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Europa Deep
From the author of Echogenesis and Stealing Light comes a gripping 22nd Century adventure set among the moons of Jupiter.
There is life on Europa. The first manned expedition disappeared while exploring the vast ocean beneath the ice, and fifteen years later, Cassie White is given the chance to join a second expedition—so long as she agrees to investigate secretive experiments carried out by the first.
But the commander of the deep-space exploration ship Veles has every reason to hate her, and a hostile enemy ship is waiting for them when they arrive at Jupiter. Any attempt at landing may lead to war.
It soon becomes clear the first expedition stumbled onto a secret even greater than the existence of alien life within our own solar system—something hidden in the depths of Europa’s lightless ocean for untold billions of years. But before she can uncover it, Cassie must first figure out who on board the Veles is trying to sabotage their mission—and why.
"...the book moves at a blistering pace...a science fiction story full of fantasy wonder." - INTERZONE
"Europa Deep will...scratch the itch of the SF buff, ought to satisfy the thriller reader and even tease the horror taste buds." - PARSEC
There is life on Europa. The first manned expedition disappeared while exploring the vast ocean beneath the ice, and fifteen years later, Cassie White is given the chance to join a second expedition—so long as she agrees to investigate secretive experiments carried out by the first.
But the commander of the deep-space exploration ship Veles has every reason to hate her, and a hostile enemy ship is waiting for them when they arrive at Jupiter. Any attempt at landing may lead to war.
It soon becomes clear the first expedition stumbled onto a secret even greater than the existence of alien life within our own solar system—something hidden in the depths of Europa’s lightless ocean for untold billions of years. But before she can uncover it, Cassie must first figure out who on board the Veles is trying to sabotage their mission—and why.
"...the book moves at a blistering pace...a science fiction story full of fantasy wonder." - INTERZONE
"Europa Deep will...scratch the itch of the SF buff, ought to satisfy the thriller reader and even tease the horror taste buds." - PARSEC
360 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 15, 2023
301 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
About the author
Gary Gibson
52 books421 followersGary Gibson's first novel, Angel Stations, was published in 2004. Interzone called it "dense and involving, puzzling and perplexing. It's unabashed science fiction, with an almost "Golden Age" feel to it ..."
His second novel was Against Gravity in 2005; the Guardian described it as "building on current trends to produce a convincing picture of the world in 2096."
Stealing Light was first published in 2007, and garnered a wide range of positive reviews. The London Times called it: "A violent, inventive, relentlessly gripping adventure ... intelligently written and thought-provoking".
Stealing Light is the first volume in a four-book space opera, the final volume of which, Marauder, was published in 2013.
To date, Gary has written ten novels, most recently Extinction Game and its sequel, Survival Game.
His second novel was Against Gravity in 2005; the Guardian described it as "building on current trends to produce a convincing picture of the world in 2096."
Stealing Light was first published in 2007, and garnered a wide range of positive reviews. The London Times called it: "A violent, inventive, relentlessly gripping adventure ... intelligently written and thought-provoking".
Stealing Light is the first volume in a four-book space opera, the final volume of which, Marauder, was published in 2013.
To date, Gary has written ten novels, most recently Extinction Game and its sequel, Survival Game.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
May 30, 2024
A fun storry
April 20, 2024
Excellent sf adventure with a touch of speculation about the nature of life and existence. With dangerous assassins, uploaded AI personalities, genetically enhanced humans and set in an interesting near future on Earth, Europa and in between, the novel is very hard to put down once it gets going in the second chapter. Cassie White, an opt (enhanced human) with a compulsion for space, has been forced to work in the deep ocean (sort of) police patrolling for illegal metals mining that was destroying the ecosystem, once her genetics betrayed her in space and she blacked out piloting which lead to the death of her passenger. Also the deeps are not quite space so she needs to take drugs occasionally just to remain sane. In a world where opts like her have been blamed for everything from mass unemployment to conspiracy to genocide the "normal" humans with a deadly virus which supposedly doesn't kill the opts and in which they are marginalized and attacked (Cassie is a survivor of a school shooting targeting opt children, while her apartment has just been vandalized when the action gets going), Cassie just gets by when she is offered a last chance to get into a space on a mission to Europa. And the chance is offered by a powerful ex senator known for his anti-opt legislation and comes with some unwelcome strings. But her compulsion which is more and more unmanageable and her burning desire to find about the fate of her brother missing in an earlier Europa mission leaves her with no choice but to accept; the nominal commander is the husband of the passenger killed by her blackout so Cassie is already on his s..t list, assassins with a secret mission are on board and everyone else is suspicious of her last minute inclusion... But she may have some unexpected if not quite welcome allies of her own with their own agenda of course. And so it goes with such energy that one is compelled to turn the pages...
