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Dark Space
Bestselling and acclaimed authors Rob Hart and Alex Segura join forces on Dark Space, a sweeping sci-fi spy thriller that blends the epic scope and character-driven spark of Star Trek with the intrigue of John le Carré’s Smiley novels.
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.
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.
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 8, 2024
About the author
Rob Hart
51 books810 followersRob Hart is the author of THE PARADOX HOTEL. He also wrote THE WAREHOUSE, which has been sold in more than 20 countries and been optioned for film by Ron Howard, as well as the Ash McKenna crime series, the short story collection TAKE-OUT, and SCOTT FREE with James Patterson.
His short stories have been published widely, including “Due on Batuu,” set in the Star Wars universe, which appeared in FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and "Take-Out," which appeared in BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES 2018.
He’s worked as a political reporter, the communications director for a politician, and a commissioner for the city of New York. He is the former publisher at MysteriousPress.com and the current class director at LitReactor. He lives in New York City.
His short stories have been published widely, including “Due on Batuu,” set in the Star Wars universe, which appeared in FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and "Take-Out," which appeared in BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES 2018.
He’s worked as a political reporter, the communications director for a politician, and a commissioner for the city of New York. He is the former publisher at MysteriousPress.com and the current class director at LitReactor. He lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 4, 2024
Blackstone Publishing provided an early galley for review.
Every now and again, I like to dive into a sci-fi novel about space as it was a genre I read a lot of in my teens. Having enjoyed an earlier novel by Segura, this one caught my eye.
Interestingly enough, this novel has two writers which I always find to be an intriguing exercise. Can I tell the difference between their two styles? (I could not.) Do their styles mesh well together? (They do.) The story itself is split between two main protagonists in two different locations which probably made their work a bit easier (assuming they each took one narrative path, which I am not sure if they did or not).
However, the narrative ping-pong really did not work for me here. While each storyline moved along and eventually came together to a satisfying conclusion, I found myself frustrated by being invested in one only to be jerked back to the other. That took some of the luster off of the book for me.
Every now and again, I like to dive into a sci-fi novel about space as it was a genre I read a lot of in my teens. Having enjoyed an earlier novel by Segura, this one caught my eye.
Interestingly enough, this novel has two writers which I always find to be an intriguing exercise. Can I tell the difference between their two styles? (I could not.) Do their styles mesh well together? (They do.) The story itself is split between two main protagonists in two different locations which probably made their work a bit easier (assuming they each took one narrative path, which I am not sure if they did or not).
However, the narrative ping-pong really did not work for me here. While each storyline moved along and eventually came together to a satisfying conclusion, I found myself frustrated by being invested in one only to be jerked back to the other. That took some of the luster off of the book for me.
May 6, 2024
Solid 3 stars, maybe a half extra star for intriguing use of smoke.
A short read that sucked me in every time I picked it up. The primary question (as I see it): what’s more important, saving humanity at any cost - or making sure to save humanity’s soul? To answer this question, you’ll ride along as our two main characters fight bad guys, good guys, and advanced guys - while facing a countdown that could eliminate the human species entirely.
(Thanks to NetGalley and the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review.)
A short read that sucked me in every time I picked it up. The primary question (as I see it): what’s more important, saving humanity at any cost - or making sure to save humanity’s soul? To answer this question, you’ll ride along as our two main characters fight bad guys, good guys, and advanced guys - while facing a countdown that could eliminate the human species entirely.
(Thanks to NetGalley and the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review.)
October 2, 2024
Who knew there was a subgenre of science fiction that is basically espionage in space? Turns out, it’s a real category and it’s great! The novel Deep Space by Rob Hart and Alex Segura drew me in with the synopsis-and it delivered. The story is told with two different perspectives, one pilot in space and one government agent on the moon. Scary situations are occurring in both narratives but neither person can figure out what is going on and why they are being steered in different directions. From the beginning this space mystery goes at a pretty adventurous speed, but at about 35% in- it really gets going. With a sprinkling of spy tech and tactics, hidden enemies and even first contact, this novel has all the science fiction ingredients I love. I hope these authors keep combining their skills because they worked together to create one of my favorite novels this year. If you like Mission Impossible movies and stories that are like puzzles, you may love this book! Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for a chance to read this earc in return for my honest opinion.
