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Arcana Imperii #3
Whalesong
Thor Stokel had always dreamed of being master of his own ship, and the Silver Star is a dream fast, sleek and powerful. But leaving the safety of his military career in the DHC behind to become an independent merchant fast becomes a nightmare of endless solo flights, paperwork, bad deals and customs disasters.
When he's imprisoned over the latest customs and paperwork mistake, Thor's luck finally starts to change. Incarceration leads to his first crewmate - and then a second. But it also leads to an increase in his something doesn't add up about his beautiful new ship, the AI is erratic, and he's increasingly sure that his crewmates are hiding something. And now he thinks the Silver Star is being followed . . .
Exhausted, isolated, and still just trying to make ends meet, Thor Storkel is either the most paranoid man in space . . . or he's a vital part of a galaxy-spanning conspiracy, that's going to depend on his being paranoid enough to survive it . . .
. . . And Marca N'baro still needs a whale . . .
When he's imprisoned over the latest customs and paperwork mistake, Thor's luck finally starts to change. Incarceration leads to his first crewmate - and then a second. But it also leads to an increase in his something doesn't add up about his beautiful new ship, the AI is erratic, and he's increasingly sure that his crewmates are hiding something. And now he thinks the Silver Star is being followed . . .
Exhausted, isolated, and still just trying to make ends meet, Thor Storkel is either the most paranoid man in space . . . or he's a vital part of a galaxy-spanning conspiracy, that's going to depend on his being paranoid enough to survive it . . .
. . . And Marca N'baro still needs a whale . . .
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 16, 2025
About the author
Miles Cameron
30 books2,824 followersMiles Cameron is an author, a re-enactor, an outdoors expert and a weapons specialist. He lives, works and writes in Toronto, where he lives with his family. This is his debut fantasy novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
December 3, 2025
I was pleased to see this one arrive for review – after all, this series has been one of my favourites in recent years. (The two books so far - Book 1, Artifact Space, and Book 2, Deep Black - have been in my ‘best of the year’ lists in both 2021 and 2024, for example.)
Whalesong, Book 3 of the Arcana Imperii series, follows on immediately from Deep Black (and therefore there are minor spoilers here in this review for Book 1, Artifact Space, and Book 2, Deep Black .)
Although Deep Black clearly tied things up with one story arc (the huge battle between the Directorate of Human Corporations (DHC) and the PTX, and Nbaro’s ascension in political power), Whalesong begins another story arc, as it follows on immediately from the end of Deep Black.
It also means that although Whalesong is the first part of a new story arc, it is not the story to begin with in this series – there are revelations here that will mean little if you haven’t followed what has gone before – but if you have, you will be rewarded.
We start Whalesong with Marca Nbaro & Horatio Dorcas adjusting to a life back at home base and also married life. Dorcas becomes obsessed with salvaging an alien Hin spaceship, now lifeless yet intact outside the Kuiper Belt of Ultra-Medulla and travelling out of the galaxy. We also have Nbaro arranging for a whale to be transported to communicate to the alien Starfish, as this was one of the alien’s requests in Deep Black.
My initial thought was that this would be the main plot of the novel, although this third book actually focusses away from our main characters to date, to focus on Thor Stokel, their friend and ex-colleague. Thor has retired from active duty and is now (thanks to some actions of Nbaro and the AI Morosini) the captain of the Silver Star, a refitted spaceship and is able to be a merchant spacer, trading across the galaxy.
This means that the next part of the novel is rather like a Heinlein-esque travelogue as Storkel travels from planet to planet - anyone who knows the classic computer game Elite will get the idea. Storkel also has to assemble a crew for his new spaceship. He employs Cawo Elmi-Mahmoud as a competent second-in-command and the enigmatic Badal-Mehra as an astrogator. When Marca ends up in hospital, Dorcas later joins the crew, as well as Feyyan Zhao as a weapons officer, despite Zhao being a person with connections to the PTX, (a competing group to the DHC.)
As is typical of this series so far, all of the main characters are interesting. Storkel himself is particularly noticeable, because knowing himself to be paranoid (a result of the battles in Deep Black and the drugs taken to cope with high-g manoeuvres) he questions everything – his ship, the AI, his colleagues and himself. This leads to difficult choices being made more challenging as he thinks or even overthinks every decision – for example, is the ship’s erratic AI working with him, or against him? Can it be trusted to do what it is asked to do?
Furthermore, as he delivers goods around the galaxy, Storkel finds that others want him dead, for reasons that evolve within the story. The last part of the book is a tense and exciting chase with everything to lose.
To counterpoint this, Dorcas, as seen in Deep Black, is this book’s Spock – often aloof, always questioning, his connections with the AI through a neural lace and his work to communicate with the alien Starfish in Deep Black which is paramount to this story.
