TL;DR Review: A classic spy thriller…in space! Fast-paced, gripping, and intriguing.

Full Review:
Dark Space is the perfect book for fans of John Le Carre, a slow-burn yet quick-moving thriller that had me blazing through page after page to find out what the heck is going on.
From the beginning, it’s clear that things are NOT all right:
- Aboard the Mosaic, a colonizing ship hurtling through space toward a planet that is to be humanity’s hope of the future, pilot Jose Carriles suspects something is very much wrong when not one, not two, but three separate ship systems fail all at the same time. Worse, no one—not the captain nor the head engineer—seems interested in finding out.
- Back on New Destiny, humanity’s moon colony, Corin Timony receives a cryptic message from the Mosaic, only to have it immediately canceled. To top it off, she’d ordered to go home and forget about what she saw, only for a mysterious senator to push her to look into matters and for the only other person to see the Mosaic’s message to wind up dead.
Though light years and galaxies separate the two stories, it’s clear from the beginning that they are very much linked. Figuring out how is where the fun comes in.
The stakes are set from the very beginning, and the tension just gets ratcheted up with every new obstacle, enemy, discovery, and mystery. The pacing of each chapter is zippy enough to keep you wanting to read on—I said “just one more chapter” about a dozen times—and the hooks are baited so well that you’re drawn deeper and deeper.
I legitimately had knots in my shoulder as the story drew closer to revealing what the heck was going on, and even then, that’s just the beginning of MORE mystery, more suspense, more danger, and more challenges for the characters to overcome.
The action scenes were fun but short—this isn’t a Ludlum or Clancy thriller, but the sort that involves investigation over ass-kicking, problem-solving and people-handling over spaceship chases and gunfights.
But make no mistake: the book gives you all the excitement, intrigue, suspense, and exhilaration you could ask for. Atop that, the character work done into both Timony and Carriles was excellent, exploring their past screw-ups, present quagmires, and bleak futures in enough detail to make them easily relatable and grounded characters.
There’s even a bit of Star Trek-esque commentary on humanity woven nicely into the story. Through this adventure, we come face to face with both our flaws and fortes as a society. But by the ending, we’re shown a brighter way forward and left with a sense of hope that offers wonderful closure.
I enjoyed the hell out of this book—I read it in one day—and absolutely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a classic spy thriller…but set in space!

Who knew there was a subgenre of science fiction that is basically espionage in space? Turns out, it’s a real category and it’s great! The novel Deep Space by Rob Hart and Alex Segura drew me in with the synopsis-and it delivered. The story is told with two different perspectives, one pilot in space and one government agent on the moon. Scary situations are occurring in both narratives but neither person can figure out what is going on and why they are being steered in different directions. From the beginning this space mystery goes at a pretty adventurous speed, but at about 35% in- it really gets going. With a sprinkling of spy tech and tactics, hidden enemies and even first contact, this novel has all the science fiction ingredients I love. I hope these authors keep combining their skills because they worked together to create one of my favorite novels this year. If you like Mission Impossible movies and stories that are like puzzles, you may love this book! Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for a chance to read this earc in return for my honest opinion.

Dark Space combines multiple genres/sub-genres into one very bingeable, action packed space thriller!

While piloting the Mosaic, multiple system failures place Jose Carriles and everyone else aboard the ship in peril. Carriles thinks fast and saves the ship, for the moment, and fires of a message off to New Destiny, the lunar colony they all came from.

Corin Timony, who's been relegated to desk work after an incident with Jose, receives the message, and feels the need to investigate what's happening on the Mosaic after another message shortly after says to disregard the first message.

As Carriles tries to preserve the Mosaic as it hurtles through space, Timony tries to sort out the politics involved in New Destiny related to the ship. Both of them soon realize they are in over their heads, but continue their journeys for the sake of humanity itself.

I was glued to the pages from the beginning of this story, and loved the intricate politics that Carriles and Timony work to unravel. Timony's storyline felt reminiscent of my favorite parts of spy thrillers, and Carriles' chapters had a claustrophobic, almost locked-room feeling to them. The central struggle of saving the few vs the many was a great thought experiment to chew on throughout all the action taking place, and I loved how the external plot helped resolve the main characters' internal roadblocks.

