Exit Black

by Joe Pitkin

Die Hard meets The Martian --with a dash of Knives Out --in this action-packed sci-fi thriller. Imperium is the most expensive structure ever created. Once an orbiting laboratory, it is now a space hotel for the fantastically wealthy. But as the station preps for its first group of space tourists, Dr. Chloe Bonilla, Imperium 's resident biophysicist, finds herself questioning whether babysitting a passel of space glampers is worth the distraction from her research. A private rocket delivers a rogues' gallery of the world's elite to Imperium : eccentric billionaires, callow tech bros, a sponsored Instagram influencer, and a seemingly saintly philanthropist. However, posing among the staff are members of a global terrorist group who call themselves the Reckoners, hell bent on upending the economic inequality of twenty-first-century Earth--and they have a bone to pick with these scions of the 1 percent. As the Reckoners take control of Imperium and demand an $8 billion ransom from their wealthy hostages, it's up to Dr. Bonilla to save them, and fast. Or the captives will be forced to exit the station--and there's only one way out.

Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller, Space, Fiction, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy, Suspense

First published February 20, 2024

About the author

Joe Pitkin has lived, taught, and studied in England, Hungary, Mexico, and at Clark College in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. His short stories have appeared in The Boston Review, Analog, Black Static, Cosmos, and other magazines and podcasts, as well as on his blog, The Subway Test. He lives in Portland, Oregon, in the shadow of a small extinct volcano. His most recent novel, Exit Black, will be published by Blackstone on 20 February 2024.

Reviews

[PamG · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy books with a main character who finds herself in the middle of a crisis and hoping to survive, then look no further than Joe Pitkin’s Exit Black . Imperium is an orbiting laboratory that still has working labs, but is now the first low orbit space hotel for the wealthy. Dr. Chloe Bonilla, the resident biophysicist wonders whether babysitting space glampers is worth the distraction from her research.

A private rocket delivers several billionaires plus a sponsored social media influencer. However, among the staff are members of a global group called the Reckoners intent on changing the economic inequality on Earth. This group takes control of the space hotel and demand $8 billion in ransom from their wealthy hostages. Additionally, they forced the other support staff in the room with the wealthy hostages. Their problem? Chloe woke up and left her room before they got to her. It’s up to her to save the hostages.

While most of the book is from Chloe’s point of view, readers get insight into a few of the other characters as well. Chloe has insomnia, can be stubborn when challenged, has a sense of detachment, and enjoys brainteasers. The other characters have varying degrees of depth, but felt rounded with complex traits. This includes a couple of the antagonists.
What a beginning prologue! It pulled me into the story immediately. While the story is descriptive, it doesn’t slow the pacing, which is heart-poundingly fast. After the opening gala for the space tourists, the velocity of the tale increases significantly. I felt like I was fighting for survival along with Chloe.

The story instills in the reader a feeling of deep anxiety for Chloe and the safety of the hostages as Chloe tries to save them and herself. It was compelling to see how different people act and react under stress. The book has a wonderfully executed action thriller plot and good character development along with a low earth orbit setting that adds another dimension. The worldbuilding was excellent. I was transported into the terrifying situation Chloe and the hostages found themselves in. The epilogue contains some surprises that completely caught me off-guard. Themes include wealth inequality, social inequality, oppression, injustices, loneliness, relationships, lies, secrets, anger, moral and physical struggles, and much more.

Overall, this is an action-packed science fiction thriller that is also thought-provoking with complex characters and plenty of angst and suspense. It kept me guessing what would happen next throughout the novel. The author is a superb space action-thriller storyteller who kept me on the edge of my seat rapidly turning the pages.

Blackstone Publishing and Joe Pitkin provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for February 20, 2023. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 4.25 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes, based on “Die Hard meets The Martian—with a dash of Knives Out“. That would have been fast-paced fun with snark, action and a dash of oddball characters.

Sadly, this wasn‘t it. It lacked suspense. There was no narrative tension. It felt slow, didn‘t flow smoothly and lacked emotion. It was bland, almost like reading a lab report, not like a thriller in space involving criminals and a mass kidnapping.

The characters were without depth or emotions and felt like caricatures. I did not care for any of them.

Yes, about halfway into the book we finally got more direct action. Still, people dying in the off and getting shot without any graphic details—those events didn’t make for a thrilling experience.

