk has always appealed to me.

FC: You have mentioned that vampires and werewolves were your explanation for how such a small country like Great Britain became such a conquering force. Once other nations begin to see what a powerful weapon the supernatural is for Britain, what is keeping them from following suit?

GC: Ah, that is an excellent question and all I can say at the moment is that you’ll learn much of this in the third book, Blameless. The nature of this alternative world and its history is one of the things that is revealed more and more as the series progresses.

FC: The vampire and werewolf cultures each played a role in Soulless but although the ghosts were mentioned they never made an appearance. Will we see more of them in future novels?

GC: Ah, yes, quite a bit more. Ghosts of various personalities have small but pivotal roles to play, particularly in the second book, Changeless.

FC: Which group would you be most wary about causing offense to – the vampires or the werewolves?

GC: With immediate effect – the werewolves. In the long term – definitely the vampires.

FC: If you were to attend a ball along with each of the characters from Soulless, which one would you hope to be seated next to at dinner?

GC: Oh, Lord Akeldama, definitely! Even if he talked nothing but frivolities, they would excellent and highly entertaining frivolities.

FC: Is there anyone in particular whose presence would be so horrifying to prompt you to (discreetly, of course!) switch their place card with another if you found it next to your seat?

GC: Hum, I don’t think so. I tend to find most of my characters intriguing in some manner or another. I’m not sure I could tolerate an entire dinner next to the Countess, but even she can be charming – if she is in a pleasant mood.

FC: Soulless is a very diverse blend of genres – particularly urban fantasy, steampunk, and comedy. What are some of your favorite books from each of these?

GC: In urban fantasy I adore anything by Patricia Briggs, so far as steampunk is concerned I enjoy Girl Genius, and in the arena of comedy, I have to stay true to my first love, Douglas Adams.

FC: What are Alexia’s personal pet peeves when it comes to ill-mannered behavior?

GC: Introductions are very important to her, as are good table manners, well-behaved children, and respect for the social order. I think she is less concerned with proper dress than she pretends.

FC: How would you react if you were you attacked by a vampire without even a proper introduction? And you found yourself without a hair stick or a parasol?

GC: Oh, I have no pride or gumption. I would run to the nearest public area yelling for the constabulary.

FC: Can you tell us anything about what to expect from the next book, Changeless?

GC: This one is all about the werewolves!


Thank you so much for stopping by and answering some questions, Gail! I’m even more excited about the next two books knowing there where be more about the alternate history and the ghosts.

Yet Another Post on the New FTC Guidelines
Oct
05
2009

As this affects a great deal of bloggers, you’ve probably already read a post somewhere on the new FTC guidelines. Just in case you haven’t, here’s the basic scoop.

Today the FTC published their guidelines pertaining to testimonial advertisements, bloggers and celebrity endorsements. As of December 1, 2009 it is required that bloggers fully disclose any types of payment, which includes products received for free for review purposes. Violation of this could result in paying a fine amounting up to $11,000.

When I first got home from work and saw all the panic on Twitter and in blog posts, I started feeling a bit panicky myself. Eleven thousand dollars is quite a hefty punishment for not mentioning you reviewed a book you received that’s worth $7.99. Then I read what Cheryl of Cheryl’s Mewsings had to say about it and felt quite a bit better. It does sound as though book bloggers are not the main concern and are not likely to be closely monitored (I would hope not).

I have the same feelings on this as many of my fellow bloggers have stated in their own posts on it. Disclosing what I receive does not bother me, but being forced to does, especially with such a high penalty for failure to meet this requirement. Plus it seems like a rather difficult thing to regulate. How do they know I did or didn’t buy a book myself if it’s one that I reviewed close to the time of or after the release date?

I’ve decided not to get too worked up about it, but from now on, I will be stating exactly where I got any book I am reviewing – whether or not I bought it myself, received it from the publisher or author, won it in a contest, was forced to read it at gunpoint against my will, etc. It will probably be somewhere at the end of my review – I’ll have to decide where it fits best next time I write one (hoping to get to that review of Doubleblind soon).

Although I have never been paid to write a review, I do occasionally receive review copies (and on one occasion a bookshelf and a couple of times books for giveaways). Most of the books I have reviewed here are ones I have bought myself, but some of them have been books publishers or authors have sent me. Lately I’ve been reviewing more of these books as I have begun receiving more of them.

