Darker Space

Dark Space #2

by Lisa Henry

Brady Garrett is back on Earth. He’s living with his partner Cam and they’re raising his sister Lucy together. Life is better than some feral reffo from Kopa has any right to hope, and Brady knows it. He’s even grateful for it, most of the time. He loves Cam, even though he’s afraid that he’s not good enough for him, but he’s still having nightmares about the alien Faceless.

Cameron Rushton loved being a pilot once, and he still feels the pull of the starlight. He’s building a life with Brady now, and with Lucy. Life is good, even if it’s not without its complications. Both Brady and Cam are dealing with the endless cycle of interviews, tests, and questions that the military hierarchy hopes will reveal the secrets of the aliens who could very easily destroy humanity. They have each other though, and together they’re making it work.

But from out in the black, Kai-Ren is still watching and everything Brady and Cam think they’ve won, they stand to lose all over again.

Genres: Science Fiction, M M Romance, Romance, Aliens, Military Fiction, LGBT, Fantasy

228 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 13, 2015

About the author

I like to tell stories. Mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters. They gotta work for it though. No free lunches on my watch.

Reviews

[Julio Genao · Rating 3 out of 5]

in space, no one can hear you squee.



a slow and disordered beginning really put a damper on my enthusiasm, but then things went apeshit IN SPACE, so.

fun.

unanswered questions. troubling implications. for my money, a faintly unsatisfying plot.

and yet i gobbled this badboy up like it was Colin Morgan on a bed of lettuce.

Lisa Henry's still got it, this story still has legs, and i can't wait to find out what happens next.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I deeply, deeply anticipated the release of this book when it came out in 2015... but then I fully chickened out in reading it.

WHAT IF IT SUCKED?! I mean, Dark Space is one of my favorite M/M romances, and I didn't want to spoil my memory of the book with a sucky sequel.

When I saw that Starlight was coming out in 2019, I knew it was time.

I'll admit, it took a little time to reorient myself with the characters. I originally read Dark Space in 2012 and then again in 2015, but it's been almost five years since my last re-read. However, within a chapter or two, I was right back in there.

It's strange, I feel like nothing happened in the story, but yet I couldn't put it down. There was a lot of snark and a lot of guards WAY up, but I fell right back in love with these character. and the world... gah, Lisa Henry does world-building so well. I feel like the world and the situation that everyone is in is like another character. I just adored it.

I would be hard pressed to describe what actually happened in the story, but I just wanted more and more. Starlight, I'm ready for you this time.


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[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wait, that's the ending?


Lisa, please tell me that there's going to be a third book!


Dark Space is one of my all-time favourite books. It's an excellent sci-fi MM romance. It has an enthralling plot, a heart-wrenching romance, and some hella hot sex scenes. But the book is more than that. It's also an intimate look at human psychology, and what makes us tick. What makes us hate, what makes us love, makes us scared, makes us draw arbitrary lines in the sand. So when I found out that there would be a sequel, I was over the moon.

'Darker Space' was an excellent sequel to book 1, and had everything that made the first book so awesome.

A few months after the end of 'Dark Space', Brady, Cameron, and Lucy are safe, happy, and together on Earth. The only problem is the military, which continues to view Brady and Cameron with suspicion. I loved seeing the three together as a family. Throughout book 1, we saw Brady's love and fear for his sister. To see his love temper that fear when they were finally together made me a very happy camper. There's certainly fear, because it's Brady after all, but there's also hope and a sense of belonging.

The romance was different than it was in 'Dark Space'. In book 2, the steam is a lot quieter. But the emotional connection between Brady and Cameron is just as strong. In 'Darker Space', we see the two trying to build something beyond the mental connection that brought them together. It's a struggle, but they work at it. Brady might look at Cam through rose-tinted glasses, but Cam really is all that. Each time he tried to show Brady how much he meant to him, I fell for Cam a little bit more.

I don't think I can say much about the plot without giving things away, so I'll just say that plots thickens. A lot. And I may have grown some grey hairs, given how on-edge I was while reading this. This was sci-fi at it's best. It stretches the human mind, and made me think about all of the things that humanity has yet to discover out in space.

And then there's Kai-Ren. I understand Brady's opinion of him completely. Kai-Ren is terrifying, and as much for his moral disconnect than for anything he's actually done. But I think I understood why Kai-Ren thought or acted the way he did, and how his species' make-up was just different. I was floored when Kai-Ren became a catalyst for Brady to finally accept his own self-worth, and his worth to Cameron and Lucy. But it made sense, in a weird fucked up way.

'Darker Space' was an excellent sequel, and it's got the romance, angst, and sci-fi that I loved in book 1. Brady Garret is definitely one of my favourite rebels. I need to read more about him, Cam, and Lucy!



Side note: It was reassuring to scroll through the reviews and updates and see that I'm not the only one who wouldn't mind seeing some action between Kai-Ren and Brady. I know there's a lot that's twisted with Kai-Ren, but he kinda sorta definitely does it for me. Sue me.

**********************
My pre-read fanboying/hyperventilating:


Edit: It is real! Still hyperventilating. Being a fanboy is a tough job.

***
IT SAYS "Expected publication: October 13th 2015". IS THIS REAL? SOMEONE PLEASE CONFIRM THIS.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Brady Garrett bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla..

Cameron Rushton bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla..

But from out in the black, Kai-Ren is still watching."

Kai-Ren, fuck yeah!



...just the way I like it.:)

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read 9/10/18



After finishing the first book, "Dark Space" and absolutely loving it, I jumped right into this one.

Brady and Cameron have come home and are taking care of Lucy. They still work for the military and they still get tons of medical and psych evaluations, because of their previous interaction with "the faceless". Now that they are back with Lucy and in a relationship together, they should be doing great....only they are not.

Especially Brady is  struggeling. He feels lost, now that his physical and mental connection with Cam is gone. He feels unworthy a lot of the time and boy ..he is one angry little dude...



I still loved him to pieces though and I totally got where he was coming from.

Cameron seems to be doing a bit better...but where the black still freaks Brady out...Cam really misses space. He misses being out there and being close to the stars.

Things are about to change though, because guess what....

Yep the aliens are back...or well Kai-Ren is. It starts with dreams and it soon evolves to Cam and Brady hearing Kai-Ren's voice and their psychic connection being restored. They try to keep things a secret, but with the military up in their asses, that's not as easy as it sounds. Especially when said military consists of a bunch of assholes. At least we still had Brady being his mouthy self ;) He was very specific about what he thougth of them. I pretty much agree :P



This major clusterfuck eventually leads the guys back to space...where Brady is doing his very best not to freak the fuck out. This is a hard feat for him, especially when Lucy gets involved... and some stupid officers make some very stupid mistakes.