August 28, 2024
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Blackstone Publishing for an advance copy of this science fiction book about a future where humans have made it to the stars, and have made a mess of it, written by two authors who are really making names for themselves in many different genres.
Science fiction and conspiracy stories seem to me two great tastes that taste great together. One can look at the stories of Philip K. Dick who was sure that people were out to get them, people he wrote about constantly. Many classic shows of science fiction count on conspiracys to fuel their plots. What I've always wanted more of in these kind of stories are a little bit more espionage. A little more of The Circus, as John le Carré called his intelligence agencies, under the shadows of different suns. Rob Hart and Alex Segura two authors I have been reading a lot of recently had the same idea. Their book Dark Space, is a story about the future, space travel, conspiracies, trust, spies, lies, and redemption.
Humans have made it into space, but treating the universe like the planet Earth has consequences. The colonies are showing their age. Things are breaking, and even the most naive of people feel something is going to happen. And not for the good. The starship Mosaic the first of it's kind is traveling to a new world, one that might offer opportunities to the humanity. If it gets there. A strange cascading series of problems nearly destroy the ship. Reports of difficulties are not getting through. And people seem to be dying. On the Mosaic Jose Carriles is getting the feeling that failures he is experiencing, are part of a much bigger problem. The mission that he was brought in might not be the mission he thought it was. And who else might know the truth. Back on New Destiny, a lunar colony retired, not by choice spy Corin Timony becomes aware that strange things are happening. Maybe tied to the death of her love, the pilot that Jose Carriles replaced. As body begin to pile up, and things get darker both Timony and Carriles are getting the feeling they are being lied too, and these lies might be the end of all humanity.
This book starts at lightspeed and keeps going, which I loved. From the first page to the end, one is locked into a gravity seat, flipping pages. Both authors are very good at designing plots and this is a good science fiction, first contact, conspiracy, almost dystopian tale. The world is very rich, and I hope we see more of it, there is a lot of possibilities for stories here, and a few things are dropped that could be picked up in later books. The story like I wrote moves well, jumping from point of view of both characters easily. The characters are interesting, flawed in ways one does not see much, but stronger in ways that become clearer as the book goes on. There' a bit of humor, a lot of adventure, a lot of thrills, and some surprisingly shocking moments. Really everything I want in a story.
As I stated I have enjoyed books by both these authors quite a bit. Again I hope this the beginning of a series, as the characters, the world, and the ideas are well-written and something I wouldn't mind seeing again. Really good science fiction, and a lot of fun.
Science fiction and conspiracy stories seem to me two great tastes that taste great together. One can look at the stories of Philip K. Dick who was sure that people were out to get them, people he wrote about constantly. Many classic shows of science fiction count on conspiracys to fuel their plots. What I've always wanted more of in these kind of stories are a little bit more espionage. A little more of The Circus, as John le Carré called his intelligence agencies, under the shadows of different suns. Rob Hart and Alex Segura two authors I have been reading a lot of recently had the same idea. Their book Dark Space, is a story about the future, space travel, conspiracies, trust, spies, lies, and redemption.
Humans have made it into space, but treating the universe like the planet Earth has consequences. The colonies are showing their age. Things are breaking, and even the most naive of people feel something is going to happen. And not for the good. The starship Mosaic the first of it's kind is traveling to a new world, one that might offer opportunities to the humanity. If it gets there. A strange cascading series of problems nearly destroy the ship. Reports of difficulties are not getting through. And people seem to be dying. On the Mosaic Jose Carriles is getting the feeling that failures he is experiencing, are part of a much bigger problem. The mission that he was brought in might not be the mission he thought it was. And who else might know the truth. Back on New Destiny, a lunar colony retired, not by choice spy Corin Timony becomes aware that strange things are happening. Maybe tied to the death of her love, the pilot that Jose Carriles replaced. As body begin to pile up, and things get darker both Timony and Carriles are getting the feeling they are being lied too, and these lies might be the end of all humanity.
