Member Reviews
A Netgalley backlist title. The prologue did not inspire excitement — a tentacled being crawling through a spaceship. Why no excitement? Because the octopuslike alien sounded like Bob from next door. All the main actors in this story were humans. Humans defined by conservative, old-fashioned gender stereotypes.
A weird aristocratic setup. A destroyed Earth and hierarchical society after religious wars. A cruise ship that sounds like the Titanic. Rich people and the poor peple serving them. Very unlikable characters. One-dimensional clichees. Not that an aristocratic setting can‘t work. It‘s been done well by others, just not here.
Very simple writing style without depth. Very slow pace. Half of the book was set-up with nothing much happening. Based on the book blurb, I had expected horror in space along the lines of S.A. Barnes. Unfortunately, there was nothing of the sort. No suspense, just setup and society blabla.
The characters don‘t communicate like real people and not talking with each other like grown-ups is used as a vehicle to cause drama to further the plot. I really dislike this in romance novels and I didn‘t like it any better here.
Not recommend for anybody who reads Science-Fiction regularly. This is like a bad version of a Star Trek ripoff meeting Titanic or Downton Abbey, with antiquated gender roles written from a very cis-male white perspective, without humour, good plotting or decent suspense.
I skimmed A LOT. Normally I would have DNFd this, but I wanted to know what happens. As a horror novel this fell just as flat. Don‘t waste your time with this.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.
Another fantastic novel by Christopher! What a read! What and adventure! If you're after a thralling read that you can't put down, pick this one. The writing is out of this world <- see what I did there?
READ IT.
I received this free from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Set in the Angel in the Whirlwind universe this is very different from that series. Supreme, a luxury space liner, is on its maiden voyage and things do not go smoothly. Admittedly it starts slow, but it never bogs down into too much detail. The characters are well-fleshed out and you really start to care for some of them. There have been comparisons to Titanic and I suppose there are a few similarities, but they didn't really jump out at me. This is not strictly a sci-fi book, too me it is much more horror and there are definitely hints of zombieness, but it is a compelling read and I can't wait to find out what happens next.
This was a real disappointment after having read several other of the authors books.
The characters were one dimensional / wooden and the story was boring.
I really struggled to finish this.
Aliens and dark imaginings!
OK! I do not want to see this book as a visual production--just too scarey in parts for me.
This new series is set in the same universe as the Angel in the Whirlwind series, after the Commonwealth has won the war against the Theocracy.
Basically we have your poor little, spoilt, rich girl (Angela) traveling on the equivalent of the Titanic's maiden voyage (the interstellar liner, The Supreme) along with her dysfunctional owner parents, her strange little sister (Nancy), her rather fierce governess, the rich and famous who can afford this voyage, and a host of sycophants, when the ship is forced by pirates into a hyperdrive vortex, that comes complete with a veritable graveyard of hundreds of dead alien spacecraft.
It seems a thing or somethings want to drain the energy and life force of people and ship.
Of course the alien whatever's take over human bodies in a brain/emotion overcoming vampire type move and suddenly there's willing acolytes ready to do the supreme type beings will.
How to get out of the situation is the question? The commander of The Supreme, an ex naval commander, has his hands full as he and his officers struggle to find a way out, even as his crew is tainted by the alien madness.
Things become interesting with Nancy as she confronts the consequences of her indolent lifestyle until now, and her sister Angela, born in hyperspace, who seems to be some sort of reluctant channel to the alien mindset. The inclusion of two ordinary crew members adds to the human face and interclass dynamics of the story.
A NetGalley ARC
(I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
Thoughts and Plot
Think Titanic in space and you pretty much have the plot line for Hyperspace Trap. One year ago the Commonwealth won the war against the Theocracy. Interstellar cruise ship Supreme embarks on her maiden voyage among the stars, carrying a whole bunch of rich people. (See, Titanic).
The owner and his daughters, Nancy and Angela are on the ship. When the cruise liner is hit by a pirate ship and left powerless within space the two girls experience what might be thought of as hardship for the first time. A mysterious entity feeds off of stranded ships crews and passengers. Insanity begins to leech into their minds.
It sounds awesome, right? Well it’s 397 pages long and the first bit is a whole lot of nothing…kinda like the first ¾ of the first VHS of Titanic (yes, I remember when it was on VHS). Titanic picked up as soon as it really started to sink and that guy hit the prop on the way down. No one hit the prop in this book.
The viewpoints were pretty consistent for the first ½ of the book and then we started seeing viewpoints from people who weren’t viewpoint worthy in the first half. As a result, I was a little thrown off and I felt like they were rushing to the conclusion. The world building was…okay. There were some redundant scenes that could have been edited out for a faster read. The middle slumped (in my opinion) and because there wasn’t much going on in the beginning, almost ¾ of the book felt slow.
In conclusion
As someone who primarily reads teen fiction and YA because of how fast paced they usually are, this book was…almost painful. Had I known it was going to be a space version of Titanic, I would have stayed away. I’m a probably a terrible person for saying this, but I don’t like the movie Titanic.
"The Hyperspace Trap" eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Christopher Nuttall (http://www.chrishanger.net). Mr. Nuttall has published 34 novels.
I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence, Mature Situations and Mature Language. The story is set in the far future. The Commonwealth has won the war with the Theocracy (the topic of earlier novels set in this universe).
A large cruise liner is on her maiden voyage. On board are many important and wealthy people. While attempting to flee from what are perceived as pirates, the ship is trapped in Hyperspace. As they try to recover, they come under siege by heretofore unknown creatures that live in Hyperspace. Power is being drained from the ship. The crew and passengers are beginning to suffer from the mental onslaught by the strange creatures.
