Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Kincaid's sequel to Insignia (2012) moves beyond derivative fun to real depth. Ever-rebellious Tom Raines has advanced with his pals Vik and Wyatt to Middle Company at the Pentagonal Spire. They've reached the level where they need to cultivate corporate sponsors in order to join the elite virtual warriors who conduct the ongoing space-based war between the Russo-Chinese and Indo-American alliances for control of the moon. Tom may be preternaturally great at virtual-war skillz, but he is horrible at sucking up and almost immediately alienates every single multinational corporate head he needs to impress. Meanwhile, Tom continues to pursue his odd but intense secret relationship with crack Russo-Chinese combatant Medusa and begins to suspect that Yuri, their Russian friend at the Spire, whom Wyatt "unscrambled" in the first book, may not be as innocent as they had thought. Kincaid lays a lot down, twining her increasingly complex plot and characterizations with Tom's growing awareness of the poisonous "military-industrial-media complex." As Eisenhower feared, it has made war a way of life that enriches a very few and impoverishes the many—one corporate head has bought Yosemite as his own private playground, one of many unsubtle but all-too-plausible symbols Tom contemplates. Action fans, fear not: For all the deep thinking Tom and readers undertake, pace, adventure and fun are not compromised one whit. A surprisingly and satisfyingly rich middle volume in a trilogy that exceeds popcorn expectations. (Science fiction. 13-16)

ALA Booklist (Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Elite teen-soldier Tom Raines is back in Kincaid's popular Insignia sci-fi series, still battling the bad guys (aka his corporate bosses). Trained as superhuman war machines, Tom and his fellow cadets at the Pentagonal Spire are now in their second year of waging technobattle for WWIII as part of the Intrasolar Forces. Recruited for their smarts and hacking skills, the cadets maneuver through academic life, social standings, gamer-like battle skills, and the often changing rules of how to not only get ahead but, sometimes, stay alive in a world now divided through financial lines demarcated by the giant corporations that run things. A slow start may hamper some fans, though most will push through until the action again rises and the pace becomes more breathless. Tom is more self-confident in this follow-up the point of an arrogance that may turn off some readers t his costly mistakes turn into lessons that may redeem him. Vortex is ultimately a technological, high-concept boarding-school tale and a mostly strong contribution to the trilogy. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Insignia (2012), the debut novel in this trilogy, has already been optioned by 20th Century Fox. A huge marketing campaign is planned for this one.

Horn Book

Tom (Insignia) is in his second year as a superhuman government cadet in the Intrasolar Forces. Tom's loyalty is torn between his friends and his country, and his idealism and arrogance have gotten him into trouble with both his allies and enemies. Breathtaking action, elite technology, humor, and themes of friendship will appeal to fans of the series.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Kincaid's sequel to Insignia (2012) moves beyond derivative fun to real depth. Ever-rebellious Tom Raines has advanced with his pals Vik and Wyatt to Middle Company at the Pentagonal Spire. They've reached the level where they need to cultivate corporate sponsors in order to join the elite virtual warriors who conduct the ongoing space-based war between the Russo-Chinese and Indo-American alliances for control of the moon. Tom may be preternaturally great at virtual-war skillz, but he is horrible at sucking up and almost immediately alienates every single multinational corporate head he needs to impress. Meanwhile, Tom continues to pursue his odd but intense secret relationship with crack Russo-Chinese combatant Medusa and begins to suspect that Yuri, their Russian friend at the Spire, whom Wyatt "unscrambled" in the first book, may not be as innocent as they had thought. Kincaid lays a lot down, twining her increasingly complex plot and characterizations with Tom's growing awareness of the poisonous "military-industrial-media complex." As Eisenhower feared, it has made war a way of life that enriches a very few and impoverishes the many—one corporate head has bought Yosemite as his own private playground, one of many unsubtle but all-too-plausible symbols Tom contemplates. Action fans, fear not: For all the deep thinking Tom and readers undertake, pace, adventure and fun are not compromised one whit. A surprisingly and satisfyingly rich middle volume in a trilogy that exceeds popcorn expectations. (Science fiction. 13-16)

School Library Journal (Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Gr 8 Up-In this sequel to Insignia (HarperCollins, 2012), Tom Raines still has many lessons to learn about politics in the Intrasolar Forces. Back at the Pentagonal Spire, he and his friends continue their training as superhuman government-weapons-in-training. Even though he has been promoted from Plebe to Middle, Tom knows he will need one of the multinational corporations to sponsor him if he ever wants to advance to Combatant. Unfortunately, after a series of disastrous meet and greets with the corporate VIPs, Tom alienates them all, severely damaging his prospects. The teen persists in furthering his friendship with the lead enemy fighter, Medusa. He's offered a chance to redeem himself and gain sponsorship through Obsidian Corp., but at Medusa's expense. And he's starting to suspect that when he and his friends unscrambled a fellow classmate's neural processor, they made a very bad choice. This action-packed novel delivers intrigue right out of the gate. Tom and his friends' interactions and dialogue are more natural and believable than in the first book, making these characters more memorable. There are still moments of forced dialogue, and some characters are over-the-top. However, readers who endured the length of the first entry will enjoy the action of this installment and will eagerly anticipate the next. Kelly Jo Lasher, Middle Township High School, Cape May Court House, NJ