This book starts at lightspeed and keeps going, which I loved. From the first page to the end, one is locked into a gravity seat, flipping pages. Both authors are very good at designing plots and this is a good science fiction, first contact, conspiracy, almost dystopian tale. The world is very rich, and I hope we see more of it, there is a lot of possibilities for stories here, and a few things are dropped that could be picked up in later books. The story like I wrote moves well, jumping from point of view of both characters easily. The characters are interesting, flawed in ways one does not see much, but stronger in ways that become clearer as the book goes on. There' a bit of humor, a lot of adventure, a lot of thrills, and some surprisingly shocking moments. Really everything I want in a story.
As I stated I have enjoyed books by both these authors quite a bit. Again I hope this the beginning of a series, as the characters, the world, and the ideas are well-written and something I wouldn't mind seeing again. Really good science fiction, and a lot of fun.
September 4, 2024
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
This is described as 007 meets Star Trek - and it feels that way but with all the minuses rather than the pluses. The characters didn't feel well developed, the plot was all "Oh no, something is going wrong at the top and I must save the universe!" and I just never got into the people or what they were doing. At about 60%, I skimmed through quickly, trying not to roll my eyes at the big "oh noes!" betrayals and reveals.Story: Jose is an ace pilot assigned to a ship sent to explore a newly discovered Goldilocks planet - a badly needed new habitat for humanity after Earth's resources are failing. But soon enough into the trip, it is obvious that someone doesn't want the mission to succeed. Meanwhile, on New Destiny on the moon, ace spy Corin has been relegated to a desk job after getting busted with Jose for drugs. Jose got off due to family in high places while Corin took the brunt of the sentence. She also soon discovers a conspiracy involving the death of her ex that has her embroiled in the same life and death situations as Jose.
I had a lot of problems with this book. First and foremost, none of the characters were believable or even likable. Jose and Corin's backstory of the drug bust is never discussed and so we have no idea why they did it other than to create a link between the two in the future. Corin is supposed to be this superspy but we didn't really get to see it since she only looks at the obvious and heavy-handed clues; certainly, Jose never really flies the ship much since he's either saving it or fretting about a conspiracy onboard. Don't get me started about the cardboard cutout overly-simplistic side characters that were better suited for a cartoon.
The conspiracy itself was overly silly and I won't get into spoilers so I can't really go into just how ludicrous it got at the end. The Scooby Doo mystery was silly and I guess about on par with a 1970s Bond SPECTRE villain and plot. The only saving grace is that there isn't a love story here between Corin and Jose.
Then there's the sci fi - space travel to a newly discovered distant plant is done in a few pages with no hypersleep or other hyperspeed/crysleep contrivances. It's all about the conspiracy so no one is supposed to wonder why a ship going to see a new planet doesn't have scientists or explorers and instead is packed with typical "Star Fleet" types. Apparently, they took a day to go to a new far planet and were just going to take a shuttle down to explore it. Yeah.
So was it terrible? Perhaps not if your tolerance for sci fi isn't high. But honestly, it was hard not to roll my eyes at either the silly spy plot, the big conspiracy, the bad science, or the cardboard characters. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
July 23, 2024
4 Stars!!
Look. I basically became a fan of Rob Hart after reading Assassins Anonymous, so it was a complete no brainer in picking this book up that he co-wrote with Alex Segura. Not surprisingly, this was a win as well.
