Full of snark and sass, Antimatter Blues takes up the mantle of Mickey as he struggles with retirement... and saving the colony. Again.

Ashton's Sophmore novel in the series is leaps and bounds better than his first, with a perceived higher quality of writing and more emphasis on character growth now that the background if the world has been established.

Overall, high marks!

I was not sure how Ashton would follow up such a unique story found in Mickey7. Antimatter blues brings the world you glimpse at the end of the first book to life in this sequel. Conflict after conflict keep you hooked the entire time. And ending with a twist that had me speed reading through the last 10% of the book. 5 stars and a great recommendation for any sci fi lover

Disclaimer: I didn’t read Mickey7, the prequel to this book. That being said, I came in cold to this second book in the series, so it took me a bit to get my bearings. Once I figured out what was going on and got the history I really enjoyed this book. It moved at a good pace and the characters were quite enjoyable. I’m sure it would have been even more enjoyable had I read Mickey7 first!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!

When I picked this up, I didn't realize it was a sequel, but I still wound up enjoying this.

Antimatter Blues is a fun experience and definitely gave me the escape from reality that I need while reading. Mickey is an expendable, and has trauma over his history of deaths he experienced during the time he was active. It's been 2 years since his retirement, but just as he's getting comfortable, he is pulled into conflict once again.

Mickey and a group set out on a mission with one of the planet's own lifeforms, a creeper. He needs to get a bomb back from another nest of lifeforms that he has never communicated with, and the adventure is action-packed.

This story was funny at times and frustrating at others. I didn't completely love all the characters, but I was still able to enjoy this read.

Out March 14, 2023!

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this science fiction dealing with death, love, aliens, what makes us human, and sacrificing for what we think is right.

Humans tend to learn from mistakes. Mickey Barnes learns more from his deaths. One of the biggest lessons that Mickey has learned is that he was not a big fan of dying. So Mickey decided to stop dying for others and set up a retirement plan, convincing the powers that be that he was the only thing stopping hostile aliens from blowing up an antimatter bomb, that Mickey had hid somewhere safe. For two years this has worked well, but now the colony on the planet of Niflheim has need for the bomb, and Mickey can't seem to find it. Antimatter Blues is the second book in the Mickey7 series by Edward Ashton, continuing the adventures of Mickey and his friends on a suddenly very hostile, soon to be very cold world.

Mickey Barnes fled his home planet for a chance of life on the off- world colonies of the Union, one that we keep him away from some of the very bad mistakes he had made. Not being the most gifted of thinkers Mickey was made an Expendable, a person who could die doing the dangerous tasks, and have his mind, memories and possible death experience downloaded to another body. Alien life on he planet changed Mickey's life and gave him a reason to keep living as the current Mickey, hence is plan of hiding the antimatter bomb that the colony had wanted to destroy the Aliens. However a reactor problem, and a coming winter means that the antimatter is the only energy that can restart the reactor, and Mickey has somehow lost the bomb. Barnes must use the brains that got him into this trouble in order to help save the colony he is ambivalent about, the few friends he has, and the love that makes him want to keep going on.

I loved the first book in this series, and can honestly say I think I enjoyed this more. Mickey is a fascinating character, dumb, but with a keen intelligence to get out of the trouble he usually puts himself and his friends in. Call it a gift for survival. Mickey is lazy, but works hard, again for his friends, and even those colonists who see him as a lay about taking needed resources and not giving anything back. Plus he lacks tact with people, which again gets him in trouble, but those who see past this do love him. Mickey's supporting cast are all well developed and just as interesting. There is genuine concern for these characters as Ashton is very good at putting them in dangerous situations. The world of Niflheim unfolds as Mickey learns more, and the world that the Mickey7 universe is set in is also revealed slowly, through conversation and a little explaining to the Aliens they encounter. There is a lot that can be drawn on for other books and I look forward to that.

A very good story, well plotted with a narrative that doesn't stop moving but asks a lot of questions. If Mickey were to die and download to another form, would he be the same. That was discussed in the first book, but is explored more in this one. Recommended for those who like their science fiction with action, but with a lot to contemplate while reading. I really can't wait to read more about Mickey, and would like to know more about the Union the colonists live in.

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed getting to read about these characters again. I would say I definitely liked this one better than the first book that came out. Definitely recommend this!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this for my honest review.

I enjoyed this second book almost as much as the first. My main issue was with the abruptness of the ending, and a little bit with the pacing. But for the most part it was an enjoyable read.

Mickey continues to be his delightfully snarky self, but we have seen a bit of growth in the two years since the first book. He is still philosophical about his life and those around him, and he can still take the moral high ground when he feels it is needed. Mickey is put in a very hard position between the survival of the colony vs the survival of the sentient beings on this planet and he does come to own up his part in this whole issue.

We get to see a lot more of the creepers, the sentient species that lives on this planet, and learn more about them. They do appear to be more advanced than the humans figured they were in the first book. For example, they figure out a way to communicate better with us which was really quite amazing. As Mickey interacts with them, and as others do as well, there is much confusion and misinterpretation of one another. I did enjoy Speaker, one of the creepers that is able to communicate with the humans. He was always able to call bullshit on Mickey when it was needed.