I never, ever promise to write a positive review in return for a book, nor do I feel obligated to write one just because I received a free copy in the mail, just like the vast majority of book bloggers. Most of us blog because we love reading and talking about the books we read – sure, the free books are a nice bonus, but most of us are book addicts buy enough books on our own that we’re not going to suffer if someone is so offended by a review that they quit sending us ARCs.

Any further thoughts/rants on the new FTC guidelines?

Halloween Reading
Oct
05
2009

Is anyone reading any special books for Halloween this October? I realized what month it was and decided I want to read one or two books that are fitting, but it’s hard to pick those types of books when you’re too much of an easily creeped-out wuss to be much of a horror fan (as a kid, just hearing the spooky Unsolved Mysteries music on TV kept me awake at night – and I saw the movie Aliens on TV when I was about six years old and was spooked out of my mind anytime I was alone for at least a year).

Last year I read a book that was not horror but was very fitting for Halloween – The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. After looking through the bookshelves, I’m not sure what else I have that fits but came up with a few possibilities:

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due (which I was considering reading this month anyway)

The Good, the Bad and the Undead by Kim Harrison (Although it is shelved in horror, the first book was not horror, but it does have vampires, demons and witches so it may be somewhat fitting.)

The Duma Key by Stephen King (Confession time: I have never read a book by Stephen King, even though he’s a local author – and someone just about everyone has read. So one of my friends who is a big fan loved this one and sent it to me for my birthday. It’s the only book that I own that is definitely horror, but it also doesn’t sound like “Halloween” season horror. Plus it’s a little longer than I wanted to read right now with the amount of spare time I have.)

So, to anyone who has read those books… Are any of them good reads for Halloween? Or are there other books I should read instead?

Review of Soulless
Oct
01
2009

Soulless
by Gail Carriger
384pp (Paperback)
My Rating: 7.5/10
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5
LibraryThing Rating: 4.17/5
Goodreads Rating: 3.85/5

Soulless is the first book in the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger. Its official release date in the US is today, although I first saw it in the new books section in my local bookstore over a week ago. The second book Changeless is scheduled to come out in April 2010, and there will be at least one more book following that one, Blameless. Even though this is the first book in a series, it is the type that is a complete story – no cliffhanger ending but it still leaves room for more adventures. Soulless is a blend of many different genres – it’s part steampunk, urban fantasy (but not contemporary since it is set in Victorian London), comedy, and romance.

While at a rather unenjoyable private ball, Alexia Tarabotti retires to the library where she meets a vampire, who is all too pleased to meet a lone lady in a low-necked gown. The vampire attacks Alexia to her great surprise – after all, even vampires adhere to social etiquette and only feed upon those who give their consent. Fortunately, Alexia is not harmed since she is a preternatural, a person who has no soul and cancels out the effects of the supernatural. Therefore, when the vampire attempts to bite her, he is puzzled to find his fangs have completely disappeared. When his attempts at biting her do not break the skin, the vampire decides to strangle her instead. Alexia tries to drive him off with the threat of her hair stick/stake, but accidentally whacks it right into his heart with her parasol. To make matters worse, a group of young men approach the library when she prepares to sneak out unseen so Alexia pretends to do what any sensible woman would do when happening upon such a sight – faints.

Although she succeeds in fooling the young people, Alexia’s pretense does not fool Lord Maccon, who arrives to investigate while she is lying supposedly unconscious upon the floor. Lord Maccon is not only an earl and an Alpha werewolf but also an agent of BUR (Bureau of Unnatural Registry) – and is not in the least surprised to find the exasperating woman who instigated the hedgehog incident involved in such a situation. Once Alexia explains what happened to her, it becomes clear that this was no ordinary vampire – not only was he ill-mannered but also uneducated (for he did not even know what a preternatural was!) and most unrefined (for he had a rather un-vampirelike lisp).

