this book, as with the last one, I am amazed at all the balls in air that Ia juggles and at her altruistic motives.
It seems like at each turn she sacrifices her wants for everyone, this book really pounds that point hard, I really wanted Ia to have something for herself, was glad that she was able to get those few days, but hated that it couldn't last.
I did think it was a good think that the other person was able to find out the truth, not that it helped the bad news go down better, but it made it more understandable.
I really liked the start of the book where Ia was with her family, It showed the softer side of Ia, I liked how Ia really shared what was to come with her brothers and how after that they really bought into what they needed to do.
I also loved the surprise that Ia had for Fyfer and the way that he played it,
I was surprised that Ia outed herself towards the end of the book, After all was said and done it makes perfect sense why she did it, but I worry that too many people now know about her abilities which could come back to harm her.
With her last action in the book I can't wait to get my hands on the next one to see what happens next.
This review can also be found on sitelinkBook Girl of MuryCastellblog,
Im rounding up the rating because while it wasnt as good as the first in the series I really enjoyed reading the book.
As Ia advances through the ranks of the Terran Space Force she continues to walk that very thin line between lie and deceit in the best interest of all humanity.
It takes her to the Navy Academy and pilot school and I lost count on how many things Im misrepresenting in my review.
Military isnt my forte.
The world of future is still there, only expanded and further explored, The ever changing character gallery introduces new faces and names all the time while rotating a couple of familiar names to focus for a while.
There were some Id missed but didnt see, and there were some I hadnt missed but glad to see all the same.
Whats different to the first book is the shifting focus onto Ias character growth, Johnson doesnt switch genres in the middle of a series but she does spend some time on illuminating through the interactions with her family who Ia was before she became hell bent on saving the galaxy, and who she could be if she wasnt so stubborn to not allow anything for herself.
And thats where this books greatest weakness lies,
Ia does find her Achilles heel, which was something Id been waiting to see from the very start, Just as Johnson, Ia doesnt quite know what to do with it, but she tries, And it would have workedadequatelyhadnt that revelation discussion been botched, In my opinion Johnson fails to hit that precious balance between avoiding repetition and doing justice to the characterIas blind spot in this case.
What I read was rushed and unsatisfactory instead of a poignant scene between two people facing and accepting a personal tragedy.
I am glad, though, that the heel wasnt completely forgotten and Im hoping that as the series progresses the character gets a chance to pervade Ias life just as Bennie has.
I like Bennie and hope to see much of her in the future, August cant come soon enough, An Officers Duty” by Jean Johnson is part of the series Theirs Not to Reason Why' and is the exciting sequel to her mesmerizing book, “A Soldiers Duty”.
This is an actionpacked science fiction novel which continues to describe the military career of Ia, an extraordinary female who was born on a heavyworld more than.
times standard gravity which confers remarkable physical abilities which pale in comparison to her mental powers, A stalwart defender who is determined to avoid the catastrophe that only she can see clearly, Ia has entered the Space Force Navy in order to build upon the skills she has already developed during her stint as a Marine.
A gradually unfolding tapestry of her intricate plan and glimpses of the key people in Ias background as well as encounters with the enemies that seek to destroy humans and their allies continue to mesmerize the reader.
The author continues to introduce intriguing elements which give texture to a wonderfully imaginative read and makes one anxious for the continuing adventures of a fascinating heroine.
This exciting and entertaining tale is a wonderful combination of science fiction military action and mystical elements such as telekinesis, precognition, pyrokinesis, postcognition and several others.
The action is nonstop and there are multiple alien races involved in the struggle which necessitates the presence of human military branches.
The author provides more background to the inimitable and indomitable career soldier who is determined to prevent the horrific end to her universe that
she foresees.
There are glimpses of her softer side even as one follows her through her accelerated training, The introduction of a fellow trainee named Meyun Harper whom she cant read in the timestreams shakes the foundations of Ias world and provides a wildcard to her careful plans even as it shows her vulnerability.
It was satisfying to finally get a direct glimpse of the family who provide Ias only unconditional support system and I was reminded of the longrange manipulation seen in a couple of other science fiction series that I am fond of by Orson Scott Card and C.