I really enjoyed this second book and I am so glad I have read it, because I needed to understand who Kai-Ren was and what it was he wanted. Now I still don't know everything, but things are much clearer to me and I have to admit....I actually like the dude. Yes Susan...I admit, you were right !! I now have a weak spot for Kai-Ren



Brady is still my favorite though. I know he was a bit dark in this book and a whole lot angry, but I actually liked that about him. I loved being inside his head. I also loved that he finally made peace with everything...including himself.

”Am I your heartbeat again?”
“You always have been." 

I hope there will be a next book soon, because I am very curious to see what's gonna happen next.

Follow me

  

This review is posted on Wendy's Wycked Words

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Am I your heartbeat again?”
“You always have been.



What a rollercoaster this was.

I did have some trouble getting into the story and I have to say I thoroughly disliked the first 30%. After that it got better, but I was still waiting for Brady to get his head out of his ass.

We have Brady and Cam, who are now living on earth, raising Lucy. Brady is still extremely unsatisfied with his life. I was okay with his ‘we’re all gonna die’ attitude in book one. I was not okay with his ‘life is meaningless and I don’t deserve happiness’ attitude in this one.

But I started to like this book more and more when they were back on the space station. Yes, Brady is still afraid of space. But he started to face his fears.



What I wanted was for Brady and Cam to have their connection. And I don’t mean their psychic connection (even though that is VERY COOL), but I just wanted to feel the love. And I almost didn’t. Brady was busy wallowing in his fears and Cam was busy being perfect. But then the last 30% happened. It was


I was so relieved when Brady finally realized some things. He finally got what mattered to him, Cam and Lucy.

I even liked Kai-Ren. Brady’s explanation of Cam’s time with the Faceless made so much sense to me. I finally understood what the Faceless were all about. And Brady did too. This was what I have been waiting for since book 1 (an explanation as to why Cam just let everything happen when he was with the Faceless).

That’s why I am eagerly awaiting the last book of this series. I LOVED how this one ended (minor spoiler)(with Lucy, with Doc(!), with the friendship between Brady and the other guys).

So Lisa, can you hurry?

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written October 25, 2015

4.3 Stars - I whined, complained and tried to defend myself -- but was fascinated and liked a lot anyway finally

Book #2

Darker Space is the awaited sequel to a favorite M/M sci-fi romance, #1 - Dark Space (5 stars) that got me stunned and amazed two years ago.

“I was still trying to be a better person. For Cam, for us. Still trying, and still falling short by miles. It wasn’t supposed to be so hard, was it? The happy-ever-after bullshit.”

I'm happy and nearly stunned once again. The first half wasn't amazing but in the end (with a last chapter I really liked) was it a breathtaking good read. —Yay!— These characters and their hot grand love is just wonderful good to follow. I'm gonna miss them.

*********************************************

Brady Garrett and his lovely boyfriend Cameron "Cam" Rushton first met on the Army space ship Defender Three in the first book. We left them in a pretty nice place (back on Earth) and here we meet them again some months later living together in the city in a nice apartment flat with Brady's sweet 8 years old sister Lucy and Cam's caring parents a bit away helping them with Lucy after her schooldays etc . Our MC's are still working for the powerful (sometimes stiff and nasty) Army. Possibly not entirely voluntary but they are sadly enough still enlisted for military duty. All in all life should be quite good...

‘I smiled and broke our kiss.
“What?” he murmured.
“You and me, LT,” I whispered back. “We only get shit right when it’s us against the universe.”

~ ~ ~

”I love you,” he said. “But it doesn’t have to be us against the universe to make it work, okay? Or us in a cage. It can just be us.”

Brady and Cam is after all are together and they sincerely love each other. Good so far. But (there are always at least one "but" in a later written sequel) life in this future quite dark world isn't just smoth easy "normal-life-days" yet. The creeping fear for the dreaded dangerous 'Faceless' (and Kai-Ren) is still there (a freaking scary feeling in my opinion) and our earthly society (mostly the military to be true) is not wholeheartedly trusting these two survivors.

”Maybe sometimes there is no enemy.”
“If you think that, you’re just not looking hard enough.” I propped myself up on my elbow. “There is always someone who wants to fuck you over, Cam, always. You’re just too nice to see it.”

Add Brady's very bad temper (a bit childish bad-boys manners) and (not surprisingly) lack of easy adjusting to his new middle-class life. He was not long ago a young scared and fighting boy from the poverty and red dust in the far away mining village Kopa. Cam (the once glamorous golden blond hero) on the other side, is back in his old hometown, the life he knows and also with a quite decent daily Army job. No mopping long corridors for him. Life's hard social injustices are once again noticeable.



Sigh! It is a tough and hard journey for our lovebirds
I was biting my new painted nails. I cried, whined, complained and was absolutely terrified. But then sometimes it becomes quite perfectly romantic, interesting and surprising right, and it's so darn wonderful to be a part of this trip.

*********************************************

“Am I your heartbeat again?”
“You always have been.”

This will not be a long, bright or clever review —read another much better one instead— I just want to take a few small happydancing moves and keep in my mind (and romantic book-soul) the great way with words and poetic sentences this talanted writer has. Stunning beautiful partly. That if nothing does this to worthy reading.

I LIKE - to be deadly scared and later tender healed


******
A buddyread with a bunch of Lisa Henry admiring Space Girls.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe it or not, Lisa Henry is a new-to-me author. I know, I know, what is the matter with me? I’ve heard all the rave reviews and have half a dozen of her books on my list and yet time continues to slip through my fingers and I’m racing up the mountain of books I want to read. When I saw Dark Space had a sequel coming out, I jumped. I jumped on the opportunity because it was just the push I needed to read Dark Space and dust off 3 years worth of bunnies.



I LOVED Dark Space until the end and then I really, really LIKED it. I gorged myself on Dark and Darker in less than 48 hours. I read until my eyes watered and betrayed me and then read as soon as I woke up. When the hellacious warp-speed trip came to an end, I was exhausted and couldn’t properly distinguish my feelings. It was as if everything had melted. I was a radioactive puddle of emotional goo.

There was a great deal that I adored and then there was a good deal that I struggled with. One thing that simply cannot be disputed was the writing.

The intricacy of this futuristic world was illustrated with brilliance clarity.

I felt. I heard. I saw. I was…there. When it was shining, it was intense and even when it lost some of its luster, it still packed a punch. And that’s Brady for you…always swinging.

I was initially captivated by Brady. Then Cam took over my focus until I realized that it was the combination of the two of them that made my heart beat triple time. Together they were a force to be reckoned with. Although they are ‘together’ they are not ‘together’ in this continuation of their story. Does that make sense? Okay, let me back up. What I found extremely fascinating in book one was their connection. Not only their telepathy but their bond, their link, their critical dependence on one another…I couldn’t get enough. Their syncing heartbeat was so profoundly touching. The gift of feeling what your lover feels when they touch, see, hear you-blew me away. I didn’t like this aspect of the story, I adored it.