Excellent stuff and highly recommended
Excellent stuff and highly recommended
October 13, 2023
Readable, but a bit disjointed. It feels like the section where Marcus reveals himself to Cassie is missing. They have a significant, though very odd relationship so it felt abrupt. The first chapter about Sally and Holland almost made me stop reading, they being entirely unpleasant and also boring. Sally is called Cassie at least once, which made me skeptical of the editing. It did get better and more interesting. Cassie is very likeable, as well as the other crew on Veles except Ernest and the spooks. The bad guys were completely one-dimensional with little or weak rationale provided for their motivations. The thought that two security personnel would be swapped last minute into such a tiny crew of a multiyear scientific space mission seems very unlikely. The concept of genetically optimized humans being persecuted seems plausible. The revenent AIs (humans who have uploaded their consciousness to a machine) less so, especially since technology otherwise doesn't appear anywhere near that advanced, except maybe for the deep ocean suit that allows a person to walk around the ocean bottom on Earth. The idea of a universe spanning sentience based on ice moons is interesting, as was the exploration of the ocean on Europa. It was unclear why the Chinese ships in orbit around Europa weren't doing anything when Veles arrived. All in all, an interesting, enjoyable read but some gaps make it feel unpolished.
September 18, 2023
fast paced action sci-fi thriller
Excellent read - would make a great film. Bio-warfare, genetically modified humans, spys, human consciousness as AI, and First Contact - a great mix.
Excellent read - would make a great film. Bio-warfare, genetically modified humans, spys, human consciousness as AI, and First Contact - a great mix.
March 29, 2024
A refreshing sci-fi about deep space exploration, wrapped around a missing person mystery and with a good dash of political intrigue thrown in. A very enjoyable read.
January 23, 2024
I've been reading Gary Gibson's work since Stealing Light. The quality and imaginative plots have gotten better and better; Europa Deep is no exception. At three different points my heart was racing, and I really felt like the main character Cassie was well-developed and multi-faceted - this is a running theme with Gibson's protagonists.
The only thing that pulls the rating down were a few instances of repeated phrases within the same paragraph, and in one case within the same sentence. I've noticed this has happened more in the last few of his novels, perhaps a reflection on largely self-publishing now? Ultimately it doesn't affect the quality of the story, it just pulls the prose down a bit for my tastes.
If you like well-paced, thought-provoking and heartfelt sci-fi, Europa Deep will satisfy you.
The only thing that pulls the rating down were a few instances of repeated phrases within the same paragraph, and in one case within the same sentence. I've noticed this has happened more in the last few of his novels, perhaps a reflection on largely self-publishing now? Ultimately it doesn't affect the quality of the story, it just pulls the prose down a bit for my tastes.
If you like well-paced, thought-provoking and heartfelt sci-fi, Europa Deep will satisfy you.
January 8, 2025
Enjoyable read
April 4, 2024
This is a REALLY good piece of SF.
I've read every book by Gibson, and My Fav has always been Againt Gravity - the other books are 4-star-book, so the quality is high.
But now there's two books for that stands out!
I like the plot, and no, it's NOT hurried the last 30 pages, it's culminating, there a difference.
The thing about Gibson is: He can characterize protagonists in a few sentences, and then the rest are hints served a bit by bit.
And it works VERY well in this book indeed.
And the best? It makes ME wonder.
WHAT WILL we find, when we reach the oceans of Europa?
Thank yet again, Mr. Gibson, for a outstanding book.
I've read every book by Gibson, and My Fav has always been Againt Gravity - the other books are 4-star-book, so the quality is high.
