Scourge Between Stars

Horror set within the confines of a spaceship/space station/submarine is just a special kind of terrifying to me. Where can you go? Who's going to save you if you can't save yourself? What in the world haunts or hunts in such an isolated setting? It's so freaking scary.
The Scourge Between the Stars is a quick read, but the author packs in so much fear, not to mention heartbreak and even a little redemption.
I give this book 4 stars instead of 5, because, in the end, some things happened that didn't make sense to me. Still loved it though.
This book was provided to me free of charge by the publisher and NetGalley. My opinions are freely and honestly given.

A couple hundred or so years ago, desperate colony ships left Earth in search of a new home. The place they found, Proxima b, turned out to be to dangerous to settle, so their descendants are heading back to Earth. Things don't look good. They can't go back to Proxima b, they likely don't have enough food, oxygen, and fuel to make it back to Earth (which may not even be habitable, anyway), and they keep getting caught in the crossfire of what seems to be some kind of enormous alien war.

Jacklyn Albright is the acting captain of the Calypso, barely holding herself together, much less the ship. Her mother committed suicide, her sister is dead, and her father, the ship's captain, hasn't left his quarters or spoken to anyone in over a week. show more Then things go from bad to worse. There are glitches in the ship's systems, something keeps making banging noises inside the ship's walls, and a crew member is found horribly mutilated.

I was reminded of the Alien franchise (with a tinge of Event Horizon), as Jacklyn and her crew members tried to track down whatever was moving around on the ship and somehow deal with it as it kept picking off more people. People were sleep-deprived, and things just kept getting worse on pretty much every front. Meanwhile, Jacklyn was also emotionally unbalanced by all the recent deaths in her family, her father's apparent decision to completely check out of all of his responsibilities, and the fact that the unnervingly human-like android who kept following her around looked a lot like her dead sister.

Even as I was hoping the crew could somehow figure out how to deal with whatever it was that was actively killing them, there was still the dark cloud of the future hanging over everything. Things were bleak - even if they could survive this, they might all die of starvation later. I liked how the author worked that into the overall horror, but the way things wrapped up was a tad too convenient for my tastes.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) show less

This book was a tasty little snack. It was just the right amount of scary and tension for me. It's sort of like Alien, only the lead female doesn't have to run around in her underwear most of the time. And there wasn't a cat.

I really liked Jack, she was very well realized. I liked getting to see inside her head and feel her feelings with her. She was scared of this very terrifying situation, but she handled it. She didn't have to be this superhero character who was never afraid and always in control. She responded like a person would. We saw her at her most vulnerable, but still standing up and doing what she had to do, acting as the captain while the real captain hid in his cabin.

I don't always like these kind of space ship with a show more threat stories because I hate when people start turning on each other, but this one didn't have that and it was good. If you're into space horror, give this one a read, it's nice and short! show less

The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown (@nessthenovelist) from Tor Nightfire (out 4/4/23), is an atmospheric, claustrophobic, scifi creep-fest. While I’m sure there will be inevitable comparisons to the film Alien, TSBS is a creature unto itself, smart and clever, working its way under your skin and leaving you feeling just a terrified and confused as the inhabitants of the starship, Calypso.

The inhabitants of Earth abandoned the planet long ago, boarding generation ships in the hope of making a new life for themselves on another planet. When that plan fails, the colonies decide to try returning to Earth, but the ships are accosted by unknown forces and consistently damaged. On top of this, it becomes apparent that there is something show more else on the ship, something not human. Acting captain Jacklyn must try to navigate the extraterrestrial challenges, as well as the possibility of mutiny on the ship.

Honestly, my only complaint about the story is its length; this certainly reads like the introduction to a much larger story. There are several questions left unanswered (we know how I like tidy stories with no dangling questions!), and there is definitely room for more adventures of the Calypso and its crew. Hopefully Brown will bring us back to this galaxy soon and delve deeper into the mysteries of the unknown.

Thank you to @netgalley and @tornightfire for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#tornightfire #nightfire #scifi #horror #thescourgebetweenstars #netgalley #nessbrown #book #books #queerbooks #bookstagram #bookreview #horrorbooks #scifibooks #frommybookshelf #frommybookshelfblog show less

What a great read! The Scoutge Between Stars is a claustrophobic thrill ride that takes place in a failed colony ship that had to leave the Centauri system and return home. Conditions are deteriorating, and supplies seem to be dwindling for unknown reasons. Unbeknownst to all on board, there is an unwanted stowaway, identity unknown.

