Ratings7
Average rating2.9
An Amazon Best Books of the Year selection BookBub Breakout Debut Novels of Winter 2018 The Verge―18 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books to Read in February Barnes & Noble—One of 25 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Debuts to Watch for in 2018 Nerdmuch—Best New Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books of 2018 Bookish—Winter 2018’s Hottest Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books Library Journal: Spring/Summer Best Debut Novels “Interesting quirks and divided loyalties flesh out this first novel in which sf and mystery intersect in a well-crafted plot...Pedreira’s science thriller powerfully highlights the human politics and economics from the seemingly desolate expanse of the moon. It will attract readers who enjoyed Andy Weir’s lunar crime caper Artemis.” -- Library Journal, starred review A realistic and chilling vision of life on the Moon, where dust kills as easily as the vacuum of space…but murder is even quicker—a fast-paced, cinematic science fiction thriller, this debut novel combines the inventiveness of The Martian, the intrigue of The Expanse, and the thrills of Red Rising. The Moon smells like gunpowder. Every lunar walker since Apollo 11 has noticed it: a burnt-metal scent that reminds them of war. Caden Dechert, the chief of the U.S. mining operation on the edge of the Sea of Serenity, thinks the smell is just a trick of the mind—a reminder of his harrowing days as a Marine in the war-torn Middle East back on Earth. It’s 2072, and lunar helium-3 mining is powering the fusion reactors that are bringing Earth back from environmental disaster. But competing for the richest prize in the history of the world has destroyed the oldest rule in space: Safety for All. When a bomb kills one of Dechert’s diggers on Mare Serenitatis, the haunted veteran goes on the hunt to expose the culprit before more blood is spilled. But as Dechert races to solve the first murder in the history of the Moon, he gets caught in the crosshairs of two global powers spoiling for a fight. Reluctant to be the match that lights this powder-keg, Dechert knows his life and those of his crew are meaningless to the politicians. Even worse, he knows the killer is still out there, hunting. In his desperate attempts to save his crew and prevent the catastrophe he sees coming, the former Marine uncovers a dangerous conspiracy that, with one spark, can ignite a full lunar war, wipe out his team . . . and perhaps plunge the Earth back into darkness.
Reviews with the most likes.
Very promising premise but it was a bit boring and I can recall just a few interesting chapters. It supposed to be thrilling but I felt dissapointed, with little interest on the plot and annoyed with the neverending “have to keep my crew safe” from the main character. Also, the names, my goodness. Beside all that the science on the book was good.
It is a good story. But somehow I couldn't ‘feel' it.
There is a slight chance that I didn't ‘click' with the narrator (although it hardly ever happens), but a more likely scenario is that it is just not my author.
I needed to listen to the first three of four chapters twice just to understand who the characters were and what was going on. At some point I caught up with the story, but there was no real connection with it or the characters.
Or maybe I've been listening to too much fantasy books recently and just forgot how to read sci-fi or fiction :) Will need another sci-fi book to check this.