But now there's two books for that stands out!
I like the plot, and no, it's NOT hurried the last 30 pages, it's culminating, there a difference.
The thing about Gibson is: He can characterize protagonists in a few sentences, and then the rest are hints served a bit by bit.
And it works VERY well in this book indeed.
And the best? It makes ME wonder.
WHAT WILL we find, when we reach the oceans of Europa?
Thank yet again, Mr. Gibson, for a outstanding book.
May 16, 2024
In the aftermath of an extremely virulent virus called the Whispers, which may or not have been man-made, optimised humans (Opts) such as Cassie White are widely held to have had something to do with it and subject to prejudice as a result. Somewhere around the same time there was also an AI war after which the Chinese People’s Republic was replaced by the New Chinese Republic (NCR.)
Cassie’s optimisation has given her an overwhelming need to be in space. Unfortunately, a side effect of her treatment was to be the sufferer of occasional blackouts. One such led to an accident on the Moon in which a coworker died. Drugs can control the symptoms but are not fully trusted - either by her or the wider world. She had been turned down for the first expedition to Jupiter’s moon Europa, on which her brother Chris was one of the crew. Its fate is shrouded in mystery and, most likely, disaster. Hence Cassie starts the book having to work underseas, the closest she can feel to the space experience. To her surprise a politician called Ketteridge, who had previously stirred up resentment against Opts, comes to her in secret with a proposition. His bait is a video of someone walking across the surface of Europa (could it be Chris?) and he wants her to join a second expedition to that moon to recover information valuable to him.
Earlier than our introduction to Cassie though, Gibson pulls off a similar sort of trick to the one Alfred Hitchcock gave us in Psycho, as a result of which the reader knows that two other operatives on the ship, Sally Braemar and Jeff Holland, are not who they claim to be.
Not that suspicion is lacking anywhere on board. Cassie’s replacement of the original crew member has flummoxed everyone, Commander Javier hates her for being responsible for that death on the Moon and fears a relapse on her part so keeps her in suspended animation throughout the trip and her subsequent involvement to a minimum, the others resent Braemar and Holland as possible spooks. Such a closely tied group containing possible traitors makes this aspect of the novel resemble an Alistair MacLean book. And unbeknown to them all, Marcus, Cassie’s last boyfriend, who when about to die of the Whispers had his brain downloaded into an AI (a group also now universally vilified and feared due to the war) has infiltrated his way on board and can observe them all through the ship’s robot repair machines. Plus a Chinese ship having on board another former lover of Cassie, a connection of which Javier is aware, is also on the way to Europa.
And the Yatagarasu, an AI controlled ship which made an unscheduled stopover at Europa, has since vanished from human ken.
All in all, plenty to keep us intrigued and turning the pages.
The remainder of the book deals with the obstacles Cassie has to overcome in getting to Europa’s sea floor in her search for Chris and with what she finds once she gets down there.
Gibson is good on the mechanics of underwater exploration and his descriptions of the extra-terrestrial life in Europa’s ocean do tickle the sense of wonder. A touch of mysticism, if not outright fantasy, tinges the fate of the first expedition, though.
Europa Deep is good solid (well a fair bit of liquid actually) stuff, ticking quite a few boxes. It will scratch the itch of the SF buff, ought to satisfy the thriller reader and even tease the horror taste buds.
Cassie’s optimisation has given her an overwhelming need to be in space. Unfortunately, a side effect of her treatment was to be the sufferer of occasional blackouts. One such led to an accident on the Moon in which a coworker died. Drugs can control the symptoms but are not fully trusted - either by her or the wider world. She had been turned down for the first expedition to Jupiter’s moon Europa, on which her brother Chris was one of the crew. Its fate is shrouded in mystery and, most likely, disaster. Hence Cassie starts the book having to work underseas, the closest she can feel to the space experience. To her surprise a politician called Ketteridge, who had previously stirred up resentment against Opts, comes to her in secret with a proposition. His bait is a video of someone walking across the surface of Europa (could it be Chris?) and he wants her to join a second expedition to that moon to recover information valuable to him.
