This book was not great. If you enjoy watching those ghost hunter shows maybe you would enjoy it more than I did, but even then the characters are not fleshed out and the story was...not good.

This story opens with FBI agent Kendra traveling to Hellwegs Keep to investigate some missing miners. Now right away this was just...like how long did it take her to get there? She is waking up from hypersleep when the book opens so it was long enough to put people under, but like...how is that going to help the missing miners? And I am so glad in the future the FBI is still in charge...in space. Like there is no space version of law enforcement? It was just an odd choice I thought. But then again the first part of this book was kind of enjoyable in a bad good kind of way. All the characters are flat, but there are a lot of product placements that just read very strange, and a lot of random references that made me laugh. My favorite being this one:

"'I'll be right here if anyone decides to come out before the others. I'll leave the light on for ya. And the heat.'
This seemed to defuse everyone's immediate trepidation. Even Gradius, who didn't understand the Motel 6 reference, because he wasn't required to watch the archived training videos on pop culture, smiled and appeared to breathe easier."

I read this to my husband and his first reaction was confusion - like what Motel 6 reference? We were both born in 1981 and I am vaguely aware of what it is talking about, but someone saying I will be here and leave the light on for you does not immediately make me think of Motel 6. I wonder how many people who read those first lines, before the text telling what the reference is, get the reference. It was just...so strange. Which was fun because it was ridiculous.

Now even before everyone goes into the mines to try and find the miners things happen, they see people go into walls and someone's hand gets cut off trying to follow something that went into the wall. They see someone lose a finger to a wall when it makes a hole then closes again. And when they find a foot sticking out of the wall? Well they have no idea how that could have gotten there! It is like no one has paid any attention to anything that has been happening. It was always like nope, nothing going on here. It was also very strange. Even at the end when they are all in the mines and the evil things are trying to get them it just felt...like there were still lines that were like you guessed there were bad things in the mines?!?! Well....yeah? Who wouldn't? The miners disappeared, we saw things try and kill other people/bring them into the wall, we saw if stuff got on someone's skin it would eat them up before even going into the mines, but no, nothing bad down there. Nothing bad anywhere. Everything is totally fine. It was like no one could remember what happened 2 seconds ago. And I finally got bored with the story and just skimmed it till the end to see what would happen. Not a great read, but at least the beginning entertained me somewhat.

HELLWEG'S KEEP by Justin Holley is a delightfully complex and terrifying (in the best way) not-too-far-future offworld Science Fiction novel. On a distant planet's moon, a mining operation run by an extremely eccentric and reclusive owner suddenly loses a number of miners, with no trace, and then a search party also vanishes. The FBI on Earth is contacted, and a hard-driven female agent with her own tragic background arrives together with a set of Paranormal investigators hired by the mining company.

HELLWEG'S KEEP neatly combines Sci Fi, magic, Cosmic Horror, religion, metaphysics, into a tapestry more extensive than either reader or characters expect, in an engrossing, exciting, and adventurous narrative in which the action and terror is non-stop. The Pride element, family devotion, issues of mental illness, and suicide are capably and sympathetically.

Cautions:
Suicide
Mental Illness
Depression
Psychic Visions
Pagan Religions
Cosmic Horror
Sacrifice
Violence (non-human)
Deception, Illusions
Narcissism, Emotional Absence, Domestic Abuse

FBI agent Kendra Omen and a team of paranormal investigators with unique talents travel from the planet Terra to one of its moons Zeta One. They need to investigate the disappearance of a group of miners from the titanium mine below the surface. They become haunted by horrifying visions and what they find in the caverns below the mine is a nightmare in itself.

The characters in Hellweg's Keep are all very memorable whether likable or not. Most are likeable, especially the leader of the group Kendra. The dread and tension is set right away in the first part of the book. Then the team goes subterranean and the claustrophobia helps to boost those feelings through the roof. I am a huge fan of science fiction horror and this was the scariest I have read so far. I would recommend looking up content warnings before reading if you need to. There is one major one.

