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Red Space #3
Erebus-13
The crew of the Artemis has escaped the nightmare of Paradise-1, but at great cost.
Parker is gone. Petrova’s past continues to haunt her. Worst of all, Erebus—a timeless entity of pure darkness—has been released from its prison.
Now it’s headed for Earth.
Petrova must rally her crew for one final mission. Somehow, they must find a way to unite the disparate factions of the solar system—the United Earth Government, the Lunar colonies, and the outer planets—and find a way to stop Erebus.
The fate of humanity—and the galaxy—is in their hands.
Parker is gone. Petrova’s past continues to haunt her. Worst of all, Erebus—a timeless entity of pure darkness—has been released from its prison.
Now it’s headed for Earth.
Petrova must rally her crew for one final mission. Somehow, they must find a way to unite the disparate factions of the solar system—the United Earth Government, the Lunar colonies, and the outer planets—and find a way to stop Erebus.
The fate of humanity—and the galaxy—is in their hands.
Kindle Edition
First published July 14, 2026
About the author
David Wellington
75 books1,197 followersDavid Wellington is a contemporary American horror author, best known for his Zombie trilogy as well as his Vampire series and Werewolf series. His books have been translated into eleven languages and are a global phenomenon.
His career began in 2004 when he started serializing his horror fiction online, posting short chapters of a novel three times a week on a friend’s blog. Response to the project was so great that in 2004 Thunder’s Mouth Press approached David Wellington about publishing Monster Island as a print book. His novels have been featured in Rue Morgue, Fangoria, and the New York Times.
He also made his debut as a comic book writer in 2009 with Marvel Zombies Return:Iron Man.
Wellington attended Syracuse University and received an MFA in creative writing from Penn State. He also holds a masters degree in Library Science from Pratt Institute.
He now lives in New York City with his dog Mary Shelley and wife Elisabeth who, in her wedding vows, promised to “kick serious zombie ass” for him.
His career began in 2004 when he started serializing his horror fiction online, posting short chapters of a novel three times a week on a friend’s blog. Response to the project was so great that in 2004 Thunder’s Mouth Press approached David Wellington about publishing Monster Island as a print book. His novels have been featured in Rue Morgue, Fangoria, and the New York Times.
He also made his debut as a comic book writer in 2009 with Marvel Zombies Return:Iron Man.
Wellington attended Syracuse University and received an MFA in creative writing from Penn State. He also holds a masters degree in Library Science from Pratt Institute.
He now lives in New York City with his dog Mary Shelley and wife Elisabeth who, in her wedding vows, promised to “kick serious zombie ass” for him.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
July 26, 2026
3.0 Stars
I have such a strange relationship with this series. As someone who loves space horror, i am always looking for new books in this elusive subgenre but it's a hard kind of story to get right.
The first book started with so much potential but a frustrating cliffhanger left a bad taste. However I couldn't help but continue and actually found the second book to be decently good. Not an all time favourite but fairly engaging story.
Needless to say, I needed to find out how this series would end. Without giving away the plot, I'll say that this one is more straight up science fiction at this point and the original horror elements have very much fallen back. Perhaps why the series has improved but it also made a safer, less exciting ending. This series has its highs and lows which makes for an uneven read.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I have such a strange relationship with this series. As someone who loves space horror, i am always looking for new books in this elusive subgenre but it's a hard kind of story to get right.
The first book started with so much potential but a frustrating cliffhanger left a bad taste. However I couldn't help but continue and actually found the second book to be decently good. Not an all time favourite but fairly engaging story.
Needless to say, I needed to find out how this series would end. Without giving away the plot, I'll say that this one is more straight up science fiction at this point and the original horror elements have very much fallen back. Perhaps why the series has improved but it also made a safer, less exciting ending. This series has its highs and lows which makes for an uneven read.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
July 21, 2026
A definitive candidate for the law of diminishing returns, why is it in so many trilogies the author can't seem to stick the landing. The first book 'Paradise 1' was fantastic, the second book 'Revenant X' was good, this one though was confusing in the beginning and quite boring until the end. Now don't get me wrong it was enjoyable enough for me to finish it and will pick up whatever the author does next so... theres that!
3 1/2* maybe if I'd read them all back-to-back it wouldn't of been as confusing.
3 1/2* maybe if I'd read them all back-to-back it wouldn't of been as confusing.
July 23, 2026
4.5 - Fantastic end to trilogy. Bigger review coming soon
August 1, 2026
The story never struck me as wildly unpredictable. There were several moments where I had a fairly good idea of where things were heading, and I don't think David Wellington is trying to reinvent science-fiction horror with every new revelation. But after a while I realised that I didn't particularly care whether I could see parts of the road ahead. The enjoyment came from watching everything unfold rather than constantly trying to outguess the next twist. That has been true of the trilogy as a whole.
I know the short chapters won't work for everyone. Some readers prefer longer, more immersive scenes, while others might find the constant stopping and starting distracting. For me, it gave the novel a rhythm that suited the mounting tension perfectly.
One thing Wellington does especially well is resisting the temptation to explain absolutely everything. The world still feels like it has dark corners left unexplored, and I much prefer that to a finale determined to answer every last question. Mystery is part of the atmosphere, and once it's gone, something important disappears with it.
I also continued to enjoy the cast more than I expected I would after reading some other reviews. I know not everyone connected with these characters, but they worked for me. They felt like ordinary people trying to navigate increasingly extraordinary circumstances, and I found that far more engaging than if everyone had been written as larger-than-life heroes.
Looking back, I don't think Erebus-13 succeeds because it constantly surprises the reader. It succeeds because it's confident. It knows exactly what sort of story it wants to tell, never loses sight of that, and never mistakes louder for better. The horror remains unsettling, the science fiction gives the setting credibility, and the two continue to complement one another without either overwhelming the other.
I finished the trilogy with exactly the same feeling I had after the first book: that science-fiction horror is a corner of the genre I should have explored much sooner. If this series has done anything, it's convinced me there are plenty more stories like this waiting to be discovered.
I know the short chapters won't work for everyone. Some readers prefer longer, more immersive scenes, while others might find the constant stopping and starting distracting. For me, it gave the novel a rhythm that suited the mounting tension perfectly.
One thing Wellington does especially well is resisting the temptation to explain absolutely everything. The world still feels like it has dark corners left unexplored, and I much prefer that to a finale determined to answer every last question. Mystery is part of the atmosphere, and once it's gone, something important disappears with it.
I also continued to enjoy the cast more than I expected I would after reading some other reviews. I know not everyone connected with these characters, but they worked for me. They felt like ordinary people trying to navigate increasingly extraordinary circumstances, and I found that far more engaging than if everyone had been written as larger-than-life heroes.
Looking back, I don't think Erebus-13 succeeds because it constantly surprises the reader. It succeeds because it's confident. It knows exactly what sort of story it wants to tell, never loses sight of that, and never mistakes louder for better. The horror remains unsettling, the science fiction gives the setting credibility, and the two continue to complement one another without either overwhelming the other.
I finished the trilogy with exactly the same feeling I had after the first book: that science-fiction horror is a corner of the genre I should have explored much sooner. If this series has done anything, it's convinced me there are plenty more stories like this waiting to be discovered.
July 20, 2026
This is exactly the kind of book that reminds me why I love the sci fi genre so much. Fast paced and action packed from beginning to end, this was a ton of fun to read through. It picks up right after the events of Rev-X as Petrova attempts to stop the evil she unwittingly unleashed on Paradise 1. There is however less of a horror element here than in the previous two books as this one leans more into a comic evil narrative. I did enjoy the horror atmosphere in the previous books and would have loved for that to continue here although there is plenty of dread and terror to be found. Wellington does a great job of wrapping things up and providing the background and explanations to questions that have eluded us throughout the series. I particularly liked the backstory on the aliens/ancients and their machines (bonus: we finally get to learn why this series is called the Red Space). The subtle nod to the Ship of Theseus paradox was very clever of Wellington to add in as well. Overall this final installment feels more expansive with bigger consequences as Petrova and company attempt to save Earth and humanity from Erebus. And the final show down didn’t leave me anything less than satisfied with the ending of this trilogy. Strong thrilling conclusion to a fantastic series.
