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friends2lovers's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Rape
lilyantigone's review against another edition
4.0
Content warning: physical assault, past sexual assault, threatened sexual assault, anti-gay hate speech, past child abuse.
Quite enjoyed this. Wasn't a huge fan of the narrator of the audiobook, unfortunately. He sounds pretentious, which doesn't fit the character.
Quite enjoyed this. Wasn't a huge fan of the narrator of the audiobook, unfortunately. He sounds pretentious, which doesn't fit the character.
myzanm's review against another edition
4.0
The beginning was a bit slow, but When the story picked up it was hard to put it down. I liked the slow build up and that they didn’t instantly fell in bed even if they had that intimate connection.
intheblackout's review against another edition
5.0
this was amazing
[b:Dark Space|16174363|Dark Space (Dark Space, #1)|Lisa Henry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1354020610l/16174363._SY75_.jpg|22023544] is the sci-fi romance I never knew I needed in my life. I had it on my kindle for a while now, and I just decieded to pick it up on a whim. And I'm so happy that I did!
Set sometime in the future, space travel technology has advanced like crazy. However, another species, the Faceless, are even more advanced. Brady Garrett is one of countless conscripted. He's stationed on the station Defender Three.
Cameron Rushton was captured by the Faceless four years ago. When he is returned in stasis in a pod made from Faceless technology, Brady is brought along to help get him free. Complications in the opening of the pod lead to Brady and Cameron being connected. Brady acts as a kind of pacemaker for Cameron, with a side-effect of mind-reading.
Reading about these two getting closer while under quarantine (a bit close to home), was so interesting. On one level they are getting to know each other as strangers, but the mind-reading fast tracks their relationship. [a:Lisa Henry|5050492|Lisa Henry|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1346826268p2/5050492.jpg] did an amazing job interweaving Brady's and Cameron's emotions, without making it overly complicated.
The worldbuilding was also brilliant. For the most part this is set on a space station, so everything we learn about earth and the Faceless is through a group of people stuck together in close quarters. As well as Brady or Cameron re-living the others past through their emotional memories.
One thing I loved was that when Brady, who had previouly believed he was straight, began developing feelings for Cameron, he didn't fall into a pit of self-hatred. He came to terms with his new feelings rationally. He didn't let the other homophobic recruits influence his feelings for Cameron.
The ending felt a little rushed, and I would have loved a longer page count so it could have been fleshed out more. However, I still loved it and can't wait to see how it continues in [b:Darker Space|20700258|Darker Space (Dark Space, #2)|Lisa Henry|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1444376339l/20700258._SY75_.jpg|40019913].
jackiestone's review against another edition
2.0
This was… weird.
I really enjoyed the beginning, and was excited, thinking it would be a 5 star read. Then… we got to the weird alien sex. It was… uncomfortable… and gross. And what a bizarre way to justify this plot point. The Faceless can only communicate after sex? Why??
As the story continued, and strayed farther away from where I thought it was going, I became more and more uncomfortable.
I really enjoyed the beginning, and was excited, thinking it would be a 5 star read. Then… we got to the weird alien sex. It was… uncomfortable… and gross. And what a bizarre way to justify this plot point. The Faceless can only communicate after sex? Why??
As the story continued, and strayed farther away from where I thought it was going, I became more and more uncomfortable.
buriedinsatin's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: War and Child abuse
Minor: Rape
mschaeff's review against another edition
1.0
The first, I don’t know, fifty pages are vaguely okay, and then it just turned into insanely weird Stockholm syndrome alien rape flashbacks. I kept hoping it would improve or possibly that I would quit wanting to punch the narrator in the face, but it did not and I did not. I kept thinking that a book with four stars had to have some redeeming qualities. Spoiler: it does not. So much horrifying sexual assault! Literally no plot! Terrible characters! Whatever the opposite of a recommendation is, that is what I give this book.
papercranestitches's review against another edition
5.0
*** 4.5 Perfectly Synchronized Heartbeats ***
I don't want to go into too much detail in my review (because I think half the allure of this book is discovering this world and these characters for yourself), but I just have to say that this book was frickin' AWESOME!