Earlier than our introduction to Cassie though, Gibson pulls off a similar sort of trick to the one Alfred Hitchcock gave us in Psycho, as a result of which the reader knows that two other operatives on the ship, Sally Braemar and Jeff Holland, are not who they claim to be.
Not that suspicion is lacking anywhere on board. Cassie’s replacement of the original crew member has flummoxed everyone, Commander Javier hates her for being responsible for that death on the Moon and fears a relapse on her part so keeps her in suspended animation throughout the trip and her subsequent involvement to a minimum, the others resent Braemar and Holland as possible spooks. Such a closely tied group containing possible traitors makes this aspect of the novel resemble an Alistair MacLean book. And unbeknown to them all, Marcus, Cassie’s last boyfriend, who when about to die of the Whispers had his brain downloaded into an AI (a group also now universally vilified and feared due to the war) has infiltrated his way on board and can observe them all through the ship’s robot repair machines. Plus a Chinese ship having on board another former lover of Cassie, a connection of which Javier is aware, is also on the way to Europa.
And the Yatagarasu, an AI controlled ship which made an unscheduled stopover at Europa, has since vanished from human ken.
All in all, plenty to keep us intrigued and turning the pages.
The remainder of the book deals with the obstacles Cassie has to overcome in getting to Europa’s sea floor in her search for Chris and with what she finds once she gets down there.
Gibson is good on the mechanics of underwater exploration and his descriptions of the extra-terrestrial life in Europa’s ocean do tickle the sense of wonder. A touch of mysticism, if not outright fantasy, tinges the fate of the first expedition, though.
Europa Deep is good solid (well a fair bit of liquid actually) stuff, ticking quite a few boxes. It will scratch the itch of the SF buff, ought to satisfy the thriller reader and even tease the horror taste buds.
April 27, 2024
Space Opera/Mystery crossover. Transhuman Cassie White against all odds gets a slot on the problematic, 2nd Europa expedition to find out the fate of her brother on the lost, 1st expedition to Jupiter’s moon.
Full disclosure, I'm a fan of this author. Gibson writes Ole’ Skool hard-ish science fiction, mostly space operas. To him, STEM isn’t a horticultural reference. His space operas contain real space science.
My dead pixels version of the book was a moderate 360 pages. It had a 2023 copyright.
Gary Gibson is a Scottish author of more than ten science fiction novels in series and standalone. I have read several of the author’s books. The most recent being Stealing Light .
Gibson did a fine job with the story’s deep space and outer planets world building. However, this story was severely overloaded with narrative threads. There was the: No Transhumanism Allowed, Brain Uploading, Fantastic Racism, Genius Loci, Hired Guns, Corrupt Corporate Executives, et al. Any three of these would have been enough for this moderately-sized novel. In addition, the transhuman, protagonist was a Faux Action Girl. She was a superbly, adapted and trained astronaut and aquanaut, that had never learned, Plan the dive, and dive the plan. in dangerous environments.
I thought the world building for this book was good, but the plotting was bad. In the Afterward, Gibson described there being three almost complete revisions of the story. It read that way. Too much from each revision was carried over into the next and the final version. There was three books worth of material here, but only 300-odd pages. Perhaps, if the book had been 500-pages, all the narrative threads could have been spun-out? As it was, it was a tangled mess.
2024 Reading
Full disclosure, I'm a fan of this author. Gibson writes Ole’ Skool hard-ish science fiction, mostly space operas. To him, STEM isn’t a horticultural reference. His space operas contain real space science.
My dead pixels version of the book was a moderate 360 pages. It had a 2023 copyright.
Gary Gibson is a Scottish author of more than ten science fiction novels in series and standalone. I have read several of the author’s books. The most recent being Stealing Light .
Gibson did a fine job with the story’s deep space and outer planets world building. However, this story was severely overloaded with narrative threads. There was the: No Transhumanism Allowed, Brain Uploading, Fantastic Racism, Genius Loci, Hired Guns, Corrupt Corporate Executives, et al. Any three of these would have been enough for this moderately-sized novel. In addition, the transhuman, protagonist was a Faux Action Girl. She was a superbly, adapted and trained astronaut and aquanaut, that had never learned, Plan the dive, and dive the plan. in dangerous environments.