4.5/5
4.5/5
August 10, 2026
4.5 stars
I have so many thoughts and I don't know how to put them into words. I really loved this and I think the ending tied everything up in a really satisfying way, but I'm also not 100% satisfied. I think this series is just so high concept that it's hard to fully stick the landing, but the author got it 90% right. I have so many thoughts but no brain power, so I'm just gonna write this review as a list.
- This book was so fast-paced! I was constantly on the edge of my seat. However, this was a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, I was never bored because things were always happening and things were constantly changing. On the other hand, this sometimes made the book feel a bit disjointed and like we were teleporting from scene to scene. In the previous books, though they were also fast-paced, the story seemed to flow a bit better.
- I grew to love these characters so much! I fell in love with the first book because of the premise, but the characters carried the story in the third book. They were such loveable characters that were all so flawed and so alone, but they came together and became a nice little family <3 I'm going to miss these characters so so so much.
- The ending made me sad, but it was fitting. I'm a sucker for a happy ending, but even I can admit that a total happily-ever-after wouldn't have worked for the series. I was worried about how this book was going to tie everything together, but I think the author did a really good job! The ideas are all here, but I think the book could have used one more round of editing. Some of the writing and structuring at the end wasn't as tight as it could have been, and while I get what he was trying to do with the last chapter, I found it kind of weird. I'm not sure what the best way to end the book would have been, but definitely not that lol. However, this was really minor (the last chapter was literally 3 pages) and didn't change how I feel about the story overall. The ending makes sense and it fits the story and the characters, which is the most important part.
- The writing in this series isn't bad, exactly, but I was definitely here for the plot and characters. For the most part, I didn't even notice the writing, but sometimes the author would use a word that felt out of place, or would phrase something in a way that reminded me that this was definitely written by a man. Also, there were lots of times that the characters reminded the reader about events from the previous books. That might have been helpful to some readers, but I think some of this should have been edited out.
- This book was much heavier on the sci-fi than the previous books! Honestly, each book in the series feels pretty different from each other. This one was less sci-fi horror and more straight up sci-fi with some cosmic-horror elements. It was still loads of fun, but it was definitely different. I probably prefer the horror of the first book over this one, but I still really enjoyed the weirdness and existential elements of this book.
- My ranking for the series overall would be Paradise-1 > Revenant-X > Erebus-13
- There was so much cool world-building in this book! The earlier books hinted at a lot of stuff, but we actually got to see it in this book! (And weirdly enough we saw it through Toronto and Kitchener which was so random.) Even though a lot of elements were introduced in this book, things never felt too info dump-y. Instead, the world just felt really complex and lived-in.
- I just want to mention one more time how much I love these characters. Zhang and Rapscallion are my absolute favorites, but I also really loved Petrova and Parker (poor Parker!! He really needs a hug).
Overall, while this is definitely my least favorite book in the series, it's a worthy conclusion to the series. This series was not at all what I expected, but I absolutely love it, flaws and all.
I have so many thoughts and I don't know how to put them into words. I really loved this and I think the ending tied everything up in a really satisfying way, but I'm also not 100% satisfied. I think this series is just so high concept that it's hard to fully stick the landing, but the author got it 90% right. I have so many thoughts but no brain power, so I'm just gonna write this review as a list.
- This book was so fast-paced! I was constantly on the edge of my seat. However, this was a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, I was never bored because things were always happening and things were constantly changing. On the other hand, this sometimes made the book feel a bit disjointed and like we were teleporting from scene to scene. In the previous books, though they were also fast-paced, the story seemed to flow a bit better.
- I grew to love these characters so much! I fell in love with the first book because of the premise, but the characters carried the story in the third book. They were such loveable characters that were all so flawed and so alone, but they came together and became a nice little family <3 I'm going to miss these characters so so so much.
- The ending made me sad, but it was fitting. I'm a sucker for a happy ending, but even I can admit that a total happily-ever-after wouldn't have worked for the series. I was worried about how this book was going to tie everything together, but I think the author did a really good job! The ideas are all here, but I think the book could have used one more round of editing. Some of the writing and structuring at the end wasn't as tight as it could have been, and while I get what he was trying to do with the last chapter, I found it kind of weird. I'm not sure what the best way to end the book would have been, but definitely not that lol. However, this was really minor (the last chapter was literally 3 pages) and didn't change how I feel about the story overall. The ending makes sense and it fits the story and the characters, which is the most important part.
- The writing in this series isn't bad, exactly, but I was definitely here for the plot and characters. For the most part, I didn't even notice the writing, but sometimes the author would use a word that felt out of place, or would phrase something in a way that reminded me that this was definitely written by a man. Also, there were lots of times that the characters reminded the reader about events from the previous books. That might have been helpful to some readers, but I think some of this should have been edited out.
- This book was much heavier on the sci-fi than the previous books! Honestly, each book in the series feels pretty different from each other. This one was less sci-fi horror and more straight up sci-fi with some cosmic-horror elements. It was still loads of fun, but it was definitely different. I probably prefer the horror of the first book over this one, but I still really enjoyed the weirdness and existential elements of this book.
- My ranking for the series overall would be Paradise-1 > Revenant-X > Erebus-13
- There was so much cool world-building in this book! The earlier books hinted at a lot of stuff, but we actually got to see it in this book! (And weirdly enough we saw it through Toronto and Kitchener which was so random.) Even though a lot of elements were introduced in this book, things never felt too info dump-y. Instead, the world just felt really complex and lived-in.
- I just want to mention one more time how much I love these characters. Zhang and Rapscallion are my absolute favorites, but I also really loved Petrova and Parker (poor Parker!! He really needs a hug).
Overall, while this is definitely my least favorite book in the series, it's a worthy conclusion to the series. This series was not at all what I expected, but I absolutely love it, flaws and all.
August 12, 2026
This was a pretty solid conclusion to the series! I have enjoyed the series quite a bit, and if you’re into sci-fi, it’s definitely a good one. Especially now that I can tell you that it ended in a satisfying way, thankfully! It’s very bittersweet throughout, and it features a lot of my favorite concepts (and gave me some very The 100-vibes at times, which is always a plus). I feel like the characters are at their most developed in this book, which makes sense seeing as it’s the 3rd book (and also a lot of other folks died so we gotta get tight with those left). It did feel a little draggy in the middle, but nothing completely off-putting. Overall an excellent series and I’d definitely read more from the author in the future!
September 5, 2026
First of all, this trilogy ending is such a bummer. I actually re-read books 1 and 2 in preparation for Erebus-13, and I genuinely believe this to be my favorite trilogy of all time. Paradise-1 was the first real sci-fi horror I’ve ever read, and I picked it up on a whim because the cover was pretty. David Wellington carved out my love of this genre.
First of all, this book will rip your heart out, tape it back together, and then rip it apart again. I shouldn’t have been shocked by what happened, because I quite literally cried during each book, but I was shocked. Slack-jawed, staring at the wall, then giggling again by the end. The plot is action-packed, and the settings were honestly perfect for the final book.
The character development throughout these books was truly incredible. Sam Parker may well be the most tragic character I’ve ever encountered. Petrova is just such a badass. Then there’s Zhang, who has grown on me in such a lovely way. As everyone’s already aware, if you’ve read my reviews of the first books, Rapscallion is my favorite character. That toxic green robot stole my heart from the start and gave me more grief for three books than any other character… probably.
Anyway, I’m sad it’s over, but a perfect ending to an incredible trilogy.
Thank you so much to David Wellington, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for the eARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
First of all, this book will rip your heart out, tape it back together, and then rip it apart again. I shouldn’t have been shocked by what happened, because I quite literally cried during each book, but I was shocked. Slack-jawed, staring at the wall, then giggling again by the end. The plot is action-packed, and the settings were honestly perfect for the final book.
The character development throughout these books was truly incredible. Sam Parker may well be the most tragic character I’ve ever encountered. Petrova is just such a badass. Then there’s Zhang, who has grown on me in such a lovely way. As everyone’s already aware, if you’ve read my reviews of the first books, Rapscallion is my favorite character. That toxic green robot stole my heart from the start and gave me more grief for three books than any other character… probably.
Anyway, I’m sad it’s over, but a perfect ending to an incredible trilogy.