They no longer have this unique and personal tie. The link is severed. Now wait just a sec! They are still in love and happy. They are back planetside, living in an apartment, raising Lucy and working off the rest of their service time. Brady is having an extremely difficult time adjusting to his rise in the social hierarchy. He hangs his head and has the ‘woe is me’ syndrome for the first quarter of the book. It became a bit tiresome. I was frustrated with him. I understand he was frustrated with himself, but I caught the annoyance bug. I wanted to shake him and remind him that he was worthy of Cam’s love.



It was also quite the recap. I may have felt this repeat, repeat, repeat a bit stronger because I read them back to back. But it was clear that a summarization of book one was the beginning of book two.

However, before long things pick up and the right hooks and upper cuts start flying. After a brief emotional battering we find ourselves….going back to the Black. Once we board Defender Three again, it becomes obvious that this is not the end of their story, but merely the middle. It’s the filling in the trilogy. I for one, love the filling.
You pass me an Oreo and the first thing I do is break it open and devour the filling.

This may be an issue for some of you, but I didn’t mind the set up for book three. There is no doubt that Darkest Space is coming and I am claiming a spot right now. BUT! If by chance the impromptu slick warrants a Bam-Ren I am going to put in my gripe to the complaint department. Just sayin’.

Kai-Ren was one of my issues. The rape and the take and the sexual unease that I felt from his character was one of my issues. The master and the pet…was one of my issues. These are simply my issues and hopefully won’t be yours.

I loved how Brady and Cam love each other.
I loved how the world became white noise when they were together.
I loved how men not born heroes become heroes.
I loved how two men gaze at the same vision and see completely different things. One may see the end. Another may see the future. And as it turns out, they both are right.

I’m not done with Brady and Cam…..and thank my lucky star they aren’t done either.

*4 starlight-starbright-first-star-I-see-tonight stars*

[Rosa, really · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody space dance!!



**Contains spoilers from the first book Dark Space**

I just finished Darker Space and I want to tell EVERYONE that I am so freakin' happy with that ending. That's the ending I was looking for in the last book. I think. That's my biggest regret about this book, I really wish I'd reread Dark Space before starting this one. I love that book, it really made an impression, but I still have trouble remembering the details. And that bugs the SHIT out of me.

But moving on. I was a little worried I wasn't going to like the book in the beginning. Brady is a bad place emotionally. I'm in a bad place emotionally. That's not always a great mix. But in this case I feel like it just increased my understanding of him and what he's going through.

Brady grew up poor and hungry and abused. He had a shit life. To quote Brady himself, he "had been raised with nothing but fear and anger and no hope for anything different...." He loved his father and his little sister. He loves intensely and hates intensely. Life has taught him to fight and scrap for anything he cares about.

"Always fought," I whispered. "Always kept kicking even when I was down."

The problem is he doesn't know how or when to stop fighting. He's like Mad Eye Moody:



Only better looking. At the beginning of the book he's having problems settling into a more peaceful life. He's scared shitless his boyfriend, Cam, and his sister, Lucy, will be taken from him or leave or disappear if they’re not right in front of him. He's scared shitless of everything he knows can go wrong.

On one hand I totally identified with Brady, I empathized, but I also wanted to shake him--just a leetle--and tell him to...I don't know, be positive? Rise above? Take a chance on happiness? Yada yada yada? Okay, if I'd said that to him I'm 99.9999% sure I would've gotten this response:



And I really wouldn't blame him at all. What are simple words found in a million self-help books (do they have those in the future?) in the face of his experience?

It also doesn't help Brady that the military was constantly pulling him and Cam aside and questioning them and testing them about The Faceless. It was just another reminder of everything that did go wrong and could go wrong in the future.

And that's the thing about people like Brady, "pessimists" (just to use a really simplistic term) -- they're not wrong. They may emotionally exhaust themselves and everyone around them but they are actually, really right a lot of the time.

And Brady is right to fear the return of The Faceless. Whether they’re exactly what he fears or not, their reappearance will bring danger to those he loves most. SHIT GOES DOWN PEOPLE. But, you know, spoilers.

The thing is...The Faceless. Again, I can't remember if this was a main theme in the first book (probably), but The Faceless and "the black" of endless space that Brady so fears -- for me those things represent the fear of the unknown. The fears we all have of every shit thing that could ever happen to us. Our loved ones dying. Getting fired or let go from a job and not being able to support ourselves or our family. People leaving. Wars. Our own death. From the tiniest to the biggest worry--all the shit we can't control, can't predict and don't even have a name for.



Brady has attempted to fight that shit his whole life. Sometimes he gets somewhere and sometimes he's just punching at walls (literally). The point of this book is getting Brady to say fuck that shit, fuck the unknown. Also to recognize that the unknown is sometimes a lot less scary than the known. It's the humans--and Brady himself much of the time--who really attempt to fuck Brady over in this book. And in the last one, now that I'm thinking about it. Like the Pogo comic strip said,



Okay, definitely rambling here -- I don't know if any of that makes any sense. Or if it sounds like a middle school paper on the Myth of Sisyphus with a lot more swearing. What I learned from Lisa Henry's Darker Space by Rosa, really.

Whatever, fuck it. On the hand we have Brady's boyfriend, Cam. I love Cam--I love him for loving Brady. I think Cam came back from 4 years of living with the unemotional Faceless and was immediately trapped with this punk ass kid, Brady, who feels everything so intensely. I think he loves that in Brady, his fighting spirit.

He's a little too perfect though. In this book and the last I kept waiting for him to freak out -- it would only be normal, right? But maybe he doesn't have to because Brady freaks out enough for 3 people. He's also the flip side of Brady: while Brady rages against the unfairness of it all, Cam has faith things will work out. It's not that he's naively optimistic; it's that he acknowledges that they might all be fucked but they might as well face it calmly.

In the boiling maelstrom of the universe, he was my calm.

He and Brady are the perfect matched set, though I sometimes wonder how their relationship would work in our reality.

Luckily, it's a book so I don't have to worry about that.

Again, I am just so happy with this book. The only thing that keeps me from giving it a full five stars is the beginning. But it's definitely one of my favorites of 2015.

Thanks to all my BR buddies for the great read!

[Dalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brady and Cam are finally back! Now they're living together on Earth and they're taking care of Brady's sister Lucy. Unfortunately, building life with each other isn't so easy. The military demands regular tests from them and Brady still has nightmares about the alien Faceless.

When the psychic connection between Brady and Cam is restored, they know that something's wrong and that they may never be free of Kai-Ren.



This book was so freakin' awesome. It's a bit slow paced but it's also really exciting and interesting. Plus, there's a lot of feels. As always, I loved the bond between Brady and Cam . The ending is a HFN and it makes me want a third installment really bad.

