Corsair

by Henrik Sorensen

Kalaiapi’s job as a post-human space privateer is hard enough. But when the data drive connected to her brain malfunctions, Kalaiapi suddenly finds herself the potential source of exactly the kind of extinction event she is tasked with preventing.

As the Universe, Predatory Omnia, wages a perpetual war of extinction against the progenasi species, Corsairs are the elite, gene-hacked agents tasked with taking the battle to the enemy; Kalaiapi has 600 years of experience doing just that.

But when the data drive spliced into Kalaiapi’s consciousness goes haywire, Kalaiapi fears she may have inadvertently become the source of exactly the kind of species-ending cosmic phenomenon she has spent her whole life trying to stop.

Driven to the edge of the known galaxy while wrestling with a sentience inextricably connected to her own, Kalaiapi discovers a mysterious colony of enslaved bio-automatons and must battle to protect fragile lives from a malevolent planet, warring galactic imperia – and even entropy itself. Against the cold abyss of malevolent nature, what chance does one Corsair have?

Genres: Science Fiction

422 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2024

About the author

Henrik Sorensen is an independent author who is doing his best.

Reviews

[Josh Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an Advance Reader Copy of the book*
Corsair is rich space opera with futuristic technologies that still feel grounded in reality; thought-provoking themes on personhood; a real sense of in-world history; and a hint of horror. Plus intriguing characters whose motivations and backstories are revealed at just the right pace throughout the book.
I want to know what happens next!

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Corsair was an excellent read. Simultaneously brutal and beautiful. Bleak with touches of tenderness and hope. The themes are timely- AI, bioengineering, religion, war. There are also slimy crab things. The scope is massive and one can envision a universe here where more stories will unfold. I look forward to reading more from this author. Truly enjoyed this awesome story.

[Brandon Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corsair immersed me in a far-future setting with rich imagery, exciting set pieces, and likable characters. It reads quickly while feeling substantial, forwarding big ideas about human existence and consciousness, technology, and political and sociological orthodoxy, all buttressed by engrossing action and a fun mystery too.

The novel clearly serves as an introduction to a potential series of novels. It provides the right amount of exposition and explanation without feeling cumbersome but still leaves enough details fuzzy or ambiguous to sustain readers’ curiosity for future installments.

I will note that I am likely a member of the “core audience” for the work. In me it hit its mark.

[Stel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world building was great, it's definitely a book that makes you think and has a lot of questions about the meaning of life. It was also more gory than I expected, which isn't necessarily a bad thing just different from most SciFi books I've read

Thank you to the author for the ARC

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains gripping, colorful, and patient world-building that trusts the audience. It has an exciting narrative that tackles deep questions. Looking forward to what's next.

[Jerroleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love good science fiction that presents a world or milieu that is believable, consistent, and personal. The universe of this book fits that bill very nicely. It presents enough personal enigmas and relationships to keep you guessing and hoping while at the same time pulling you into a hellish environment that begs to be destroyed and situations that keep you on the edge of your seat. This is a work worth reading, and I hope that there will be a sequel! I really want to find out what becomes of the main characters after their adventures in this tale.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book from the author.

Corsair is a fun ride into a well thought out world built and described expertly. Like a lot of good sci-fi, it's part mystery, part adventure, and part horror. An overall enjoyable read.

[Thomas Martineau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully paced and written Space Opera. Henrik does a marvelous job of allowing questions to bubble beneath the surface of this book. His characters are engaging, leading the reader along with them as they solve mysteries and uncover new questions. A fantastic debut from a very promising author. Excellently done.

[Martin Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! The world is fascinating and hints at being even bigger than we get to see.

This is a FINE specimen of the Space Opera genre. If you liked Ancillary Justice, I think you'll love this, too.

[Trevor Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story by a first-time author.

I enjoyed the protagonists, the world building, and the way the separate story lines all collide. Although the action can be brutal at times, it felt appropriate. I also liked the bioengineering and treatments of sentience.

There were some challenging words that required a deep vocabulary or patience to wait for further context to reveal their meaning. There were also a few moments where I wondered if I'd skipped a chapter or if I was just being dense and failing to comprehend.

But for the most part I followed the unpredictable narrative just fine, and despite being a fairly experienced sci-fi reader, I appreciated being introduced to some novel concepts.