With that in mind, then, Whalesong deftly juggles political intrigue, philosophical musings, and space battles at a ridiculously high speed, but using proper science and math. There’s espionage, deep cover exercises, loyalty and treachery involved, all filtered through Storkel’s increasing paranoia that keeps things moving and the reader questioning everything.
As befitting a story from a master plotter and storyteller, it is well done. I did feel that, as good as it was, the previous novel (Deep Black) sagged a little in the middle with its endless descriptions of space travel in an enclosed environment. I’m pleased to say that there’s no such issues for me here.
Although the story (as before in the first two books) is centred on a few characters, Miles is adept at also playing the long game. I liked the fact that although the story focussed on a relatively small group of characters, there are bigger issues at stake, although most of these are still unresolved. The last few chapters, as with Deep Black, bring us back to the bigger picture and set things up for the next book. There are clearly more revelations to follow – in fact, book four is due in 2026.
In summary, Whalesong continues to show the author’s strengths in characterisation, pace and plotting. It is a tight, fast-paced and shorter story that effectively builds on what has gone before, before leaving with a humdinger of a cliffhanger ending.
Whalesong, Book 3 of the Arcana Imperii series, follows on immediately from Deep Black (and therefore there are minor spoilers here in this review for Book 1, Artifact Space, and Book 2, Deep Black .)
Although Deep Black clearly tied things up with one story arc (the huge battle between the Directorate of Human Corporations (DHC) and the PTX, and Nbaro’s ascension in political power), Whalesong begins another story arc, as it follows on immediately from the end of Deep Black.
It also means that although Whalesong is the first part of a new story arc, it is not the story to begin with in this series – there are revelations here that will mean little if you haven’t followed what has gone before – but if you have, you will be rewarded.
We start Whalesong with Marca Nbaro & Horatio Dorcas adjusting to a life back at home base and also married life. Dorcas becomes obsessed with salvaging an alien Hin spaceship, now lifeless yet intact outside the Kuiper Belt of Ultra-Medulla and travelling out of the galaxy. We also have Nbaro arranging for a whale to be transported to communicate to the alien Starfish, as this was one of the alien’s requests in Deep Black.
My initial thought was that this would be the main plot of the novel, although this third book actually focusses away from our main characters to date, to focus on Thor Stokel, their friend and ex-colleague. Thor has retired from active duty and is now (thanks to some actions of Nbaro and the AI Morosini) the captain of the Silver Star, a refitted spaceship and is able to be a merchant spacer, trading across the galaxy.
This means that the next part of the novel is rather like a Heinlein-esque travelogue as Storkel travels from planet to planet - anyone who knows the classic computer game Elite will get the idea. Storkel also has to assemble a crew for his new spaceship. He employs Cawo Elmi-Mahmoud as a competent second-in-command and the enigmatic Badal-Mehra as an astrogator. When Marca ends up in hospital, Dorcas later joins the crew, as well as Feyyan Zhao as a weapons officer, despite Zhao being a person with connections to the PTX, (a competing group to the DHC.)
As is typical of this series so far, all of the main characters are interesting. Storkel himself is particularly noticeable, because knowing himself to be paranoid (a result of the battles in Deep Black and the drugs taken to cope with high-g manoeuvres) he questions everything – his ship, the AI, his colleagues and himself. This leads to difficult choices being made more challenging as he thinks or even overthinks every decision – for example, is the ship’s erratic AI working with him, or against him? Can it be trusted to do what it is asked to do?
Furthermore, as he delivers goods around the galaxy, Storkel finds that others want him dead, for reasons that evolve within the story. The last part of the book is a tense and exciting chase with everything to lose.
To counterpoint this, Dorcas, as seen in Deep Black, is this book’s Spock – often aloof, always questioning, his connections with the AI through a neural lace and his work to communicate with the alien Starfish in Deep Black which is paramount to this story.
With that in mind, then, Whalesong deftly juggles political intrigue, philosophical musings, and space battles at a ridiculously high speed, but using proper science and math. There’s espionage, deep cover exercises, loyalty and treachery involved, all filtered through Storkel’s increasing paranoia that keeps things moving and the reader questioning everything.
As befitting a story from a master plotter and storyteller, it is well done. I did feel that, as good as it was, the previous novel (Deep Black) sagged a little in the middle with its endless descriptions of space travel in an enclosed environment. I’m pleased to say that there’s no such issues for me here.
Although the story (as before in the first two books) is centred on a few characters, Miles is adept at also playing the long game. I liked the fact that although the story focussed on a relatively small group of characters, there are bigger issues at stake, although most of these are still unresolved. The last few chapters, as with Deep Black, bring us back to the bigger picture and set things up for the next book. There are clearly more revelations to follow – in fact, book four is due in 2026.