Told in split POV’s running coincidently, this story follows estranged friends Jose Carriles and Corin Timony. Jose is an ace spaceship pilot who has skated through life on a road of privilege despite a recent personal scandal. Somehow, he has landed a coveted position on a history-making mission to explore the first viable planet that could be the answer to a beleaguered humanity currently struggling to survive on the moon. Timony, who hasn’t had it easy in life, who also was tied up in the same aforementioned scandal, finds herself demoted to riding a desk monitoring messages from space instead of doing what she does best - being a secret agent serving national interests and preventing general destruction.
As this book goes back and forth between Jose and Timony trying to find answers when unexplainable events stall, and eventually threaten, the success of the mission, they slowly unravel secrets that don’t want to be found, where the lives of the crew, and ultimately the last of the human race, is threatened with annihilation.
This has great science to it, and as all stories with this sort of setup, it touches on our base desire and drive to survive and the lengths we go through to merely exist. It is also a very smart, brutally honest, and often unsavory, commentary on what makes us human, HUGE warts and all, encompassing our greed, desperation, and callousness. However, despite our many inherent failings, this asks the question: are we redeemable as a whole? Are we worth saving? I certainly hope so.
For me, I absolutely loved the Star Trek vibes of this. Be reassured this isn’t all existential angst. Hart and Segura don’t fail on the action, suspense, the urgent espionage vibe, shady complex politics, and omniscient powerful aliens who are judge, jury, and executioners of the galaxy where humanity is not exempt. This held my attention with the fast pace and reveals as both Jose and Timony are like dogs with a bone. They may be terribly flawed, but there’s honor and personal growth for these two. They know something is off, that something sinister is going on, and they just can’t let it be. Good thing they don’t.
I obviously enjoyed this, and I’m simply further reassured that Rob Hart (and Alex Segura) are authors to remain on my radar.
Thank you to to the authors and Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review
Look. I basically became a fan of Rob Hart after reading Assassins Anonymous, so it was a complete no brainer in picking this book up that he co-wrote with Alex Segura. Not surprisingly, this was a win as well.
Told in split POV’s running coincidently, this story follows estranged friends Jose Carriles and Corin Timony. Jose is an ace spaceship pilot who has skated through life on a road of privilege despite a recent personal scandal. Somehow, he has landed a coveted position on a history-making mission to explore the first viable planet that could be the answer to a beleaguered humanity currently struggling to survive on the moon. Timony, who hasn’t had it easy in life, who also was tied up in the same aforementioned scandal, finds herself demoted to riding a desk monitoring messages from space instead of doing what she does best - being a secret agent serving national interests and preventing general destruction.
As this book goes back and forth between Jose and Timony trying to find answers when unexplainable events stall, and eventually threaten, the success of the mission, they slowly unravel secrets that don’t want to be found, where the lives of the crew, and ultimately the last of the human race, is threatened with annihilation.
This has great science to it, and as all stories with this sort of setup, it touches on our base desire and drive to survive and the lengths we go through to merely exist. It is also a very smart, brutally honest, and often unsavory, commentary on what makes us human, HUGE warts and all, encompassing our greed, desperation, and callousness. However, despite our many inherent failings, this asks the question: are we redeemable as a whole? Are we worth saving? I certainly hope so.
For me, I absolutely loved the Star Trek vibes of this. Be reassured this isn’t all existential angst. Hart and Segura don’t fail on the action, suspense, the urgent espionage vibe, shady complex politics, and omniscient powerful aliens who are judge, jury, and executioners of the galaxy where humanity is not exempt. This held my attention with the fast pace and reveals as both Jose and Timony are like dogs with a bone. They may be terribly flawed, but there’s honor and personal growth for these two. They know something is off, that something sinister is going on, and they just can’t let it be. Good thing they don’t.
I obviously enjoyed this, and I’m simply further reassured that Rob Hart (and Alex Segura) are authors to remain on my radar.
Thank you to to the authors and Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review
April 23, 2024
TLDR: A fun and rompy spy story set in space, looking at big questions like: are human good? What does it mean to be a leader? Why did the engine on this spaceship just turn off?
I really really enjoyed this book! It was fast paced, unexpected, and the two points of view don’t come together until the very end. Very very satisfactory! Thank you to Rob Hart, Alex Segura, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC!!
