While I am always down for a thrilling novel, those set mixed with science fiction or space tend to not be up my alley. However, with co-author Alex Segura on board with Rob Hart, I had to give Dark Space a try and am ever glad I did.
If life were fair, ace pilot Jose Carriles should have ended up a desk jockey like his former friend Corin Timony, back on the lunar colony of New Destiny. Instead, he’s the pilot of the Mosaic–a massive ship taking the Interstellar Union’s first-ever mission to outside our solar system.
Timony should have been the best spy at the Bazaar, the lunar colony’s international intelligence arm. Instead, she’s been demoted to admin duties like monitoring long-range communications. She has no one to blame but herself–and maybe Carriles. But when the Mosaic experiences a series of strange malfunctions and Carriles is forced to take a wild gamble to save the ship, he begins to suspect the reasons behind the exploratory mission weren’t exactly on the up and up.
At the same time, Timony’s old instincts kick in as she realizes the distress call she received from the Mosaic has been wiped without a trace. As people start to end up dead and loyalties are tested, Timony and Carriles find themselves entangled in a star-spanning conspiracy that drags them through the darkest corners of their government–and their own personal failures–and face-to-face with a reckoning that could destroy humanity as we know it.
With complete honesty, Dark Space was not even on my radar until I discovered the co-author was Alex Segura. Segura is one of my favorite writers in the world of comics and novels at the moment and even though this book was not my normal selection, I had to give it a go and damn was it worth the ride. Additionally, the allure in Dark Space‘s blend of espionage thrills set against a backdrop of space was an intriguing concept to break up my regular reads.
After diving into Dark Space, I found the pacing—a delicate balance between heart-pounding action sequences and moments of introspective calm—to be a standout of the book. This allowed me to catch my breath while pondering the larger questions at hand. The novel ebbed and flowed smoothly to create an immersive reading experience. Each chapter propels you forward at warp speed while simultaneously inviting reflection on what it means to be human when confronted with the unknown.
Having seen science fiction television shows and films such as Star Trek, I felt myself seeing the similarities between the two. Familiar themes such as ethical dilemmas posed by interstellar diplomacy resonate strongly throughout Dark Space. Yet those less acquainted with such franchises will appreciate how seamlessly Hart and Segura integrate these motifs without succumbing entirely to genre conventions—they forge new paths while paying homage where it’s due. While in a subtle way not taking itself too seriously.
It was impressive to me how Hart and Segura managed to not only tell a science fiction tale that gripped me from the first page, but also intertwine the spy espionage side of things, adding excitement but also inspiration through adventure. These two authors paired up is a wonder match and will have my attention, no matter what genre, in the future.
Dark Space from Rob Hart & Alex Segura is a thrilling spy romp in space. The authors expertly navigate complexities inherent within blending spy thrillers alongside science fiction tropes seamlessly together creating something truly special. I felt myself transported into the wide and crazy place called space while getting my dose of spy thriller. A novel well worth your time.
Dark Space hits bookstores everywhere on October 8, 2024 from Blackstone Publishing. The audiobook, narrated by Timothy Andrés Pabon & Nicol Zanzarella, can be pre-ordered on Libro.fm!
