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    Vortex
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    Vortex
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    Vortex
    Ebook434 pages6 hours

    Vortex

    By S. J. Kincaid

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    S. J. Kincaid has created a fascinating dystopian world for Insignia, her futuristic science-fiction adventure series perfect for fans of Ender's Game. Earth is in the middle of WWIII, a war to determine which governments and corporations will control the resources of the solar system.

    Teen Tom Raines grew up with nothing—some days without even a roof over his head. Then his exceptional gaming skills earned him a spot in the Intrasolar Forces, the country's elite military training program, and his life completely changed.

    Now in Vortex, the second book in the series, Tom discovers that the Pentagonal Spire, where he and his friends are being trained as superhuman weapons, is filled with corruption. He is asked to betray his friends—the first real friends he's ever had—for the sake of his country.

    Will he sacrifice his new life to do what he believes is right?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJul 2, 2013
    ISBN9780062093042
    Author

    S. J. Kincaid

    S.J. Kincaid is the New York Times bestselling author of The Diabolic trilogy. She originally wanted to be an astronaut, but a dearth of mathematical skills made her turn her interest to science fiction instead. Her debut novel, Insignia, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. Its sequels, Vortex and Catalyst, have received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Booklist. She’s chronically restless and has lived in California, Alabama, New Hampshire, Oregon, Illinois, and Scotland with no signs of staying in one place anytime soon. Find out more at SJKincaid.com.