The world building is what really makes this such a fun read. This is a planet that is inherently dangerous and with not only an atmosphere that will kill you, but many other things as well. The author does a marvelous job of keeping the tension high while making you root for everyone to survive. There were a few slower parts during the “roadtrip” that Mickey and the others take, but the action parts make up for that.

If you enjoyed the first book in this series, I am pretty sure that you will like this one. It has some great characters, interesting intelligent beings and a great plot. It also has a great protagonist in Mickey, who will do anything to survive on this hostile planet.

I really liked this novel-- probably more than the first in the series. It was nice not to have to keep reading graphic stories of Mickey dying over and over this time. Frankly that got a bit tiring in the first book.

Mickey7's antimatter bomb gambit from the first book paid off. He's out of the Expendable game and doing whatever else he can to help support the threatened colony on the ice world Niflheim. But the colony now desperately needs the one thing he doesn't want to give them: the antimatter in the bomb he claimed the alien creepers have. Forced to contact the Creepers for the survival of the whole colony, Mickey finds that the situation is much more complicated than he thought. This change sends him and a small group of colonists off on a quest to retrieve the antimatter bomb against all odds. This is much more of a pure adventure story for most of its length-- and to be honest when Mickey and his questers move away from the colony is when it really gets interesting. I loved this book and got through it in a day-- well worth the time.

I heard a rumor that Mickey 7 is being made into a movie. I'm not sure whether I look forward to that or not. Watching dead Mickey get fed into the "hole" over and over to get recycled would not be the most pleasant moving-going experience. However, I would definitely love to see Antimatter Blues be made into a movie.

Antimatter Blues by Edward Ashton

ARC from NetGalley
Pub Day: 3/14/23

Mickey Burnes has always been expendable. Literally. There have in fact been a half-dozen Mickeys before this particular Mickey came on the scene. After a run in with the only other known sentient species on this colony world a couple years ago, Mickey decided it was time to retire, but when he sees another Mickey walk past him in the hallway Mickey7 knows something is up. And if they are pulling new Mickeys again, it can’t be good.

This is a sequel and I have not read the first book, but when the widget for this novel was sent to my email, I was intrigued. I’m a chaotic reader and while I am a completionist, I’m also not afraid of dropping into a story in the middle. Ashton did a solid job of giving enough information and context clues that I never felt lost. I quickly came to understand who and what Mickey was, his relationships with those around him and the outline of what I assume happened in the first book. That said it did take about 50 pages for me to really start to get into the narrative, but once I did I was in for the ride.

This was a fun, quick little sci-fi story. The world and science were interesting and my favorite part of the plot. Expendables are a classification of people who go out on colony ships , so that when something dangerous has to be done, the crew can literally just throw this person at the problem and rebuild them from scratch when they inevitably die. What happens when that person retires? This book explores ideas of personhood in some fun and interesting ways, all wrapped up in a fun sci-fi adventure.

It took me a minute to get into this book because I have read so many books since mickey7 that I couldn't remember what it was about, but once I got going I remembered and then got absorbed into the book. I really enjoyed this book so far, I really like it, it was well written, easy to follow along, I couldn't put it down once I started.

I was surprised and apprehensive to see a sequel to Mickey7, but this follow-up is even more entertaining and heartfelt than the first. Ashton does exactly what you're supposed to do with a sequel: raise the stakes and shuffle your characters into new dilemmas that push them to grow. Excellent read, and looking forward to more from Ashton, whatever that might be.

"Confession time: I have never been good at snap decisions. Once, when I was a kid back on Midgard, I spent so much time waffling back and forth over what flavor to pick in an ice-cream shop that my mom wound up dragging me out of the place bawling with no ice cream at all. I didn’t ask anyone to my school’s valedictory ball because I couldn’t decide which of three girls I’d rather be rejected by. I wound up on this godforsaken planet because I couldn’t decide whether this was better or worse than just killing myself to get away from Darius Blank. It is entirely possible that I was not actually the ideal person to put in charge of this mission."

This follows the events of the Mickey7, where he has unintentionally helped lead to the potential end of his and his crews survival. Mickey is a formal expendable, someone who's purpose is to perform dangerous missions and die repeatedly to spare the rest of the crew - but now he's retired and doing odd jobs in his colony. But he has the chance to fix it and save everyone, but only if he goes back to risking his life, engaging on what is almost certainly a suicide mission.

I really enjoyed the humor in this book, and the story line and world building is just as good as in the first book. Sometimes I just want a fun adventure book to put a smile on my face, and this delivered.

Thank you netgalley and St Martin's Press for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Antimatter Blues is a good look at misunderstandings resulting from cultural differences - or species differences as seen here. Mickey is sent to retrieve the bomb left from the events of the first book. But when it isn't where he left it, he has to make contact with the natives of the planet who are terrifyingly good at killing.

