Some of us are broken enough that we don’t get to be fixed. And maybe we’re better off that way. Not hiding from the damage like everyone else. Just accepting it and figuring out how to work around it. Just like we’re doing. Like you’re doing.” His gaze meets hers and holds it. “It takes guts to face the worst of yourself, the worst of your fears.”

Holy crow this book was amazing!! It was creepy in all the right ways. There have been movies that made me think space exploration is a bad idea but this book made me think that my feet are staying on the ground and I hope we never find out about life on other planets! S.A. Barnes truly took horror in space to an all new level. Every moment of this book kept me on the edge of my seat. Barnes truly has a talent at blending horror and sci-fi in a way that almost creates a whole new genre. This is the second book of hers that I've read and both had me feeling like I was in the middle of the action. And her characters? I loved the interactions between them. I love how the teams she writes feels like a family. They pick on each other but they're there for each other no matter what. Liana was definitely my favorite character in this book. And, I could really relate to how both Ophelia and Ethan had so much trouble forgiving themselves for their pasts. It can be difficult to truly let go of the trauma of the past and not let it shape your present and future. Their inner struggles were portrayed so well in this book. Keep writing, S.A. Barnes. I can't wait to read more of your writing.

"Space exploration can be lonely and isolating."
Ghost Station is about a crew that must try to survive on an ancient and abandoned planet. The book is a page turner from beginning to end and has anxiety-inducing suspense. This was written really well and I loved the dark atmosphere with the book. The characters were great in this and I loved every twist and turn in the book. I highly enjoyed reading this and would recommend this book to any reader who loves a good space horror. Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this spooky read in exchange of my honest review of Ghost Station by S.A Barnes.

Dead Silence is possibly my favorite horror novel, so when I saw Ghost Station on Net Galley I was pumped. A doctor with a troubled past, an ancient and abandoned station on a far away planet, a space travel disease that causes violence and mental deterioration; the plot has all the things. The pacing just didn’t work out for me.

Ghost Station is atmospheric and creepy. It’s an unreliable narrator story where you never quite know if the crew is telling the truth or if they’re trying to cover up being affected by ERS (above mentioned space travel mental deterioration). There are scenes that read like a horror movie, and you feel like you’re there in the room.

Highly recommend Dead Silence, everyday…to anyone who will listen. For this one, be ready for a slower pace and more of a mental game. There are still the epic horror scenes to keep you up at night!

Ophelia Bray is a psychologist whose specialty is a space-related PTSD-like symptom called ERS which can bring on violent episodes. She's now assigned to be a part of a small exploration crew. This crew is being sent to a remote, old, abandoned planet.
The crew has been together for awhile now and they're not too keen to have a shrink aboard and they don't bother hiding their distaste and distrust for Ophelia. Having a 'head doctor' must be an indication of something they're heading in to.

At first, things seem to go as planned on this once-thriving, now empty planet. But as the crew explores, there's evidence that prior crews sent to explore apparently left in a hurry and without trace where they may have gone.

The planet holds mystery and danger, which Ophelia is meant to keep an eye on, but Ophelia has secrets of her own that she's trying to work through.

I don't know that I've read anything by S.A. Barnes before, but I was looking forward to what I expected to be a sci-fi horror/thriller. It's *sort* of that, but this has a number of small problems that are difficult to overlook and which bring the enjoyment level of the read down a notch or two.

The biggest issue is with our protagonist, Ophelia. Sure, it's good to have a leading character with flaws but this intelligent doctor makes some really questionable choices that don't seem in keeping with a woman of her education and skill.

From the descriptions of events (Barnes is a fine writer) we get the sense that we're almost in an Alien situation, and while I like a slow build of horror, there's a difference between a slow build-up and a drawn out story.

In some ways, there's just too much going on. We're set up with multiple storylines pretty much from the start and we add a few as we go and we need to have some sort of resolution amid the horror that's built up. And on the other hand, there's not enough *actually* going on. The stories are mostly psychological and we're passive observers with little to bring us in to feel the fear.

Overall, this was disappointing.

Looking for a good book? Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes is a roiling, bubbling, scifi horror story that doesn't quite create the horror or thrill that is intended.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up
this book unfortunately did not work for me. I did not find myself liking the main character enough for the story to focus so much on family drama and character background. I felt dragged along as a reader as the MC grappled with her past, yet she was not reflective or deep when it came to the subject and the reader was not let in for awhile. I found myself getting very bored. I wanted way more space horror. The more "spacey" parts we got around the 80% mark were really cool, and I wish it was expanded upon and made up way more of the story.