I thought the whole sci-fi/world-building aspects of this story were extremely well done. Then again, as a newbie to the genre, I can count the number of sci-fi books I’ve read in my lifetime on one hand – my right hand, if I’m being honest. ;)
I also really dug the telepathy angle of the story. Not that I'm above a little bump and grind, but I’ve always found the mental and emotional connections between two main characters WAY sexier than the physical ones, and this book had that in spades. And it was INTENSE. You throw in the fact that Brady’s touch was actually need to keep Cam alive and I was toast. TOAST, I tell you!
That brings me to the Faceless - they were creepy as fuck. Like, right up there with the Dementors from Harry Potter on my metre-o-terror. I was completely terrified of Kai-Ren by the time we got to meet him in the flesh. Or black latex shell. Or whatever the hell it was. And he only got more pee-my-pants-sleep-with-the-lights-on-and-one-eye-open scary from there.
I had only one real criticism of this book: considering how vividly I could hear that clock in the background of the story ticking down to doomsday, I thought that was a teensy bit underwhelming. I think there was an opportunity in that moment to seriously ratchet up the tension in the story, but it was missed/fell a little flat. That said, the next couple of scenes more than made up for it!
Verdict: Dark Space was damn good. So close to a 5-star rating I could practically taste it (and it tasted more like officer's rations and contraband chocolate bars than that crap they serve the enlisted). I think if the sex had been just a little hotter, or if the heartbreaking moments had had me reaching for a box of tissues rather than leaving me with a temporarily quivering lower lip, it would have been a 5-star novel without question. As it is, there is room for improvement. Which is FABULOUS, since I hear through the grapevine that Lisa Henry has Part 2 coming at us in 2014! :D
PS: I gotta say - and I know this is practically blasphemous to say to a website full of readers, but… - I think that Dark Space would make a fucking WICKED movie. Except… Ugh. Hollywood would probably make it a male/female relationship and I’d want to gouge my own eyes out...
I don't want to go into too much detail in my review (because I think half the allure of this book is discovering this world and these characters for yourself), but I just have to say that this book was frickin' AWESOME!
I thought the whole sci-fi/world-building aspects of this story were extremely well done. Then again, as a newbie to the genre, I can count the number of sci-fi books I’ve read in my lifetime on one hand – my right hand, if I’m being honest. ;)
I also really dug the telepathy angle of the story. Not that I'm above a little bump and grind, but I’ve always found the mental and emotional connections between two main characters WAY sexier than the physical ones, and this book had that in spades. And it was INTENSE. You throw in the fact that Brady’s touch was actually need to keep Cam alive and I was toast. TOAST, I tell you!
That brings me to the Faceless - they were creepy as fuck. Like, right up there with the Dementors from Harry Potter on my metre-o-terror. I was completely terrified of Kai-Ren by the time we got to meet him in the flesh. Or black latex shell. Or whatever the hell it was. And he only got more pee-my-pants-sleep-with-the-lights-on-and-one-eye-open scary from there.
I had only one real criticism of this book: considering how vividly I could hear that clock in the background of the story ticking down to doomsday, I thought that
Spoiler
the scene in the Dome with Kai-Ren, Cam, Brady, and the othersVerdict: Dark Space was damn good. So close to a 5-star rating I could practically taste it (and it tasted more like officer's rations and contraband chocolate bars than that crap they serve the enlisted). I think if the sex had been just a little hotter, or if the heartbreaking moments had had me reaching for a box of tissues rather than leaving me with a temporarily quivering lower lip, it would have been a 5-star novel without question. As it is, there is room for improvement. Which is FABULOUS, since I hear through the grapevine that Lisa Henry has Part 2 coming at us in 2014! :D
PS: I gotta say - and I know this is practically blasphemous to say to a website full of readers, but… - I think that Dark Space would make a fucking WICKED movie. Except… Ugh. Hollywood would probably make it a male/female relationship and I’d want to gouge my own eyes out...
cmasone's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
mialaurence's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0