A review by orionmerlin
Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Characters – 7/10
Ah, yes, the rugged space fugitive, the gruff ex-comrade, the snarky engineer, and the mysterious AI. The gang’s all here! Jal is compelling enough, but let’s be real—he’s not reinventing the wheel. His tortured past and brooding demeanor practically scream “I have unresolved trauma and a heart of gold!” Saint plays the weary-but-still-invested former ally, Nash is a walking quip machine, and Eoan, the AI, somehow manages to be more human than half the actual humans. It’s all functional, but I’ve seen these character types before, and they don’t exactly shatter expectations. They’re well-written, sure, but distinctive? Eh.
Atmosphere/Setting – 6/10
Space is vast, dangerous, and full of corporate overlords screwing everyone over. Groundbreaking. The Ambit itself is cozy and lived-in, which is nice, but the world outside? About as fleshed out as a half-finished Wikipedia article. The Trust is Bad, the Guild is Questionably Good, and the frontier is Rough. That’s the gist. I wanted more depth—what are the political intricacies? What’s life like outside of ships and outposts? Instead, I got just enough information to get the setting without ever feeling fully immersed in it. Serviceable but uninspired.
Writing Style – 7/10
L. M. Sagas writes with a good balance of grit and wit, but sometimes it leans a little too hard into the “rugged space drama” aesthetic. The dialogue is snappy, but it occasionally falls into Joss Whedon Syndrome™—characters being too quippy for their own good. Jal’s internal monologue has some strong moments, but after the fifth variation of “I don’t belong anywhere” and “I’m too tired for this”, I started skimming. It’s not bad, but the book clearly knows it’s trying to be stylish, and sometimes that effort shows a little too much.
Plot – 6/10
Look, the bones of the story are solid—disgraced ex-Guild ranger with a past comes face-to-face with his old crew? Love it. The execution? Less thrilling. The pacing is mostly fine, but sometimes it drags, and the reveals feel more “ah, okay” than “holy shit”. Nothing about the story is bad, but nothing had me slamming the book shut in shock, either. It hits all the expected beats, doesn’t fumble too hard, but also doesn’t take enough risks. You won’t regret reading it, but you won’t be haunted by it, either.
Intrigue – 7/10
Did I want to keep reading? Sure. Was I obsessed? Not really. The emotional tension between Jal and Saint carried a lot of weight, and the mystery around his desertion was sort of compelling, but the story never fully grabbed me by the throat. The stakes felt more personal than urgent, and while I appreciated that, I wasn’t exactly losing sleep over what happened next.
Logic/Relationships – 6/10
The relationships had potential but weren’t always explored as deeply as they should’ve been. Jal and Saint’s dynamic was the highlight, but even that relied on a lot of backstory being told rather than shown. Nash and Saint had their fun banter, but it often felt like spacefaring coworkers who tolerate each other rather than a genuine bond. And Eoan, while intriguing, didn’t feel as integral to the plot as they should’ve. Meanwhile, the world-building had just enough detail to keep things coherent, but it wasn’t exactly airtight. I could suspend disbelief, but I also had lingering questions about how the Guild and the Trust actually function.
Enjoyment – 7/10
Would I recommend Cascade Failure? Yeah, probably—to someone who’s already a fan of this kind of story. If you like space westerns, found family, and Firefly-adjacent vibes, you’ll enjoy this. But if you’re looking for something that reinvents the genre or delivers a knockout emotional experience, this won’t be the book that does it. I had fun, but I wasn’t blown away.
Final Thoughts:
Cascade Failure is like a really solid sci-fi show you binge in a weekend, enjoy thoroughly, and then move on from without thinking about it too much. It doesn’t drop the ball, but it doesn’t aim for a touchdown, either. The writing is strong, the characters are compelling, and the story is engaging enough, but it plays things safe and never truly soars.
Final Score: 6.6/10 – Good, but not great. Would recommend to space opera fans, but not to someone looking for their next all-time favorite read. 
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