When the Sirantha Jax series came to an end, I knew that I wanted to read the spin-off series. Ann Aguirre excels at writing Science Fiction and although I haven’t read much in the genre, I know a good book when I see one. First off, just from the premise alone, you know this is going to be a good book. I don’t know how Aguirre comes up with her ideas but a prison ship locating in the air? Who thinks of this stuff?
When Perdition becomes under attack, Dred must protect herself and her friends. Again, it’s a story that packs quite a punch. It’s filled with world politics, action and suspense but as well, there’s also quite a few layers to Aguirre’s characterization as well and this might actually be my favorite thing about this new series.
Amongst all the science fiction details and the action, Ann Aguirre creates amazingly unique characters. I wondered how Dred would compare to Sirantha and although I see many differences in both, Dred also has that core strength that makes her more than just the strong chick in the novel. Her emotional ups and downs mimic the struggles they go through and Aguirre’s underlining thread of humanity does play a part in this book as well.
If you’re a fan of the TV show, Prison Break then you’ll undoubtedly see some similarities here. It paves the way for a lot of interesting fight scenes and intelligent plotting from the author. The more I read the book, the more of a bigger fan I became of Ann Aguirre.
As much as I love the writing and world, there is another thing that makes me fall head over heels in love with this book and it’s Jael. OH MY! Where have you been all my life? After reading countless books this year, I haven’t come across many new heroes who have caught my eye like Jael has. Reading him with Dred just makes me SO HAPPY and I don’t even know why. He just oozes this charisma that makes me adore him. He’s lethal side is what most people fear but if I was a character living in that world, I would watch out for when he smiles because man oh man, I’ve never come across a hero recently that was so compelling the first moment he walks into a scene.
So yeah, if you can’t already tell, I’m claiming Jael. I just know he’s going to be amazing in this series. Perdition (Dred Chronicles, #1)
He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
I have no idea how to write a review for this fantastic book.
Pain was a flower.
It began with crimson petals, threaded white, and ended with a black, black heart. Like mine.
Perdition is a floating prison ship where all the worst criminals are sent. A prison divided into six territories, 4 ruled by would-be kings and 2 by queens. And of these queens are Dresdemona “Dred” Devos, the Dread Queen. Declared as one of the worst female serial killers of her time, she is used to having to constantly guard her section from the other rulers, who is always eager to claim more territory. Violence and lying is constant among criminals, and Dred has learned to trust very few, and never completely. When a new batch of prisoners arrives, only one is good enough to join Dred’s men.
This woman was incandescent in her fearlessness—and her absolute lack of regard for her own safety spoke to him.
The mysterious Jael, is definitely deadly and would be a great addition to her team. But there is more to Jael than meets the eye, and Dred is not sure if he can be trusted. Most criminals aren’t. But when two kings band together to take Dred’s territory, Dred will need all the help she can get, and she and Jael will have to prove to each other whether they can be trusted.
She had become what she despised most . . . and she belonged here.
I am the Dread Queen.
Dred was freaking amazing!! I just loved this kick-ass convict with her chains, how brutal she could be, but also her unfailing strength to survive the darkness of her gift and her past. How she was the only ruler who actually cared about her territory and about the men who served her.
“Do you think you could fix me, queenie?”
“No,” she said. “I can’t fix anything. I can only break it. Or kill it. But you’re welcome to come sleep in my boneyard.”
“Now there’s an offer I can’t refuse.”
And I loved the very intriguing Jael, who is so used to being seen as a monster, a freak. Only to find that among violent convicts what he was didn’t matter, only who he was and whether he would fight with them.
“It doesn’t matter where you started,” she said. “Or what you’ve been through. That shit just means you’re strong. In here, if you’re tough enough, you dub yourself whatever you want. You think anybody called me Dread Queen before? I made that happen. So can you . . . because from where I’m sitting, you look pretty damn special, and not because of the fast healing.”
At her words, the warmth turned into longing too fierce to deny. So he kissed her.
I love the potential of a romance between Dred and Jael. Both are unused to trusting anyone, and it was fun seeing them circle each other, trying to figure the other one out. I really can’t wait to see what is going to happen next between them, whether they will realise that they finally found the one person they can just be themselves with.
There were a great cast of secondary characters, and I really liked the men in Dred’s inner circle, all with their mysterious pasts, which I can’t wait to learn more of. Of course I knew that one of my favorite characters were going to die, and it just broke my heart :-(
The plot was magnificently done, with the power struggles between the six territories, the violent battles, and trying to discover who the traitor was. The story line kept me rooted to the pages from start to finish. And I can’t wait to find out what will happen next after that final battle. Will Dred and Jael ever be able to escape the prison that is impregnable?
This is sci-fi romance at its best. And a must read for all who enjoys a kickass sci-fi with convicts, violence, war and the fight for victory.
