A review by azrah786
Far from the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson
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