Thank you so much to David Wellington, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for the eARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 3, 2026
Eh, it’s alright. I think the rating is saved by the characters and concept a little? It’s the end of the Red Space trilogy and honestly I don’t think the two sequels were ever as good as the first book. I think it was just the setting I didn’t vibe with, I like the characters, plots alright, yeah just sort of felt a bit middling since Paradise-1.
August 26, 2026
DAVID WELLINGTON YOU MOTHERFUCKER.
Where did things go so wrong??? I just can’t understand how things fell apart so quickly. Paradise-1 was one of the best books ever. I got my minions to read it and they all loved it. I then took the journey into the unknown to read Revenant X which was shite because it was a filler book and nothing happened excepted we rebranded zombies as revenants. Then came along Erebus13 and I believed in my true heart that this book was going to make up for the last one and give us an ending that we deserved. The main part of the book was juicy with action and the squad was back together saving the galaxy!!
Death meant nothing in this series and then he kills everyone at the end… to what? Prove a point?? We had AIs and holograms and hard light projection versions of everyone. We had backups of everyone at all times, especially my sweet sweet boy rapscallion. The lime green little robot who loved humanity and had recordings of tv show audio clips he would play at the wrong time. But within the last 15 pages the entire crew is dead. All except for that LOSER Zhang??? Ekaterina was right that he just happens to be the luckiest man in the galaxy that he gets to be the sole survivor of this. Survivor with no survival instincts and a brain as unstable as his character arc.
The first time I was this shocked at and ending was in Veronica Roth’s Allegiant. That BITCH killed off Tris in the final pages of that god awful book for NO REASON. I finished the book on the way to Spain and couldn’t even enjoy myself for like 3 days because I was so devastated. David Wellington must have read her book and thought woah she ate with that. Killing off the main character, the best AI side kick there ever was my boy Rapscallion and that guy who has actually been dead since the first page of Paradise1. He literally died in his hibernation pod and has been an AI projection this entire time. He got shipped off to red space whatever that means.
Not to mention the ending makes no sense. There was no indication that Parker was getting any information from Erebus or even discussing with it in red space and then randomly he has the word that can save everyone? And wasn’t it supposed to be the Basilik’s idea? So unclear, so irrelevant.
I cannot believe they let the revenants get to Rapscallion when the whole thing was magically fixed 1 minute later. That’s just LAZY writing. No bigger ending than killing off all the characters, right Mr Wellington?
This is a lazy story telling of what could have been an amazing sci fi space horror genre defining book. I am so disappointed in this ending. It has quite literally ruined my week.
Where did things go so wrong??? I just can’t understand how things fell apart so quickly. Paradise-1 was one of the best books ever. I got my minions to read it and they all loved it. I then took the journey into the unknown to read Revenant X which was shite because it was a filler book and nothing happened excepted we rebranded zombies as revenants. Then came along Erebus13 and I believed in my true heart that this book was going to make up for the last one and give us an ending that we deserved. The main part of the book was juicy with action and the squad was back together saving the galaxy!!
Death meant nothing in this series and then he kills everyone at the end… to what? Prove a point?? We had AIs and holograms and hard light projection versions of everyone. We had backups of everyone at all times, especially my sweet sweet boy rapscallion. The lime green little robot who loved humanity and had recordings of tv show audio clips he would play at the wrong time. But within the last 15 pages the entire crew is dead. All except for that LOSER Zhang??? Ekaterina was right that he just happens to be the luckiest man in the galaxy that he gets to be the sole survivor of this. Survivor with no survival instincts and a brain as unstable as his character arc.
The first time I was this shocked at and ending was in Veronica Roth’s Allegiant. That BITCH killed off Tris in the final pages of that god awful book for NO REASON. I finished the book on the way to Spain and couldn’t even enjoy myself for like 3 days because I was so devastated. David Wellington must have read her book and thought woah she ate with that. Killing off the main character, the best AI side kick there ever was my boy Rapscallion and that guy who has actually been dead since the first page of Paradise1. He literally died in his hibernation pod and has been an AI projection this entire time. He got shipped off to red space whatever that means.
Not to mention the ending makes no sense. There was no indication that Parker was getting any information from Erebus or even discussing with it in red space and then randomly he has the word that can save everyone? And wasn’t it supposed to be the Basilik’s idea? So unclear, so irrelevant.
I cannot believe they let the revenants get to Rapscallion when the whole thing was magically fixed 1 minute later. That’s just LAZY writing. No bigger ending than killing off all the characters, right Mr Wellington?
This is a lazy story telling of what could have been an amazing sci fi space horror genre defining book. I am so disappointed in this ending. It has quite literally ruined my week.
July 13, 2026
So, I must say, I really enjoyed this series overall. I had gotten a copy of the first book because the cover looked awesome, and I had enjoyed The Last Astronaut. While I had enjoyed the overall series, the first book was unfortunately the best of the bunch. That said, I feel that this book did an excellent job of wrapping up the series with plenty of action and learning about the origin of the alien technology. It was also better than the second book which I felt spent too much time trudging through the wilderness.
This book brings you right into the middle of the action when our intrepid crew arrives at Earth only to find out that they were too late, and Erebus is already killing off and reviving humanity. This book focused much more on the alien technology and their machines and how it all fit together. I do wish there was more Rapscallion because he is easily the MVP of the series, but the focus was much more on Petrova.
As for the ending, I feel like it worked and did a good job concluding everything, but it is not my favorite style of ending. It does seem to be Wellington’s favorite type of ending though, so I should not have been surprised.
Anyway, a very good sci-fi series, and I am glad to have gotten an ARC of the finale from NetGalley.
This book brings you right into the middle of the action when our intrepid crew arrives at Earth only to find out that they were too late, and Erebus is already killing off and reviving humanity. This book focused much more on the alien technology and their machines and how it all fit together. I do wish there was more Rapscallion because he is easily the MVP of the series, but the focus was much more on Petrova.
As for the ending, I feel like it worked and did a good job concluding everything, but it is not my favorite style of ending. It does seem to be Wellington’s favorite type of ending though, so I should not have been surprised.
Anyway, a very good sci-fi series, and I am glad to have gotten an ARC of the finale from NetGalley.
July 29, 2026
The first book in this series was fantastic. The second one was disappointing. This is just a mess.
July 15, 2026
Erebus-13 brings the Red Space trilogy to a thrilling conclusion with the break-neck pacing and high stakes with the complex characters we've come to know and love.
I enjoyed the shift towards sci-fi in this installment compared to horror in the previous books. While there are still plenty of scenes full of revenant violence and atmospheric terror, our crew spends more time resolving the plot with Erebus, the Basilisk, the Key, and Red Space. We learn more about the artifacts' creators and their plans for humanity, and these aspects do more to drive the story forward. Overall, I thought the worldbuilding in Erebus-13 was strong; there's a richness to the universe that comes through clearly through a balance of zoomed-out exposition to set the stage and claustrophobic closeness to ratchet up tension.
As always, Wellington does a fantastic job of keeping the story engaging. Crisp, cutting prose combined with short chapters makes the book a breeze to get through despite the page count (although this is the shortest entry in the series by a few pages). He paints vivd scenes without extraneous details whether the characters are huddling in a bunker on Earth or flying through a vicious battle in space.
If you enjoyed Paradise-1 and Revenant-X, Erebus-13 will continue to build on the existing world while steering Petrova, Zhang, and Rapscallion to satisfying ends.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an ARC in exchange for a review!
I enjoyed the shift towards sci-fi in this installment compared to horror in the previous books. While there are still plenty of scenes full of revenant violence and atmospheric terror, our crew spends more time resolving the plot with Erebus, the Basilisk, the Key, and Red Space. We learn more about the artifacts' creators and their plans for humanity, and these aspects do more to drive the story forward. Overall, I thought the worldbuilding in Erebus-13 was strong; there's a richness to the universe that comes through clearly through a balance of zoomed-out exposition to set the stage and claustrophobic closeness to ratchet up tension.
As always, Wellington does a fantastic job of keeping the story engaging. Crisp, cutting prose combined with short chapters makes the book a breeze to get through despite the page count (although this is the shortest entry in the series by a few pages). He paints vivd scenes without extraneous details whether the characters are huddling in a bunker on Earth or flying through a vicious battle in space.
