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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is my second haunted ship book this year, and I was not disappointed. Claire Kovalik is our MC and an unreliable narrator. I enjoyed the “then” plotline more than the “now” and was on edge as the LINA crew began to experience the horrors of the Aurora. I wish that plotline had been longer; I felt there weren’t enough answers when the “then” plotline ended, and we are left with piecing it together through Claire’s vague memories. I wouldn’t say I liked the romance; it was unnecessary and distracting. I’m also not a fan of 1st person and felt like Claire kept repeating the same couple of lines way too much. I think this book would’ve benefited more from a changing perspective between the last days of the Aurora and the LINA crew instead. Overall, it was spooky and disturbing, and I did like the big reveal. 4.25 ⭐️’s.
Libby/audio
It took me three days to read this(it's finally over!) and normally i read 1-3 books in a day. I think that says everything.
This author seems to be a typical culture crusader of the here and now(post-2020), with a chip on her shoulder(again, i hate this, but it seems to be in a lot of stuff) so anyway...the message here is mostly 'rich people bad.' The MC is constantly talking about how much all the materials and items on this ghost ship cost. That would be fine, except she fails to grasp the time disparity, or the fact that markets/economics/cost of goods/supply and demand all effect the price, and what something may cost her now, may in fact be different in the past. But she is totally a smart boss woman commander though.
On top of that, she is not only mentally ill, she seems to have no training or qualifications to be in this situation as a space farer, much less in her rank as commander of a crew. None of these people have any experience or knowledge that would make it possible to survive in this scenario. No training. No knowledge. No skills. Nothing.
Then we pile on this random ghost ship situation. They decide to board her, and scavenge-they are the oppressed servant class after all, and a little black market looting from an evil mega corp is only poetic, amirite? Anyway, they board. Despite knowing that this ship blipped out a long time ago, while broadcasting an SOS, and no one knows what happened. Cool cool. Don't worry guys, I'm sure those fancy spacesuits wont let anything contagious in, sheesh-you worry too much, silly rabbit!
So ya. They do this. In they go. Things quickly start to get freaky. But I'm sure it's fine. Im fine. Their fine. Everything is just fine.
Actually, this isn't the part that annoys me the most. That would be how completely unhinged terrified these characters, specifically the FMC boss woman commander, are of the dead bodies they find. Add on this narrater of the AB doing level 11/5 (again! Whyyyy?) ACTING AND THEATRICS, and needless to say I'm over it in ways i cannot describe to you...
Idk, maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe its totes fine to get onboard a spaceship, hurtle through space without any knowledge about anything aside from speaking commands, enter-office drama, and maybe how to push a button labeled DOOR, to open a door? Maybe it's fine to be a freaking spaceship commander, but not be able to deal with seeing dead bodies?
Like the likelihood of dying out there is high. Especially high when you board a ghost ship that was lost years and years ago, without atmosphere, bro-what do you think, they are just dust? Dead people make dead bodies. Hate to break it to you! Not only are they completely unqualified and under equipped mechanically or physically to enter a potential plague contagion situation, but it is grossly reckless.
So yeah. We go through this churn of hysterical drama meltdowns and spirals every time they see a dead person(yeah, there are hundreds, and they are frozen and floating, not rotting and exploding and stinking. It just seems unprofessional to the extreme to me. Sure, it's sad. Okay. But is it this dramatic? No.
This all goes on for a while. And things get more tense as the story continues. There are some awkward interpersonal drama moments, the FMC hates everyone, and doesn't spare us any of her ranting and opinions, they commentate on the evil technocratic unfairness of all the richies in power of the universe, and make a plan to move forward from here.
I will admit i was surprised that not only does this story offer a solid reason for the spooky happenings, when i expected an ambiguous 'we don't know' reveal. And the stakes ramp up a bit at the end, the characters actually have to do some things, so i did enjoy that final 15% of the book much more than i expected. I will give it that.
It took me three days to read this(it's finally over!) and normally i read 1-3 books in a day. I think that says everything.
This author seems to be a typical culture crusader of the here and now(post-2020), with a chip on her shoulder(again, i hate this, but it seems to be in a lot of stuff) so anyway...the message here is mostly 'rich people bad.' The MC is constantly talking about how much all the materials and items on this ghost ship cost. That would be fine, except she fails to grasp the time disparity, or the fact that markets/economics/cost of goods/supply and demand all effect the price, and what something may cost her now, may in fact be different in the past. But she is totally a smart boss woman commander though.
On top of that, she is not only mentally ill, she seems to have no training or qualifications to be in this situation as a space farer, much less in her rank as commander of a crew. None of these people have any experience or knowledge that would make it possible to survive in this scenario. No training. No knowledge. No skills. Nothing.
Then we pile on this random ghost ship situation. They decide to board her, and scavenge-they are the oppressed servant class after all, and a little black market looting from an evil mega corp is only poetic, amirite? Anyway, they board. Despite knowing that this ship blipped out a long time ago, while broadcasting an SOS, and no one knows what happened. Cool cool. Don't worry guys, I'm sure those fancy spacesuits wont let anything contagious in, sheesh-you worry too much, silly rabbit!
So ya. They do this. In they go. Things quickly start to get freaky. But I'm sure it's fine. Im fine. Their fine. Everything is just fine.
Actually, this isn't the part that annoys me the most. That would be how completely unhinged terrified these characters, specifically the FMC boss woman commander, are of the dead bodies they find. Add on this narrater of the AB doing level 11/5 (again! Whyyyy?) ACTING AND THEATRICS, and needless to say I'm over it in ways i cannot describe to you...
Idk, maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe its totes fine to get onboard a spaceship, hurtle through space without any knowledge about anything aside from speaking commands, enter-office drama, and maybe how to push a button labeled DOOR, to open a door? Maybe it's fine to be a freaking spaceship commander, but not be able to deal with seeing dead bodies?
Like the likelihood of dying out there is high. Especially high when you board a ghost ship that was lost years and years ago, without atmosphere, bro-what do you think, they are just dust? Dead people make dead bodies. Hate to break it to you! Not only are they completely unqualified and under equipped mechanically or physically to enter a potential plague contagion situation, but it is grossly reckless.
So yeah. We go through this churn of hysterical drama meltdowns and spirals every time they see a dead person(yeah, there are hundreds, and they are frozen and floating, not rotting and exploding and stinking. It just seems unprofessional to the extreme to me. Sure, it's sad. Okay. But is it this dramatic? No.
This all goes on for a while. And things get more tense as the story continues. There are some awkward interpersonal drama moments, the FMC hates everyone, and doesn't spare us any of her ranting and opinions, they commentate on the evil technocratic unfairness of all the richies in power of the universe, and make a plan to move forward from here.
I will admit i was surprised that not only does this story offer a solid reason for the spooky happenings, when i expected an ambiguous 'we don't know' reveal. And the stakes ramp up a bit at the end, the characters actually have to do some things, so i did enjoy that final 15% of the book much more than i expected. I will give it that.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not my favorite S.A. Barnes book but still very good. Their writing always drags you right in and the plot is exciting and gripping. It's easy to read and the narrator is easy on the ears. I love that there are always little details through out the story hinting at the truth behind the curtain. Some books just throw a random curveball in without any actual explanation for it to make sense. Barnes' writing is very atmospheric and the descriptions are easy to imagine. Definitely worth a read if you like sci fi horror.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes