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.

How lucky am I? Turns out the 66th World Science Fiction Convention AKA Denvention is in my hotel in Denver this weekend. Lois McMaster Bujold is the guest of honor. I’ve already run into squeeing fans and an elf. Feels like I’m back in San Fran at RWA! ha. The Hugo Award Ceremony, the most distinguished award for Science Fiction writers, is Saturday evening, and you can find the finalist list here.

Most astonishing, one of the main events is a REGENCY BALL presented by The Dowager Duchess of Denver. I had no idea Science Fiction writers and fans were into the Regency period.

Our dance mistress, Susan de Guardiola, will be teaching several country dances, some waltzes, a quadrille, and few other bits and pieces of period dance. We encourage you to come dressed in your 18th or 19th century best, but we also welcome the normal gamut of con attire from Klingons and elves to t-shirts and jeans.

Our staff is planning a card game room for those not inclined to the dance, and you are welcome to come observe, kibitz, or participate in a rubber of whist or piquet. Please, no faro banks, we run a respectable establishment!

One would think that after last week’s RWA Conference the last thing on my mind would be attending another fiction writers convention, but for some reason I’m quite tempted to crash it. I saw boxes of books from ACE when I checked in, and I just can’t stop thinking about them….