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Adrift
In the far reaches of space, a group of tourists board a small vessel for what will be the trip of a lifetime - in more ways than one...
They are embarking on a tour around Sigma Station - a remote mining facility and luxury hotel with stunning views of the Horsehead Nebula.
During the course of the trip, a mysterious ship with devastating advanced technology attacks the Station. Their pilot's quick evasive action means that the tour group escape with their lives - but as the dust settles, they realize they may be the only survivors . . .
Adrift in outer space, out of contact with civilization, and on a vastly under-equipped ship, these passengers are out of their depth. Their chances of getting home are close to none, and with the threat of another attack looming they must act soon - or risk perishing in the endless void of space.
They are embarking on a tour around Sigma Station - a remote mining facility and luxury hotel with stunning views of the Horsehead Nebula.
During the course of the trip, a mysterious ship with devastating advanced technology attacks the Station. Their pilot's quick evasive action means that the tour group escape with their lives - but as the dust settles, they realize they may be the only survivors . . .
Adrift in outer space, out of contact with civilization, and on a vastly under-equipped ship, these passengers are out of their depth. Their chances of getting home are close to none, and with the threat of another attack looming they must act soon - or risk perishing in the endless void of space.
416 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2018
115 people are currently reading
2154 people want to read
About the author
Rob Boffard
11 books111 followersRob. Thirty-one. Author. Journalist. Sound Engineer. Snowboarder. Hip-hop artist. Tall. Basketball-player-length arms. Lots of tattoos. Glasses. Bad hair. Proud South African. Born in Johannesburg. Splits time between London and Vancouver. Digs New York. Doesn’t dig Vegas. Loves New Orleans. Not a helicopter pilot.
Debut novel. Tracer. On Orbit Books. Out now. Space stations. Parkour. Explosions. Good times. Two sequels. Huzzah!
Debut novel. Tracer. On Orbit Books. Out now. Space stations. Parkour. Explosions. Good times. Two sequels. Huzzah!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
November 25, 2018
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2018/11/22/...
Rob Boffard knows his space disasters. A couple years ago, he wrote a guest post for the BiblioSanctum called “The Worst Things That Can Happen to You in Space” and before you ask, yes, he has included several of these in Adrift, a heart-pumping and thrilling sci-fi tale of survival.
It was a day like any other on Sigma Station, which boasts luxurious hotels and unique attractions, making it a popular destination for tourists heading into space. It’s Hannah’s first day on the job as a tour guide, shepherding groups of visitors onto chartered shuttles to get a better view of the stunning Horsehead Nebula nearby. Her next shift is aboard the Red Panda, to which she barely makes it on time, much to the chagrin of the pilot and their passengers, who are all unimpressed by the delay. Still, once they are on their way, Hannah is determined to make it up to them, not only because she wants to prove herself capable of the job, but also because she really can’t afford to be fired.
However, mere minutes into the tour, a horrific disaster strikes. Right before the eyes of everyone on the shuttle, Sigma Station is destroyed in a devastating explosion, killing every one of its thousands of occupants. The source of the attack, an unidentified ship that had recently passed through the station jump gate, now turns its sights on the passengers of the Red Panda, the only survivors of the massacre—and the only witnesses. Stranded in space, with no help to be found for lightyears in all directions, Hannah and her charges place their lives in the hands of their jaded but talented pilot, who manages to buy them some time to figure out what to do.
There’s something about the premise of Adrift that makes it immediately appealing, possibly because of its potential for all the tropes we’ve come to expect and love from disaster stories, and one need not go far beyond the cast to find examples. While the group aboard the Red Panda is rather eclectic, the passenger list is still filled with the familiar archetypes. Besides Hannah and the pilot, we have a husband and wife in a troubled marriage, their two young sons, a newlywed couple on their honeymoon, a matronly retired miner in her 60s, as well as brusque no-nonsense hotel reviewer named Jack. Of course, every story involving trapped characters must inevitably include a group hothead, a role which Jack fills nicely as the novel’s second major perspective. And who can forget the guileless yet precocious child, who is wise beyond his years? This role is filled by ten-year-old Corey, the younger of the two boys from the family aboard, rounding out our POV characters.
Once the adventure gets under way, however, we begin to see signs of Boffard’s efforts to make this story his own by filling the plot with interesting developments and clever surprises. Some of the characters are given backstories, sometimes presented in memory or flashback. Dark secrets and hidden motives come to light. Disagreements abound as there’s no clear leadership, though many of them try to take charge. Several of the revelations about the characters will make your jaw drop. Meanwhile, emotions are already running high as food and air supplies dwindle, not to mention a mysterious enemy still lurking out there, who has just annihilated a space station full of people and would have no qualms about murdering a few more. It’s the perfect recipe for a delicious thriller, and I’m happy to say, it was executed with well-timed action scenes and unexpected twists. All these conflicts and the overarching mystery made this book a compulsive and addictive read, and I’m only slightly annoyed that my favorite character died first.
With that said, I should probably wrap this up if I don’t want to give anything more about the story away. Needless to say, Adrift is packed with surprises, with the most significant ones occurring in the second half of the novel, and trust me, they’re worth finding out on your own. This is a book I would recommend to fans of sci-fi thrillers and space disaster stories, especially if enjoy a heavy survival component. It’s an exciting blend of intense action and high drama, supported by tightly plotted storytelling and a rich cast of characters.
Rob Boffard knows his space disasters. A couple years ago, he wrote a guest post for the BiblioSanctum called “The Worst Things That Can Happen to You in Space” and before you ask, yes, he has included several of these in Adrift, a heart-pumping and thrilling sci-fi tale of survival.
It was a day like any other on Sigma Station, which boasts luxurious hotels and unique attractions, making it a popular destination for tourists heading into space. It’s Hannah’s first day on the job as a tour guide, shepherding groups of visitors onto chartered shuttles to get a better view of the stunning Horsehead Nebula nearby. Her next shift is aboard the Red Panda, to which she barely makes it on time, much to the chagrin of the pilot and their passengers, who are all unimpressed by the delay. Still, once they are on their way, Hannah is determined to make it up to them, not only because she wants to prove herself capable of the job, but also because she really can’t afford to be fired.
However, mere minutes into the tour, a horrific disaster strikes. Right before the eyes of everyone on the shuttle, Sigma Station is destroyed in a devastating explosion, killing every one of its thousands of occupants. The source of the attack, an unidentified ship that had recently passed through the station jump gate, now turns its sights on the passengers of the Red Panda, the only survivors of the massacre—and the only witnesses. Stranded in space, with no help to be found for lightyears in all directions, Hannah and her charges place their lives in the hands of their jaded but talented pilot, who manages to buy them some time to figure out what to do.
There’s something about the premise of Adrift that makes it immediately appealing, possibly because of its potential for all the tropes we’ve come to expect and love from disaster stories, and one need not go far beyond the cast to find examples. While the group aboard the Red Panda is rather eclectic, the passenger list is still filled with the familiar archetypes. Besides Hannah and the pilot, we have a husband and wife in a troubled marriage, their two young sons, a newlywed couple on their honeymoon, a matronly retired miner in her 60s, as well as brusque no-nonsense hotel reviewer named Jack. Of course, every story involving trapped characters must inevitably include a group hothead, a role which Jack fills nicely as the novel’s second major perspective. And who can forget the guileless yet precocious child, who is wise beyond his years? This role is filled by ten-year-old Corey, the younger of the two boys from the family aboard, rounding out our POV characters.
Once the adventure gets under way, however, we begin to see signs of Boffard’s efforts to make this story his own by filling the plot with interesting developments and clever surprises. Some of the characters are given backstories, sometimes presented in memory or flashback. Dark secrets and hidden motives come to light. Disagreements abound as there’s no clear leadership, though many of them try to take charge. Several of the revelations about the characters will make your jaw drop. Meanwhile, emotions are already running high as food and air supplies dwindle, not to mention a mysterious enemy still lurking out there, who has just annihilated a space station full of people and would have no qualms about murdering a few more. It’s the perfect recipe for a delicious thriller, and I’m happy to say, it was executed with well-timed action scenes and unexpected twists. All these conflicts and the overarching mystery made this book a compulsive and addictive read, and I’m only slightly annoyed that my favorite character died first.
With that said, I should probably wrap this up if I don’t want to give anything more about the story away. Needless to say, Adrift is packed with surprises, with the most significant ones occurring in the second half of the novel, and trust me, they’re worth finding out on your own. This is a book I would recommend to fans of sci-fi thrillers and space disaster stories, especially if enjoy a heavy survival component. It’s an exciting blend of intense action and high drama, supported by tightly plotted storytelling and a rich cast of characters.
June 5, 2018
I absolutely loved this! Hugely exciting adventure in space which fully delivers on a great premise. I can imagine people of all ages enjoying this. I didn't want to put it down at all. This is the kind of book that makes you miss bus stops! Review to follow shortly on For Winter Nights.
October 25, 2018
LV: Sūc uz kociņa.
ENG: This one was a bummer. It is a huge achievment to come up with such a good premise and then write a dull book whith bunch of dull characters - I cared for noone. Took me four months and lots of willpower to finish this book.
ENG: This one was a bummer. It is a huge achievment to come up with such a good premise and then write a dull book whith bunch of dull characters - I cared for noone. Took me four months and lots of willpower to finish this book.
May 22, 2018
As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The war between the Colonies and the Frontier has been over for ten years. During the war, Sigma Station or as it was known then Sigma XV was a mining outpost located in the Horsehead Nebula that both sides fought over.
Now, in the present, mining still takes place there but what was originally known as Sigma XV is now the Sigma Hotel and Luxury Resort. A holiday destination that caters for 10,000 tourists at any given time.
A small group of tourists take a tour on the Red Panda (a rather crummy tourist ship with no weapons that is built for short-range trips) for a simple excursion around the resort to view the Horsehead Nebula. Hannah Elliott is a young tour guide for Sigma Destination Tours, it’s her first day on the job and she is the guide on the Red Panda, the captain/pilot is Jana Volkova, a Russian and former Frontier pilot during the war, Everett and Anita Livingstone and their two children Malik (15) and Corey (10), Jack Tennant, a feed writer/reporter, a couple of newlyweds in Brendan and his wife Seema and finally, Lorinda, a retired and widowed elderly lady as the tourists aboard.
Whilst on the tour a mysterious ship of unknown origin appears in the sector and completely destroys the Sigma Resort, 10,000 lives gone in a matter of moments and leaving the ten people on the Red Panda as the sole survivors adrift, isolated and stranded in space.
The situation is dire, the mysterious ship is still in the area hunting the Red Panda and the only supplies available to the group are the limited and lacklustre resources that were aboard the Red Panda on take-off.
With the supplies dwindling and the situation worsening aboard the Red Panda the close confines of the ship act as a cauldron, simmering with contrary opinions and plenty of discord over what the best course of action is to take between the tourists when they should all be focusing on their survival and banding together.
The Red Panda as the setting for most of the book is integral to the story and while not an actual flesh and blood character the ship feels like a character, that poor ship goes through a lot of shit!
With only a small cast of characters in Adrift, the characterisation by Boffard is stellar, each of the group is individual, have their own history and are well-developed. Not everyone is who they seem, some have hidden motivations and all have depth. My favourites from the group were the trio of Corey, Lorinda and Volkova but all help to engage you in the story and invest you in their plight.
For me, Sci-fi is a very hit or miss genre but everything in Adrift just clicked together, there’s emotion, action, intrigue, a palpable feeling of suspense, a divisive group of characters, snappy dialogue and a damn good multi-layered story all packed into the pages of Adrift creating a thrilling and addictive read.
Adrift is a claustrophobic, atmospheric and full of tension. It is reading time well spent and I fucking loved it.
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The war between the Colonies and the Frontier has been over for ten years. During the war, Sigma Station or as it was known then Sigma XV was a mining outpost located in the Horsehead Nebula that both sides fought over.
Now, in the present, mining still takes place there but what was originally known as Sigma XV is now the Sigma Hotel and Luxury Resort. A holiday destination that caters for 10,000 tourists at any given time.
A small group of tourists take a tour on the Red Panda (a rather crummy tourist ship with no weapons that is built for short-range trips) for a simple excursion around the resort to view the Horsehead Nebula. Hannah Elliott is a young tour guide for Sigma Destination Tours, it’s her first day on the job and she is the guide on the Red Panda, the captain/pilot is Jana Volkova, a Russian and former Frontier pilot during the war, Everett and Anita Livingstone and their two children Malik (15) and Corey (10), Jack Tennant, a feed writer/reporter, a couple of newlyweds in Brendan and his wife Seema and finally, Lorinda, a retired and widowed elderly lady as the tourists aboard.
Whilst on the tour a mysterious ship of unknown origin appears in the sector and completely destroys the Sigma Resort, 10,000 lives gone in a matter of moments and leaving the ten people on the Red Panda as the sole survivors adrift, isolated and stranded in space.
The situation is dire, the mysterious ship is still in the area hunting the Red Panda and the only supplies available to the group are the limited and lacklustre resources that were aboard the Red Panda on take-off.
With the supplies dwindling and the situation worsening aboard the Red Panda the close confines of the ship act as a cauldron, simmering with contrary opinions and plenty of discord over what the best course of action is to take between the tourists when they should all be focusing on their survival and banding together.
The Red Panda as the setting for most of the book is integral to the story and while not an actual flesh and blood character the ship feels like a character, that poor ship goes through a lot of shit!
With only a small cast of characters in Adrift, the characterisation by Boffard is stellar, each of the group is individual, have their own history and are well-developed. Not everyone is who they seem, some have hidden motivations and all have depth. My favourites from the group were the trio of Corey, Lorinda and Volkova but all help to engage you in the story and invest you in their plight.
For me, Sci-fi is a very hit or miss genre but everything in Adrift just clicked together, there’s emotion, action, intrigue, a palpable feeling of suspense, a divisive group of characters, snappy dialogue and a damn good multi-layered story all packed into the pages of Adrift creating a thrilling and addictive read.
Adrift is a claustrophobic, atmospheric and full of tension. It is reading time well spent and I fucking loved it.
May 26, 2018
4.5 stars...
Loved it! The suspense was great and there was non-stop action the entire ride! I literally held my breath through quite a bit of the book.
The boys, Corey and Malik, were my favorite characters out of all of them, besides the pilot, Captain Jana Volkova, I liked her a lot too, but the kids were seriously the stars of the show.
I only had an issue with one small part-
All-in-all a nice thrilling space adventure and definitely worth reading!
*I received this ARC from the author and the Goodreads FirstReads program in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Loved it! The suspense was great and there was non-stop action the entire ride! I literally held my breath through quite a bit of the book.
The boys, Corey and Malik, were my favorite characters out of all of them, besides the pilot, Captain Jana Volkova, I liked her a lot too, but the kids were seriously the stars of the show.
I only had an issue with one small part-
All-in-all a nice thrilling space adventure and definitely worth reading!
*I received this ARC from the author and the Goodreads FirstReads program in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Read
April 20, 2019DNF @ 20%
I liked the premise, and generally survival stories are a win for me, but this one just wasn't engaging enough. The writing was a bit clunky and the characters felt two dimensional. I thought 20% was a big enough chunk to give the book a fair chance, but it just wasn't for me.
I liked the premise, and generally survival stories are a win for me, but this one just wasn't engaging enough. The writing was a bit clunky and the characters felt two dimensional. I thought 20% was a big enough chunk to give the book a fair chance, but it just wasn't for me.
June 16, 2018
Originally posted on The Nerd Daily | Review by Jayse Smith
When a group of intergalactic tourists decide to take a scenic tour around the luxurious Sigma XV Station, a remote mining facility and hotel with stunning views of the Horsehead Nebula, none of the passengers on board Sigma Destination Tours ever imagined that they’d be embarking on an epic fight for survival and ultimately their lives in deep space.
Adrift Rob BoffardThe expansive vacuum of space gives Rob Boffard scope and ability to focus on development of each characters’ story as well as bits and pieces of their back story we discover along the way. The character development over the course of this novel and the feelings this causes the reader to develop is—excuse the pun—out of this world!
Boffard has created such well-rounded characters, which the reader will fall in love with and this makes it all the more difficult as they struggle to find their way out of the situations they find themselves in. Through each chapter, we received narration from a different character and also receive more back story, which is just as equally important to the main storyline. In Adrift, there’s an atmosphere of claustrophobia and despair which leads to some heart pounding moments throughout the novel.
Ever had the absolute day from hell? Well it wouldn’t even compare to the day our tout guide, Hannah Elliott, is having especially when it’s her first day at Sigma Destination Tours. Not only is she late on her first day, but her day is about to go from bad to the absolute worst. After welcoming the passengers aboard the small outdated relic of a shuttle known as the ‘Red Panda’, an enemy ship unlike anything passenger or young space craft expert Corey Livingstone has seen before appears out of nowhere. It destroys the station and leaves our troupe fearing for their lives and wondering what to do next. By the end of their struggle, Hannah is not the same timid, unsure, and self-doubting person we first meet. She becomes pretty kick-ass and turns into a self-assured and adventurous girl who stands up for herself. The events which occur whilst under immense pressure force Hannah to make decisions, even if they’re the unpopular one.
The captain of the ‘Red Panda’ is Captain Jana Volkova, the chain-smoking, boozy, Russian, ex-Frontier Navy who flew Scorpion fighters during the war. She does seem unlikable, cold and distant when we first meet her, especially when she accurately describes the Red Panda as a “crap ship”. However, with all the outdated tech on-board and the numerous trials the ship has to go through, Volkova’s flight skills manage to pull the passengers out of many tight spots. How will she manage to get her nine passengers home alive when they have no weapons, food and water? And especially if no one back home knows they’re alive?
Also on-board is the Livingstone family: Corey (10) is the youngest son of Anita and Everett, while Malik (15) is Corey’s older brother. We are first introduced to Corey when he tries to get the attention of his mother. Corey’s role in the novel becomes more and more important as the book progresses as he is obsessed with Spacecraft and wants to be a pilot when he is older. Anita is a workaholic who works for the Frontier Government, which have been at war with the Colonies. The two empires are currently renegotiating the Belarus Treaty, which aims to give the Federation even more territory—something that the Colonies may not be too happy with.
The relationship Corey forges with another passenger on their voyage is heartwarming and brings a lightness to the dark events unfolding around them. Lorinda Anna Maria Esteban is an elderly woman from ‘out in the Kuiper Belt’ who worked in zero gravity as an asteroid miner most of her life. She’s feisty as fuck and does not take any shit. Throughout the story, she shows amazing strength and resilience even with her body screaming against every action she takes due to her old age. Lorinda has also recently lost the love of her life due to a brain aneurysm.
Then there’s the mysterious Seema and Brendan O’Hara, and oh boy you will you have feelings towards those two. Whilst their motivations are worthy, the actions they both take whilst aboard the Red Panda are inexcusable.
A hotel critic by the name of Jack Tennant wasn’t even supposed to be on Sigma. He would rather be going to Kepler-186, but ended up on this station instead seeing as his readers wanted more family package experiences, which Sigma offers in abundance. Let’s just say they won’t be getting a good review after Jack’s experience. His back story is also one of the most interesting in Adrift with loads of surprises in there. With Jack, Rob Boffard is able to bring another element into the story.
This book will suit anyone who has ever played the Microsoft produced game Freelancer released all the way back in 2003 which utilised jump gates to navigate around an expansive open world universe. Or perhaps those who enjoyed the game No Man’s Sky released in 2016 and of course the fan favourite Destiny.
The Spotify playlist which compliments this book is ‘Space Dreams (Ambient & Drone Music)’ listening to this whilst reading Adrift enhances the overall experience and gives the reader a deeper immersion into the universe Boffard has created.
When a group of intergalactic tourists decide to take a scenic tour around the luxurious Sigma XV Station, a remote mining facility and hotel with stunning views of the Horsehead Nebula, none of the passengers on board Sigma Destination Tours ever imagined that they’d be embarking on an epic fight for survival and ultimately their lives in deep space.
Adrift Rob BoffardThe expansive vacuum of space gives Rob Boffard scope and ability to focus on development of each characters’ story as well as bits and pieces of their back story we discover along the way. The character development over the course of this novel and the feelings this causes the reader to develop is—excuse the pun—out of this world!
Boffard has created such well-rounded characters, which the reader will fall in love with and this makes it all the more difficult as they struggle to find their way out of the situations they find themselves in. Through each chapter, we received narration from a different character and also receive more back story, which is just as equally important to the main storyline. In Adrift, there’s an atmosphere of claustrophobia and despair which leads to some heart pounding moments throughout the novel.
Ever had the absolute day from hell? Well it wouldn’t even compare to the day our tout guide, Hannah Elliott, is having especially when it’s her first day at Sigma Destination Tours. Not only is she late on her first day, but her day is about to go from bad to the absolute worst. After welcoming the passengers aboard the small outdated relic of a shuttle known as the ‘Red Panda’, an enemy ship unlike anything passenger or young space craft expert Corey Livingstone has seen before appears out of nowhere. It destroys the station and leaves our troupe fearing for their lives and wondering what to do next. By the end of their struggle, Hannah is not the same timid, unsure, and self-doubting person we first meet. She becomes pretty kick-ass and turns into a self-assured and adventurous girl who stands up for herself. The events which occur whilst under immense pressure force Hannah to make decisions, even if they’re the unpopular one.
The captain of the ‘Red Panda’ is Captain Jana Volkova, the chain-smoking, boozy, Russian, ex-Frontier Navy who flew Scorpion fighters during the war. She does seem unlikable, cold and distant when we first meet her, especially when she accurately describes the Red Panda as a “crap ship”. However, with all the outdated tech on-board and the numerous trials the ship has to go through, Volkova’s flight skills manage to pull the passengers out of many tight spots. How will she manage to get her nine passengers home alive when they have no weapons, food and water? And especially if no one back home knows they’re alive?
Also on-board is the Livingstone family: Corey (10) is the youngest son of Anita and Everett, while Malik (15) is Corey’s older brother. We are first introduced to Corey when he tries to get the attention of his mother. Corey’s role in the novel becomes more and more important as the book progresses as he is obsessed with Spacecraft and wants to be a pilot when he is older. Anita is a workaholic who works for the Frontier Government, which have been at war with the Colonies. The two empires are currently renegotiating the Belarus Treaty, which aims to give the Federation even more territory—something that the Colonies may not be too happy with.
The relationship Corey forges with another passenger on their voyage is heartwarming and brings a lightness to the dark events unfolding around them. Lorinda Anna Maria Esteban is an elderly woman from ‘out in the Kuiper Belt’ who worked in zero gravity as an asteroid miner most of her life. She’s feisty as fuck and does not take any shit. Throughout the story, she shows amazing strength and resilience even with her body screaming against every action she takes due to her old age. Lorinda has also recently lost the love of her life due to a brain aneurysm.
Then there’s the mysterious Seema and Brendan O’Hara, and oh boy you will you have feelings towards those two. Whilst their motivations are worthy, the actions they both take whilst aboard the Red Panda are inexcusable.
A hotel critic by the name of Jack Tennant wasn’t even supposed to be on Sigma. He would rather be going to Kepler-186, but ended up on this station instead seeing as his readers wanted more family package experiences, which Sigma offers in abundance. Let’s just say they won’t be getting a good review after Jack’s experience. His back story is also one of the most interesting in Adrift with loads of surprises in there. With Jack, Rob Boffard is able to bring another element into the story.
This book will suit anyone who has ever played the Microsoft produced game Freelancer released all the way back in 2003 which utilised jump gates to navigate around an expansive open world universe. Or perhaps those who enjoyed the game No Man’s Sky released in 2016 and of course the fan favourite Destiny.
The Spotify playlist which compliments this book is ‘Space Dreams (Ambient & Drone Music)’ listening to this whilst reading Adrift enhances the overall experience and gives the reader a deeper immersion into the universe Boffard has created.
June 22, 2018
Hop in as Boffard takes his readers on a thrilling adventure in space filled with action, betrayals, and secrets.
Adrift follows a few characters as they’re trapped in a tour ship as a mysterious technologically advanced space ship attacks a luxury hotel. Those trapped on the ship are regular civilians who have to work together in order to survive the unforgiving confines of space.
Adrift is told through multiple perspectives: Corey, a preteen, Hannah, the tour guide, and Jack, a hotel reviewer. Each perspective offers something different to the story by allowing the reader insight into each of the characters. I enjoyed Hannah’s perspective the most since her character sees the most amount of growth. Throughout the novel, she transitions from someone with no confidence to a self-assured individual. I especially loved her opening chapter. It’s perfectly written in its introduction to the character as well as the world itself. It situates the reader immediately in the setting.
The pace throughout Adrift is consistently fast. The characters are faced with problem after problem as they navigate the perils of space. I would hesitate comparing this to The Martian by Andy Weir because Adrift lacks the believable scientific explanations regarding survival. Though, if you’re looking for something similar you’ll be pleasantly surprised with Adrift.
Adrift follows a few characters as they’re trapped in a tour ship as a mysterious technologically advanced space ship attacks a luxury hotel. Those trapped on the ship are regular civilians who have to work together in order to survive the unforgiving confines of space.
Adrift is told through multiple perspectives: Corey, a preteen, Hannah, the tour guide, and Jack, a hotel reviewer. Each perspective offers something different to the story by allowing the reader insight into each of the characters. I enjoyed Hannah’s perspective the most since her character sees the most amount of growth. Throughout the novel, she transitions from someone with no confidence to a self-assured individual. I especially loved her opening chapter. It’s perfectly written in its introduction to the character as well as the world itself. It situates the reader immediately in the setting.
The pace throughout Adrift is consistently fast. The characters are faced with problem after problem as they navigate the perils of space. I would hesitate comparing this to The Martian by Andy Weir because Adrift lacks the believable scientific explanations regarding survival. Though, if you’re looking for something similar you’ll be pleasantly surprised with Adrift.
September 7, 2018
If you love science fiction books like leviathan wakes , dark matter , and illuminae then I highly recommend this book for you .
May 2, 2018
I loved LOVED the Outer Earth trilogy from Rob Boffard – I was utterly bereft after reading the last one, so when Adrift landed (or floated by or something) I was all YAY.
Rightly so it seems because this, too was so so so so good. It was just exciting and clever and emotional, pacy and incredibly compelling.
We have ten tourists stuck on a ship that is, well, not that brilliant. Everyone else is dead and gone having been attacked by a mysterious force. Only the fact that their pilot has some savvy has managed to save them so far. But they are quite literally lost in space, with food running out, a frozen water supply, a broken vessel and a lot of infighting. Seriously folks, focus on the problem at hand which is YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE. Still, not everyone on the Red Panda is all they appear to be…
What follows is a rip rollicking adventure of the finest kind, with crackling dialogue, divisive characters, cleverly obscure motivations and you know, battles in space. BATTLES. Also child characters that are not annoying. Seriously. How many authors pull that one off these days?
ANYWAY there are lots of space driven twists and turns, both literally and figuratively, a multi-layered and cleverly obfuscated plot, where the author plays with your perceptions of good and evil all whilst cackling away behind his keyboard (ok I might be imagining that bit) at what he’s going to throw next at our motley crew.
Storytelling of the best kind. Fast and furious with a literary twist and more excitement than you can shake a stick at.
Highly Recommended.
Rightly so it seems because this, too was so so so so good. It was just exciting and clever and emotional, pacy and incredibly compelling.
We have ten tourists stuck on a ship that is, well, not that brilliant. Everyone else is dead and gone having been attacked by a mysterious force. Only the fact that their pilot has some savvy has managed to save them so far. But they are quite literally lost in space, with food running out, a frozen water supply, a broken vessel and a lot of infighting. Seriously folks, focus on the problem at hand which is YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE. Still, not everyone on the Red Panda is all they appear to be…
What follows is a rip rollicking adventure of the finest kind, with crackling dialogue, divisive characters, cleverly obscure motivations and you know, battles in space. BATTLES. Also child characters that are not annoying. Seriously. How many authors pull that one off these days?
ANYWAY there are lots of space driven twists and turns, both literally and figuratively, a multi-layered and cleverly obfuscated plot, where the author plays with your perceptions of good and evil all whilst cackling away behind his keyboard (ok I might be imagining that bit) at what he’s going to throw next at our motley crew.
Storytelling of the best kind. Fast and furious with a literary twist and more excitement than you can shake a stick at.
Highly Recommended.
March 16, 2018
The publisher provided me with a proof copy in exchange for a blurb. Here's what I gave them:
A claustrophobic and fiercely written adventure, Adrift is a crackling read full of intrigue, isolation and smart world-building. The story moves at a breakneck pace, every page dripping with tension. This is Boffard’s best book yet.
And I meant every word. This as about as tight-knit and close-quarters as outer space stories come, balanced on a knife-edge until the very end.
A claustrophobic and fiercely written adventure, Adrift is a crackling read full of intrigue, isolation and smart world-building. The story moves at a breakneck pace, every page dripping with tension. This is Boffard’s best book yet.
And I meant every word. This as about as tight-knit and close-quarters as outer space stories come, balanced on a knife-edge until the very end.
June 28, 2018
The concept of this sounded similiar to one of my favourite doctor who episodes (midnight) so as soon as I saw it I had to give it a try. It's about a group of tourists who get stranded on a small tour ship after the space station they were visiting gets attacked. Its set almost completely within the small ship and has multiple point of view characters that are refreshingly different from each other. Including a ten year old boy, sixty five year old woman, a young tour guide and jaded alcoholic hotel critic. It's nice to see such different characters rather than the same old average ones. It did start very slowly as we got to know the characters and they got to know each other and the situation they were in. It's written in present tense which I did find quite jarring at the start as I don't see so many books written in that style but it really worked with the way we learnt about the characters pasts. Unfortunately it did take a while for it to pick up for me and it wasn't until the half way point that things really got intense. The good news is the second half of the book was really great. I loved the idea of a sci fi that was so self contained in a small environment, so often books set in space span such huge areas and concepts but this was a true character based study in a dire situation, I'd recommend it for anyone who doesn't mind a slow build Sci fi and wants a multi pov book where the characters are really different to each other.
May 9, 2019
Well, shucks, I want to know who this is aimed at. We've got a rookie tour guide who appears to be just out of her teens and a couple of teenagers. Are they for the target audience to identify with? If so, that might change my review. I'm assuming this is NOT a YA book.
Several reviewers called it a "taut thriller" and others "a vacation read." I daresay it is both of those, and as such competently done. Trouble is, I don't LIKE taut thrillers and vacation reads.
The taut-thriller part reminds me of Agatha-Christie-like books where we gradually learn that everyone in the story knows each other. The coincidences and plot twists are all there to ramp up the tension, and everyone has a secret. In taut thrillers and vacation reads alike, there's usually a selection of these: seriously crooked politician; amoral genius inventor; Jack-Bauer-like soldier guy; plucky younger person that everything happens to; older woman who's more than she seems; a crew member who is implausibly capable; and a spy or similar. well, gosh, they're ALL here.
The marooned-in-space has been done a zillion times. And in any reasonable version, everyone dies fairly quickly and we're on to chapter two. In TT-and-VRs, someone gets a spoon and some gum and builds a space drive. There's a lot of "if I can just .." and a lot of use of an Infinite Improbability Drive, in which someone's one-in-a-million gamble pays off (I can hear Pratchett's ghost grinning, can't you?) Especially when they, ahem, find a way home.
I give credit for the attempts at character development. I give credit for the, ahem, varying roster count. I take away credit for presenting Roman as the classic "I know eight ways to kill you with my eyebrows."
In the end, it's modernized 50s pulp. I expected rayguns.
Several reviewers called it a "taut thriller" and others "a vacation read." I daresay it is both of those, and as such competently done. Trouble is, I don't LIKE taut thrillers and vacation reads.
The taut-thriller part reminds me of Agatha-Christie-like books where we gradually learn that everyone in the story knows each other. The coincidences and plot twists are all there to ramp up the tension, and everyone has a secret. In taut thrillers and vacation reads alike, there's usually a selection of these: seriously crooked politician; amoral genius inventor; Jack-Bauer-like soldier guy; plucky younger person that everything happens to; older woman who's more than she seems; a crew member who is implausibly capable; and a spy or similar. well, gosh, they're ALL here.
The marooned-in-space has been done a zillion times. And in any reasonable version, everyone dies fairly quickly and we're on to chapter two. In TT-and-VRs, someone gets a spoon and some gum and builds a space drive. There's a lot of "if I can just .." and a lot of use of an Infinite Improbability Drive, in which someone's one-in-a-million gamble pays off (I can hear Pratchett's ghost grinning, can't you?) Especially when they, ahem, find a way home.
I give credit for the attempts at character development. I give credit for the, ahem, varying roster count. I take away credit for presenting Roman as the classic "I know eight ways to kill you with my eyebrows."
In the end, it's modernized 50s pulp. I expected rayguns.
April 15, 2020
Dieser YA Katastrophenroman-Thriller ist sehr leicht lesbar, spannend und ein echter Pageturner. Er erinnert stark an Arthur C. Clarkes 50er Jahres-Thriller "Im Mondstaub versunken", ähnlich wie dort wird hier eine Touristengruppe in einem heruntergekommenen Touristgen-Shuttle in eine Katastrophe verwickelt, mit der sich die unterschiedlichsten Charaktere behaupten müssen. Eine riesige Raumstation mit mehreren 10.000 Menschen arbeitet hier an einem Verkehrsknotenpunkt im Sternentor-System der Menschheit. Man hat hier den besten Blick auf den Pferdekopfnebel, was viele Touristen anzieht. Während einer Besichtigungstour wird die Raumstation und das Sternentor von einem unbekannten Raumschiff vernichtet, nur mit viel Glück und dem Geschick ihrer versoffenen Pilotin können sie sich retten und in den Trümmern verbergen. Innerhalb des Shuttles kämpft man nicht nur mit den Widrigkeiten des Angriffs und der Angst vor einer Entdeckung durch die unbekannten Terroristen, sondern auch innerhalb der unterschiedlichen Gruppe. Da gibt es die Pilotin, die eine Veteranin des vergangenen Krieges der Frontiers gegen die Kolonien war, den die Erde als Zentralwelt der Frontiers gewonnen hat. Da ist die unerfahrene Reiseführerin, die auf ihrem ersten Einsatz dieses Desaster erlebt, da der cholerischer Passagier, dort das Ehepaar, das ein Dunkles Geheimnis hat, da eine vierköpfige Familie, deren jünster Sohn sich als Raumschiff-Experte und Diplomat erweist und dort ist eine alte Frau, die sich als einzige mit Raumfahrt-Erfahrung entpuppt. Die Figuren sind ausgewachsene Charaktere, die in der Lage sind, die Geschichte zu tragen, die Action, politische Intrigen und gewaltige Kulissen gekonnt miteinander verweben und verbinden...
Rob Boffard schreibt hier pures Kino in Buchform, es macht Spaß, wird nie langweilig und er liefert hier genau das, was versprochen wurde – Action und Unterhaltung. Nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Genau das Richtige in diesen Corona-Zeiten...
Rob Boffard schreibt hier pures Kino in Buchform, es macht Spaß, wird nie langweilig und er liefert hier genau das, was versprochen wurde – Action und Unterhaltung. Nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Genau das Richtige in diesen Corona-Zeiten...
July 20, 2018
I received this novel from Orbit Books through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review: my thanks to both of them for this opportunity.
When a book manages to surprise me by offering much more than I expected from it, it’s always a wonderful discovery: this was indeed the case with Adrift, a story that ended up being more than the sum of its parts, and a compelling read. The Red Panda is a dilapidated tour ship taking groups of tourists around Sigma Station to admire the Horseshoe Nebula, and this trip does not look much different than the countless others that preceded it: the travelers are restless and grumpy because they had to wait for their guide, young Hannah Elliot, who is on her first day on the job and understandably flustered and lost; Captain Volkova is a disgruntled veteran of the recent war that pitted Frontier and Colonies against each other, and prefers to keep to herself in the cockpit, drinking and chain-smoking; and last but not least, the ship’s barman just called in sick, so the tourists can forget any catering during the excursion.
If this collection of small annoyances can remind us of the unavoidable hiccups of organized tours, what happens next is totally, shockingly unexpected: out of the jump gate linking Sigma to the rest of the galaxy comes an unknown ship that proceeds to attack and destroy the station and the gate itself – only the Panda, thanks to Volkova’s piloting skills, manages to remain unscathed and out of sight of the enemy ship. With limited resources and a run-down vessel, the ten survivors of the attack face a bleak and short future: the destruction of the jump gate cut them off from any kind of communication and help, and with no easily reachable destination their life support and supplies will be depleted soon. Worse still, the attackers might return and this time discover there are still witnesses to what happened…
It’s at this point that what might have been a relatively simple survival story, set in a claustrophobic environment, turns instead into a detailed character study and one that singles out each personality, shifting our initial perspective for every one of them while showing the individuals’ changes brought on by the harrowing situation they find themselves into. One of my favorite narrative themes is that of a group of people thrown together by unforeseen circumstances and forced to work together for their survival, and there could not be a less homogeneous crowd than the Panda’s passengers (and captain). Hannah, the tour guide, is a young woman still trying to find herself and her path in life: shy, insecure, and plagued with a heavy burden of self-doubt, she finds herself in the improbable role of leader, if nothing else because she’s wearing the tour operator’s uniform. At first I found it hard to sympathize with her, because she came across at somewhat whiny, but as circumstances forced her to take on the responsibility of keeping the group together, and as safe as possible, I warmed up to her and came to appreciate the effort she put into the unwanted task that fate dropped into her lap.
Another character whose outlook changed drastically is that of Jack, the equivalent of a present-day travel reviewer: he’s a man quite down on his luck due to a series of negative turns, and he has all but given up on everything and everyone, becoming a cynic and a listless drunkard. During most of the story he tends to flow with the tide, letting his disillusionment with life guide his steps, and yet there is a powerful need for redemption in him, one that might lead him toward a much-needed change.
These are only two examples, but the entire group runs through some pretty wild alterations as the story unfolds: what happens aboard the Panda is indeed a thorough study on the effects of hopelessness and despair boiling over in the close quarters of the ship, a place with no escape – not just from the predicaments at hand, but more importantly from one’s own demons. And every one of the Panda survivors does have some demons to fight, even the two teenaged sons of the Livingstones, a couple on the verge of divorce. What’s interesting here is that we are made privy to the characters’ background story, so that we are able to learn what shaped them in the past and what makes them the persons they are: these flashbacks are not only placed at very convenient points in the narrative, but they also blend in a seamless way with the survivors’ present predicament and in some fashion influence the way each character chooses his or her actions.
The Red Panda itself becomes a character at some point, because this dilapidated vessel, that probably never saw better days, is part and parcel of the troubles of its ten occupants and the way it’s described – the substandard parts, the accumulated grime, the scarce supplies that would have been inadequate even if tragedy had not struck – makes it stand out in sharp relief and share with the reader every one of its ominous creaks, obnoxious smells and claustrophobic environment. Yet, like the humans it shelters, even the Panda becomes capable of unthinkable feats and manages to battle its way through incredible odds, to the point that it’s impossible not to root for it, as if it were somewhat alive and sentient.
Adrift is indeed the kind of story that compels you to turn the pages as quickly as you can as the narrative develops in often unpredictable, but always believable ways – maybe with the exception of the too-rapid change of heart of one particular character, that seemed much too quick given the beliefs that moved his actions and had informed his choices up to that moment. Still, it was a little snag that I could easily move past in the breathless journey that was this highly enjoyable story.
Originally posted at: SPACE and SORCERY BLOG
When a book manages to surprise me by offering much more than I expected from it, it’s always a wonderful discovery: this was indeed the case with Adrift, a story that ended up being more than the sum of its parts, and a compelling read. The Red Panda is a dilapidated tour ship taking groups of tourists around Sigma Station to admire the Horseshoe Nebula, and this trip does not look much different than the countless others that preceded it: the travelers are restless and grumpy because they had to wait for their guide, young Hannah Elliot, who is on her first day on the job and understandably flustered and lost; Captain Volkova is a disgruntled veteran of the recent war that pitted Frontier and Colonies against each other, and prefers to keep to herself in the cockpit, drinking and chain-smoking; and last but not least, the ship’s barman just called in sick, so the tourists can forget any catering during the excursion.
If this collection of small annoyances can remind us of the unavoidable hiccups of organized tours, what happens next is totally, shockingly unexpected: out of the jump gate linking Sigma to the rest of the galaxy comes an unknown ship that proceeds to attack and destroy the station and the gate itself – only the Panda, thanks to Volkova’s piloting skills, manages to remain unscathed and out of sight of the enemy ship. With limited resources and a run-down vessel, the ten survivors of the attack face a bleak and short future: the destruction of the jump gate cut them off from any kind of communication and help, and with no easily reachable destination their life support and supplies will be depleted soon. Worse still, the attackers might return and this time discover there are still witnesses to what happened…
It’s at this point that what might have been a relatively simple survival story, set in a claustrophobic environment, turns instead into a detailed character study and one that singles out each personality, shifting our initial perspective for every one of them while showing the individuals’ changes brought on by the harrowing situation they find themselves into. One of my favorite narrative themes is that of a group of people thrown together by unforeseen circumstances and forced to work together for their survival, and there could not be a less homogeneous crowd than the Panda’s passengers (and captain). Hannah, the tour guide, is a young woman still trying to find herself and her path in life: shy, insecure, and plagued with a heavy burden of self-doubt, she finds herself in the improbable role of leader, if nothing else because she’s wearing the tour operator’s uniform. At first I found it hard to sympathize with her, because she came across at somewhat whiny, but as circumstances forced her to take on the responsibility of keeping the group together, and as safe as possible, I warmed up to her and came to appreciate the effort she put into the unwanted task that fate dropped into her lap.
Another character whose outlook changed drastically is that of Jack, the equivalent of a present-day travel reviewer: he’s a man quite down on his luck due to a series of negative turns, and he has all but given up on everything and everyone, becoming a cynic and a listless drunkard. During most of the story he tends to flow with the tide, letting his disillusionment with life guide his steps, and yet there is a powerful need for redemption in him, one that might lead him toward a much-needed change.
These are only two examples, but the entire group runs through some pretty wild alterations as the story unfolds: what happens aboard the Panda is indeed a thorough study on the effects of hopelessness and despair boiling over in the close quarters of the ship, a place with no escape – not just from the predicaments at hand, but more importantly from one’s own demons. And every one of the Panda survivors does have some demons to fight, even the two teenaged sons of the Livingstones, a couple on the verge of divorce. What’s interesting here is that we are made privy to the characters’ background story, so that we are able to learn what shaped them in the past and what makes them the persons they are: these flashbacks are not only placed at very convenient points in the narrative, but they also blend in a seamless way with the survivors’ present predicament and in some fashion influence the way each character chooses his or her actions.
The Red Panda itself becomes a character at some point, because this dilapidated vessel, that probably never saw better days, is part and parcel of the troubles of its ten occupants and the way it’s described – the substandard parts, the accumulated grime, the scarce supplies that would have been inadequate even if tragedy had not struck – makes it stand out in sharp relief and share with the reader every one of its ominous creaks, obnoxious smells and claustrophobic environment. Yet, like the humans it shelters, even the Panda becomes capable of unthinkable feats and manages to battle its way through incredible odds, to the point that it’s impossible not to root for it, as if it were somewhat alive and sentient.
Adrift is indeed the kind of story that compels you to turn the pages as quickly as you can as the narrative develops in often unpredictable, but always believable ways – maybe with the exception of the too-rapid change of heart of one particular character, that seemed much too quick given the beliefs that moved his actions and had informed his choices up to that moment. Still, it was a little snag that I could easily move past in the breathless journey that was this highly enjoyable story.
Originally posted at: SPACE and SORCERY BLOG
August 3, 2022
The occupants of a small tour ship are the sole survivors of a mysterious attack on a space station.
The plight of these less than admirable and almost universally unlikable characters is told in present tense, which put me off from the start. It's fine for a back cover blurb, but not for an entire novel. That and the lack of a character I could care about left me struggling to finish this one.
I accidentally picked this up from the library, reread the whole thing, and never realized I had read it four years ago. It was that unmemorable.
The plight of these less than admirable and almost universally unlikable characters is told in present tense, which put me off from the start. It's fine for a back cover blurb, but not for an entire novel. That and the lack of a character I could care about left me struggling to finish this one.
I accidentally picked this up from the library, reread the whole thing, and never realized I had read it four years ago. It was that unmemorable.
did-not-finish
April 19, 2020DNF @ 100 pages. The premise is interesting enough, but these characters and the writing style...let's just say we don't mix well. Putting this aside, at least for now.
June 23, 2018
Rob Boffard does it again with an amazingly tense, and at times claustrophobic sci-fi thriller that keeps you glued until the last page.
Sigma Station is in the middle of knowhere, connected by a portal, a way of travelling vast distances across the galaxy, it has become a by word for luxury, as a hotel to unwind and view the horsehead nebula.
Hannah is a rookie, she takes on an assignment as a tour guide on one of the stations tourist ships, which although small, take bands of tourists on excursions around Sigma station and it’s local space.
Red Panda is the name of the fateful ship, along with a captain with a chequered past and a small group of tourists, they set sail for what should have been an uneventful excursion.....
A strange unknown ship appears suddenly and carries out a devastating attack on Sigma station destroying everything and everyone on board. The Red Panda left alone floating in the wreckage looks on with horror, why has this happened? Who did it and why? Most importantly how are the passengers going to survive with a strange ship hunting them down....
Interstellar magnificence! Highly recommended.
Sigma Station is in the middle of knowhere, connected by a portal, a way of travelling vast distances across the galaxy, it has become a by word for luxury, as a hotel to unwind and view the horsehead nebula.
Hannah is a rookie, she takes on an assignment as a tour guide on one of the stations tourist ships, which although small, take bands of tourists on excursions around Sigma station and it’s local space.
Red Panda is the name of the fateful ship, along with a captain with a chequered past and a small group of tourists, they set sail for what should have been an uneventful excursion.....
A strange unknown ship appears suddenly and carries out a devastating attack on Sigma station destroying everything and everyone on board. The Red Panda left alone floating in the wreckage looks on with horror, why has this happened? Who did it and why? Most importantly how are the passengers going to survive with a strange ship hunting them down....
Interstellar magnificence! Highly recommended.
May 11, 2018
Many thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review
Wonderfully crafted characters and a captivating story make for a great read. The story was well thought out and gave an interesting take on what would happen in this scenario. I loved how claustrophobic the whole story was, making it more intense and a real page turner. The ending is also spot on and I couldn't have asked for a better resolution .
I was in love with Lorinda throughout the book, and even Hannah started to grow on me after a while. I went through a mix of emotions for each of the other characters throughout, ranging from anger to admiration. It is great that the author is able to create not only a great world but also memorable characters.
Perhaps the only issue for me was the pacing, which at times became sluggish even though we needed to know the information.
I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for more by this author.
Wonderfully crafted characters and a captivating story make for a great read. The story was well thought out and gave an interesting take on what would happen in this scenario. I loved how claustrophobic the whole story was, making it more intense and a real page turner. The ending is also spot on and I couldn't have asked for a better resolution .
I was in love with Lorinda throughout the book, and even Hannah started to grow on me after a while. I went through a mix of emotions for each of the other characters throughout, ranging from anger to admiration. It is great that the author is able to create not only a great world but also memorable characters.
Perhaps the only issue for me was the pacing, which at times became sluggish even though we needed to know the information.
I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for more by this author.
November 12, 2018
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
An exciting Space adventure with a real mixture of characters.
Although slightly slow in places at the end I was left wanting more.
An exciting Space adventure with a real mixture of characters.
Although slightly slow in places at the end I was left wanting more.
August 15, 2018
2.5 etoiles "L'aventure du Poséidon" revu et corrigé dans l'espace ...
un huit clos qui aurait pu être passionnant tant sur le plan psychologique que sur le plan technique et politique mais qui reste à mon humble avis, trop concentré sur la description des événements et moins sur le ressenti
Parfois, j'ai même eu du mal à me souvenir que l'action se situait dans un vaisseau spatial et pas un quelconque bureau pris en otage
J'ai du lutter pour ne pas sauter des pages Trop de coïncidences tue la crédibilité : une guide inexpérimentée, une navette sous équipée, une pilote chevronnée ex militaire, des tueurs à gage etc etc c'est un peu too much pour être crédible mais peut-être suis-je trop blasé ???
Corey, comme tous les enfants, et son frère sont les seuls qui ont donné du piquant à la sauce "adriftienne"
Même si le milieu politique ayant conduit à cette situation est évoqué, il n'est pas suffisamment étayé pour que je me sente vraiment plongé dans un maelström ayant conduit à un tel génocide
Je suis un peu dur car après tout, j'ai lu jusqu'à la fin (décevante car trop classique) pour preuve de nombreux GR ont vraiment apprécié
un huit clos qui aurait pu être passionnant tant sur le plan psychologique que sur le plan technique et politique mais qui reste à mon humble avis, trop concentré sur la description des événements et moins sur le ressenti
Parfois, j'ai même eu du mal à me souvenir que l'action se situait dans un vaisseau spatial et pas un quelconque bureau pris en otage
J'ai du lutter pour ne pas sauter des pages Trop de coïncidences tue la crédibilité : une guide inexpérimentée, une navette sous équipée, une pilote chevronnée ex militaire, des tueurs à gage etc etc c'est un peu too much pour être crédible mais peut-être suis-je trop blasé ???
Corey, comme tous les enfants, et son frère sont les seuls qui ont donné du piquant à la sauce "adriftienne"
Même si le milieu politique ayant conduit à cette situation est évoqué, il n'est pas suffisamment étayé pour que je me sente vraiment plongé dans un maelström ayant conduit à un tel génocide
Je suis un peu dur car après tout, j'ai lu jusqu'à la fin (décevante car trop classique) pour preuve de nombreux GR ont vraiment apprécié
September 26, 2019
What if "Gilligan's Island" but in space? And thousands of people die? And shady political intrigue? And they have literally no resources and they're running out of time?
A three hour tour. A THREE HOUR TOUR!
I heard about this book at Denver Comic-Con a few years ago and couldn't get it out of my head. The premise is so rich for a myriad of different stories. You have a space station out by the Horse Head Nebula, and a tiny, podunk tour shuttle with about ten people aboard just puttering out of the station. Picture the fake submarines at Disney World. It's a little scuffed, it's under-supplied, and it's seen better days. The crew consists of a surly middle-aged Russian captain, an anxious tour guide on her first day, and a bartender---wait, scrap that, the bartender doesn't even show up for his shift so there's no booze. Great.
And then the space station blows up, leaving the shuttle and its passengers stranded in the middle of an empty quadrant of space with no hope of rescue. A THREE HOUR TOUR!
What I loved about this book was how much of it I just did not see coming. After the initial shock of the space station exploding, the passengers can hardly catch a breath before they're dealing with disaster after disaster, just to keep the shuttle operating and habitable. Through these mini disasters (in the scope of 10,000 people being killed when a massive space station explodes), we learn more and more about the passengers and crew. There's a family dealing with its own interpersonal drama. A jaded reporter longing for his mini bar and threatening to sue. A pair of honeymooners. A retiree. And SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM.
And that little twist is both what ramps up the drama and danger and leads to their possible salvation. I shall spoil nothing because I think the constant feeling of "How the fuck are they going to get out of this" is half the fun of the story. But I will say the introduction of new, never-before-seen-or-heard-of technology in the third act felt a little like a deus ex machina. It worked within the context of the story, but it was still disappointing. I always hate it when authors introduce the rules of a world, firmly establish them, and then break them because that's literally the only way to resolve the conflict.
I was also surprised at who made it and who didn't. Spoiler? I think not. You put ten people in a situation like this, ripe for suspense, danger, and grievous bodily harm, and someone's bound to be a casualty.
The theme here seems to be that even the tiniest of mishaps are actually a lens through which to view much larger, planet-shattering conflicts. Everything truly is connected, and there's really no background detail that doesn't come into play eventually.
Well, except maybe the Reptar toy.
Wait no! The Reptar toy definitely comes into play.
A THREE HOUR TOUR!
A three hour tour. A THREE HOUR TOUR!
I heard about this book at Denver Comic-Con a few years ago and couldn't get it out of my head. The premise is so rich for a myriad of different stories. You have a space station out by the Horse Head Nebula, and a tiny, podunk tour shuttle with about ten people aboard just puttering out of the station. Picture the fake submarines at Disney World. It's a little scuffed, it's under-supplied, and it's seen better days. The crew consists of a surly middle-aged Russian captain, an anxious tour guide on her first day, and a bartender---wait, scrap that, the bartender doesn't even show up for his shift so there's no booze. Great.
And then the space station blows up, leaving the shuttle and its passengers stranded in the middle of an empty quadrant of space with no hope of rescue. A THREE HOUR TOUR!
What I loved about this book was how much of it I just did not see coming. After the initial shock of the space station exploding, the passengers can hardly catch a breath before they're dealing with disaster after disaster, just to keep the shuttle operating and habitable. Through these mini disasters (in the scope of 10,000 people being killed when a massive space station explodes), we learn more and more about the passengers and crew. There's a family dealing with its own interpersonal drama. A jaded reporter longing for his mini bar and threatening to sue. A pair of honeymooners. A retiree. And SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM.
And that little twist is both what ramps up the drama and danger and leads to their possible salvation. I shall spoil nothing because I think the constant feeling of "How the fuck are they going to get out of this" is half the fun of the story. But I will say the introduction of new, never-before-seen-or-heard-of technology in the third act felt a little like a deus ex machina. It worked within the context of the story, but it was still disappointing. I always hate it when authors introduce the rules of a world, firmly establish them, and then break them because that's literally the only way to resolve the conflict.
I was also surprised at who made it and who didn't. Spoiler? I think not. You put ten people in a situation like this, ripe for suspense, danger, and grievous bodily harm, and someone's bound to be a casualty.
The theme here seems to be that even the tiniest of mishaps are actually a lens through which to view much larger, planet-shattering conflicts. Everything truly is connected, and there's really no background detail that doesn't come into play eventually.
Well, except maybe the Reptar toy.
Wait no! The Reptar toy definitely comes into play.
A THREE HOUR TOUR!
October 18, 2018
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley*
3.5 stars
Sigma Station attracts tourists for its stunning views of the Horsehead Nebula.
The Red Panda, a tour ship, sets off for a routine trip, the customers on board expecting nothing more than to see the Nebula.
Then a ship attacks the station, killing the thousands of people inside. The Red Panda survives thanks to the talented pilot.
Unable to get home, the passengers of the Red Panda are stuck on the ship with limited food and drink. With tensions running high, they must try and survive.
Why was the station destroyed?
Can the passengers survive long enough to make it home?
I'm a sucker for anything space-related so when I read the blurb I was instantly intrigued, especially with the suspense/mystery aspect.
The characters were an interesting mix. I liked some of them more than others and I enjoyed finding out more about them.
The plot was action-packed and full of suspense. I had no idea what was going to happen next and it felt like I was on the ship with the passengers.
The writing style was easy to follow and held my attention.
I would definitely read more by the author.
Overall this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.
3.5 stars
Sigma Station attracts tourists for its stunning views of the Horsehead Nebula.
The Red Panda, a tour ship, sets off for a routine trip, the customers on board expecting nothing more than to see the Nebula.
Then a ship attacks the station, killing the thousands of people inside. The Red Panda survives thanks to the talented pilot.
Unable to get home, the passengers of the Red Panda are stuck on the ship with limited food and drink. With tensions running high, they must try and survive.
Why was the station destroyed?
Can the passengers survive long enough to make it home?
I'm a sucker for anything space-related so when I read the blurb I was instantly intrigued, especially with the suspense/mystery aspect.
The characters were an interesting mix. I liked some of them more than others and I enjoyed finding out more about them.
The plot was action-packed and full of suspense. I had no idea what was going to happen next and it felt like I was on the ship with the passengers.
The writing style was easy to follow and held my attention.
I would definitely read more by the author.
Overall this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend.
June 4, 2023
5+ stars!! -- I really love this SCI-FI thriller. There are multiple twists and turns in the the plot that I did not expect. The basic premise of this story, set in 2172, is that the Universe is still dealing with the fallout of the war between the Frontier and the Colonies over a decade after the Peace Treaty was signed. This is never more evident than in what happens at a large tourist outpost near the Horseshoe Nebula called Sigma Station. The eight main characters of the story are on a scheduled tour around the station in a small ship called Red Panda. From their perspectives, they see a ship unlike any they have seen before. That ship releases spheres that are like torpedoes, but smarter. Those spheres destroy the outpost and every ship around it, except for Red Panda. Only the canny moves of the tour ship's captain save it from the same fate. When the war ship leaves, the characters become the focus of the plot. Anita, Everett, Corey, Malik, Hannah, Brendan, Seema, Lorinda, Jack, and Volkova must work together - or not - to survive. I thought the whole story was great.
didnt-finish
September 23, 2018Fake-out beginnings are a huge pet peeve of mine, so that started things off on a sour note. Once I got past that initial disappointment, nothing about this book grabbed my interest.
Normally I two-star anything I can't bring myself to finish, but in this case I couldn't get past thirty pages so that didn't seem fair. Maybe it gets better later on. Or maybe I'm a jerk for not slogging through 50 more pages to find out for myself if that's the case. Lately my patience is just shot though. When I kept reaching for my dense, academic book club read instead of this one just before bed, it was clearly time to give up.
Normally I two-star anything I can't bring myself to finish, but in this case I couldn't get past thirty pages so that didn't seem fair. Maybe it gets better later on. Or maybe I'm a jerk for not slogging through 50 more pages to find out for myself if that's the case. Lately my patience is just shot though. When I kept reaching for my dense, academic book club read instead of this one just before bed, it was clearly time to give up.
January 14, 2020
This is one of those books where I hate to love it. I was hesitant to keep reading because I didn't want anything bad to happen to my characters!! But I'm glad I did- relatively satisfying ending.
This was a nice, long scifi book that reminded me of "A Long way to a small and Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers only less Alien lifeforms and more "horror of humanity" type of thing. This was pretty character driven so if you're looking for something fast paced and action packed. This isn't it.
Fortunately I love character driven books so it's all good :)
This was a nice, long scifi book that reminded me of "A Long way to a small and Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers only less Alien lifeforms and more "horror of humanity" type of thing. This was pretty character driven so if you're looking for something fast paced and action packed. This isn't it.
Fortunately I love character driven books so it's all good :)
May 13, 2019
I really enjoyed this one, I wasn't sure if I would or not, but I think I'm a sucker for sci-fi books that are dramatic and apocalyptic. I thought it was pretty well written, and it sucked me right in.
June 15, 2018
A brilliant book with wonderful characters. The story line and the plot was really well crafted and was a wonderful read. I enjoyed it from the very first page to the very last page.
May 30, 2019
3.5. i enjoyed it, yeah it was good.
May 21, 2021
I found it highly entertaining and engaging.
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