In summary, Whalesong continues to show the author’s strengths in characterisation, pace and plotting. It is a tight, fast-paced and shorter story that effectively builds on what has gone before, before leaving with a humdinger of a cliffhanger ending.
June 1, 2026
The thing Miles Cameron consistently gets right in this series is scale through infrastructure. Even when the plot slows down or becomes tangled in politics and operational detail, the universe itself always feels immense, functioning, and heavy with history. Whalesong continues that strength, but this time the atmosphere felt more focused and immersive than Deep Black did for me.
There’s a strange loneliness running through large parts of the book that really worked. Deep space in the Arcana Imperii universe doesn’t feel adventurous in a romantic sense; it feels cold, distant, procedural, and full of systems barely holding together under political pressure and technological uncertainty. Cameron is very good at making interstellar civilization feel fragile despite its size.
The artifact material remains the most compelling aspect of the series by far. The deeper humanity digs into ancient technologies and incomprehensible remnants of older powers, the more unsettling the universe becomes. Some of the sequences involving exploration and discovery genuinely recaptured that feeling of cosmic mystery the earlier books hinted at so strongly. Cameron understands that ancient technology becomes much more interesting when it feels partially unknowable rather than conveniently interpretable.
And honestly, the ships themselves are still fantastic. Few modern space operas put this much effort into operational realism. Maintenance, logistics, command structures, navigation, resource management, military procedure—it all creates the sense that these vessels are functioning societies rather than cinematic backdrops.
Marca also felt stronger here than in the previous book. There’s more emotional weariness to her now, more awareness of how trapped she is inside competing systems of power, obligation, and secrecy. The series works best when it leans into that tension between personal identity and institutional machinery rather than simply escalating military conflict.
At the same time, Cameron still hasn’t entirely solved the pacing issues that have followed the series from the beginning. There are sections where the narrative becomes so dense with procedure, terminology, tactical discussion, and political maneuvering that momentum nearly stalls. Sometimes that complexity creates immersion; other times it feels like the novel is fighting the reader unnecessarily.
The characterization can also remain oddly distant. Individually, many characters are interesting, but emotional moments occasionally get buried underneath the operational detail and institutional complexity surrounding them. There were scenes where I understood the political stakes intellectually while still feeling somewhat detached from the people involved.
But compared to Deep Black, this one felt more balanced overall. The mystery elements had more pull, the atmosphere felt sharper, and the quieter moments aboard ship carried more weight. The series seems strongest when it embraces uncertainty and isolation rather than trying to constantly expand into broader strategic complexity.
What I continue appreciating most about these books is that Cameron treats empire as labor. Not mythology, not aesthetic spectacle, but maintenance. Supply chains, exhausted crews, decaying systems, political compromise, inherited structures nobody fully understands anymore. The universe feels old in a believable way.
There’s also something refreshing about how unapologetically dense the series remains. It absolutely demands patience from the reader, sometimes more than necessary, but that density also gives the world texture that a smoother, more streamlined version might lose.
For me, Whalesong felt like the series recovering some of the intrigue and atmosphere that made Artifact Space initially so compelling. Still imperfect, still occasionally overcomplicated, but much easier to get absorbed into once the mystery and isolation start taking over the narrative.
There’s a strange loneliness running through large parts of the book that really worked. Deep space in the Arcana Imperii universe doesn’t feel adventurous in a romantic sense; it feels cold, distant, procedural, and full of systems barely holding together under political pressure and technological uncertainty. Cameron is very good at making interstellar civilization feel fragile despite its size.
The artifact material remains the most compelling aspect of the series by far. The deeper humanity digs into ancient technologies and incomprehensible remnants of older powers, the more unsettling the universe becomes. Some of the sequences involving exploration and discovery genuinely recaptured that feeling of cosmic mystery the earlier books hinted at so strongly. Cameron understands that ancient technology becomes much more interesting when it feels partially unknowable rather than conveniently interpretable.
And honestly, the ships themselves are still fantastic. Few modern space operas put this much effort into operational realism. Maintenance, logistics, command structures, navigation, resource management, military procedure—it all creates the sense that these vessels are functioning societies rather than cinematic backdrops.
Marca also felt stronger here than in the previous book. There’s more emotional weariness to her now, more awareness of how trapped she is inside competing systems of power, obligation, and secrecy. The series works best when it leans into that tension between personal identity and institutional machinery rather than simply escalating military conflict.
At the same time, Cameron still hasn’t entirely solved the pacing issues that have followed the series from the beginning. There are sections where the narrative becomes so dense with procedure, terminology, tactical discussion, and political maneuvering that momentum nearly stalls. Sometimes that complexity creates immersion; other times it feels like the novel is fighting the reader unnecessarily.
The characterization can also remain oddly distant. Individually, many characters are interesting, but emotional moments occasionally get buried underneath the operational detail and institutional complexity surrounding them. There were scenes where I understood the political stakes intellectually while still feeling somewhat detached from the people involved.