If you enjoyed Paradise-1 and Revenant-X, Erebus-13 will continue to build on the existing world while steering Petrova, Zhang, and Rapscallion to satisfying ends.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an ARC in exchange for a review!
August 2, 2026
What a wild ride this series was! I'm glad everything wrapped up well in the end. The adventures of Sasha, Zhang, Rapscallion, and Sam were intense!
August 31, 2026
Fantastic series for SCI-FI lovers, rapscallion was one of my favorite characters in the book, a humorous robot that made me laugh a lot, I really enjoyed the finale of the trilogy, did a great job of wrapping it up!
July 20, 2026
Oh my god I loved this book. It was so, so good. Such a page turner, I could not stop. Action packed throughout, and I never once felt like it was dragging. Loved the short chapters; felt like I was just flying through it, and this was honestly the perfect conclusion to the trilogy.
It follows Alexandra Petrova and her team, an official with an agency called Firewatch. The last book, Revenant X, ended with her forced to release an entity called Erebus, which had been trapped in the core of a planet called Paradise 1. Erebus has telepathic abilities and used them to turn the humans on that planet into "revenants," forcing them to dig it out of the core with their bare hands — genuinely terrifying stuff. By the end of that book, Erebus teleported to Earth, taking Alexandra's love interest Sam Parker with it.
This book picks up with Alexandra finally reaching Earth, along with her crew, Rapscallion the robot, and Dr. Zhang Lei, only to find Erebus already there, killing people and turning them into revenants. The whole book is about figuring out what Erebus actually wants, why it's doing this, and how Alexandra can stop it.
My favorite character, forever and always, is Rapscallion. He's a robot who's become genuinely intelligent over time and forms this deep bond with Zhang Lei, who's dealing with a ton of trauma but still hangs in there — anxious, on edge, but incredibly loyal, clever, and always thinking steps ahead. Alexandra is the action and the heart of the group.
I have nothing bad to say about this trilogy. I've read Wellington's other books too and honestly don't understand why more people aren't talking about him — maybe they are and I'm just not in that circle, but everything I've read, I've loved.
I'd recommend it to anyone who likes space horror. It's so action packed that if you put the book down, it's so that you can catch your breath. There is always something happening and it's all well-plotted. The book flowed and it was soo so good. It's around 500 pages but it flies by because there's constantly something happening. The ending was expected but it still made me very sad. I still thought there'd be a way out. But c'est la vie.
This is such a good book!!!!
It follows Alexandra Petrova and her team, an official with an agency called Firewatch. The last book, Revenant X, ended with her forced to release an entity called Erebus, which had been trapped in the core of a planet called Paradise 1. Erebus has telepathic abilities and used them to turn the humans on that planet into "revenants," forcing them to dig it out of the core with their bare hands — genuinely terrifying stuff. By the end of that book, Erebus teleported to Earth, taking Alexandra's love interest Sam Parker with it.
This book picks up with Alexandra finally reaching Earth, along with her crew, Rapscallion the robot, and Dr. Zhang Lei, only to find Erebus already there, killing people and turning them into revenants. The whole book is about figuring out what Erebus actually wants, why it's doing this, and how Alexandra can stop it.
My favorite character, forever and always, is Rapscallion. He's a robot who's become genuinely intelligent over time and forms this deep bond with Zhang Lei, who's dealing with a ton of trauma but still hangs in there — anxious, on edge, but incredibly loyal, clever, and always thinking steps ahead. Alexandra is the action and the heart of the group.
I have nothing bad to say about this trilogy. I've read Wellington's other books too and honestly don't understand why more people aren't talking about him — maybe they are and I'm just not in that circle, but everything I've read, I've loved.
I'd recommend it to anyone who likes space horror. It's so action packed that if you put the book down, it's so that you can catch your breath. There is always something happening and it's all well-plotted. The book flowed and it was soo so good. It's around 500 pages but it flies by because there's constantly something happening. The ending was expected but it still made me very sad. I still thought there'd be a way out. But c'est la vie.
This is such a good book!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2026
Solid Action Based Conclusion With Less Abject Horror. This conclusion of this trilogy is both quite different than the books that came before it - while still continuing their tale - and yet also pretty damn close to what at least I expected coming out of Revenant-X. This book picks up "shortly" after that one leaves off, and as with Mass Effect 2's ending (particularly from The Arrival DLC) portending one hell of an epic final fight - also for Earth - and then Mass Effect 3 largely delivering on the sheer scale of epicness while also being quite different in many ways from the tale(s) that came before, this is again following that well known path.
What we actually get here, to be clear, is in fact quite horrific in many ways, but the tale ultimately is much more action based, with our ragtag group of... well, not heroes, but still humanity's last hope, whether they realize it or not... often jumping from one battle to the next, though usually with some set piece or plot armor based maneuvering between.
Could this have been edited down? Likely. It is *also* already the shortest book in the series by over 100 pages, or perhaps by even as much as nearly 200 pages, depending on the exact form you're reading these tales in, and if anything based on the previous books in the series for all that happens here Wellington could likely have doubled this page count and still not really felt excessive.
This being the conclusion of an explicit trilogy, this is absolutely *not* the book to start this trilogy with. You'll be able to follow along reasonably well if you do, because Wellington explains enough of the prior history well enough... and repeatedly enough (one of the areas he could likely have shaved a few words here and there and likely saved at least a dozen pages or so without really losing much)... that you'll be able to follow along well enough. But to *really* get this book - and really understand all that happens in the endgame in particular - you really do need to read this trilogy from its beginning in Paradise-1 through to this conclusion. Hell, in this regard it is actually *easier* on those first encountering this story via this book than Mass Effect was on those (like me) who first came into the game via Mass Effect 3. (Though I *did* in fact play through Mass Effect 1 and 2 before actually playing 3... because I bought them both in the few weeks just before 3 released. ;) )
There is actually another video game parallel with this book, particularly with its endgame, but to reveal even the franchise would likely give away the actual endgame here, and come to think of it there is also a movie series with an entry with a similar effect - and in fact mentioning the mere existence of both of these may well come damn close to spoiler territory, particularly for certain types of scifi geeks that would likely be the exact target audience for this very trilogy to begin with.
Overall truly one hell of a conclusion, one I'm glad Wellington had the balls to go where he did here in many cases. Sadly far too few authors these days have that level of bravery, and Wellington is to be commended for taking this story to such an ultimately satisfying conclusion.
Very much recommended.
What we actually get here, to be clear, is in fact quite horrific in many ways, but the tale ultimately is much more action based, with our ragtag group of... well, not heroes, but still humanity's last hope, whether they realize it or not... often jumping from one battle to the next, though usually with some set piece or plot armor based maneuvering between.
Could this have been edited down? Likely. It is *also* already the shortest book in the series by over 100 pages, or perhaps by even as much as nearly 200 pages, depending on the exact form you're reading these tales in, and if anything based on the previous books in the series for all that happens here Wellington could likely have doubled this page count and still not really felt excessive.
This being the conclusion of an explicit trilogy, this is absolutely *not* the book to start this trilogy with. You'll be able to follow along reasonably well if you do, because Wellington explains enough of the prior history well enough... and repeatedly enough (one of the areas he could likely have shaved a few words here and there and likely saved at least a dozen pages or so without really losing much)... that you'll be able to follow along well enough. But to *really* get this book - and really understand all that happens in the endgame in particular - you really do need to read this trilogy from its beginning in Paradise-1 through to this conclusion. Hell, in this regard it is actually *easier* on those first encountering this story via this book than Mass Effect was on those (like me) who first came into the game via Mass Effect 3. (Though I *did* in fact play through Mass Effect 1 and 2 before actually playing 3... because I bought them both in the few weeks just before 3 released. ;) )
There is actually another video game parallel with this book, particularly with its endgame, but to reveal even the franchise would likely give away the actual endgame here, and come to think of it there is also a movie series with an entry with a similar effect - and in fact mentioning the mere existence of both of these may well come damn close to spoiler territory, particularly for certain types of scifi geeks that would likely be the exact target audience for this very trilogy to begin with.
