2.5 stars


I thought this novella was fine, but not anything particularly remarkable. What made it much less appealing to me was the fact that it seemed to take the framework of Alien (1979) (and also some of the flesh), and added things on from there. (Alien is one of my favourite movies, & it's hard to improve on that.) I also think the story worked fine as a book, but would have worked much better as a film. The horror elements also didn't feel particularly striking to me -- whether that was completely an issue of tension, or if it was also that I basically knew where the book was going to go, I'm not sure. And I did NOT like how the ending just basically magically resolved the big overarching issue -- it felt like a cop-out.

While it didn't work for me, this might be a good novella for those less into space horror -- I think it would provide a good way for those readers to get their feet wet.

Ahoy there me mateys!  This book takes place on a generation ship, the Calypso.  After a failed attempt to colonize a new world, the survivors feel that they had no choice but to try to make it back to Earth.  However, several generations later, the ship is badly damaged and the likelihood of survival is looking dim.  Jacklyn "Jack" Albright, the first mate, is struggling to keep the ship going and looking for any solution.  It all gets worse when something inside the ship starts killing.

The positives of this book began with Jack.  I appreciated her tenacity and stubbornness.  I really was rooting for her the entire time.  I also grew to like the android, Watson.  Watching these two characters interact was compelling because of how their relationship changed.  I also enjoyed the concept of failed colony trying to make it back home.  This is a topic I wish was explored more in sci-fi.

While this book was a quick read and enjoyable in some ways, there were also some major flaws.  The big reveal dealing with the MIA captain was unrealistic, campy, and tropey.  The cause of the "engagements" damaging the ship is never explained and used as a deus ex machina for the ending.  I thought the threats inside the ship were fun, if unoriginal.  It seemed silly that the whole fleet could be taken out by them and also that Jack took forever to figure out what the banging was.  There was attempted horror in having a theme of opening doors that also ultimately didn't make much sense to me.  Also life onboard the ship isn't explored much and there are no real secondary characters other than to provide fodder for plot points that go nowhere. 

This book did not keep me in suspense but that could have been due to the short length.  A longer novel much have fixed some of the issues.  That said, I like the writing style enough to read something else by the author.  Arrrr!

One of the blurbs said I'd want to read this one in one sitting, and boy, was that correct. "The Scourge Between Stars" wastes no words and no scenes before it chucks you headfirst into the action, and what action it was: humanity on the brink of extinction, a dying spaceship, a captain gone missing and a daughter taking up his title, and something living in the walls... waiting for its moment.

I loved this one! Space horror is one of my favorite genres and this one felt like a wonderful movie - I immediately loved Jacklyn and her team. One thing I particularly enjoyed was Jacklyn's character development; although this one qualifies as a novella, she underwent a lot to become a wonderful three-dimensional character. Highly recommended to anyone wanting an action-horror taking place in space!

I would have never guessed this was a debut, it really read like a seasoned author. I need more in this world and/or from this author because, my god, Ness Brown can write. I do wish we got more of the spaceship and a bit more of Jack's character development, but I think that the length of the novella was the limiting factor there. I would have loved to have had more time for world-building and character development without the constraints of the novella length, but that just makes me all the more excited for whatever this author writes next.

This debut novella by Ness Brown was so good! It honestly read like a sci-fi film, fast-paced with so much action and suspense! The characters were diverse and the writing fantastic. It definitely did not disappoint and I cannot wait to read whatever Brown gives us next!

I really wanted to like this because I love sci-fi horror, but maybe I'm just not a huge fan of novellas in general...

This novella is more of a sci-fi thriller than true sci-fi horror. The sci-fi isn't heavy-handed at all, so casual readers can pick it up without becoming too bogged down by scientific details. It's a quick read too, filled with the usual sci-fi tropes.

Starting off with what I liked, the MC, Jack, has a take-charge, no-nonsense attitude and while it came off as abrasive in the beginning, it worked out well for the action-filled second half of the story. I liked that she didn't give up in the face of defeat. Even when everyone was in danger, she was willing to sacrifice herself without a moment's hesitation.

I liked the relationship development between Jack's character and the android, Watson. At first, she was very suspicious and skeptical. But learning about the relationship between Watson and its creator, Otto, led Jack to be more open and trusting of the android. Without going into any spoilers, the woman/female-coded android solidarity was a pretty cool development.

The action when the entire ship goes into lockdown was excellent, although tropey. But it kept me on the edge of my seat and I wanted to find out what would happen next. You can feel the sense of urgency and danger as Jack and the security team go deeper into the ship and encounter the aliens.

Other than that, I really wish that this was a fully fleshed-out novel. I wanted to care more about the secondary characters, but they were mostly there to move along the plot.

