RT Book Fair Recap

As I mentioned last week, two Saturdays ago I was lucky enough to attend the RT Book Fair down in Los Angeles. With over 300 authors in attendance, you can imagine what a madhouse it was, but it was MY kind of madhouse - stuffed full of booklovers and authors with everyone generally having a good time and lugging around sacks of books. Just check out the size of this place!

I was joined for the day by my good book friend Becca and we both got to meet many, many awesome authors - including:

Julie James (middle)- who, oh my, could seriously be any one of her characters. The woman is gorgeous and very, very nice. We both got our copies of Just the Sexiest Man Alive signed and went away with happy smiles.

Sarah Rees Brennan (right)- Frankly I was extra excited about meeting Sarah and may have wound up babbling like a fool just a little bit while talking with her. True to form, Sarah was more than willing to share spoilers for the upcoming The Demon's Surrender but since I couldn't bear to hear them, she did tell us the story about the time she tried to dye her hair pink like Mae, only to have it turn out a startling green. Also, she was extra generous with the swag and I even scored an alternate first chapter of The Demon's Lexicon with the author's commentary. Excellent reading.

Ann Aguirre - So happy to meet this prolific writer. Ann was even extra nice when I gushed like a goon over her latest YA novel, Enclave. Although I was a bit sad to not see any of her Jax books on display...

Simone Elkeles - So don't look at this picture too long, it's a wee bit fuzzy. Probably because Ms. Elkeles was super expressive and hardly sat still while we were talking. The best part about meeting Simone was hearing all about her trouble while writing Chain Reaction - the third Perfect Chemistry novel which follows the youngest Fuentes brother, Luis, who is..wait for it..a nice guy. Simone said she had no clue how to write a male character that wasn't a jerk who falls for the good girl. Needless to say, I'm even more intrigued now to see how she ended up pulling it off.

Patrick Rothfuss - I have no idea why I didn't get a picture of this awesome author, but for some reason I totally forgot. Probably because I was to busy being incredibly fangirlish at the moment [but you can see him complete with crazy hair here in a picture from the Dear Author's recap]. I adored his book The Name of the Wind and even purchased another copy there just so I could have him sign it since mine was currently on loan to a friend. He was a bit like a fish out of water among so many romance authors and even agreed that it was a little odd to be one of the few men without a rippling six-pack wandering around (courtesy of the Mr. Romance competition).

Linnea Sinclair (right) - As funny in person as she in her books. My favorite author moment? She kept pointing out all of her cats that were used on the covers of her novels.

I didn't get pictures of them, but I also met Kelley Armstrong and Claire Dunkle while catching glimpses of many, many others. All in all, it was a fantastic event - one I wish I had been able to attend more of. But here's the lovely stack of books I got signed:

Annnndd.... Here's the massive amount of swag I came home with. Now, I'm going to be giving some of this away later on when books are released, but I do have a bunch of romance author swag to pass on right now. So if anyone is interested in a bunch of romance bookmarks, teasers etc. drop me a line at mmillet at gmail dot com and I'll send it off to you. First email gets it folks. Taken!

Ann Aguirre Guest Post - Enclave Casting Call

As you guys probably noticed yesterday, I am a major fan of Ann Aguirre's newest YA dystopian novel, Enclave - which just so happened to have been released this week! Yay!

As part of her blog tour for Enclave, Ann has graciously agreed to stop by today to share a little more about her book by revealing who she thinks would make good casting choices for each character. As I am woefully out of the loop when it comes to current actors (blame it on too much Disneyfied TV courtesy of my 3 year old) - I was much impressed with her choices.  But I'll let you judge for yourself ;)

Take it away Ann!

*****

Deuce -- Saoirse Ronan. She proved she has the chops in THE LOVELY BONES, and she's a little older and Deuce is 15 in book one, but the actress looks young, and it's pretty common for people to play younger than they are. In appearance, she's perfect.

Fade -- Paul Dano. He stole the show in LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE without every speaking a word. He has exceptional presence and the right look. He -is- Fade. He radiates that brooding energy even in his photos.

Thimble -- Ellen Page. She has the right look, and it would be interesting to see what she did with the role.

Stone -- Chris Evans. He's a little old, but yum. Enough said.

Stalker -- Taylor Kitsch. He can definitely pull off the wild blend of honor and brutality that Stalker embodies. He'd just need to blond up a bit. Yum, Gambit! I know I don't need to say more.

