I liked this second installment of the Sirantha Jax series quite a bit, and the character is growing on me.

Following straight from the end of book 1, Wanderlust sees a huge change for the former Jumper: she's offered the role of ambassador to forge an alliance with an alien species that might prove instrumental in withstanding the threat from an invasion force.

For someone already familiar with this world and this character, the offer sounds strange, to say the least, considering there is no one less diplomatic and ambassadorial than Jax. And yet Aguirre manages to create the right circumstances leading to this and to frame them into a developing situation that promises to be quite interesting. Parallel to the "big picture" of galactic politics and social upheavals, Jax's personal journey takes unexpected directions that are very promising for the continuation of this series.

The greater part of my enthusiasm in embracing this story-arc comes from the realization that Aguirre did not follow the expected path with her character, especially in the lack of happily-ever-after with March, and in the twist concerning the after-effects of her ability to jump beyond the normal time frame for run-of-the-mill Jumpers.

I've found some remarks about how Jax seems very dependent on others, reacting more than acting to various situations, and I think the main reason comes from her transformation, both psychological and physical. One could say that in this installment she is in chrysalis form, and only at the end of the book she will finally start to unfold her new wings, tempered by adversity.

In this second book she finds purpose and a goal, and this new Sirantha will be better able (IMHO) to deal with the man March has turned into: due to a particular set of circumstances, the two are driven apart, forcing Jax to give up her emotional reliance on the man and in this way bolstering her inner strength. The old Jax would not have reacted well to the darkness he's carrying after his harrowing experience on Lachion, but the new one has learned how, or at least is willing to try.

Moreover, in this book a new character has come to the fore, after being barely sketched in the previous one: I have quickly developed a fondness for the insectoid Velith and I like the way he's forging with Jax a bond based on mutual respect verging toward trust and friendship, and of course important changes.

There is a moment, toward the end of the book, where Jax understands that the people surrounding her, her friends and allies, are her responsibility, and she seems to take strength from this, not the other way around. This is going to turn into a compelling journey indeed.
( )

2nd in the Sirantha Jax trilogy. Second installments are tricky, and this one I found a little frustrating. I really love that Velith is back and has a prominent role. I was also very pleased to see that Aguirre remains adept at adding new and fascinating characters to the mix (Jael is particularly fascinating!). The Aliens-like portion of the book where they are battling the Morgut was terrfying. The war on Lachion dragged on and on - way too long. Both because i was tired of Jax whining on about being sick and missing March, and because I just generally hate war as a setting for anything. Things get a little more interesting when they are "kidnapped" by the Syndicate...

Ultimately, I guess I was a little disappointed because I was actually looking forward to getting to Velith's world and seeing how that diplomacy was going to go -and you you won't get there in this book. It looks like *maybe* they're set up to arrive in book 3, but at this rate, who knows. Still looking forward to reading it. :) ( )

# 2 in series picks up right where 1 left off and my review is the same. love it. ( )

# 2 in series picks up right where 1 left off and my review is the same. love it. ( )

# 2 in series picks up right where 1 left off and my review is the same. love it. ( )