I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

I read my first S.A. Barnes book last year (Ghost Station) and enjoyed it well enough, even though I found it to be more atmospheric than scary or even tense. Ever since seeing "Alien" when I was far too young, I have been a bit obsessed with space horror. The video game "Dead Silence" and the movie "Event Horizon" are also faves of mine, so I was down to give Barnes another go. I'm happy to say that this book was definitely creepier and more of what I am looking for in a space horror book.

The novel follows Halley, a fugitive trying to escape a political scandal that has put a target on her back. Desperate to disappear, she accepts a job on an abandoned space barge that holds the cryogenically frozen bodies of Earth's wealthiest citizens. The program was initially set up to allow people to freeze themselves before they died so that one day when medical advancements had made it possible, they could reawaken, be cured of what ailed them, and live even longer. These efforts have long since been abandoned, leaving the ship as nothing more than a floating tomb in the middle of space. But soon after her arrival, Halley begins to sense that something else might be happening on the ship. Strange noises keep her on edge, and, worst of all, she starts to see figures moving, crawling, and slinking in the shadows. This is made all the more terrifying when you realize that Halley is floating out in the middle of space with nowhere to run if/when things get dangerous (and they do - fairly quickly).

Barnes does a fantastic job of building a creepy and often disturbing atmosphere. From the moment Halley steps aboard the ship, there's an overwhelming sense of isolation and dread. The descriptions of the cryogenically frozen bodies are haunting. I wouldn't want to be stuck in a morgue with my feet firmly planted on Earth for five minutes, so I certainly would be on the edge of completely losing my shit if I were stuck on a spaceship in the middle of nowhere with a ship full of frozen people. Add in the threat that something might be lurking within, and it ups the creepiness even more.

Halley is a well-developed protagonist. She's resourceful, tough, and deeply flawed, making her an interesting character to follow. I appreciated that she wasn't just reacting to the horror around her - she was actively trying to solve the mystery while also dealing with her own inner demons.

I also felt the pacing was much stronger in this book. Unlike "Ghost Station", which leaned heavily on a slow-burning mystery, this novel hits the ground running. There's a constant feeling of tension and unease, and once things start happening, they don't stop. The horror elements are well-executed, relying more on psychological fear and paranoia rather than outright gore and it works really well. There's a strong feeling of helplessness as Halley tries to figure out what's going on while floating in the middle of nowhere.

The biggest drawback of the novel, in my opinion, was the ending. After such a strong buildup, the resolution felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped. It's not that the reveal was disappointing - on the contrary, I really enjoyed the way Barnes tied everything together - but I wanted more time spent exploring the ramifications of the final events. It felt like the book was racing toward the finish line instead of letting the conclusion breathe.

I read this book in both print and audiobook format, and I have to give credit to Amara Jasper's narration. She did a fantastic job capturing the tension and fear in Halley's voice, and her ability to differentiate characters made the story easy to follow. Her pacing and delivery enhanced the creepiness, making the audiobook a great option for those who enjoy a more immersive horror experience.

Overall, I found this to be an engaging and atmospheric sci-fi horror novel that delivers on its eerie premise. The setting is fantastic, the tension is palpable, and the mystery unfolds at the perfect pace. While the ending could have been fleshed out more, it didn't ruin the experience for me. This is the kind of book that's perfect for anyone who enjoys the idea of being trapped in deep space with an unseen horror lurking nearby. It's a solid read for horror and sci-fi fans alike.

I think this may be my favorite S.A. Barnes book yet! This was so creepy and claustrophobic. Barnes writes amazing space horror.

All I can say is read this if you want to be creeped out by a museum of cryogenic rich and famous with all of their possessions, glitchy holographic performers who scream deadly messages in your face, or if you vibe with that desolate, lost out in space isolation... you will not regret it!

S.A. Barnes is one of those authors who's an automatic read for me. I loved Dead Silence but not so much Ghost Station. I was worried I wouldn't like Cold Eternity, but I think I might like it even better than Dead Silence...

10/10, no notes. Can't wait to see what S.A. Barnes writes next!!

