Across the Dark Horizon

The moon as a penal colony or prison is one of intrigue and a concept I read about in Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” many years ago. I enjoyed Shepard’s foray into science fiction in what is a riveting and action-packed story. Gail Moore has been the ‘facility manger’ (prison warden) on the moon for three years when a riot causes the corporation running the prison to call in the army. Major Charlie Hawk and five platoons arrive from earth just before the moon goes into its two week dark phase. The dark phase cuts off all communication from earth and the facility relies on stored energy for electricity. The prisoners have barricaded themselves in until their demands are met.

Both Gail and Charlie have had to fight for every promotion they’ve received and it stands to reason that they’re both strong women. Gail lives for work and is incredibly aloof and solitary. Charlie doesn’t have much time for romance in her life either but she has her squad around her as family. I liked that their engagement was almost combative in reflection to what was going on around them.

The setting doesn’t seem futuristic. It’s as if, with a couple of technological breakthroughs, the scenario is both possible and plausible. I really liked that about the plot, and also that the failsafe’s hadn’t been thought through completely. The action and pressure of limited time was gripping and the romance took a bit of a back seat to that. It worked because of the way Gail and Charlie were characterised. However, much as I enjoyed the action, I would have liked to have had more insight into both of them as well as feeling a lot more empathy with them than I did.

One minute I was on 70% and the next I was reading the epilogue and that doesn’t often happen to me because I usually seem to have an awareness of that little number in the corner. This is probably one of those books that can be enjoyed by readers who don't usually like speculative fiction.

Book received from Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

Across the Dark Horizon was the first book I read by this author. It was an extremely well written fast paced story. Tegan Shepard immediately pulled her reader into the chaos that took place within the first few pages-a prison riot on the Moon.

Gail Moore was in charge of the Moon Colony. She was passionate about her work and those under her charge. The same was true for the commanding officer of the special forces sent to end the riot as quickly and humanely as possible, Major Charlie Hawk. Both Gail and Charlie were formidable women in their own right. Combined, they were the perfect match of fragility and strength…and much needed determination and perseverance in order to survive when hope seemed to dim as their cold and dark surroundings took shape.

Even though this story took place within a short period of time, there was a lot going on. The author engaged her reader with action filled tension and many emotional highs and lows as life and death plans were discussed and debated. The characters’ actions and demeanor reflected this tension culminating in both passion and emotional breakdowns.

This was a great read and I look forward to reading other books by this author.
An ARC was given for an honest review.

This novel is the type of Science Fiction that I love to read. My favorite sci-fi novels are the ones that are sci-fi now but could one day become sci-fact. Across the Dark Horizon by Tagan Shepard is exactly that kind of story, almost frighteningly so.
The story takes place a few years in the future. During this time space travel has become much easier. It is now possible to travel to places like the moon in a matter of hours instead of days using spacecraft that is not much different (inside at least) than a jumbo jet. Because of this innovation, a powerful commercial company called Andrus has built a Moon Base for mining minerals that are becoming scarce on earth but are still plentiful in space. For their workforce, they have chosen to use prisoners who would otherwise spend their lives in jail for violent crimes. There is also a much smaller civilian workforce on the base to oversee the work and monitor the prisoners. The head of the Moon Base is Gail Moore, and when the prisoners riot and take over two thirds of the base, she calls for help. Somehow Andrus gets the U.S. government to send in a company of Army Special Forces headed by Major Charlie Hawk. They arrive at the base not long before the area moves into a two week ‘dark’ period when the base will be on the dark side of the moon, cut off from the earth and reliant solely on battery power. You can imagine all the terrible things that could happen during this nerve-wracking time.
This is an action packed story that caught my attention on the first page and didn’t let go until the very end of the book. There is no lagging in this story. Every time you think the characters might get a break, something else happens that no one saw coming. The author did an excellent job of building the conflict in the story toward the climax and resolution. I had a hard time putting the book down because of this.
I really liked the main characters. Charlie and Gail are mature and strong women who have made it as far as they have in their lives through hard work and sacrifice. There is a romance between them, but because of their strong personalities and the chaos around them, this is not really a sweet and gentle romance.
If you love an action packed and scarily realistic sci-fi story with strong characters, then I believe you will like Across the Dark Horizon.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

Rainbow Reflections:
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What’s more dangerous than a prison riot? A prison riot on the Moon. Gail Moore is the administrator of the prison, operated by Andrus, a private company. When a riot gets out of hand, the firm gets the US to send Special Forces. Major Charlie Hawk is the leader of the company sent to bring peace back, by any means. On arrival, the soldiers discover that the situation is way worse than they’ve been told. To make matters worse, the Moon rotation means that in a few hours, they’ll go across the dark horizon, meaning they won’t have any sun for 14 days. No more sun means no more energy than what has been stocked, and also no communication with Earth.

This was so fast-paced that it felt shorter than it really is. I really liked that it wasn’t as much set in the future as in a present where a company trying to outdo Boeing found, almost by chance, a way to make space travel possible. It felt as if this could really happen one of these days. Setting the story on the Moon also added elements of danger of (being stranded in space, the lack of backup, the time frame of the dark side of the Moon…) and heightened the tension. While I’m sure some things could have been deepened (the relationship between the two MCs was a bit rushed, but I decided to see it as a side effect of fearing death), I couldn’t put this book down.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Across the Dark Horizon is a fast paced book that I could not put down. The characters are well developed and the storyline is entertaining. The book is well written and I would read more by this author.

Dear Book: Thank you for full filling every damn fantasy I’ve had about a buff female soldier in crisp bdu’s and combat boots loving hard on a slightly uptight, gorgeous executive who rocks 4-inch heels and pencil skirts, who flashes thigh and sways hips aplenty as she goes by.

Dear Book: Thank you for being jam packed with action and set in outer space because I love SciFi. In fact, nerd that I am, I keep pictures of Octavia Butler and Ursula LeGuin in my phone just because.

Dear Book: Above all, thank you for including a strong, intelligent woc who is fearless in battle and who loves to crush her sexy body against the aforementioned soldier every chance she can get. Thank you also for respecting her heritage and not using it as a token trait.

As in most other SciFi, there’s a good underlying message and in this case, it’s about the flawed American justice system and the pay for play prison system that exists in the U.S. Much love to the author for tackling those issues and blending them into an outstanding tale.

Almost forgot the synopsis, a company of Green Berets led by Major Charley Hawk are sent to quash a prison takeover on the Moon. Gail Moore is the corporate head of the greedy company but she herself is striving for reform rather than punishment. Sparks fly.

An anxious race for survival.

Gail Moore is in charge of a colony on the moon that is mostly populated by death row prisoners. They riot and take partial control.

Charlie Hawk is the Major of an army special forces team on earth that is called to handle the perilous situation on the moon.

There is always something intriguing happening or new information to uncover with each page turn.

The author does a great job of world building. She describes everything in a way that seems feasible and believable. From domes with three layer protection to a system designed to gradually limit power usage upon entering the 14 day span on the dark side of the moon. The reader is completely immersed in the corporate space habitat project.

The relationship between Gail and Hawk begins on a rough note where the two of them don't meat eye to eye. But as the days pass, a mutual attraction forms. This is a distraction that Hawk does not need as resolving the conflict becomes increasingly tenuous. We wonder if there is any way possible that these two can get together as they face the very real threat of death.

This book has it all. Action, suspense, depth, steamy scenes, love, etc.

The only thing that could have elevated this would have been to make Gail a bit more likable. She comes off as cold and detached. Always at conflict with Hawk in the beginning. There isn't anything that really convinces the reader that Hawk should fall for her. A couple of instances of emotional connection could have bridged the gap.

Overall, this was a really entertaining read.

I recommend to those who likes romance, space, prison settings, takeovers, butch army heroes, and oxygen.

I was shocked to discover the other day that I had not, as I thought, written this review the day I finished this book (aka the day after I got it!) This is what I normally do when I love a novel as much as "Across the Dark Horizon". Anyway, better late than never: this book is fucking awesome, beautifully written and thought provoking and you should all buy it!

On the off-chance that hasn't convinced you and you want more detail, here goes.
The moon has been turned into a prison colony, ostensibly by the US but largely by Andrus Mining Corporation who needed a source of labour to extract the valuable minerals on the moon. Just like reality, the country finds itself with heavily overpopulated prisons and a shortage of lethal injection medications. Andrus provided a solution for all the prisoners that the country can’t house and can’t release and can’t kill. Just like all the best sci-fi, Across the Dark Horizon is uncomfortably close to our present. Despite the role of Andrus (more on them in a minute) I found it interesting that while most space opera usually focuses on 'post-national' corporation capitalism as its imperialist force, e.g. the Weyland-Yutani Corporation in “Alien”, the US army is the primary armed force in this novel. My super-geeky side also loved the fact that the evil company was called Andrus, as in "Andros = Greek andró(s), genitive of anḗr man." Also the computer 'failsafe' that nearly buggers them all is called Caesar, a nice nod to the corrupt nature of executive and imperial power.

Our dashing heroine number one is Major Charlie Hawk of the US Army, commanding officer of Special Forces Group Airborne, Company C who have been sent to the moon to deal with a prison riot. Once there she meets Gail Moore the "Facility Administrator" who has a great head for business but lives in terror of the two weeks of darkness every month when they slip behind the Earth. Despite early clashes and poor first impressions the two are drawn to each other. Charlie's desire for Gail, is wonderfully described, almost like she is the moon itself: "She let herself be pulled, dragged into the orbit of this coldly alluring woman." They are smoking hot together!

In the midst of all of this is a really tight, tense, well written thriller as the two sides play a cat and mouse game through the controlled atmosphere of the moon colony. I can't go on about this at length without spoilers so I'm going to stop now.

This book is awesome, I love it. You should all buy it and read it because I think you will love it too and it says some really important things about us.