I thought the world building for this book was good, but the plotting was bad. In the Afterward, Gibson described there being three almost complete revisions of the story. It read that way. Too much from each revision was carried over into the next and the final version. There was three books worth of material here, but only 300-odd pages. Perhaps, if the book had been 500-pages, all the narrative threads could have been spun-out? As it was, it was a tangled mess.
2024 Reading
April 5, 2024
3.5 stars
Cassie White didn't make the first expedition to Europa, but her brother Chris did. The expedition ceased responding and disappeared, but now 15 years later, another expedition is about to embark, and Cassie has the opportunity to be on board.
She's wary of this opportunity for several reasons, but the chance to discover what happened to her brother seals the deal.
Someone, however, seems determined to sabotage the mission, and Cassie doesn't know who to trust.
At the heart of the novel, perhaps, is our human distrust of the very technology we often depend on. AI and humans who are enhanced in some way can become frightening. While the novel is set far in the future, the problems of fear and prejudice are the same we are suffering through in the present.
The human condition is leery of what is different. We are both curious and apprehensive of what we don't understand, the unknown, the unfamiliar. The situation for Opt (individuals whose genetics have been altered) on earth is becoming dire. Attacks on individual Opts and plans for internment camps are increasing.
The question of consciousness also exists as some, like Marcus, on the verge of death uploads his consciousness, becoming a sentient AI. And there is the phenomenon of consciousness deep in the ice covered Europa lake.
Europa Deep is the second book I've read by Gary Gibson and both are different from the science fiction I usually favor. Both Echogenesis and Europa Deep are stand alone novels and have, in addition to action and suspense, a more philosophical turn.
However, it seems Gibson has some series that fall more into the military science fiction/space opera subgenres I usually choose.
Both of the stand-alone novels I've read by Gibson leave as many questions as answers, and considering the genre, that's OK. I'm interested in his book series now.
Read in March.
Science Fiction. 360 pages
Cassie White didn't make the first expedition to Europa, but her brother Chris did. The expedition ceased responding and disappeared, but now 15 years later, another expedition is about to embark, and Cassie has the opportunity to be on board.
She's wary of this opportunity for several reasons, but the chance to discover what happened to her brother seals the deal.
Someone, however, seems determined to sabotage the mission, and Cassie doesn't know who to trust.
At the heart of the novel, perhaps, is our human distrust of the very technology we often depend on. AI and humans who are enhanced in some way can become frightening. While the novel is set far in the future, the problems of fear and prejudice are the same we are suffering through in the present.
The human condition is leery of what is different. We are both curious and apprehensive of what we don't understand, the unknown, the unfamiliar. The situation for Opt (individuals whose genetics have been altered) on earth is becoming dire. Attacks on individual Opts and plans for internment camps are increasing.
The question of consciousness also exists as some, like Marcus, on the verge of death uploads his consciousness, becoming a sentient AI. And there is the phenomenon of consciousness deep in the ice covered Europa lake.
Europa Deep is the second book I've read by Gary Gibson and both are different from the science fiction I usually favor. Both Echogenesis and Europa Deep are stand alone novels and have, in addition to action and suspense, a more philosophical turn.
However, it seems Gibson has some series that fall more into the military science fiction/space opera subgenres I usually choose.
Both of the stand-alone novels I've read by Gibson leave as many questions as answers, and considering the genre, that's OK. I'm interested in his book series now.
Read in March.
Science Fiction. 360 pages
January 3, 2024
This is the first book I’ve read from this author, and as far as first impressions go he knocked it out of the park.
Europa Deep is a Sci-Fi thriller with a healthy smattering of mystery and good background politics. The story focuses on Cassie, her relationship with her crewmates (some new, some old) and her quest to uncover what happened to her brother, who was lost on the previous expedition.
I really enjoyed the exploration of gene-edited humans made specifically for harsh environments, and all the relevant consequences that would carried both for Cassie as an individual and for humanity as a species. The same can be said about the use of uploaded human consciousness as sentient AI, and how people would react if one of their close friends / family were to undergo this process.
Through both of these ideas, the story navigates themes of oppression and how far people, in all forms, will go to escape such a world. As a first contact story, it also did a great job investigating how we would react to a potential existential threat of another species, which is both by making a weapon out of it in some cases, and trying to assimilate /, live in harmony with it in others.