I really enjoyed my first novel by S. A. Barnes! Something isn't right on the abandoned planet that Dr. Bray's crew is clearing up for possible terraforming. Strange black structures in the distance, dead aliens in the structures, a human body found outside of the habitat. Dr. Bray is trying to prevent ERS, where being too long in space causes hallucinations and violence. But is it ERS or something more sinister? A good read and a good audiobook!

I loved Dead Silence so I wanted to love this too but I just didn't. It felt a bit slow, not nearly as much ghost and horror as I wanted, and I wanted more of the third act and to know more about *redacted.*

Yes, yes, yes! SA Barnes is so good at creating a sense of foreboding in a sci-fi horror. Ghost Station was a bloodier entry into the genre for Barnes, but that ominous sense of dread was able to build more organically through the slow burn of the first half of this book. I kept referring to it as fear edging…. Or I suppose fear foreplay. I loved that the looming horror reveal was truly different from her first sci-fi horror book; however, both female protagonist had similar tragic childhood events that kind of brought me out of the unique story a little bit. I hope that the next book she releases doesn’t have constant childhood trauma flashbacks as these first two have. Ultimately this is what kept it at a four star for me instead of being a five star as Dead Silence was.

I really tried to enjoy this one but it did not appeal to me like the first book did.
It was a bit slow and I felt the plot kind of wanders a bit.
Almost like filling in space with words just to make a whole page.
The world-building took up a majority of the story itself and things just never seemed to pick up after that.
I was really hoping to love this one too.

I recently finished "Ghost Station," and it turned out to be a really fascinating read. The pacing was a bit slow at first, but it steadily picked up, and the unfolding details and tension were ultimately satisfying. I loved the setting and the blend of science fiction and mystery. The author did a great job of combining these genres, making the story both interesting and engaging. I am definitely happy to have a read a second novel by S.A. Barnes and plan to read more in the future!

S.A. Barnes' "Ghost Station" thrusts readers into the unsettling world of Dr. Ophelia Bray, a psychiatrist grappling with personal and professional turmoil. Seeking solace from a recent patient's tragic suicide, she embarks on a space mission to investigate Eckhart-Reiser Syndrome (ERS), a mysterious affliction with eerie implications. The crew she joins, initially skeptical of her presence, adds layers of tension and complexity, with each member harboring secrets and simmering conflicts that threaten to unravel in the isolation of deep space.

Barnes excels in character development, particularly with Ophelia, whose intricate backstory and inner contradictions make her both relatable and enigmatic. Her interactions with the crew, notably Birch and Suresh, reveal a dynamic interplay of suspicion, resentment, and dark humor. Birch stands out with his tightly wound demeanor and palpable disdain for Ophelia, while Suresh injects unexpected tension through his unsettling antics.

The narrative's strength lies in its gradual escalation of suspense, from eerie encounters on an abandoned planet with ancient alien ruins to Ophelia's descent into uncertainty and self-doubt. Barnes employs Ophelia's perspective as an unreliable narrator effectively, blurring the lines between reality and perception, echoing the thematic undercurrents of mental unraveling and existential dread.

Overall, this is an interesting, complex, and entertaining foray into sci-fi for both avid fans of the genre and newbies alike.

I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as I expected to. There are definitely some interesting ideas, but I found it hard to connect with the events of the book and definitely found my attention wandering as I read

I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys horror and sci-fi.

The beginning and premise of this story was already scary to me! I think going into “cold sleep” for space travel is a scary idea in the first place.

From there, our newest crew member Ophelia is pranked but the veteran crew and that was unsettling.

I loved the pacing and the flashbacks worked really well in the story. I enjoyed this and would read more from this author!

I enjoyed this book immensely. I think that the atmosphere of this book was probably my favorite part. I also really enjoyed that the author made each of the characters interesting and their flaws felt real and relatable. I am not a big sci-fi reader, but I will definitely be picking up more from this author.

S.A. Barnes Ghost Station is best explained as a space exploration mystery with aliens in a closed setting. Ghost Station starts with Dr. Ophelia Bray (story narrator) getting ready for the sleep cycle of a three-month travel in the Resilience ship making their way to Lyria 3936-C, the planet that her new team is going to reclaim for their company Montrose. After the death of one of her patients, Montrose and she decide that she should be out of the spotlight for a while, suggesting she accompany the reclaiming team.