(I also received and reviewed the audiobook version of Cold Eternity)

I love all things space horror, but this authors previous two books fell a little flat for me. Not so much as to where I wouldn’t try this one out, though. I’m glad I did! It wasn’t as gruesome as I’d have hoped, but it definitely kept my attention much better. The creativity of Barnes’ mind is unmatched. Yet it’s written in such a way that I can visually picture this otherworldly atmosphere and the creatures within it. I like how we have a pretty minimal cast of characters. It keeps the eeriness and loneliness of the situation in the forefront of the readers mind. Cold Eternity delves into some themes of the cost of immortality as well as the corruption of the political world, and I ate it up. The weird romantic tension I sensed threw me off but it wasn’t a huge point of contention.

I just…god, these books are all so good. Barnes KNOWS what she’s doing, and she does it so so well. Cold Eternity feels more isolated and sadder maybe than I expected; the protagonist is alone for a lot of this novel, and the core connection/relationship in this one actually WRECKED ME. It’s insanely tough to write a book with so few characters, where so much is happening inside the mind/experience of just one person bopping around on their own, and Barnes truly knocked it out of the park. Never once did I feel like it slowed down to a degree it didn’t NEED to.

I also really appreciated the exploration of what it means to do good in a system too large to effectively change on your own, and a lot of the larger worldbuilding and themes felt insanely relevant to the here and now.

I thought the plot and pacing were both very solid, the tension and spooky levels were HIGH, despite it being such an introspective book, and I loved Halley and the other sympathetic character. I’ll be thinking about the tragedy of that plot line for a LONG time, I think.

Of course this book is going on my list of recommendations for sci-fi horror. Barnes and Starling are my top recommendations these days and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

Oof - this one really missed the mark for me, which is surprising because I'm usually a big fan of Barnes's books. She does a great job crafting interesting characters that feel believable and easy to relate to. Her books are packed with dramatic tension, eerie settings, and all the gross and creepy details a space horror reader could want. While this book delivered on the tension and the creep factor, everything else fell somewhat flat.

I liked our main character to start, but there wasn't much to her beyond the surface level. Her backstory felt contrived and hamfisted - almost as if the author drafted a cool story idea then remembered at the last minute that her character needed an origin story. Maybe other readers will have a different experience, but I found it messy and difficult to follow.

I also wasn't a fan of the big reveal. Instead of the shocking "omg!" moment I expected I ended up with more of a "wait... what?" moment. Just like the struggles with character development, this felt like the author started with a cool premise then didn't quite know how to tie it all together in the end.

But for all my struggles with execution, there's no denying that I had fun reading this book. The pacing moved forward at a solid rate and I was always eager to see what happened next. The tension was top tier and I definitely had a few moments where I wanted to switch to another book for a bit because I was getting creeped out. So even if the complete package was a bit of a flop for me, I still consider myself a Barnes fan and will absolutely check out whatever she writes next.

Special thanks to Tor for an ARC in exchange for review.

4.5 stars.

COLD ETERNITY, the latest Space/Horror novel from author S.A. Barnes, is my favorite one yet!
"Halley" is lying low until an interplanetary political scandal cools off. This isn't as easy as it sounds, as everything is electronically monitored in this future. She is able to find what seems like the perfect location--the Elysian Fields; a ship carrying the cryogenically frozen bodies of the wealthiest people, wishing to defy death by "returning" when technology was sufficiently advanced to cure whatever ailed them. After about two centuries, most other ships that tried to capitalize on this venture went out of business, but somehow, the original started up by Zale Winfield was still out there.

Through a very sketchy "interview", Halley is brought aboard the ship--surrounded by frozen capsules of people who will likely never be resuscitated--and is tasked with making meaningless "rounds", pressing a "check in" button every few hours. The perfect place for someone who doesn't want to be found to hide out.

Except that she begins seeing things she can't explain...things that defy logic.

We learn about Halley's past throughout the novel--piece by piece as part of the whole, instead of one giant info dump. Even events from her childhood that had an effect on her situation, to an extent. I feel this was very well integrated, and helps the reader get to understand her motivations and beliefs. The story had some fantastic scenes that I did not see coming, and once begun, the pacing picked up dramatically.

Overall, I honestly loved the ideas in this story, the world building, and the other sub-genres of horror that were included. My only reason for the half-star deduction in my rating was the ending--everything was wrapped up too quickly, and with all of the issues taking place, I felt that more time should have been spent there.