I recommend this novel to those that are looking for a psychological claustrophobic space adventure with vivid nightmare fuel.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Flame Tree Press for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF 23%. I think this could be an interesting book for someone who can ignore some of the more typical pitfalls of sexism and overly-flowery language found in this book, but personally I could not. The concept drew me in with paranormal investigations in space, but unfortunately for me personally it wasn’t enough to get me to force myself to read more than what I already have.

If you like more typical cop dramas, and “ghost investigation” shows like Ghost Adventures, then I’d say to give this book a chance to see if it hooks you. Unfortunately, it did not click with me at all.

Also, be warned that there is suicide and depression mentioned and explicitly shown in this book very early on, and the theme continues as it progresses.

—

The rest of my review will contain spoilers and I’ll be a little meaner. If you want to avoid spoilers, and/or you liked this book I wouldn’t bother continuing to read. I just need to nitpick because never have I made so many little notes in my phone’s kindle.

–

I’m serious. It’s mean.

–

The main character Kendra is self-obsessed to the extreme, with everything happening causing her to go “but woe is me! My family died mysteriously!! No one could ever understand my pain!!!” Normally I’d be more willing to take into account her emotions, but when this is accompanied by people experiencing real trauma - INCLUDING someone dying violently because they slit their own throat - then I lose my patience.

Also the ghost investigator is very annoying, and after I saw a comment saying that him being named “Zak” and having every single mannerism as Zak Bagans from Ghost Adventures - I couldn’t unsee it. I’m also supposed to feel like there’s some kind of attraction between them, but neither character is compelling enough to both feel that way, nor for me to see it progress.

He “investigates” by feeling for EMF - but with his hands. By himself. He just goes off of vibes, I guess.
“Zak felt the EMF with his body, and I confirmed with my Mel-meter. It really validates the scientific method.”
It does not.

I mentioned earlier that there was quite a bit of sexism present in this book, and after one specific line I even went “this HAD to have been written by a man,” and lo and behold I was correct. There’s also quite a bit of fatphobia present, which does not in any way need to be present other than to simply make the joke “The cop is racist, a creep, and fat! Him being fat is part of why he’s a bad person.” Over. And Over.

This book starts off with Kendra being awoken to investigate a situation in the infirmary. (She did not need to be present at all during this scene, by the way.)

A character has decided to commit suicide by slitting her own throat (surely there’s easier ways?) because of a scary vision she psychically had. Sure, but then Kendra asks her questions and she seems coherent enough to be able to respond and shake her head with little issues, despite her throat being so cut that the doctor can barely stop it from bleeding out AND her dying soon after.

Kendra responds to being told what this horrible vision is by assuming it couldn’t be worse than what she’s dealing with. Also, Kendra says to the dying woman when asking her questions, “If you plan on living, you can tell me later. But if you’re gonna check out, at least tell me what drove you to this.” Completely normal way to ask someone violently dying by suicide what happened.

And then, when she sees the woman coworker of the woman who quite literally killed herself less than an hour ago, she describes her as:
“Men probably found her attractive but only those who could get by her morose disposition.”

Did I imagine the scene of the bloody suicide where she saw a coworker kill herself? Or?

Also, the next line is “Her chest heaved with an anxiety she kept very much to herself,” which is what prompted me to go “Oh a man definitely wrote this”. Cannot escape the “she breasted boobily down the stairs” cliche, can we? Also, the main woman character describes hearing a woman yell, as “a female,” and not a woman. Yikes.

Kenra then proceeds to examine every emotion this woman has, up to and including finding her suspicious for being so upset. But no worries! There’s a reason she’s so upset!! It’s not that that was traumatic, oh no, it’s because she has depression!! I wish I was joking.

Nitpicking characters aside, here are a few lines that made me go “WTF does this even mean?”