The result is an action-packed adventure across a planet with a deadly atmosphere and deadlier inhabitants. Mickey is not the brightest bulb in the kit, but he has a good heart. There is witty banter and a touch of romance to round everything out.

Recommended to those who enjoy a unique story.

Not family friendly due to profanity and violence that is graphic at times.

Another fun, fast read in the Mickey7 story. I like not-too-heavy science fiction and this fits the bill perfectly. You don't have to read the first book to enjoy this one, but it's better if you do.

Edward Ashton's follow-up to Mickey7, Antimatter Blues is a gem. Great snarky dialogue, good solid action plot and fun characters. Mr. Ashton is setting up a wonderful series and based on what I've read so far, I'm going to read everyone of them.

This is the second book in this series and is just as entertaining as the first one, Mickey7. Although it can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading Mickey7 first for the character background and, well, just because it's good!

It has been two years since Mickey7 fell into the creeper labyrinth and returned to tell of his experiences. Now, thanks to Commander Marshall's belief that expendables are an abomination, Mickey7 is still the last iteration in his line of clones. He spends his days cleaning rabbit hutches and other menial tasks, all the while conning Marshall into believing he is the colony liaison with the creepers.

A crisis is brewing in the Niflheim colony: the antimatter needed to fuel the colony is running low and the only known source is a bomb that the creepers possess. Marshall enlists Mickey to retrieve it and in doing so, sets off a series of events that may doom both species.

I love Mickey7. He is snarky, irreverent and a survivor, traits that probably don't make him the ideal candidate to conduct sensitive negotiations between two species who are depending on him for survival. This is a fun read that is both dramatic and comedic. It also raises ethical questions about how to negotiate with an alien species whose values are not the same as ours. I highly recommend both Mickey7 and Antimatter Blues for anyone who enjoys a good science fiction read.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy for review. The publication date is March 14, 2023.

YAY! Normally, you don't really care for the second book, or movie, in a series. My apologies to people who love The Empire Strikes Back ;). But this is a great book! Understandably, the colony is in a bit of a lull in their building, but there is of course a problem which Mickey can solve, or can he? And, without getting killed? I really like that he connects with essentially 2 alien species and they both call him on Humanity's bullshit :) They do not necessarily become fans of us or pledge to change their ways, we are obviously NOT superior. Very fun that Speaker made up an origin story on the spot just to mollify the silly humans :)

Keep it up!

ANTIMATTERS BLUES is one heck of a sequel to MICKEY7! The novel delves deeper into the relationship between Mickey and the creepers on Niflheim, while introducing a few new (nightmarish) creatures. This is a planet I would never want to visit. Never. Which speaks to the phenomenal world-building throughout the book. Ashton created a world that is as plausible as it is horrible—low oxygen, aggressive parasites, unpredictable cold and warm periods, highly-intelligent sentient life forms that can eat through metal—and there were a few sections that I was uncomfortable reading because they were just so vivid and grisly. Like I said, I never want to visit Niflheim.

I especially enjoyed the miscommunications and misunderstandings between humans and creepers, specifically Speaker. Even when Mickey and Creeper were communicating clearly with one another, things were often misinterpreted based upon their own culture’s norms. I’m still a bit confused over the concept of ancillaries, but that’s okay, because I’m pretty sure the characters in the book were confused too!

If you love MICKEY7, first contact/colonization novels, unexpected heroes, and laughing out loud.

I received a free e-ARC of this book via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank St. Martin's press for providing a digital copy of this novel via NetGalley. Antimatter Blues is the sequel to Mickey7, a novel I very much enjoyed. Mickey Barnes is done with the Expendables program and just wants to live out the rest of his days with minimal stress, attending to rabbits. However, when he uncovers a dire situation that could put everyone aboard the ship in danger, Mickey Barnes must make some tough decisions. There is alot to love in this sequel. The humor is prevalent throughout the book. Even in the most dire of situations, Mickey Barnes is able to keep his humor. This is ultimately a critical attribute of his. We have a protagonist who is used to fibbing and we get to see how these exaggerations have consequences and how he deals with these. Antimatter Blues further explores the alien species introduced in the first book and expands on this universe. We get to witness additional aliens and this adds layers to the tension and dynamic between characters. It also adds to Mickey's problems. He is faced with dilemmas of magnitudes which he's never faced. I enjoyed the conclusion. I felt it did the characters justice and it wrapped up the themes introduced in the first novel very well. I highly recommend this novel. It was funny, engrossing, and ultimately satisfying.

Antimatter Blues is a hilarious and fast paced story that'll get you hooked into the story from start to end.

Mickey Barnes is asked to retrieve an antimatter bomb that he hid among a group of creepers. If he doesn't go get the bomb, there could be dire consequences for everyone that lives under the dome. So with trepidation, Mickey sets out to get the antimatter bomb, only it isn't where he left it! Now he has to track down where it is and bring it back before winter.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot. It had a lot of fun, witty banter with the characters. A lot of action throughout as well. I have not read the first in this series, but this second book has me wanting to go pick up the first book to get some of the back story.

Thank you #NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me the ebook #AntimatterBlues to read and review.