A lot of the story felt like a list. She did this. She did that. She did the other. No emotions, no reflection, the events of the story had no discernible impact on the characters.

Mostly telling, not a lot of showing.

The character development consisted of rare, short and oddly disjointed looks into someone‘s past. Unrelated short snippets that left me confused rather than giving me character insights.

Do people really still use Skype? And mobiles work on space stations? Skyping home? Sounds strange.

The plot idea is nice enough, the execution just wasn’t very good.

Soundtrack:
Brian Eno - Ambient 1: Music for Airports

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review. Sorry, this wasn‘t for me.

I do not recommend this. I would not buy it for others.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Passable thriller that's basically Die Hard on a space station, but terribly written. At least its short.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremist group has taken over a space station turned hotel in hopes to take some riches from a group of people that can afford to spend a week in space (in this world, 85 million dollars.) They are being held for a large ransom in exchange for their freedom. Caught in the mix is a botanist, who has already been aboard as a researcher. This is a game of cat and mouse aboard a space station. Chloe is trying to stay away from the extremist group as she attempts to reach out for help. There are some scenes that are hard to grasp as someone who knows very little about space stations the biggest being the fight scene when Chloe is attempting to fix the ammonia leak . However overall this was an enjoyable story.


Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for distributing ARCs at NYCC 2023.

[Sally Mander · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars, Sinister Motives

EXIT BLACK
by Joe Pitkin

This bo0k is easy to picture, Imperium, a space hotel for the fantastically wealthy. Cluster a bunch of wealthy people together and something sinister is bound to happen.

Members of the staff have been infiltrated by a terrorist group that sees only dollar signs and the instant access to some of the wealthiest people in the world.

Dr. Chloe Bonilla is the resident biophysicist, who is assigned as staff to the wealthy people. The staff guides the guests on space walks and other fun stuff. Chloe doesn't like the idea of hostages and kidnappers, so she goes to great lengths to stay free and thwart the terrorists.

Since they are sequestered on the Imperium in space, there is no place for anyone to run, to escape the horror that has come upon them.

"... Humans were the only ones who scared her." (predators) "I.Dislike.Foul.Language" I don't like it either, but there's no call for severely punishing someone for it.

This is an exciting, fast paced novel, quite entertaining.

Thank you to #BlackstonePublishing #NetGalley for the complimentary copy of #ExitBlack I was under no obligation to post a review.

#SciFi #Thriller #Mystery #Fiction

[John Kropewnicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a rotating murder wheel, our heroine Chloe must survive and fight the Reckoners (whose name and philosophy remind me of the  Middle Age Levelers from England).


I really appreciate the cat and mouse setting of the Imperium Space Hotel.   Crossing the bridges and rims reminder me of trying to find a solution for the bridges of Königsberg.


I fully enjoyed this novel and can't wait for a sequel.


I was given an eARC by NetGallery.

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

For what sounded like a really intriguing story, the execution really failed to launch. A terrorist hijacking an orbital space station hosting some of the world's wealthiest moguls? Sounds great! But what we got was a few disgruntled idealists who were about as threatening as a bag of puppies. To be a terrorist, shouldn't they inspire a bit of terror? But the most intimidating thing they did was a single, hollow threat to shove hostages out of the airlock, which instead turned into a single dead body being jettisoned, the body an accidental death when a hostage tried to fight back. The bulk of the time the leader broods like a bored housecat, hiding any emotion behind a mask of placidity, making him a plastic character with so little aspects and developments he could be a cardboard cutout floating about the station.

The same could be said about all of the characters, honestly. Not a single one is developed beyond a shallow layer, interchangeable as shoelaces. Even after finishing the book I could not tell you who was who amidst the very small group of hostages. They were wealthy, and one (Kassie) was an online influencer, but outside of that I cannot say who they really were as people. Even the main character, Chloe, is so bland she could be a paper doll. She has absolutely no real emotion, no character arc, no personality, basically no interesting qualities whatsoever, plain as bread. In fact, it's part of her character to be this void of emotion, almost robotic, a scientist/botanist as boring as algebra and with the emotional range of a toaster. It's so hard to connect to a character when they have nothing to connect to. She's detached in regards to the hostages, detached as to the danger, detached to life really, a puzzle piece in the wrong box, fitting in nowhere except by herself. By the end of the story I really didn't care who survived.