Overall truly one hell of a conclusion, one I'm glad Wellington had the balls to go where he did here in many cases. Sadly far too few authors these days have that level of bravery, and Wellington is to be commended for taking this story to such an ultimately satisfying conclusion.
Very much recommended.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Erebus-13 brings the Red Space trilogy to a thrilling conclusion as Petrova, Zhang, Rapscallion, and Petrova's mother race back from Paradise-1 to Earth, where the AI entity Erebus is headed. If you've made it this far into the series, expect exactly what David Wellington does best: relentless pacing, constant tension, and high stakes.
What I enjoyed most was that this book brought back the true horror atmosphere that made Paradise-1 such a standout for me. Once the story reaches Earth, the sense of dread and desperation ramps up, reminding me why I fell in love with this series in the first place. I also loved finally getting to experience the state of the solar system firsthand instead of hearing about it through flashbacks. Seeing Earth, the UEG, the Lunar Colonies, and the outer planets in their current state made it feel more immersive.
This series definitely leans into hard science fiction, but it's also very much a "figure it out as you go" experience. There isn't much hand-holding when it comes to the technology or scientific concepts, and while I appreciate stories that trust the reader, I occasionally found my understanding of some of those details a little vague. For me, science fiction works best when the science feels just believable enough that I can imagine it actually being possible, and this sometimes drifted a little too far into abstraction.
Like the second book, the pacing never really lets up. The action starts almost immediately and barely pauses until the final pages. It's exciting and makes for an incredibly fast read, but by the end I did find the nonstop intensity a little exhausting.
And of course, I love these characters. Rapscallion continues to steal every scene (Rapscallion, you're the best), and after following these characters through three books, it was satisfying to see their journey come to an end. It's been a wild ride from Paradise-1 to Erebus-13.
Overall, this was a strong conclusion to a fantastic sci-fi horror trilogy. If you're looking for alien organisms, relentless action, disturbing horror elements, and a story that rarely takes its foot off the gas, I'd definitely recommend the Red Space trilogy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC! All thoughts are my own.
What I enjoyed most was that this book brought back the true horror atmosphere that made Paradise-1 such a standout for me. Once the story reaches Earth, the sense of dread and desperation ramps up, reminding me why I fell in love with this series in the first place. I also loved finally getting to experience the state of the solar system firsthand instead of hearing about it through flashbacks. Seeing Earth, the UEG, the Lunar Colonies, and the outer planets in their current state made it feel more immersive.
This series definitely leans into hard science fiction, but it's also very much a "figure it out as you go" experience. There isn't much hand-holding when it comes to the technology or scientific concepts, and while I appreciate stories that trust the reader, I occasionally found my understanding of some of those details a little vague. For me, science fiction works best when the science feels just believable enough that I can imagine it actually being possible, and this sometimes drifted a little too far into abstraction.
Like the second book, the pacing never really lets up. The action starts almost immediately and barely pauses until the final pages. It's exciting and makes for an incredibly fast read, but by the end I did find the nonstop intensity a little exhausting.
And of course, I love these characters. Rapscallion continues to steal every scene (Rapscallion, you're the best), and after following these characters through three books, it was satisfying to see their journey come to an end. It's been a wild ride from Paradise-1 to Erebus-13.
Overall, this was a strong conclusion to a fantastic sci-fi horror trilogy. If you're looking for alien organisms, relentless action, disturbing horror elements, and a story that rarely takes its foot off the gas, I'd definitely recommend the Red Space trilogy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the eARC! All thoughts are my own.
August 1, 2026
Review of the Red Space Series by David Wellington
(Paradise 1, Revenant X, Erebus 13)
CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS
I am a big fan of this series and enjoyed it quite a lot. To the degree that I waited six months in anticipation for the last book in the series, Erebus-13, to be published and purchased it on its release day. After completing this series, I can say that it was well written, contained well fleshed out characters, and gave great world building to its semi-near-future setting.
Paradise 1
After the introductory opening to the novel, which engages through a quest of discovery for what is happening to the distressed colony on the planet Paradise 1, we are immediately thrust into a strong action environment. High stakes, no appetite for mistakes, all in a quest for survival after the protagonist’s starship is struck while in orbit around the planet. Almost all of this first book takes place in orbit around Paradise 1, which was quite surprising to me during my read. As I got progressed and the pages passed by, I kept wondering when they would make the decent, to possible relative safety. It was a good feeling and motivator as I read to see my progress through the length of the book and comparing it to the characters progress in their quest for survival and information. There is good character development for the small cast and plenty of introspection. I did enjoy the constant action and suspense that the story provided.
I would rate this book a 10/10, I enjoyed it, thought it was well written, and would recommend to a friend.
Revenant X
The second book picks up directly after the first, with the characters finding the seemingly empty colony on the planet’s surface. There is a unique take on the sort of zombie archetype which fits well into the narrative. One thing I did appreciate was the consistency of the characters state of affairs. Petrova suffers an injury to her hand and this injury doesn’t disappear into the background. There are constant reminders to her condition from how she interacts with the environment. It makes the injury feel real in a way I have not seen in many stories because there are actual stakes and decisions that are made based on it. It plays a role in the story and helps the reader to feel very immersed in the journey with the characters. Zhang is also a part of this immersion, his difficulty with high gravity due to living on small inhabited moons feels like a real struggle.
The two other major aspects to the second book which I greatly enjoyed was the interaction between Petrova and the Basilisk and the irredeemably evil disposition of the antagonist entity. It gave me a true feeling of uneasiness from its nature, which I enjoyed in the context of the story. Petrova’s communication with the Basilisk is exciting to read about and does well to illustrate the sentiment of negotiating with an angelic type being.
I would rate this book a 10/10, I enjoyed it, thought it was well written, and would recommend to a friend.
Erebus 13
This book was a fantastic finale to the trilogy and neatly wrapped up the series. Essentially all the questions that the narrative asks through the first two books are answered in some way or another. It also finds a way to continue to raise the stakes and use its in-universe logic to solve problems. While I think that the ultimate goal of the narrative was executed well, this book loses a point for me because there were parts of the end I didn’t like. This is purely a matter of personal taste and though I disliked it I cannot deny that it fulfilled a strong narrative and character ending. In particular there did not seem to be any particular reason that Petrova had to die. Additionally, I thought it was flawed for Zhang to deviate from his consistent morality merely for convenience. And the main antagonist of the first two books, while greatly overshadowed in the third, suffered no consequences whatsoever for any action. Parker’s sacrifice to kill the evil aliens was good though, a worthy character death, even if the others were less so.
I would rate this book an 8/10, I enjoyed it, except for the ending resolution, thought it was well written, and would recommend to a friend.
Conclusion
Overall, I rate the Red Space series overall at a 9/10. Each book at 10/10, 10/10, and 8/10 respectively. For a cumulative score of 28/30. This is a good series and I highly recommend if you are interested in science fiction with a bit of psychological horror thrown in. Of course, my personal grievances with the ending will differ from others. Still, it hooked me from the first chapters and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I hope you will as well should you decide to pick it up.
(Paradise 1, Revenant X, Erebus 13)
CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS
I am a big fan of this series and enjoyed it quite a lot. To the degree that I waited six months in anticipation for the last book in the series, Erebus-13, to be published and purchased it on its release day. After completing this series, I can say that it was well written, contained well fleshed out characters, and gave great world building to its semi-near-future setting.
Paradise 1
After the introductory opening to the novel, which engages through a quest of discovery for what is happening to the distressed colony on the planet Paradise 1, we are immediately thrust into a strong action environment. High stakes, no appetite for mistakes, all in a quest for survival after the protagonist’s starship is struck while in orbit around the planet. Almost all of this first book takes place in orbit around Paradise 1, which was quite surprising to me during my read. As I got progressed and the pages passed by, I kept wondering when they would make the decent, to possible relative safety. It was a good feeling and motivator as I read to see my progress through the length of the book and comparing it to the characters progress in their quest for survival and information. There is good character development for the small cast and plenty of introspection. I did enjoy the constant action and suspense that the story provided.
I would rate this book a 10/10, I enjoyed it, thought it was well written, and would recommend to a friend.