Recommended.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publishers. All opinions are uniquely my own.*

It's always difficult to write a review for a book that's not final, while also having only read one other book by the author. In this case, I fell in love with Barnes' horror and world building with her first book, Dead Silence, something I bought on a whim but wasn't sure I would ultimately finish. Dead Silence took me by surprise, a disturbing horror ride that had my heart nervously racing, something I couldn't put down. There was never a moment where I thought, "man, I wonder when this will be over", as some science fiction does for me.

I am definitely pleased to say that Cold Eternity hits the spot just the same.

It follows a woman, Halley, who is on the run from something huge and messy, and who has made every effort to cut herself off from the life she previously lead. She applies to a space Craigslist ad (I'm joking, kind of, but you get my point), and what follows is Karl, looking for the big space ship equivalent of a night guard, only the pay is horrible and the atmosphere somehow even worse. Halley of course accepts the job, because it seems like the perfect opportunity to get away from what she needs to, ominous bartender warnings and Karl's poor phone etiquette be damned! What leads from there is a paranoid and secluded exploration of a barely functioning ship, the only company being Karl, some jittery holograms, and hundreds of human popsicles. Or so it seems.

What starts as a book trying to find its footing and confidence (both in writing and narration) ends with a story that makes me long for a connection I never had, and ultimately stands on its own two feet, blood, loneliness, and all. It's not often a book gets a physical reaction out of me, but this one I threw myself back in my office chair and kicked my feet about, agonizingly bittersweet. UGH! I never thought I'd ever say, "I'm pining for a hologram", but S.A. Barnes, you went and got me! How'd you DO that?!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for this eARC in exchange for my honest review! I am STILL kicking my feet about this!!

Before I get into the review, a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at Tor Nightfire for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Cold Eternity follows a woman on the run who decides to take a not entirely above board job on a museum ship in order to save up some money to continue living life on the run. But once there she realizes that there's more to this ship than meets the eye and the caretaker might be more sinister than she ever thought possible. Sci-Fi Horror is just a combo that works so well for me so getting access to this ARC was amazing. Cold Eternity comes out on April 8th and is available for preorder now.

Two things at the top of this review: 1) while reading this book, I got some devastating real life news which ultimately led to losing a family member so know that I wasn't in a good place while reading this one and 2) it only took this long to read because of that--it had nothing to do with the quality of the book. We all know I would have crushed this book in like three days if I were in the headspace to do so. I wanted to start my review by saying that because I think it did ultimately effect my reading experience. I really enjoy this author and this mashup of genres just works for me. But by only being able to read a chapter or two a day most days it made it easy for me to pick apart the mystery and the oncoming reveals. The story was working in the back of my mind even while I was unable to really focus on anything in my life. There was an aspect to the story that I didn't expect that I really enjoyed. It calls into question what makes us human (which we love in a SciFi) and it leaves you emotionally attached to a couple of these characters. I wish we had gotten more there, but this is a pretty short novel so I think we got about as much as we could in the time we had.

The characters were done really well and I appreciated the fact that they were all flawed in some way. (Some way more than others.) And I liked that the end of this novel got raw and gritty and real. It's hard to make a Horror gory without going over the top, but I feel like the author did a great job with it. I was on edge the whole time I was reading this one so the author does a good job keeping the tension front of mind for the reader. I just wish we had gotten a few more character moments to really enjoy them together. As well, I wish the main character had questioned a little bit more going into it, but what are you going to do when you're on the run and your hard credit is getting low?

Overall, this was a good time when I was reading it. I think it's best consumed at a more rapid pace than what I was able to do, but I still enjoyed my time with this one.

Halley Zwick is on the run. After a political scandal put a target on her, making it impossible to get an above the table job, she turns to answering an illegal job posting. This job is simple, watch over a ship full of the earth's elite and wealthiest, who are in cyro-sleep, and push a button every few hours to let the cooperate overlords know everything is okay. Things turn this simple job into something horrifying when Halley starts seeing things out of the corner of her eye.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. The middle and ending weren't as strong as the beginning of the story, but I still had a really fun time reading this. There was never a moment where I felt like I wanted to put down the book because I was bored or thought the pacing was weird.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the Arc for an honest review!