This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4* of five

Pretty much all for the last 40% of the book. It isn't necessary to grind us into Brady's deeply boring late-adolescent angst for half the book. And now we need to read DARKEST SPACE so Author Henry needs to write it!

Brady and Cam are hilarious together. Cam's so patient with Brady's annoying-as-fuck oppositional disorder! What he has to put up with...

“Crewman Garrett,” Stockade Sam said when the MPs dumped me in his custody again. “Your usual room?”

Both hilarious, spot-on, and deeply telling. But I guess when a man has kept you alive by sharing his literal heartbeat with you, allowances get made.

The TL;DR version is on my blog.

[Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the first book. Though it's been years that I've read it, I still remember it as one of my favorite sci-fi m/m stories.

However, part 2 didn't have the same pull for me.

Let me put it this way:
If Brady were the ambassador of mankind when getting in contact with an alien species?

We'd all be dead.

I've rarely seen a guy as unlikable as him. And just to think, he had so much going for him: His difficult youth on Kopa, some terrible experiences as a young soldier, his young sister he needs to care for...

And yet, all that remains in my mind after finishing this story is a guy who swears all the time, is a total douchebag to his boyfriend and cannot react appropriately in the most ordinary situations...

I really wonder what Cam saw in him. Cam was pretty one dimensional in this story. Sadly, it was all told from Brady's point of view, and while I usually love getting deep into a character's head, Brady's thoughts were not exactly my cup of tea...

And worst of all... Brady actually beat his boyfriend Cam. I mean, no matter how great the story might be otherwise, I can't rate this higher...

2 stars!

[M'rella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind blowing ecstasy, that's what this book is!

I am still fanning myself, need to think things thru before writing an adequate review :D

Highly HIGHLY recommended! :)

And I am a very very happy camper!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was awesome and ended on a HUGE cliffhanger. It's also very different from Dark Space, it's slower paced but you actually get to understand the characters a whole lot better.

It's also left wide open for another book but I have no idea if Lisa Henry has plan to write another and I haven't checked, but I really hope she does.

As always it's extremely well written, not only do you get to know the MC's better but the prominent OC's as well. If the book is not a set up for the main smack down then that's sad. I feel like Lisa could write another one or even two books to see this through. I need closure and I need to see Brady and Cam have a HEA. Normally that's not important for me but with these books it is.

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5**** stars

“Cam-ren. Bray-dee.” Impossible. No no no no no.

*shudder Chris Chambers did so good.

And Lucy. Such a brave girl. And Doc is a hoot. He's my fave side character. Let’s go for the last one.

***********
Dark Space Series:

Book 1 - Dark Space - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Darker Space - 4.5 stars
Book 3 - Starlight - 4.5 stars

[♣ Irish Smurfétté ♣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full 4.5 stargazers review on Prism Book Alliance®

”Am I your heartbeat again?”

In this single query, Brady sums up his own point of view and his ceaselessly changing emotions and whether he and Cam should be together. Now, I don’t want to be a tease, so here’s a bit more:

I turned my head again to look at Cam’s profile in the darkness.

We weren’t a fairy tale, but he’d saved me all the same, and I was trying my hardest to be the sort of guy he deserved.

If it’s even possible, we are more deeply into Brady’s head, and heart, in this story compared to book one, Dark Space. He’s a walking set of contradictions and we’re privy to every one of them. He’s constantly warring with himself, going back and forth between strength and uncertainty, confident in love and then the suffering of self-loathing, and reveling in this thing he and Cam have while doubting it will even last another day.

Being in Brady’s head is one of the ways Lisa Henry maintains the tension through every word of this book. It’s not a slight irritation or minor discomfort, but something that had me feeling more and more like a ball of worry, winding tighter and tighter. There’s no let up and I constantly felt like something was just about to happen, that I was going to turn a corner and be knocked off my feet.

Throughout all of this, Brady and Cam are working so hard to get a handle on this relationship of theirs. Everything around them has changed, everything, yet they themselves are the same, and more. They love each other, everyone knows that, but is it enough? And what about Kai-Ren, hanging out there somewhere. Known. Waiting?

There are some passages that were repetitious and I did the head tilt each time. Then I would remember and make the connection: this is Brady we’re talking about here, a guy who doesn’t exactly let things go (no matter how much he professes to not care, and in much stronger terms than that) and is finally at a point in his life when he not only has the opportunity to examine it and decide what he wants for it, but also has the means to possibly make it all happen. He’s a whirling dervish of emotion and action. A huge part of that equation is his little sister Lucy, who is still fantastic and such an important part of this story, even more than before.

Also, Brady is ever the king of the dirty mouth talkin’ and I love it.

Henry also does a good job in referencing events and circumstances from Dark Space without feeling too obvious. They’re all well placed and help to remind and, even more importantly, add to that tension in regards to what all is at stake here.

A number of our favorite characters are back, along with some wonderful, heartbreaking, and surprising new ones. Just like everything else in this story, they’re non-stop in importance, carrying their implications around rather smugly and I loved it.

The quiet moments? Those come between Brady and Cam. Even then, Brady’s character remains true, his sarcasm and forced nonchalance keeping things in check.

It had taken a long time back on Defender Three, when Cam had first been in my head, to get used to him. To realize that I didn’t have to be afraid of having him there. To realize I didn’t have to be ashamed of all the stupid shit I thought. And said. And did.

Whatever.

There’s a major theme running through this story and it takes on several forms: Brady and the changes he is experiencing, the Faceless and their fate and that of the humans still surviving, and the role Lucy plays in all of this.

This is straight up kick ass sci-fi, yo. The note on my kindle read thusly: “this feels like Close Encounters of the Third Kind!” One scene in particular popped into my head as I was reading and it wouldn’t leave after that. The drive to understand. The risks taken. The feeling of soul deep fear. The necessity of knowing someone else, or at least the possibility of someone else, and their existence as being vital and we should know that perspective.

As I said earlier, we’re in Brady’s head (and how!) for this entire journey. It exhausted me. It thrilled me. It made me think and made me pump my fist in victory. Just like Dark Space, this will be a multi-read book for me, one I grab when I can’t decide what I want to dive into next.

[LenaRibka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,2 stars

I was one of a very few readers(if not a single one) who wasn't actually excited to find out that the author was working on the sequel to Dark Space. Don't get me wrong - I loved Dark Space , and I like Lisa Henry's writing, but I didn't see a lot of potential in this story. Science fiction is also a genre , that is not very suitable for a series. IMO. I prefer the genre rather as stand alone books.
MM-science-fiction-romance as a series? DIF-FI-CULT! So, yes, I was skeptical. What, in principle, not the wrong way to start a book- you can't be disappointed, right?