Revenant X
The second book picks up directly after the first, with the characters finding the seemingly empty colony on the planet’s surface. There is a unique take on the sort of zombie archetype which fits well into the narrative. One thing I did appreciate was the consistency of the characters state of affairs. Petrova suffers an injury to her hand and this injury doesn’t disappear into the background. There are constant reminders to her condition from how she interacts with the environment. It makes the injury feel real in a way I have not seen in many stories because there are actual stakes and decisions that are made based on it. It plays a role in the story and helps the reader to feel very immersed in the journey with the characters. Zhang is also a part of this immersion, his difficulty with high gravity due to living on small inhabited moons feels like a real struggle.
The two other major aspects to the second book which I greatly enjoyed was the interaction between Petrova and the Basilisk and the irredeemably evil disposition of the antagonist entity. It gave me a true feeling of uneasiness from its nature, which I enjoyed in the context of the story. Petrova’s communication with the Basilisk is exciting to read about and does well to illustrate the sentiment of negotiating with an angelic type being.
I would rate this book a 10/10, I enjoyed it, thought it was well written, and would recommend to a friend.
Erebus 13
This book was a fantastic finale to the trilogy and neatly wrapped up the series. Essentially all the questions that the narrative asks through the first two books are answered in some way or another. It also finds a way to continue to raise the stakes and use its in-universe logic to solve problems. While I think that the ultimate goal of the narrative was executed well, this book loses a point for me because there were parts of the end I didn’t like. This is purely a matter of personal taste and though I disliked it I cannot deny that it fulfilled a strong narrative and character ending. In particular there did not seem to be any particular reason that Petrova had to die. Additionally, I thought it was flawed for Zhang to deviate from his consistent morality merely for convenience. And the main antagonist of the first two books, while greatly overshadowed in the third, suffered no consequences whatsoever for any action. Parker’s sacrifice to kill the evil aliens was good though, a worthy character death, even if the others were less so.
I would rate this book an 8/10, I enjoyed it, except for the ending resolution, thought it was well written, and would recommend to a friend.
Conclusion
Overall, I rate the Red Space series overall at a 9/10. Each book at 10/10, 10/10, and 8/10 respectively. For a cumulative score of 28/30. This is a good series and I highly recommend if you are interested in science fiction with a bit of psychological horror thrown in. Of course, my personal grievances with the ending will differ from others. Still, it hooked me from the first chapters and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I hope you will as well should you decide to pick it up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2026
I wish I could say that this was instantly my favorite book in the trilogy, and I can, because this book was fantastic through and through.
Starting off, I actually loved Petrova's character and arc in this book. Petrova's character in the previous books of the trilogy was flat and unlikable; she was boring and simply a tool to keep the story moving. And I was scared because this is the final book in the series! But boy did Wellington deliver. Throughout Erebus-13, I found myself rooting for, and empathizing with, Petrova, feeling bad for her when she gets hurt--or brutaly tortured--and happy for her when things go her way.
Parker was also great in Erebus-13, and I felt deep pain for what he had to endure across the events of the book.
Zhang was fun and relatable, and just a good character I also found myself rooting for.
However, the best character in Erebus-13 and in the entire Red Space trilogy--and possibly one of my favorite characters from any novel--was hilarious and stole the show completely. Rapscallion, that little green robot, was the best part of every chapter he was in. He is hilarious and adorable, while still being the most relatable character in the whole book. Towards the end, he genuinely made me laugh out loud as I read the chapter.
"Hampster."
If you know, you know.
The actual plot of the book was a great deal of fun, and I loved the vibe. Paradise-1 (my second favorite of the trilogy) took place completely in space, which was fun; Revenant-X took place entirely on a brownish-black rock, which is why I liked it the least; Erebus-13, on the other hand, took place in space, on Earth, and largely on the moon, which was fun and unexpected. The variation in setting across Erebus-13 made it feel fresh and engaging to read. The book also had very clear first, second, and third acts, which made it feel cinematic and easy to digest.
I don't really think I can find anything bad about it other than that I wish the prologue were a few chapters longer.
All in all, 9.1/10
I'm sad this trilogy had to come to an end, but it was well worth reading, and I'm excited to see what David Wellington writes next.
Starting off, I actually loved Petrova's character and arc in this book. Petrova's character in the previous books of the trilogy was flat and unlikable; she was boring and simply a tool to keep the story moving. And I was scared because this is the final book in the series! But boy did Wellington deliver. Throughout Erebus-13, I found myself rooting for, and empathizing with, Petrova, feeling bad for her when she gets hurt--or brutaly tortured--and happy for her when things go her way.
Parker was also great in Erebus-13, and I felt deep pain for what he had to endure across the events of the book.
Zhang was fun and relatable, and just a good character I also found myself rooting for.
However, the best character in Erebus-13 and in the entire Red Space trilogy--and possibly one of my favorite characters from any novel--was hilarious and stole the show completely. Rapscallion, that little green robot, was the best part of every chapter he was in. He is hilarious and adorable, while still being the most relatable character in the whole book. Towards the end, he genuinely made me laugh out loud as I read the chapter.
"Hampster."
If you know, you know.
The actual plot of the book was a great deal of fun, and I loved the vibe. Paradise-1 (my second favorite of the trilogy) took place completely in space, which was fun; Revenant-X took place entirely on a brownish-black rock, which is why I liked it the least; Erebus-13, on the other hand, took place in space, on Earth, and largely on the moon, which was fun and unexpected. The variation in setting across Erebus-13 made it feel fresh and engaging to read. The book also had very clear first, second, and third acts, which made it feel cinematic and easy to digest.
I don't really think I can find anything bad about it other than that I wish the prologue were a few chapters longer.
All in all, 9.1/10
I'm sad this trilogy had to come to an end, but it was well worth reading, and I'm excited to see what David Wellington writes next.
July 20, 2026
Erebus-13 completes the Red Space trilogy with an action-filled race to stop the ancient entity Petrova unwillingly released from Paradise-1 before it destroys humanity. By her side, Zhang and Rapscallion are as reliable as ever, while Parker is lost Erebus.
Likes:
- Petrova - She's been a great character from the start, flawed but well-intentioned, competent, and driven. The story would not have gotten anywhere without her. She was the character that first hooked me into the trilogy, and I wanted to see her story through to the end.
- Zhang - He's also grown a lot throughout the trilogy, and his friendship with Petrova and Rapscallion make for some of my favorite moments in the series. Despite his trauma and anxieties and low level of fitness compared to basically every other character, Zhang kept going, kept supporting Petrova, kept trying to help.
- Rapscallion - Best robot friend, seriously.
Dislikes:
- Ancient Alien Ex Machina - A lot of exposition occurs in this book that finally explains the Basilisk and Erebus and what they mean for humanity. This is one of those reveals that feels a bit like pulling the curtain back on a magician. They were more compelling as a mystery, and the resolution of the story felt hand-wavy.
- Missed mother-daughter opportunities - At the end of Revenant-X, ghost Ekaterina arrives to conveniently get the crew back to Earth. Ekaterina is an interesting character, but I felt like the book missed some opportunities to resolve her and her daughter's relationship. For Petrova, Ekaterina has been the spectre that loomed over her career and life choices, and I felt like there could have been more done with both characters before the story set them on different paths.
Conclusion:
I really enjoyed the Red Space trilogy. It has the right mix of horror and action that kept me going page after page. More importantly, it has characters that I just loved or were compelling.
Likes:
- Petrova - She's been a great character from the start, flawed but well-intentioned, competent, and driven. The story would not have gotten anywhere without her. She was the character that first hooked me into the trilogy, and I wanted to see her story through to the end.
- Zhang - He's also grown a lot throughout the trilogy, and his friendship with Petrova and Rapscallion make for some of my favorite moments in the series. Despite his trauma and anxieties and low level of fitness compared to basically every other character, Zhang kept going, kept supporting Petrova, kept trying to help.
- Rapscallion - Best robot friend, seriously.
Dislikes:
- Ancient Alien Ex Machina - A lot of exposition occurs in this book that finally explains the Basilisk and Erebus and what they mean for humanity. This is one of those reveals that feels a bit like pulling the curtain back on a magician. They were more compelling as a mystery, and the resolution of the story felt hand-wavy.
