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crtsjffrsn's review against another edition
4.0
Brady Garrett is a recruit on a space station doing his duty to defend Earth. And he's focused on finishing out his service and getting back home to his family. But when Cameron Rushton, a pilot who was kidnapped by an alien race four years ago, mysteriously returns, Brady finds himself called to the aid of the medical team. When his revival is botched, Brady finds himself tied to Cameron to keep him going.
Space stories are often hit or miss for me, but this one really ended up on the hit side. It was very easy to get immersed into this world and the characterization of and tension between Brady and Cameron was very well done.
Content warning: sexual abuse, dubious consent, rape, stockholm syndrome (this one bothered me a bit, to be honest)
Space stories are often hit or miss for me, but this one really ended up on the hit side. It was very easy to get immersed into this world and the characterization of and tension between Brady and Cameron was very well done.
Content warning: sexual abuse, dubious consent, rape, stockholm syndrome (this one bothered me a bit, to be honest)
bradleyj's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This was such a unique read, I really enjoyed it! The writing was great! Wasn’t expecting spice but happy with what was given!
emhamill's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this a great deal! I read the second book, Darker Space, immediately after and liked it even more than the first. I wasn't ready to leave Cam and Brady and I had to find out what happens next. This was my first experience reading M/M romance, and a science fiction to boot, looking for comp titles for my own.
Oh. My. God.
What a hot book.
Read them both.
Oh. My. God.
What a hot book.
Read them both.
jenvile's review against another edition
5.0
I hated the Tubes. I didn’t like knowing there was only one little air lock between me and asphyxiation.
Honestly, it has been a long time since I’ve last sobbed over a book. And a sci-fi book at that. A fantastically well written sci-fi story. Why did it take me so long to discover this?
I have no words because I’m in utter disbelief and shock at how much I love everything about this story. Even the really fucked up, uncomfortable moments. There’s turmoil, pain, hope, comfort and love. It deserves all the high praise it has received and I’ll be reading more from this author, without a doubt.
I’ll just leave one more quote here from our amazing protagonist:
I wanted to sleep, but I didn’t. I lay there and stared out at the big black. And it turns out that you don’t have to be as brave or arrogant as a Hawk pilot to look at it and not be scared. It turns out that you can feel so fucking miserable that even the thought of asphyxiation doesn’t seem so bad.
Honestly, it has been a long time since I’ve last sobbed over a book. And a sci-fi book at that. A fantastically well written sci-fi story. Why did it take me so long to discover this?
I have no words because I’m in utter disbelief and shock at how much I love everything about this story. Even the really fucked up, uncomfortable moments. There’s turmoil, pain, hope, comfort and love. It deserves all the high praise it has received and I’ll be reading more from this author, without a doubt.
I’ll just leave one more quote here from our amazing protagonist:
I wanted to sleep, but I didn’t. I lay there and stared out at the big black. And it turns out that you don’t have to be as brave or arrogant as a Hawk pilot to look at it and not be scared. It turns out that you can feel so fucking miserable that even the thought of asphyxiation doesn’t seem so bad.
mousie's review against another edition
emotional
fast-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
4.5
jristen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-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? No
4.25
lozinja's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
Ooft lads, this is darker than I was expecting
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Rape and Homophobia
moux's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book - the sci-fi was easy to read and most importantly I loved the characters. I will mention that I did much prefer the second book to this one, but a story has got to start somewhere.
reading_rainy's review against another edition
5.0
*4.5* Loved just as much on a re-read. Such a different experience reading vs listening to the audiobook. I picked up much more this second time around.
*****
"And then I realized that I was wrong…that every mixed up, fucked up, piece of my life that had ever stuck in my memory, my subconscious, or my dreams, was part of his life now as well."
What would you do as an enlisted man, when your superior tells you to step forward, face the giant upside down scarab holding a capsule, and touch it?
This is a sci-fi, MM, futuristic, original and unique, violent-yet-beautiful, an introspective space journey. Character driven, and feels dystopian from the brief descriptions of what's happened to Earth. TW: physical abuse and rape.
At 19, Brady is a bit of an anti-hero. He's not brimming with bravery or confidence, he grew up in extreme poverty, quitting school at the age of 12, to raise his baby sister. He's a scrapper, stealing and fighting for survival. He is conscripted into the military at 16, where he learns he hates outer space, and he hates the military. He is physically assaulted (off-page but describes the damage) yet he's determined to do his best, sending home every paycheck for his sisters care. He is befriended by the doctor on the ship, who sees the 'real him' under all his defenses, and helps him begin training to become a medic.