The problem is that one of the crew members of the Resilience died in the last job, now the Resilience crew is wary of Ophelia and her new ideas to prevent ERS as it shows up. The crew of the Resilience consists of Ethan Severin the mission commander, Birch Osgoode the pilot, Kate Wakefield the engineer, Suresh Patel the inventory Specialist, and Liana Chong the scientific coordinator. Ava Olberman used to be the system manager, but she died in the last expedition which readers will later learn in the story why.

The awakening of Ophelia’s sleep cycle is not the best, she is alone and is pranked by Suresh and Liana. While she is there to help them deal with their recent loss and potential mental health issues, Ophelia (a psychologist burdened with a complicated past with ERS, a syndrome linked to space travel that manifests as hallucinations and violent outbursts in the afflicted) immediately understands that the crew doesn’t want her there and feels that she is just on this mission to report back to Montrose and all of them will lose their job.

Lyria 393-C is a planet that is currently going through an ice age and the weather is constant storms and blizzards. It is a planet that was once owned by a group known as Pinnacle. As the crew of the Resilience starts their mission in Lyria-393 a strange phenomenon starts to occur on the ice planet, and not all of them might end up surviving this mission. One after the other, crew members seems as though they have been possessed by an alien species that was thought to have been extinct.

Meanwhile, Ophelia's own past, and her own family misdeeds is brought to the forefront when her real identity that she long buried comes up. This story is a blend of mystery, murder, and psychological thriller. Straight away the reader starts to notice that something is not right with the station that the crew is using in Lyria 393, it seems that the previous team that was there left in a hurry and many of their personal belonging were left behind, Ophelia even finds a prosthetic tooth that somebody left. Something is playing games with their minds and wants them to stay forever.

The reader will start getting an idea of what’s happening and who is behind it, but even at the end, there are a lot of twists and turns. Ghost Station blurs the lines between horror and science fiction. The novel immerses readers in an atmosphere of eerie suspense, evoking the unsettling sensation of being trapped in a situation where you know something is wrong, but the underlying threat remains elusive.

I loved this author’s debut book. It was the perfect blend of sci-fi and horror that I tend to enjoy. I couldn’t wait to read another book by S.A. Barnes.

Unfortunately, this one did not work for me. I found it very slow and uninteresting. It was not giving me the unsettling feeling that her first book did. I’ve been reading this book for three months, and I’m only 40% through. It’s time to declare this a DNF and hope her next book works better for me.

This is a wonderful mixture of science fiction and horror. Readers seeking a darker twist on science fiction will enjoy this. The author is great at developing the atmosphere. I greatly recommend.

“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵.”

Thanks NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced reader copy and advanced listener copy!

This was a curious one and as a sci-fi fan, I liked it. Some aspects reminded me of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars and The Expanse, so fans of those should give this one a try. Though I received advanced copies of an e-book and audiobook, I opted to only do the audiobook. At a few points I got a little confused with characters but overall it was pretty easy to follow. Definitely gets heavy into the sci-fi and psychological and as the premise grows in intensity, some scenes that get described may be a bit too much for some readers. I do wish there was more explanation for the way it ends as it felt abrupt.

“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳?”

Content and trigger warnings include profanity, mental health, suicide attempt (brief description of aftermath), sci-fi violence and descriptive gore. I give it 3.5 out of 5.

“Some of us are broken enough that we don’t get to be fixed. And maybe we’re better off that way. Not hiding from the damage like everyone else. Just accepting it and figuring out how to work around it.”

What Worked: I’m really enjoying my foray into space horror, and by that, I mean the two books by S.A. Barnes that I’ve read. It’s a fun mix of spooky and science fiction. Readers still get fun new worlds and technology while also getting a nice adrenaline bump when situations get eerie. A nice additional element is the history that the author has created for this novel that includes settlements on all these wildly different planets.

What Didn’t: While the story was fun and came to a nice conclusion, there are still a few holes I would like filled. Without spoilers: What was going on with that thing? How did all those creatures die? How did they fix that stuff when she was asleep?

Rating: Liked it

This was a great horror novel! Loved the slight body horror. It was wonderful to watch everyone struggle with this idea that these issues could be their own madness.