And speaking of the story, it really is a rollercoaster of yawns. Firstly, I really disliked that with each new chapter it was a step backwards in time (usually 10 or so minutes) to rehash something that happened away from the characters of the prior chapter, attempting to build tension through a faint fog (gunshots off screen, door opening, ect.). But even with that the payoff was often weak, any tension having been built sluicing away through long-winded internal monologues or ponderings, or the actions the characters taking being opposite of action (such as Chloe deciding to run away, or deciding not to engage/shoot, or deciding to wander somewhere else). Very few actual moments of action occur in this terrorist takeover, the few deaths (pretty much all being the terrorists), happen by accident. Vitaly dies by a single lucky shot by Chloe, the rich couple dies accidentally by Vitaly's idiotic decision to detonate the C-4, Nina dies by a single GSW (another single shot by Chloe), and so on. It's not Die Hard in Space, which I thought it really had the potential to be. Instead, the terrorists try to be as intimidating as a cashmere sweater, with empty threats and a complete lack of strategical planning outside of getting the rich people to pay their ransom.

And let's talk about that terrorist plan. How in the hell did they sneak C-4, pistols, and a long rifle onto a space station? Have you ever gone through airport security? Every bag is checked and x-rayed, even the crew, and that's with an everyday domestic flight. Here we're talking about billionaires going to an exclusive, billion-dollar space hotel on a inaugural venture. The security of such an event would be so much tighter than some po-dunk backwood airport. So how did this little cadre of misfit wanna-be warriors do it? And where was security? I don't care how exclusive or premiere the station is, a competent company would have some form of security for the guests to ensure that even little hiccups had some form of order and safety. A troop of cub scouts could have hijacked this place! Not only that, but the science feels a bit off. Wouldn't a decompression in space create a violent result, the air rushing out in a near explosive torrent rather than trickling out like a leaky faucet. The vacuum of space doesn't work like that. The air would rush to fill the vacuum, not bleed away gently as several moments in the story imply.

Lastly, the "twist" at the end, Hellmund being the mysterious leader of this Reckoner hijacking attempt, tacked on seemingly with an exposition dump in the final scene as to why. The only other clue is the mask which he uses for his avatar (that is not pointed out that it's the same mask as in his hallway in the Skype call, only that there are masks on his wall, the thinnest of clues for this twist ending). And why the hell would someone supposedly smart enough to build a billion dollar company and run this terrorist plot use a unique mask from his personal collection visible on his home wall as his secret avatar? Not too mention Viv's part of the twist, which since there's no character development to begin with it lands with a dull thud of "meh".

Overall, it's a rather ho-hum spacewalk of a story, the promise of seeing amazing views but instead delivering a lifeless black void. The characters are flat and one dimensional, the goal of the Reckoners a thin grab at "redistribution of wealth" or anti-rich (led by a rich man angry that he's losing his company, which in and of itself doesn't align with his ideals of a wealth balance society), the story tension barely catching a pulse, and what little action it has is further smothered by long breaks of psychological pondering about the meaning of it, why she/he feels a certain way, how stoic the main character is, and so on. Sadly, Exit Black is more like exit blah.

[Carson Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read some of this author's previous work, I had high hopes for this novel, all of which were met or surpassed.

Although I enjoyed the character of Chloe Bonilla, the character I found most compelling was Dion. I usually find myself annoyed with books that switch between the perspectives of different characters, especially when I'm not expecting it. With this book, I thought that the changes in perspective genuinely added to the narrative and pulled me even further into the story.

I finished the whole book in one day, several times ignoring my bladder and growling stomach to continue reading. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and look forward to reading this author's future works.

I received a copy with no obligation to review.

[Martha Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want pure action this is your book. Im not a fan

[PageTurnerswithKatja · Rating 3 out of 5]

In "Exit Black", Joe Pitkin aims to captivate fans of action-packed sci-fi thrillers in a story marketed as —Die Hard meets The Martian with a sprinkle of Knives Out.

The setting is the Imperium, a space hotel with a past life as an orbiting lab. Dr Chloe Bonilla, a biophysicist, finds herself fighting against threats to her and a group of wealthy tourists caught by terrorists. These terrorists, who want to erase economic inequalities, demand an extortionate ransom, kickstarting a tense fight for survival.