Thank you to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of Cold Eternity in exchange for an honest review.

Halley is on the run. Fleeing from a dangerous political scandal, she's desperate to find a place to hole up for a while. When she receives an extremely sketchy offer to act as caretaker on a ship full of cryogenically preserved people, she takes it. She can hide out, save up money, and hopefully ride out the political storm in near perfect isolation.

Her misgivings regarding her new job begin as soon as the airlock closes behind her. The enormous ship, with its eerily preserved residents, is isolated, malfunctioning, and weird. Her responsibilities require tours among the residents, and hitting a peculiar button, every three hours, so she quickly develops sleep deprivation. She hears strange noises all the time. The man who hired her, the only other awake person aboard, is hostile and elusive. There are clues that previous caretakers did not live comfortably and did not leave happily. Then the ship starts malfunctioning and things get even weirder, very quickly. To say more would be to provide serious spoilers.

It's a great, fast read. Twisty, exciting, creepy-as=heck sci-fi horror and easily a "read in one sitting" kind of story. It's not perfect; there are plenty of questions left unanswered, but if you're looking for the kind of scares that only an ominous spaceship can provide, definitely read this book. It's gonna get weird and sometimes gross, but the story will stick with you long after you put it down.

Recommended for readers who enjoy a growing sense of unease, readers who love a good scare, and people who think, "Yeah, a mostly deserted former hospital ship sounds like the perfect hideout."

Womp, there it is.

I had thought GHOST STATION would be the exception but turns out DEAD SILENCE was; as in, it was the exception to what is turning about to be the rule when it comes to me and this author. I think we've broken up.

There was nothing wrong with this premise, and indeed it was what drew me in even after the disappointment of the sophomore release by this author, but I found myself experiencing a story through the eyes of a character I found very lackluster, who also bore similar resemblance (or at least her backstory did) to the last character this author featured, and whereas this at least did run horror instead of mystery it was just.. kind of ridiculous?

Basically, to come straight to the point, this just didn't feel well put together. The elements were all there to make this compelling but the execution just failed.

Sadly I don't think I'll be picking up another Barnes which means I guess I have to find a new author to fill this space horror sized hole in my life.

I loved Dead Silence but Ghost Station missed the mark for me, however I'm so happy to say that for me this was right back up there with Dead Silence! I loved how atmospheric and creepy this was, the body horror and sense of something just waiting around the corner was so much fun. I wasn't sure at any point where things were going between the oddly advanced AI, the frozen bodies, and the creepy, mysterious mechanic named Karl. I don't think I'll ever get tired of space horror, especially when they take place on ghost ships!

Now the thing that I didn't really like all that much that I've noticed is a trend with this author is the MC has a LOT of baggage and issues going on in her personal life that make them really hard for me to connect and understand them. In this case Halley is OBSESSED with doing what she thinks the right thing is and yet when it comes down to it she just...doesn't? And I was a little confused about her backstory and how her knowing the truth was such a bad thing? And the only other thing I was a little iffy about was the weird romance aspect, which I don't want to spoil but I struggled seeing where Halley was going with all that.

Overall though I really enjoyed this and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book from S A Barnes! Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the arc!

Middle of the road horror! There were some genuinely scary parts in this and it scratched the itch I had for space horror, but I feel like there were some ambitious attempts to cover various themes in this book and I'm not sure if it was all successful. This is the third book that I've read by S. A. Barnes, and I'm learning that while she does incredible atmosphere and great build-up, that I find her climax and conclusions a bit lack-luster. I probably won't read another by her, unfortunately.

S.A. Barnes has done it yet again, this time with Cold Eternity, the newest space horror that will grace bookstores everywhere on April 8th 2025.

I am so thankful to Tornightfire and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book! And of course, I'm very thankful that S.A. Barnes writes these amazing books for us to consume. (And consume is the perfect word choice for this one!)

If you aren’t familiar with their books, I’ll share a quick recap of my experiences. I bought Dead Silence in 2023 and read it that same year. And wow! WOW! I loved it so much! Previously I’d only really read fantasy or scifi and Dead Silence was one of my first ventures into horror and now I have read a lot of horror! So, thank you to Dead Silence for getting me into the genre. 🩷 When Ghost Station was announced I preordered it and read it around pub day in April 2024, it was another banger and just sealed the deal that S.A. Barnes was going to be an auto buy author for me from now on.

