Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Tor Nightfire (2024), 384 pages
Description
While part of a small space exploration crew on an abandoned planet, a psychologist confronts a gruesome murder and twisted secrets as she races to prevent history from repeating itself in the form of space-borne madness.
User reviews
LibraryThing member jwitt33
I wasn't 100% sure about reading this book because sci fi stories set in space are kind of hit or miss with me, but I"m really glad I decided to give it a try, because this one was definitely a hit. I've heard it described as "claustrophobic" and I got that impression, too. You can feel the walls
This is a well written book full of great characters, a setting that is described perfectly, and enough action to keep things tense and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.
All in all, I enjoyed this book very much and am giving it an enthusiastic 5/5 stars.
*** I want to thank NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and S.A. Barnes for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
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of the station closing in on you when crew members start acting odd, and then one of them turns up murdered. Who did it, why did they do it, and who will be next? You find yourself asking those questions right along with the remaining crew members, and then are unable to put the book down until you get your answers! This is a well written book full of great characters, a setting that is described perfectly, and enough action to keep things tense and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.
All in all, I enjoyed this book very much and am giving it an enthusiastic 5/5 stars.
*** I want to thank NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group, and S.A. Barnes for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
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LibraryThing member melaniehope
Three and a half stars for this space thriller. Dr. Ophelia Bray travels with a small expedition to an isolated planet. She is there to observe the crew members and make sure they do not suffer from a condition that can lead to PTSD like systems and quickly turn into psychotic tendencies, even
Ophelia was not very likeable, and I didn't feel any connection to the other crew members. However, there was enough simmering tension and unease to keep me interested. The space hub they occupy looks like it has been deserted in a hurry and things don't seem to be right. Eventually more sinister events occur.
The ending was pretty quick, and I wish there had been a longer epilogue to help explain some things. However, I enjoyed this slow burn of a sci-fy thriller. I received a complimentary eBook from the publisher in exchange for a review.
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leading to murder and suicide.Ophelia was not very likeable, and I didn't feel any connection to the other crew members. However, there was enough simmering tension and unease to keep me interested. The space hub they occupy looks like it has been deserted in a hurry and things don't seem to be right. Eventually more sinister events occur.
The ending was pretty quick, and I wish there had been a longer epilogue to help explain some things. However, I enjoyed this slow burn of a sci-fy thriller. I received a complimentary eBook from the publisher in exchange for a review.
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LibraryThing member AmyM3317
Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to treating ERS - a psychological condition linked to people who live and work within the darkness of space. Being in the darkness and on a different circadian rhythm can mess with people's sleep and, as one infamous tragedy shows, can be deadly.
Ophelia is
As they land and begin to make residency it quickly becomes apparent that something unexplainable happened on this planet. And when those inexplicable things begin happening amongst the crew, culminating with one of their deaths, Ophelia begins to question if it is the beginning of ERS or something else entirely. In order to survive they'll have to trust each other, but that trust becomes difficult when it's apparent that they've all been keeping their secrets.
Space is the perfect setting for a mystery because it’s so vast yet also so suffocating. You can’t just go anywhere you are at the mercy of your team and technology. And for Ophelia she can’t trust either. As readers it's put in our heads early on that we also might not be able to trust Ophelia's perspective on things. So there is this tension slowly building and running throughout as we kind of walk side-by-side with Ophelia as everything starts to go sideways. Who do we believe? Can we believe anyone?
I will say that there are quite a few too many feints without much forward momentum early on in the book. Yes, it is a slow build and I was completely captivated in the narration, but I also feel like the pacing could have been stepped up a little more while still maintaining that building tension.
In that regard, however, the narrator has a very haunting quality about her voice and listening to the audiobook lent itself well to keeping this eerie quality running throughout. I think the decisions made as far as tone of voice and pacing of the read was spot on. Even though the story is told from Ophelia's point of view, each character was distinctive on their own. When the dialogue changed I knew who was speaking without cues. Overall, impressive and immersive narration.
I don't typically read a lot of horror. But there was just something about the premise of this on that called to me I guess. If you're not super into the squishy, squicky moments that often pop up in horror, then I think you may like this. Don't get me wrong it certainly has its moments of that, but I personally felt like it was lighter than the other times I've read a true horror book. Maybe it's because it has a futuristic bent to it that lends itself well to not feeling overly gross like some horror tends to be.
I do feel like this is a good book to go into with very little knowledge of, so in order to avoid giving anything more away, I'll leave off here, but do want to say that I like and appreciate the way SA Barnes chose to tie everything up at the conclusion.
