Erebus-13

Red Space #3

by David Wellington

THE DARK DEVOURS.

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 entire galaxy - is in their hands.

Prepare for the thrilling conclusion to the Red Space trilogy of survival horror in deep space, from Clarke Award-nominated author David Wellington.

Praise for the Red Space

'A captivating, eerie story with such engaging characters you won't want to say goodbye at the end' S. A. Barnes, author of Dead Silence

'Wellington skillfully combines hard sci-fi worldbuilding with tense mystery . . . Readers will be on the edges of their seats' Publishers Weekly (starred review)

'Intensely creepy worldbuilding' Library Journal

Red Space
Paradise-1
Revenant-X
Erebus-13

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction

684 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 14, 2026

About the author

David 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.

Reviews

[Zach · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Saul Baisley · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Alison Faichney · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Janna Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Bo Oliver-Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided this ARC via NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

This book actually gets 4.5 stars from me. When I started this book I was worried I would struggle to remember since it had been a while since I read book 2. It all came flooding back to me. The author did a fantastic job of giving little refreshers without it feeling like it was information overload. I love these characters so much. At first I was worried that the horror aspect would feel lacking but there were definitely moments where it was creepy or had just the right amount of gore. I have to say one of my favorite moments was a subtle nod to The Ship of Theseus. Dont know if it was intentional but I loved it. I was personally pleased with how the finale of Red Space concluded. Fantastic work from David and all those he had working with him on this series.

[always reading ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars
An excellent and satisfying ending for a fantastic series. I had such a great time with all the books in this series. I love the mashup of genres in the Red Space trilogy; you get a blend of sci-fi, horror, thriller, and even action/adventure. There's plenty of tension and suspense that really leaves you on the edge of your seat the entire time. I loved the main group of characters and how they developed throughout the series. The pacing was a little too fast for my taste. There was so much going on all the time that it felt a little exhausting and messy at times. But even with everything going on and the fast pacing, everything came together smoothly at the end.

[Merced Leal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good conclusion to what i found to be a very enjoyable trilogy to read through. I feel like I flew through all three books in this series and enjoyed just about every page. A minor critique that i could give is that often times the book recaps events in a way that i felt was a tad repetitive. I understand recapping events from the previous books, but sometimes it recapped something that happened earlier in this same book, and that felt unnecessary. That said, it didnt happen often enough, nor was it egregious enough to warrent lowing the rating at all

[Soledad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action-packed to the end! While I didn't like some of the characters' endings, it did wrap up the story well considering it felt like they were going up against an unbeatable enemy the entire trilogy. The characters really got dragged about into horrible situations! This was a good horror and action-packed story. Rapscallion is the real main character in my opinion, the most loyal robot. Thank you Netgalley and Orbit books for the eARC!

[sarai · Rating 5 out of 5]

less horror, more action, satisfying answers to existential questions. exactly what i was looking for in the third installment of this series. while there's less development of the character relationships in this one, i find myself pretty convinced by the depth of care and trust they've developed for each other even though everyone is separated for much of the book. (not what it's about at all but this is how you do a found family.)

thanks to netgalley and orbit for the e-arc!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

I have loved both of the books that have been published in this series so far so when I discovered the third was coming out I jumped on it. David Wellington lays out such a thrilling and atmospheric ride through this futuristic world. This was the perfect ending to this trilogy! It was a real page turner and I was incredibly invested the whole way through. Fabulous book to round out a fabulous trilogy!!

[Aiden · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an absolutely WILD RIDE!! I’ll always hold in my heart that the first book of the series was truly the best, but this was such a fantastic conclusion to the trilogy. Hats off to David Wellington for his amazing work on this series. I’ll be patiently waiting for whatever he plans on doing next!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley for this ARC.

It was a good escapist read with some interesting characters. Nothing groundbreaking, but you don't always need that to have an enjoyable read. A good conclusion to an interesting series.

[Joel Jorden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot damn, he stuck the landing! A hell of a final book to close out this captivating space horror trilogy. No spoilers, just lots of casualties and a faint, fighting chance to make it through to the end!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the third book in the Red Space series, Petrova, Zhang, Rapscallion, and the digital ghost of Petrova’s mother head towards earth to stop Erebus from destroying humanity, only to find that Erebus and the soul of Parker, who is forced to help recruit the undead, have already arrived and are on a mission to fulfill the ancients’ catastrophic instructions. This action-packed science fiction horror read is cinematic and told from multiple perspectives, heightening the fantastic world-building by Wellington.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.