The core relationship of Cassie and Marcus was complex, dealing with themes of love, change and grief, and it was a good emotional grounding for the story. The rest of the crew members were also welcome additions, especially Ernest, who in his hatred of Cassie, added good depth and tension to the narrative - even more so due to her being able to understand his hatred.
There are a lot more complex elements to this story I could mention, but that would spoil a lot of this book, and if you like what I’ve mentioned above then I would highly encourage giving it a read.
As of writing this review, it’s currently on Kindle Unlimited but honestly it’s worth full price either way.
Europa Deep is a Sci-Fi thriller with a healthy smattering of mystery and good background politics. The story focuses on Cassie, her relationship with her crewmates (some new, some old) and her quest to uncover what happened to her brother, who was lost on the previous expedition.
I really enjoyed the exploration of gene-edited humans made specifically for harsh environments, and all the relevant consequences that would carried both for Cassie as an individual and for humanity as a species. The same can be said about the use of uploaded human consciousness as sentient AI, and how people would react if one of their close friends / family were to undergo this process.
Through both of these ideas, the story navigates themes of oppression and how far people, in all forms, will go to escape such a world. As a first contact story, it also did a great job investigating how we would react to a potential existential threat of another species, which is both by making a weapon out of it in some cases, and trying to assimilate /, live in harmony with it in others.
The core relationship of Cassie and Marcus was complex, dealing with themes of love, change and grief, and it was a good emotional grounding for the story. The rest of the crew members were also welcome additions, especially Ernest, who in his hatred of Cassie, added good depth and tension to the narrative - even more so due to her being able to understand his hatred.
There are a lot more complex elements to this story I could mention, but that would spoil a lot of this book, and if you like what I’ve mentioned above then I would highly encourage giving it a read.
As of writing this review, it’s currently on Kindle Unlimited but honestly it’s worth full price either way.
September 13, 2024
I've read other books by Gibson and enjoyed them much more. The book is 350 pages long but could easily have been closer to 500 pages if missing parts were added in.
The action revolved around Cassie White and unfortunately, she and the other characters were weakly constructed. Parts of the story seem to be missing, such as the very critical part where she is put back into the sleep pod but then awakes days later and don't really learn what happened during her days on ice until later in the story. For unknown reasons, Gibson continually refers to Javier's dead former partner Sergio as his husband over and over. Javier, the captain of the expedition to Europa is easy to fool.
We never find out what the other ships circling Europa are or have been doing. The idea of communication between moons in other star systems is completely hokey. The special suit that is used to explore Earth's oceans as well as Europa's apparently lacks battery power of any kind, requiring much effort to motivate it by the wearer, which is quite a dichotomy, given that Earth has the power to sent space ships to Jupiter.
Cassie, despite being an optimize human (genetically enhanced) and having worked on the Moon, in space and in the Earth's oceans, is physically weak and unable to defend herself against sociopath Sally when attacked.
I'm just going to stop here. I could spend many more paragraphs pointing out the inconsistencies in the story and complaining about the missing parts to no good for anyone.
I would not recommend this book.
2-Stars
The action revolved around Cassie White and unfortunately, she and the other characters were weakly constructed. Parts of the story seem to be missing, such as the very critical part where she is put back into the sleep pod but then awakes days later and don't really learn what happened during her days on ice until later in the story. For unknown reasons, Gibson continually refers to Javier's dead former partner Sergio as his husband over and over. Javier, the captain of the expedition to Europa is easy to fool.
We never find out what the other ships circling Europa are or have been doing. The idea of communication between moons in other star systems is completely hokey. The special suit that is used to explore Earth's oceans as well as Europa's apparently lacks battery power of any kind, requiring much effort to motivate it by the wearer, which is quite a dichotomy, given that Earth has the power to sent space ships to Jupiter.
Cassie, despite being an optimize human (genetically enhanced) and having worked on the Moon, in space and in the Earth's oceans, is physically weak and unable to defend herself against sociopath Sally when attacked.