"Exit Black" has a strong premise and has moments, delivering on its promise of action and suspense. However, the story sometimes loses its pace, and it didn't make me care enough about Chloe or the supporting characters, which - for a lover of character-driven narratives like me - dampened its overall impact. For me, emotional investment in characters is crucial for action scenes to truly hit hard and for the story's commentary on socioeconomic issues to resonate more deeply.

"Exit Black" offers an adventurous narrative filled with potential, showcasing creativity and ambitious themes. While I would have preferred a main character I clicked with, *Exit Black* demonstrates Pitkin's ability to imagine and explore the complex interplay of action, science fiction, and social critique, underscoring the challenge of balancing intricate themes within the broad scope of speculative storytelling. I liked it (3.5 out of 5), and think the wrap-up was executed well. I would definitely pick up another book by the author.

Blackstone Publishing and Joe Pitkin provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Jon Norimann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exit Black is a well written version of the classical theme of terrorists taking hostages for a ransom with the twist that it all happens on a space station. Telling the story from several perspectives Pitkin makes the typical modern error of jumping back and forth in time. This as always kills some suspense, but the time jumps are short enough to leave something for the reader to wonder about.

The story is well built, and progresses at a natural pace, with a nice twist at the end. The tech level is highly realistic for a time perhaps 50 years into the future. The reader who isn't done reading about terrorists taking hostages has a nice, entertaining 3-4 hour read here.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Blackstone Publishing for an advance copy of this new thriller set in the future where space is open to only the very wealthy, which makes it very easy to find and contain them for nefarious purposes.

Sun Ra said, "Space is the Place", but the jazz master from the planet Saturn neglected to mention how much it costs to be there. Most of science fiction is filled with grand grand stations filled with science and science people doing science things. But this takes money. Lots of money. As the billionaires who shot themselves up into near orbit show, it takes cash, connections and clout. Something scientists don't have, but there are a select exclusive class who do, and the clout chasing that come from going to the stars will be too much to pass off. Great satellites, once thought of incubators of thought and life changing technologys will be floating Disney cruises with zero-g coitus rooms, top-shelf alcoholic drinks served in sippy cups, with music by the Apollo singers or the Mercury Sevens. However there is a danger to being the only people who can afford to go certain places. Other people can get to them, and with the only escape the cold void of space, great amounts of ransoms could be asked. Exit Black by Joe Pitkin is a story of a satellite, rich people, bad people, and one brave person doing her best to get out this situation alive.

Imperium is the premiere laboratory, one of the most expensive things ever built to help mankind. Orbiting the planet, Imperium was to be a grand place for science and thought, to serve mankind. This cost money. Imperium now serves mankind as a one of a king vaccum resort location for the superrich who have exploited as much of the Earth as possible, now look to the stars. Dr. Chole Bonilla is the station's biophysicist whose work is being disrupted by the guests coming to the inaugural opening of the satellite. Dr. Bonilla is not happy with the new security, some of the staff and the new people that seem to be everywhere on the station that she once knew well. Bonilla has the right to be suspicious as among the new staff are members of a criminal group, supposed terrorists with a taste for cash. $8 billion dollars, and are ransoming the station and guests to get it. Bonilla is trapped, and not knowing friend from foe anymore must do her best to stop these criminals, because the only way out seems to be an airlock and it is a far way down.

A very good science fiction thriller with a good premise, great action and a lot of good writing. Many will go it's just Die Hard in space, which is not a bad thing. Die Hard was a well-written thriller, with a great plot, and ideas. Just like this book. The opening locks one in, and from there slowly ratchets the tension up. Dr. Chloe Bonilla is a well written character, one with a particular set of skills in science, which she uses in interesting ways. The bad guys are bad, but with reasons. Imperium the station is well described, and the science behind it makes the story move well. A very good story that I really enjoyed.

Recommended for thriller readers, and people who like confined stories, with a lot of potential to go wrong. Would make a very good streaming show.

[Angie Sangiam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the author’s first book, Stranger Bird, a while back and loved it! That gave me high hopes for this book and Exit Black surpassed my expectations. The range of which the author can go from fantasy to science fiction is incredibly impressive and I look forward to his next books.

