Ahoy there me mateys! I received a copy of this sci-fi horror novella eArc from NetGalley in exchange for me honest musings . . .
Title: the scourge between the stars
Author: Ness Brown
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: TODAY!! (paperback/e-book)
ISBN: 978-1250834683
Source: NetGalley
This book takes place on a generation ship, the Calypso. After a failed attempt to colonize a new world, the survivors feel that they had no choice but to try to make it back to Earth. However, several generations later, the ship is badly damaged and the likelihood of survival is looking dim. Jacklyn "Jack" Albright, the first mate, is struggling to keep the ship going and looking for any solution. It all gets worse when something inside the ship starts killing.
The positives of this book began with Jack. I appreciated her tenacity and stubbornness. I really was rooting for her the entire time. I also grew to like the android, Watson. Watching these two characters interact was compelling because of how their relationship changed. I also enjoyed the concept of failed colony trying to make it back home. This is a topic I wish was explored more in sci-fi.
While this book was a quick read and enjoyable in some ways, there were also some major flaws. The big reveal dealing with the MIA captain was unrealistic, campy, and tropey. The cause of the "engagements" damaging the ship is never explained and used as a deus ex machina for the ending. I thought the threats inside the ship were fun, if unoriginal. It seemed silly that the whole fleet could be taken out by them and also that Jack took forever to figure out what the banging was. There was attempted horror in having a theme of opening doors that also ultimately didn't make much sense to me. Also life onboard the ship isn't explored much and there are no real secondary characters other than to provide fodder for plot points that go nowhere.
This book did not keep me in suspense but that could have been due to the short length. A longer novel much have fixed some of the issues. That said, I like the writing style enough to read something else by the author. Arrrr!
Goodreads has this to say about the novella:
As acting captain of the starship Calypso, Jacklyn Albright is responsible for keeping the last of humanity alive as they limp back to Earth from their forebears' failed colony on a distant planet.
Faced with constant threats of starvation and destruction in the treacherous minefield of interstellar space, Jacklyn's crew has reached their breaking point. As unrest begins to spread throughout the ship's Wards, a new threat emerges, picking off crew members in grim, bloody fashion.
Jacklyn and her team must hunt down the ship's unknown intruder if they have any hope of making it back to their solar system alive.
To visit the author's website go to:
Ness Brown - Author
To buy the book go to:
the scourge between the stars - Book
To add to Goodreads go to:
Yer Ports for Plunder List
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