In spite of Lord Maccon’s best efforts to keep Alexia out of the investigation, an invitation to visit the local vampires and Alexia’s own inquisitive nature can’t keep her out of trouble for long…


When I found a copy of Soulless in my mailbox, I was a little unsure about it after I saw the front cover said “A novel of vampires, werewolves and parasols,” particularly since I’m not someone who gets excited at the thought of reading about vampires and werewolves. (This doesn’t mean I completely avoid those books, but I tend to gravitate more toward urban fantasy without them unless it’s a series that comes highly recommended for great characters such as Mercy Thompson.) [Ed: And the parasols? What of them?] Then I read the back and thought it sounded like it could either be very odd in an over-the-top way or very quirky in just the way that I like. Once I read the first chapter with the rude vampire attack and Alexia’s reaction, I found it to definitely be the latter. Soulless is so much fun – it was light and humorous and I could hardly put it down.

It’s also a very unique book, partially because it’s such a diverse blend of genres (steampunk, urban fantasy, alternate history, comedy, romance, and there’s a bit of a mystery too!) and also because of its setting. There are so many books gracing the shelves these days that contain vampires or werewolves but the vast majority of these are set in modern times. Instead of examining what our lives would be like if paranormal creatures existed, Carriger shows us what might have happened in the past, particularly if vampires and werewolves were integrated into Victorian society. In an interview, she mentioned that there needed to be some sort of explanation for tiny Great Britain’s great success as a conquering empire. She figured it would be a very fitting for Victorians to look at it this way: “Ah yes, vampires, jolly good chaps, excellent fashion sense, always polite, terribly charming at cards, we just won’t mention that little neck biting habit.” In her series, Britain is very open to accepting the supernatural and using them for the good of the country while some other nations are not as open-minded, particularly America, which is shown to be rather fearful and disapproving of vampires and werewolves. This is a very interesting alternate history and I’m hoping to see more of how this affects other nations in future installments.

Alexia was a great character and I liked her immensely – she’s very unconventional, nearly fearless, and strong-willed. At approximately a quarter of a century old, she’s a spinster and her entire family persecutes her but this never seems to bother her. She’s perfectly happy to read, go for walks with her friend Ivy or have dinner with her friend Lord Akeldama. Eventually she does get involved in a romance, but it’s never something she looked for or made a first priority in her life – and she never becomes one of those mopey, angsty heroines who pines all day.

The secondary characters are also very fun to read about. Lord Maccon, Alpha werewolf and BUR agent, is forward and ill-mannered, but he can be at least partially excused, being from Scotland where people are not civilized. His calm, well-mannered Beta Professor Lyall always keeps him in check. Spymaster Lord Akeldama is a gay vampire who keeps up with the latest fashions and uses lots of italics throughout his speech (which I admit I found a little annoying at times even though it worked well with his pretense at being a bit more simpleminded than he really is). Alexia’s best friend Ivy has a new ugly hat every time she visits, and Alexia’s mother and sisters are very silly and reminiscent of Lizzie’s family in Pride and Prejudice, especially since Alexia, like Lizzie, is far more sensible in contrast.

I did feel that the end of the book wasn’t quite as good as the beginning, but that was mainly because there was a lot of sex. Personally, I prefer reading about the emotional aspects of a relationship and tend to get bored with physical descriptions. These scenes were more humorously told than most, but toward the end I did get tired of them. Also, some of the jokes were beginning to get a bit repetitive – such as Alexia’s half Italian heritage and Ivy’s hats.

Soulless is one of the more entertaining and unusual books I’ve read this year. Although some of the recurring gags and sexual encounters were excessive by the end, Alexia herself and the humorous scenes and writing style kept me unable to put it down. I will definitely be reading the sequel and am eagerly awaiting finding out what kinds of mishaps Alexia will get into next.

7.5/10

October Reading
Sep
30
2009

Where did September go?

This was a slow reading month and I didn’t end up getting through as many books as I’d hoped since I wasn’t very far into The Magicians at the start of September. I did make it through Havemercy by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett, Soulless by Gail Carriger and Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre, but I’ve only just begun Fire by Kristin Cashore. It was a good month though – Havemercy was just my kind of book and Soulless and Doubleblind were both tons of fun. The Soulless review is almost complete – I just finished a rough draft of it a minute ago so hopefully I can get it up tomorrow night.

Fire and Medicine Road (by Charles deLint) were on my list for September so finishing up the former and beginning the latter will be first on my list. After that, I’d like to read something I don’t recall seeing reviewed before – perhaps Night’s Master by Tanith Lee or My Soul to Keep by Tananarive Due. Then it will be on to Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler. After that, I refuse to plan – it will all depend on how much of the month is left at that point.

What’s everyone reading/thinking about reading this month?