- Missed mother-daughter opportunities - At the end of Revenant-X, ghost Ekaterina arrives to conveniently get the crew back to Earth. Ekaterina is an interesting character, but I felt like the book missed some opportunities to resolve her and her daughter's relationship. For Petrova, Ekaterina has been the spectre that loomed over her career and life choices, and I felt like there could have been more done with both characters before the story set them on different paths.
Conclusion:
I really enjoyed the Red Space trilogy. It has the right mix of horror and action that kept me going page after page. More importantly, it has characters that I just loved or were compelling.
May 3, 2026
Like all the books in this series, it starts with life or death action from page one and doesn't stop. This is the third book in a series I have been reading for the past couple years and the end of the trilogy. While I will say that I enjoyed it, I will also put on the caveat that I did think its two predecessors were better.
Upon arriving in orbit of Earth, Patrova, Dr. Zhang, the AI powered robot Rapscallion and the digital ghost of Petrova's mother have raced halfway across the galaxy in hopes of beating a malicious multidimensional AI, Erebus, from destroying all of humanity. However, they quickly find that they are too late and while they are in transit, Erebus, along with the help of Parker, the digital ghost of Petrova's former lover, has already possessed the dead bodies of millions on Earth and the cause looks lost. But Erebus's end goal is still a mystery, one that Petrova hopes that she can unravel and stop before it's too late. More secrets abound and hidden threats lay waiting to be discovered. All the while, Petrova has to come to terms with the key she has absorbed into her body is changing her, slowly replacing her humanity and making her something new, or maybe something ancient.
There is no disputing the constant thrill and action this book brings to the table, although I feel like some of the more horror aspects from the earlier iterations in the series were diminished in this book. Not to say that the book wasn't good, rather that it struck differently than the others. Overall I enjoyed the series and would recommend it to any fans of science fiction, horror and cosmic horror.
Upon arriving in orbit of Earth, Patrova, Dr. Zhang, the AI powered robot Rapscallion and the digital ghost of Petrova's mother have raced halfway across the galaxy in hopes of beating a malicious multidimensional AI, Erebus, from destroying all of humanity. However, they quickly find that they are too late and while they are in transit, Erebus, along with the help of Parker, the digital ghost of Petrova's former lover, has already possessed the dead bodies of millions on Earth and the cause looks lost. But Erebus's end goal is still a mystery, one that Petrova hopes that she can unravel and stop before it's too late. More secrets abound and hidden threats lay waiting to be discovered. All the while, Petrova has to come to terms with the key she has absorbed into her body is changing her, slowly replacing her humanity and making her something new, or maybe something ancient.
There is no disputing the constant thrill and action this book brings to the table, although I feel like some of the more horror aspects from the earlier iterations in the series were diminished in this book. Not to say that the book wasn't good, rather that it struck differently than the others. Overall I enjoyed the series and would recommend it to any fans of science fiction, horror and cosmic horror.
August 9, 2026
I loved the first 2 books in the series. . I’ll admit I went into Erebus-13 braced for more of the same claustrophobic dread that made the first two Red Space books so effective, and that’s not quite what I got. The third book closes out the trilogy by throwing Petrova and her crew into a full solar-system crisis, one that forces fractured human factions to set aside their differences before it’s too late. It’s a high-stakes finale, and it’s a lot more like science fiction than horror.
That’s the tradeoff worth knowing going in. Paradise-1 and Revenant-X built their power on tight spaces and mounting paranoia. You felt cornered right alongside the crew. Erebus-13 trades that intimacy for scale, politics, alliances, and set pieces that stretch across the whole system. Once I stopped waiting for that earlier claustrophobia to show back up and let the book be its own thing, I actually had fun with it. It’s a solid space adventure with some real dark moments, just not the slow-burn horror nightmare the series opened with.
If I’m ranking the trilogy, the first two books are still the stronger, scarier reads. But Erebus-13 is a satisfactory conclusion to the story that’s been building up for the last 2 books- and it left me wanting to go back and watch how it all started again. Recommended if you’re in it for a big survival story with sci-fi horror bones - just adjust your expectations before you dive in.
That’s the tradeoff worth knowing going in. Paradise-1 and Revenant-X built their power on tight spaces and mounting paranoia. You felt cornered right alongside the crew. Erebus-13 trades that intimacy for scale, politics, alliances, and set pieces that stretch across the whole system. Once I stopped waiting for that earlier claustrophobia to show back up and let the book be its own thing, I actually had fun with it. It’s a solid space adventure with some real dark moments, just not the slow-burn horror nightmare the series opened with.
If I’m ranking the trilogy, the first two books are still the stronger, scarier reads. But Erebus-13 is a satisfactory conclusion to the story that’s been building up for the last 2 books- and it left me wanting to go back and watch how it all started again. Recommended if you’re in it for a big survival story with sci-fi horror bones - just adjust your expectations before you dive in.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ve read all three in the Red Space trilogy and have really enjoyed them. With that said I’m glad Wellington indicated this story is complete. I still loved the characters and dimension but each book seems to involve more complex science and my lil baby brain just doesn’t absorb it. I have a super limited imagination (unless we’re talking about my anxiety 😅) so the harder the sci fi gets the less I seem to absorb. And this is absolutely on me and shouldn’t tarnish anyone else’s opinion. If you like sci fi space horror this is a really great trilogy.
Erebus-13 picks up as a small crew is returning to Earth to fight these ancient inter dimensional beings. The ancients have managed to conquer much of Earth but that hasn’t diminished their goals at all. More is needed. Petrova, Zhang, Rapscallion (the lil engine that could iykyk) and even Sam are all well written. The concept of Red Space is nightmare fuel and the parts of the book I enjoyed most were some of the more liminal bits. Wellington also does a great job at keeping the story going without spoon feeding you the last two entries. All in all a worthy end to the trilogy and one I’ve enjoyed. If you like harder sci fi (yanno colonies established all over the solar system, easy breezy space travel, sentient robots etc etc) then this is a fantastic read. It’s full of action and terror and really never lets up.
Erebus-13 picks up as a small crew is returning to Earth to fight these ancient inter dimensional beings. The ancients have managed to conquer much of Earth but that hasn’t diminished their goals at all. More is needed. Petrova, Zhang, Rapscallion (the lil engine that could iykyk) and even Sam are all well written. The concept of Red Space is nightmare fuel and the parts of the book I enjoyed most were some of the more liminal bits. Wellington also does a great job at keeping the story going without spoon feeding you the last two entries. All in all a worthy end to the trilogy and one I’ve enjoyed. If you like harder sci fi (yanno colonies established all over the solar system, easy breezy space travel, sentient robots etc etc) then this is a fantastic read. It’s full of action and terror and really never lets up.
August 12, 2026
The conclusion to the Red Space trilogy, my only issue with this book is that this felt strongly centered in the science-fiction category, but the horror aspect has completely fallen away. However, overall this was still an enjoyable read and didn’t leave any questions unanswered.
One thing I really liked about this book was the further information about the other planets humanity has lived on, and how this has affected how they live and grow as people. I really liked the commentary on how the gravity of each planet affects everything (and how Zhang struggled with a higher gravity than he was accustomed to), as well as how people born on lower-gravity planets tend to be taller and less stocky than those born on Earth.
I think the biggest struggle this book had for me was that I wasn’t emotionally invested in Sam as a character, and without a stronger connection as a foundation for his feelings for Petrova found much of his reasoning to be unrealistic. I do think it would have been interesting if this book went deeper into the possibility that his feelings for her were solely created out of copying his mind and then latching onto a romantic connection that was not there, but as it is I didn’t really care too much about him, unfortunately.
I do think this book did well to center a larger stage for everything going on, but since both of the first two books had such a set location I felt like the constant movement of this one to be a bit jarring.
I did still love the found family aspect between Petrova, Zhang, and Rapscallion, but personally didn’t care too much about Sam or Ekaterina, or their own personal motivations for everything that was occurring.
Overall, while I felt like this was a solid conclusion to the trilogy, I felt like it leaned too far into the sci-fi aspects with the race of immortal aliens and not enough into the previous horror aspects. I did like how the ending didn’t go as I was expecting, but didn’t feel like it had quite the emotional payoff that the first two books deserved.
Thank you to Orbit for a review copy!