Tegan -- Evanna Lynch. She has such an otherworldly charm that she would be wonderful in this role.

Longshot -- Jeff Bridges. If you saw TRUE GRIT, you don't need to ask why.

Momma Oaks -- Kathy Bates. Just because I loooove her. (You get a bigger part in Outpost!)

There are more characters like Silk, Copper, Twist, Whitewall, and the Wordkeeper, but I'm not going to cast them. Once you read the book, you can do that on your own, and then you'll have some thoughts on how well I did.

*****

So what do you think? Personally, I think Ann's choice for Deuce and Fade are fabulous. And so is Evanna Lynch! Ooooh! And Kathy Bates! Okay, okay, I really love all these actors and am just nodding my head over how well they fit the characters in the book.

Thank you again Ann for dropping by today! Go here to read the first couple chapters of Enclave.

What do you think? Have you read Enclave yet? Which actors would you pick?

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

All her life Deuce has only wanted one thing: to become a revered Huntress within her underground community, the Enclave. Settlements like hers are the only existing communities left after the Topside world was destroyed and deemed uninhabitable years before. As a Huntress, Deuce has the responsibility of hunting food within the tunnels while fighting the lethal mutant Freaks who roam their depths. But Deuce's naming day becomes a bittersweet event when she realizes her hunting partner will be Fade, the perplexing young man who was brought to the Enclave after surviving on his own for years in the deadly tunnels.

Life within the Enclave is tightly controlled, with rules regarding almost every aspect of life. But Deuce has always believed that the Elder's strict regulations were essential for the continuing survival and protection of their small community. But once Deuce and Fade return to the Enclave with grim information about a local settlement destroyed by Freaks, a warning which is completely ignored by the Elders, does Deuce begin to question the complete devotion the Enclave seems to require.

With her trademark grittiness, Ann Aguirre has yet another winner on her hands, this time a young adult novel no less! Most dystopian novels are somewhat dark and bleak due to the nature of the genre itself but Enclave does not shy away from those harsh details whatsoever. From the very first few pages of Enclave, where Deuce is awarded her Huntress status in a ceremony that leaves her with six perfect (and painful) scars on her arms, I was immediately transported into her world where such extreme sacrifices were commonplace. Descriptions of her patrols with Fade were equally riveting (will they run into Freaks? will they find food? will they wind up forever lost in the tunnels?) - usually because I never knew what the enigmatic Fade would reveal or do next.

That isn't to say that Enclave is only a dark and harsh read. As Deuce and Fade come to rely more on each other and even eventually discover truths about the world as it really is, their relationship really takes off. As I've found in her Sirantha Jax series, Ann Aguirre is beyond talented at crafting complex, emotionally-wringing relationships and this one is no exception. There were some truly lovely scenes between the pair which only served to leave me, once again, waiting another whole year until the sequel, Outpost, will be released. Dang it.

Read the first two chapters here.

series reading order:
~ Enclave
~ Outpost (Fall 2012)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
All Things Urban Fantasy review
Between the Covers review
Presenting Lenore review
Sophistikatied Reviews
YA Highway review

book source: ARC from publisher

Killbox by Ann Aguirre

Oh man, have I ever been looking forward to reading Killbox. Ever since Ann Aguirre was kind enough to stop by last month to give us a sneak peak at Jax's newest adventures I've been anxiously awaiting this newest ride. And what a ride it was.

Having just come off a mentally (and physically) grueling assignment as an ambassador for the Conglomerate to Ithiss Tor, Sirantha Jax would like nothing more than to rocket herself back into grimspace with March by her side. But with the alarming rise in recent Morgut attacks - a highly advanced, yet nasty group who leave no survivors - the Conglomerate is scrambling for a way to protect ships and remote outposts from utter decimation. As all-out war explodes, Jax and March must gather (and train) a rag-tag militia while Jax continues to test her body's limits as a jumper in hopes of gaining any advantage over the terrifying force of the Morgut.

I have no idea how Ann Aguirre keeps doing it. Really. The woman must be a mind-reader like my favorite dark hero March to be able to manipulate my emotions this effortlessly, because honestly, there wasn't a chapter where I wasn't afraid for, mad at, or elated for any one of her amazing characters. Nothing comes easy or without a struggle this time around (but really, when has it ever for Jax?) and Jax is especially feeling the strain of having to separate indefinitely from those who she has come to rely so heavily upon.