But what’s this book about? You ask me. Well. On the Mosaic ship, things are not good. At the opening of the story, pilot José Carriles has just noticed that (1) the engines are failing and (2) the alarm didn’t go off. Not great, especially for a planetary exploration mission lightyears from home. At home, ex golden spy Timony Corin receives a distress signal. Maybe. Long story short: something is very wrong, very few people are as worried as they should, and it’d be good if someone looked into it.
I liked the general pacing of the book, the big questions and the alternating storylines and points of view. I found it adventurous, reflective, and inspiring. Personally, I could have used ‘new players’ instead than the US, Russia, China and the others usual suspects. I just think it would have given some more distance to the story, a bigger feel of ‘a far future’.
I’d really recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and rompy spy-story set in space. The stakes are high, but it is not (too) anxiety inducing, so it’s a very good relaxing book, while keeping you stuck to the page at the same time.
Content Warnings: Death, War, Alcohol Abuse, Overdose.
I really really enjoyed this book! It was fast paced, unexpected, and the two points of view don’t come together until the very end. Very very satisfactory! Thank you to Rob Hart, Alex Segura, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC!!
But what’s this book about? You ask me. Well. On the Mosaic ship, things are not good. At the opening of the story, pilot José Carriles has just noticed that (1) the engines are failing and (2) the alarm didn’t go off. Not great, especially for a planetary exploration mission lightyears from home. At home, ex golden spy Timony Corin receives a distress signal. Maybe. Long story short: something is very wrong, very few people are as worried as they should, and it’d be good if someone looked into it.
I liked the general pacing of the book, the big questions and the alternating storylines and points of view. I found it adventurous, reflective, and inspiring. Personally, I could have used ‘new players’ instead than the US, Russia, China and the others usual suspects. I just think it would have given some more distance to the story, a bigger feel of ‘a far future’.
I’d really recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and rompy spy-story set in space. The stakes are high, but it is not (too) anxiety inducing, so it’s a very good relaxing book, while keeping you stuck to the page at the same time.
Content Warnings: Death, War, Alcohol Abuse, Overdose.
September 23, 2024
Dark Space combines multiple genres/sub-genres into one very bingeable, action packed space thriller!
While piloting the Mosaic, multiple system failures place Jose Carriles and everyone else aboard the ship in peril. Carriles thinks fast and saves the ship, for the moment, and fires of a message off to New Destiny, the lunar colony they all came from.
Corin Timony, who's been relegated to desk work after an incident with Jose, receives the message, and feels the need to investigate what's happening on the Mosaic after another message shortly after says to disregard the first message.
As Carriles tries to preserve the Mosaic as it hurtles through space, Timony tries to sort out the politics involved in New Destiny related to the ship. Both of them soon realize they are in over their heads, but continue their journeys for the sake of humanity itself.
I was glued to the pages from the beginning of this story, and loved the intricate politics that Carriles and Timony work to unravel. Timony's storyline felt reminiscent of my favorite parts of spy thrillers, and Carriles' chapters had a claustrophobic, almost locked-room feeling to them. The central struggle of saving the few vs the many was a great thought experiment to chew on throughout all the action taking place, and I loved how the external plot helped resolve the main characters' internal roadblocks.
Fans of action/spy thrillers with a side of space will love this one!
Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
While piloting the Mosaic, multiple system failures place Jose Carriles and everyone else aboard the ship in peril. Carriles thinks fast and saves the ship, for the moment, and fires of a message off to New Destiny, the lunar colony they all came from.
Corin Timony, who's been relegated to desk work after an incident with Jose, receives the message, and feels the need to investigate what's happening on the Mosaic after another message shortly after says to disregard the first message.
As Carriles tries to preserve the Mosaic as it hurtles through space, Timony tries to sort out the politics involved in New Destiny related to the ship. Both of them soon realize they are in over their heads, but continue their journeys for the sake of humanity itself.
