Dark Sky isn’t a novel for the ages. It’s a novel for now. It might not be a ground-breaking achievement in sci-fi adventure, but it is a brash, barroom brawl of a novel. Mike Brook’s galloping actioner centres on a rag-tag group of space travellers who have a constantly hard time of trusting their former pirate of a captain. They’ve even less reason to trust him when the captain, Ichabod Drift, is unexpectedly presented with the mission of a lifetime, if he and his crew don’t get killed along the way that is.
Brooks has a sharp if brief manner of narration, and ultimately this is what can make or break Dark Sky depending on the reader’s choice of storytelling. Nevertheless, the story told here has balls, guts, and any other robust internal organs you can think of. The characters are full of life and the story gallops along with more than enough candy-coated fun to reward multiple readings.
Dark Sky may not be a truly riveting piece of literature, but it’s a whole heap of fun. Brooks radiates a genuine sense of adrenaline page after page that can keep the reader hooked throughout. His lively characters and rollicking story make for perfect entertainment, even if that’s all they strive to be. Overall, Dark Sky is an unapologetically two-dimensional blast. What it may lack in substance it makes up for with energy, charm and heart.
DARK SKY / AUTHOR: MIKE BROOKS / PUBLISHER: DEL REY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
