This was a very serviceable sci-fi horror novella that didn't do anything especially innovative, which is fine because what it did do, it did quite well.

This was such a good read!! I saw the cover, read the blurb and was hooked!! And the book absolutely delivered! Right off the bat, I’m going to tell people to read this. If you’re a fan of the Alien franchise, then you’ll enjoy this.

We follow a ship with a farm set up, a med bay, a captain, crew, civilians, all that stuff. And they’re trying to get back to Earth. Here’s the problem, they are very far away. Like so far they won’t make it for a century at least.

To compound the issue, the ship has had “engagements” where something has been attacking the ship. They don’t know what it is, they don’t know why it’s happening and they don’t know how to stop it. They’ve lost sections of the ship to these engagements. Not to mention dwindling supplies.

Another problem? The captain won’t come out of his quarters and no one knows why. It’s locked but his devices still show that he’s alive. But he won’t help. So it’s down to his daughter. And she’s taking medication for PTSD which was so painful to see although I think fairly accurately described when the PTSD is severe.

She’s got hard decisions to make and there are members of her crew that are making decisions she doesn’t exactly like. Like the robot that follows her around and wears her sister’s face. That plot line was dark and sad. And may have alluded to sexual assault? I’m unsure to be honest but it was dark.

I don’t want to spoil this book. It’s not super long but immersive. The writing was strong, the suspense was wild. I was totally invested in the characters. They were diverse and really struggling just to survive. It was a gripping read and I had a hard time putting it down just to go to sleep.

I’m giving this a 5/5. I really enjoyed it.

I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to them and the publisher.

In the distant future, human descendants of colonists who fled an Earth devastated by climate change have undertaken a generations long trek back to their home planet. It the current time, their circumstances are near dire. Their food stores are running out, and their ship has sustained damage that brings into question whether they will be able to make it back to Earth. With dissent in the ranks, First Mate Jacklyn Albright commands a ship poised on a razor edge when it becomes clear that there is a bloodthirsty threat hiding in the walls of the ship, picking off people one by one. It soon becomes clear that getting back to Earth will require surviving what lurks in the dark corners of the ship.

The Scourge Between Stars is tense, exciting, scary space horror that hits on common fears of close spaces, the dark, and the unknown. This short novel packs a punch. Concepts that are growing increasingly relevant, such as the earth dying due to pollution, where its survivors will go if that happens, and having the technology to survive on other planets and in space are explored in the narrative in an organic way. Every consideration that makes space travel scary is hit on in this book. The threat preying on crew members is from nightmares, giving readers another reason to avoid space. For its length, the character development is very good. Jacklyn is an excellent lead character, sympathetic in her flaws, fears and hopes. Secondary characters have standout traits that add to the texture of the book, particularly Jacklyn’s dynamic with a sentient robot. This book reads like a motion picture, the tension high pitch, as the reader asks along with the characters, are they the hunters or the hunted? The Scourge Between Stars is tailor made for fans of space horror, both movies and books.

Trying to get back into the science fiction genre, I needed something quick, fast-paced, and interesting and The Scourge Between Stars definitely delivered. Brown has a great way of keeping you on your toes with a tense suspenseful horror. While it definitely gave cliches when it comes to the 'intruder invades spaceship' trope brown does it in a way that makes you pay attention and keep turning the page. Jacklyn is a delight and is definitely worthy of the title of captain and could give Ripley a run for her money.

Yes, the story is quite predictable and I did wish the setup to the action was a tad quicker, BUT when the action started Brown did not slow down. I also wish we could have gotten a bit more indepth with the politics of the Calypso, Jacklyn's family dynamic, and her relationship with the crew but I do know what would have made the book much longer. This could make for an interesting series if Brown does to go down that route.

Overall, if your looking for a quick sci-fi read this should be right up your alley.

Horror in space! Mankind's last survivors are on ships fleeing a failed attempt at space colonization, with failing reserves of fuel, water, and food. Jacklyn is acting captain of the Calypso, doing everything she can to keep her ship limping forward, when sudden deaths and unexplained noises show that someone, or something, is prowling the walls of the ship. What follows is a deadly dance of high tension and intense emotions, fighting a seemingly hopeless battle for the unlikely chance to live. Filled with chills and thrills, The Scourge Between the Stars is a horror story in the Alien mold, shocking and frightening with enough heart to keep readers at the edge of their seats. Jacklyn's effort to keep the ship going as a method of dealing with the collapse of her family, and the desperate struggle of the Calypso for survival even before the killings begin is absorbing and intense. Not to be missed!

I love me some good space horror.

I enjoyed this one a lot--Ness Brown did an excellent job, in a short amount of space, of developing solid tension and fear, utilizing some strong characterization. I cared a lot about our core characters, and sympathized and empathized with them--except for the ones I was clearly meant to not empathize with, to reluctantly accept.

The way that Brown kept the threat hidden until the last possible moment(s), revealing only the necessary information at any given time, was an excellent device to drive up the tense plot. The pace was solid, and this contributed to it.