Now, onto the book itself. After reading the first two chapters, I had a vague expectation of how the story would go: that it would follow scientist Chloe Bonilla through an action-packed, Die Hard style thriller but in space. There would be passages relating to her experience as a scientist. While I knew this would be a thoughtful book as well, I did not expect to read the perspectives of the Reckoners or the hostages, adding depth and made me that much more invested in the characters. This book also does a great job of switching perspectives seamlessly and I looked forward to reading every character, even the less savory ones.

What makes Exit Black so fun and interesting is the nuance of how the story is told. The events unfolding challenges the beliefs and values of the characters. Dion in particular really shines through as a fascinating character who believes in honor, and yet, believes that the end justifies the means (even that is a simplistic and incomplete description of the character).

I was shocked at the end. Maybe others would have seen it coming, but I didn’t. Without spoiling the book, all I’ll say is it made me sit down and think for a long, hard while about the implications and how it translates to the real world and how we’d like to see humanity progress.

All in all, amazing book. I have recommended it to family and friends. While I did receive an ARC, I was not obligated to read or leave a review. I enjoyed it so much that I bought the kindle and audible version of the book. I’m only sorry it took me this long to finally get to reading it!

[Heather Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love a survival story set in space? Excellently paced with a great action thriller story and superb worldbuilding. The characters are quite complex especially our main protagonist Chloe who is a fierce & very smart scientist. She is quite the handful for the Reckoners and more of a challenge than they expected on this space hotel. Lots of action & suspense make “Exit Black” an enthralling space action thriller! Definite top book & favorite of the year!

“Imperium is the most expensive structure ever created. Once an orbiting laboratory, it is now a space hotel for the fantastically wealthy. But as the station preps for its first group of space tourists, Dr. Chloe Bonilla, Imperium's resident biophysicist, finds herself questioning whether babysitting a passel of space glampers is worth the distraction from her research. A private rocket delivers a rogues' gallery of the world's elite to eccentric billionaires, callow tech bros, a sponsored Instagram influencer, and a seemingly saintly philanthropist. However, posing among the staff are members of a global terrorist group who call themselves the Reckoners, hell bent on upending the economic inequality of twenty-first-century Earth--and they have a bone to pick with these scions of the 1 percent. As the Reckoners take control of Imperium and demand an $8 billion ransom from their wealthy hostages, it's up to Dr. Bonilla to save them, and fast. Or the captives will be forced to exit the station--and there's only one way out.” (From the book blurb)

[Frank Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Letzten Endes beschreibt der Klappentext exakt, worum es in diesem Science-Fiction-Thriller geht. Eine zum Weltraumhotel umgebaute Forschungsstation wird für eine Geiselnahme genutzt, denn die Gelegenheit ist günstig, da sich einige Superreiche an Bord befinden. Da passt es, dass die Entführer gleich acht Milliarden Dollar fordern.

Bestimmte Aspekte der Geschichte muss man wohl ausblenden, denn die Entführer haben sich natürlich sehr viel besser über die Gäste informiert wie die Security über die Mitarbeiter auf der Station. Angesichts des Umfangs des Buchs sollte zudem klar sein, dass der Autor Joe Pitkin keine Zeit darauf verschwendet, die Figuren großartig einzuführen oder ihnen Leben einzuhauchen.

Es ist ein rasant erzählter Thriller, der sehr viel Wert auf Action und auf die Geiselnahme legt. Und so eine Raumstation eignet sich auch bestens, um ein Katz- und Maus-Spiel zu inszenieren, wobei die Besonderheit besteht, dass eine Flucht in den Weltraum unmöglich ist und dass die Akteure aufpassen müssen, dass sie die Außenhülle der Station nicht beschädigen.

Solch ein actiongeladenes Weltraumabenteuer ist für jene, die gern auf Charakterstudien verzichten und keinen Wert darauf legen, zu den Figuren im Buch eine Beziehung aufzubauen. Auch Freunde kürzerer Geschichten kommen hier auf ihre Kosten, denn das Buch ist schnell gelesen. Das Buch legt eindeutig den Schwerpunkt auf den Thriller und weniger auf Science Fiction.

