by Amanda Bridgeman
At the far reaches of the inhabited Solar System, a secret government lab sends out a distress signal and then goes silent. No signs of the usual space anomalies that plague humans in deep space—just dead comms. Command tasks Captain Harris of the United National Forces Ship Aurora and his crack team to head to the Darwin station and find out what’s wrong. His crew of battle-toughened soldiers can handle anything, as they’ve done many times before – a cohesive band of brothers in arms, ready for the worst.
Then command throws in a wrinkle; Harris must take on three female recruits. What could go wrong? Aboard the Aurora, speeding out to the Asteroids, Captain Harris must prepare for a mission filled with unknown dangers and challenges, not the least of which is managing his team, who believe the recruits are undertrained, inexperienced, incapable, and a liability.
Ms. Bridgeman takes us on a deep space adventure that any fan of Military Science Fiction will find thrilling: well-defined characters, a mystery to be solved on the station, an unexpected foe, a secret agenda, and fast and deadly action. What’s not to like?
For the book’s first half, we travel with the crew and get to know each as an individual. The author’s writing takes us inside the team’s dynamics. Clear phrasing and unique voices for the characters let us get to know each of them. Ms. Bridgeman takes her time filling out the characters to the point where we’re not sure they will ever pull together before they reach Darwin.
Once they arrive at the station, the action is fast-paced, and the tension is palpable. What seems innocuous always carries an undertone of danger. Nicely done; it keeps you on edge. The team’s initial entry into the research station is eerie, and you’re unsure what to expect. That tone keeps you suspicious right through the following scenes. Nope – no spoilers – you’ll need to find out on your own. That being said, in the book’s second half, some of the scenes between the major action are a bit too long – fun to read; I loved the extras on the relationships, but I found myself eager to get to “what happens next.”
Finally, and again—no spoilers—the ending is unexpected, not typical of thrillers, but it totally makes sense—and makes you want to scream at the page and the command staff. It was nice to see the consequences, and it set you up to want to read the follow-up book.
Ms. Bridgemen has published Aurora 8, so I have some catching up. But I’m looking forward to the adventure.
Final thought: if you know Ms. Bridgeman from her detective novels (The Subjugate and The Sensation), Aurora: Darwin is an unexpected thrill ride. Buckle up—it’s an adventure!
Find Aurora: Darwin at –
https://www.amazon.com/Aurora-Darwin-1-Amanda-Bridgeman/dp/0995425914