“The glock in Kendra's shoulder holder slid out as if greased.”
“A bathroom with a sink and toilet, a powder room the Realtors would say.”
“His voice sounded soft and soothing like a therapist, perhaps a lover.”
“[ - ] visualized in colors, soft angles, conjectural shapes. That’s why she hated the dark.”
“It looked like a gigantic rough-cut cigar. Or a Cheech-and-Chong-worthy joint.”

Reading the synopsis I was hopeful that I’d get a novel that would stick with me. For some reason I kept thinking it would go Event Horizon on me and just go completely crackers but that’s not what I got. This was not the best thing I’ve read all year. If I’m reading a novel that’s set in the future then why are there product placements that feel distinctly 20-years ago? Stereotyped characters. Bland writing. Difficult to finish.

4 Stars!

Fans of science fiction were assured long ago that no one can hear you scream in space, but we were never warned that there are things other than hungry aliens that would make you want to scream. Justin Holley is here to correct that misconception in Hellweg’s Keep. Even in the void of space, there are things other than hungry extraterrestrials to fear, and Holley sets them loose in this novel that blends science fiction and horror to create something unique.



FBI Agent Kendra Omen was happy to be sent to the distant moon. She was not happy with the circumstances, the disappearance of 37 miners, but it would give her a chance to reset her mind and start anew after the tragedy that still weighed on her mind. Then things start to get strange even as the spaceship is enroute and only get worse from there. With strange whispers and manifestations mixed with suicides start to add up, it is clear there is something sinister at work on the moon. Unfortunately, as bad as things are on the surface of the moon, the only way to get the answers she needs is by going down into the mines.



Kendra will soon learn that the greatest danger in space does not come from aliens. As she leads a small group of security personnel, miners, and a somewhat-inebriated priest into the mines, each member of the rescue party begin to see visions of people from their past start appearing to them, pressuring them to commit suicide for past sins and failings. It goes from bad to worse when strange creatures start coming through the solid rock to confront the group as well. These creatures are not aliens. They are demons and they are hell-bent on destroying every human who sets foot on the planet. They will stop at nothing to use the humans weaknesses against them and turn the mines into a literal hell.



I came into Hellweg’s Keep not really knowing what to expect, but I had visions of space horror stories such as the Alien films running through my mind. There is a bit of this in the story as the “monsters” in the story were a bit reminiscent of this at times. But that expectation was far from what lies in this novel, and that is not a bad thing. The science fiction in this novel is more window dressing than anything and, outside of the very beginning of the book when they are travelling to the mining colony, it really is not important at all. The setting is on a distant moon, but the story could have just as easily taken place in mines on Earth. The barren moon does give the story a bit more of an isolated feel that serves to enhance the pressure the characters feel but that is not overly important to the story. Fans of horror who do not enjoy science fiction should be able to enjoy this novel. The science fiction aspect just adds a bit of spice to the overall feel of the story and is not overbearing in the least. Make no mistake about it: Hellweg’s Keep is a horror novel, and a fine one at that.



Hellweg’s Keep is heavy on atmosphere both physical and emotional. The characters are squeezed by the mass of rock that surrounds them as they descend into the mines as well as by the weight of their own past regrets. There is a lot of physical horror in the novel but the true horror is the psychological terror the demons raise in the characters’ minds. This gives the story an extra punch as we all have things in the past we wish had unfolded differently and it is the power of past sins and regrets that truly haunt the story. Holley takes this a step too far at times, though, as he also spins this into a flicker of romance that only served as a distraction and a break from the main story at times, but this is really nitpicking at what is a very good novel. Hellweg’s Keep kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the novel and I could almost feel the pressure of the rock pressing down on me. It was easy to lose myself in the story with the characters that were all-too-human. There were passages in the story that were so intense they had my hands shaking as I pressed forward into the darkness that lie ahead. Do not let the science fiction aspect of the story hold you back if that is not your thing. This novel is, quite simply, one hell of a horror novel. Highly recommended.



I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. Hellweg’s Keep is available now.

