Book Summary:

Jacklyn Albright shouldn't be in the position to be the acting captain of the Calypso, yet here we are. The Calypso is one of several ships limping home to Earth – where they hope to find a better home than what they left.

The trip has been long (literally centuries) and challenging. Starvation is never far from the mind, and the crew is feeling fractious. Naturally, that is only the beginning of what is to come. For there are monsters in the walls, and they are waking up.

My Review:

Holy cow. They were NOT kidding when they called The Scourge Between Stars a claustrophobic horror novella. It's dark, gritty, and very much not afraid to show us how vulnerable human beings are.

This book gave me chills. Even from the beginning, I was trying to prepare myself for how bad this could go (let's be honest – horror stories on ships rarely end well for humans). There are a lot of familiar vibes woven into this narrative, such as "things in the wall," space opera elements, and even some monster horror elements. It made for a fun and quick read.

I'll admit I struggled at first to get into this story. Mainly I was put off by how Jacklyn reacted to one of the androids on the ship. That said, this was clearly just establishing a metric for character growth. I liked Jacklyn so much by the end.

The storytelling style makes it easy to picture the setting and events, which adds to the chill factor. Long story short, The Scourge Between Stars is absolutely worth the read!

Highlights:
Science Fiction with Strong Horror Elements
Claustrophobic Horror
There's Something In the Walls
Debut Author

Trigger Warnings:
Gore
Familial Death

A claustrophobic space horror that can be finished in one sitting?!

Count. Me. In!

This one is right up my alley. It definitely gave me Alien vibes(which is one of my favorite movies). It's a top-notch read. One of my favorites of the year,

I loved the characters. Jack is a strong female lead and you want to root for her. It's spooky. It's tense. It's a thrill ride.
Ness Brown really packs a lot into 176 pages. I hope more is coming from them.

Imagine that your ancestors left an Earth doomed by climate change to set up a colony in another solar system. The conditions were not good and many of the colonists vote to take their chances on a return to Earth, maybe things have improved there in all the years since the ship orignially left. As a result, you are on an aging generation ship that is limping its way back to Earth with the onboard farms failing and dwindling stores. As if that were not enough, the ship has lost contact with others in the fleet and is experiencing periodic unexplained attacks that damage vital systems. Feeling doomed yet? Now add that you are the acting captain, faced with quelling unrest and talk of riots or mutinies, and the pressure is really on.

Jacklyn Albright (that's her on the cover), is doing her best to carry on the way her father, Captain Albright, trained her. When anomalies are detected and crew members are found eviscerated, Jack and the security team begin a terrfiying search through the ship for an intruder. Cabins, decks, passageways, lift tubes, there are so many spaces for a murderer to hide. Can they find the killer before it is too late?

This story has the sci-fi elements of ship's systems, robotics, and interplanetary travel. It also has the claustrophobic atmosphere of a tense murder mystery. Consider a mix of "Alien" and "Then There Were None" and you might have the feel of this suspenseful and bloody hunt for answers.

A good read for YA or adult mystery and sci-fi fans and short enough to enjoy in one sitting (which is what will happend when you get caught up in the action).

This novella is a no-stop action packed science fiction story what will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page. Brown's world building of life on a starship is top-notch. Additionally, the characters are complex and yet incredibly relatable; you'll be cheering for Jack and grow to love Watson, the droid. Most of all, I very much appreciated the casual BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ representation. Check the CWs. Be ready to buckle up for this suspenseful read.


I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Scourge Between Stars had some good tension going and I'd recommend readers who want a quick sci-fi thriller/horror read to give it a shot, but I found it too predictable and I wasn't engaged. I would try this author again in the future though!

3 Stars!

I am not really sure what drew me to The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown. I was not familiar with the author so I had no background to call upon. There was just something about this novella, maybe the title, that grabbed my attention and made it a must-read for me.



Jacklyn Albright, as the acting captain of the starship Calypso, had the unenviable task of trying to keep her crew alive as the ship futilely made its way back toward Earth. Complicating matters was the fact that the crew was all that was left of humanity. Albright was tasked with the job of preserving the species in the face of all the data the pointed to the trip ending in disaster. The crew had reached the breaking point as it became clear that their supplies were not sufficient to make the journey. Mutiny was brewing under the surface. All it would take was one little spark to start the fire that would end humanity. Then things got even worse.