War is always a time for goodbyes and loss yet in no way could Killbox be described as a purely emotional book without any action. Whereas Doubleblind focused more on Jax learning how to control her impulses and learning to fight with words, Killbox returns once again to her trademark let's get this done fighting style. But she's also a more mature Sirantha Jax who weighs the outcome of her actions and decides to go to bat even when she isn't sure of the outcome. Time and again, we see a Jax who rationally evaluates a dangerous situation, makes the hard choice (which usually involves putting herself at risk), and then rushes forward with guns blazing. I'd say the woman is a machine to continue putting herself in danger like that, but truly she's not. Jax has so much heart that it makes her choices that much more admirable and extremely heart-breaking once you understand her reasoning for such crazy actions.

And as for the ending? Yeah, my tender emotions were pretty much already fried from the rest of the book, so it was nothing short of cruel to be left with such a crazy cliff-hanger ending! I honestly have no idea where Ann Aguirre is going to take Jax next but you better believe I don't want to miss a second of it. 

series reading order:
~ Grimspace
~ Wanderlust
~ Doubleblind - my review
~ Killbox
~ Aftermath (September 2011)
~ Endgame (September 2012)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
The Book Pushers review 
Lurv a la Mode review
Tempting Persephone review

book source: my local library

Killbox Winner!

and the winner of the *signed* copy of Killbox by Ann Aguirre is...

Trin Rimes

Thanks again to Ann Aguirre for stopping by and for all you awesome folks who entered the contest!

Interview with Ann Aguirre (& Giveaway!)

I first stumbled upon Ann Aguirre's books early last year (after much pimping on Angie's part) and quickly fell in love with her tough and paranoid heroine Sirantha Jax, a gun-toting space jumper turned intergalactic ambassador. The most recent installment in her Sirantha Jax series, Killbox, will be released August 31st (that's tomorrow folks!) and I was lucky enough to snag a quick interview with Ann about her upcoming book. Be sure to stick around because Ann has a couple of surprises in store for us (psst! It's a GIVEAWAY). And now I give you: Ann Aguirre!

Holy cow! It is hard to believe that Killbox, the fourth Sirantha Jax novel, is almost out. Jax sure has come a long way. In terms of plot lines, did you know from the outset how each book would progress or did the stories come to you separately?

I always had a storyarc in mind. That is, I had a beginning point, and an ending point. I wrote the last page of book six several years ago, before I sold the last two novels, in fact. I can't believe we're almost to the end of her journey, but I'm also relieved because I've tortured Jax enough for two lifetimes. It's time to give her that happy ending, and I'm ready. 

It seems like you’ve got your hand in almost every genre now – science fiction, paranormal, romance and soon YA – which of these is your favorite to write?

I love the one I'm with. *g*


How do you plan to celebrate the release day for Killbox?

Well, I will have just gotten back from Peru the night before, so I'm guessing my celebration will take place in Lima and Cuzco.

The Sirantha Jax books all have really unique titles. Where did the name Killbox come from?

KILLBOX came from a line in the first Transformers movie. No, seriously. I'm not kidding. I heard them say:

Who's closer to Killbox One Alpha?

- Send the Hogs, sir.
- Okay, send the Hogs over to Kill Box One Alpha.

It's a danger close... Switch the Hogs to Kill Box One Alpha, 300 feet danger close.

Friendlies in the area.

Seven-man team
north of orange smoke!

Received Kill Box One Alpha.
Engage hostile.
Attack direction west!
You're clear and hot

And in the dark theater, I nudged my husband, who doesn't like when I talk during movies. "Wouldn't that make an AWESOME Jax title?" He glared at me. Then... "What?" "Killbox." He nodded and shushed me. Thus, I named the fourth Jax novel. True story.

Would you mind sharing an excerpt from Killbox? I, for one, am itching for a snippet.

The first chapter is here. And now I'll offer you an exclusive sneak peak at chapter two.

We’ve been cruising for about four days, heading away from New Terra, when disaster strikes.

I awaken to the sound of Klaxons. Next to me, March bounds to his feet and starts scrambling into his clothes. His face seems all hard planes in the half-light, softened by the shock of dark hair and his hawk’s eyes. Though this is new to me, I recognize the warning, even without Constance on the comm.