I love sci-fi horror and I really wanted to love this one but it just didn't do it for me. The story was slow and the writing was a bit confusing at times.

Space horror is my jam. Especially if it involves a wide cast of characters with shady pasts and supernatural elements. This book unfortunately was not my jam. It started very strong and pulled me in. However, about halfway thru the book the plot just dissolved and started to tangent in weird directions with the side characters. The ending was a hurried and I was left wondering what actually happened. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this book.

This story is told in third person and follows multiple people that are sent into a mine to either rescue or recover miners that have disappeared leaving only a few body parts behind in the caverns hosting a Titanium mine on a moon orbiting another planet. The story begins with an FBI agent enroute that has been requested to investigate by the Imperial Prime Space Station Director. Also on the ship is a group of paranormal investigators that were hired by the mine owner and a man infamous for his ability as a protector from the paranormal. By the time the group reaches their destination, one of the members is already dead and several have seen possible apparitions of loved ones.

Upon arrival, there’s some jockeying for position and question as to who’s in charge but ultimately FBI agent Kendra Omen takes point and initiates an investigation into the owner’s office only to find a body along with a pentagram inlaid into the floor and a Ouija Board prominently displayed on the desk. A group is assembled comprised of the new arrivals, mine security and operations, local law enforcement, an indigenous man looking for his missing son and a missionary sent from Earth to bring the Good Word. It’s an eclectic group and personalities clash quickly.

I enjoyed this motley crew for the most part as they set off into the mine, which is in an extensive natural cavern system. It’s dark and creepy and they hear eerie moaning sounds and find more body parts. There are various stories being passed among the group about what was going on, how the occult was involved, if they had summoned a demon or were making sacrifices to various gods. Of course, the group splits up at points and are attacked by creatures or spirits that seem to manifest the guise of loved ones then manipulate them to do their bidding, which usually leads to death. Things got a little crazy at the end which is not surprising for this genre.

Then I turned the page, and that was it. But wait! What about…? Why did Zak…? Suffice it to say that it ended abruptly. Too abruptly.

I really enjoyed most of the journey in this book. Recommended to those that like space/alien horror with a dash of manipulative spirits but watch out for that ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for a copy provided for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book. The set up is boilerplate space horror-A group consisting of an FBI agent and paranormal investigators treks to a mining colony on a distant moon to determine the whereabouts of missing miners.
The problem is that it really doesn’t go anywhere after that. There’s a lot of supernatural bits thrown in to the mix but nothing is ever fully explained. The action really drags at points so it left me frustrated in the worst way. With a little more exposition and less talk could have made this a fun read. The writing is fine but many of the dots don’t connect and the endless cultural references left me wanting more.

2.5 Stars.

I absolutely hate to give a 1 star but I can’t bring myself to go any higher. I will, however, give a proper explanation. Spoilers follow, you have been warned.

The premise was brilliant, paranormal investigators in space, but naively executed with clunky writing, 2D characters and relied on references to 20th century pop culture to describe things in the 22nd century. It felt more like a first draft than a finished article.

I couldn’t buy into the main character. FBI agent Kendra Omen. First reason, the name. Secondly, she had no authority at all. She was happy to let everyone else lead under the guise of bowing to their expertise, but it made her appear weak as a character. Brought in as an FBI investigator for a series of disappearance on a deep space mine, she appears content to sit back and let things happen around her, but when she needs to take control, she doesn't. Instead, she lets people argue because she finds it amusing when people put down the space station's sheriff for being misogynistic. Not that I am excusing his behaviour, but at no point once the action started did Kendra pull rank on all the nonsense, just his nonsense.

The drunken Christian missionary, Jasper Currant, was particularly cringy, as well as the stereotypical old-fashioned sheriff who continually butted against the “edgy” head of security with a Mohawk called Lunar. Because the characters were stereotypes, even Kendra with her “hidden but heartbreaking” past, and there was a lot of telling over showing, I just couldn’t build a proper relationship with any of them.