Fans of action/spy thrillers with a side of space will love this one!

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

Another amazing sci fi book that I had trouble putting down and can’t wait to find out if there’s a sequel. Loved every moment while reading it!

Whether it's the 22nd or 23rd century, the story suggests that Earth's global politics remain largely unchanged. The elites of Russia, China, and the USA continue to play their games, using us as pawns on a galactic chessboard. The main protagonist, Jose Carriles, laments, "I wish we lived in a world where we could trust our leaders, but they're often petty and cruel—unqualified and selfish individuals who prioritize their own interests over humanity's welfare." However, don't let this dissuade you; the book offers a captivating read. Set in a future with intriguing characters and a compelling plot, it provides both entertainment and pause for thought. I am looking forward to the next installment in the Dark Space series.

Fighting bad guys in space? I'm in. It's fun, it's quick, and it's interesting. I had a great time, but do I feel like it's something that is genuinely going to stick with me? I don't think so.

Another sci-fi thriller with The wonderful Rob Hart as one of the authors. Humans moving to space to make ground -breaking discoveries only to find out that some members of interstellar union are part of an espionage plot to take over other planets. Action-packed with twists and turns while using perspectives from the sciences.

Blackstone Publishing provided an early galley for review.

Every now and again, I like to dive into a sci-fi novel about space as it was a genre I read a lot of in my teens. Having enjoyed an earlier novel by Segura, this one caught my eye.

Interestingly enough, this novel has two writers which I always find to be an intriguing exercise. Can I tell the difference between their two styles? (I could not.) Do their styles mesh well together? (They do.) The story itself is split between two main protagonists in two different locations which probably made their work a bit easier (assuming they each took one narrative path, which I am not sure if they did or not).

However, the narrative ping-pong really did not work for me here. While each storyline moved along and eventually came together to a satisfying conclusion, I found myself frustrated by being invested in one only to be jerked back to the other. That took some of the luster off of the book for me.

This is described as 007 meets Star Trek - and it feels that way but with all the minuses rather than the pluses. The characters didn't feel well developed, the plot was all "Oh no, something is going wrong at the top and I must save the universe!" and I just never got into the people or what they were doing. At about 60%, I skimmed through quickly, trying not to roll my eyes at the big "oh noes!" betrayals and reveals.

Story: Jose is an ace pilot assigned to a ship sent to explore a newly discovered Goldilocks planet - a badly needed new habitat for humanity after Earth's resources are failing. But soon enough into the trip, it is obvious that someone doesn't want the mission to succeed. Meanwhile, on New Destiny on the moon, ace spy Corin has been relegated to a desk job after getting busted with Jose for drugs. Jose got off due to family in high places while Corin took the brunt of the sentence. She also soon discovers a conspiracy involving the death of her ex that has her embroiled in the same life and death situations as Jose.

I had a lot of problems with this book. First and foremost, none of the characters were believable or even likable. Jose and Corin's backstory of the drug bust is never discussed and so we have no idea why they did it other than to create a link between the two in the future. Corin is supposed to be this superspy but we didn't really get to see it since she only looks at the obvious and heavy-handed clues; certainly, Jose never really flies the ship much since he's either saving it or fretting about a conspiracy onboard. Don't get me started about the cardboard cutout overly-simplistic side characters that were better suited for a cartoon.

The conspiracy itself was overly silly and I won't get into spoilers so I can't really go into just how ludicrous it got at the end. The Scooby Doo mystery was silly and I guess about on par with a 1970s Bond SPECTRE villain and plot. The only saving grace is that there isn't a love story here between Corin and Jose.

Then there's the sci fi - space travel to a newly discovered distant plant is done in a few pages with no hypersleep or other hyperspeed/crysleep contrivances. It's all about the conspiracy so no one is supposed to wonder why a ship going to see a new planet doesn't have scientists or explorers and instead is packed with typical "Star Fleet" types. Apparently, they took a day to go to a new far planet and were just going to take a shuttle down to explore it. Yeah.