“This is not a drill or a technical malfunction. Your vessel is under attack.” She sounds so polite and unruffled that I cannot help but smile.

My hands feel clumsy as I tug up my black jumpsuit. Mary, it feels good to be back in familiar gear. “What do you want me to do? We can’t jump from here.”

“Check in with Dina at weapons,” he says over his shoulder, already on his way out.

No time for other niceties.

The ship rocks. In a vessel this size, that can’t be good. Even without seeing it, I know we’re taking heavy damage. It doesn’t make sense, though. We’re not a merchantman or a freighter. We’re not hauling contraband, and we’re well off the beaten path.

I take off for the gunnery bay at a dead run. Dina’s already there when I burst in. She’s got lasers, but she can’t work those as well as the particle cannons. We also have old-fashioned projectiles from an ancient rail gun, but those are best directed at personnel attempting to board, not ships.

“I’ll take cannons,” she snaps. “Get your ass in the chair. Besides March and me, you’re the only one with any interstellar live combat experience.”

High praise, indeed.

“Is that why you’re not trying to keep this thing in one piece up in engineering?”

“The only reason,” she mutters. “I hope those clansmen know what they’re doing.”

“How’re we holding up?”

“Better than expected. Our hull’s been reinforced.”

I bring the sighting apparatus down over my head, and suddenly I’m out in space, part of the fight in a way that scares the shit out of me, even though it’s not my first time. I tap the panel, and the system whines, telling me it needs time to power up. This is a hell of a cutter we’re fighting, slim but fast, and outfitted with enough ordnance to destroy a small planet. Whoever these assholes are, they’re serious. To my eyes it looks like a Silverfish adapted for spaceflight, but I don’t know if that’s possible.

Their shots nearly blind me, but they soar wide, striking the Gunnar-Dahlgren vessel far starboard. I don’t know what they were aiming at, but they missed weapons. Maybe our engines?

I can see but not hear Dina’s first volley; she hits the other vessel in a clean blow that takes out the aft shields. This is more advanced than the technology on the Folly, the first ship March ever owned. For a second I can’t breathe because of all the black space around me. There’s no air here.

With sheer will, I choke it back and tell myself this is only a sim. Focus on the other ship. The system cycles, then shows ready. I just have to point and shoot.

“Do we want to disable or disintegrate them?”

Before her next shot, Dina taps the comm. “Use deadly force?”

March’s voice fills the room, giving me courage as if he’s beside me. “Confirmed. We are at war.”

That’s all I needed to know. I spin the sight and target the panel where they’re trying to restore shields. A tap magnifies my target, then I fire until the lasers whine, telling me they’re out of juice for the time being.

It’s oddly pretty.

And there’s no boom.

But a panel flies wide. They have a hull breach. We probably do, too, but we’ve given them something to think about.

Muffled through my headgear, I hear Constance on the comm. “I have identified the vessel. According to the registration on the hull, this is the Blue Danube out of Gehenna. Data on the ship is scarce, but I found reference to an unpaid tariff on trade goods.”

“Speak plainly,” I mutter.

“In its hold, the crew had concealed four human females, two Rodeisians, and three male humanoids of unknown origin, possibly from some class-P world.”

Slavers. Well, shit.

It makes sense they’d be getting bolder along with everyone else, and Gehenna does a brisk business in the flesh trade. I just didn’t realize they do it literally. I thought it was more of a rental than a purchase. But what the hell are they doing here in the middle of nowhere?

“Did they have slaves on Tarnus?” I ask.

“Yes.” Dina is too distracted to care I’m prying. “Aren’t those lasers ready to go yet?” She lets fly another burst from the particle cannon, focusing on the weak spot. More bits of metal break off in slow, graceful chunks.

Our ship spins, and I wonder how much damage have we taken. I can tell it’s March or Hit in the pilot seat because we’re taking evasive action that has us rolling and twirling. If nothing else, our fliers outclass theirs.

“Almost. Any critical systems where we’re aiming?”

I can hear the evil grin in her voice. “Only little things like power and life support.”

“No wonder we’re shooting that way.”

Slavers. Random evil. They’re not part of any grand conspiracy. They just want to buy and sell us like livestock.

Like hell.

I’m ready for round two. Red beams burst forth, slicing the dark between the pearly gleam of our hulls. Luck or Dina’s calculations—either way, I hit a stress point, and the back half of the ship cracks wide, the stern going dark, adrift in space. At that point, the Blue Danube starts trying to pull away from the fight. Their engines are crippled, which is a good thing; otherwise, they’d leave us sniffing their trail.