This is one of the best SF books I’ve read in a good while. While there are elements from the first Alien film, the author makes the story all her own. The plotting is superb, the tension well ratcheted, the characters well drawn, all making this a book that just kept me riveted to the page.

Highly recommended.

My thanks to Tor Nightfire and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this remarkable debut novel.

In "The Scourge Between Stars" by Ness Brown, Jacklyn Albright assumes the role of acting captain aboard the starship Calypso, entrusted with the daunting task of safeguarding the remnants of humanity on their precarious journey back to Earth from a doomed colony. The narrative unfolds against a backdrop of constant peril in the vast and hazardous expanse of interstellar space, where hunger and destruction loom as persistent threats.

As the crew faces the brink of despair, internal strife brews within the ship's Wards, exacerbated by a menacing new adversary that methodically claims lives in a gruesome manner. Jacklyn and her team find themselves thrust into a race against time, compelled to unveil the identity of the mysterious intruder show more if they harbor any aspirations of surviving the perilous return to their solar system.

While "The Scourge Between Stars" exhibits commendable strengths, it also grapples with certain shortcomings. Notably, the narrative draws unmistakable inspiration from the iconic "Alien" franchise, with striking parallels in the depiction of extraterrestrial entities reminiscent of Xenomorphs and the inclusion of a robotic crew member. The resemblance to these well-established tropes might leave readers with a sense of déjà vu, as the narrative echoes familiar themes from the science fiction genre.

One of the notable highlights of the book lies in its vivid descriptions of the expansive chambers aboard the Calypso. Brown successfully instills a sense of dread in these vast spaces, proving that the chilling atmosphere of horror can be effectively conveyed in large, seemingly open areas. The play of light and shadows, with flashlights failing to penetrate the ominous corners, adds a layer of tension that transcends the conventional confines of confined spaces.

However, the narrative takes a divisive turn in its conclusion, with a Deus Ex Machina element that may leave some readers dissatisfied. The resolution at the end of the story appears abrupt and may not resonate well with those seeking a more nuanced and organic culmination.

Despite these reservations, the adept handling of horror elements suggests that Ness Brown possesses a skill for crafting atmospheric tension. While "The Scourge Between Stars" may draw heavily from established influences, the author's ability to evoke fear within expansive settings warrants consideration. Despite the uneven aspects, there is potential in Brown's storytelling, and readers intrigued by the horror genre may find it worthwhile to explore more of the author's works. show less

Well, this was disappointing.

Honestly, for much of the read, this was going to be a two-star review. Then the Captain (who's also Jack's father) finally makes an appearance...because hey, the captain of a ship of 6000 can just stay in his cabin for a week, going completely radio silent during uprisings and dire emergencies, and no one's going to force open that door, right? ... and when he does, the dumb stuff just gets dumber.

Just once... ONCE... I'd like to read a good horror novel set in deep space that
- doesn't borrow liberally from the ALIEN franchise
- doesn't hinge on dumb decisions
- doesn't have "impossibly" or "a trick of the light" showing up anywhere in the text (okay, I'd like to read ANY horror novel that doesn't have show more those)
- genuinely offers up some scares

... is this too much to ask?

But, let's deal with the story in front of us. Jack's the harried Acting Captain of the Calypso. We know she's harried, because Dad's in the weeds, hiding in his cabin and talking to no one. Everyone just shrugs their shoulders and carries on. We also know she's harried, because she rarely speaks in anything under a yell. Through the entire book.

Then things happen. For a while, it's played as almost a supernatural haunting. Again, despite Jack's constant yelling, everyone has other things to do, so they shrug their shoulders. Except Watson, the droid that Jack doesn't like who, of course, will be her best friend by the end of this.

Cue silly subplots, and lots of running, yelling, shooting, and dying. Then bring back Captain Daddy and his Thanos Imperative, who also points out all the clues that everyone should have seen, but he decided were dumb, so he just ignored them... making the plot even more silly.

And then there's the over the top ending... Jack's survival due to the aliens ...the ship's survival because of... things.

This is just a no. One of those rare books that I almost DNFd even though I was well past 75% or so... but I didn't.

I should have. show less