Not only must the crew deal with the physical damage to the ship, but they must also contend with those that have lost their minds to the aliens.
I thoroughly enjoyed the 9 hours I spent reading this science fiction thriller. I liked this very different plot. No space battles, but a tale of survival with unknown forces. I have read a few other novels set in this universe and have liked them all. I liked the cover art. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).
3.5 Stars rounded down
The luxury space cruiser Supreme is off on its maiden voyage. Along the way they'll be making numerous stops before arriving at their final destination. On the ship is the wealthy Cavendish family (Angela and Nancy Cavendish sisters), two stewards named Matt and Carla and the Captain, Paul. The trip is running smoothly until they are nearing their final destination. Chaos and anarchy rein free as Supreme becomes trapped in an unknown anomaly.
The pacing in this novel made it feel like the novel should be divided into two sections. The first 60% of the novel was slow as characters and the ship were introduced. There was very little action, but there was some suspense built up regarding Angela and her future. The rest of the novel followed Supreme and its battle to escape the anomaly. There was lost of action, battles, suspense and bloodshed.
The characters were one-dimensional and overall bland and generally unlikable. Nancy is a spoiled brat who thinks far too highly of herself. The author tries to make the audience sympathize with her by her forced marriage but it didn't work. Matt is obsessed with Nancy to an almost stalkerish level. I also have no idea why Matt likes Nancy either, they barely interact so their "love" is based on physical attraction alone.
In conclusion, this is an okay science fiction novel. The characters were bland and the pacing was off but they space anomaly was amazing. The author also did a great job of tying all the lose ends together for a satisfying conclusion.
Thanks to Netgalley and 47North for this ARC.
The Hyperspace Trap is set on an interstellar luxury star ship as it attempts to survive in the wake of catastrophe. It is actually quite a lot like Titanic, except set in space. I actually enjoyed the book quite a lot more than I expected to. I liked how multiple points of views from different social classes such as a Steward, The Captain and the daughter of a wealthy businessman were shown, as they tried to survive against incredible odds. The characters were pleasant and likeable enough, but mostly just unremarkable.
Having read many previous books by the author i am always amazed at the level and consistency he sites at given the volume of books he produces. With this in mind i felt as i started this it may be the novel that i felt finally misses the mark........i was wrong!!!
the first half reads very much like Titanic in space, very predicable and not overly engaging with little action.....however once the action started the second half of the book ripped along with everything i would expect from the author.
i would say that i do feel this is a stand alone novel and the attempts to link it into the previous series for me was unsuccessful and probably unnecessary.
read in isolation and after a slow start it works!!
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review "The Hyperspace Trap
by Christopher G. Nuttall" While the topic of space is insanely interesting, I was finding the build up to the climax for this book to be a little slow. While most books pull me in right away, this one took a little while. I am glad that I finished it. An entertaining read.
I really enjoyed this one, but if you are looking for foot-to-the-floor action from the first page, then this one isn’t for you. This is very much a gradual buildup where we get to know several members of the crew, including the captain, as well as the other main character, Angela, who is the owner’s eldest daughter. She is an interesting character as she isn’t particularly likeable, being rather spoiled and self-entitled which is in stark contrast to the two stewards we get to know who are working flatout to get the ship ready for the rich, demanding passengers. That said, I don’t particularly envy Angela either, despite her wealth, as it comes with major strings that she only begins to realise during the voyage.
Despite the slow build, I wasn’t remotely tempted to pull away as I found all the everyday details and worldbuilding around the rhythms of the ship fascinating. I particularly liked the long-suffering captain who is more used to serving with the military and is finding working with the civilian crew pandering to the needs of wealthy passengers a very steep learning curve.
When it all hits the fan and chaos ensues, I felt the long lead-up paid dividends as I was completely invested in a number of characters and genuinely cared about their fate. There were one or two characters who I would have liked to see more of – particularly young Nancy, although I am very much hoping this is going to be the start of a new series. In which case, perhaps she will feature in another book. Once the action kicks off, the nasty surprises just keep on coming as the hapless crew and passengers are assailed on all sides by a truly terrifying force. The climax is every bit as exciting and unexpected as you would want, with an intriguing twist that allows for this book to be the start of a new, enjoyable series.
This one is recommended for space opera fans who enjoy spaceship-centred stories. While I obtained an arc of The Hyperspace Trap from Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10
The luxury liner Supreme is off on its maiden voyage when the unthinkable happens. They are trapped in hyperspace and are not the first ones. With a passenger list that includes the very rich and the not so wealthy some lines are drawn with who can socialize with whom. Crew is there to serve, not socialize with passengers. Everything changes when the ship is trapped in a graveyard of ships many not even human. There are a lot of firsts here. First voyage, first time to see aliens ships, and first time a child born in hyperspace returns. There are voices, people going mad and crew working around the clock to get them out and safe. An tension filled story with an interesting ending. This is a stand alone but is in the same universe as several of Nuttall's previous books.
I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
This book is very captivating with the new take on the aliens, I like how it builds up slowly to show you aspects of the humanity. Great book for anybody. This story is great and it ends very surprisingly.
This book started out well but for me it lost my interest with too much techie stuff, I do like Sci Fi but not at the expense of the story and characters, I do actually read a fair amount of Sci Fi but am not a techie and that was definitely a problem for me .I also didn't really engage with many of the characters and would have preferred them to be more fleshed out, I would have cared about them more if they were more dimensional .I also felt the book was over long , would give the book 3 and a half stars if I could because it showed promise and for more die hard Sci Fi fans this may well hit the spot.I wouldn't want to put anyone off reading it and it did show a great imagination , it just wasn't a perfect fit for me.thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC.