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Mickey7 #3
Mickey Prime
Not yet published
Expected 23 Feb 27Mickey7 (inspiration for the film Mickey 17) is back in Edward Ashton's latest novel in which a plague on Niflheim forces Mickey to return to his old job as an expendable.
Mickey Barnes is an ex-Expendable. For the past five years he’s spent his time tending tomatoes and cleaning out rabbit hutches instead of mucking around inside active reactor cores and getting dissected by creepers. When a sudden, virulent plague strikes the fledgling human colony on Niflheim, though, he’s forced to return to his old job. Mickey is pressed into duty as both a first responder and a lab rat, expected to die and be replaced as many times as necessary to find a cure.
Funny thing, though. Despite the best efforts of the colony’s medical team, Mickey seems to be the only person unable to contract the bug. As more and more colonists sicken and die and the colony spirals into panic, Command is forced to contemplate Reset―sterilizing the colony completely to eradicate the plague, then repopulating it with hundreds of stored embryos, to be raised under the watchful eye of a dozen freshly printed copies of Mickey Barnes.
No matter how bad things get, Mickey can’t let that happen. He has a daughter of his own now, and even if he has to die a hundred times in a hundred different ways, he’s determined to find a way to make sure that she survives.
It’s a lot, but after all, Mickey’s already died seven times. After that, how hard could this be?
Mickey Barnes is an ex-Expendable. For the past five years he’s spent his time tending tomatoes and cleaning out rabbit hutches instead of mucking around inside active reactor cores and getting dissected by creepers. When a sudden, virulent plague strikes the fledgling human colony on Niflheim, though, he’s forced to return to his old job. Mickey is pressed into duty as both a first responder and a lab rat, expected to die and be replaced as many times as necessary to find a cure.
Funny thing, though. Despite the best efforts of the colony’s medical team, Mickey seems to be the only person unable to contract the bug. As more and more colonists sicken and die and the colony spirals into panic, Command is forced to contemplate Reset―sterilizing the colony completely to eradicate the plague, then repopulating it with hundreds of stored embryos, to be raised under the watchful eye of a dozen freshly printed copies of Mickey Barnes.
No matter how bad things get, Mickey can’t let that happen. He has a daughter of his own now, and even if he has to die a hundred times in a hundred different ways, he’s determined to find a way to make sure that she survives.
It’s a lot, but after all, Mickey’s already died seven times. After that, how hard could this be?
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication February 23, 2027
About the author
Edward Ashton
44 books1,757 followersEdward Ashton is the author of the novels Mickey7, Three Days in April and The End of Ordinary. His short fiction has appeared in venues ranging from the newsletter of an Italian sausage company to Escape Pod, Analog, and Fireside Fiction. He lives in upstate New York in a cabin in the woods (not that Cabin in the Woods) with his wife, a variable number of daughters, and an adorably mopey dog named Max, where he writes—mostly fiction, occasionally fact—under the watchful eyes of a giant woodpecker and a rotating cast of barred owls. In his free time, he enjoys cancer research, teaching quantum physics to sullen graduate students, and whittling. You can find him online at edwardashton.com or on Twitter @edashtonwriting.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 29, 2026
Review of the Advanced Reader Copy from a Goodreads Giveaway
As someone who has not read the Mickey series, the book was a great read. It was lighthearted in some spots and the writing was good to keep me reading without wanting to stop. Some spots I could hardly put it down. It was also easily enough to follow despite having not read the previous books.
It would have been appreciated to see more from other characters instead of only brief introductions but I enjoyed each character.
Additionally, the book was good but the ending was horrible. I do not agree with the choices made for the ending after the character development and arguments given. There were definitely other methods of going about that.
As someone who has not read the Mickey series, the book was a great read. It was lighthearted in some spots and the writing was good to keep me reading without wanting to stop. Some spots I could hardly put it down. It was also easily enough to follow despite having not read the previous books.
It would have been appreciated to see more from other characters instead of only brief introductions but I enjoyed each character.
Additionally, the book was good but the ending was horrible. I do not agree with the choices made for the ending after the character development and arguments given. There were definitely other methods of going about that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I flew through this book so fast I couldn't stop reading, but fuck... I did not expect the ending to make me cry.
Returning to the Mickey universe was wonderful. The thing about Mickey—and this is crucial—is that he is fundamentally kind of dumb. Having read Ashton's other works, I know this is a specific character trait rather than lazy writing where every protagonist makes stupid choices to move the plot. Mickey's life is a shitty cocktail of terrible circumstances combined with his own consistent ability to make his life worse. He makes painful decisions, lacks forethought, and relies on a shocking amount of willful ignorance and blind optimism that his problems will just magically fix themselves. Yet, he’s still just trying his best, and you can’t help but love him anyway. It was also really interesting to see how becoming a father influenced his decision-making this time around.
While I personally don’t like the direction the ending took—and definitely didn't agree with the choices made at the finish line—I ultimately had to respect the character's motives and logic behind them.
What I love most is how the book masks itself as a funny, slightly silly sci-fi adventure, but then hits you with deep, heavy debates about identity, mortality, and what actually makes a person who they are.
Returning to the Mickey universe was wonderful. The thing about Mickey—and this is crucial—is that he is fundamentally kind of dumb. Having read Ashton's other works, I know this is a specific character trait rather than lazy writing where every protagonist makes stupid choices to move the plot. Mickey's life is a shitty cocktail of terrible circumstances combined with his own consistent ability to make his life worse. He makes painful decisions, lacks forethought, and relies on a shocking amount of willful ignorance and blind optimism that his problems will just magically fix themselves. Yet, he’s still just trying his best, and you can’t help but love him anyway. It was also really interesting to see how becoming a father influenced his decision-making this time around.
While I personally don’t like the direction the ending took—and definitely didn't agree with the choices made at the finish line—I ultimately had to respect the character's motives and logic behind them.
What I love most is how the book masks itself as a funny, slightly silly sci-fi adventure, but then hits you with deep, heavy debates about identity, mortality, and what actually makes a person who they are.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I first want to say thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Edward Ashton for the arc.
Mickey Prime continues the story of Mickey 7. 3 years after the creeper war Mickey Barnes finds himself tending to babies, rabbits, and his daughter, rather than being put to the test and pushed down the corpse hole. While living his life as a crew member and not an expendable, Mickey receives a ping from speaker, asking him for help and to say goodbye before the creepers bury him alive. When Mickey and Nasha get to the creepers labyrinth they meet with speaker who asks them to kill him. When they shoot speaker they become dusted in the Collective’s fungi that had originally infected the creeper colony. Hoping to get rid of the fungi, when the two return back to the colony they disinfect and hope that the infection will not spread to the other colonists. But of course, that’s exactly what happens. When colonists begin getting sick and going into a coma, Mickey must choose between saving his family or saving the entire colony.
This book had all of the same elements as the first two books. Extremely fast paced, humorous at times, and scientific. Unfortunately it seemed to lack the action that the first two books had. I often times found myself a little bored while reading. The book started out really strong, Mickey being pinged by speaker, him and Nasha going and seeing him, becoming infected with the fungus, and worrying about what the next plan was. When people began getting sick and dying I thought it would start picking up more. But unfortunately it kind of just ran in circles. Although a short book, 2/3 of the book felt like it was just talking in circles about what they were going to do, leave the colony and save themselves or help the colony survive. Mickey decides to go back to being an expendable to help find the cure for the colony. When he doesn’t die from being infected they let him go. I often felt bored reading the same thing over and over again. There was little to no action and it felt like the book dragged at times. I was hoping there would be more fighting with the creepers or going back to the collective to try and figure out a vaccine. But the last 3 chapters there was a way to develop a “cure” and in the end how they saved the colony by killing Nasha was just down right appalling. Her not wanting Mickey to sacrifice himself for the cure because she can’t love anyone but him but ends up letting herself be killed is, in my opinion, stupid and actually made me really angry. Like that’s how we’re going to end the book? I don’t know it almost felt like a cop out, instead of a battle or something else.
This book explored infections and pandemics really well, and how we as humans fear them. We see through two different points of view of pandemics wiping out colonies. In the Phoenix colony we see how the captain has to decide whether or not to wipe out the colony or let people continue to suffer with their disease. With Mickeys point of view we see the same thing, but we see how he has an expandable has to deal with the problem. Throughout the book we see how Mickey and Nasha are asymptomatic carriers and how one incident caused a fourth of the population to become sick and/or die. We also saw how people ostracized others because they thought they were the reason for the plague. For example rumors spread throughout the colonists that Mickey had purposely created the plague to kill off one colonist and then it continued out of control. Even though it was proven to be false by the medical team, people still avoided Mickey like the literal plague.
With all of that said, the book wasn’t terrible. It was not my favorite of the series, and if there were more to come out I would probably still read them. Ashton does a really good job at giving us a good story with enough scientific background that anyone can enjoy, and I really like that aspect. I just felt upset by the ending because after 200 pages or so of back and forth talk about who is dying and how to save the colony, it just felt rushed and a sort of a slap in the face to kill off Nasha.
Mickey Prime continues the story of Mickey 7. 3 years after the creeper war Mickey Barnes finds himself tending to babies, rabbits, and his daughter, rather than being put to the test and pushed down the corpse hole. While living his life as a crew member and not an expendable, Mickey receives a ping from speaker, asking him for help and to say goodbye before the creepers bury him alive. When Mickey and Nasha get to the creepers labyrinth they meet with speaker who asks them to kill him. When they shoot speaker they become dusted in the Collective’s fungi that had originally infected the creeper colony. Hoping to get rid of the fungi, when the two return back to the colony they disinfect and hope that the infection will not spread to the other colonists. But of course, that’s exactly what happens. When colonists begin getting sick and going into a coma, Mickey must choose between saving his family or saving the entire colony.
This book had all of the same elements as the first two books. Extremely fast paced, humorous at times, and scientific. Unfortunately it seemed to lack the action that the first two books had. I often times found myself a little bored while reading. The book started out really strong, Mickey being pinged by speaker, him and Nasha going and seeing him, becoming infected with the fungus, and worrying about what the next plan was. When people began getting sick and dying I thought it would start picking up more. But unfortunately it kind of just ran in circles. Although a short book, 2/3 of the book felt like it was just talking in circles about what they were going to do, leave the colony and save themselves or help the colony survive. Mickey decides to go back to being an expendable to help find the cure for the colony. When he doesn’t die from being infected they let him go. I often felt bored reading the same thing over and over again. There was little to no action and it felt like the book dragged at times. I was hoping there would be more fighting with the creepers or going back to the collective to try and figure out a vaccine. But the last 3 chapters there was a way to develop a “cure” and in the end how they saved the colony by killing Nasha was just down right appalling. Her not wanting Mickey to sacrifice himself for the cure because she can’t love anyone but him but ends up letting herself be killed is, in my opinion, stupid and actually made me really angry. Like that’s how we’re going to end the book? I don’t know it almost felt like a cop out, instead of a battle or something else.
This book explored infections and pandemics really well, and how we as humans fear them. We see through two different points of view of pandemics wiping out colonies. In the Phoenix colony we see how the captain has to decide whether or not to wipe out the colony or let people continue to suffer with their disease. With Mickeys point of view we see the same thing, but we see how he has an expandable has to deal with the problem. Throughout the book we see how Mickey and Nasha are asymptomatic carriers and how one incident caused a fourth of the population to become sick and/or die. We also saw how people ostracized others because they thought they were the reason for the plague. For example rumors spread throughout the colonists that Mickey had purposely created the plague to kill off one colonist and then it continued out of control. Even though it was proven to be false by the medical team, people still avoided Mickey like the literal plague.
With all of that said, the book wasn’t terrible. It was not my favorite of the series, and if there were more to come out I would probably still read them. Ashton does a really good job at giving us a good story with enough scientific background that anyone can enjoy, and I really like that aspect. I just felt upset by the ending because after 200 pages or so of back and forth talk about who is dying and how to save the colony, it just felt rushed and a sort of a slap in the face to kill off Nasha.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Mickey Prime by Edward Ashton.
If you thought Mickey has had it rough in the past, Mickey Prime will pull your heart out of your chest and present it back to you.
Three years on from Antimatter Blues, Mickey and Nasha have a toddler, Ada, and Mickey is still caring for the rabbits in addition to the newly decanted embryos the colony is stable enough to support. Everything seems to be going well. But when Speaker and the Creepers again want to interface with Mickey, and when colonists begin to start falling ill from a sickness with no obvious cure, Mickey feels he has no choice but to volunteer himself as an Expendable to try and find a treatment for the illness, and protect the colony and his family. When Mickey doesn't get sick, but more people continue to suffer, Mickey and Nasha search for a solution before the colony is reset.
The brunt of the novel is about the spread of the illness, and it is reminiscent of the worst parts of the pandemic where people had to wonder if they were an asymptomatic carrier/already infected but not showing symptoms, if they were putting their loved ones at risk, if they had to make a choice to help others or help themselves if things became worse and if it meant great personal loss, and if they could trust the people around them.
It is also more a love story than anything, and one where Mickey and Nasha are fighting each other on the best path to stay safe, but also fighting for their daughter, Ada, and for each other.
Having read Antimatter Blues again just last week, I think there is a fairly stark difference between all three books in the series as we see Mickey grow into being 7 as an individual and not seeing himself as one of many. We also see his attitude and his outlook change as it becomes clear year after year of retiring as an Expendable that he can have a life, and a partner, and a baby, and how he tries to handle a new threat to that life with bravery and optimism instead of defeated and forced complacency. And we see so much from Nasha who still just wants to shoot things in the face, but who also wants Mickey to know how valued and real he and their family are to her. Ada is also just adorable and serves as the fulcrum to such high level moral dilemmas that anchor the book's plot.
Of all the books, I think this one leaves a lot of room for reflection; most of us worldwide can relate to the plague, but it also so much is about cause and effect and the failure of good intentions and the selfishness and selflessness of love. It is more insular, and we spend very limited time with the secondary characters from other books. It's less a comedy of errors and death defying oopsies like previous books. And there were times I kept thinking the story was going one way that would have humor or an entertaining solution, and Ashton surprised me at every chapter turn, even though when I finished the book I realized he had perfectly laid it out to take the story where he did.
Thank you to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for the ARC of Mickey Prime by Edward Ashton.
If you thought Mickey has had it rough in the past, Mickey Prime will pull your heart out of your chest and present it back to you.
Three years on from Antimatter Blues, Mickey and Nasha have a toddler, Ada, and Mickey is still caring for the rabbits in addition to the newly decanted embryos the colony is stable enough to support. Everything seems to be going well. But when Speaker and the Creepers again want to interface with Mickey, and when colonists begin to start falling ill from a sickness with no obvious cure, Mickey feels he has no choice but to volunteer himself as an Expendable to try and find a treatment for the illness, and protect the colony and his family. When Mickey doesn't get sick, but more people continue to suffer, Mickey and Nasha search for a solution before the colony is reset.
The brunt of the novel is about the spread of the illness, and it is reminiscent of the worst parts of the pandemic where people had to wonder if they were an asymptomatic carrier/already infected but not showing symptoms, if they were putting their loved ones at risk, if they had to make a choice to help others or help themselves if things became worse and if it meant great personal loss, and if they could trust the people around them.
It is also more a love story than anything, and one where Mickey and Nasha are fighting each other on the best path to stay safe, but also fighting for their daughter, Ada, and for each other.
Having read Antimatter Blues again just last week, I think there is a fairly stark difference between all three books in the series as we see Mickey grow into being 7 as an individual and not seeing himself as one of many. We also see his attitude and his outlook change as it becomes clear year after year of retiring as an Expendable that he can have a life, and a partner, and a baby, and how he tries to handle a new threat to that life with bravery and optimism instead of defeated and forced complacency. And we see so much from Nasha who still just wants to shoot things in the face, but who also wants Mickey to know how valued and real he and their family are to her. Ada is also just adorable and serves as the fulcrum to such high level moral dilemmas that anchor the book's plot.
Of all the books, I think this one leaves a lot of room for reflection; most of us worldwide can relate to the plague, but it also so much is about cause and effect and the failure of good intentions and the selfishness and selflessness of love. It is more insular, and we spend very limited time with the secondary characters from other books. It's less a comedy of errors and death defying oopsies like previous books. And there were times I kept thinking the story was going one way that would have humor or an entertaining solution, and Ashton surprised me at every chapter turn, even though when I finished the book I realized he had perfectly laid it out to take the story where he did.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed Mickey Prime! I’ve come to love the strange, imaginative world Edward Ashton has created and, even more, the characters who inhabit it. This third installment feels a little different from the previous books. There isn’t a ton that happens in terms of plot, but that honestly didn’t bother me. Mickey Prime reads quickly and almost has the feel of a cozy, giving Ashton room to slow down and let the characters evolve.
The family element in this one is particularly charming, and Mickey’s character arc is really at the heart of the story. It’s less about what happens to Mickey and more about who Mickey is becoming, which I found surprisingly moving.
If you enjoy sci-fi and haven’t given the Mickey series a shot yet, I’ highly recommend it! Start with Mickey7 and give this strange, funny, wonderfully imaginative world a chance.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
The family element in this one is particularly charming, and Mickey’s character arc is really at the heart of the story. It’s less about what happens to Mickey and more about who Mickey is becoming, which I found surprisingly moving.
If you enjoy sci-fi and haven’t given the Mickey series a shot yet, I’ highly recommend it! Start with Mickey7 and give this strange, funny, wonderfully imaginative world a chance.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4,5⭐️
I really enjoyed this book! It was great to read more about our gang on Niflheim. Mickey hasn’t been an expendable in 5 years, he lives happily with Nasha with whom he’s got a daughter, Ada. Speaker, the creeper, asks to see him and things goes downhill from there. A epidemic of a strange illness is sweeping through the colony. Mickey and Nasha, are trying their best to contain the epidemic and protect their daughter. I was happy to read again from the distinctive voice of Mickey. He’s still funny while being realistic about his situation. It still has all the moral dilemmas especially in the case of an epidemic. I’m sure fans of this series won’t be disappointed by this book. The pacing was great and there were many unexpected plot twists. I definitely recommend!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book, opinions are my own.
I really enjoyed this book! It was great to read more about our gang on Niflheim. Mickey hasn’t been an expendable in 5 years, he lives happily with Nasha with whom he’s got a daughter, Ada. Speaker, the creeper, asks to see him and things goes downhill from there. A epidemic of a strange illness is sweeping through the colony. Mickey and Nasha, are trying their best to contain the epidemic and protect their daughter. I was happy to read again from the distinctive voice of Mickey. He’s still funny while being realistic about his situation. It still has all the moral dilemmas especially in the case of an epidemic. I’m sure fans of this series won’t be disappointed by this book. The pacing was great and there were many unexpected plot twists. I definitely recommend!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book, opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
In the third book in the Mickey7 series, Mickey7 voluntarily returns to duty as an ‘expendable’ after an outbreak of plague in the human settlement on Niflheim. His primary concern is for the survival of his own wife and child.
The plot follows Robert Heinlein’s category of ‘the man who learns better,’ and as Mickey7 continues his steep learning curve, the suspense builds steadily and the irony deepens.
This is an insightful exploration of what motivates the qualities of friendship, loyalty, and self-sacrifice, not only among the human settlers struggling for survival on a remote planet, but also among the aliens who already live there.
And the hard choices faced by the leadership as the situation grows grimmer.
Highly recommended.
The plot follows Robert Heinlein’s category of ‘the man who learns better,’ and as Mickey7 continues his steep learning curve, the suspense builds steadily and the irony deepens.
This is an insightful exploration of what motivates the qualities of friendship, loyalty, and self-sacrifice, not only among the human settlers struggling for survival on a remote planet, but also among the aliens who already live there.
And the hard choices faced by the leadership as the situation grows grimmer.
Highly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed the first two Mickey books. I consumed both shortly after the second book came out and promptly moved on to the next book in my too read list. I was pleasantly surprised when I heard a new book was coming out. From beginning to end, MICKEY PRIME is a really great addition to the Mickey series. I enjoyed where the author took the characters and furthered the story of Mickey Barnes. The story itself kept me interested from beginning to end. As for the ending, i was completely expecting it to go a certain way and was surprised on how it actually ended.
I do hope that Edward Ashton writes more stories involved Mickey, but the way this one ends he doesnt really need too. If you enjoyed the first two books, you're more than likely to enjoy this one.
I do hope that Edward Ashton writes more stories involved Mickey, but the way this one ends he doesnt really need too. If you enjoyed the first two books, you're more than likely to enjoy this one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ok, I enjoyed this one a lot. Not perfect -- I'd probably more accurately give it 4.5 stars. But I liked it even more than Mickey7 and Antimatter Blues, both of which got too repetitive imo. I missed having so much time with Speaker like in book 2, but his scenes here were great. I love that character so much. This book also had more exploration of the philosophical implications of being an Expendable and (separately) the challenges of having to choose between prioritizing colony vs. family. If you enjoyed Mickey7 at all, this book is for you.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The entire Mickey 7 series has been an incredibly profound exploration of self and what it means to be alive. Mickey cloaks himself in a seemingly lackadaisical and snarky personality and while that feels real on some level thanks to his internal monologue, Mickey Prime shows us that is more performance as he tries to save those he cares for most and his quick barbs are a calculated and protective shell.
I didn't think I could love Mickey and his story any more than I already did, but I ended the book sobbing over this journey.
P.S., the movie could never.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't think I could love Mickey and his story any more than I already did, but I ended the book sobbing over this journey.
P.S., the movie could never.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 23, 2026
REVIEW OF AN ADVANCE READER COPY FROM NETGALLEY
I enjoyed the previous Mickey7 books enough that I was excited to get a chance to read this and, honestly, it was my favorite so far! I appreciated the fast pace and the familiarity I felt from the start. It had the right amount of action, romance and snark - I really couldn’t put this book down. Even that ending (😭) won’t deter me from recommending the Mickey7 series!
My biggest complaint is it wasn’t long enough. I would’ve liked more relationship development, more “conflict” buildup and more interactions with the creepers. It really felt like the author could’ve gone deeper across the board, but it didn’t hinder the plot/resolution.
I enjoyed the previous Mickey7 books enough that I was excited to get a chance to read this and, honestly, it was my favorite so far! I appreciated the fast pace and the familiarity I felt from the start. It had the right amount of action, romance and snark - I really couldn’t put this book down. Even that ending (😭) won’t deter me from recommending the Mickey7 series!
My biggest complaint is it wasn’t long enough. I would’ve liked more relationship development, more “conflict” buildup and more interactions with the creepers. It really felt like the author could’ve gone deeper across the board, but it didn’t hinder the plot/resolution.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love this series of books, which seems to be getting better with each book. Most importantly, the main character is complex and compelling. What really drives my interest in the book, though, is the author’s ability to offer up some intense questions about what it means to be a human while at the same time making it a fun read with creative sci fi elements. I really hope there is more to this series since each book builds the characters and the world Into something more and more interesting.
