J. A. Sutherland (3)

DISCLAIMER: I received this copy in exchange for a review.

WARNING: This review contains mild spoilers.

This is not a hard (or even mild) science fiction story. You need to set your expectations from the start. _Into the Dark_ sets the stage as an epic space fantasy of operatic proportions. Once you wrap your mind around science-as-magic, this is a fast-paced, enjoyable read and, a wonderful introduction to Science Fiction for Middle-Grades to YA.

There are favorable comparisons to Horatio show more Hornblower and Honor Harrington, both in setting and characterizations. This is a coming of age story wrapped in high adventure. Lass leaves a home with no future for the rigors and challenges of the space navy!

One of the wonderful surprises is the MacGuffin of Dark Space. In this region, travel is only possible by sail. Effects of this environment negate modern equipment and armaments, giving the notion of travel and combat a decidedly 19th century feel. The application of this was a tad inconsistent, but the overall effect is shiny!

Our hero, the determined and resolute Alexis Carew, doesn't fall into tired tropes. Even though small of stature, she isn't "spunky" or "feisty", nor does she have the physical or genetic advantages of Weber's Harrington. She comes across as driven, almost to the point of implacability, and her social interactions, some quite remarkable for a 15-year-old, are genuine and real.

The narrator, Elizabeth Klett, is a absolute jewel! Her diction, pacing, and accent shift from character to character, giving the listener immediately identifiable vocal prompts. You always know who is speaking. The audio production is smooth, rich, and clean. I heard no muddy audio or uneven edits. In addition to providing distinct voices, Ms. Klett has the gift of cross-gender characterization. The male characters sound definitely male, not just faux-deep voiced.

There were a couple of areas where I cocked an eyebrow and said "Huh?"

Dark Space (like Tahiti) is a magical place. It isn't internally consistent. Apparently electronics will not work there, but lights and life support will? There is some notion of a cushion of "normal space" surrounding the hull, masts, and spars, but if so, how does Dark Space interact with the sails? What is the motive power? Shouldn't the scans show the area contained by the "normal space" envelope, instead of just going dead?

I felt bludgeoned by the refrain "patriarchy is bad," repeated ad nauseam. Apparently, this is going to by a major plot line moving forward in the series. Hopefully, Alexis can affect positive change, otherwise this clod of dreary will weigh down a mostly positive and upbeat work. It's also unevenly applied. Colonials seem overrun by the notion, but the civilians in the core worlds aren't. Conversely, the Navy on the fringes has no problem with equality of gender, but the Navy in the core worlds support, and even advance, patriarchy.

One of the reasons I put this book on a Middle Grade to YA shelf is Alexis is seemingly never severely challenged, or placed in any real peril. She rises to events in workmanlike fashion, and there is never any doubt that she will prevail unscathed. Even when captured by pirates there is no insurmountable menace, no feeling that she may suffer. Weber's Harrington loses an arm and an eye. Alexis occasionally loses her patience.

*OVERT-SPOILER-STARTS*
In one scene, a full grown sailor attempts to rape Alexis. Please note that her size and mass are frequently referred to as small; smaller than a prepubescent boy, in fact. Yet, she manages to beat this large, tough, nasty man like a rented mule. Belief isn't just suspended at this point, it's unhinged. Mass matters. The type of skill she exhibited is acquired by an lifetime of extensive training, not casually picked up at a logging camp.
*OVERT-SPOILER-ENDS*

My reservations are the only reasons for my categorizations. This is a taut, action-packed, easy-to-listen-to story, well narrated and produced. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this novel to listeners of almost any age. show less

For some people, "Horatio in Hornblower in space" is a kind of metaphor. Sutherland is very literal. This is the Age of Sail, moved to the stars.

Alexis Carew is a 15 year girl with a problem. The patriarchial laws and mores of her home planet mean that her options are to get married to an idiotic fop, or be disinherited when her grandfather dies. Joining the space navy is a chance to get away from home and do some good. And while technically legal, it's almost entirely unknown. She signs up, show more and we move through the beats of Nelsonian plot.

So the good: The spacefaring tech is surprisingly evocative, without being ridiculous. Spaceships enter a hyperspace dimension at Lagrange points, where they sail winds of dark energy that blow between stars. Darkspace is full of shifting currents, squalls, and storms. Computers and radio simply won't work, meaning that everything is done by hand in space suits. The only weapon practical are lasers, firing off of geranium encased capacitors, with beams of light slowed to cannonball speeds and ranges. I believe David Drake did the idea first, but Sutherland carries off his setting conceits with verve. Carew is a great protagonist, an idealist who never backs down from a fight, and with infinite willingness to get her hands dirty to do the job.

There are cool moments, learning the ropes, chasing pirates, fighting battles and making friends, but a few days on I have trouble remembering literally anything other than darkspace. The first Alexis Carew book is popcorn, popcorn with a lot of promise and a little kick, and I'll probably be reading the rest of the series between more serious books, but you're not getting any surprises. show less

J. A. Sutherland says he decided to be a writer when he discovered there was a market for dinosaur porn and figured that if the bar was set that low, he was bound to succeed. In the last 10 years, he has published about a dozen space operas that are entertaining light reading, if and only if you can suspend your disbelief and enjoy the stories for the unpretentious, derivative things they are.

Into the Dark tells the story of Alexis Carew, a farm girl who joins the space navy to avoid an show more oafish marriage and maybe even save the family farm. The navy she joins could be called Horatio Hornblower meets Honor Harrington. Alexis even has a Manticoran beret.

The spaceships in Alexis’s world are such steampunk affairs that it is hard to remember that they are not plying the oceans in the Napoleonic Wars. Sutherland explains that spaceships with masts and sails are no more fanciful than most other FTL concoctions. He may have a point.

Alexis is likable, but you have to remind yourself not to call her Honor. show less

On the HMS half-pay beach, Alexis is co-opted to become a privateer. Obstensively, to eliminate some pirates and rescue some of the Queen's Spacers. Lots of pirates and a slave-based planet later, she is one more fighting on the ground. Some success leaves her with significantly more and larger problems which will be addressed in the next episode. This very good series continues nicely.