Following a sharp drop in the ship’s supply of food, it becomes clear that there is something on the vessel that is beginning to hunt the crew. As she searches for a way to not only stop the new threat but also to save humankind, Jacklyn turns to her father for help. This only makes things worse when she discovers a terrible secret that he has been hiding from everyone. A captain must make hard choices to save their crew, but she is not prepared for this. Of course, no one could ever be prepared to make a decision that will decide the fate of an entire species.



The Scourge Between Stars starts off as almost a hard science fiction story as the reader is given the premise of a star ship frantically fleeing back to Earth from a far-flung settlement. The chance of survival is dim and the explanation is given to the reader in a methodical manner. Mutiny is a constant threat and the captain is hanging on by a thread. I found this part of the novella interesting, but it was not really compelling. We are introduced to the acting captain, Jacklyn (or most often referred to as Jack), who seems on the verge of quitting but then is seemingly revitalized by a new threat to the ship. It seems that something has stowed away on the ship and has now awakened to prey on the crew. The novella then completely shifts gears and the story becomes a science fiction/horror novel as Jack must stop this new menace. It was a bit of a drastic shift in the story that was a little off-putting at first, but Brown is able to pull it off effectively and the second half of the novel is a race to the finish as Jack and the crew struggle to survive in the face of monsters that are hellbent on their destruction.



The biggest downfall of this story is that it is too short. It starts off with a lot of promise and insight into the plight of the ship, then all of the sudden, it shifts almost completely to aliens haunting the vessel. Brown does tie it together to some extent, but it almost seems like too different books with one not having a real ending and the other not having a real beginning. This is not to say that I did not enjoy the book. It was a quick read and Brown keeps the story moving along quickly. It just seemed to me that there was way too much going on for a novella and that the story would be much better told as a novel. Who knows? Maybe Brown will come back and expand upon it in the future. I know that this is something I would want to read. As it stands, though, The Scourge Between Stars is an entertaining read and well worth picking up for fans of science fiction and even horror fans (although the first part of the story may drag for the horror fan). It just left me feeling as if the story could have been so much more than it is.



I would like to thank Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for this review copy. The Scourge Between Stars is available now.

Quick Synopsis:
The Calypso houses the last of humanity. While Jacklyn Albright, the acting captain, tries to return the starship to Earth, an alien threatens the crew's survival and mission.

What I enjoyed:
✨Centauri (our alien) - loved the descriptions of this stealthy enormous bug-like creature
✨The hunt to eliminate Centauri - very stressful and gory! This monster loves to devour humans.
✨Locked-room sub-genre - very tense and claustrophobic with food shortages, a mutiny among the crew/passengers, and unknown noises in the walls, which creates a “we are not alone” feeling.

Read this if you love:
✨Movies: Alien (especially Ellen Ripley) or Event Horizon
✨Space Horror/Sci-Fi genre
✨Action-packed plot-driven stories.

*3.5 stars

If you liked the fast-paced action and horror elements of the Alien movies, I think you’d really enjoy The Scourge Between the Stars.

We follow Jacklyn, acting captain of the generational spaceship Calypso. The ship is headed back to Earth after a failed attempt at forming a colony on a distant planet. After facing food shortages and civil unrest, a new threat emerges. Jack must figure out what dark force is lurking within the walls and determine why her father, the captain, has locked himself in his room and refuses to respond to the growing crisis.

I quite enjoyed Brown’s writing style. They have a way of capturing the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in a space ship with an unknown intruder prowling about. I also enjoyed Jacklyn as a main character and her relationship with Watson, a droid.

My main criticism is that the plot wasn’t that original and the ending felt very abrupt and wrapped up too neatly. It was also hard to connect with any of the side characters since the book was so short, so when deaths started happening there wasn’t much of an emotional impact for me.

I’m still looking forward to reading a full-length novel, though, by the author.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.

Jacklyn Albright is responsible for keeping the last of humanity alive as they head back to Earth from a failed colony on a distant planet. Along the way unrest begins to spread throughout the ship’s Wards and a new threat emerges, picking off crew members one by one. Did something stow on board?