Let me tell you first what I LIKED here:

1) The writing. I haven't read a lot of Lisa Henry's books, but she's a skilled writer, and she knows how to intrigue and captivate a reader. This book is not an exception.

2) Brady. I love him, even if he became a pain in the back side with his insecurity, fears, nightmares and a VERY low self-esteem. But honestly, I UNDERSAND pretty well WHY. And I love his dirty mouth. (Even if I really dislike a lot of “FUCK”-words in my books.

3) I was sure it was at least THREE things I wanted to mention, but at the moment I can't recall anything else.

While I prefer the part in the plot of Dark Space, that described what happened to our MCs in SPACE, on Defender Three, in Darker Space I enjoyed more the part of the story that described a NORMAL life(if one could name it a normal life) of Brady and Can on the EARTH(the first part of the book). I can though understand that for many readers EXACTLY this part could appear a bit boring or slow-pacing, because it is a quite part, without a lot of actions, but I'm a first person POV's junkie and I really really LIVED through it- I was inside Brady's head, I felt his INSECURITY, I FELT him. I was CONNECTED to him. I WAS with him. And I loved reading it.

Okay, now let me tell you WHY it was like 5 stars book for me at the beginning and WHY it is not more than just 3 stars at the end:

1) It's NOT the WRITING, okay? It is the story, that turned into 2 stars-story toward the end for me. I can't explain it without spoiling it for you. But believe me, you don't have to feel the same. So I'm talking about MY feeling about it.

2) TOO MANY Lucy for my taste. I don't know if the reason is that I'm not a MOTHER. Never been, and not going to be. I love my nephews, but I prefer my MM romance WITHOUT kids. The second installment has definitely TOO MUCH Lucy.

3) The third part of the book. I...I think I don't like it at all. No, it is not about the cliffhanger. I don't really see it as a cliffhanger, for me it is more a sign, that a third sequel is DEFINITELY coming. I didn't have this feeling after Dark Space, but here it is obvious.

4) The most strange and unpleasant thing about the plot- I'M NOT in need to read it ASAP. I'm like...indifferent.

5) I disliked pretty much the last sex scene in this book. Again, I don't want to spoil anything for you.

6) Too many new characters that were added to the plot at the third part. It was suddenly too crowded, and not in a good way.

7)I don't like the cover.

I'm not sure how to rate it. Some parts I liked more than ones in Dark Space, but there were parts, that I didn't like at all. Still, if you like and enjoy the genre, you have to read it. There are series you can read without necessarily reading all installments in the right order, but Darker Space is a book you can't read without reading the first book.


***ARC of Darker Space provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. This review has been crossed posted to Gay Book Reviews

[Marte - Thunderella · Rating 5 out of 5]

**** 4,5 Darker but more awesome stars ****

------------------------------
"You though it was you that saved us. But it was you, Brady, it was always you."
~Cam~
------------------------------

Phew! What a ride! Finally I got to read the sequel to Dark Space, which is one of my all time favorite books, and it didn't disappoint! Lisa Henry's writing is superb as always. Her characters, the way she describes the world around them and their feelings is, well, out of this world!



The books picks up the story six months or so after the end of Dark Space. Brady struggles with nightmares, has an attitude bigger than life and an equal sized chip on his shoulder. He hasn't dealt well with the terror he went through in the last book. He's so angry and has all these depressing thoughts about his life, his situation, himself, his relationship with Cam and their family. Which I get. He's probably suffering from PTSD, I mean, who wouldn't after what he went through?? 

---------------------------------
I'd looked a Faceless in the eye. I was a fucking insect. We all were. Sometimes anger was still all I had.
~Brady~
---------------------------------

I totally understood Brady being the way he was. I get it, I really do. At the same time, it was a tad bit much of his pessimistic opinions. It pulled me down. When I got to about 30-40% I was ready to put the book down to take a breather, because I was feeling so depressed myself.

I didn't recognize Brady much, because his negative thoughts were so overwhelming. I do get why he feels this way, as I said before. But he's got Cam, though, and Lucy! Lighten up, Brady! But he didn't. It kept going, so it pulled my enjoyment down a bit.
Until 50% that is when shit started happening. Really started happening!
THIS was what I was hoping for!

---------------------------------
I could face all my nightmares.
I might not do it like a hero, but I'd do it all the same.
---------------------------------



I loved, loved, LOVED the last half of the book. It was like a continuation of Dark Space, only better and more awesome! 
(How do you manage it, woman?!)

All kudos to Lisa Henry, she continues to blow me away.
Thank you so for writing an awesome sequel to Dark Space with all the twists and turns that made it such and enjoyable read.
(and writing a third book too! We gotta know how it all turns out!)

Highly recommended!

And for those of you who are scared of Kai-Ren? Don't be. 

------------------------------
"Guess the universe had a sense of humor after all.
------------------------------

*flips Lisa the bird*
*smirks*

(you'll get it after reading the book... lol)




My review of #1 Dark Space.

/>Gorgeous covers!

 

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a slower book than the first, but the pace eventually picks up to an exciting and dramatic climax. I still really enjoyed Brady's POV voice, and in this book Cam becomes more of a rounded character. Although for parts of it he's seen through a glass, darkly, from Brady's POV only, and without the immediacy of the first book where he was so tightly mentally linked to Brady. I missed hearing his "voice" to balance Brady's. The world-building fills out somewhat in this story (I could pick some nits, but I won't, because I enjoyed it), and there are some thought-provoking ideas at the end. Clearly a third book is likely, and I will be interested to see how that shapes up.

Brady has to grow up in this book, especially as a parent to his little sister, Lucy. Sometimes he still falls back on the easy answer, isolating himself, kicking out at authority in unproductive ways, and failing to trust himself or Cam. But by the end he has come a long way. I look forward to getting a more rounded picture of Cam and Lucy in the next installment. There are also some interesting secondary characters, and I do love Doc.

I reread Dark Space right before this, and I'm glad I did - having the details fresh in mind enhanced the reading of this book.

[Lyn❤Loves❤Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!❤️🎧📚 Addict ON HIATUS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio - 5 Stars
Story - 4.5 Stars

[Lila · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,5 stars





First half of Darker Space I spent thinking it's me- that I changed, my reading taste morphed or my bullshit tolerance level is lower.
Second half reassured me that it's really the book. Maybe Lisa never wanted to write sequel but was convinced to get back to these characters since readers liked first book so much or maybe she wanted to, but this was not the right time to do it...
Whatever the case, result is not up to her usual quality and it reads like she didn't put too much effort or imagination in it:

From Dark Space:

"Flesh as white and cold as porcelain pulled tightly across a sharp, angular skull with prominent cheekbones and brow. His eyes were lashless, the irises yellow. Kai-Ren’s nose was narrower than a human’s. Underneath it, his thin, bloodless lips curled into a smile as Cam reached up and stroked his hollow cheek."