So was it terrible? Perhaps not if your tolerance for sci fi isn't high. But honestly, it was hard not to roll my eyes at either the silly spy plot, the big conspiracy, the bad science, or the cardboard characters. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Blackstone Publishing for an advance copy of this science fiction book about a future where humans have made it to the stars, and have made a mess of it, written by two authors who are really making names for themselves in many different genres.

Science fiction and conspiracy stories seem to me two great tastes that taste great together. One can look at the stories of Philip K. Dick who was sure that people were out to get them, people he wrote about constantly. Many classic shows of science fiction count on conspiracys to fuel their plots. What I've always wanted more of in these kind of stories are a little bit more espionage. A little more of The Circus, as John le Carré called his intelligence agencies, under the shadows of different suns. Rob Hart and Alex Segura two authors I have been reading a lot of recently had the same idea. Their book Dark Space, is a story about the future, space travel, conspiracies, trust, spies, lies, and redemption.

Humans have made it into space, but treating the universe like the planet Earth has consequences. The colonies are showing their age. Things are breaking, and even the most naive of people feel something is going to happen. And not for the good. The starship Mosaic the first of it's kind is traveling to a new world, one that might offer opportunities to the humanity. If it gets there. A strange cascading series of problems nearly destroy the ship. Reports of difficulties are not getting through. And people seem to be dying. On the Mosaic Jose Carriles is getting the feeling that failures he is experiencing, are part of a much bigger problem. The mission that he was brought in might not be the mission he thought it was. And who else might know the truth. Back on New Destiny, a lunar colony retired, not by choice spy Corin Timony becomes aware that strange things are happening. Maybe tied to the death of her love, the pilot that Jose Carriles replaced. As body begin to pile up, and things get darker both Timony and Carriles are getting the feeling they are being lied too, and these lies might be the end of all humanity.

This book starts at lightspeed and keeps going, which I loved. From the first page to the end, one is locked into a gravity seat, flipping pages. Both authors are very good at designing plots and this is a good science fiction, first contact, conspiracy, almost dystopian tale. The world is very rich, and I hope we see more of it, there is a lot of possibilities for stories here, and a few things are dropped that could be picked up in later books. The story like I wrote moves well, jumping from point of view of both characters easily. The characters are interesting, flawed in ways one does not see much, but stronger in ways that become clearer as the book goes on. There' a bit of humor, a lot of adventure, a lot of thrills, and some surprisingly shocking moments. Really everything I want in a story.

As I stated I have enjoyed books by both these authors quite a bit. Again I hope this the beginning of a series, as the characters, the world, and the ideas are well-written and something I wouldn't mind seeing again. Really good science fiction, and a lot of fun.

Firstly, a huge thank you to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, the authors, Rob Hart and Alex Segura, and NetGalley for the privilege of reading a digital ARC copy of “Dark Space” for review! I’m such a huge fan of space operas in general, and this one did not disappoint. I will post my review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble upon release.

The influential and genre-defying writers Rob Hart and Alex Segura truly joined forces in "Dark Space," a sweeping sci-fi spy thriller that blends genres together in a seamless way. If you like Star Trek and detective shows, this is for you. “Dark Space” has a gripping narrative that is both expansive in its world and intimate with its characters.

The story centers on ace pilot Jose Carriles and former top spy Corin Timony, whose lives have taken unexpected turns. Carriles pilots the Mosaic—a massive ship going on the first-ever mission beyond our solar system. Timony, who was once preparing to become the best spy in the lunar colony’s intelligence arm, finds herself demoted to a desk job monitoring communications.

When the Mosaic experiences a series of strange malfunctions, Carriles takes a daring gamble to save the ship, only to uncover more than he bargained for about his employers; the true purpose might not be as straightforward as he was led to believe. At the same time, Timony notices a distress call sent from the Mosaic has been mysteriously erased, sending her into a whirlwind.

As the plot unfolds, Carriles and Timony find themselves ensnared in a star-spanning conspiracy, thrusting them into the darkest corners of their government and the solar system and forcing them to confront something as small as their own personal failures in the process. The narrative weaves together the kind of high-stakes action space opera lovers enjoy, as well as well-plotted espionage thrills, leading to something neither of them saw coming.

