Jasper T. Scott’s Dark Space
is another one of the increasing number of self-published novels appearing
these days, helped by the growing appetite for digital books and websites like
Amazon offering this capability.
This was also another of Amazon’s recommendations based on my purchase
history, and another book which cost me the square root of nothing on my
kindle. There really are plenty of very good books out there which you can pick
up for nothing (or very little) if you know where to look
There are some inherent problems with self-published books that you
have to learn to be tolerant of; they simply don’t have the level of
copy-editing or proof-reading available that the more traditionally published
books too. So you get a few more grammatical and spelling errors and they
occasional typesetting blooper.
But if you are able to get past this and enjoy the stories for what
they are then there are some real gems out there.
*SPOILER ALERT*
The humans lost the war. The Sythians invaded the galaxy and all but
wiped out human kind. A small pocket of them still survive, safe for now in the
last remaining human sector, Dark Space. Human kind is on the brink of
annihilation and only the starship Valiant, which guards the only route in or
out of Dark Space, stands capable of defending them.
But how long will it be before the Sythians find them and finish the
job? And will the Imperium tear itself apart from the inside and save the
Sythians the trouble?
Dark Space itself is a gritty and grim place, a function of a broken
down society struggling to survive. The protagonist (Ethan) is a freelance
ex-convict who owes a big-time crime lord more than he has. In order to cover
his debt he is coerced into infiltrating sabotaging the Valiant for the
benefit of his creditor, but in doing so is he dooming human kind to their
fate?
As the story progresses Ethan begins to learn more about the Imperium
and their activities. Are they in actual fact jeopardising the entire human
race rather than protecting as they claim to be? Before Ethan can gather all
the facts, his mission takes a turn for the unexpected and he realises that
there is so much more going on that he understood. Now it becomes a case of
ensuring his own survival and trying to rescue those few people who still mean
anything to him.
Scott draws on elements of numerous space-based science-fiction series
such as Babylon 5 and Battlestar Galactica. The world he has created operates
on the underbelly with shady characters, very little loyalty and an “everyman
for himself” feel to it.
He has managed to create an interesting universe here, one in which not
everything is as it seems and there is far less black and white than we are
often used to seeing. Pretty much every character we encounter has a
fundamental flaw somewhere along the lines which is quite refreshing to see.
The action fairly cracks along in places with numerous space battles
and plenty of interaction between the relatively limited number of characters.
The plot does take some interesting twists along the way, particular a last
chapter effort that feels both seismic and also very forced (if that makes
sense). Time will tell whether this is an inspired decision or one to be
regretted.
Scott’s characters are nothing too original or out of the box here. You
have your lovable rouge, your sidekick/love interest, a thoroughly unlikeable
but (probably) over-hyped bad guy and the various rag-tag assortment
of military and civilian stereotypes that this type of work generally includes.
They aren’t bad characters at all, and there is enough depth about most of them
to get you suitably invested in their adventures. Just don’t expect anything
you haven’t seen before
Some of the other reviews I have read are critical of the “science”
aspects of the story, such as “you can’t see laser beams in space” but I am
perfectly prepared to overlook minor details like this. To be honest, for me
you can do whatever you want with the laws of physics in your universe as long
as you are consistent with it.
So overall Dark Space was
nothing earth-shattering but it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. The plot was
of sufficient quality and depth to keep my interest and I like the universe
Scott has created for his characters to play in. There is plenty here to suggest
that the series will grow and improve as it goes along and he has left enough
of a carrot to draw you back in for the later instalments.
Verdict: 4 stars out of 5
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