I've not read SA Barnes previous book, but reading this certainly gets me interested. Next time I'm in the mood for a thrilling sci-fi mystery/horror, I'll know where to look.
Ophelia is
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assigned to work, and head out on a mission, with an exploration crew who just suffered the loss of one of their own. She is eager to make a difference regardless that they have no interest in her help to the point where it's clear the crew is keeping information about their colleague's death from Ophelia. As they land and begin to make residency it quickly becomes apparent that something unexplainable happened on this planet. And when those inexplicable things begin happening amongst the crew, culminating with one of their deaths, Ophelia begins to question if it is the beginning of ERS or something else entirely. In order to survive they'll have to trust each other, but that trust becomes difficult when it's apparent that they've all been keeping their secrets.
Space is the perfect setting for a mystery because it’s so vast yet also so suffocating. You can’t just go anywhere you are at the mercy of your team and technology. And for Ophelia she can’t trust either. As readers it's put in our heads early on that we also might not be able to trust Ophelia's perspective on things. So there is this tension slowly building and running throughout as we kind of walk side-by-side with Ophelia as everything starts to go sideways. Who do we believe? Can we believe anyone?
I will say that there are quite a few too many feints without much forward momentum early on in the book. Yes, it is a slow build and I was completely captivated in the narration, but I also feel like the pacing could have been stepped up a little more while still maintaining that building tension.
In that regard, however, the narrator has a very haunting quality about her voice and listening to the audiobook lent itself well to keeping this eerie quality running throughout. I think the decisions made as far as tone of voice and pacing of the read was spot on. Even though the story is told from Ophelia's point of view, each character was distinctive on their own. When the dialogue changed I knew who was speaking without cues. Overall, impressive and immersive narration.
I don't typically read a lot of horror. But there was just something about the premise of this on that called to me I guess. If you're not super into the squishy, squicky moments that often pop up in horror, then I think you may like this. Don't get me wrong it certainly has its moments of that, but I personally felt like it was lighter than the other times I've read a true horror book. Maybe it's because it has a futuristic bent to it that lends itself well to not feeling overly gross like some horror tends to be.
I do feel like this is a good book to go into with very little knowledge of, so in order to avoid giving anything more away, I'll leave off here, but do want to say that I like and appreciate the way SA Barnes chose to tie everything up at the conclusion.
I've not read SA Barnes previous book, but reading this certainly gets me interested. Next time I'm in the mood for a thrilling sci-fi mystery/horror, I'll know where to look.
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LibraryThing member muddyboy
A capable science fiction novel about a group of space travelers that go to various planets one having an abandoned space station containing a few dead bodies.The lead character, Ophelia, is an outlier in a group as she is a trained psychologist supposed to help the crew with it's mental stresses
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but the captain is antagonist from the start whose skepticism trickles down to the rest of the crew. . Over time this unlikely group must overcome their differences to deal with the struggles at hand. Show Less
LibraryThing member MillieHennessy
Thanks to Tor for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.
I'm a fan of the 'haunted ship/space station' genre (whether haunted is ghosts or aliens), though it's not one I read frequently. It's possible I'm easily impressed, but boy, this one had me ~stressin'.~ I think Barnes did an
I was definitely trying to guess what was going on as much as the crew and really enjoyed the ride. I do think the main character, Ophelia, gets a bit in her head at times, but it make sense because she's a therapist; of course she's going to be over-analyzing everyone's words and actions, including her own.
The end was a little vaguely convenient, in a somewhat unsatisfying way, but it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the overall story. I'll definitely be reading Barnes's other book.
I'm a fan of the 'haunted ship/space station' genre (whether haunted is ghosts or aliens), though it's not one I read frequently. It's possible I'm easily impressed, but boy, this one had me ~stressin'.~ I think Barnes did an
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excellent job with building up feelings of paranoia and fear as the crew spends more time in the station and tries to learn what happened on the planet before their arrival. There is some mild (imo, for what that's worth) body horror - enough to make me feel a bit squicky, but not so much that I felt I needed to skim anything, and I'm a pretty big baby.I was definitely trying to guess what was going on as much as the crew and really enjoyed the ride. I do think the main character, Ophelia, gets a bit in her head at times, but it make sense because she's a therapist; of course she's going to be over-analyzing everyone's words and actions, including her own.
The end was a little vaguely convenient, in a somewhat unsatisfying way, but it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the overall story. I'll definitely be reading Barnes's other book.
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Awards
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — April 2024)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
384 p.; 8.25 inches
ISBN
1250884926 / 9781250884923
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