Also the writing would change from distant 3rd person “Ramee thought he sounded both desperate and sincere for Lunar to believe him” to very close 3rd person “calm yourself, Kendra. Don’t let then interfere with now. She kept running.” The change of style and repetition of the characters’ past traumas that were haunting them in the mine kept me at arms length.

Then there’s the ending. It was definitely rushed with the meeting of something that’s not quite a god but not a demon that speaks in slang and gives most of them a safe passage through a portal back to a beach on earth. Oh and Kendra has gotten over all her hang ups in the last few pages so she can start again with the John Constantine wannabe who has spent the whole time crawling around the mine in a trench coat waving sage sticks around.

Despite all that, I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for my copy. I fear this book is not aimed at me who likes their sci-fi a little more detailed.

When I read the summary of Hellweg’s Keep, I was excited because it seemed right up my alley in terms of things that I relish in science fiction and horror: strange disappearances, unusual deaths and nightmarish creatures that would haunt the one’s dreams. And while I did appreciate certain aspects of the novel, there were others that prevented me from fully enjoying it.

When a group of thirty-seven miners disappear within the titanium mine of Hellweg’s Keep, FBI agent Kendra Omen is dispatched to Zeta Moon in order to investigate. She is soon joined by a “Paranormal Protector” named Zak Underhill and two other paranormal investigators Ramee Lancer and Warren Briggs, who had all been summoned to the station at the behest of the eccentric station director Bernard Hellweg.

Getting through the first half of the Hellweg’s Keep was more difficult than the second half, which is where the novel truly shined. The main characters were split into two groups and each group experienced their own horrors that were coupled with ever-mounting feelings of dread and claustrophobia. The descriptions of the creatures were fantastic and terrifying, as were the fates of some of the more unfortunate minor characters who fell to them.

When both sets of characters were finally reunited in a situation that seemed to have no positive resolution, I was expecting the worst to occur and a fittingly depressing conclusion. Unfortunately, that is where one of the largest negative aspects of the book was made apparent. The resolution to the conflict was oddly rushed and underdeveloped. Threads involving both the characters and the inevitable situation were simply abandoned and the characters seemed not to care in the slightest.

The setting of the story was also a bit off a times, with characters referencing pop culture-such as Star Wars-and product placement that would have been remarkably ancient in relation to the characters. The use of futuristic equipment-such as an atomic heater-contrasted with a basic BIC lighter and a common menstrual product. The items used to fight against the supernatural were also common items described presently-such as sage, iron and salt-with no reason given as to why they would be effective against creatures that were inhabiting an area far away from Earth and their historic uses.

Regarding the characters, Kendra Omen was very bland as the main character of the novel. Her backstory: hardened FBI agent who always follows the rules and is burdened with the trauma of personal deaths, has been utilized before and with better results. I felt the secondary characters such as Ramee and Head of Security Lunar shined more as flawed individuals. One other character seemed to exist simply to behave terribly, to be hated and then killed. While it is a common trait in typical horror movies, I was hoping for some bit of growth before they were forgotten.

Finally, there was an error where a character’s parent-who was specifically mentioned as being deceased as part of the plot-was later described as being alive in the climax of the novel-which a detail I went back and doublechecked to make certain I hadn’t misread anything. I’m hoping in a future edition, this mistake is corrected as it made the ending more confusing.

Overall, Hellweg’s Keep certainly had the potential to be a great novel, but sadly fell short of its aspirations. Nevertheless, I am immensely grateful to NetGalley and to Flame Tree Press who provided this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Space, mystery, law enforcement, paranormal? Right up my alley. First time delving into horror though and I didn't know what to expect. The blurb looked good! Seemed like a good light read that I might avoid at night.

A few chapters in, the brand name dropping and pop culture references lead me to think that it was a much more near future setting than I'd imagined. There was significant product placement throughout the book for brands that I wouldn't expect to continue to exist in 50-100 years. I found that pretty jarring and it took me out of the moment every time. Consuming media from 50-100 years ago, outside of an anthropological setting, doesn't make any sense to me.

