Title: Grimspace
Author: Ann Aguirre
Publication Info: Ace Science Fiction, Feb 2008
Genre: Science Fiction with romantic elements
Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

A spectacular debut novel! This action-packed deep space thriller has luscious world building and enough romance to keep both sci-fi fans and romance readers happy.

Plot:

Sirantha Jax has a rare gene that allows her to navigate space ships through the Grimspace – bending time and space to allow them to reach their destination in a fraction of the time. (If you’ve read a Wrinkle in Time – think Tesseract.) Most Jumpers burn out after ten years, but Jax has lasted longer than anyone predicted. It’s the only thing she’s been lucky in.

The ship she’s navigating crash lands with a congregation of delegates onboard–killing everyone but Jax. Jax is arrested and imprisoned. She doesn’t remember what happened, but she knows she isn’t at fault despite what her employer, the Corp, tries to tell her. She is broken out of jail by a mercenary (March) who wants to build a new school for Jumpers in direct opposition to the monopolistic Corp. His team takes Jax to a number of inhospitable outskirt planets hoping to find unregistered Jumpers with alien genes.

The Corp announces that Jax and crew are dangerous terrorists who murdered the delegation and have blown up a number of space stations. Jax must discover why the Corp is trying to kill her before the Corp’s bounty-hunters complete the job. They’re not the only things trying to kill her. Everywhere she goes, destruction follows. There’s no one she can trust, no one who hasn’t tried to use her for their own ends. Jax is determined to live – but she might finally have found a cause worth dying for.

Discussion:

This is one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read. I often hear agents and editors talk about the importance of “Voice.” Ms. Aguirre hits that ball out of the park. Her narrator comes vividly alive through her language and word choice. Her eloquent descriptions paint a thrilling, enthralling world that the reader can almost reach out and touch. She isn’t afraid to tackle big themes or kill off secondary characters. The novel has a gritty, hard edge that I often find missing in dark books. (And movies. Terminator: Salvation should have had this edge, but for some unknown reason all the secondary characters lived happily ever after in what should have been a dark, gritty movie. What gives?) Thank you, Ms. Aguirre for killing off your non-protagonists. THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE THERE FOR. I can’t believe the main character is in danger if no one but the bad guy dies.

I really appreciated how Jax struggles to do the right thing. I believed her character. Her transformation was much more powerful and believable because the reader sees her struggle. When she finally finds something worth dying for, I know how important it is because I’ve seen her naturally self-serving tendencies. Human beings are naturally selfish. Her actions are realistic. (Unlike every character in Terminator: Salvation.)

I am eager to read more by Ms. Aguirre. WANDERLUST and BLUE DIABLO are next on my TBR list!

Title: Gabriel’s Ghost
Author: Linnea Sinclair
Publication Info: Bantam Spectra, October 2005
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3

Yet another hit from Science-Fiction Romance Author Linnea Sinclair. I’m beginning to think she can’t write a bad book! The Lusty Wenches Book Club, which met this weekend to discuss the book, was in agreement: Ms. Sinclair spins a damn fine tale.

Plot:

Space fleet captain Chasidah “Chaz” Bergren has been committed of a crime she didn’t commit and sent to the prison planet Moabar, a sure death sentence. She survives an attempted rape by one of her guards, only to find herself in the clutches of her smuggler adversary Gabriel “Sully” Sullivan, who supposedly died two years ago. She wouldn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, but Sully claims to have come to Moabar with the express goal of breaking her out. With help from the Englatarian Missionaries, Chaz waltzes to freedom dressed as an Eglatarian Nun. Sully needs her help to uncover illegal genetic labs that are breeding monsters – jukors – on the space station where Chaz grew up.

Can Chaz trust Sully after chasing the rebel/smuggler/mercenary through space for years? Especially when Sully’s best friend turns out to be a mind-ripping Stolorth. Sully’s insistence on keeping her in the dark and refusing to answer her questions doesn’t encourage her confidence in their partnership. Yet something is growing between them, and it isn’t just their need to uncover conspiracy and save the galaxy. With each new trial, a new layer of Sully is uncovered, each terrifying, each fascinating, each revealing a tortured man who is very much in love with one stubborn former-space fleet captain.

With the Empire on their tail, Jukors about to reap carnage and their closest allies threatening to jump ship, Chaz and Sully must face their demons and trust each other enough to get out alive.