Perdition (Dred Chronicles, #1) Set in the same world as Ann Aguirre's Sirantha Jax series Perdition takes place on a prison space ship that is the dumping ground for the galaxy's most dangerous criminals. Everyone sent to Perdition has been given a death sentence and the ship has been set up with is no chance of escape so the authorities don't even bother to provide guards to keep the prisoners under control. With limited resources and full of the most violent and terrifying prisoners the ship isn't exactly a safe place to be, separated into territories and run by different gangs its a constant battle to protect what is yours and even within the sectors you have to be careful not to end up with a knife in your back.Dred is the leader of one of the six territories inside of Perdition and its a role she takes very seriously. She has to constantly be on her guard and must never show any sign of weakness because there are always people looking to steal her crown and take the reins. With the latest influx of new prisoners Dred ends up recruiting mercenary Jael to her gang, he's an incredible fighter who can heal from practically any wound so he's the perfect person to have on her team but can she trust him not to betray her?
I absolutely loved Jael when he was first introduced to the Sirantha Jax series but understandably went off him after certain events in Doubleblind so I was wary of his character going into this. I'm actually glad he's being given the chance to redeem himself though and I really enjoyed getting to see some of the story from his point of view. Getting inside his head helped put previous events in a different light, it doesn't excuse Jael's actions but it makes it easier to understand where he was coming from and why he chose to do what he did. Because we get Jael's point of view we see see a softer more vulnerable side to him which made him easier to connect to, he's still his badass self though and there is plenty of his jokey banter to add a bit of levity to what is essentially quite a dark story.
Dred is a brilliant character too, as the one in charge she can never show even a hint of weakness or she'd be eaten alive by the people around her. No matter how respected she is these are hardened criminals and there is a reason they all ended up on Perdition in the first place. Dred is as ruthless as she needs to be and she can certainly hold her own in a fight but when she's alone with Jael she is able to show a side of herself that she has to keep hidden around everyone else. I'm totally shipping them as a couple but what remains to be seen is how they can build a better life for themselves in such a toxic environment.
Ann Aguirre writes about life on the ship brilliantly, she shows just how desperate people are thanks to the lack of resources and she's definitely captured the sense of hopelessness that everyone feels knowing they're stuck there. The only one who still has hope is Jael because he is determined to find a way to escape but everyone who has been there longer knows its an impossible dream. This book is dark, life on board is ruthless and nobody is safe so be prepared to have your heart ripped into tiny little pieces, life is dangerous and not everyone is going to survive in such a horrific environment. This was a great introduction to the series and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what else Dred and Jael can achieve working together, I may end up enjoying this even more than Sirantha's series! Perdition (Dred Chronicles, #1) I didn't expect this book to be so .... plodding, dull, amateurish, and uninteresting. This is sort of the run down of the book: they go here, they go there, they fight fight fight! Fight detail fight detail, scheme, side eye, feelings she has, feelings she once had, she feels this way because she felt that way, but she's never felt like this! Fight detail fight detail!! Will she still feel the way she felt? Smooch feels! Blood! Fight! Perdition (Dred Chronicles, #1)
I'm a fan of Ann Aguirre and I've read several of her previous novels and found myself very satisfied. On the surface this was a book I couldn't NOT enjoy!
But something didn't work for me. The dialogue felt flat and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't summon up an ounce of feeling for the characters.
They had all the trappings of fantastic characters, a powerful female lead and a tortured male love interest but it just wasn't enough to get past the cliches in the dialogue. The storyline kept a decent pace, but without the emotional attachment I found it unengaged.
Overall, a sound concept for a novel but it just didn't work for me.
Perdition (Dred Chronicles, #1)
Ann Aguirre æ 4 Free read
The prison ship Perdition, a floating city where the Conglomerate's most dangerous criminals are confined for life, orbits endlessly around a barren asteroid. Life inside is even more bleak. Hailed as the Dread Queen, inmate Dresdemona Dred Devos controls one of Perdition's six territories, bordered on both sides by would-be kings eager to challenge her claim. Keeping them at bay requires constant vigilance, as well as a steady influx of new recruits to replace the fallen. Survival is a constant battle, and death is the only escape.
Of the newest convicts, only one is worth Dred's attention. The mercenary Jael, with his deadly gaze and attitude, may be the most dangerous criminal onboard. His combat skill could give her the edge she needs, if he doesn't betray her first. Unfortunately, that's what he does best. Winning Jael's allegiance will be a challenge, but failure could be worse than death. Perdition (Dred Chronicles, #1)
I definitely have this on my kindle ready to go after Sirantha Jax.
Ann Aguirre binge read commence.
Update: I just read the synopsis for this one and missed something crucial.
DNF 89%
While I'm DNFing things.... you're out too.
I'm disappointed in you Ann Aguirre. Perdition (Dred Chronicles, #1) I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed slipping back into the world of Sirantha Jax. Sirantha, herself, maybe be absent, but all of the great character development and world building is in full force. In short order, I grew to love Dred, Jael, and the men and women of Perdition as much as I loved Sirantha and her crew. Ann Aguirre is such a talented storyteller. I didn’t want to put this down for a minute.
It’s been decades since the events of Endgame. And this entire time Jael has been in that prison in Ithiss-Tor. If you’re not familiar with the Sirantha books, don’t worry. This holds up fine as a standalone. It may even make you want to read the origin series.
Anyway, Jael has been moved from one prison to another. Now, he has a life sentence on the prison ship Perdition, and he is quickly plucked to join the faction run by the so-called Dread Queen. Dred is smart and charismatic, and she is also a little Psi. She sees potential in Jael –and his strength and cunning quickly bring him into her inner circle.
There is such a wonderful cast of characters, from Jael who is damaged and nearly dead inside, while perfect and essentially unkillable on the outside… to Dred who transforms from a manufactured leader to a true queen to her people. She is strong, yet smart enough to surround herself with others who help her succeed. And the relationship between the two of him hit all the right notes. The supporting players reeled me in too, especially Einar, the giant lieutenant who serves Dred, and Tam, who serves his own interests.
There’s plenty of action: battles, bloodshed, and betrayal. It’s unpredictable and smart. And dark. There is so much hopelessness and destruction of humanity. The other factions of Perdition are almost like something out of a horror movie. Like Silence, Death’s Handmaiden… or the fanatical Priest. This is home to the worst of the worst criminals, after all. And Aguirre never lets us forget it. Yet rays of hope manage to peek through.
I’m so excited to see where the story goes next. The stage is set for a major shakeup. I would definitely recommend this book to sci-fi fans or anyone looking to try something new. Perdition (Dred Chronicles, #1) RTC Perdition (Dred Chronicles, #1) Back when Perdition was first mentioned, pitched as Prison Break in space (I kid you not), I immediately knew it would be a dream come true. Because seriously, violence and mayhem, Ann Aguirre style? In space?! Give me that, and then give me some more! So when it finally found its way into my greedy little hands, I was basically in ecstasy. And I remained in an absolute state of bliss throughout.
While this trilogy may be a Jax series spin-off, readers who aren’t familiar with Jax won’t be at a loss at all. It is entirely possible to read (and fully enjoy) this separately. Details that were previously known about Jael get reintroduced pretty quickly in Perdition so that everyone is at the same place. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t find the time to read Jax – you should – but it’s not a prerequisite.
Space station known as Perdition houses only the most hardened of criminals. The people imprisoned there are no small-time thieves, rapists or murderers. It takes a truly heinous crime (or hundreds of them) to get someone a one-way ticket to Perdition from the Conglomerate. ‘Innocent’ is not a word that gets thrown around often, not even for our heroine, Dresdemona “Dred” Devos.
Taking the reader on a space station where not a single redeemable character lives may seem like a simple thing, but believe you me, it’s an enormous challenge. We are all, each of us in a slightly different way, emotional readers, and we love to feel sympathy for our characters, but it takes a brilliant author to make us feel sympathy for mercenaries and mass murderers.
In some ways, Perdition is the darkest Ann Aguirre book yet – not because it’s the most violent (although it’s certainly at the very top) – but because there isn’t a single ray of light anywhere on that ship. It is a place where end always justifies the means, and survival is the only thing that counts.
For me, the magic of Aguirre’s writing comes from two sources: the first is her excellent understanding of human nature and psychology, and the second her incredible gift for metaphors. If Ann’s elegant, no-nonsense writing style is the body of this story, the few well-placed, hard-hitting metaphors are its very soul. With no more than a few words, Aguirre unfailingly manages to both bring forth the desired emotional response and leave her readers in awe of her writing skills.
The more I tried to choose and point out my favorite thing about this book, the more I realized that such a feat was next to impossible. I was just about ready to put Dred and Jael’s relationship on the pedestal, only to remember, among other things, certain bloody battles that took my breath away. With each new book she writes, Ann Aguirre has to live up to some pretty high standards, and she achieves it so effortlessly every single time.
Perdition will give you no time to breathe, but it will make you appreciate your freedom, the roast beef sandwich you had for lunch, and that extra bar of soap in your bathroom. It will also make you care for its characters despite their awful and violent histories. My recommendation? Get out of that chair and go grab a copy now!
Perdition (Dred Chronicles, #1) Well I'm a big fan of this author's other Sci-Fi series, Sirantha Jax, so I was very excited to see this new series that is kind of a spin-off, it has the world and a character in common. And on the surface of it, this is a really pulpy fun concept: Prison that has no supervision, territory wars, no hope, badass woman lead, etc. And it did fulfill several of the things I really loved about the concept. I really liked them main character, I believed MOSTLY that she could keep a group of bloodthirsty horrible criminals in a group under her, I loved the spymaster character, the different factions were really interesting too. The plot is fairly predictable based on the concept: Prison wars for territory. But is executed really well, with the idea of some interesting things happening in the future.
SLIGHT SPOILERS:
I guess the only thing I didn't enjoy was that I kind of started skimming in the last half because the prison was a BIT claustrophobic. I wish we had had more interactions with the other factions. And the lead male character was cool (he was from the Jax series) but he was a BIT TOO perfect in how GOOD he was at everything. Yes, totally justified by the logic built up, but then his perfection almost made the lead character seem weaker, somehow? Very small criticisms though, and I really REALLY hope the series continues and opens up even OUTSIDE the prison later. Very much looking forward to #2! Perdition (Dred Chronicles, #1)