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juushikaAn Exchange of Hostages, the first book, is reviewed in this post. Book 4 is a stand-alone-ish which comes before 3 in internal series chronology, which is how the omnibus is published, which is stupid, so stupid I will complain about it twice, and I didn't notice until a chunk into the book (which I DNF'd); thus my reviews are my reading order.
I read six of these in three-book paperback bind-ups which were massive, unwieldy, and made me glad my current library policies on checkouts/renewals is so forgiving because I hate reading in print these days and it was such an annoying way to read print. :(
This series is very okay very idfic, and the latter outweighs the former for me but it means that when it leans into worldbuilding or overarching plot and thus loses focus on Andrej it also loses some of its appeal. (It doesn't help that there's an ongoing antagonist who is super annoying and has no payoff.) But when it has that appeal!! I can and will make fun of ~the very best state torturer~ and his bevy of loyal, homoerotic bonds, but it's so fully realized—Andrej is viewed from every which angle and has a significant character arc, Matthews indulges the id elements without losing sight of their moral consequences, and I sincerely like the relationships. The style reminds me of Cherryh both in heavy id-centric interpersonal focus and oblique, distant writing style, but Cherryh is a lot better at statement through implication where Matthews relies on a sort of humor which doesn't land for me—sort of like the speculative euphemisms/analogs for penises/coffee/sandwiches, characters and narrative voice wryly thinking around things can become tortured and obtrusive.
Do I recommend this series? like, I guess? yes, if you already expect to like it, which is the basis upon which I went in & it didn't disappoint. Is it a good series? well, what does it mean to be good, does something need to be good, anyway it's perfectly adequate but I do love Andrej et al.
Title: Prisoner of Conscience (Jurisdiction Book 2)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2016 (1998)
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 320
Total Page Count: 334,415
Text Number: 1177
Read Because: continuing the series, paperback omnibus (oof) borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: Some years after the first book, Koscuisko and his entourage take up post at a prison whose secret use of slave labor contravenes the already unethical, but sanctioned, violence of the state. This is less of a transparent deep dive into the id than the first book, and so loses some of that indulgence and zest. But the plot is more substantial, despite lingering problems with the antagonists. At its heart this is all ethics, as Koscuisko holds a legal shield against unethical behavior, not just within the bounds of an inherently unethical system, but while benefiting from that system & struggling to acknowledge how it incentivizes extralegal activity. There's a thoughtful tension between the protagonist's and reader's view of the situation, between the micro-crisis of one flagrant violation and the macro-issue of systemic injustice. The seeds of that were always there in the premise, but the first book had too much fun to develop them; I appreciate that this starts to.
Title: Angel of Destruction (Jurisdiction Book 4)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2016 (2001)
Rating: 2 of 5
Page Count: 75 of 290
Total Page Count: 334,490
Text Number: 1178
Read Because: continuing the series, paperback omnibus borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: 1) I wish all "official" reading orders were in publication order rather than chronology, but especially omnibuses where the format enforces what is an objectively garbage reading order.
2) DNF'd at 25%. I'm in this series for the conflicted torturer id deep-dive, and that's absent in this spinoff/side novel with a different cast & tone. I appreciate that a larger setting for said character exists; in fact, the weakness in the setting has been a flaw in other books, so developing it can only do good. But I don't need to read it.
Title: Hour of Judgment (Jurisdiction Book 3)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2017 (1999)
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 270
Total Page Count: 335,950
Text Number: 1186
Read Because: reading the series, paperback omnibus borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: On the one hand, this seems to begin the overarching plot of rebellion that I imagine will continue in the next book(s); on the other, the immediate plot concerning a Jurisdiction-committed crime and its well-deserved vengeance is surprisingly neat, even feel-good (within an admittedly warped context). But there's room for a shorter, neater book within a series—and if it doesn't do anything new with the protagonist's moral engagement with his flawed world, it's at least a tipping point for his commitment. The outside view of him through supporting characters is also interesting, although the villains are as hammy as ever and some of the PoVs could be dropped. A slight installment, but not unpleasant.