From Darker Space:

"He had flesh as white and cold as porcelain that was pulled tightly across a sharp, angular skull with prominent cheekbones and brow. His eyes were lashless, the irises yellow, his nose narrower than a human’s. His lips were thin and bloodless."

It's the same fucking description, word for word. (-_-)

Self-wallowing misery of Brady was not as annoying as it didn't really make sense for me. He was just as miserable on the ship in the first book as he was home with his sister and Cam. I think I was done with him when he spent rest of the evening complaining about his life to a guy who had it much worse. At least he acknowledged this at 40%.
Kai-Ren didn't work for me at all here. The whole point of Faceless in first book was the mystery and not knowing: how they look, what they want, why they took and returned Cam back... In claustrophobic atmosphere of ship, dread of slowly creeping monsters was effective.
Here it simply came of bland, even without whole C/P thing.
Then something happened between Cam and Brady and it threw me off because it was really glossed over, kind of offhand. Brady got mad and upset (understandably) and hit Cam. To be specific, he "...had him on the floor, my busted left hand wrapped around his throat and my right hand clenched into a fist. I punched and punched and punched before the MPs burst in and pulled me off him."
:/
I am not touchy or easily offended and I do I acknowledge that it may be trigger or deal breaker for someone, but it was not for me in this book. I am just of an opinion that if you decided to threw that situation into your couple's relationship, than be sure to work it in the way it would make reader trust you that hea (hfn) you've written for them at the end is believable after everything that transpired. I felt they just kind of stepped over that like it's nothing and neither was bothered about it later. :\

All in all, aimless and disappointing for me.

I'm hoping Lisa will show more enthusiasm in her next book; I know she can do better than this.

[* A Reader Obsessed * · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Again, I'll keep this brief.

Brady is such a distinct character that one won't soon forget. His brash anger and witty, antagonistic comebacks hide a much deeper pain and fear. Take note that he's an endless loop of negativity… but for good reason. Life has dealt him a shitty hand and it really has never proved him wrong.

So the title is appropriate. Though Cam and Brady have returned to Earth to try to live a normal life with Lucy, they're not allowed to move on. The human brass refuses to believe the Faceless are truly gone, and when Kai Ren makes his presence known again, things spiral out of control.

The weight of impending doom is relentless and Brady is forced to confront his many nightmares. What kept me going was his connection to, and his love for Cam, despite the story concentrating more on external events, rather than their relationship. Desperate, devoted, steadfast - those feelings Brady holds so fiercely are compelling enough to keep me coming back for more, as the ending suggests that this just might be the beginning of something truly amazing.

Thank you Therese, Sofia, Rosa, Otilia, Meags, and Ingela for the BR!

[Lilia Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gutwrenching. I really thought there was no way I wouldn't be disappointed by this since I ADORED Dark Space--as in it is on that tiny list of books that have been most personally important to me--so how could any sequel ever measure up? But Brady Garrett is just one of those characters: you enter his mind, inhabit his universe, and you do not come out unchanged.

And holy shit is the writing gorgeous, as jagged and relentless as Brady himself, whose ground notes were always rage and terror.

And always, always love.

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read September 2020
For some reason, I remembered nothing of this book :|
________
Loved the series!! I want more Kai-Ren, 'cause I reeaally like him.

[Sheziss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I read a book by Lisa Henry I remind myself I have to read more books by Lisa Henry.

And I always fail in my purpose.

Because I always end up reading one book per year, and at this pace I will never finish her record.

Which is a pity.

I was a little scared when I found out Dark Space would have a sequel. The first book stands by itself and doesn’t need second parts. I also feared this second part would stretch out the story a little too much until it broke by simple wear and tear. I was afraid the main characters would no longer have the magic they had had and that it would somehow stain the precious memories I hold of the book.

I have the pleasure to announce I was wrong.



I have to tell you why I went on reading M/M. The first book is not a mystery. Someone gives a good opinion about a homosexual book or you go for it yourself out of simple curiousity. The heart of the matter is not the first book but why you decided to continue. I decided to continue because I felt I never got to know the male character in the heterosexual relationship. The heroine was usually the only POV you could see, and that was ok. But what about him? Why had he to be so mercurial and secretive and hermetic and apparently made of stone and full of masculinity and bullshit? Don’t men have insecurities and fears and doubts and longings, too? Why are they so bidimensional and heroic and always save the day with no real conflicts beneath and no weakness to be seen?

When I read that first M/M book, it was a revelation.

Girls used to tell me they read heterosexual books because they wanted to feel identified with the heroine, they wanted to be the heroine. But I never did. Some aspects, yes, but I wasn’t her and didn’t want to. I feel identified with the emotion, not with the character himself. That’s what I look for in my readings, I try to chase the emotion and sometimes I find it and I can write poems about real happiness.

And I’ve found it all in spades in the M/M. Being inside a man’s head and getting to know him through and throught. Or so I hope. And feeling identified with the emotion at the same time. Oh yes! That’s magic to me.

I loved being in Brady’s head.



His neverending anger and hate towards everything and everybody in the universe hasn’t faded with time. In fact it gnaws at him at every chance destiny manages to play a dirty trick at him. This involves into all this vulnerability he doesn’t know how to handle that threatens to drag him into a bottomless pit: all his doubts, his fears, his longings, the beliefs that he is not enough no matter how hard he tries. He’s not enough for Cam, his everything, and he’s not enough for Lucy, his light. The consequent apathy this creates leads, finally, to belligerance and sarcasm, in a coping mechanism that usually gets him into trouble. Which is generally referred to as “anger management issues” or “insubordination issues”.

I was utterly enchanted by him.



And Cam is as well. Cam sees throught all this baggage and bullshit and sees pure beauty. A rough diamond nobody cared enough (or simple couldn’t) to smooth out in order for it to shine in all its splendour. But Cam saw it in the black, the place where Brady is at his worst. The black that threatens to shallow it all. The black where the Faceless come from.

Cam loves the black. Brady is afraid of the black. But somehow, they understand each other, and they right together. Above all when it’s them both against the universe. The rest of the time, Brady is not that sure. The world gets in the way and he is thrown off his balance, back to square one.

Their bond is still stronger, in spite of all the doubts and the apparently useless attempts to follow a “normal” life. Even though they are no longer in each other’s heads, they are connected. Until they are truly connected. This can only mean one thing: the Faceless are coming back. And that creeps Brady out. But he comes to the conclusion that, as long as he has Cam and Lucy safe and at his side, there is really nothing more he can ask for.



If I had to sum up the book in a few words I’d finish soon. But the events per se weren’t that important.

Because this book is more about the inside than about the outside. It’s ironic that the inner thoughts and emotions are the main part of the plot when we are talking about a sci-fi book, with spaceships and the vast universe and all that paraphernalia. I love it when in a book there is the least possible interference. If I have to choose between a action-packed book and an intimist one, I’d choose the last one. Within certain limits, I’m not asking for philosophical Kant, either. I reveal in being into somebody’s head and heart, more than which are the events that maneuver the characters.

However, here I loved to pieces the events that take place. When the Faceless get closer and closer, when Lucy plays an essential role, when Kai-Ren’s amazement and curiosity pushes him into a position that arises questions and wonders and makes you see everything in a different light. When Brady evolves and changes and shows what he’s truly made of. Of starlight and braveness and love.

I only wanted to melt and blend into the book, just to be in sync with Cam and Brady’s hearts. In more than one sense of the word. And I still want to.

“they shall be ash, but ash that is aware
dust they shall be, but dust in love”

Love Constant Beyond Death - Francisco de Quevedo

*****



***Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***

[Jewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every bit as good as I remember. Now I'm ready for book 3!

-----------Orig Review Oct 2015--------------
ARC of Darker Space provided by the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed Darker Space. I first started reading science fiction when I was a teenager and I've always loved the genre. There's so much you can do with it, and still tell the story of what it means to be human. What it means to survive your worst fears.

Darker Space is the conclusion of Lisa Henry's Dark Space series (or is it?). When Dark Space left off, both Brady and Cam had been returned to Defender 3 after being sent back by the Faceless. Their future is uncertain, but their relationship is strong. Darker Space picks up several months later. And while both Brady and Cam have been sent back to Earth, the military isn't done with either of them.

In Darker Space, both Brady and Cam not only have to face the Faceless again, but they are still being regularly interrogated by the military. It's stressful. Brady still has nightmares from his time with the Faceless before. Not because of what they did to him, because they saved his life; but Brady runs on fear and adrenaline. He comes from a very poor family and grew up in utter poverty. The way he has always seen things is that everyone is out to take advantage and to keep the lower classes in their place. And he's not far wrong. There are a log of real assholes out there (in real life and in his world) that do just that. So he doesn't trust. Cam is an exception only because of the mental connection they shared when Cam was first returned. That connection allowed him to see the real Cam. To hear his thoughts, to feel his feelings. And Cam helped him to discover things about himself that Brady never knew.

Cam does come from an affluent family and he's had it pretty good. At least until he was taken by the Faceless and kept for four years. But even then, Cam's nature is to do what needs to be done to survive. He is a 'roll with the punches' kind of guy. Where Brady is very reactionary, Cam is rational. They compliment each other quite well. Cam is able to calm Brady like no one else has ever been able to do. And Brady gives Cam a reason to fight.

And now that they are back on Earth, they are taking care of and raising Brady's eight year old sister, Lucy. That family dynamic makes Brady a bit more jumpy. He feels very responsible for Lucy and will do anything for her. He is, however, reluctant to accept much help with her care from anyone except Cam. Cam's parents do what they can, but Brady not only doesn't trust, but he feels guilty that he can't do everything himself. That he has to depend on anyone. Now now, Brady, raising a kid is best done collectively. You're not an island. Ok?

In fact, my only real complaint about this book is that Lucy is a more prominent character than I would prefer a child to be. It works for the story, but Brady's focus is too much on her at times. She's a very perceptive child and she takes nearly everything in stride. Her role in this story is that of emissary. Her perceptiveness does border on creepy, at times, and it sometimes freaks Brady out a bit. She's a child and he wants her to be a normal 8 year old. She's not.

The thing I really loved about this story, though, is getting to live it inside Brady's head. You really get a sense of everything he is thinking and feeling and, let me tell you, this boy has some issues. I found it easy to connect with him and understand him. I really get why he has trouble trusting and why he feels like he doesn't deserve someone like Cam. How could a white knight like Cam really love a guy like Brady, who is clearly from the wrong side of the tracks? The answer, of course, is that Cam sees through all the bluster and sees who Brady really is.

And though this series focuses a bit on the Faceless and how they are our enemy, Darker Space illustrates that humanity's worst enemy is really itself. The conclusion is a bit ominous. It's left open enough that the author can continue it, if she chooses. So, although I read that this will be the last book, who can say? Maybe Brady will keep talking. But, if not, I'm actually happy with how it ended. It was very much a sci-fi kind of ending. And that's all I'm saying.

[LenaLena · Rating 2 out of 5]

This whole series should have been called ‘Waiting for Kai-Ren’, because that is pretty much all that happens and in both Dark Space and Darker Space Kai-Ren doesn’t show up until almost the end. Not that he does a whole lot when he gets there, besides saying their names and running his claw down someone’s naked spine. That last thing happens – real or imagined- at least 5 times in this book and there we run into another problem: the book is so damned repetitive. From the repeated descriptions of Kai-Ren’s features, to the repeated statements of the superiority of the officer’s food, and the repeated observations of how much Cam loves ‘the black’, etc. Dark Space had similar issues in the middle, and the first 40% of this one are nothing but Brady having the same 4 thoughts over and over again:

I am just a lowly reffo kid
I must take care of Lucy
I got a bad attitude, but really everyone else is just an asshole
I don’t know why Cam would love me

Honestly, I don’t know either. But saintly Cameron Rushton is nothing but very pretty, very kind and endlessly, endlessly understanding (and therefore boring as hell). After 40% there is a little plot (too little, too late, as far as I am concerned) and, of course, there is Kai-Ren’s arrival finally at 80% or so, but it all feels very flimsy. I understand that this is more like a romance (not a whole lot happens in the relationship development between Brady and Cam, though, but it could be that I skimmed over that, like I skimmed most superfluous sex scenes) and not a hard boiled scifi novel, but does it have to be as flimsy as this?

Anyway, it looks like there will be another book after this one and with the ending setup as it is, Henry has created chance to do some serious world building. I hope she takes it, because this scifi-light stuff just doesn’t do it for me.



Pretty cover, though.

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

What a great sequel. I loved where this story took these characters and I’m positively anxious for more!

Brady is such a well-crafted character. Being in his headspace, most of the time, left me in quite a funky mood, what with his ceaselessly pessimistic attitude and belligerent behaviour towards basically everyone he came into contact with. His negative views of his self-worth were always clouding his thoughts. He came across as quite the moody little bastard, but I adored him nonetheless. As I’ve said, Brady’s head was quite a depressing place to be, but he was consistently portrayed and all the more richer for it (which surprisingly, is a rare thing in book series). He’s a memorable character; 100 books from now, hell, 500 books from now, I’ll still be able to perfectly recall this dude and the feelings he induced. That’s impressive.

What else is impressive is the Sci-Fi world that was expertly created here. These books just take me exactly where I need to be (mentally/visually), with little in the way of copious detail to get me there.

I truly loved where this story left off and I cannot wait to see what is next for Cam, Brady and Kai-Ren (and all the others).