I'm just going to stop here. I could spend many more paragraphs pointing out the inconsistencies in the story and complaining about the missing parts to no good for anyone.
I would not recommend this book.
2-Stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2025
Europa Deep is a solid piece of science fiction with an intriguing central idea and a cleanly constructed plot. The narrative moves along at a steady pace, though the core conceit is telegraphed a little too clearly, leaving less room for surprise than I would have liked. Even so, there are a couple of well-placed twists that kept me engaged.
Cassie, the main character, feels a little two-dimensional, but she remains relatable and likeable. Her motivation is presented with perhaps too much emphasis, yet it comes across as believable and provides the necessary drive for the story.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable read, thought-provoking in places, and one that has lingered in my mind in the days since finishing. For me, that’s the mark of good science fiction: a story that leaves you mulling over its ideas after the last page.
Cassie, the main character, feels a little two-dimensional, but she remains relatable and likeable. Her motivation is presented with perhaps too much emphasis, yet it comes across as believable and provides the necessary drive for the story.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable read, thought-provoking in places, and one that has lingered in my mind in the days since finishing. For me, that’s the mark of good science fiction: a story that leaves you mulling over its ideas after the last page.
February 21, 2024
It's been a long time since i read a Niven/Pournelle tale but that was the vibes I was getting from Gary Gibson's latest, Europa Deep.
The first manned trip to Europa has vanished, and now 15 years later Cassie is offered a last minute chance to join the second voyage, even though Opt (imized) humans are no longer favourable, even though the comannder of the voyage has a very real grudge against her, and even though her brother went on the first voyage and so Cassie's judgement might be more than a little self serving.
Throw in rouge AIs, internal politics, and international politics and you have one hell of a ride. Highly reccomended.
The first manned trip to Europa has vanished, and now 15 years later Cassie is offered a last minute chance to join the second voyage, even though Opt (imized) humans are no longer favourable, even though the comannder of the voyage has a very real grudge against her, and even though her brother went on the first voyage and so Cassie's judgement might be more than a little self serving.
Throw in rouge AIs, internal politics, and international politics and you have one hell of a ride. Highly reccomended.
May 25, 2024
I have always struggled with Gary's books, generally giving up after a 50, or so, pages. But this was on offer at Amazon and I thought 'what the heck, let's give it a go.'. I'm glad I did as I found it very readable. I liked the writing style and the concept of the story was intelligent and the characters believable. I think I will try and reread some of his others now, maybe my tastes have changed.
September 12, 2024
Spys in space and beneath the ice
A rather interesting adventure featuring a secret mission within a mission to Europa. A deep sea diver is recruited to join with an expedition racing a rival Chinese one. Featuring enhanced humans, rebel AIs , biohazards and some crazy panspermia theory, it’s all quite jolly and easy to become engrossed in. Personally I preferred the AI escapees to the hand wavy alien life forms but I am just nit picking.
A rather interesting adventure featuring a secret mission within a mission to Europa. A deep sea diver is recruited to join with an expedition racing a rival Chinese one. Featuring enhanced humans, rebel AIs , biohazards and some crazy panspermia theory, it’s all quite jolly and easy to become engrossed in. Personally I preferred the AI escapees to the hand wavy alien life forms but I am just nit picking.
September 24, 2024
A different story
Gary Gibson has long been regarded as an ideas man, and in this book does not disappoint. Character,plot and science are all pin-sharp and the book never lets you out of its grasp. Despite the enormity of the ideas on display here, the plot drives on with the pace of rattling good adventure novel....which is exactly what it is! Full marks for Mr. Gibson. A most satisfying read.
Gary Gibson has long been regarded as an ideas man, and in this book does not disappoint. Character,plot and science are all pin-sharp and the book never lets you out of its grasp. Despite the enormity of the ideas on display here, the plot drives on with the pace of rattling good adventure novel....which is exactly what it is! Full marks for Mr. Gibson. A most satisfying read.
November 21, 2024
Convincing, intriguing in plot and predictions, with a great deal of detailed science and technology, vying with political conniving, but also a great deal of psychological realism (more my thing). Cassie White, the protagonist, has plenty to deal with, both practically in the course of a mission to the frozen ocean of Europa, and with her own personal problems. It kept me reading, and the ending was… interesting!