I was glued to the pages from the beginning of this story, and loved the intricate politics that Carriles and Timony work to unravel. Timony's storyline felt reminiscent of my favorite parts of spy thrillers, and Carriles' chapters had a claustrophobic, almost locked-room feeling to them. The central struggle of saving the few vs the many was a great thought experiment to chew on throughout all the action taking place, and I loved how the external plot helped resolve the main characters' internal roadblocks.
Fans of action/spy thrillers with a side of space will love this one!
Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 1, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and to Blackstone Publishing for the ARC of Dark Space by Rob Hart and Alex Segura in exchange for an honest review.
I read both Paradox Hotel and Secret Identity back when both first came out, and was intrigued by a pairing of Hart and Segura in a space opera environment. This is an entertaining romp of a book - a lot of action, action, action which is really easy to fall into and engage with. We follow two main characters Jose Carilles, the son of a senator and now the pilot of the ship making Earth's first attempt to finding a new home world, and Corin Timony, Jose's childhood friend and now disgraced and demoted spy.
When Corin is monitoring the networks during her night shifts, she receives and logs a distress call from Jose's ship which she is told to ignore. Jose, also noticing the removal of the distress call record is similarly told to forget the same. Working apart the two stumble into a conspiracy larger than either could imagine.
Again, very entertaining plot and a fun read. I did feel there were a lot of significant plot holes throughout that took away from the story for me - perhaps with how short the novel is it just didn't have time to dive into solving all the given problems / pieces?
I read both Paradox Hotel and Secret Identity back when both first came out, and was intrigued by a pairing of Hart and Segura in a space opera environment. This is an entertaining romp of a book - a lot of action, action, action which is really easy to fall into and engage with. We follow two main characters Jose Carilles, the son of a senator and now the pilot of the ship making Earth's first attempt to finding a new home world, and Corin Timony, Jose's childhood friend and now disgraced and demoted spy.
When Corin is monitoring the networks during her night shifts, she receives and logs a distress call from Jose's ship which she is told to ignore. Jose, also noticing the removal of the distress call record is similarly told to forget the same. Working apart the two stumble into a conspiracy larger than either could imagine.
Again, very entertaining plot and a fun read. I did feel there were a lot of significant plot holes throughout that took away from the story for me - perhaps with how short the novel is it just didn't have time to dive into solving all the given problems / pieces?
April 23, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Interstellar conspiracies, government politics and first contact all come together in this new collaboration. I was already a Rob Hart fan from The Warehouse, Hotel Paradox and the upcoming Assassins Anonymous so I jumped at the chance to read a new scifi book.
The plot picks up pretty quickly and is jumps back and forth between Jose Carilles on the Mosaic that is visiting the first planet outside the solar system and Corin Timony back home at New Destiny, a world created when we wore out Earth and is already being stretched to limitations. As we slowly learn about Corin and Jose's backgrounds they both narrowly escape death and independently start investigating why things are falling apart around them.
Thoroughly enjoyed the story and it came together great in the end with a very satisfying climax. There is definitely a lot more to explore in this world Hart and Segura have built and I hope this is the start of a series.
Interstellar conspiracies, government politics and first contact all come together in this new collaboration. I was already a Rob Hart fan from The Warehouse, Hotel Paradox and the upcoming Assassins Anonymous so I jumped at the chance to read a new scifi book.
The plot picks up pretty quickly and is jumps back and forth between Jose Carilles on the Mosaic that is visiting the first planet outside the solar system and Corin Timony back home at New Destiny, a world created when we wore out Earth and is already being stretched to limitations. As we slowly learn about Corin and Jose's backgrounds they both narrowly escape death and independently start investigating why things are falling apart around them.
Thoroughly enjoyed the story and it came together great in the end with a very satisfying climax. There is definitely a lot more to explore in this world Hart and Segura have built and I hope this is the start of a series.
July 5, 2024
Got an ARC for this one, and I'm so glad I did. I would probably have passed this one up, because the melding of a spy novel with Star Trek didn't really appeal. I was very, very wrong.