ARC from NetGalley
ARC from NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Edward Ashton is one of my absolute favorite sci fi authors. I have easily devoured the Mickey series. This book was no different. Mickey has really grown and is now a father. Reading about Mickey and Nash’s balancing their life with the life of the colony was as engaging as previous episodes. Again we have creepers and colony drama. We spent significantly less time with side characters including Cat. I missed that. The ending was unexpected but at the same time exactly what the story led up to. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the oppurtunity to read and review this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I think this one was bit better than book 2, or maybe I just enjoyed it a bit more for some kind of reason.
Things happen quickly and events run along. It's not always clear what exactly is happening, especially with the aliens, but since Mickey never has any idea of what's going on, it feels authentic to be a bit lost along with him.
This feels like a good stopping point for the series. Best to read them in order.
eARC from NetGalley.
Things happen quickly and events run along. It's not always clear what exactly is happening, especially with the aliens, but since Mickey never has any idea of what's going on, it feels authentic to be a bit lost along with him.
This feels like a good stopping point for the series. Best to read them in order.
eARC from NetGalley.
August 16, 2026
I received a digital review copy of this! I love this series. I’m not usually big on sci-fi novels, but I love the humor and narrative personality in all of Edward Ashton’s books. The talking alien companions really make the stories, especially the different renditions of “Speaker” in this one and Mickey’s relationship to them. The existentialism in the Mickey7 novels also really makes you think.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love Edward Ashton’s writing style, his books are just a pleasure to read. Mickey is such a lovable character, even just the way he goes through life has this natural comedy to it. At the same time, the story gets into the harsher realities of colony life, especially disease, and the emotional cost of it.
Arc provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley
Arc provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is the third book in Edward Ashton's Mickey 7 series and I have read and loved all three of them. The Mickey stories are science fiction but Mickey, a man with an unusual job, is what makes these novels so enjoyable. Mickey is an "Expendable" a man brought along specifically to do the most dangerous jobs of a new, unexplored planet. They upload and save his mind and memories into a computer, and if he is killed, they make a new flesh and blood Mickey, who is (almost) identical. Mickey is an ordinary guy, not super educated, who signed up as an expendable without really knowing what that job was. Due to a misunderstanding with a gang of bad guys, he needed to get off his home planet fast, and the colony ship was ready to go. He's a good person and tries to do the best he can for the colony, although he is scared to death much of the time. His wry inner thoughts and dogged persistence in the face of immense odds makes Mickey unforgettable and fun to read. When this novel starts Mickey is a married man and a father. He's been given the job of helping to care for the many new babies of the colony. He's a Day Care worker and sometimes helps in the gardens. Nothing dangerous. At first.
August 30, 2026
Mickey's back for one last adventure after the success of the Bong Joon Ho adaptation of the original book, and this time he gets to deal with a potential colony ending epidemic while trying to save his wife and baby daughter. Fun little read with a great twist at the end. Worth your time when it comes out in February.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Not a single likeable character in this book. Berto is surprisingly chill now. I enjoyed the journal entry interludes. This novel is like if Project Hail Mary was more Starship Troopers (film) in tone and took shortcuts on structuring / explaining the plague science. #NetGalley eARC
Want to Read
August 17, 2026I have loved all his books and can’t wait for the next! My kid is not a stalker, but goes to the same university he did and is a huge fan as well fun to have a multigenerational read
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This is the third book in the Mickey7 series and it was nice to see how Mickey has matured, especially now that he is a father. The ended was very bittersweet and fitting for the series.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
September 26, 2026Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
Mickey Barnes is back. Instead of being an expendable, he's been working in the nursery and enjoying life with his partner and daughter. After a visit to the creepers, a plague hits the colony. I got frustrated with Mickey and Nasha's decisions. I enjoyed the book but not at the level of the earlier ones.
3.5 stars
Mickey Barnes is back. Instead of being an expendable, he's been working in the nursery and enjoying life with his partner and daughter. After a visit to the creepers, a plague hits the colony. I got frustrated with Mickey and Nasha's decisions. I enjoyed the book but not at the level of the earlier ones.
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