Title: The Devil and Deep Space (Jurisdiction Book 5)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2017
Rating: 3.5 of 5
Page Count: 370
Total Page Count: 353,900
Text Number: 1278
Read Because: reading the series, paperback omnibus borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: Andrej has the long-awaited opportunity to return home, but fatal flaws in Jurisdiction government are coming to a head. This is the sort of book that does its best by an imperfect series, improving some longstanding problems, leaning into elements which initially grabbed me. The escalation of resistance has been realistically slow and limited in effect, so the move towards concrete rebellion is cathartic—and gives the series structure. The rocky worldbuilding may never be convincing, but it's grown increasingly unique, particularly re: Andrej's culture, here seen in more detail. Most of Andrej's relationships have space to be conflicted if not complex, and I especially appreciate that re: his wife; and these cultural and interpersonal tensions are reminiscent of the much-missed relationship with Joslire in the first book and come straight from the id.
Other longstanding problems persist, particularly in the antagonists, who have flat characterization when compared to the well-realized ambiguity of Andrej. Noycannir has been a thorn in the narrative's side, and the payoff is pitiful. It'll never be without flaws, but this series has grown on me. What it does with Andrej is sincerely interesting: his overpowered role as ~the best and worst state torturer uwu~ is both an idealized fiction and a thematically-tied, interrogated social role, and I like that sort of chewiness in my id-fic.
Title: Warring States (Jurisdiction Book 6)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2017 (2006)
Rating: 2.5 of 5
Page Count: 405
Total Page Count: 355,920
Text Number: 1288
Read Because: reading the series, paperback omnibus borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: Bench specialists convene to determine Jurisdiction's fate during its most rocky time. This is one of the longer books in the series, and while I anticipated the constructive effect of a stronger arching plot it makes for a surprisingly boring resolution. The worldbuilding has grown distinctive, but the politicking is talky, distracted by unsubtle espionage, and stands at a distance from Andrej. There's room in this longer book to play out resolutions for the characters and relationships; external views of Andrej offer insight into his character arc, and the ghost of Joslire is revived to interesting effect. I like these interpersonal elements—but they're disconnected from the plot and that makes for a slow, strained reading experience.
Title: Blood Enemies (Jurisdiction Book 7)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2017
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 250
Total Page Count: 363,250
Text Number: 1323
Read Because: reading the series, paperback borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: The terrorist organization Angel of Death has come to Gonebeyond space, and familiar figures are caught up in the attempt to bring it down. The previous book functionally culminated the series' overarching plot, but it did so at the cost focus on protagonist Andrej; this book was published over a decade later, and returns the series with a clear grasp of its strengths. It's a constrained, short novel, limited in purview, as a result too neat in climax, enmeshed in longterm worldbuilding but in particular referencing back to the skippable fourth novel, Angel of Destruction. But it puts Andrej in the singular positioning of inhabiting his early self after a series's worth of character growth and pits him against his loved ones in the effort to save them. The wealth of duty, self-loathing, and sublimated, conflicted interpersonal dynamics is what got me to pick up the series in the first place and exist here in all the richness of intervening character growth and a more mature, nuanced author. It's easily my favorite book in the series so far—hardly flawless, but I don't read this series for flawless; I read it for conflicted torturer, and there sure is a lot of that here.
Title: Crimes Against Humanity (Jurisdiction Book 8)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2019
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 225
Total Page Count: 367,650
Text Number: 1343
Read Because: reading the series, paperback borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: Andrej is pitted against another ex-inquisitor fled to Gonebeyond space when a kidnapping plot intervenes into a war against slavers. There was a lot of emotional closure in the previous book, primarily for cast but also for setting. In theory I like continuing past beyond the point of resolution to see the lived consequences of the series—particularly the romantic friendship between Andrej and Stildyne, which is a rich & underrepresented relationship dynamic. But nothing particularly substantial happens here: it continues but doesn't progress. Nonetheless an adequate installment, with worldbuilding that's come into its own and a successfully constrained plot; but the tension rests on "will Andrej's men protect him?" which has such a foregone conclusion that there are no stakes. I liked this fine, but would have happily stopped with the previous book; but I am glad to have finished the series (to date)!