Secondly, it's very hard to believe that the crew would leave Jack's father in his quarters for a week straight without doing some sort of wellness check early on since he wasn't responding at all. I know that would defeat the big reveal, but it could throw another wrench in the many problems that Jack and the crew have to face. It'd make more logical sense to confront him before all of these events happen. The reveal at the end with Jack's father was... Eh. I wish it was much better explained, other than he pretty much lost his mind. It felt too simplistic and a cop-out.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for this arc.

The Plot
This book was a little slow to ramp up, but once it got going, it was an edge of my seat read. I found the ending a little too convenient, though it wasn't quite a deus ex machina. I would have liked to see the implications of one development that occurred toward the end as well. On the plus side, there was a twist that was both surprising and believable, which I appreciated a lot.
The Characters
I liked Jacklyn as a protagonist and I enjoyed seeing her relationship with Watson, the droid, develop. Their story had a lot of heart and added hope to the darkest parts of this book.
The World building
The monster in this book didn't feel super original to me (reminiscent of a certain popular horror SF franchise), but I did like one specific and IMO pretty original aspect of it. Aside from that, I liked the setting of a failed generation ship. Sci-fi authors often tend to gloss over the potential pitfalls and horrific consequences of failure on such a ship, which isn't a bad thing if it serves the plot, but amping up the awfulness of a failing generation ship serves this book well.
The writing
The prose is neither choppy nor lyrical. Personally, it isn't my favorite, but that is entirely a matter of taste. The writing serves the story well and many readers will probably find it enjoyable.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone seeking sci-fi horror.

I’m new to the thriller genre, but this novella was arresting. I read it in several sittings until about 2/3 of the way through, when I HAD to keep reading to get to the end. Compelling worldbuilding, complex main character, and good pacing.

The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown was a thrilling and suspenseful story set in space and embodied the hopelessness and fear of its crew. This was a short novel so it was a very quick read (can be completed in 1 day, 2 if needed). Because this was a short novel there wasn't much in terms of world building or character development. We see the most growth with the protagonist, Jacklyn (Jack), but it is feels rushed at times because of the length of the story. The story takes place on a spaceship and there is some description about the layout/structure of the ship, however, this is also an area that's lacking because of the length of the book. The way things are described with action taking place simultaneously is confusing. Overall,I liked the story because I did like the characters, the suspense, and the action scenes.

The Scourge Between Stars is a sci-fi horror/thriller novella, in the vein of other properties such as the Dead Space video game franchise and Alien multimedia franchise. The main character is Jacklyn, who is forced into the role of acting captain of the ship Calypso after her father mysteriously vanishes; she is tasked with getting her crew home safely, but obviously things aren’t gonna go that smoothly.

I greatly enjoyed the characterization of the main characters, specifically Jack and Watson and their interactions together. They seem like fully realized beings and I loved all the time spent with them. The worldbuilding is very in depth, though not overwhelming; Ness Brown utilizes tropes in a way that makes you familiar with the world but does not feel rote; a very fine needle to thread but the author does it well. Ness Brown is an astrophysicist as well as an author and their mastery of their knowledge comes through in full force through their writing.

The action starts about 50% into the book which is quite a long time of worldbuilding; it is enjoyable, but I feel the novella is too short to utilize that much space on setup. Once things do start popping off, I really started enjoying it, but it feels like it ended just as things were reaching the peak; maybe sequel territory? The other thing that I wish we got was more characterization with the supporting cast. I felt like I knew a handful of them well, and then the others were just various interchangeable names. Again, probably just because this is a shorter work and there simply wasn’t enough time to give every single character an elaborate backstory.

Overall, I really enjoyed this fast-paced read and it’s a wonderful first offering from a new author; I will definitely be on the lookout for more books from them in the future!

An enjoyable, recommended entry for my women-in-space files. Though loosely described as horror, I found–thankfully–it to be more about suspense. It’s a quick little novella for fans of a colony ships, female captains and manor-house mysteries. I hesitate to say too much more because I find that part of the joy in these briefer works is the unfolding of the story.

“If Otto was right, then Watson had just discovered their first confirmation of something else out there in the space between the stars, perhaps the very thing that took the Calypso between its teeth at random and shook. Their systems hadn’t been powerful enough to detect anything during engagements, until now. If they could finally sense them, they could survive them.”

While Brown does a nice job of building the world and the ship, this is one of those that I’d say falls under ‘sci-fi’ light as it doesn’t get too far into the mechanics and details of the technology. There’s enough to give us the parameters for the set-up. That’s okay; I didn’t need Aurora level technical details, but some might want more. I, for instance, found myself wondering more about the crisis that launched multiple giant colony ships without better resources.