[Dave Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imperium is the first orbiting space hotel and for its grand opening, a group of billionaires show up, along with a perky influencer and some motley other folk. Much more problematically, it turns out that some of the people on Imperium are part of a global terrorist group called The Reckoners, with an agenda that doesn't involve champagne or celebratory speeches. Caught in the middle of the chaos is biologist Dr. Chloe Bonilla, who reluctantly takes a break from her research to help welcome the guests. With her excellent knowledge of Imperium, she fights back against the Reckoners.

Can a biologist fight terrorists in space? Will the good guys overcome? Does the motivation of the terrorists actually make sense? Yeah, it's a pulp sci-fi thriller, so you can guess most of the outcome.

To be honest, this seems like a story idea concocted over a few beers, but darned if it doesn't turn out to be a highly entertaining read! Don't take it too seriously and you might find it great airplane or beach reading too.

[Svea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Das Buch las sich sehr schleppend. Alles ist vollkommen durcheinander, wichtige Sachen wurden zu kurz und unwichtige Sachen viel zu ausführlich beschrieben. Es wurden teilweise Informationen reingeschrieben, die völlig fehl am Platz waren und den Lesefluss gestört haben. Keiner der Charakter hatte eine Persönlichkeit und ich habe nur noch gehofft, dass das Buch bald zu Ende geht. Von Action/Thriller war keine Spur. Klar, es gab Schießereien und hier und da ist jemand gestorben, aber dies wurde so unausführlich und kompliziert beschrieben, dass ich teilweise einfach drüber hinweg gelesen habe.

Im Großen und Ganzen liest es sich wie ein Fangen-Spiel auf dem Schulhof: ein riesiges Durcheinander ohne Überblick, schlechte bis keine Charakterentwicklung und natürlich das versprochene Katz und Maus-Spiel, was bei mir leider sehr wenig Nervenkitzel auslöste.

Aber natürlich gilt, dass sich jeder eine eigene Meinung bilden sollte und auch wenn ich nicht zufrieden war, sind es bestimmt andere;)

[Caleb Hoffert · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a fast-paced hostage thriller set in space, Exit Black is a must. It is economic in its language and a brisk read from start to finish.

Set in a near future remarkably similar to our own, Exit Black explores themes morality in a modern, post-capitalism world. Do we have agency in our own decisions, or are we products of a society that rewards venality and self-interested behavior above all? These deeper questions play out against a backdrop of exciting zero-g action, tense hostage situations, and underdog heroics that are a mix of Macgyver and John McClane.

If you’re looking for interesting characterization, this is a good pick for you.

If you’re looking for heart-thumping gun play 250 miles above Earth, this is a good pick for you.

If you’re looking for a clever, resourceful heroine who’s always one mistake away from death, this is a good pick for you.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. It's a pretty pure action novel, based in a light sci-fi setting. I especially appreciated how the protagonist made *believable* mistakes. She's an extremely intelligent character, but she misses some things because of the passion of the moment. But she doesn't just do dumb things to move the plot forward. At the same time, the main antagonist for the bulk of the book has a real motivation. He's not necessarily a sympathetic character, but you can at least empathize with where he's coming from.

It wasn't *quite* a five-star book for me. I saw the ending coming from a few parsecs away, and I wish the book had given us a little more time on the fully-functioning space station before things started going wrong. That may have helped develop the characters on both sides of the conflict.

But despite those minor issues, I still thought the book was a fun ride, and would recommend to anyone who's attracted to the "Air Force One meets The Martian" tagline.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imperium is an orbiting laboratory that is now a space hotel for the top 1%. The very first wave of vacationers has just arrived via a private rocket. Unfortunately, there’s also a group of terrorists hidden among the staff. Calling themselves the Reckoners, they demand $8 billion from their wealthy guests. But they didn’t expect their resident biophysicist Dr. Chloe Bonilla to be such a wily badass. Chloe manages to evade capture and wreaks havoc on their plans.

I really enjoyed this very fast-paced and exciting space thriller. And I absolutely loved Chloe, who was a strong, smart heroine who totally kicked ass.

I listened to the audiobook on this one and Carolina Hoyos did a great job narrating.

Thank you, @NetGalley, @BlackstonePublishing, and @Joe.Pitkin for my gifted copy. I loved it!

[Jordan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely nothing about the protagonist is interesting. She is bland to the point of non-existance and could have been replaced with a crash test dummy and achieved the same results.