Hart and Segura’s writing is a lovely blend of action, intrigue, and emotional depth. The characters are well-crafted and delivered, with Carriles' resilience and Timony's tenacity always driving the story forward. The exploration of themes such as loyalty, betrayal, and redemption add more intricate layers to the thrilling plot.

In conclusion, "Dark Space" is a standout sci-fi thriller that will captivate fans of both genres. Hart and Segura have created a richly detailed world that is both thought-provoking and exhilarating, as well as compelling characters, and "Dark Space" is a must-read for anyone looking for an engaging and immersive adventure through the cosmos.

4.6/5 stars

4 Stars!!

Look. I basically became a fan of Rob Hart after reading Assassins Anonymous, so it was a complete no brainer in picking this book up that he co-wrote with Alex Segura. Not surprisingly, this was a win as well.

Told in split POV’s running coincidently, this story follows estranged friends Jose Carriles and Corin Timony. Jose is an ace spaceship pilot who has skated through life on a road of privilege despite a recent personal scandal. Somehow, he has landed a coveted position on a history-making mission to explore the first viable planet that could be the answer to a beleaguered humanity currently struggling to survive on the moon. Timony, who hasn’t had it easy in life, who also was tied up in the same aforementioned scandal, finds herself demoted to riding a desk monitoring messages from space instead of doing what she does best - being a secret agent serving national interests and preventing general destruction.

As this book goes back and forth between Jose and Timony trying to find answers when unexplainable events stall, and eventually threaten, the success of the mission, they slowly unravel secrets that don’t want to be found, where the lives of the crew, and ultimately the last of the human race, is threatened with annihilation.

This has great science to it, and as all stories with this sort of setup, it touches on our base desire and drive to survive and the lengths we go through to merely exist. It is also a very smart, brutally honest, and often unsavory, commentary on what makes us human, HUGE warts and all, encompassing our greed, desperation, and callousness. However, despite our many inherent failings, this asks the question: are we redeemable as a whole? Are we worth saving? I certainly hope so.

For me, I absolutely loved the Star Trek vibes of this. Be reassured this isn’t all existential angst. Hart and Segura don’t fail on the action, suspense, the urgent espionage vibe, shady complex politics, and omniscient powerful aliens who are judge, jury, and executioners of the galaxy where humanity is not exempt. This held my attention with the fast pace and reveals as both Jose and Timony are like dogs with a bone. They may be terribly flawed, but there’s honor and personal growth for these two. They know something is off, that something sinister is going on, and they just can’t let it be. Good thing they don’t.

I obviously enjoyed this, and I’m simply further reassured that Rob Hart (and Alex Segura) are authors to remain on my radar.

Thank you to the authors and Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review posted to Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6652155910

In DARK SPACE  humans have finally managed to leave Earth and establish colonies. New Destiny is the lunar colony where Timony, a disgraced drunken spy, is working, translating messages. Carriles is on the Mosaic under the impression he is going to be colonizing Esparar, an uninhabited planet. They are both being used.

I received DARK SPACE from Netgalley to read and review. To do this, I used my Kindle and my Kindle app. The copy I received was not a proof and had editorial issues throughout, even after I removed and re-downloaded it. These did affect my rating.

If you like reading about space, spies, and thrilling intrigue then “Dark Space” is a book for you! Rob Hart and Alex Segura do an amazing job at combining those subjects into a heart-pounding adventure that keeps you guessing.

This novel combines a character intensity reminiscent of “Star Trek” with the mysterious danger of planet exploration like the movie “Prospect”; this story grabs ahold of you from the very beginning.

With one main character on their maiden voyage to an unknown planet, and the other on the ground, both start to realize something is not quite right. With betrayals and new alliances, the fight for humanity is front and center in this gripping tale.

Interesting book that I felt would have benefited from more characters and stronger character development. This felt like half the book was missing and while it was interesting to drop right into the plot and go running off with two interesting characters I felt the book missed filling in more of the characters and motivations. The antagonists also felt half baked and the deus ex machina end wasn't particularly fun.

Dark Space is a captivating interstellar espionage thriller filled with deception, intrigue and heart. A story that’s equal parts science fiction entertainment and cautionary glimpse into our future. A stellar novel that has emerged with a big bang from the creative minds of Rob Hart and Alex Segura.