One thing I really liked about this book was the further information about the other planets humanity has lived on, and how this has affected how they live and grow as people. I really liked the commentary on how the gravity of each planet affects everything (and how Zhang struggled with a higher gravity than he was accustomed to), as well as how people born on lower-gravity planets tend to be taller and less stocky than those born on Earth.
I think the biggest struggle this book had for me was that I wasn’t emotionally invested in Sam as a character, and without a stronger connection as a foundation for his feelings for Petrova found much of his reasoning to be unrealistic. I do think it would have been interesting if this book went deeper into the possibility that his feelings for her were solely created out of copying his mind and then latching onto a romantic connection that was not there, but as it is I didn’t really care too much about him, unfortunately.
I do think this book did well to center a larger stage for everything going on, but since both of the first two books had such a set location I felt like the constant movement of this one to be a bit jarring.
I did still love the found family aspect between Petrova, Zhang, and Rapscallion, but personally didn’t care too much about Sam or Ekaterina, or their own personal motivations for everything that was occurring.
Overall, while I felt like this was a solid conclusion to the trilogy, I felt like it leaned too far into the sci-fi aspects with the race of immortal aliens and not enough into the previous horror aspects. I did like how the ending didn’t go as I was expecting, but didn’t feel like it had quite the emotional payoff that the first two books deserved.
Thank you to Orbit for a review copy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
The entity Erebus has been released and is headed towards Earth to turn its entire population into revenants. Petrova, Rapscallion and Zhang are racing back, hoping to beat Erebus and give the Earth and Luna the heads up they need to stop Erebus. But nothing will be that easy.
As the conclusion to this massive trilogy, Ereuus-13 had tons of action, numerous twists and turns, and some very inventive ideas that propelled it steadily forward. However, as unique and action-packed as it was, the longer the book went on, the more it felt like it needed a lot edited down. Every time the characters thought just maybe they finally figured out a way to stop the madness they would just get smothered by yet another seemingly insurmountable counter move by their foes. And some of the evolution of where things went just felt too over-the-top considering all that had transpired in the trilogy. While I mostly liked the book, by the last third, and especially closer to the end, it just felt exhausting, which is what has me dialing back my rating to 3.5* rounded down to 3.
The entity Erebus has been released and is headed towards Earth to turn its entire population into revenants. Petrova, Rapscallion and Zhang are racing back, hoping to beat Erebus and give the Earth and Luna the heads up they need to stop Erebus. But nothing will be that easy.
As the conclusion to this massive trilogy, Ereuus-13 had tons of action, numerous twists and turns, and some very inventive ideas that propelled it steadily forward. However, as unique and action-packed as it was, the longer the book went on, the more it felt like it needed a lot edited down. Every time the characters thought just maybe they finally figured out a way to stop the madness they would just get smothered by yet another seemingly insurmountable counter move by their foes. And some of the evolution of where things went just felt too over-the-top considering all that had transpired in the trilogy. While I mostly liked the book, by the last third, and especially closer to the end, it just felt exhausting, which is what has me dialing back my rating to 3.5* rounded down to 3.
September 6, 2026
2.5 ⭐️
This book wasn’t a disappointing end to the series, but I do have a couple of issues. Just in case, I’ll spoiler mark this.
1. Quite frankly, the “ancients” storing their consciousnesses on the moon seems so implausible to me that I just couldn’t get over it. Why? They were spread throughout the galaxy and Earth wasn’t their base. This was a billion years ago. Why the moon?? I think it’s a silly point to get stuck on, but I also think it’s a sign that the book was lacking in other ways when the reader gets caught up on “minor” issues.
2. A few times, a character was introduced for one single scene and that was it. I don’t think it was bad, but each time I wished they’d stick around for at least two scenes, because they just felt like infodumps as a result.
3. I picked up the first book in this series because it was space horror, but I didn’t get a lot of space horror from this. In fact, at multiple points I was just waiting for something to happen, or for the characters to have some initiative. Not great.
Okay, I lied. Overall, it WAS disappointing. I would still read more by this author, though!
This book wasn’t a disappointing end to the series, but I do have a couple of issues. Just in case, I’ll spoiler mark this.
1. Quite frankly, the “ancients” storing their consciousnesses on the moon seems so implausible to me that I just couldn’t get over it. Why? They were spread throughout the galaxy and Earth wasn’t their base. This was a billion years ago. Why the moon?? I think it’s a silly point to get stuck on, but I also think it’s a sign that the book was lacking in other ways when the reader gets caught up on “minor” issues.
2. A few times, a character was introduced for one single scene and that was it. I don’t think it was bad, but each time I wished they’d stick around for at least two scenes, because they just felt like infodumps as a result.
3. I picked up the first book in this series because it was space horror, but I didn’t get a lot of space horror from this. In fact, at multiple points I was just waiting for something to happen, or for the characters to have some initiative. Not great.
Okay, I lied. Overall, it WAS disappointing. I would still read more by this author, though!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2026
It was absolutely worth the wait for this book. I had grown quite attached to the cast (Rapscallion and Zhang in particular), and this gave me closure for their stories in a way that I'm currently struggling to find the words for, as it's currently 3 AM for me. The pacing is quick and snappy, I can't recall a single page that I felt was particularly wasteful, and the character writing is incredibly enjoyable. The setting is my favorite kind of sci-fi horror, and Wellington kept it solid all the way through.
The Red Space Trilogy hit me in a weird part of my life. I was recommended the first book by a former friend, and I picked it up while going through a very tough time. The second book released shortly after another massive personal change, and now the third has come out while I'm recovering from a large chapter of my life coming to a close, and the beginning of a new one. The cast has stuck in my mind, and if they can keep going against seemingly impossible odds, then I suppose so can I.
The Red Space Trilogy hit me in a weird part of my life. I was recommended the first book by a former friend, and I picked it up while going through a very tough time. The second book released shortly after another massive personal change, and now the third has come out while I'm recovering from a large chapter of my life coming to a close, and the beginning of a new one. The cast has stuck in my mind, and if they can keep going against seemingly impossible odds, then I suppose so can I.
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July 30, 2026If you’re like me, you may have forgotten what actually happened in the last book. My bad, homeslice, I’m usually better at retaining the story until I can get to the next book, I don’t know what happened. (Shush, I really enjoyed that book) And with the help of the first 60 pages I was able to piece it back together.
Overall, this was a good time, energetic read with an interesting story line. I liked that it had a more realistic (if not somewhat brutal) ending. Unfortunately for me, the vibe was off. The flow was different.
The most glaring variable for me was the change in Rapscallion. I really enjoyed his sass and him just being perpetually over humans BS. It was the perfect comedic relief for me in the first 2 books. And now he’s patient and a people pleaser. I get he realized he found friendship in the last book, but did it have to change him that much? Maybe it was just to balance out an incoming antagonist character?
All in all, please read the book. It’s still enjoyable and ties it all together well. Then continue on your Wellington journey with his other work.
Overall, this was a good time, energetic read with an interesting story line. I liked that it had a more realistic (if not somewhat brutal) ending. Unfortunately for me, the vibe was off. The flow was different.
The most glaring variable for me was the change in Rapscallion. I really enjoyed his sass and him just being perpetually over humans BS. It was the perfect comedic relief for me in the first 2 books. And now he’s patient and a people pleaser. I get he realized he found friendship in the last book, but did it have to change him that much? Maybe it was just to balance out an incoming antagonist character?
All in all, please read the book. It’s still enjoyable and ties it all together well. Then continue on your Wellington journey with his other work.
July 18, 2026
Erebus-13 delivers a thrilling finale that raises the stakes from the very first page and keeps the tension high until the end. Picking up after the devastating events of Paradise-1, the story balances pulse-pounding action with the emotional fallout experienced by Petrova and the surviving crew of the Artemis. Erebus remains a genuinely unsettling antagonist, its unknowable presence adding a layer of cosmic horror that sets the series apart from typical military science fiction. I especially enjoyed watching the fractured factions of humanity struggle to work together against a threat that none of them could face alone. While a few plot developments felt rushed as the story raced toward its conclusion, the gripping pace, strong character dynamics, and satisfying resolution made this an exciting end to the trilogy. Fans of science fiction that blends space exploration, horror, and high-stakes adventure will find plenty to enjoy.
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