space opera – The Reading Bud

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.

Book Details:

Author: Strange Seawolf
Release Date: July 1, 2024
~~Series~~:
Genre: Science-Fiction, Space Opera
Format: E-book
Pages: 457 pages
Publisher: –
Blurb:
Another spaceship, another explosion. Harold Galahad would love to wake from this particular nightmare that is so eerily similar to the events that cost him his beloved wife and destroyed his soul. But the only way out is by saving the ship and its entire crew.
If you ask Harold Galahad, he isn’t fit to lead a crew or command a ship. But nobody is asking Harry.
Instead, he finds himself back on the bridge, on a ship stranded in space, no help in sight, only kept alive by remnants of a gradually failing life support system.

His crew? A nurse running out of tentacles and eyes to care for all the wounded, a chief engineer who knows all about her systems but struggles with people, a chief of security who thinks everything can be solved with paragraphs from the Company’s handbook, a cursing chief of logistics, an anxiety-ridden communications officer, and a first officer who stays mysterious and feigns ignorance. This ship needs a captain to avert a complete disaster that includes the death of everyone on board.
Can Galahad overcome his trauma? Can he find solutions where there are none? And worst of all, can he unravel all the mysteries surrounding the ship, its crew and the system they all work for?
If you enjoy a complex tale that brings a human element to all species that travel space, combined with a multi-layered mystery, and starring a broken hero, Herald Petrel by Strange Seawolf will deliver.

Warning: Contains adult language and a considerable amount of swearing — it is a cargo space ship in a desparate situation, after all.

Review

Herald Petrel by Strange Seawolf is an insanely gripping space odyssey that brilliantly blends the trauma and heroism of the protagonist, Harold Galahad, with the high-stakes drama of a ship teetering on the brink of disaster.

From the opening pages, where Harold is introduced grappling with the ghosts of his past losses, to the climactic moments of life-and-death decisions, Author Seawolf maintains a taut narrative that kept me thoroughly engaged. The author’s portrayal of Harold’s internal battles and eventual redemption is both compelling and emotionally relatable. The secondary characters were also very well-developed and thoroughly likeable, with their unique quirks and challenges, making the dynamics very rich.

One of the best things about this book was the way the author has weaved a multi-layered mystery within the narrative. The suspense is palpable, driving the story forward with a relentless pace that ensures there’s never a dull moment. Moreover, the author’s world-building is out-of-the-world, with detailed descriptions of the ship’s mechanics and the vastness of space that enveloped me in a fully realised universe. The integration of various species and their interactions adds a rich touch to the narrative, highlighting the novel’s underlying themes of unity and understanding across differences.

Herald Petrel is an amazing science fiction read, offering a story that is as much about overcoming personal demons as it is about the thrill of space exploration. It is a heart-pounding adventure that delivers in spades, making it a must-read that will leave you thinking long after the last page is turned.