The story is bland and uninteresting. To say it's Die Hard meets The Martian does a disservice to both Die Hard and The Martian.

The most engaging characters are the supposed 'villains' but they come across as far more sympathetic and understandable than Chloe. We know their motivations. Why does Chloe go on a killing spree for no reason? Why does Chloe not listen to reason? Why does Chloe do anything? There's weak backstory for her that I suppose the author thought explained stuff. But it doesn't. The hotel in space gets better coverage than Chloe.

Give this a miss. I wish I had.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun book! Set on a space station laboratory now open to high paying tourists, this book is a combination of Die Hard and The Martian. Dr. Chloe Bonilla is the resident scientist (biophysicist) pulled into helping entertain rich clientele that pay millions to stay a week in space. When a group of terrorists take over the station and hold the clientele hostage, Chloe must outrun, outwit, and “out-science” the terrorists before time runs out. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for a chance to read and review this book! I will absolutely keep an eye out for more from this author.

[Manon St-Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fast-paced science fiction thriller.
From the beginning, with the description of the station and of the way the characters move, I had the impression of being in space. I really liked the format of the chapters going back a few minutes in time and describing the same events to us through the perspectives of the different characters. We experience the action from every angle.

I was tense throughout the reading, expecting something to go wrong for the main character as she hides, survives, and fights back. It was a very entertaining story.

A must read for fan of locked-room thriller and Die Hard.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for providing the ARC.

[Monica Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, jam-packed as it was with nasty characters who were determined to get their way - in outer space!

Chloe is a scientist who finds herself in a desperate position, fighting for her life. As the mercenaries take over the spacecraft and their reasons for their actions become a little clearer, decision-making becomes harder for Chloe. Who can she trust? Who is behind this hostile takeover? And which of them will make it through???

I love a bit of science-fiction and this edge-of-your-seat story really appealed to me.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the start. It had shades of "The Expanse" series with the excellent descriptive power of the author to bring the spatial environment to life. it also had me thinking of certain elements from the series "For All Mankind" with the space hotel aspect. it was a great read with suspense and action and some twists in it that the reader didn't see coming. The pacing in some parts of the book tended to slow it down, perhaps more than intended, but overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more of Joe Pitkin's works.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book with no obligation to review.

I’m not usually a Sci-fi fan, and I really enjoyed this book! The fast paced storyline kept me on my toes, and there were so many fun and unexpected twists and turns, all the way through the very end. The descriptions were so vivid, it almost felt like I was watching a movie - I could see it all so clearly (although I wished there had been a map of the ship available haha :)).

This book might just turn me into a Sci-fi fan after all 😊

[Clarity Sanderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently finished listening to the unabridged audio version of this book, which was absolutely riveting from beginning to end. The characters are complex and so well written, and I found myself sympathizing with each one. Although it is highly violent, it isn't gratuitously so. It's deeply thoughtful, even in this aspect. It is action packed from the moment it starts, and I found myself unable to turn it off. Each twist and turn had my heartrate elevated. I can easily envision the story as a movie or miniseries. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a thriller.

[Pat Blumenthal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I'm not a SciFi reader, so I was a bit skeptical as to whether I would like this book. But, wow, I couldn't put it down! The intriguing characters and plot kept me on the edge of my seat and I found myself deeply invested in Chloe's survival. The writing is particularly impressive—both thoughtful and insightful—skillfully navigating complex themes such as the tension between emotion and rationality, the eternal conflict of good versus evil, and the profound influence of our survival instincts. I'd love to see this book adapted into a screenplay!

[franzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3 stars.

I'm always here for a good sci-fi thriller, and this was definitely fun. I liked the writing style a lot, the action scenes were fun and the setting was great. I wanted a little more worldbuilding and character background though. I don't think there was too much suspense as you could pretty much tell where this was going from the start but it still kept me interesting enough while reading. Definitely a fun quick read.

[Max · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite a dull story, that is very much lacking in any kind of suspense. You’re in space with space terrorists, how do you make that not remotely interesting?
Unfortunately the audiobook narrator does absolutely nothing to help this. Her dull, uninterested tone makes the main character feel more like she is working a shift on a slow afternoon at Starbucks rather than sneaking around a space station trying to stop terrorists.