The Mosaic is a spaceship manned by a half American, half Chinese crew that’s on a critical mission to ascertain the habitability of a planet outside our solar system. But when the ship experiences malfunctions, and the distress call and systems checks are wiped from the system, former best friends – pilot Jose Carriles and spy Corin Timony – independently realize this mission isn’t what it seems. As they seek answers and attempt to determine the true nature of the mission, they become entangled in a conspiracy and intergalactic conflict that threatens the very existence of humanity.

Dark Space is a wonderfully engrossing story with characters worthy of the investment of your time and emotional capital. It’s a well-written book that checks all the boxes of a traditional espionage novel, filled with suspense, political maneuvering, hidden agendas, misdirection, and trying to outwit your opponents. But the sci-fi aspect adds an extraordinary dimension, painting an incredible picture of the possibilities the universe possesses that we might one day be able to realize – for better or for worse.

There are also many lessons to be learned from this book. Starting with an acknowledgement that human nature and the trajectory of our current world will need to be reckoned with at some point in the future. But the lessons that really resonate, and my favorite part of the book, are the stories of redemption and hope. Falling down but picking yourself up. Stepping up and making difficult decisions when the need arises. And being part of something bigger than yourself, selflessly putting it all on the line for the benefit of the collective. Beautiful stuff intertwined in an enjoyably tense yet fun novel.

This book is fantastic! Kudos to Hart and Segura for teaming up to deliver this cosmic tale. Hopefully there’s more to come. Because I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters and the worlds they inhabit.

I found Dark Space to be a readable if formulaic space opera. There are two intertwined strands: a space officer from a privileged background proves his mettle and his former friend, a disgraced spy, searches for truth in a murky undercover world. I found the world building a bit clunky, the conspiracy unlikely, and the resolution unconvincing. It is a quick read but could have used more time to lay out a better story.

This is an honest review in return for the opportunity to read the ARC for DARK SPACE.

It was an interesting novel, with two distinct point of view characters. I was thoroughly engaged in trying to figure out the truth behind what was happening, and I loved that it kept me guessing all the way to the end.

The characters were believable and relatable, even when they weren’t good people. The world building was fantastic, too. There was enough science that it felt realistic, without feeling overwhelmed with jargon.

There were a few issues with formatting, but I trust that will be resolved before the final release date.

Overall, I definitely recommend it.

I really really enjoyed this book! It was fast paced, unexpected, and the two points of view don’t come together until the very end. Very very satisfactory! Thank you for the ARC!!

But what’s this book about? You ask me. Well. On the Mosaic ship, things are not good. At the opening of the story, pilot José Carriles has just noticed that (1) the engines are failing and (2) the alarm didn’t go off. Not great, especially for a planetary exploration mission lightyears from home. At home, ex golden spy Timony Corin receives a distress signal. Maybe. Long story short: something is very wrong, very few people are as worried as they should, and it’d be good if someone looked into it.

I liked the general pacing of the book, the big questions and the alternating storylines and points of view. I found it adventurous, reflective, and inspiring. Personally, I could have used ‘new players’ instead than the US, Russia, China and the others usual suspects. I just think it would have given some more distance to the story, a bigger feel of ‘a far future’.

I’d really recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and rompy spy-story set in space. The stakes are high, but it is not (too) anxiety inducing, so it’s a very good relaxing book, while keeping you stuck to the page at the same time.

Content Warnings: Death, War, Alcohol Abuse, Overdose.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Interstellar conspiracies, government politics and first contact all come together in this new collaboration. I was already a Rob Hart fan from The Warehouse, Hotel Paradox and the upcoming Assassins Anonymous so I jumped at the chance to read a new scifi book.

The plot picks up pretty quickly and is jumps back and forth between Jose Carilles on the Mosaic that is visiting the first planet outside the solar system and Corin Timony back home at New Destiny, a world created when we wore out Earth and is already being stretched to limitations. As we slowly learn about Corin and Jose's backgrounds they both narrowly escape death and independently start investigating why things are falling apart around them.

Thoroughly enjoyed the story and it came together great in the end with a very satisfying climax. There is definitely a lot more to explore in this world Hart and Segura have built and I hope this is the start of a series.