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure why each book has a diff person on it. And if this one is supposed to be Cam, not sure why he's on this cover when the MC is STILL Brady.

BUT, the real show-stealer is Kai-ren. Who looks like this, but eyes are yellow:



Why can't aliens all look like those hot blue Avatars? I wouldn't mind an...intimate scene with one of those :P



On to the next...

[Amina · Rating 4 out of 5]

✰ 4 stars ✰

“Some guys are meant to be heroes. I was never one of them.”

With these inner thoughts, Brady Garrett leads us into the Darker Space of his life and of his mind. On a path of being self-reflective and self-destructive, and often times self-deprecating, Brady and Cam have returned home - in the hopes of starting life over. Trying to win the favors of Cam's parents, taking care of his younger sister, Lucy, surviving the military's fierce interrogation trails, all the while questioning what his place is in the world now - does he deserve to be by Cam's side - who is he in the eyes of society - are just one of the many shadows that haunt Brady.

Not to mention, the whispering nightmares of the Faceless' taunting leers of 'Brad-eee' that he can't seem to forget - no matter how hard he tries. But, fate has other plans for him, for when his telepathic connection to Cam is restored - their link unwittingly drawing in more people into their mental link - Brady will have to return to the dark space, in order to protect the ones he loves. 💫💫

“I love you because you’re you, Brady, and I don’t care if they get it or not. You’re the only one who has to get it.”

Lisa Henry returns with another interstellar installment - she knows how to keep the writing going! Even with the many times Brady is ready to call it quits - the number of moments he doubted himself, Cam's feelings for him, the vicious cycle of hurt and confusion and rejection - it never got tiresome - I never felt like he was whining or complaining too much. His thoughts of being inadequate and unworthy of being a part of Cam's life is something so heart-breaking, but those feelings never become stale - every time he addresses it.

When you see the broken background that Brady, the 'ungrateful dirty reffo scum' has come from - the struggles he's taken to train himself to be a proper medic - the cares he took to give Lucy the best life he could give - it feels so very valid that he could never compare to Cam - the starlight - hero of the realm. That he feels more at ease, when he 'remembered that time it was just us against the universe'. But, with each ounce of fear Brady expressed, Cam is always there to remind him that he wouldn't have it any other way - to pull him out of the dark spaces in his head. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

“I love you,” he said, and I wondered which one of us he was trying to convince. “You’re like a secret nobody else has heard yet, and the selfish part of me is glad that other people don’t know you the way I do, because if they saw how perfect you are, every one of them would try to steal you away from me.”

“Bullshit,” I whispered, because how could I compete with the starlight?”

🥺🥺

I adore Cam - I loved him before - I loved him even now. He is a starlight, because for all that he has endured so much of his own darkness - he never loses that light in his heart - that he still sees the light in Brady, who who loves Brady, exactly as he is and with everything he has to offer him. 🥰 His soft and calming reassurances when he gently kisses Brady and reminds him that he had not had any human contact for four years, completely at the mercy of the Faceless all this time, and it wasn't until he saw that 'pale, wide-eyed face of this terrified human kid' for the first time - where before 'it felt like everything that had come before the Faceless was unreality. Everything until you. I didn’t know how homesick I was until I saw your face.' 😭😭 Ah, my heart - despite all the uncertainties - all the torture and pain that they have to go through - they are the purest of soulmates - ready to face whatever the military throws their way.

I loved how the plot unwittingly draws other characters together - intertwining their fates in ways they would not have wanted or expected. Nothing is ever at a stand-still, there is imminent danger around Brady and Cam, from the inside of their ranks and the outskirts of space - and even in the tangible link of their heart and soul. But, it's so smoothly written that I really do feel like I'm on this star trek into space along with everyone else brought into their journey. 🥹🥹 Some faces more welcome than others, but seeing how Brady responded in kind to each of them had me laughing at his boldness - fueled by his fierce desire to always have Cam with him - that they never shied away from what they had with each other. Brady has such a mouth on him - even under all that overwhelming feeling of being replaced so easily or not feeling wanted, he has such a cocky and expressive attitude about how much he cares for Cam that their moments together were theirs to have always. 🥺🥺

“Let them feel that.

Let them feel how the entire universe shrank right down to this moment, to those words. Let them see how it was brighter than starlight, what we had.

“Love you,” I whispered as he thrust again.”



They were so unabashed in their love for each other - Brady never shied away from showing and proving to everyone around him how much Cam meant to him, how he was 'i the boiling maelstrom of the universe, he was my calm'. I loved how Brady was fierce in his claim of Cam - how much he meant to him with that defiant challenge of 'that heroic guy on the poster? That so-handsome-you-hate-him-on- principle guy? All mine, and better than anyone else could even imagine.' 🫠🫠 And there was still something so inherently beautiful and tender about the way they gravitated towards each other - how even with all the doubts Brady didn't hesitate to voice, Cam was there to be his anchor and his beacon, those gentle but firm reassurances - even sometimes teasingly pulling rank on him to keep that spark between them alive - that 'it doesn’t have to be us against the universe to make it work, okay? Or us in a cage. It can just be us. It can be - it can be as simple as we want.' 🫶🏻🫶🏻

And it's not just a cage that they figuratively and literally find themselves trapped in. For as frightening and fearful and chilling the Faceless are, the way Lisa Henry permeates the chilling presence of the vast unknown that is space into every corner - is what really sets the tone of their continuing journey. The Faceless is a corporeal entity that does send shivers down my spine whenever he makes an appearance to torment their thoughts, but it's the way space becomes alive - a chilling, living unknown presence of their world that you have nowhere to run when it's coming from space. 'You can’t hide from it when it’s all around you. You’re on a spinning ball of dirt, hurtling through the black. There’s nowhere to go.' 😳😳 So expressive in the details that engulfs you alongside Brady as he hurls into the very darkness he never wanted to return to.

“He leaned down and pressed my mouth against his chest, in the dip of his sternum. I could feel his heart beating against my lips. I could feel it beating inside me too.

Electricity sparked between us, and it felt good. It felt like home. The connection, as strong as it ever was, and us, and that small, secret place we shared while the maelstrom of the universe swirled around us.”

Uff, all their scenes were just 🤌🏻🤌🏻 There's something positively addictive about the energy that expels from them, when they're together - you're inexplicably drawn to their chemistry - that attractive and innate desire to feel their bond - telepathic or actual reality. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 I loved how well the author balanced out their heated moments against the quieter and reflective ones - that Brady may be having his 'shittiest day ever, and then seeing one of them turn and smile, and knowing he had my back.' Brady - he's not perfect, he's human, he makes mistakes, but he also learns from it. His experiences - the good and the bad - the dark and the light are shaping him into the hero that he was always meant to be. 🙏🏻

“Some guys were meant to be heroes. I was never one of them, but fuck it, I could learn.”