Which brings us back to Cold Eternity! I will admit, I think this book has been my least favorite of the three, but it’s still a five star read for me. It just didn’t give me the same hair raising, chill on the back of your neck, that Dead Silence did. BUT it still did a lot of great things and the build up to the end was perfect. Also I may have been rooting for a romance subplot lol (that we did not get but that’s understandable because of the characters and setting).

Would I suggest this book to other readers? Absolutely. Especially if you are just getting into horror. I think it would be a great starting place. Creepy, spooky, a little gory, and a great story.

Just for fun: FMA - Fuck, Marry, Airlock
This was just too perfect lol

P.S. Tornightfire can we get a hardcover printing of Dead Silence please?? I'd love all of my copies to match!

Last year I received this author’s second book for review and waited FOREVER to read it, then finally picked it up at the end of the year when I was in a bit of a book slump. I was so mad at myself for waiting so long. I immediately went to my Libby app to see what else was available by S.A. Barnes. So, when this book came up for review, I quickly hit that request button.

All three of the books I’ve read by this author were fantastic. Cold Eternity opens by introducing a woman who is on the run and needing a safe place to hide until she can save up enough credits to disappear altogether. She answers an anonymous post for a job as a caretaker on a deserted ship named the Elysian Fields. This ship houses the cryogenically frozen bodies of the world’s richest and most famous people. She readily accepts, eager to finally be alone and safe for a period of time.

All of her peace and safety disappear when she starts to see and imagine strange things. But she chalks it up to sleep deprivation until all those weird things start to add up to something completely evil.

This author’s books are creepy as hell. Just imagine being alone, on an abandoned ship, with only the frozen bodies of the richest people in the universe all around you. A wonky AI system that glitches and warns you to RUN. Weird sounds and vibrations at all times of day and night. *shivers* It all lends a sense of atmosphere that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. I HOPE to see this author’s books on the big screen soon.

The atmosphere of this book fits the title perfectly - chilling and relentless. Recommended for fans of sci-fi, horror, complex female leads, creepy darkness and contemplating the value of life.

Read full review here: https://www.blog.melodyemcintyre.com/2025/02/s.html

I was soooo looking forward to this one, except I feel kinda meh about it after completion. :( I love S.A. Barnes's books a ton, & I figured this would be another romp for me. Except I think it leaned into the things I disliked the most about her other books, & I found myself wondering if I should dnf several times throughout.

So for one thing, it REALLY leaned into a pessimistic view of the future. This is 100% a me thing, but I have not been able to do most dystopia books for the past ~8-10 years. & while this book isn't exACTly dystopic, it did lean into that angle.

I also (for once in my life???) did not like the politics angle. I'm usually a HUGE politics fan in my spec fic, but in this instance it really put me off. I like politics when it feels like it actually adds to the contours of the story & is integral to the plot. Here? Not so much.

I'm not entirely sure what I thought of the AI elements. I'm leaning towards that I also felt they were shoe-horned in & not developed enough, but I'm still percolating on that.

That being said, the horror elements were SO fun. While I didn't wholly love the Thing that is causing the horror, the way Barnes actually writes her horror scenes is FANTASTIC. There's such a palpable tension that I find myself flying through these scenes and unable to put my copy down. It gets especially great in the final 1/3 of the book, & I really wish that more of that was present in the beginning.

All in all, not my fav from this author, but I still think it's worth picking up if you love space horror. I'll still be checking out books from this author in the future, even if this one didn't really work for me.

This is a book that made major improvements from her second book. It had the same space elements that S. A. Barnes is quickly perfecting, and misses the pitfalls of potentially being repetitive. It is great and atmospheric, spooky, and continues to touch on social class in space horror. As with her previous books there is an element of an unreliable narrator, but I think that it was combined with the AI "character" that worked as a really good foil. This book has reignited my love for S. A. Barnes' work!

This was a solid space horror from Barnes. It didn't go the direction I was expecting with the cryogenics, which I appreciate. I was a bit weirded out by the romance (can it be called a romance?) but that's more of a "me" thing. Barnes is great at creating atmosphere and a sense of place--I could vividly see each location in my mind.