Discussion:

None of the other Wenches had read Ms. Sinclair before, and all look forward to reading her again. New fans! WOOT! My job here is done. While GAMES OF COMMAND and FINDERS KEEPERS are still my favorite, GABRIEL’S GHOST comes in a close third of my favorite Sinclair books to date. GG was written in the first person, and I prefer third person for romance. A romance novel is in essence a relationship between two people, and getting into the heads of both those characters gives me the greatest rush living vicariously through their unfolding love. While Ms. Sinclair did an excellent job showing us Sully’s emotions as seen through Chaz’s eyes, I would have liked to get into his head and watch him deal with some of his self-esteem issues. The book club agreed that Chaz’s horror of Sully’s true nature wasn’t quite enough conflict to keep the two apart through the end of the book. I thought to myself, “Dude, he’s a great guy. if you don’t want him, GIVE HIM TO MEEEEE!!!!”

That said, Ms. Sinclair isn’t writing straight romance, but science fiction with a romance plot. Non-romance fans will be quite happy with the amount of non-romance plot in the book. Intergalactic battles, intrigue and adventure.

I love heroes who love their heroines from the beginning. Kel-Patin (Games of Command) was like that. Sully has that same adorable affliction. Makes me melt. I want to steal Sully for my hut. Chaz is a kick-butt, self-sufficient heroine who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to fight for it. Faith is a big struggle for her after all the men in her life (father, brother, ex-husband) have walked out on her.

We could have analyzed the theme of faith or the treatment of religion in the book (the Engletarians) or the symbolism of Chaz’s knife, but we didn’t explore the many layers of Ms. Sinclair’s excellent writing. We liked it. We want more. We want Ren’s story, ‘cuz he almost stole the show.

Title: Finders Keepers
Author: Linnea Sinclair
Publication Info: Bantam Spectra, April 2005
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3 <

Another smashing hit from Linnea Sinclair. Neither intergalactic intrigue nor universal destruction can stop true love. *happysigh*

Plot:

Trilby Elliot is a two bit trader with an antique trading vessel living on the fringes of society. What she lacks in polish, she more than makes up for in grit and brains. Though the Zafharin government and hers, the Conclave, have been a three year old truce, she isn’t happy to have an injured Zafharian officer crash land on her doorstep in a ‘Sko fighter ship – especially if the viscous ‘sko might be coming after him. She drags him to her sick bay and patches him up. He isn’t appreciative when he wakes. Instead, he tries to knock her out and take over her ship. Eventually they agree to combine forces to fix her ship and get back to civilization. If only her injured guest didn’t have his own agenda…

The man known as Rhis Vanur has classified and dangerous information, and his government needs it pronto. Someone in the Conclave Government is leaking secrets to the ‘Sco. He knows the untrustworthy ‘Sco will destroy the Conclave and come after the Zafharin next. Vanur is impressed by Trilby’s ingenious fixes for her ancient bucket of bolts and – despite his reputation as a heartless tyrant – finds himself growing fond of the quick-witted trader. That doesn’t mean he won’t do anything necessary to accomplish his mission, even if he has to kidnap her and sabotage her ship. With her friends missing and Trilby on a ‘Sco hit-list, Vanur can convince himself it’s for her own good.

After they return to the Zafharin and put the clues together, Vanur hatches a plan to uncover the traitor in the Conclave by reconnecting with Trilby’s suspicious ex. He isn’t using her as bait – per say – because he’ll be with her, protecting her with his life. The fate of the galaxy rests in their hands.

If only the ‘Sco didn’t have their own agenda…

Discussion:

I read very quickly, so all the unfamiliar names trip me up. Usually this prevents me from reading heavy sci-fi or fantasy, but I’m so very glad I stuck it out with Games of Command. After that book I fell in love with Ms. Sinclair, and my sophomore reading was no slacker. Ms. Sinclair’s plots are ingenuous and complex. Her characters are deep, layered and real. Finders Keepers had similar archetypes to Games of Command: the heroines are both independent rebels and the heroes are both unfeeling machines. Similar self doubts and similar interactions, but I loved them both. Games of Command is still my favorite, probably because of the Furzels and because Kel-Paten was so cute loving Sass from the beginning. Finders Keepers didn’t have a secondary love story like GOC, but it did have some great growing friendships between secondary characters. One complaint – heroes should NOT have mustaches. Ew.

I cannot recommend Ms. Sinclair enough. Finders Keepers is definitely a…well…keeper!

Title: Games of Command
Author: Linnea Sinclair
Publication Info: Bantam Spectra, February 2007
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

In honor of Ms. Sinclair’s last day on the Desert Island I am finally writing my rave review of 2008 RITA finalist GAMES OF COMMAND, which I lurved. The Book Smugglers also had an excellent interview with this fabulous author. Currently GAMES is the only book of hers I’ve read, but I intend to rectify that immediately.

