The Reading Bud

Book Details:

Author: Thom Bedford 
Release Date: April 5, 2025
Series:
Genre: Military Space Opera, Science Fiction
Format: E-book 
Pages: 100 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
Spend an evening on a warship in this military space opera novella!
SABOTAGE AND SUSPICION
After narrowly escaping an explosion from a botched sabotage attempt, Captain Felysta Sandorn of the Combined Systems Alliance receives orders to lead a small fleet of agile warships to hunt down and destroy a pirate group. On arrival to the neutral system, however, not everything is as it seems, as they encounter archaic vessels and subdued, nervous behavior.

The year is 2815 and the galaxy teeters on the brink of war, but not everyone can be trusted. Is Felysta’s target a ragtag band of pirates as she’s been told? Or is it an organized fleet sent by the supposed Free Planetary Union, an emerging galactic empire? Only time will tell.
THE PIRATES OF WAN-NAKHON
This military space opera novella brings deception, suspense, and epic fleet combat to the genre, with detailed world-building, politics, and a hint of romance. All the best parts of science fiction.
For fans of franchises like Star Wars or the darker side of Star Trek, and fans of authors like Jack Campbell or John Scalzi.

Review

The Blackheart by Thom Bedford is everything I expected from a military sci-fi space opera: it had layered world-building, strong yet complex leadership, high-stakes conflict, and tons of morally charged choices. As a writer and editor, I can’t help but appreciate the precision and pacing in the prose. This book knows exactly when to go full-throttle and when to pause for introspection.

Captain Felysta Sandorn is a standout protagonist. She is commanding, strategic, and quietly compassionate beneath all that steel. Her dynamic with her XO, Jameson, adds just the right dose of philosophical tension, especially as rumors of the Free Planetary Union gain traction. Their contrasting perspectives on duty versus morality create a compelling undercurrent throughout the story.

The tension builds steadily, from the ominous return to Exeter Station to the explosive confrontation with a mysterious rogue fleet. There’s a real sense of tactical choreography in the action scenes, and I especially enjoyed the dialogue’s realism, they were crisp, military, and always character-revealing.

What held me back from giving it a full five stars was the fact that just a touch more emotional vulnerability from Felysta could have elevated her arc to perfection. We see glimpses of it, but I wanted more, more heart to balance all the head and command. Still, Author Bedford delivers a smart, sophisticated, and thoroughly entertaining sci-fi adventure that kicks off a promising series. Think The Expanse meets Mass Effect, but with a voice that’s very much his own. I’ll definitely be following this series to see where the crew of the Blackheart goes next.

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