I read six of these in three-book paperback bind-ups which were massive, unwieldy, and made me glad my current library policies on checkouts/renewals is so forgiving because I hate reading in print these days and it was such an annoying way to read print. :(
This series is very okay very idfic, and the latter outweighs the former for me but it means that when it leans into worldbuilding or overarching plot and thus loses focus on Andrej it also loses some of its appeal. (It doesn't help that there's an ongoing antagonist who is super annoying and has no payoff.) But when it has that appeal!! I can and will make fun of ~the very best state torturer~ and his bevy of loyal, homoerotic bonds, but it's so fully realized—Andrej is viewed from every which angle and has a significant character arc, Matthews indulges the id elements without losing sight of their moral consequences, and I sincerely like the relationships. The style reminds me of Cherryh both in heavy id-centric interpersonal focus and oblique, distant writing style, but Cherryh is a lot better at statement through implication where Matthews relies on a sort of humor which doesn't land for me—sort of like the speculative euphemisms/analogs for penises/coffee/sandwiches, characters and narrative voice wryly thinking around things can become tortured and obtrusive.
Do I recommend this series? like, I guess? yes, if you already expect to like it, which is the basis upon which I went in & it didn't disappoint. Is it a good series? well, what does it mean to be good, does something need to be good, anyway it's perfectly adequate but I do love Andrej et al.
Title: Prisoner of Conscience (Jurisdiction Book 2)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2016 (1998)
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 320
Total Page Count: 334,415
Text Number: 1177
Read Because: continuing the series, paperback omnibus (oof) borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: Some years after the first book, Koscuisko and his entourage take up post at a prison whose secret use of slave labor contravenes the already unethical, but sanctioned, violence of the state. This is less of a transparent deep dive into the id than the first book, and so loses some of that indulgence and zest. But the plot is more substantial, despite lingering problems with the antagonists. At its heart this is all ethics, as Koscuisko holds a legal shield against unethical behavior, not just within the bounds of an inherently unethical system, but while benefiting from that system & struggling to acknowledge how it incentivizes extralegal activity. There's a thoughtful tension between the protagonist's and reader's view of the situation, between the micro-crisis of one flagrant violation and the macro-issue of systemic injustice. The seeds of that were always there in the premise, but the first book had too much fun to develop them; I appreciate that this starts to.
Title: Angel of Destruction (Jurisdiction Book 4)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2016 (2001)
Rating: 2 of 5
Page Count: 75 of 290
Total Page Count: 334,490
Text Number: 1178
Read Because: continuing the series, paperback omnibus borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: 1) I wish all "official" reading orders were in publication order rather than chronology, but especially omnibuses where the format enforces what is an objectively garbage reading order.
2) DNF'd at 25%. I'm in this series for the conflicted torturer id deep-dive, and that's absent in this spinoff/side novel with a different cast & tone. I appreciate that a larger setting for said character exists; in fact, the weakness in the setting has been a flaw in other books, so developing it can only do good. But I don't need to read it.
Title: Hour of Judgment (Jurisdiction Book 3)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2017 (1999)
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 270
Total Page Count: 335,950
Text Number: 1186
Read Because: reading the series, paperback omnibus borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: On the one hand, this seems to begin the overarching plot of rebellion that I imagine will continue in the next book(s); on the other, the immediate plot concerning a Jurisdiction-committed crime and its well-deserved vengeance is surprisingly neat, even feel-good (within an admittedly warped context). But there's room for a shorter, neater book within a series—and if it doesn't do anything new with the protagonist's moral engagement with his flawed world, it's at least a tipping point for his commitment. The outside view of him through supporting characters is also interesting, although the villains are as hammy as ever and some of the PoVs could be dropped. A slight installment, but not unpleasant.
