IF ALL THE STARS GO DARK

A freshly recruited gunner and his unwilling fighter pilot partner team up to uncover the truth about a deadly threat to the galaxy.

Three years ago, Keller Hartman ran away from an orphanage on the volcanic planet Venthros to pursue his dream of joining the Legion as a gunner. For Keller, earning a spot in the elite Sixth fleet means more than fame or a high-profile career—he yearns for a family of his own. His expectations plummet when his new partner, Lament Bringer, refuses to fly with him. After his last gunner and best friend died during a mission five months prior, Lament doesn’t care about orders from their sergeant or even Keller’s ARCAN Aviation Academy records. Recklessness and desperation to belong thrust Keller into Lament’s under-the-table investigation of the mysterious toxic mist that killed Lament’s friend. Meanwhile, the spread of the controversial movement called Determinism occupies the Legion’s attention; the leader of the Determinists, Ran Doc Min, is dropping hints of a galaxy-wide catastrophe. This story starts off with suspense and a fast pace, but lackluster characterization, thin worldbuilding, and a villain whose motivation and influence strain believability all detract from the initial appeal and intrigue. Additionally, a stock side character’s fixation with the romance between the leads, who are cued white, veers uncomfortably toward fetishization, and some of the in-world references evoke real-life racial stereotypes.

A crash landing at hyperspeed.