J. Cherryh. This was a gripping read that immersed me into an intriguing universe that I can only hope to revisit again and again.
. . fortunately it wont be a hardship to reread this book and the first in the series “A Soldiers Duty” while I am anxiously awaiting a YEAR for the next one.
It is strongly recommended that one read “A Soldiers Duty” first for greatest enjoyment of this fantastic read,
Night Owl s
I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Did you read the first book
If yes, you need to read this book,
If no, you need to read that book, then come back and read this one,.stars.
I'm not going to add much to my review as I believe my original assessment is still fairly accurate to my current feelings.
Except to drop.of a star, mostly due to the amount of eye rolling I do at Ia, I am legitimately concerned I might strain one, can you strain eye muscles
I am determined to read this series through until it becomes so ridiculous I have to stop or till completing it.
Once again a very fun an entertaining read, Though this time around I believe I noticed a few plot holes, but its hard to really pinpoint due to the large amount of details/sidestories.
There were also a few occasions when certain sentences were repeated,
Which was slightly annoying, I know the book was spread over quite a few years but those few repeated sentences just seemed very noticeable.
Otherwise if you ignore those few small things I'd say good job, I was sucked into the story line, I really enjoyed the characters, the military aspect was great, include space and some amazing tech and abilities and your bound to have a great read! I especially loved the different races, and how they interact its not in intricate detail, but enough that you get an idea of how different everyone is from the other cultures and species.
I'm once again highly looking forward to the next book and more adventures told from Ia's POV, I have no doubt it's going to be very enjoyable, Hopefully this time I'll remember not to leave it so long between books, so i can recall everything more clearly! as there are a million little details to remember!
Side Note: i totally forgot to do this oops.
I'm not sure what it is about these books, An almost allknowing heroine sounds a bit boring, wouldn't you think But I'm not getting bored, instead I'm reading all these books in a row.
Even though you know more than usually that everything is going to be ok, you still want to know how everything is going to be accomplished.
And even though Ia has a very strong precognitive gift, this doesn't mean things can't go wrong, or that all Ia has to do is arrogantly blaze her way through everything.
The path she follows requires both small and large acts, and she cannot do it all by herself clearly, since the situation she is trying to avoid liesyears in the future.
I like how everything is very genderneutral, as in no male chauvinism, and that it is one of those rare books that doesn't even make a fuss about how equalitarian it is.
I'm curious to see how everything will play out, and I don't mind at all that Ia already knows, It's a good book and a great installment for the second book in a very promising series but I'm still not feeling the level of tension I think the story requires.
Ia is just so blasted powerful, and her precognitive abilities are absurd, We are finally starting to get to actual wars and not just training stuff, Hopefully Jean can ratchet up the tension some how, in the next book,
As it stands now while the story itself is interesting there isn't any tension and that leaves it feeling a bit flat.
You've got this whole Fire Girl Prophecy thing and this colony that is going to be behind enemy lines and cut off soon.
All this I want to read about a bit more than I do IA and her setting stuff into place that I don't even understand yet.
I think the story could of improved by using IA's story as a framing device for the Fire Girl Prophecy story that I assume Jean write at some point.
Intermingling points of view that shows IA setting up things so that things work out in the future, The combined tension of both stories should be enough to keep me engaged, I'm glowingly increasingly worried about the health of this series if Jean can't find a way to make IA seem less god like and thus give the story back some of it's tension.
Still this is a good series but it is in the same vein as the Name of the Wind with a protagonist who is absurdly powerful/skilled to the point that is damn near to a Marry Sue.
If you didn't like Kvothe I'm pretty sure you won't like Ia, ok here's the thing i liked this series i like it alot but im not in love with it, i wouldnt reread it. . i would watch it if it was a movie series, there are moments. . and this series is getting better with it that this book really shines and others that seem in there for the sake of it.
. . one thing this book did great was bennie she brighten it up, . and put some real heart into this series that it needed .
Avail Yourself An Officer's Duty (Theirs Not To Reason Why, #2) Assembled By Jean Johnson Released As Hardbound
Jean Johnson