Tag Archives: ann aguirre

Apr 28 2015
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Mini Book Review: Havoc by Ann Aguirre

Havoc by Ann Aguirre

Title: Havoc

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: The Dred Chronicles #2

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: The Conglomerate’s most dangerous convicts have made the prison ship Perdition their home. And they will defend it… Perdition is under siege. Mercenaries have boarded the station with orders to take control of the facility—and execute the prisoners. Their commander is offering full pardons to the first five inmates willing to help the mercs complete their mission. Dresdemona “Dred” Devos hasn’t survived hard time just to surrender to the Conglomerate’s armored thugs. Leading a ragtag army of inmates, Dred and her champion, Jael, wage a bloody guerilla war of chaos and carnage against impossible odds. But no matter how dire the outlook, the Dread Queen never backs down…

The Mini Review:

Havoc has to be one of the best books I’ve read in a long while. The series is about life on an old space station (which has been converted into a massive prison), and the various inmates’ fight for survival. I liked the first one and honestly did not expect to LOVE the second as much as I did, but the direction Aguirre took with the story had me literally canceling plans so I could stay home and read it (sad, I know… but it really was that good). Havoc is an action-packed, page-turning adventure that somehow manages to have excellent character development and a compelling love story mixed in the middle. I don’t know how she does it. It also boasts interesting alien species and a whole bunch of really gnarly bad guys. Really, what’s not to love? I really wanted to make this a full-length review, but I don’t know what else I can say without getting into spoilers. :P

Havoc helped remind me why Aguirre is one of my all-time favorite authors – she gives you a little bit of everything. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that this is the same author who wrote the New Adult 2B Trilogy (which I also loved), Enclave (a fantastic YA zombie apocalypse trilogy), and the Corine Solomon urban fantasy series (involving magic and a whole lot of paranormal). Each of those different types of stories was brilliant, and I have yet to find anything from Aguirre that I didn’t absolutely love. The Dred Chronicles are no exception – if you like space operas, definitely give this series a try (or even pick up Grimspace – the series that first got me hooked on this author), and you’ll see why I’m excited to read anything she wants to write.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Feb 11 2015
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Coming Soon: Breakout by Ann Aguirre

BreakoutTitle: Breakout

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: The Dred Chronicles #3

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: August 25, 2015

The Overview: The prison ship Perdition has become a post-battle charnel house with only a handful of Dred’s soldiers still standing and now being hunted by Silence’s trained tongueless assassins. Forging an uneasy alliance with mercenary commander Vost—who is their only chance at escape—the Dread Queen will do whatever it takes to end her life sentence on Perdition and keep the survivors alive long enough to cobble together a transport capable of getting them off station. If Dred and her crew can win the deadly game of cat and mouse, the payoff is not only life but freedom—a prize sweeter than their wildest dreams. Yet the sadistic Silence would rather destroy Perdition than let a single soul slip from her grasp…

Waiting on Wednesday:

Ann Aguirre is easily one of my all-time favorite authors. I fell in love with her Grimspace series, and am beginning to love this one just as much! I love the concept of the story, the characters, the setting, and the action! I just started reading the second book in this series, and I’m going to have to pace myself because August is really far away! If you’re in the mood for Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, or even Dystopian, The Dred Chronicles managed to hit the spot for all of them.

What are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Feb 26 2014
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Coming Soon: Havoc by Ann Aguirre

havocTitle: Havoc

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Dred Chronicles #2

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: August 26, 2014

The Overview: Second in a new trilogy set in the Jax universe, pitched as Prison Break in space — on a prison ship filled with warring factions, hostile territories and savage retribution, only the strong survive.

[kind of a sad overview, isn’t it? It describes it in a nutshell, but I’ll definitely be updating it when there’s more information]

havoc 2

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

 I know, I know – you all are sick of hearing how much I like this author. Well too bad – She’s got a new Dred book on the way and I am beyond excited! It’s the second book in a spinoff series that is shaping up nicely – I loved the concept, the characters, and the action in the first book and I’d be willing to bet it’s going to be even more exciting in the second! If you haven’t read this author, I strongly recommend reading Grimspace – the book that started it all.

What book are you waiting on?

Jan 9 2014
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Book Review: Outpost by Ann Aguirre

OutpostTitle: Outpost

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Razorland #2

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

The Overview: Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight. To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out. Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

Outpost

The Review:

Outpost might be my least favorite Aguirre book so far, and that saddens me because I am incredibly fond of this author. The book just didn’t sing to me like her other works have and I was left feeling depressed and wondering if I even wanted to continue on.

Aguirre has always been good at drawing readers in and making them feel like they are part of the story. In this case – a post-apocalyptic zombie-infested world – being a part of it was honestly the last thing I wanted to do. I had a hollow, sick feeling the whole time I was reading it because there were so many awful things happening. I’ve read plenty of gruesome, gory, and disturbing novels in the past but apparently have never read one written engagingly enough to ruin my day. I’ll grudgingly admit that’s actually a great thing from the author’s standpoint – her writing is nothing if not evoking. Even so, there were actually a couple more concrete reasons why Outpost wasn’t my favorite.