The story is divided in two, chapters alternating between the planetside disgraced former spy accidentally uncovering a conspiracy and the hotshot pilot on the space ship at the heart of the conspiracy. Either can drop it, play ball, at any time, but they don't because it's the right thing to do.
You know how in so many novels you think that any sane person would just throw up their hands and play along? I never thought that here. The narrative is suitably twisty, and Hart and Segura do a great job leading you along, and you're not 100% sure who is on who's side at any one point.
A fun, self aware (but not annoyingly so) space opera thriller. Don't sleep on this one like I almost did.
The story is divided in two, chapters alternating between the planetside disgraced former spy accidentally uncovering a conspiracy and the hotshot pilot on the space ship at the heart of the conspiracy. Either can drop it, play ball, at any time, but they don't because it's the right thing to do.
You know how in so many novels you think that any sane person would just throw up their hands and play along? I never thought that here. The narrative is suitably twisty, and Hart and Segura do a great job leading you along, and you're not 100% sure who is on who's side at any one point.
A fun, self aware (but not annoyingly so) space opera thriller. Don't sleep on this one like I almost did.
September 15, 2024
Whether it's the 22nd or 23rd century, the story suggests that Earth's global politics remain largely unchanged. The elites of Russia, China, and the USA continue to play their games, using us as pawns on a galactic chessboard. The main protagonist, Jose Carriles, laments, "I wish we lived in a world where we could trust our leaders, but they're often petty and cruel—unqualified and selfish individuals who prioritize their own interests over humanity's welfare." However, don't let this dissuade you; the book offers a captivating read. Set in a future with intriguing characters and a compelling plot, it provides both entertainment and pause for thought. I am looking forward to the next installment in the Dark Space series.
June 10, 2024
If you like reading about space, spies, and thrilling intrigue then “Dark Space” is a book for you! Rob Hart and Alex Segura do an amazing job at combining those subjects into a heart-pounding adventure that keeps you guessing.
This novel combines a character intensity reminiscent of “Star Trek” with the mysterious danger of planet exploration like the movie “Prospect”; this story grabs ahold of you from the very beginning.
With one main character on their maiden voyage to an unknown planet, and the other on the ground, both start to realize something is not quite right. With betrayals and new alliances, the fight for humanity is front and center in this gripping tale.
This novel combines a character intensity reminiscent of “Star Trek” with the mysterious danger of planet exploration like the movie “Prospect”; this story grabs ahold of you from the very beginning.
With one main character on their maiden voyage to an unknown planet, and the other on the ground, both start to realize something is not quite right. With betrayals and new alliances, the fight for humanity is front and center in this gripping tale.
June 24, 2024
In DARK SPACE humans have finally managed to leave Earth and establish colonies. New Destiny is the lunar colony where Timony, a disgraced drunken spy, is working, translating messages. Carriles is on the Mosaic under the impression he is going to be colonizing Esparar, an uninhabited planet. They are both being used.
I received DARK SPACE from Netgalley to read and review. To do this, I used my Kindle and my Kindle app. The copy I received was not a proof and had editorial issues throughout, even after I removed and re-downloaded it. These did affect my rating.
I received DARK SPACE from Netgalley to read and review. To do this, I used my Kindle and my Kindle app. The copy I received was not a proof and had editorial issues throughout, even after I removed and re-downloaded it. These did affect my rating.
April 25, 2024
I fell face first into this story and struggled to put it down again until the end because I was so engaged with and invested in the characters and curious about the twists in the story. Highly recommended for folks who like space opera but also the adrenaline level was a little higher here than my usual fare!
I'm strongly considering re-reading again soon, in that way of great plotting where you want to watch it all unfold a second time!
I'm strongly considering re-reading again soon, in that way of great plotting where you want to watch it all unfold a second time!
May 4, 2024
READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books
Make sure to check out the full review
Make sure to check out the full review
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