2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Candide All Over Again, May 18, 2003
A Princess of the Aerie is the second novel in the Jak Jinnaka series, following The Duke of Uranium. In the previous volume, Jak, his tove Dujuv, and the Rubahy warrior Shadow on the Frost have freed both the future Duke of Uranium and Princess Shyf from their captors. Moreover, a minor society reporter, Mreek Sinda, happened to record some of the kidnapping while covering the concert and added to the story to produce a documentary on his exploits which had little correspondence with reality, but was nonetheless very popular. This success put her into the big time, but her subsequent efforts have all been duds. Hoping that lightning will strike twice in the same spot, Sinda haunts his life, checking with him every now and then, looking for another good story.
In this novel, Jak and Dujuv have pulled another incredibly ignorant stunt, so they have been called to the Dean's office for a chewing out. Since this is a familiar procedure, neither one is too worried, but the Dean makes a special effort this time to understand Jak's reasoning for taping the Venerian Joy Day orgy and selling the tape to his fellow students. Even though the students are now impressed by the Venerians, the Venerians are spitting mad. Treaty negotiations between the Hive and Venus have not gone well since the tape distribution was discovered.
The Dean observes that Jak compulsively ignores any directions given to him and just ad libs everything. The Dean believes that Jak needs to develop some discrimination about following or not following directions. Also, the Dean believes that Jak needs to absorb a great deal of ethnographic information or he might well end up with a war named after him. To accomplish these goals, the Dean requires Jak to repeat Solar System Ethnography until he earns top rank in the class and to then do the same in Advanced Ethnography. Moreover, Jak must submit a proposal for a Junior Task in which the directions are vague, the goals are unclear, and the situation requires interaction with non-Hive personnel with different goals. Dujuv's Junior Task is to assist and protect him.
After discussing the stupidity of the assignment with Dujuv, Jak returns to his quarters to find a message from Princess Shyf waiting for him on his purse. She asks for Jak, Dujuv, and Dujuv's former demmy Myx to come to Greenworld for an unspecified but confidential task. She has made reservations for them on the Hive battlesphere Up Yours and has requested CUPV duties for them so they will have something to do while traveling. She suggests that he show the message to his Uncle Sib, which Jak does. After some discussion, Jak decides to go and his friends also agree to go along.
After they reach Greenworld, they are told that the message is a hoax. However, Jak and Dujuv are offered an opportunity to sign up for the Royal Palace Guard and only later do they learn that the RPG is a stud service for the princess. Of course, they are quite willing to participate after the conditioning takes hold.
Once again, Jak displays his almost total ignorance of the real world and his elders are not giving him much guidance. He hasn't got a clue as to the situation, but one shock after another manages to bypass his aversion to learning and strike at his primitive survival instincts. By the end of the story, Jak actually appreciates the ethnographic info he has been studying. Pain has a way of facilitating learning and he gets a lot of pain -- physical, mental, and emotional -- in this story.
I was beginning to think that Jak is an anti-hero, providing lessons by counter-example, and that he was going to get maimed or killed before learning to tie his shoes, so to speak. While having a lot to learn, Jak may be finally giving in to the universal conspiracy to teach him things he doesn't want to learn. However, don't expect too much in the sequel; Jak could easily revert to his default setting: sweathog.
I still can't decide if I really like this series or not, but I am definitely going to read the sequel. It is almost like witnessing a gory accident; one cannot just pass by without looking.
Recommended for Barnes fans and anyone else who enjoys reading about a young dolt consistently shooting himself in the foot by opening his mouth, yet instinctively doing the right thing to get out of trouble.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tasty, like cotton candy, April 22, 2003
This is the second book in the series about Jak Jinnaka in a future society 15 centuries from now. The first book in the series The Duke of Uranium, introduces us to the world and the characters.
Barnes weaves an interesting future and follows many of the traditional space opera conventions. The book has plenty of action, hard sci-fi tech, and even a dollop of sex. There are lots of interesting idea like AI PDAs that you wear on your wrist, magnetic based docking transfer systems, and mining technology that uses hot magma.
Unfortunately, the main character, Jak, appears to be a hapless tool of others during most of the story. Like a powerful weapon, he is easily manipulated and does damage where he's pointed. For a highly trained spy, he's as guilliable as they come.
Perhaps Barnes is taking the long view and looking to show the change of Jak from fool to hero. I can't tell. I like the characters, but Jak is almost unsympathetic since he seems to fall for every trap that is placed in front of him, usually escaping only by the grace of his friends appearing at just the right moment.
I'm sure I'll read the next installment, but if thinking space opera is what you are after, I suggest the Night's Dawn series by Peter Hamilton.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better than the Duke but not as Good as the King, August 12, 2003
The Jak Jinnaka series is getting better; not that it was bad at first, (I have yet to read anything by John Barnes that was less than very good) but "A Princess of the Aerie" is a bit better than the first novel in the series,
The Duke of Uranium, and the third novel,
In the Hall of the Martian King is the first one that rises to five stars.
While all three of these semi-comic space operas are enjoyable, Barnes really hits his stride with the third novel. But the first two, albeit not Barnes' best, are very enjoyable, and I would recommend reading them in order.
No, I won't summarize the story here; other reviewers have already done that at least as well as I could, probably better, so why be redundant?
watziznaym@gmail.com
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