I had a great time with this book! It's fast paced and action packed! In my opinion this is a perfect blend of sci-fi and horror. The setting of being in space always makes me feel claustrophobic. Since we know very little about space and potential for life outside of our planet the idea of aliens is a great way to explore the horror of the unknown. For the amount of time we have in a novella I think I got to know the main character a good amount. However, the side characters are significantly less fleshed out. I don't think there's anything novel about this story, but it was exactly what I wanted from this story.

Bracing action-packed novella of First Contact and failed human colonization. This tense, engrossing story, while scientifically a bit far-fetched, bleeds heart and keeps you on your toes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

I absolutely love sci-fi horror. There’s just something so oppressive about dealing with horrors in space that gives me the creeps, but safely from my couch. Ness Brown’s The Scourge Between Stars is no different.

Jacklyn Albright is first mate on a long haul ship from a failed colony back to Earth. It’s been 200 years since the original colonists left Earth, and a few decades since they’ve left Proxima B. Jacklyn has only known ship life, and has been in the thick of it since birth because her father is the captain. However, as soon as stuff starts to go sour, the captain is nowhere to be found.

The pacing of this story worked really well. I think it’s technically considered a novella, and sometimes those can seem either too slow or too fast. The Scourge Between Stars takes place only over a couple days, and it’s fast-paced without getting lost. I read it over two days, but probably could have read it in just one sitting. I was hooked.

Brown is an astrophysicist, which I believe helped with the story’s plot, as well as making it sound truly claustrophobic. I can’t wait to read more of their work in the future.

I read The Scourge Between Stars for #TransRightsReadathon and it’s available for purchase today. I recommend this novella to fans of Alien and fans of Dead Space by Kali Wallace.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the chance to read this advanced review copy.

CW for death, blood, death of parent, grief, gore, and sexual assault (not on screen, implied)

The Scourge Between Stars
By Ness Brown
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Description:
Jacklyn Albright, acting captain of the the starship Calypso, is in charge of getting the thousands of crew members back to Earth after a failed colony on Proxima b. While dodging the obstacles of the solar system, the perilous journey becomes even more challenging when the ship receives a horrific warning: Don’t open the door.

Review:
Getting the obvious out of the way, if you like the Alien franchise, you’ll like this book. I’m sure everyone is saying that. I, too, am a fan of the xenomorphs. What made me fall in love with this book, is how Ness Brown did not hold back when it came to showing off how knowledgeable they are in their profession. They did an amazing job with explaining science in a way that even people like me could follow along and get excited about it. I was screaming in excitement when the creature was explained. From it’s defense mechanisms to the way it travels in space was thought out in meticulous detail and was absolutely brilliant. I’m still giddy about it.

Ness Brown, I am extremely impressed by what you did in your debut novella and I can’t wait to read more from you! Happy Pub Day!

Ness Brown’s debut sci-fi/ horror novella, The Scourge Between Stars introduces us to a thrilling snippet of time aboard the spaceship Calypso, one of the last spaceships carrying humanity through space.

Aside from the threat of running out of food before they ever make it back to (a hopefully habitable) Earth, the people aboard the Calypso are faced with another threat — an intruder that is hiding within the ship, using up their stores and killing their people.

I started off a little unsure of whether I was going to enjoy this book but was quickly hooked. This was an easy read to come back to and I finished up in a day. I will definitely look for Ness Brown’s next book!

If you’re looking for the isolation of space horror combined with the technology of science fiction then this novella is for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for a copy of the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Scourge Between Stars is a cool sci-fi/suspense-horror, and I went in without much in the way of expectations. But it definitely packs a punch, and makes use of the page time to flesh out the claustrophobic atmosphere promised in the blurb and deliver a compelling story. There are a lot of layers here, from the simple struggle to survive on a spaceship with quickly depleting supplies to hints of an otherworldly presence out there. And then, there’s the immediate threat of something inhuman murdering members of the crew. All of it is delivered so beautifully and succinctly, packing just the right punch.
Jacklyn is a great protagonist to have at the center of it all. She’s the captain of the ship, and thus concerned with all of these major catastrophes, handling them capably. She’s also a well-rounded character, especially as the story reveals she has stepped into the shoes of her now-retired father as captain, so there’s an element of trying to live up to a legacy there, on top of the typical pressures. And even amid the chaos, I liked her relationships with some of the supporting cast, especially the AI, Watson.
This is a stellar debut, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for sci-fi that is either on the shorter side and/or features Black queer characters.