What I did need details on, partially because it seemed the set-up for the reason the protagonist is captain and partly because it seems to play a role in her psychological state, is why a crew would allow their captain to isolate during a time of crisis. It didn’t make sense to me on any level and very much had the feeling of being saved for Later Dramatic Reveal.

“‘I’m here to report ship and mission status.’ She looked as stupid yelling outside the bulkhead now as she had the first twenty times.”

Horror details are skimpy, and are more about suspense of both mystery and situation than body-horror. Personally, that’s exactly the kind of book I’m looking for.

“As soon as her fingers touched the metal panel, a bang like a gunshot cracked under her touch, making her spring back. It came again, even louder. This time it was accompanied by a hard, metallic scraping.”

There’s some word choices that feel a little off, one of those first-book, pre-hard-editing kinds of things (‘stared at a horrible noise,’ and my personal peeve, an inappropriate ‘smirked’). Hopefully, that will improve in the final edition, but I’ll note that it seemed better than the average first-book.

It has a good heart: an interim female captain trying to find her footing, a potential romantic interest, the sense of scrappy, desperate humanity going to try and overcome the odds through science, technology and grit. With all the elements that were eventually brought into the story (spoilery stuff), it might have been a bit too much for a novella.

However, I really liked the ending and the way most of it tied together. Honestly, though, there was enough to flesh this into a Robinson/Stephenson sized-novel if Brown would have been up for it. (That said, as a reader I appreciated just a bite-sized chunk). As it is, I’d definitely read more of her writing, particularly if Brown puts out a full-length novel in this world. This would make a very solid 0.5 kind of story in a series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for the advance reader copy. Of course, all opinions are my own. Duh. And of course, quotes are subject to change, but I think they’ll give you a flavor of the writing style.

The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown is well written science fiction horror that surprises the reader by being more than just a spooky story with monsters lurking in the dark but also thought provoking hard science fiction. Within the first ten pages psychological horror is successfully harnessed to unsettle the reader with the relatively mundane. The true horror in this book is during the first 50 pages before the monsters lurking in the dark are known to exist, before any blood has been spilled and nothing horrible has actually happened. It's not the uncanny robots or thumps in the night that are truly terrifying but the unknown. Like with most things, once the protagonist and reader finally became aware of the monsters in the dark, that they are real, the story stopped being science fiction horror and became hard science fiction with a bit of action.

Other than the main plot involving monsters lurking in the dark, the story had various subplots ranging from the uncanniness of sentient artificial intelligence to the terrible psychological burden that comes with leadership done well. This is as much a story about morality and what it is to be human, as it is about monsters in the night. A daughters relationship with parents in a time of prolonged crisis, a first officers relationship with their ships captain, and the moment a junior is forced into the position of leadership because there are no other options. The realization that humanity dispite crossing the stars was still barely a type 1 civilization on the Kardashev-scale and while out in the wider universe runs the real risk of being accidentally stepped on by godlike advanced civilizations who don't even realize we are in the stellar neighborhood crawling around at their feet.

Do I recommend this book? Yes I do. I suggest anyone who enjoys science fiction and has the opportunity to grab a copy, do so.

Fantastic read. Great space thriller, especially with the no win situation it deals with. A great look at drive, determination, and hope.

I enjoyed this book. It was very nerve wracking at times. Clausterphobic. It made me think what would i do in the main characters place. People were angry at her for their lost loved ones blaming her thinking she should have gave her life to save them. I was like could i even handle that and keep leading. The amount of loss in the book was so sad.I loved the addition of the droids as well and what the docter might or might not have been doing with them. I did feel at times the story did not have alot of deph when i wanted more from it but i get that it is meant to be a short story. I did hold out hope for the main character that the horrible things would stop and she could finally have some hope.

This is a fast paced sci-fi horror novella about a generation ship returning to Earth after a failed attempt at colonization.

I loved the atmosphere here! The banging on the ship walls created a claustrophobic feeling very similar vibes to “Midnight”, the episode of Doctor Who where David Tennant’s Doctor is stuck on a shuttle stopped on a planet thought to be unoccupied. Like in that episode, we get to look at how people react when pushed to the extreme, with the added horror of knowing that not only is there no one to save you if your ship fails but also you don’t know what is waiting for you on the previously abandoned Earth, if you can even make it that far.

I really liked following Jack as she had to make tough decisions for the whole crew and seeing her wrestle with self doubt and her own issues. I also liked what little we saw of the other characters, but because we saw so little of them they started to blur together, though that’s not totally unexpected given this is a novella.

Overall, I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for space horror. I thought this was a really solid debut and will be interested to see what Ness Brown writes next.