Title: The Devil and Deep Space (Jurisdiction Book 5)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2017
Rating: 3.5 of 5
Page Count: 370
Total Page Count: 353,900
Text Number: 1278
Read Because: reading the series, paperback omnibus borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: Andrej has the long-awaited opportunity to return home, but fatal flaws in Jurisdiction government are coming to a head. This is the sort of book that does its best by an imperfect series, improving some longstanding problems, leaning into elements which initially grabbed me. The escalation of resistance has been realistically slow and limited in effect, so the move towards concrete rebellion is cathartic—and gives the series structure. The rocky worldbuilding may never be convincing, but it's grown increasingly unique, particularly re: Andrej's culture, here seen in more detail. Most of Andrej's relationships have space to be conflicted if not complex, and I especially appreciate that re: his wife; and these cultural and interpersonal tensions are reminiscent of the much-missed relationship with Joslire in the first book and come straight from the id.
Other longstanding problems persist, particularly in the antagonists, who have flat characterization when compared to the well-realized ambiguity of Andrej. Noycannir has been a thorn in the narrative's side, and the payoff is pitiful. It'll never be without flaws, but this series has grown on me. What it does with Andrej is sincerely interesting: his overpowered role as ~the best and worst state torturer uwu~ is both an idealized fiction and a thematically-tied, interrogated social role, and I like that sort of chewiness in my id-fic.
Title: Warring States (Jurisdiction Book 6)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2017 (2006)
Rating: 2.5 of 5
Page Count: 405
Total Page Count: 355,920
Text Number: 1288
Read Because: reading the series, paperback omnibus borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: Bench specialists convene to determine Jurisdiction's fate during its most rocky time. This is one of the longer books in the series, and while I anticipated the constructive effect of a stronger arching plot it makes for a surprisingly boring resolution. The worldbuilding has grown distinctive, but the politicking is talky, distracted by unsubtle espionage, and stands at a distance from Andrej. There's room in this longer book to play out resolutions for the characters and relationships; external views of Andrej offer insight into his character arc, and the ghost of Joslire is revived to interesting effect. I like these interpersonal elements—but they're disconnected from the plot and that makes for a slow, strained reading experience.
Title: Blood Enemies (Jurisdiction Book 7)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2017
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 250
Total Page Count: 363,250
Text Number: 1323
Read Because: reading the series, paperback borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: The terrorist organization Angel of Death has come to Gonebeyond space, and familiar figures are caught up in the attempt to bring it down. The previous book functionally culminated the series' overarching plot, but it did so at the cost focus on protagonist Andrej; this book was published over a decade later, and returns the series with a clear grasp of its strengths. It's a constrained, short novel, limited in purview, as a result too neat in climax, enmeshed in longterm worldbuilding but in particular referencing back to the skippable fourth novel, Angel of Destruction. But it puts Andrej in the singular positioning of inhabiting his early self after a series's worth of character growth and pits him against his loved ones in the effort to save them. The wealth of duty, self-loathing, and sublimated, conflicted interpersonal dynamics is what got me to pick up the series in the first place and exist here in all the richness of intervening character growth and a more mature, nuanced author. It's easily my favorite book in the series so far—hardly flawless, but I don't read this series for flawless; I read it for conflicted torturer, and there sure is a lot of that here.
Title: Crimes Against Humanity (Jurisdiction Book 8)
Author: Susan R. Matthews
Published: Baen, 2019
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 225
Total Page Count: 367,650
Text Number: 1343
Read Because: reading the series, paperback borrowed from the Wilsonville Public Library
Review: Andrej is pitted against another ex-inquisitor fled to Gonebeyond space when a kidnapping plot intervenes into a war against slavers. There was a lot of emotional closure in the previous book, primarily for cast but also for setting. In theory I like continuing past beyond the point of resolution to see the lived consequences of the series—particularly the romantic friendship between Andrej and Stildyne, which is a rich & underrepresented relationship dynamic. But nothing particularly substantial happens here: it continues but doesn't progress. Nonetheless an adequate installment, with worldbuilding that's come into its own and a successfully constrained plot; but the tension rests on "will Andrej's men protect him?" which has such a foregone conclusion that there are no stakes. I liked this fine, but would have happily stopped with the previous book; but I am glad to have finished the series (to date)!