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    Reviews for Vortex

    4.5/5

    25 ratings9 reviews

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    • 4/5
      BookNook — Young Adult book reviewsVortex didn't quite have the same magic for me that Insignia did. It was still a good book, it just didn't have me screaming and shrieking like an excited, insane girl. Vortex had a bit of a slower start and I didn't get fully sucked into the book until half way or 3/4 of the way through.I kind of had a love/hate relationship with Tom in this book. He definitely came across very immature at times. It almost made me wonder, Was he always like this and am I only now noticing it? Or is this just a new thing in Vortex?Tom could just be so arrogant, so cocky, and not consider the consequences of his actions. His teachers would specifically tell him, "Don't do this, it's dangerous." Then he would turn around and do it, and something bad would happen (as promised). Another example: now that he is no longer a plebe, he and Vik got together and chased the plebes out of the common room area so they could have it all to themselves, just because "they could". He just acted like an arrogant prick a lot of the time.But on the other hand, I do really admire how he refused to suck up to the big corporate guys. Many of those guys were legitimately bad people, and I really appreciated that Tom didn't kiss their asses just for the sake of his career. Instead, he acknowledged that they were bad guys and didn't let them push him around, and didn't take any crap from them. He told them exactly what he thought of them, and it was awesome.My other frustration was with Medusa; her relationship with Tom was like whiplash. It was an annoying cycle of: they're fighting, they don't talk for weeks, they make up, later in that conversation Tom screws it up and they fight again, they don't talk for weeks, etc. Rinse and repeat. As a result, it felt like Medusa was barely in the book and just popped in and out at seemingly random times. At least whenever Medusa did make an appearance she was kicking some serious ass.Although the beginning of the book was only 'okay' for me, things really picked up at the end. The corruption and conspiracies finally started to unravel, driving some excitement into the story. There was more defiance, rebellion, and more "big reveals". Those were the bits I finally loved!Overall, I guess Vortex had a stronger focus on the politics. We learn more about the corporations that sponsor the fighters and what stakes they have in the war. It's interesting information, but it wasn't always the most exciting.I am a bit bummed that I didn't enjoy Vortex quite as much as Insignia, but it was still a pretty good book.
    • 3/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Interesting young adult science fiction novel that started out really slow but ended up being a very enjoyable read.Opening Sentence: You’ve got to see this watch, Tommy.The Review:This story is set in a futuristic world where wars are all fought in space. To try to spare as many human lives as possible the government from each country have high tech droids fight each other in space. All the droids are controlled by an elite group of kids that have an internal processor implanted into their brains. Each person has been handpicked by their individual governments to represent their country.15-year old Tom Raines is just starting his second year at Pentagonal Spire. He got through his brutal first year and now he is set to eventually become a CamCo, or in other words someone who actually gets to fight in the wars. This is the highest level the students can reach, but to make CamCo you don’t only have to have mad skills you also have to get a sponsor. It is very expensive to fund this war and no one wants to waste their time or money on someone that isn’t going to deliver. If Tom wants to advance his career he is going to have to betray everything he has ever believed in and try to suck up to the rich people he despises. Tom has always believed in being one step ahead of his competitors but he soon learns that not all his enemies are far from home. Will he be able to outwit some of the most dangerous people in the world or will his idealism cost him everything?Tom was an extremely frustrating character for most of the book, but luckily by the end he got better. I admit he is a fifteen year old boy and boys at that age are reckless and immature, but he took it to a whole other level. Some of the choices he made were just blatantly stupid and that really annoyed me. Also, he is unbelievably stubborn. I get wanting to stick up for what you believe in, but there are rules set in place for a reason and just because you don’t like them doesn’t mean you don’t have to follow them. I was really glad that he does finally learn from some of his mistakes and eventually I rediscovered the Tom I loved from the first book. He is a born leader and too smart for his own good, but deep down he is a good person. By the end, I felt like he was someone I could respect and I hope that continues in the next book.Vortex was a great sci-fi book filled with action and suspense, but it had a really slow start. It actually took me weeks to finish this book, because I just couldn’t get into it. I will admit that by about half way through the story it got way better and I am glad I ended up finishing it. I just felt that the first 150 pages of the book could have been condescended into like 50 pages and I wouldn’t have missed anything. But with that being said, once I was finally able to reconnect with the story I ended up really enjoying it. There is some really great humor in the story and I loved watching how all the characters developed. The plot ended up being very intriguing and the ending left me really excited to see how the story ends. While I didn’t love everything about this book, I would still highly recommend you give this series a try if you like young adult science fiction novels.Notable Scene:WHY DO I KEEP SEEING ANGRY GNOMES?Tom managed a grin where he was dangling, his initial worry about an AI doomsday scenario fading away, replaced by glee that he’d gotten his reply. “You’re here! It’s so great you’re here!” he said to the air.STOP sending gnomes. I mean it.Tom laughed, giddy. The hand wasn’t crushing him, just giving him a scare. “Medusa, meet me online.”I do not want to talk to you. Stop trying to contact me.“Online. Once. Only Once. Hear me out.”No. You don’t know what you’re doing, Mordred. Stay out of our system. If I see gnomes again, I will come back here and kill you.“Nah, I don’t think so. You might kill me one day, but it won’t be over gnomes.”You underestimate how annoying it is seeing them everywhere.FTC Advisory: HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Vortex. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 4/5
      Nice fast paced action cyber story. Bit of a techno Harry Potter but for more mature readers.
    • 5/5
      #2is better than #1:
      Vortex is great suspenseful sequel to S J Kincaid's first novel, Insignia. The same characters are in this one and true colors come out from everyone, and the team finds corruption in all counts if government. A great lead to the final book in the series
    • 5/5
      This is the second book in the Insignia series. It is a very well-written book that I couldn't put down! It has a lot of adventure and heaps of cliff hangers. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes science-fiction and war. This book is a favorite of mine because it kind of messes with you, and you have to try to wrap your head around the book. I think it deserves a very good rating. The book starts where Insignia finishes off.
    • 4/5