A promising start that ultimately ended up feeling a bit hollow. The story followed a rather predictable path, attempting to spin up a sense of tension and dread, but it just never grabbed me as a reader. It was difficult to keep characters straight or care what happened to them, and the short length really hampered any worldbuilding. The ending was ultimately unsatisfying and felt unearned.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for a copy of this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Jacklyn Albright is acting captain of a generation ship heading back to Earth. The ship has been travelling for years, beset by attacks at unpredictable interviews that have slowed the ships journey, adding decades to their journey. With all the pressure of a tired crew, dwindling supplies, and constant repairs - it may all become too much when a threat is discovered within...

This novel from Ness Brown was a dark, fast-paced horror in space. It included well-established SF concepts, like generation ships to reach distant destinations, as a launching point for the story. However, the beginning concept was new to me - colonists attempting to return to Earth after abandoning a failed colony. I found the story compelling and tense - needing to read it as quickly as I could. I would have enjoyed more length after the nature of their problems was discovered - but they may have just been because I was enjoying the experience.

If you enjoy SF/horror - pick this one up. I will be keep my eyes peeled for any more stories from Ness Brown.

For those looking for new nightmare ideas for your brain, Ness Brown’s The Scourge Between Stars will certainly do the trick! And as a bonus it will probably do some phycological damage as well! This short sci-fi thriller is perfect for those who enjoy reading chilling stories told in dark and unique places. Not to mention, the novel is set in space on a spaceship with a crew that is attempting to return to humanity’s long past home world, which makes it a perfect read for sci-fi lovers as well!
There are many things to love about The Scourge Between Stars. What really pushed me over the fence to read this book was when I saw that not only was it a sci-fi thriller but that it was a short one at that! It seems hard to find bite sized sci-fi in today’s world with all the space operas coming out. (Not that I don’t enjoy a good space opera!) However, having a manageable story for all types of readers was certainly a plus.
The characters in The Scourge have their ups and downs. However, the downs felt intentional which I feel 50/50 about. While the main character, Jacklyn Albright, is strong, well written, and full of life, I found that I did not feel a connection to any other person except one that we didn’t actually get to meet until the very end! So if you are looking for a lot of great secondary characters I don’t think you’ll find them. However, there is a really interesting AI that brings a lot to the story instead. Thinking back to Jacklyn, I really enjoyed getting to know her character and was genuinely worried for her throughout the book and found myself yelling, “DONT DO IT!” several times in my head!
The World Building is minimal in the story. While much world building is usually based on the physical world, this world building focused on the history of the ship and mankind in general. This sets the stage for a grim mood that helped play to the story’s horror theme. All-in-all the story is definitely a character driven story with well enough build world that can be found believable for the reader.
Was the plot interesting? Yes! Is that just because I am a nerd and am a big fan of the Alien movies? Quite possibly! This entire book screamed Alien to me. I won’t give anything away except what’s in the synopsis above but there is an intruder on the ship and Jacklyn and the ship police try catch the intruder but finding themselves in above their heads. I will give the plot credit for catching me off guard at the end, so bravo for that!
I’ll keep the themes of this novel fairly short. Main ones being: how far is to far when it comes to saving humanity from extinction? Is technological advancement enough to save humanity? Are the decisions of a leader greater than those of their followers because they have the whole picture? Other smaller themes include love, LGBTQ+, diversity, sacrifice, bravery, fear, depression, and more.
Overall, even though I found this story familiar and somewhat predictable it was very enjoyable to read and a great edition to sci-fi thriller collection! You will find yourself turning every page with your heart thumping and wondering when the next hammer will fall. Pick this one up as soon as you can!

If you're looking for a novella that feels like Alien, look no further than The Scourge Between Stars. Set on a generational ship doomed from its departure, it will grip fans of space travel and sci-fi survival stories. The book is brimming with atmospheric horror, futuristic tech, and a droid (Watson) with a unique and lovable personality.

While I enjoyed the bulk of this story, and found Jacklyn a compelling protagonist, some plot beats went by too quickly and could have benefitted from a longer format. The terror would have felt more palpable as well, if I had gotten to know the characters better before the intruders showed up. Nevertheless, Ness Brown's prose is inviting and accessible, and I loved how she described the horrors without being too gruesome. I would definitely pick up her future works.

The Scourge Between Stars
By Ness Brown
A Review by Jamilla @LandsAwayBooks

I’ve got to say what drew me to this book immediately was the cover! Black girls in space are just my favorite thing!

But what absolutely hooked me was the fast pace, high stakes and thrills at every turn!

The FMC was a wonder! Brave and decisive under pressure, swallowing her fear and doing what needs to be done!

Also this is not a story that holds back on gore! But what I truly loved was that it still made room to include some of that ‘mystery of space’ je ne sais quoi that always draws me back to this genre!

An easy five star debut! I’m looking forward to seeing what other horrors this author dreams up!

Absolutely perfect for fans of space operas and also horror fans who love the Alien & Star Trek Discovery franchise!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review!