The setting was great, the plot concept fantastic. The idea of being isolated somewhere with deadly paranormal activity is terrifying, add in SPACE as an extra layer and I was ready for it to be used to dial up the tension. Space ended up playing a really small role, despite the potential.

There's a repeated interaction between Zak and Kendra that seems like it happens every time they speak for the first half of the book. A question is asked, the question is avoided or declined, the response is fine, when you're ready, but we need to talk about it. Yes, there's a dark backstory that is painful to share, I got it the first time!

The paranormal aspect was pretty cool. I enjoyed the magic, mechanics and framing of it. I did not find it scary, nor did I feel a lot of tension. There was a deus ex machina moment at the end, but I don't think it actually resolved anything. There were 3 or 4 loose ends when the book abruptly finished that were major aspects of the story. It wasn't clear if it was a setup for another series or not. It's possible I missed an inference that more people were aware of the paranormal aspects, but it was pretty vague. I read the last chapter 2x to make sure that I didn't miss a critical piece of information about why it ended the way it did and why everyone seemed okay with it.

Overall, interesting concept, medium execution. The pacing of the book was a little off, the middle dragged and the ending came from nowhere. I feel like the story line needed some more polish and cleaning up. It's not far from being an excellent read, but the few things that stand out really affect the quality.

Thank you to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press, and Justin Holley for an advanced reader copy.

Highlights:
- if this is the first in the series, it could just be a rough start to something that ends up being really well polished and presented

Lowlights:
- tell me you don't menstruate without telling me you don't menstruate... didn't add anything to the plot or tension, I found it -super- weird and the exaggeration of it was strange.
- characters were pretty standard and the rest of the world building/plot etc wasn't complex or well executed enough to make up for it

2.5 stars rounded to 3. This was very hard to read, even harder to enjoy. The premise is fantastic, right up my alley, and seemed it'd be my favorite horror read of 2003. Unfortunately, it proved an utter disappointment for quite obvious reasons: the setting is entirely unconvincing (supposed to be an asteroid in the 2080s, and it reads like amateur cave exploration in the 1980s), the development of the premise makes no sense (sending people to explore a dangerous new area, when drones can do it? With no video from the people who've already done it once and disappeared?!), and the paranormal elements could simply be turned into science fictional ones with no loss (though the idea that you can pump oxygen in a complex of caves and then magically breathe without a glitch, would have to be refined) . The author forces a bit the issue, as well, to make it sufficiently clear that there could be a series with the same central character if this book goes well. And the ending! I really hate deus ex machina endings. At least the editing was great.

I received Hellweg’s Keep via netgalley in exchange for this review.

I really, really wanted to like Hellweg’s Keep when I found it on the netgalley site. I was immediately drawn in by the premise in the blurb.

As far as I was concerned, this had all the makings of a hit.

Ominous and somewhat foreboding cover art? Check.

Plot containing new worlds and new gods? Check.

Lost, potentially dismembered miners? Check.

Batshit crazy CEO who may or may not be in league with the devil? Check.

I’m not exaggerating, dear reader, when I say this thing immediately catapulted to the top of my TBR, leaving known quantities and, probably, better new books and authors in its wake.

To say I’m mad at how little I enjoyed this will probably not be received well. I’m sure at least one person will think/say “well what the hell have YOU written asshole?” (Isn’t this review a start?) But to you, sir or madam, I say bite me.

Have I not lived up to my end of the bargain? Have I not spent the time reading Hellweg’s Keep?

Had I not, I wouldn’t be able to tell you about the ghost hunters that somehow end up IN SPACE to check out this mining station, armed with little more than a camcorder and an EMF detector.

Or the “Psychic protector” who inexplicably dresses, and behaves, in 2103 (this is a guess, at one point the author hints at these happenings taking place 80 years from 2023 but never confirms), like Zak Bagans.