There could be slaves on that ship.

I wonder if March has thought of that. It reminds me unpleasantly of Hon’s Station, where he tried to save people who were beyond hope of rescue. In doing so, he proved himself a hero, but he also endangered all of us. Back then, it never would’ve even occurred to me to look. But now, here I sit, worried that we might be blowing innocent people to cosmic dust.

My breath skitters. I shouldn’t say anything. I absolutely should not.

Even as I think it, there’s a warm tingle at the back of my neck. He’s there. The gun bay must be just below the cockpit, or he wouldn’t be able to do this. His gift has a limited range.

What’s wrong, Jax? You’re worrying me.

No turning back now. There could be innocents on that ship.

His surprise crackles through me like footsteps on fresh snow. I know what I’ve done. Seconds later, I hear his voice on the comm. “Dina, belay the order for deadly force. We have to board.”

“Are you out of your mind?” she snarls.

“No,” he answers. “Take out engines and weapons array if you can. I’ll get the tow cables on them to hold ’em still.”

“You heard the man,” she says, yanking the headgear off me. “He wants precision, and for that I need lasers. I guess you’re done here.”

“I’ll go prepare the boarding party.”

“You’ll need me,” Dina calls. “Don’t leave without me.”

I’m already thinking about who else we should take. Hit, March, and Vel for their hand-to-hand skill, Doc in case anyone is wounded. Dina and I round out the group. Of them all, I’m the most expendable. That’s an interesting sensation.

Once I’d have protested the stupidity of this. We should’ve just blown them to atoms and gone on to Emry Station. For good or ill, I don’t think that way anymore.

It doesn’t take me long to assemble my gear: shockstick, torch-tube, a few packets of paste. You never know when that will come in handy. If we manage to save anyone over there, they might be starving. Slavers aren’t known for their kindness.

Once prepared, I head over to the hatch to wait. With the tow cables in place, we’ll launch the boarding apparatus and connect to their hatch doors. Vel has the expertise to get us in, even from the outside. I pull on the full-compression suit but leave the helmet off. It gets sweaty in there fast, and I don’t want to wear it longer than I have to.

I’m slightly queasy over the idea of entering the boarding array. It’s no more than a few thin centimeters of an alloy allegedly perfected for use in space. Seeing how Farwan “perfected” other technology, it leaves some room for concern.

One by one, I notify everybody who’ll be going with us. I don’t need to check with March on that. I know he’ll agree with my call. Too many, and we’ll hinder each other in the close confines of the smaller ship. Too few, and we won’t have the skills we need to make this work. It’s a delicate balance.

Maybe that’s the mistake we made on Hon’s Kingdom. We tried to do it on our own. I just hope history’s not repeating itself because it was my idea this time.

Whoa. Thank you Ann! Now that's what I call a very long and very satisfying excerpt.

********

Now that you all are pumped up for Killbox, Ann was kind enough to offer up one SIGNED copy of Killbox to one lucky commenter. Just fill in the form below and let me know what your favorite science fiction series is. This giveaway is for US residents only and will end Monday, September 13th.

Looking for more chances to win? Ann's got many, many other great prizes up for grabs - head on over to her blog for all the contest details.

Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre

Sirantha Jax is feeling the pressure - as a jumper, the urge to dive headlong into grimspace (yet again) is stronger than ever but here she is, traveling to Ithiss-Tor as an ambassador for the Conglomerate. In the wake of the Farwan Corporation's collapse, the Conglomerate is still struggling to keep citizens safe in the face of the mafia-esque Syndicate subtly flexing their muscles and the Morgut's increasingly frequent fatal attacks. Jax isn't necessarily ambassador material, but since she's probably the only human ever to become friends with an Ithorian-turned-bounty hunter, Vel, she's the best mankind has to offer. And how scary is that? As ambassador, she is charged with creating an alliance with the Ithorians 'bugs' since they are essentially the only civilization ever to have defeated the Morgut. The Ithorians however, distrust and loath humans: seeing them as inferior, weak beings. They even think Vel somewhat defective for leaving their planet to live among humans. Lucky for Jax however, he's got her back and is there to help her navigate the political doublespeak and intricate Ithorian customs.