All in all, a very strong debut. I'll be watching Brown to see what they come up with next!

3/5 stars - This was a fast-paced horror romp through space that barely let up for the duration of the brief novella, like watching a space horror movie. Because of its brevity, I found that there wasn't quite enough time for me to feel fully engaged with the characters and their relationships. But all in all a quick, horrific, space journey.

I read this all in one sitting, and let me just say: this was an absolutely wild way to spend an afternoon and I was *very* into it.

"The Scourge Between Stars" is a thrilling, unsettling, dark, twisty creature feature in space. That’s what I expected going into it, and I feel that’s exactly what it delivers. It does exactly what it promises on the tin, and in tremendous fashion at that.

This is one of those stories that throws you straight into the deep end, but that’s what makes you want to keep reading. The first glimpse you get of this generation ship is when everything’s going to hell and they crew is facing multiple crises at once. The ship is failing, they’re being attacked by some unseen force, their resources are depleting, fuel is running out, their captain has abandoned his post, there’s protests breaking out, and something is hiding in the walls.

Yes, that can be a lot to process at once, but it so effectively establishes the stakes. What's more, these extreme conditions perfectly highlight how the people on this ship are truly caught between two impossible choices. The space colony they just left was taken over by hostile aliens, so retreat is not an option, but there may not be anything left for them on their home planet either—if they can even make it to either of these locations in the first place.

So you definitely get that sense of urgency, that sense of desperation that’s driving Jack forward. I think she’s a great protagonist, because she has personal stake in this with her father being the captain and also with everyone looking to her to figure things out as his replacement.

I think this story is a great example of how the right setting can not only serve but *propel* the story and establish its own stakes. This generation ship is very isolated, in the sense that it’s floating through open space, and there’s only so many places this creature can be hiding. So that makes for a conflict that has very distinct parameters, but still leaves you guessing because absolutely nothing that follows could be considered "obvious."

To me, this story makes perfect use of the novella-length to tell a perfectly concise and perfectly paced story that never loses its intensity. At the end of the day, it’s about a bad-ass queer Black woman who refuses to give up even though she’s faced with countless impossible choices, and that is absolutely my jam.

I do think the story wraps up a little too neatly and quickly, and some of the character development is dependent on relationships that have been established—or even dramatically altered—before the story begins, which can make it difficult to fully buy into sometimes. But I would happily read so much more from Ness Brown in the future, if this unforgettable novella is anything to go by.

I loved every minute of this. It was a wild ride, and I was nervous for the characters. I HAD to keep reading to see what was affecting the ship. Highly recommend for action scifi fans.

Action-packed book about a spaceship trying to get back to Earth, decades after leaving a colony on another planet. The main character Jacklyn has her hands full between her father’s absence, crew dissatisfaction, and now strange noises coming from inside the ship.

This book moves fast, and is easy to read in a sitting or two.

This is a short novella, light sci-fi and light horror heavy suspense. I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi and found this incredibly enjoyable.

The bright hope for a future among the stars has failed. The planet humanity chose for their new home proved inhospitable, far more so than any of the colonists or their descendants could have expected. It was generations ago now that the ships turned around and began their trip back to Earth. Jacklyn Albright has been threading the needle of keeping order on the Calypso as the ship limps its way homeward, balancing the needs of her people with the reality of supplies that simply cannot last them to Earth. As acting captain, she feels the sharp edge of failure with each report of unrest among the ship’s Wards, and the shadow of her father looms over every choice she makes. When a grewsome discovery reveals a new danger, a mysterious being ripping crew members apart, Jacklyn will have to lead her crew in a desperate hunt that might cost the Calypso its very future.

Ness Brown’s The Scourge Between Stars is a delightful bite of science fiction with fantastic character work and excellently handled tension. The setting of this generation ship that absolutely cannot make it to Earth in the condition it is in with the supplies it has lends the whole narrative a feeling of being doomed from the start that only sinks in further as the story goes. Which means that is what I want to talk about first.

The first third or so of The Scourge Between Stars is given to building this slow, sad doom. This doom of never enough. Of being stuck in middle of a war between powers the people of the Calypso cannot comprehend. Of the world that this ship represents to these people unraveling lifetimes away from the home they desperately hope will still be there for them. Novellas do not have a lot of space and every bit of it that this set up is given is beautifully used, especially when the first person disappears and the highly experimental data droid, Watson, freaks out about a door that is about to open while on deck, causing a ton of damage and, indeed, hurting crew members. It is a new flavor of tension and a breaking point that lets that new tension build up quickly, and it works so well because of the slow build that came before.

And amid all that stress and the building horror of the situation, the thing that makes it bearable is that Jack cares. And that, more than duty or the need to live up to her father’s work as captain, informs every choice she makes. It is caring that drives her into the teeth of these mysterious invaders and caring that slowly changes her views on Watson over the course of the novella. I live for characters like this, for seeing someone who is determined to see their people safe no matter what. For the kind of protagonist who shoulders the mantle of authority as best they can for the people they lead and serve. And, as much as the story is a one and done situation, I found myself wanting to spend more time with Jack and with Watson and the rest of the significant characters, Brown did a really good job with the character work and it more than shows.

