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A review by sersi
Vortex by S.J. Kincaid
4.0
Insignia was a huge, welcome surprise when I read it earlier this year and while Vortex proved a somewhat uneven reading experience, I was ultimately more than satisfied. This reading experience was born largely out of frustrations with Tom and his characterization. For a lot of the book, Tom felt eerily similar to the infamous CAPLOCKS!Harry of Order of the Phoenix. In particular, his complete and utter inability to act strategically or even restrain his anger was so frustrating that I found myself desperately hoping that there was a virus/behavior program/etc. at play.
Things didn't quite play out that way, but as the book moved into the final sections, I found myself dragged into enthusiasm and excitement anyways. While Tom’s earlier behavior still seemed over the top, his growth during the final push, and especially in the very last scene helped to at least mitigate my frustrations. This final scene, which was by far one of my favorite book endings in a long while, was perfect. It set the stage for some really interesting conflicts, felt incredibly cinematic, and suggested that Tom has finally and truly begun to see the conflict on a larger, less explicitly personal scale.
In short, Vortex wasn't perfect and were I to re-read it, I don’t know that I wouldn't still find a good deal of it frustrating. However, despite its flaws, it was a fun, exciting read graced with an ending that left me desperate for the third book.
Things didn't quite play out that way, but as the book moved into the final sections, I found myself dragged into enthusiasm and excitement anyways. While Tom’s earlier behavior still seemed over the top, his growth during the final push, and especially in the very last scene helped to at least mitigate my frustrations. This final scene, which was by far one of my favorite book endings in a long while, was perfect. It set the stage for some really interesting conflicts, felt incredibly cinematic, and suggested that Tom has finally and truly begun to see the conflict on a larger, less explicitly personal scale.
In short, Vortex wasn't perfect and were I to re-read it, I don’t know that I wouldn't still find a good deal of it frustrating. However, despite its flaws, it was a fun, exciting read graced with an ending that left me desperate for the third book.