[Chanel Earl]

I am shelving this book unfinished at about the halfway point. I really respect this author, and I think this is probably a great read for people who love complex and imaginative sci-fi, and also have a strong stomach. My husband loved it, and he is a discerning reader.

But I have a low tolerance for ick, and after some gory fighting, a corpse recycling machine, and a slow walk through a shallow swamp full of feces, I think I will have to pass on whatever horrors the rest of the book contains.

[Nidsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely impressive debut novel. Corsair has my favorite elements of a sci fi; lots of technical information that makes the world feel real and expansive written in a way that is fun and easy to read, gritty action scenes, compelling characters, and most of all themes about humanity and good and evil that are thoughtfully handled and really make you think. I am excited to see what Sorenson comes up with next.

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This is a new author to me, and I was very impressed with this book. A few comparison authors to me would be Ann Leckie and Megan O’Keefe. It has everything I like in a science fiction novel, FTL travel, strong female characters, religious belief, agnosticism and biological and emotional evolution, to name a few.

It felt like Space Opera with an amount of potential Hard Sci-Fi thrown in for good measure. I found the world-building impressive and can’t wait to see if there are future plans for this universe. I enjoyed the depth of most of the characters, they were well thought out and flowed well with the story. Even the characters that were not over-developed or barely mentioned did not feel stale or flat.

The setting universally and scientifically was done very well, with what I felt to be some very interesting, new concepts. It felt original even though so many of the books in this genre are built on the same premise. The worldview of the characters and religious and scientific lore were interesting. Newly created words in this universe were handled very well and some real etymology could be built around it in any future works.

The planet and system in the book were very interesting and the inhabitants of the planet in all forms were intriguing. I wanted to learn more about so many aspects of the story, and was interested on every page.

As far as pacing, I liked the back-and-forth between 2 different perspectives that eventually coalesced into one. There were only a couple of times it felt tedious or too short between the back and forth. Pacing of the story itself was great, however, it did have a feeling towards the end of it being slightly rushed. It did not detract from the story as a whole. I look forward to more from this author.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Colton Stock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brimming with satisfying action, memorable characters and profound thematic depth, Corsair is easily one of the most exciting debut novels I've read.

It moves at a propulsive pace, ramping up in intensity throughout and reaching for ambitious reveals that pay off impressively well by the book's concluding moments. It's refreshingly unique and fully-formed, a universe-sprawling adventure that reveals as much about its characters as it does the brutal world they reside in.

We are introduced at first to a bioautomaton designated 61377 and then to our titular Corsair, Kalaiapi. From the very beginning, Sorensen drew me in with vivid descriptions of the harsh planets and political tensions that exist in this universe. Yet as soon as I reached the first pulse-pounding action sequence with Kalaiapi unleashing her combat training on the enemy, I was locked in until the end and couldn't put it down. Without giving anything away, fans of action-packed science fiction will be at home here. It's a thrill ride that unfolds into something even deeper and more impactful, taking space opera and pulpy sci-fi adventure elements and using them to tell a profound story about the nature of consciousness, the brutality of technology and the power of humanity even if it's hidden under centuries of bioengineering.

I was honored to be able to read an advance review copy of this book from the author, and was blown away. If there are more adventures to be had in this universe, I will happily ready my hadron knife and embark.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading a book because I know a guy on Twitter, that was definitely a first. I read Corsair because one of my favorite Mormon-adjacent Twitter account @nihilists4jesus turned into an I'm-an-author-now account (still my favorite btw). Anywho, here is my review.

I didn't know what I was getting into when I picked this book up. Space Opera? That's a genre? What makes it a Space Opera? Is Princess of Mars a Space Opera? Dune? The only other thing I was promised was lots of violence. And I assumed swear words, based on its author. Plus some a touch of existentialism and philosophical musings. Well, it all those categories I wasn't disappointed. It was a tad bit difficult to get into due to the intense barrage of vocabulary and proper nouns that are thrown at you at the beginning (still having doubts I understand what a Fornaxian is versus a Polaran). You do get some extended dialogue in the last third of the book that makes sense of a lot of this. There are some really great twists near the end, but of course can't do spoilers. Some of the themes felt very relevant-- being a part of imperfect institutions, individuals versus ideologies, the meaning of existence, and AI/biotech ethics to name a few.

There is a really great cast of characters too-- I really liked getting to know T-beta 63177, Kalaiapi, Kaaio, and Kadmus. There's a cool twist with the perspective switching, but it takes a bit to catch on (no spoilers again!). I still have plenty of questions, but I look forward to a sequel.

[Philo Dibble · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brisk bit of speculative fiction that can be enjoyed both as scifi yarn and as exploration of philosophical and theological issues. Set against a backdrop of futuristic technology and genetic engineering, Sorensen develops themes of identity, morality, and the consequences of technological advancement.

One of the central questions the novel raises is the tension between progress and destruction, particularly with the concept of the Singularity. Kalaiapi wrestles with the moral and existential dilemmas of emergent AGI. The Aya, a religious system within the story, forbids AI, seeing it as a threat to humanity's survival, reflecting contemporary debates about x-risk and the ethical challenges posed by superintelligent AGI. Sorensen explores the nature of consciousness through the character of Mortis Drak, an automaton who begins to develop a sense of individuality. His journey raises questions about the nature of human existence and what it means to be truly alive, a key theme throughout the novel.

That's the tip of the iceberg. Utilitarian ethics and the nature of virtue are pulled in. A theological view of the universe as a predator and humanity as its prey. The interplay of genetics, technology, fate, and moral responsibility. Much to chew on in a future re-reading.

[Tom Copeland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just before the final chapters we learn the nature of the substance so keenly sought by the civilizations in the novel, the relationships among the main characters, and the goal they pursue. Until these revelations the action has seemed chaotic and motivations obscure, especially because countless nonsense words are introduced without definition to refer to concepts, groups, and substances that in the future are taken for granted.

The writing is often wordy and the style puerile, with “like it was” and “just because … doesn’t mean” being favourite expressions. Moreover, having discovered that “might” is very often abused for “may,” the author has used “may” very often indeed (65 times), usually incorrectly in a past-tense context. Errors committed in a mistaken effort to avoid error are both ridiculous and more likely to interfere with communication than the errors they replace.

This novel fills a much-needed void.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for a honest review)

I have followed Henrik Sorensen on Twitter for a long time now, and his tweets are consistently funny and insightful. It turns out he's a hell of an author too.

I don't want to spoil anything but "Corsair" is one of the best books I have read this year. It's thoughtful and explores topics like religion and technology without sacrificing any entertainment value.

This is highly recommended. I hope this is only the first of many books by Henrik Sorensen.

[Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a copy of this book in advance and am stoked to get to leave a review for it.

Some books give us worlds that feel lived-in and developed. Some books raise (and leave us with!) questions we can't let go of. Some books grab our attention and don't let go. Very few books do all 3 of these, and I'm happy to report that Corsair does. You'll pick it up (and not be able to put it down) for the space opera/science fiction thrill ride. You'll think about it long after you've finished because of the questions about human nature, identity, and religion.

[Scott Ficklin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did really like the story but it’s in need of a professional editor. It’s a 4/5 story presented with 2/5 writing. There are especially a lot of repeated phrases or words that stick out. The typos or grammatical errors seemed to be less frequent as you went, but they were jarring in the beginning.

[Ellen Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of potential in this book, that for me needs a little tightening up in a handful of ways. Very gory. Almost too much for me. The most interesting POV is only for a few short chapters in the beginning too. I would have liked more of that perspective. The end was interesting so I’m planning to see where it goes in the next book.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of this book from the author - a really fun space opera, full of interesting ideas about consciousness, humanity, religion. Some fascinating characters, and a really cool setting. Looking forward to more from the author!

[Jarom Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for a first publication, I really hope there is a 2nd. A little bit of a stiff learning curve as there are with many books in the scifi genre but for a first outing I think it managed it pretty well.

[Michael Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced review copy of the book. This book is a great read with a rich world and unique ideas that are blended excellently with a captivating plot.

[Clayson Shumway · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always a little tentative about science fiction when the planet names have a gratuitous 'x' in them, but this story was worth swallowing my pride about that.

[Logan Cherrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spectacular piece of writing. I love the world building and the immersive nature of the book. I would say it is comparable to Dune and I can't wait for the second book.