      In short: Vortex by S.J. Kincaid is an excellent sequel that ramps up the intensity in the plot while still maintaining the fun and hilarity of its predecessor.I was incredibly eager to return to the incredibly cool and imaginative world of S.J. Kincaid's Insignia series after reading and loving the first book last year. And thankfully, I loved Vortex just as much as Insignia! For those who don't know, the Insignia series is about fifteen-year-old Tom Raines who is recruited by the Pentagon to fight in an intrasolar World War III thanks to the help of a chip that has been inserted in his brain that allows him to remotely control fighter ships in space. It's AWESOME.In Vortex, things aren't very much different from Insignia. As with Insignia, there are plenty of seemingly pointless - but incredibly fun - scenes with the simulations. Tom and his friends get up to the same kind of hilarious shenanigans. S.J. Kincaid's signature clever humour and inside jokes are also present again, much to my pleasure. The main difference is Vortex is a bit darker and more political than Insignia. A more concrete villain has developed, Tom is having to be serious about his future, and a hint of rebellion is forming. And all this is managed without sacrificing the fun and hilarity of Insignia.Possibly the thing I was most looking forward to in Vortex - even more than the highly imaginative and cool world building - was the return of the gang: protagonist Tom and his best friends Vik, Wyatt, and Yuri. THESE GUYS. They have got to be my favourite bookish group of friends ever (after the HP Trio, obvs). I love each of them individually, as well as part of the group. They are very loyal (though they do occasionally have disagreements) and are incredibly playful and teasing with one another. They feel like real life friends to me!Tom is a hard person to love, considering his many, many faults, but I do like him overall. His arrogance and stubbornness often border on stupidity, but his intense loyalty to his friends and his refusal to play by corporate rules are truly admirable. His highly immature antics are equal parts exasperating and amusing; he is just a fifteen-year-old-boy after all and I think a very realistic one. One that has to face the music in Vortex and learn not to be an arrogant ass all the time. Tom is a very memorable character and I credit S.J. Kincaid with coming up with a non-stock protagonist.I had the same issues with Vortex as I did with Insignia: The story was sometimes slowly paced and bogged down with exposition and technological jargon that made the reading a bit rough. But overall, Vortex was just as much fun as Insignia while also ramping up the intensity and seriousness of the plot. Dystopian and sci fi lovers who like male protagonists and plots that aren't super romance-heavy would love this series!
    • 4/5
      This series is continuing strong, with Tom in ever more difficult and dangerous situations, but finally learning a more subtle defiance. I cheer for him, I despair for him, I can't wait to see what happens next. Fast-paced, chilling, and an all-to-believable corporate controlled future.
    • 5/5
      #2is better than #1:
      Vortex is great suspenseful sequel to S J Kincaid's first novel, Insignia. The same characters are in this one and true colors come out from everyone, and the team finds corruption in all counts if government. A great lead to the final book in the series
    • 3/5
      Although high in action and drama, Vortex failed to deliver as far as the main protagonist went. I liked some aspects of the novel, such as the plot and the scientific background, but Tom the teenaged delinquent and his equally vapid friends soon left me grumbling and grinding my teeth.The qualities that I liked in Tom Raines in the previous book threatened to ruin things for me in Vortex: his insufferable arrogance and inability to see any consequences of his actions was funny at first, and then quickly became irritating. Tom basically self-sabotages himself throughout the book - he needs absolutely no help from anyone else alienating the very people who hold his future in their greedy little hands, who can kill him with barely a thought. I understand he needs to stand up to their tyranny, and even admire him for it - but there's a line between antagonising people, knowing what you are doing, and antagonising people just because you can't lack the brain cells to think. And Tom strays too often into the latter category. His rebellious nature isn't amusing, and I hated how he couldn't ever see a big picture - his myopic view of the future and his place in it sparked anger in me. It also surprised and confused me that Tom didn't see anything wrong with mutiny, like, he really couldn't comprehend that he needs to work within the military chains of command.For Tom Raines, nothing comes before his pride, and throughout Vortex, he not only abuses and mocks those who are higher above him in the military hierarchy, he becomes dangerously close to losing his friends. Mind you, his friends aren't much better - Vik devolved from fun-loving dude to dangerous side-kick in this book, and as Blackburn points out, his failure to try to stop Tom from ruining his whole future is concerning in someone masquerading as a best friend. I still liked Wyatt and Yuri (especially Yuri) in this book, and enjoyed the re-emergence of favourites like Elliot and even Heather. Of the supporting cast, however, it is Blackburn that whom I love the most - the long-suffering commander who tries so hard to give these kids the best chance of surviving, who Tom unfairly wants to paint as a villain every time he can. My mother's a school teacher, and I've always despised students like Tom Raines who can't see an authority figures' attempts at helping them for what they are.However, all my complaints about Vortex so far can be explained by the fact that Tom and his friends are fifteen-year-olds who have been thrust into a position of power that few adults ever have to handle. A lot of the things that the gang get up to can be laid at the feet of teenaged arrogance and that feeling of invincibility every kid has.One of the things I liked is that the narrative teaches these kids, especially Tom, just how fragile his position is within the US Intrasolar Forces, and how fragile his hold on life is: the big trillionaires of his world own him, and can choose to terminate him, his friends and their training school without any repercussions whatsoever. In this book, Tom learns that he can't spend his life raging at people above him on the totem pole - it's only going to harm him in the long run. Another lesson Tom learns (and finally!) is that sometimes, those older and more experienced than him can provide him with good advice, and that maybe he should stop rebelling against them quite so much.In terms of action, Vortex certainly delivers! There are very few dull moments - from simulated battles and training situations to pranks and dares between his friends, there's a lot going on throughout the book. Of course, looming in the background is the space war going on between the two alliances, and the space combatants who fight in them. We get a look into the big companies that have stakes in the war and pay for the US Intrasolar Forces trainees, and how the world functions on a large-scale. It's scary how much control these trillionaires have. I also enjoyed the science that Kincaid puts into this novel - it feels realistic enough. I liked the maglev train (but it was a bit too fast, it didn't seem feasible) when Tom and his friends went  into space (sort-of).One of the things I wish had been handled better is the romance. There's not a lot of it in the book - which I liked personally - but what there was seems odd. Medusa never really called Tom out on his mistreatment of her - she kept coming back for more abuse (admittedly Tom never seeks to hurt her feelings, he just does so every single time they meet). I really don't see what Medusa sees in Tom (aside from his unique powers), because she doesn't really know him that well, but he's already betrayed and insulted and abused her worse so much! It's perplexing, to say the least.I think Vortex is a step down from the awesome that was Insignia - for someone who's "hyper-intelligent", Tom can't see the most obvious traps and consequences and owes a lot of his petty victories to his friends. There are some great moments in the book, however, and I ended up enjoying it well enough. But I'm not sure if I'm invested in the series anymore - if Tom continues on the path he's on then he'll be a boring, frustrating protagonist indeed.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.