Cameron is the poster child for the military. No but really, he's actually on all their posters. Good looking, an officer, and from a wealthy family. At the age of 22, he's taken captive by an alien entity known only as the faceless. It's been four years now, and he is assumed dead, when he shows up with a message for humanity.
The relationship between these two men starts off quite unique. As much as I loved their interactions, I didn't really feel a real connection between the two men until the very end. Mostly because they were together for survival reasons. So it felt Stockholm-like with their affection. While there was only a seven year age difference between these two, the age-gap felt larger with Brady's inexperience.
I was his heartbeat. I was his fucking universe. Now I was, but soon I wouldn't be. I would miss that, miss being important. I would miss having someone.
Because this story is character driven, and because of particular circumstances, these men are constantly together. The steam is very steamy, and I appreciated how kind and gentle Cam was around Brady's inexperience.
Kai-Ren is a formidable enemy. He sees humans as insignificant, possibly as we see ants. Somewhat a nuisance, a slight annoyance, and easily wiped out. Huge props to the narrator, Chris Chambers, for making the voice of Kai-Ren chillingly creepy. Cam-rennnnnn *shivers*
The story isn't perfect, and it did leave me with some questions, mostly the enlisted men's violence towards each other (why??). Also, considering the abuse both of these men had survived, I didn't quite understand why there wasn't a ship psychologist heavily invested in helping them to recover. Have they done away with mental health care in the future?
Overall, I loved the intelligence behind this story, and the way it's told. I've already downloaded the second and can't wait to get back into this universe.
*****
"And then I realized that I was wrong…that every mixed up, fucked up, piece of my life that had ever stuck in my memory, my subconscious, or my dreams, was part of his life now as well."
What would you do as an enlisted man, when your superior tells you to step forward, face the giant upside down scarab holding a capsule, and touch it?
This is a sci-fi, MM, futuristic, original and unique, violent-yet-beautiful, an introspective space journey. Character driven, and feels dystopian from the brief descriptions of what's happened to Earth. TW: physical abuse and rape.
At 19, Brady is a bit of an anti-hero. He's not brimming with bravery or confidence, he grew up in extreme poverty, quitting school at the age of 12, to raise his baby sister. He's a scrapper, stealing and fighting for survival. He is conscripted into the military at 16, where he learns he hates outer space, and he hates the military. He is physically assaulted (off-page but describes the damage) yet he's determined to do his best, sending home every paycheck for his sisters care. He is befriended by the doctor on the ship, who sees the 'real him' under all his defenses, and helps him begin training to become a medic.
Cameron is the poster child for the military. No but really, he's actually on all their posters. Good looking, an officer, and from a wealthy family. At the age of 22, he's taken captive by an alien entity known only as the faceless. It's been four years now, and he is assumed dead, when he shows up with a message for humanity.
The relationship between these two men starts off quite unique. As much as I loved their interactions, I didn't really feel a real connection between the two men until the very end. Mostly because they were together for survival reasons. So it felt Stockholm-like with their affection. While there was only a seven year age difference between these two, the age-gap felt larger with Brady's inexperience.
I was his heartbeat. I was his fucking universe. Now I was, but soon I wouldn't be. I would miss that, miss being important. I would miss having someone.
Because this story is character driven, and because of particular circumstances, these men are constantly together. The steam is very steamy, and I appreciated how kind and gentle Cam was around Brady's inexperience.
Kai-Ren is a formidable enemy. He sees humans as insignificant, possibly as we see ants. Somewhat a nuisance, a slight annoyance, and easily wiped out. Huge props to the narrator, Chris Chambers, for making the voice of Kai-Ren chillingly creepy. Cam-rennnnnn *shivers*
The story isn't perfect, and it did leave me with some questions, mostly the enlisted men's violence towards each other (why??). Also, considering the abuse both of these men had survived, I didn't quite understand why there wasn't a ship psychologist heavily invested in helping them to recover. Have they done away with mental health care in the future?
Overall, I loved the intelligence behind this story, and the way it's told. I've already downloaded the second and can't wait to get back into this universe.
a___broad's review against another edition
5.0
The best piece of sci-fi perfection I've read in forever. Literally flawless.