I got really into this high stakes space story! And my only qualm is that I want more of said story. I loved the concept of the potentially last vestiges of humanity trying to keep themselves alive on a spaceship where pretty much everything that can go wrong does. They can't go back to the colony they came from, because that did not go well. They are barely making it back to Earth, which is their end goal, and they don't even know if it is still survivable. But, they aren't even doing so great just staying alive in space, as it turns out, because well... something is happening aboard the ship. I won't tell you what, because where's the fun in that?

Jacklyn is an awesome main character, and she finds herself thrust into the captain's role when her father (the official captain) basically locks himself in his room. She will clearly do anything she can to keep her people alive, and she's willing to put her own ass on the line to do it. But she's also in over her head, and she knows it. Not only are there some bizarre shenanigans happening on the ship, but the people of the ship are fracturing among themselves too, leaving Jacklyn to deal with threats all over the place.

It's a very fast paced and exciting story, and I think if there was going to be a continuation, I'd have given it another star. If there will be someday, I'll amend. But if the ending is really the ending, I am just not satisfied because I have more questions that need to be answered, and I am really bad at not having concrete endings. That's on me, but this is my thoughts, so. There you have it.

Bottom Line: I really enjoyed this story and loved Jacklyn and the very high stakes space adventure. I just want more of it, please and thank you!

I really enjoyed this novella!
This is a good book if you are a fan of; strong female characters, suspense, horror, science fiction, horrible secrets.

I just reviewed The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown. #NetGalley

I enjoyed this far more than I expected to!! Space settings typically don't appeal to me, but this just worked for me. The author packed so much in this novella-- I wanted to read even MORE about Jack and Watson's story and Calypso's further journeys. I think this is a huge compliment to Ness Brown; I wanted to read more, not because there were loose ends, unexplained details, or a rushed ending, but because I enjoyed their writing and storytelling.

Excellent, will definitely be recommending this in my bookstore when it comes out!

Occasionally a novella will catch my eye on NetGalley, despite my preference for full length novels. The Scourge Between Stars is basically a bite sized delight of one of my favorite sci-fi plot devices - locked room horror onboard a spaceship.

Jacklyn Albright is the acting captain of the Calypso, a failed colony ship that has turned around in an attempt to return to Earth. The systems are failing due to an unknown destructive force they periodically encounter in deep space, and Jacklyn’s father, the captain, is refusing to leave his rooms. He doesn’t answer any of their communications, so she’s running things in his stead. When she begins to hear strange knocking on the hull and someone is eviscerated, it becomes clear that Jacklyn’s mother’s crazed ranting was actually true - something followed them from the planet they were on. What proceeds is a disturbing and gore-filled fight for survival against a super predator that stowed away on board the Calypso. 

This was a gripping read that I had to break up into two sittings because it was a bit too scary to read right before bed. While the people munching monsters were terrifying, I thought the AI in it’s little human form that Jacklyn had to deal with was far creepier. I kept assuming it was going to go full Chucky mode, but alas, the alien stowaways were the only enemies here. This was a solid novella that quickly set up some basic, interesting world building and nicely wrapped up the story.

I enjoyed this fast paced sci-fi/horror novella. I think there are a lot of opportunities to expand on this world and would love to see more from this author.

The "Calypso" is a self-contained ship with a population of humans that are rioting as food is becoming scarce, there is a mysterious entity attacking the ship, and Jacklyn Albright is forced to take up the position of captain to somehow get their sinking vessel to a safe harbor.

This story was extremely atmospheric and suspense-filled. In the claustrophobic confines of a ship that is almost dead in space, there is a sense of urgency and mystery around every corner.

The character development of Jacklyn was wonderful. She carried off this story so well in that she was a character balanced by bravado and humility. She has been forced into a position in which she must make life or death decisions while dealing with traumatic losses in her recent past.

The mysterious threat to the "Calypso" is a tad predictable, but there is a fantastic twist that I did not see coming! I loved it so much; it is one of my most favorite motives that exists in a gray area....I know that is vague but I don't want to spoil it for you!

If you like that confined feeling of space with a science fiction bent on human migration (the horror is minimal), then this may be a book you want to try. Approximately 176 pages in length, this novella is a nice short read with a story that packs a punch.

4.5 ✨'s

I read and reviewed an advanced eARC of this book thanks to MacMillan-Tor/Forge via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Releases: 04/04/23