October 14, 2023
A good read
I have always enjoyed Gary's books. The stories are always intriguing and never lead you quite where you thought they would. This story was.no exception though I did feel the end was a bit abrupt and could have lead a little further to round off the tale. Still enjoyable and Gary is definitely an author I look out for.
I have always enjoyed Gary's books. The stories are always intriguing and never lead you quite where you thought they would. This story was.no exception though I did feel the end was a bit abrupt and could have lead a little further to round off the tale. Still enjoyable and Gary is definitely an author I look out for.
February 20, 2024
Europa Deep is a thrilling read, full of subterfuge, mystery, and action. I liked the main character Cassie, her history as an Opt and with the AI, Marcus. The concept of exploring Europa and its oceans and the possibilities for the life that might inhabit them were definitely selling points for me and, as with all Gary's books, this one definitely delivered. Highly recommend!
April 24, 2024
While the premise was enjoyable, and the overall story somewhat interesting, I felt like there was too match happening "off-screen". The main character was interesting, her whole reason for doing what she did also good, and the overall plot was interesting, but so many things happened off screen, and the ending felt a bit.. abrupt.
Enjoyable overall though.
Enjoyable overall though.
June 25, 2024
Captivating read
I really wasn’t sure… but the story remained solid, the characters consistent and developed, and I couldn’t put the book down. I expected to be disappointed with skim reading to finish off, but nope, this well written SF adventure came up trumps. Really enjoyed, read each sentence.. kept my interest to the end (many books don’t) with good writing and plot.
I really wasn’t sure… but the story remained solid, the characters consistent and developed, and I couldn’t put the book down. I expected to be disappointed with skim reading to finish off, but nope, this well written SF adventure came up trumps. Really enjoyed, read each sentence.. kept my interest to the end (many books don’t) with good writing and plot.
February 16, 2025
It's great, for a change, to read sci-fi that isn't dependent on FTL travel, all-powerful AI or death-star type entities. Set within the realistic bounds of near-future humanity, Europa Deep weaves themes of oppression of minorities and corporate greed with mostly sensible science. Tech / horror/ mystery. A fun read.
March 19, 2025
A pretty good space adventure this. The only let down was the ending (yep,I saw it coming.) The last 50 or so pages the book heads out into Adrian Tchaikovsky' territory. You find that the microscopic aliens in Europa's ocean have a collective identity and are able to operate as a much bigger unit. I read it all the way through to the end though and enjoyed it.
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December 7, 2023
Interesting
Some of this is familiar in other stories.slightly erratic, sometime compelling.it was ok , but slightly lacking. I would have liked more detail about the original crews death.
Some of this is familiar in other stories.slightly erratic, sometime compelling.it was ok , but slightly lacking. I would have liked more detail about the original crews death.
January 30, 2024
This story certainly held my attention...up to about four fifths of the book.
Then I thought it took a dive off the deep end.
I have enjoyed other Gibson books so I will have a think about the ending over the next week and maybe update this review.
Then I thought it took a dive off the deep end.
I have enjoyed other Gibson books so I will have a think about the ending over the next week and maybe update this review.
February 22, 2024
Not what I expected
I enjoyed this, like I’ve enjoyed nearly all of the author’s previous novels. For the most part it feels a lot like some of his other books but it’s different enough to all of the rest (in my opinion) to have been surprising.
I enjoyed this, like I’ve enjoyed nearly all of the author’s previous novels. For the most part it feels a lot like some of his other books but it’s different enough to all of the rest (in my opinion) to have been surprising.
August 8, 2024
A pretty good book
I enjoyed this book despite some things stretching credulity. The idea that you could slip impostors onto a spacecraft in place of the correct crew is but one example. However I enjoyed it and am glad I didn't give up.
I enjoyed this book despite some things stretching credulity. The idea that you could slip impostors onto a spacecraft in place of the correct crew is but one example. However I enjoyed it and am glad I didn't give up.
February 9, 2025
A very enjoyable sci-fi tale set in the solar system. Lots of good science makes it hard to tell where the make believe begins. It does leave plenty of threads at the end, here's hoping he picks those up for a future book or two.
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