There’s also the drunk, Bible-thumping monk, (because in 2103 the Catholics have a new frontier to exploit), Gradius: one of 2 members of a new race that humans have made contact with that have actual dialogue, though it’s little more than drunken revelry and “remember when’s…” with our monk friend.

There’s also The “Sheriff” of the space station, who seems like he was turned away from the TBS re-casting of Tombstone, the “manager” who accompanies the group in the search of the missing miners who does nothing but complain, the security lead who has feelings for one of the ghost hunters but doesn’t know how to handle it…

None of whom compare to our lead, Ms. Kendra Omen *gasp*.

Like I said, I WANTED to like this book when I started it but Kendra Omen may just be THE most forced character I’ve read all year. The eyeroll that hit me when I first read her name almost blinded me. I hoped and hoped her story would somehow materialize into something worthwhile but it just didn’t. It was rushed and, honestly, given how the book ended, seemed rather pointless.

I hate to say it but that right there summarizes my whole experience with this. It feels rushed. I can’t help shaking the feeling that if the author worked on this for another 6 months, etc, that it really could have been something.

It takes half the book to get past the product placements (Glock, OSHA, Xanax, Bic lighters, Under Armor all make the trip to space in case you were wondering) and shoddy world building.

It’s here the author actually drags me back in. From 50-95% of the book, I was glued to my seat, tapping the edge of my Kindle to keep the next page coming.

I felt the adrenaline.

I felt some claustrophobia.

And what’s best, I felt legitimate dread while reading (my favorite feeling when reading horror) and had such hope that our author was going to stick the landing.

And then someone drew a door in the floor and made a deal with a witch and the author kicked me in the balls and danced around my wheezing body.

Again, the OVERWHELMING sense of “this was rushed” can NOT be missed on this one. It’s like he was late on a term paper and wrote the ending in class before he turned it in.

The 2 stars are directly tied to 50-95% of the book. In that chunk of the novel you can see that the author has the makings of something legit. This one just wasn’t it.

Oh yeah, remember how I mentioned those missing miners? Yeah, they’re kind of an afterthought. I think I’ve given them more shine in this review than they get in the book that’s ostensibly about THEM going missing…

This space sci-fi/horror/mystery genre mash-up has a fun premise, an exciting/frightening big bad, and some really fun action/horror set pieces. The writing is compelling, leaving almost each chapter with the kind of cliffhanger that really pushes the reader forward but doesn’t feel forced, and ultimately is a quick, fun read. I like that this is a near future (around 2050 CE, it seems) where humanity has the technological breakthroughs to conquer various solar systems, and yet we still find Christian missionaries trying to convert indigenous interstellar populations, and all of this is combined with more or less acceptance that ghosts and demons and other supernatural entities simply exist. That presents an interesting world-building that seems like it could be full of engaging internal contradictions, unfortunately this story doesn’t really explore those in very interesting ways, it simply presents this jumbled assortment of world-building ephemera without too much critical analysis from any of our characters.

While fun, there are a few things that hold it back from being great, though. The characters and story feel both heavy-handed and underwritten at the same time. There is nothing particularly interesting or inventive about the characters. A gruff, brooding FBI agent with recent trauma who may be learning to trust and feel again? An incompetent local cop who is of course overweight and slobbish, because that is easy code for unlikeable. Female character with tattoos, mental-health struggles, and mommy issues? Of course she is queer, and immediately falls for the other conveniently queer character, the rainbow-mohawked anarcho-punk who is also the head of security. There is an indigenous leader who is educated enough to scoff at his peoples’ traditional customs and ways, and a priest who is a bumbling alcoholic and constant punchline. Every character just feels worn out, totally expected. I appreciate that to have a mission with this large of a cast you need various character traits to make a compelling story, and I also appreciate the attempt at inclusivity, but everyone felt pretty cookie-cutter. That said, the personality traits do work well together to keep tension high at things moving. Similarly, there are weird things with the world-building that just leave something desired, like the numerous contemporary pop culture references (of course the FBI agent likes Star Wars and the queer chick likes Gwar, because that makes sense for this future world?), or the kind of lazy way the paranormal is discussed, with EMF readings being paramount and iron, salt, and sage being pretty much super weapons, without any sort of rationale or explanation (even when another character asks for it!). It feels uninspired. Add to that what feels like a little bit of a deus-ex-machina ending and the decision to just ignore numerous and character threads, leaving them unresolved, and not in a “maybe we will find out more in a new installment” kind of way but more of a “these were convenient things for me to use to push the narrative forward earlier in the book but I don’t really care enough to do anything with these ideas now” kind of way. We get reminded of our central character’s recent trauma on what feels like every other page and yet none of it goes anywhere or pays off in any interesting way. Even a brief epilogue could have at least tried to tie up loose ends but instead everything just feels incomplete.