And that is sort of where I land on The Scourge Between Stars. Ness Brown did a really good job with their characters and maintaining tension and making the setting of the Calypso feel like a character in its own right. I want to see more of their writing as soon as possible. The Scourge Between Stars earns a five out of five, well worth checking out if you get the chance.

THE SCOURGE BETWEEN STARS by Ness Brown is a tense action-packed sci-fi and horror genre blend set aboard a doomed generation starship…🛰️

😱 Okayyy so when I first read the blurb and saw horror I was worried the book would be too scary for me - my mind makes reading anything with horror/thriller 100% scarier than if I'm watching a film - but I was pleasantly surprised it has the perfect level of suspense, twists and turns.

In #TheScourgeBetweenStars Jacklyn Albright and the ship’s interstellar space crew are on a mission to keep the last of humanity alive as they make the long journey back to Earth after a failed planet colonisation attempt but are faced with constant pitfalls and a mysterious threat haunting them along the way.

I particularly enjoyed the authors use of robots and artificial intelligence, creating an interesting discourse that was unexpected. This is a highly entertaining first book from Ness Brown, I will be keeping a look out for future releases.

A wonderful blend of science fiction and horror! The Scourge Between Stars is a must read! Ness Brown’s writing is excellent!

Description
Ness Brown's The Scourge Between Stars is a tense, claustrophobic sci-fi/horror blend set aboard a doomed generation ship harboring something terrible within its walls.

“A perfect scare to swallow up in one sitting.” —Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
“Highly recommended.” —Library Journal, STARRED review
A LibraryReads Pick!

As acting captain of the starship Calypso, Jacklyn Albright is responsible for keeping the last of humanity alive as they limp back to Earth from their forebears’ failed colony on a distant planet.

Faced with constant threats of starvation and destruction in the treacherous minefield of interstellar space, Jacklyn's crew has reached their breaking point. As unrest begins to spread throughout the ship’s Wards, a new threat emerges, picking off crew members in grim, bloody fashion.

Jacklyn and her team must hunt down the ship’s unknown intruder if they have any hope of making it back to their solar system alive.

My review:
If you are new to sci fi horror because you didn't see yourself before, this is a great entry point into the genre.

This is such a solid debut! I love a good scifi horror story and this one delivered. I think The Scourge Between Stars would actually be a great first scifi horror story for those intrigued by the idea but who might feel intimidated. It's a novella, so it's not a big commitment, but it is absolutely worth reading!

The Scourge Between Stars is a good novella, but I'll admit I think it would've been an even better novel. I really liked the main character Jacklyn and the world-building was really intriguing. I would have happily read a longer version of this with more backstory about the characters and what happened to their ancestors. Nonetheless, I loved The Scourge Between Stars and will definitely be keeping an eye out for future work by Ness Brown! If a sapphic scifi horror is up your alley, add this one to your TBR!

Loved this!

The Scourge Between Stars is a perfectly paced, entertaining, and highly consumable horror/sci-fi novella featuring a queer Black protagonist. If you don't have a high tolerance for horror, this is creepy without being too disturbing and is also surprisingly heartwarming and thought provoking.

Jack is a very easy character to root for, but Watson takes the cake in my book. Watson reminded me a little bit of Mosscap from Becky Chamber's A Psalm for the Wild-Built in that they are somehow more human than other members of the crew despite being an android, providing a depth to the story that I wasn't expecting from a horror novella.

While I was impressed by Ness Brown's ability to juggle so many plot points and so many dynamic characters in so little pages, that page time could have been used to flesh out certain relationships/parts of the story instead. The plot twist towards the end fell flat for me, and I really would have rather learned more about Jack's family and history than the different factions/insurrections on the ship. But all in all, a very solid read and very impressive as a debut novella! Can't wait to see more by this author.

I gave this a three out of five stars. I enjoyed this book but wasnt a favorite, it took a bit to get into this book. It makes me want to read more scifi.

Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown is a debut sci-fi horror novella and one of my most highly anticipated reads of April. It's engaging, action packed, and has a great cast of characters. If you're a fan of horror set in space, you'll definitely want to check this out but it could definitely use a bit more polishing up. That said I do hope this will expand into a full length series and I'm looking forward to more from this author in the future.

Jacklyn Albright is the First Mate and stand-in captain for her absent father and leads the investigation into the odd sounds, heard on the ship, aided by the data droid Watson. Before long, Albright realises they are not alone and are being stalked or hunted, and must do all she can to keep her crew alive, while her father continues to hide in his quarters.

The novel is a tense, claustrophobic sci-fi/horror blend set aboard a doomed generation ship harboring something terrible. The story nails the claustrophobia and loneliness of space. I liked how the author smoothly combines horror and science fiction in this novel.