But compared to Deep Black, this one felt more balanced overall. The mystery elements had more pull, the atmosphere felt sharper, and the quieter moments aboard ship carried more weight. The series seems strongest when it embraces uncertainty and isolation rather than trying to constantly expand into broader strategic complexity.
What I continue appreciating most about these books is that Cameron treats empire as labor. Not mythology, not aesthetic spectacle, but maintenance. Supply chains, exhausted crews, decaying systems, political compromise, inherited structures nobody fully understands anymore. The universe feels old in a believable way.
There’s also something refreshing about how unapologetically dense the series remains. It absolutely demands patience from the reader, sometimes more than necessary, but that density also gives the world texture that a smoother, more streamlined version might lose.
For me, Whalesong felt like the series recovering some of the intrigue and atmosphere that made Artifact Space initially so compelling. Still imperfect, still occasionally overcomplicated, but much easier to get absorbed into once the mystery and isolation start taking over the narrative.
December 15, 2025
After the fantastic book #1 and the very good book #2 this was a total misfire.
With all the interesting mysteries we have yet to solve that were started in book 1 and 2 how the author could totally disregard those and tell a meaningless, small, boring artificially inflated story that ultimately did not contribute to the universe at all is beyond me. Nothing happened, nothing developed, nothing progressed. It does not even have an ending it just fizzles out. What are we doing here?
This should have been a short story or novelette, these is not even enough there for a novella and certainly not a main entry in the series.
Not sure if I want to continue with the series.
With all the interesting mysteries we have yet to solve that were started in book 1 and 2 how the author could totally disregard those and tell a meaningless, small, boring artificially inflated story that ultimately did not contribute to the universe at all is beyond me. Nothing happened, nothing developed, nothing progressed. It does not even have an ending it just fizzles out. What are we doing here?
This should have been a short story or novelette, these is not even enough there for a novella and certainly not a main entry in the series.
Not sure if I want to continue with the series.
try-again-later
January 18, 2026I LOVED Artifact Space and Deep Black but for some reason I found it hard to click with Whalesong. I read approx 20% but I felt no connection to the characters nor did I jibe with the plot (and this type of storyline is what I truly love about a number of Space Operas - I did read a large # of S.O's last year so maybe i just need some time away)
I have put in on my "Try again sometime" shelf, so have put it down the tbr mountain range for now. Miles (Christian) Cameron is high on the list of authors I enjoy, hopefully I'll return to this later in 2026.
I have put in on my "Try again sometime" shelf, so have put it down the tbr mountain range for now. Miles (Christian) Cameron is high on the list of authors I enjoy, hopefully I'll return to this later in 2026.
May 26, 2026
Not as good as the first two books in the series, but still quite riveting.
Even though Nbaro is on the cover, this book is not about her. Nbaro only has a few cameo scenes and spends most of the book off in a healing clamshell. The book really focuses on a minor character in the first two books who is now the main character.
If I had to sum up the book in a sentence it would be "spies in space." The whole book is a fascinating deep dive into paranoia and who is on our side and who can we trust and what plots are afoot. It's a real page turner that I would highly recommend.
This book falls into the category of books in which several things are unbelievable/don't work and yet no one cares about the impossibility because we're all so entertained. The first two books were like that two, but this book was a little less believable in a way which took me out of the story just a little bit. Two things hit me the most. Without giving anything away, I present this hypothetical: Let's say I leave San Francisco in my car at maximum speed towards Seattle. Mid-way through the trip it becomes clear that I'm being chased by assassins who are also traveling at max speed. San Francisco then dispatches a car at max speed (the same max speed) to rescue me. Somehow the rescue car is able to arrive at the conflict while the conflict is still going on and not wildly after. Doesn't work, does it? Secondly, it drives me nuts that they always launch sand during space battles. I think a spaceship traveling through sand at extreme speeds would be disabled in the same way that straw in a tornado goes through telephone poles. Also, the sand isn't going to go anywhere. It will persist. Therefore, spreading sand seems like it would make entire regions of space impossible to travel through ever again. That said, again, no one cares because it's just so much FUN to read.
I can't wait for the next book in the series.
Even though Nbaro is on the cover, this book is not about her. Nbaro only has a few cameo scenes and spends most of the book off in a healing clamshell. The book really focuses on a minor character in the first two books who is now the main character.
If I had to sum up the book in a sentence it would be "spies in space." The whole book is a fascinating deep dive into paranoia and who is on our side and who can we trust and what plots are afoot. It's a real page turner that I would highly recommend.
This book falls into the category of books in which several things are unbelievable/don't work and yet no one cares about the impossibility because we're all so entertained. The first two books were like that two, but this book was a little less believable in a way which took me out of the story just a little bit. Two things hit me the most. Without giving anything away, I present this hypothetical: Let's say I leave San Francisco in my car at maximum speed towards Seattle. Mid-way through the trip it becomes clear that I'm being chased by assassins who are also traveling at max speed. San Francisco then dispatches a car at max speed (the same max speed) to rescue me. Somehow the rescue car is able to arrive at the conflict while the conflict is still going on and not wildly after. Doesn't work, does it? Secondly, it drives me nuts that they always launch sand during space battles. I think a spaceship traveling through sand at extreme speeds would be disabled in the same way that straw in a tornado goes through telephone poles. Also, the sand isn't going to go anywhere. It will persist. Therefore, spreading sand seems like it would make entire regions of space impossible to travel through ever again. That said, again, no one cares because it's just so much FUN to read.
I can't wait for the next book in the series.
June 24, 2026
Eine gelungene Fortsetzung, die jedoch die Qualität von Band 1 und 2 nicht ganz erreicht.
Die Struktur und damit das Pacing funktionierten für mich erst in der zweiten Hälfte wirklich.
Das World building und die Story ist aber weiterhin großartig. Interaktionen zwischen Figuren fühlen sich sehr real an. Vor allem aber die sozioökonomischen und politischen Geschehnisse sind wirklich gut beschrieben und nachvollziehbar.
Die Welt fühlt sich lebendig an.
Die Struktur und damit das Pacing funktionierten für mich erst in der zweiten Hälfte wirklich.
Das World building und die Story ist aber weiterhin großartig. Interaktionen zwischen Figuren fühlen sich sehr real an. Vor allem aber die sozioökonomischen und politischen Geschehnisse sind wirklich gut beschrieben und nachvollziehbar.
Die Welt fühlt sich lebendig an.
October 22, 2025
Pre-ordered the audiobook as soon soon as it went up, so have been looking forward to this. Fantastic continuation of the series. Great pacing and much peril. Cameron is such a perpulsive writer.
December 15, 2025
When I read Miles Cameron's Artifact Space back in 2021 I was very impressed - somehow, I've not kept up the author who, for me comes closest to Alastair Reynolds in writing intelligent, engaging space opera. As a result it was a delight to return to the Artifact Space universe with the third book in his Arcana Imperii series. (I've also added book 2 to my reading list).
Cameron shines by giving us both a complex political background and genuinely likeable central characters in the small crew of what initially seems to be a simple freighter but ends up being far more. Although not a direct parallel, for me Cameron gives the same warm feeling that fans get from the best of Star Trek, with the opportunity a novel provides to give significantly more depth. It was simply a joy to read.
My main complaint with Artifact Space was the length - thankfully this volume pulls back from the wrist busting 568 pages to a more modest 406, much to its benefit. The central character of the first book, Marca Nbaro, is more in the sidelines here and we get a new crew - in fact the only time I was a little irritated with the book was when the storyline flicked back to Nbaro, simply because I was so invested with the central crew, I didn't want to lose their story for a minute.
Another strength here is the use of AI characters - with some highly relevant thoughts about the dangers of putting AI in charge coming through in a subtle way. However, this never gets in the way of the very human, straightforward adventure of the story arc, with a couple of impressive space battles. This isn't a book trying to put across a message (thankfully) - it is just pure, engaging entertainment, which is not a bad thing.
My only other small moan is more technical. There is no mention of shields or the equivalent to protect ships - a lot of the damage in battles is done by conventional projectile weapons. But we also find out that it's possible to exit from artifact space, Cameron's hyperspace-like solution to interstellar travel, at high speeds - at one point 0.2c is mentioned. Tank shells travel at around 1,700 metres per second - That's around 35,000 times slower than 0.2c. A 1 gram speck of dust would have the same impact as a 35kg shell at 0.2c. At that kind of speed, shields would be essential.
In the end, though, this can't get in the way of an effective page-turner at the very peak of space opera delight.
Cameron shines by giving us both a complex political background and genuinely likeable central characters in the small crew of what initially seems to be a simple freighter but ends up being far more. Although not a direct parallel, for me Cameron gives the same warm feeling that fans get from the best of Star Trek, with the opportunity a novel provides to give significantly more depth. It was simply a joy to read.
My main complaint with Artifact Space was the length - thankfully this volume pulls back from the wrist busting 568 pages to a more modest 406, much to its benefit. The central character of the first book, Marca Nbaro, is more in the sidelines here and we get a new crew - in fact the only time I was a little irritated with the book was when the storyline flicked back to Nbaro, simply because I was so invested with the central crew, I didn't want to lose their story for a minute.
Another strength here is the use of AI characters - with some highly relevant thoughts about the dangers of putting AI in charge coming through in a subtle way. However, this never gets in the way of the very human, straightforward adventure of the story arc, with a couple of impressive space battles. This isn't a book trying to put across a message (thankfully) - it is just pure, engaging entertainment, which is not a bad thing.
My only other small moan is more technical. There is no mention of shields or the equivalent to protect ships - a lot of the damage in battles is done by conventional projectile weapons. But we also find out that it's possible to exit from artifact space, Cameron's hyperspace-like solution to interstellar travel, at high speeds - at one point 0.2c is mentioned. Tank shells travel at around 1,700 metres per second - That's around 35,000 times slower than 0.2c. A 1 gram speck of dust would have the same impact as a 35kg shell at 0.2c. At that kind of speed, shields would be essential.
In the end, though, this can't get in the way of an effective page-turner at the very peak of space opera delight.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 rounded up because despite my issues with this book and disappointment after the first two novels in this series, I still enjoyed this book enough.
What worked for me:
* Focusing mostly on new characters and some characters who played a background role in the previous books.
* The big reveal at the end (I wasn't sure at first how I felt, but you know what, I'm satisfied with it).
* It was kind of interesting seeing some lower-stakes (or sometimes not) interaction on various stations & worlds.
My issues:
* It felt like this book didn't quite know what it wanted to be. Given the major questions left hanging at the end of Deep Black, this book mostly seemed like filler. And yet, there were some pretty important reveals here that mean you can't really just skip this book. But the "filler" material makes up the bulk of the page count. I think I would've enjoyed this book more had it been shorter.
* Along the same lines, Marca's storyline here -- notably, this time a secondary plot -- was confusing to me, probably largely because we got the story only in small chunks scattered throughout the book with a lot of intervening time spent elsewhere.
* Some of the same irritating sociopolitical biases of the author that make appearances in Beyond the Fringe also bleed through in places here. The heavy-handedness isn't quite enough to make me deduct more stars, but it's enough to make me roll my eyes so hard they leave my head.
Thank you to S&S/Saga Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC!
What worked for me:
* Focusing mostly on new characters and some characters who played a background role in the previous books.
* The big reveal at the end (I wasn't sure at first how I felt, but you know what, I'm satisfied with it).
* It was kind of interesting seeing some lower-stakes (or sometimes not) interaction on various stations & worlds.
My issues:
* It felt like this book didn't quite know what it wanted to be. Given the major questions left hanging at the end of Deep Black, this book mostly seemed like filler. And yet, there were some pretty important reveals here that mean you can't really just skip this book. But the "filler" material makes up the bulk of the page count. I think I would've enjoyed this book more had it been shorter.
* Along the same lines, Marca's storyline here -- notably, this time a secondary plot -- was confusing to me, probably largely because we got the story only in small chunks scattered throughout the book with a lot of intervening time spent elsewhere.
* Some of the same irritating sociopolitical biases of the author that make appearances in Beyond the Fringe also bleed through in places here. The heavy-handedness isn't quite enough to make me deduct more stars, but it's enough to make me roll my eyes so hard they leave my head.
Thank you to S&S/Saga Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC!
June 2, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press for an advance reading copy of this book.
World building: 5 stars
Characters: 5 stars (no aliens this go-round)
Plot: 3.5 stars (it’s a little like interlinked stories)
Overall: 4 stars
With Whalesong, we return to the world established in Artifact Space, Deep Black and the collection of stories, Beyond the Fringe. The world is complex, with well defined politics, technology and believable factions.
The structure is a little more like linked stories than either Artifact Space or Deep Black. We have several different POVs, that mostly join up at the end. I think that Qaqqaq’s episode felt a bit unfinished, as they go off on a mission, then we next see her back, without any discussion of what happened. That’s the reason I didn’t feel this one was a focused as either Artifact Space or Deep Black, both of which are tightly centered on Marca Nbaro.
However, the introduction of Storkel and his crew on the Silver Star successfully continues the space opera of the first two novels.
Overall, I really liked it and want more in this world. Because Marca and Dorcas aren’t on Athens any longer, we are likely to have continuing diverging plot lines. As a story collection, Beyond the Fringe had short episodes with different characters in each story and worked well, but in a novel, I think we expect either a single plot or a convergence.
World building: 5 stars
Characters: 5 stars (no aliens this go-round)
Plot: 3.5 stars (it’s a little like interlinked stories)
Overall: 4 stars
With Whalesong, we return to the world established in Artifact Space, Deep Black and the collection of stories, Beyond the Fringe. The world is complex, with well defined politics, technology and believable factions.
The structure is a little more like linked stories than either Artifact Space or Deep Black. We have several different POVs, that mostly join up at the end. I think that Qaqqaq’s episode felt a bit unfinished, as they go off on a mission, then we next see her back, without any discussion of what happened. That’s the reason I didn’t feel this one was a focused as either Artifact Space or Deep Black, both of which are tightly centered on Marca Nbaro.
However, the introduction of Storkel and his crew on the Silver Star successfully continues the space opera of the first two novels.
Overall, I really liked it and want more in this world. Because Marca and Dorcas aren’t on Athens any longer, we are likely to have continuing diverging plot lines. As a story collection, Beyond the Fringe had short episodes with different characters in each story and worked well, but in a novel, I think we expect either a single plot or a convergence.
June 18, 2026
After going big in the last book, I thought this one was going to go bigger and focus on the politics of the Human Sphere since Marca has married into a rich, influential, political family. Instead, this book went small. It largely focuses on Thor Storkel, a pilot and friend of Marca's, who buys a ship of dubious provenance and tries to become an independent freighter captain after retiring from the merchant fleet.
Storkel tries to get by without any crew at all but quickly realizes that this idea is slow suicide. After being cushioned from some of the power plays, bribes, squeezes and paperwork of the merchant world by being part of the gigantic Fleet, he's got a lot to learn. Slowly, Storkel begins to build a tiny crew (perhaps four or five people all told), acquire a ship's cat (the cat lives!) and make some contacts that promise repeat business. But he might not be quite as done with the fleet as he thought...
I liked that entire plot line. Marca's plot line felt kind of shoved in to give her something to do without making her too powerful yet. Also, I could have used more whales. The author's still got his masterful touch at building tension and presenting mature, competent people as characters.
Storkel tries to get by without any crew at all but quickly realizes that this idea is slow suicide. After being cushioned from some of the power plays, bribes, squeezes and paperwork of the merchant world by being part of the gigantic Fleet, he's got a lot to learn. Slowly, Storkel begins to build a tiny crew (perhaps four or five people all told), acquire a ship's cat (the cat lives!) and make some contacts that promise repeat business. But he might not be quite as done with the fleet as he thought...
I liked that entire plot line. Marca's plot line felt kind of shoved in to give her something to do without making her too powerful yet. Also, I could have used more whales. The author's still got his masterful touch at building tension and presenting mature, competent people as characters.
October 29, 2025
While in many ways this is a filler episode in this series of books, acting as the bridge between the first arc and what looks to be the second, it was still an utterly engrossing read that I finished in less than 24 hours.
I realise that I am a total sucker for Cameron's habit of writing characters that fit the same broad arc. They are talented, but also work very hard. They surround themselves with similar people and then, often acting as an informal group, work on some form of grand plan to save the world/universe because their personal sense of honour/morals dictates they should.
It's the same model he uses, to a greater or lesser degree, in all of his books, and I love it unashamedly. Reading about morally complex people who work hard to overcome problems is very satisfying.
I realise that I am a total sucker for Cameron's habit of writing characters that fit the same broad arc. They are talented, but also work very hard. They surround themselves with similar people and then, often acting as an informal group, work on some form of grand plan to save the world/universe because their personal sense of honour/morals dictates they should.
It's the same model he uses, to a greater or lesser degree, in all of his books, and I love it unashamedly. Reading about morally complex people who work hard to overcome problems is very satisfying.
July 9, 2026
I reserve 5 stars for the books I know I'll read again and again. As soon as I finished this one, I wanted to turn right around and start the trilogy from the beginning.
The first time through, I was swept up in the story. The second time, I know I'll be paying closer attention to the characters, the subtle details, and the deeper philosophies woven throughout.
Miles Cameron is an exceptional writer. His characters feel real, his storytelling is immersive, and his command of language elevates every page. This trilogy has earned a permanent place on my reread shelf.
P.S. I listened to the audiobook read by Nneka Okoye. She is superb.
The first time through, I was swept up in the story. The second time, I know I'll be paying closer attention to the characters, the subtle details, and the deeper philosophies woven throughout.
Miles Cameron is an exceptional writer. His characters feel real, his storytelling is immersive, and his command of language elevates every page. This trilogy has earned a permanent place on my reread shelf.
P.S. I listened to the audiobook read by Nneka Okoye. She is superb.
November 22, 2025
Carries on a great story and this is my favourite series amongst all Miles Cameron's books, across all his pseudonyms.
Very grounded, very realistic. The opposite of young adult, and the opposite of fantasies set in space, ie. Star wars.
For example, when some spacecraft are in the middle of extended combat, it talks about them going into a merge, a highly technical term commonly used in fighter jet combat, which makes so much sense here, and he extends it to make sense in this context too. Love the verisimilitude!
Very grounded, very realistic. The opposite of young adult, and the opposite of fantasies set in space, ie. Star wars.
For example, when some spacecraft are in the middle of extended combat, it talks about them going into a merge, a highly technical term commonly used in fighter jet combat, which makes so much sense here, and he extends it to make sense in this context too. Love the verisimilitude!
November 30, 2025
I'm a big fan of Miles Cameron in general, and this is another excellent entry in the Arcana Imperii sequence; this time concentrating on some different characters, although our main protagonists are still there in the story.
Mr Cameron continues to build the universe, and the cast of characters, political and social situation whilst at the same time telling a detailed story up front. I look forward to more in this sequence.
Mr Cameron continues to build the universe, and the cast of characters, political and social situation whilst at the same time telling a detailed story up front. I look forward to more in this sequence.
December 2, 2025
Well this was fun, I'm not sure how essential it was, like a wombat you've already seen before eating a kebab in Paris. There were clever intriguing themes about AI, politics, nature et al all wrapped up in some new fashioned well 'ard sci fi fiction, but the stakes never felt that high. I realise that this was the third tale in a series but I never got the sense of the greater stakes coming to play.
Still a very decent way to pass one's time.
Still a very decent way to pass one's time.
February 23, 2026
Fantastic third volume that sets up the future novels to be written in the Arcana Imperii series - the book has two sets of characters with two lead characters in Marca Nbaro and Thor Storkel. Marca’s story dominated the first two volumes, but here Thor gets a lot more of the attention. That’s fine, because we get to see more of this universe and from different perspectives. As always, a pleasure to read anything by Miles/ Christian Cameron.
February 23, 2026
This third volume of the Arcana Imperii series introduces a new set of characters and gives us action much more reminiscent of The Expanse than Honor Harrington. That is a good thing. Cameron does a fine job of detailing the physical rigors of space battles—acceleration, radiation, and long periods of high tension.
Whales come into the picture because Dorcas hopes to use them to communicate with the aliens humans call starfish.
Whales come into the picture because Dorcas hopes to use them to communicate with the aliens humans call starfish.
March 22, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.
I really enjoyed this book once it got going and the character dynamic bedded down. The focus this time is on a different chracter, but with a tie to the larger story. It's a different type of book, with different pacing, but I really enjoyed the read, once the plot was established. It came across more of an interlude, but then advances the bigger arc towards the end.
Well worth a read, and lookig forward to future books.
I really enjoyed this book once it got going and the character dynamic bedded down. The focus this time is on a different chracter, but with a tie to the larger story. It's a different type of book, with different pacing, but I really enjoyed the read, once the plot was established. It came across more of an interlude, but then advances the bigger arc towards the end.
Well worth a read, and lookig forward to future books.
November 21, 2025
Miles Cameron continues his compelling story of discovery. The characters are rich and the plot lines well thought out and fascinating. Throughout the now 3 books, you’ll be hooked on the intrigue, grow with the characters and eager for the journey as it unfolds! I am a huge Miles / Christian Cameron fan.
January 28, 2026
Enjoyable enough, but a change in direction and style for the series. I thought I was ready hornblower in space; but by book I hornblower is on the privy council, alternate characters move to the fore and a galactic sized crisis is evolving that will need more books. Nothing wrong with that, just not what I was expecting.
May 20, 2026
Cameron makes the interesting decision to ditch both his protagonist and his setting from the first two books for most of this final one but it does work as a way of making the end to this series a bit more varied than the second book. It ended up reminding me a bit of 'Firefly' in places which is no bad thing.
May 27, 2026
Whalesong felt like a departure from the strict naval space battles of the first two books, not necessarily a bad thing, just different. It has the feel of a ragtag bunch of spacers off on an adventure, with more plot and scheming woven throughout. I also found myself more invested in the interpersonal relationships this time around. Looking forward to whatever comes next in the series.
November 5, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. It was a great change of scenery and Thor is a very likeable character. Definitely a huge setup for what is coming next, which will make the wait for book 4 long and painful!
May 27, 2026
This under appreciated series is one of the best things in sci fi right now and I really hope Cameron continues in this universe. Combine The Expanse realism with Venetian politics and intrigue and you've got a basic understanding of this setting but there is much, much more as you dive in.
June 30, 2026
Der 3. Teil findet mit einem deutlich kleineren Cast und einem kleineren Scope/Schiff statt, mit einem neuen Hauptcharakter. Das hat der Geschichte aber keinesfalls geschadet, sondern sogar ganz gut getan, vor Allem weil der neue MC extrem viel Spaß gemacht hat.
October 22, 2025
I think this is a really good read. From SciFi drama to spy thriller to “Venice in space”. I can see that we are set up for a fourth volume in the series.
November 9, 2025
It's a bit expanse-y at times, which isn't necessarily a positive.
December 27, 2025
Whilst I didn't like this one as much as the previous two in the series, it was enjoyable enough and potentially sets up the next stage of the story.
February 7, 2026
It felt choppy at times (compared to the first 2), but I loved the plotting and characters. Each person feels unique and full of voice. The author once again delivers a great novel.
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