I care a lot about character and world-building, which is why I felt a little let down. And in fact the weakness of the story probably would have been naturally solved by more complex, less expected characters. So, I had fun with this, but it felt like there was a whole lot left on the table that was just ignored. I will again say I thought the writing style was efficient, if a bit heavy-handed at times, but it did streamline the action and kept my attention. At some point as our group begins their investigation they split into two (for pretty unconvincing reasons, but that’s always the case, no one in any horror story splits into smaller groups or goes on their own for good reasons, so it didn’t bother me), and subsequent chapters switched back and forth between the two groups. This was used to good effect, with each chapter ending in some bit of excitement or intrigue only to be torn away to visit the other group, and yet both groups were equally interesting and fun to follow. So, this does squander some potential, and if you really care about interesting, unique characters you might find this a little short. If you are just looking for the fun balance of chaos and order that any ensemble cast needs, without worrying too much on the individuality of the actual characters, this fits the bill. This did keep me engaged and over all I thought it has enough interesting going on to let me read past the bits that were less compelling. If you like space horror then this is a fun, quick read.

I want to thank the author, the publisher Flame Tree Press, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was given an advance release copy via NetGallery for this book.


The premise of Hellwegs Keep is awesome. "FbI detective investigates crime in space."

After that great start the book goes downhill. I think a major flaw is splitting the main two characters. There isn't really a reason that the FBI agent could also not be a paranormal investigator.

Also the name of the character adds meaningless confusion, why call someone Lunar when you are on a space base?



There are some really clunky/chringy sentences in this novel

"One last thunderous clang, steel grating and screeching like the coitus between ship and station would destroy both.".

"The pilot informed Kendra that Lunar didn’t have room in her personal transport for their equipment so they’d waited for the bigger bird and Lunar would fly her own and meet them below.".

"The scent of thieves oil overpowered the bleachy smell.". I have no clue what thieves oil is.


I can honestly say that I recommend no one read this book, unless they are reading a weird book ironically.

Oh the cheese factor. I was hoping for a good, creepy sci fi horror but ended up with something more akin to a reality tv show that spoofs the paranormal. Not something I'd suggest to anyone who liked The Luminous Dead or Dead Silence.

This story begins with such promise. It is the combination of sci-fi off-world possibilities and isolation, with the supernatural and paranormal.

SPOILERS

I did not like how the misogynistic character died so quickly at the beginning, it was a bit too predictable. I'd rather have a connection to a character and then lose them, or see the misogynistic character have a character arc instead of just becoming cannon fodder.
I did not like how everyone experiences the same paranormal events basically exactly the same- it is quite repetitive and predictable.

I wanted to like this book, but it didn’t work for me. The writing style was different than what I typically like, and I struggled to get into the storyline. The horror/psychological thriller aspect of it were appealing, and kept me engaged enough to read it through, but the characters and story didn’t feel like they were developed enough. The ending was also quite disappointing to me as it felt like the author didn’t know how to wrap up the story and finished it off without giving a grand conclusion. This book may be great for someone else, but it wasn’t my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press, and Justin Holley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.