Plot:
Captain Tasha “Sass” Sebastian is a former rebel trying to uphold a new alliance between her human United Coalition and the biocybe Triad. She is shocked to find herself under the command of her former nemesis Admiral Branden Kel-Paten. Why would the Coalition place her with the emotionless biocybe when the two spent the war shooting at each other across the galaxy? It is a disaster waiting to happen. But Kel-Paten hides a deep secret that could cost him his life – emotions get one reprogrammed. (Can we say Psy?)

Alliance crews are dying mysteriously. Kel-Paten and Sass rescue wanted rebel Jace Serafino from a dead ship. Only Sass’s friend Dr. Eden Fynn can reach Serafino around the traps someone placed in his brain to prevent him from accessing memories of his ordeal. (Cue secondary love story.) Clues point to sinister dealings within Triad.

In search of clues, the ship crash lands on a mysterious green planet where reality is not what it seems. Navigating space is child’s play compared to untangling the complex weaves of emotion, perception and memory in this new frontier. Together Sass and Kel-Paten must escape the perilous traps of the mind and find their way through the intricate mysteries of the heart.

Discussion:
GAMES OF COMMAND is a Desert Island Keeper not only for the original and complex world building, but because the love story between the spunky rebellious Sass and the cold seemingly-emotionless Kel-Paten catches hold of your heart strings and takes you for a wild ride. It is a gift to make the reader care so deeply for the hero and heroine’s happily ever after. There are many elements that make a good book – style, characters, plot, setting – but nothing is so important as making the reader invested in the outcome of the story. Ms. Sinclair has this gift. Almost as soon as I was introduced to the hero’s point of view, I fell for him. Hard. There is nothing sexier than a man who’s pretending to be a tough guy and trying to save the world, but inside is head over heels, vulnerably in love with the heroine. Be still my heart.

I admit I was hesitant to start the book. Typically outer-space settings and star wars plots aren’t my style, but Ms. Sinclair’s engaging characters quickly overcame my biases. My favorite characters – excluding the heartthrob hero – were the furzels, the cat-like furry companions who have special secret powers and inquisitive minds. The reason I bought this book, out of the two or three Ms. Sinclair was autographing at the RWA National Conference, was because Ms. Sinclair wrote her cat into the book and on the cover (see pic left). A cat person myself (and still morning the loss of my baby), I had to read the book. The furzels made me cry.

Sass is a great heroine – intrepid, down-to-earth, quick-witted – without the accompanying harsh cynicism that often comes with tough-chick heroines. Kel-Paten…What can I say? He’s the knight-in-shining-armor ever girl dreams of finding. Sass is one lucky gal.

I look forward to reading the rest of Ms. Sinclair’s books!

Don’t forget to check out the DIK three day interview with Linnea:

Day 1: About Me featuring Linnea Sinclair
Day 2: Linnea Sinclair – the Interview
Day 3: Linnea Sinclair’s last day

Read the Dear Author review of GAMES OF COMMAND here.

Please stop by the Desert Island Keeper blog today and tomorrow for a fabulous interview with RITA-winning science fiction romance author Linnea Sinclair. I met Linnea at RWA Nationals in San Francisco after hearing much squeeing about her books from Ramblings on Romance. After Ms. Sinclair told me she had written her cat into the book GAMES OF COMMAND (he even made the cover!) I had to have it. I admit I was hesitant at first about a star trek-like setting, but I was hooked as soon as I started the book. Complex world building, seat-of-your-chair action, and a knock-your-socks-off heartthrob hero. The Furzels made me CRY. I cannot recommend this five-heart book strongly enough.

GAMES OF COMMAND

Synopsis. The universe isn’t what it used to be. With the new Alliance between the Triad and the United Coalition, Captain Tasha “Sass” Sebastian finds herself serving under her former nemesis, biocybe Admiral Branden Kel-Paten–and doing her best to hide a deadly past. But when an injured mercenary winds up in their ship’s sick bay–and in the hands of her best friend, Dr. Eden Fynn–Sass’s efforts may be wasted.

Wanted rebel Jace Serafino has information that could expose all of Sass’s secrets, tear the fragile Alliance apart–and end Sass’s career if Kel-Paten discovers them. But the biocybe has something to hide as well, something once thought impossible for his kind to possess: feelings . . . for Sass. Soon it’s clear that their prisoner could bring down everything they once believed was worth dying for–and everything they now have to live for.