Most of those reasons revolve around story structure and plot decisions. The middle novel in a trilogy is usually where momentum starts to build towards some overall story arc. In Outpost, the story kind of just strolled along, maintaining a fairly narrow focus. Never throughout it did I feel like Aguirre was working towards anything in specific and therefore got kind of bored without anything broader conflicts driving the story (there were many excellent, often emotional narrow conflicts, but I feel as though the story could’ve been much stronger with both). Because the characters didn’t have anything to strive for other than just plain survival, it kind of left me feeling like there was no hope. In the first one, they at least had a brighter future to look forward to, but I missed having even a hint of that here.

If I do read on, it will be for love of the characters. I mentioned in my review of Enclave (and probably every other Aguirre review I’ve done) that this author is a master of profound characters. The main protagonists, Deuce, is a wonderfully complicated character because she’s trying to fit in a world much different from the one she grew up in. Not once did Deuce behave untrue to herself in order to fit the mold of a typical teen heroine, and I thought she was absolutely charming. I’m inclined to compare her to Katniss, but I feel that would do Deuce a disservice – she stands strong on her own and didn’t in any way feel like a knockoff. And her conflicts were compelling – she thought about things so differently than I would that it was completely fascinating. Throughout the story, she remained true to her roots while still managing to grow beyond them and adapt – it was awesome.

I should acknowledge that up until Outpost I had been reading dystopian after dystopian for several months running and was on the verge of getting burnt out in the genre. Let’s face it, they are not exactly what you call “uppers.” Outpost was sort of the last straw, convincing me that I needed to read something else for a while. Even so, I am fairly certain I will pick up the final book, Horde, if for nothing else than my love of the main character… Maybe not for a few months though – I still get depressed just thinking about this book.

Recommended Reading: I would suggest this to people who love zombie stories and teen books with an edge. Even though I’m most definitely not on the zombie bandwagon, I think others who are would really enjoy Aguirre’s take on them.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 14 2013
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Book Review: Enclave by Ann Aguirre

enclaveTitle: Enclave

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Enclave #1

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

enclave

The Review:

Several months ago, I made the decision to read everything Ann Aguirre had on the market because I loved her Sirantha Jax series so much (so for all of you who visit The Obsessive Bookseller regularly, I’m sorry for being so repetitive, haha). I was particularly excited to pick up this series because I’d had it on my reading list even before I became fond of the author. I am glad to report that Enclave was every bit as enjoyable as her other books.

The characters were realistic and relatable (as usual) and the world building was totally immersive. I can say with confidence that I’ve never read anything quite like this book… It completely takes you into a new world filled with horrifying situations that would have me crying in a corner. What I liked about the protagonist, Deuce, is that she was every bit as frightened as I was but managed to draw on her inner strength to face it anyway. I appreciated her ability to adapt to each new situation and think for herself in a society that encourages the opposite.

Overall, the book was fast-paced, creepy as hell, and retained everything I’ve come to love and appreciate about this author. I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes next!

Recommended Reading: this book is perfect for fans of the post-apocalyptic genre – especially those who love zombie stories (for the record, I think good for a couple years in all things zombie). This book is also one that I would feel confident recommending to both men and women, which is a rare find in the heavily “romanced” teen section these days.

 Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Nov 28 2013
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Book Review: Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre

Blue DiabloTitle: Blue Diablo

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Corine Solomon #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Corine Solomon is a handler. When she touches an object she instantly knows its history and its future. Using her ability, she can find the missing, which is why people never stop trying to find her. Like her ex-boyfriend Chance, who needs Corine’s gift to find someone dear to them both. But the search proves dangerous as it leads them into a strange world of demons and sorcerers, ghosts and witchcraft, zombies, and black magic…

Blue Diablo

The Review:

I think it’s safe to say I’m on an Ann Aguirre kick. I’m really fond of her works and have been making an effort to get caught up in all of her series. Blue Diablo of the Corine Solomon series happens to be the last unexplored territory. Compared to her other works, I think this might be my least favorite so far, but compared to other urban fantasies (especially those with the Southwest feel) it was pretty good.

Perhaps the main reason I didn’t like it as much as, say the Sirantha Jax series was due to the love story. I’ve come to expect from this author the most epic, memorable relationships (which are not necessarily the romantic ones) and hoped for the same delivery here. While Blue Diablo had great relationships, the most important one between Corine and Chance was a little subpar. It essentially came down to a couple of ex-lovers debating whether or not to rekindle the fire between them. It was interesting, and well done for what it was, I just couldn’t get behind it. Mama always said “why would you want to take a bite out of the same turd twice?” and I feel the same way about literary relationships. It just lacked that bit of romantic tension. All I have to say is, thank goodness for that handsome law enforcer…

Because these characters already have a lot of baggage, it actually allowed the plot to jumpstart right into the meaty conflicts of the story. It was grabbing right from the beginning, and one of the best redeeming qualities of the story. We knew right away what the main arc of the story was going to be because the inciting moment took place within the first few pages (I love it when authors do that). It lost a little steam in the middle, but was for the most part a thrilling, action-packed book.

Overall, I enjoyed it enough to be interested in continuing in this series. It had a great atmosphere and I’m hoping it will gain the same momentum as the Jax series if I keep on reading.

Recommended Reading: I would probably suggest this series to a customer if they’ve already read most of my Top Ten Urban Fantasies. A warning to my wary readers, this book contains sexuality, language, and creepy-assed violence.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes