antarcticsloth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Medical content, Mental illness, Cursing, and Death of parent
Minor: Racism, Excrement, and Racial slurs
philamot's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Gore
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Blood, Excrement, and Vomit
billyjepma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I struggled to get into this at first and found myself bristling at how little the story prepared me for its version of space travel, alien worlds, and technology. On one hand, I admired the in media res approach, but on the other, I felt like it kept me at arm’s length from the characters and the mystery they find themselves in. And then, right around the halfway point, something in me or the book clicked into place, and I tore through the remaining 150+ pages in one sitting. All those wrinkles I initially saw as obstacles unfolded and played out in immensely satisfying, exciting ways. I still think that the first half is a little rough, and there are areas I found to be slightly underbaked, but I can’t argue with the results. Once things got going, I was all in and then some.
The very concept of a single-location murder mystery in a spaceship is enough of a hook to get me. If you’re willing to be patient, Thompson’s storytelling delivers on and exceeds the expectations of that initial conceit. I love the themes stitched into the plot, appreciate how they exist analogously to the story, and pay off in simultaneously rewarding and frustrating ways. Which is a good thing in my book because the themes Thompson introduces are too big and, in some ways, too abstract to have a proper resolution. I appreciate that he lets his characters (and, by extension, his reader) sit in that vaguely uncomfortable space. Take away the headiness, though, and you still have a simmering thriller that feels like the twisted love child of Seven, The Martian, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, with some tasteful hints of a Hercule Poirot caper mixed in for good measure.
The very concept of a single-location murder mystery in a spaceship is enough of a hook to get me. If you’re willing to be patient, Thompson’s storytelling delivers on and exceeds the expectations of that initial conceit. I love the themes stitched into the plot, appreciate how they exist analogously to the story, and pay off in simultaneously rewarding and frustrating ways. Which is a good thing in my book because the themes Thompson introduces are too big and, in some ways, too abstract to have a proper resolution. I appreciate that he lets his characters (and, by extension, his reader) sit in that vaguely uncomfortable space. Take away the headiness, though, and you still have a simmering thriller that feels like the twisted love child of Seven, The Martian, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, with some tasteful hints of a Hercule Poirot caper mixed in for good measure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Murder, Terminal illness, Violence, Cursing, and Medical content
Minor: Child death, Colonisation, Classism, Racial slurs, and Cannibalism
thalia_r's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This book is according to the author based on the Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe: a locked room mystery but set in space. I really like the concept of this book and there are some aspects that I thought were very affective, such as the descriptions and world building of the Ragtime (the spaceship), Lagos and Bloodroot (the colonies).
Unfortunately, I didn't like the execution of this story. I think in part I don't love Thompson's writing style, it feels stilted in some places like it needed to an extra sentence here and there to connect ideas. I also wish there was more time put into making the characters feel more fully formed as individuals. I couldn't really descibe much in the way of defining characteristics past maybe one or two descriptors. Shell is the new and dedicated Captain, Fin is the detective (and I can't actually think of any traits I'd assign him with), Lawrence is a former adventurer turned govenor who's perhaps a bit reckless, Joke is the eccentric manic pixie dream girl type who's also an alien, and Salvo is an artificial so is loyal and focused on the mission.
The mystery aspect kept me reading as I wanted to know who was responsible. The problem is, the way that the narrative is split between perspectives (of more that just the main five charaters) means that characters can be added in with little build up and it felt rather abrupt at times. It also made it difficult to keep track of what was happening in the present as there were some flashbacks throughout and it wasn't always clear when there were flashbacks and when it was back to the present. Most of my issues with this book are in the writing style more than the story itself but it really held it back in my view.
Unfortunately, I didn't like the execution of this story. I think in part I don't love Thompson's writing style, it feels stilted in some places like it needed to an extra sentence here and there to connect ideas. I also wish there was more time put into making the characters feel more fully formed as individuals. I couldn't really descibe much in the way of defining characteristics past maybe one or two descriptors. Shell is the new and dedicated Captain, Fin is the detective (and I can't actually think of any traits I'd assign him with), Lawrence is a former adventurer turned govenor who's perhaps a bit reckless, Joke is the eccentric manic pixie dream girl type who's also an alien, and Salvo is an artificial so is loyal and focused on the mission.
The mystery aspect kept me reading as I wanted to know who was responsible. The problem is, the way that the narrative is split between perspectives (of more that just the main five charaters) means that characters can be added in with little build up and it felt rather abrupt at times. It also made it difficult to keep track of what was happening in the present as there were some flashbacks throughout and it wasn't always clear when there were flashbacks and when it was back to the present. Most of my issues with this book are in the writing style more than the story itself but it really held it back in my view.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Cannibalism
cerilouisereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
marioncromb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I didnt know what to make of this book at first, initially it seemed a bit derivative of other things, but then it brought in lots of different ideas and it got a lot more interesting. From the start and the blurb i was a little worried it was going to be a 'boy meets girl as they reluctantly work on solving a murder together', but it really wasn't that book - other main characters were brought into the story and the main focus was unfurling the locked-spaceship mass-murder mystery.
Most of this book was a gripping high-stakes page turner murder mystery/space survival story, and i'd highly recommend it. It sadly falls down a little at the end, there are unexplained loose ends, it introduces new people/ideas way too late (which makes the solving of the mystery a little unsatisfying as its not fed through right from the beginning) and you lose track of what all the different parties are doing during the climax. But all in all a good book
Most of this book was a gripping high-stakes page turner murder mystery/space survival story, and i'd highly recommend it. It sadly falls down a little at the end, there are unexplained loose ends, it introduces new people/ideas way too late (which makes the solving of the mystery a little unsatisfying as its not fed through right from the beginning) and you lose track of what all the different parties are doing during the climax. But all in all a good book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Blood
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
'Far from the Light of Heaven' is a locked room mystery in space that incorporates some intriguing world building.
The story centers around Michelle Campion, a passenger aboard a spaceship who wakes up midflight. Campion finds that a number of the passengers have been murdered and sends out a distress signal. Rasheed Fin, an investigator, is sent to Campion's ship, Ragtime, to get to the bottom of what really happened.
My favorite aspect of this story is the worldbuilding that Thompson incorporates. There are some alien creatures with interesting abilities that I felt really fleshed out the world and drew my interest. I found the mystery engaging and the way the story wove into a larger narrative that expanded beyond the Ragtime, allowed us to learn more about the wider world.
My real issue with this book was the audiobook. It's a decent audiobook but it failed to truly capture my interest and this led me to feel like I was missing parts of the book. I would highly recommend picking up the physical copy if you have a similar experience. I would be interested to return to this story in the future as I feel that I've missed out on some crucial aspects of the story due to my issues with the audiobook.
The story centers around Michelle Campion, a passenger aboard a spaceship who wakes up midflight. Campion finds that a number of the passengers have been murdered and sends out a distress signal. Rasheed Fin, an investigator, is sent to Campion's ship, Ragtime, to get to the bottom of what really happened.
My favorite aspect of this story is the worldbuilding that Thompson incorporates. There are some alien creatures with interesting abilities that I felt really fleshed out the world and drew my interest. I found the mystery engaging and the way the story wove into a larger narrative that expanded beyond the Ragtime, allowed us to learn more about the wider world.
My real issue with this book was the audiobook. It's a decent audiobook but it failed to truly capture my interest and this led me to feel like I was missing parts of the book. I would highly recommend picking up the physical copy if you have a similar experience. I would be interested to return to this story in the future as I feel that I've missed out on some crucial aspects of the story due to my issues with the audiobook.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Murder, Blood, Body horror, and Violence
Moderate: Cannibalism
sarah984's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I really enjoyed this one. It's a sort of a combination of space thriller and detective story with a bit of a supernatural element. There are some great action scenes, and while the characters aren't super developed, they feel unique and do the job. The romance is pretty bland though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Gore
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, and Violence
Minor: Excrement, Sexual content, War, and Fatphobia
booksthatburn's review against another edition
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
FAR FROM THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN is a locked-spaceship mass-murder mystery with a disgraced detective and a rookie ship captain.
The ensemble of characters is interesting, I especially like Joké. Her storyline was the most engaging for me, and I like how she comes into her own.
The main thing that frustrated me is that there was literally no way to figure out the answer any earlier than the extended sequence which explains the whole thing in great detail. The actual answer was fascinating enough to loop back around to regaining my interest, but it does mean the middle of the book dragged for me. I like the world that was built, but not really the way that it was conveyed, and I enjoyed the political wrangling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Blood, Animal death, and Death
Moderate: Racism, Gore, Excrement, Gun violence, and Violence
Minor: Fatphobia, Child death, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Cannibalism
azrah786's review against another edition
4.0
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, gore, mass murder, death, contagion, terminal illness
Far From the Light of Heaven is a fast paced character driven, sci-fi thriller that’s difficult to put down once you pick it up.
After embarking on a journey across the stars for a decade in statis, Mission Specialist Michelle “Shell” Campion awakens on the colony ship Ragtime as planned only to find something is very wrong. With the ship - along with its 1000 passengers on course to the planet Bloodroot - being captained by a fail-safe AI, Shell was guaranteed her position as the required spaceflight-rated human on board was a straightforward one. However, upon docking in the Lagos system she finds 31 of the sleeping passengers have been brutally murdered and to make matters worse the ships AI is compromised. Upon hearing her distress message, the destination planet sends up a detective and accompanying AI to get to the bottom of the situation.
A murder mystery confined to spaceship on the float in a far corner of the cosmos,how much more ‘locked room’ can you get? Thompson’s writing effortlessly brings about the tense atmosphere that evokes both the hair raising disquiet of being trapped with a killer as well as the vast eeriness and isolation of space. There are some spine-chilling horror elements too.
On top of that an intriguing cast of characters and glimpses of an expansive future world really hook you in. I quite enjoyed the interactions upon the Ragtime between the main protagonists and the transition their relationship took from one of brewing hostility to reluctant camaraderie in the strained situation that they were in.
Though admittedly this book felt more action thriller than mystery to me as the storyline involved more flashbacks than clue-following. Hence the shock factor that you’d expect with a murder mystery was a little subdued. That paired with what I felt was a needless aspect of romance was my reason for knocking off a star.
Otherwise this was a thoroughly enjoyable and addictive read and I am definitely checking out Thompsons other novels. I’d also be super interested if he ever decided to return and write other stories set in this universe!
Final Rating – 4/5 Stars
**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, gore, mass murder, death, contagion, terminal illness
Far From the Light of Heaven is a fast paced character driven, sci-fi thriller that’s difficult to put down once you pick it up.
After embarking on a journey across the stars for a decade in statis, Mission Specialist Michelle “Shell” Campion awakens on the colony ship Ragtime as planned only to find something is very wrong. With the ship - along with its 1000 passengers on course to the planet Bloodroot - being captained by a fail-safe AI, Shell was guaranteed her position as the required spaceflight-rated human on board was a straightforward one. However, upon docking in the Lagos system she finds 31 of the sleeping passengers have been brutally murdered and to make matters worse the ships AI is compromised. Upon hearing her distress message, the destination planet sends up a detective and accompanying AI to get to the bottom of the situation.
A murder mystery confined to spaceship on the float in a far corner of the cosmos,how much more ‘locked room’ can you get? Thompson’s writing effortlessly brings about the tense atmosphere that evokes both the hair raising disquiet of being trapped with a killer as well as the vast eeriness and isolation of space. There are some spine-chilling horror elements too.
On top of that an intriguing cast of characters and glimpses of an expansive future world really hook you in. I quite enjoyed the interactions upon the Ragtime between the main protagonists and the transition their relationship took from one of brewing hostility to reluctant camaraderie in the strained situation that they were in.
Though admittedly this book felt more action thriller than mystery to me as the storyline involved more flashbacks than clue-following. Hence the shock factor that you’d expect with a murder mystery was a little subdued. That paired with what I felt was a needless aspect of romance was my reason for knocking off a star.
Otherwise this was a thoroughly enjoyable and addictive read and I am definitely checking out Thompsons other novels. I’d also be super interested if he ever decided to return and write other stories set in this universe!
Final Rating – 4/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Murder, Death, Violence, and Terminal illness