Not only is Jax having to tread lightly with the Ithorians - she's the kind to shoot first, blow up the planet, salt it, and then, ask questions later - she has to figure out a way to help her lover March come out of his permanent 'kill' mode. The least touch or perceived threat (real or imagined) results in him literally going berserk on anyone and everyone. Worst of all, even though he remembers loving Jax, he can't figure out why he ever did and can see no future whatsoever with the feisty jumper. But Jax isn't giving up on him and will try to do everything in her power to bring the old, uber-conscientious March back.

Whoa.

I'm still reeling over this series - Grimspace and Wanderlust have to be two of my best discoveries from the past year and Doubleblind did not disappoint. I'm the first to admit that there's plenty going on in these books but Ann Aguirre has this masterful ability of being able to connect multiple cultures and characters flawlessly that you have to just simply sit back and trust her to take you where you need to go. I cannot say how much I love Jax. And March. And Vel. Who wouldn't love somebody with a pack as bottomless as Mary Poppins' carpet bag, that is, if Mary Poppins carried shock guns, all weather jackets, transmission scramblers, and sundry computer hacking materials. Handy to have when you're on an alien planet full of bugs wanting to kill you.

Doubleblind distinctly departs from the non-stop action formula present in the previous two Jax books with spectacular results. Essentially a character-driven novel, we are truly able to see how much Jax has grown over time. Nothing is so satisfying as that. Two books ago there is no way she would have been able to complete a mission as ambassador, let alone one as delicate in nature as this one. Jax herself understands the irony of her situation and let's just say, she's feeling the strain.

I know; it's crazy for me to be the voice of reason, the prudent one, but that's the hat I'm wearing right now, and let me tell you, it's tight across the brim.

After facing some rough make-or-break situations, Jax has learned the value of patience, listening to those around her, and not always going off half-cocked. Fun that, but not always effective. Much of this change has to be the direct result of her time spent primarily with March and secondly with Vel. Vel has that alien viewpoint which has caused Jax to look at the effect of her choices in a new light - she's still paranoid and a smart-mouth, but she's learned how to control it in her favor. Furthermore, March used to be the one who had to wait patiently for Jax and now she is the one making sure March knows she'll never give up on him - a monstrous task since we always knew the man was crazy but now, he's downright off his rocker. In Doubleblind, Jax proves she is more than capable of subtly as well as a respectable right hook and I'm just not sure I can wait until next year for her next adventures in the upcoming Killbox (promising title, don't you think?).

series reading order:
~ Grimspace
~ Wanderlust
~ Doubleblind
~ Killbox (October 2010)

Because Everyone Likes a Second Opinion:
Book Pushers Anonymous review
Fantasy Cafe review
Impressions...of a Reader review
Janicu review
The Thrillionth Page review
Kmont and Katiebabs discuss it Part I & Part II

book source: my local library

Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre

Corine Solomon changes her address as often as she changes her hair color – a side effect of having the ‘gift’ of being able to touch an object and know what happened to the last person who used it. Many people are fascinated with her gift, for good or bad, keeping her continually on the run but when her ex Chance comes looking for her to help him find a missing person close to them both, he gives her an offer she can’t refuse and Corine reluctantly agrees to help.

Like any couple with a history, things are a little iffy when Corine and Chance are together but when they discover this isn’t some simple kidnapping but that there are all sorts of nasties on their trail: demons, warlocks, and black magic up the wazoo things go straight from Uh Oh to Craptastic in a hurry. Really making this book come alive for me were the secondary characters who agree to help them along the way. This stellar lineup includes Chuch, an ex-merc who can do séances with the best of them, his protective wife Eva, the tiny Chihuahua Butch and a cop Jesse Saldana who may be more than professionally interested in Corine. I just loved Chuch and Eva’s interactions – especially every time she called him by his full name – she just kills me.

The setting itself seems to almost be a living, breathing character in this book - most of the action takes place in Mexico or Laredo, Texas and the surrounding border towns. Since Aguirre herself is an ex-pat living in Mexico, I could see the authentic flair everywhere, right down to the smell of rice and beans which of course, made me hungry every time I opened the book up.

Sometimes the transitions were less than smooth but all said this was a pretty good read with potential for future installments (watch out for the cliffhanger). Still, I do enjoy Aguirre’s Jax series more. I mean, can anyone compare with that feisty jumper? No. No they can’t.