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Dark Space Universe #2
The Enemy Within
DISCOUNTED FROM $3.99 UNTIL AUGUST 27th
THEY LEFT SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS FROM THE COSMOS AND FOUND AN EVIL AS OLD AS TIME
THEY LEFT SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS FROM THE COSMOS AND FOUND AN EVIL AS OLD AS TIME
Lucien, Garek, Addy, and Brak are all that's left of the Inquisitor's crew. Eight years ago they left the Etherian Empire aboard the Astralis with three hundred million scientists to learn the true nature of the universe, but now Astralis is surrounded by a hostile race of alien slavers, called the Faros, while the Inquisitor's crew has been forced to abandon ship and flee to parts unknown.
Lucien and his crew are trying to find a way to rescue their people, but they don't have a ship, and they don't even know where to look, let alone how to fight back against a seemingly innumerable and invincible foe.
Meanwhile, Abaddon, the leader of the Faros invaded Astralis for a reason. He has a plan, and it's time to execute it--along with everyone who stands in his way.
Lucien and his crew are trying to find a way to rescue their people, but they don't have a ship, and they don't even know where to look, let alone how to fight back against a seemingly innumerable and invincible foe.
Meanwhile, Abaddon, the leader of the Faros invaded Astralis for a reason. He has a plan, and it's time to execute it--along with everyone who stands in his way.
- GenresScience Fiction
516 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 15, 2017
173 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Jasper T. Scott
103 books512 followersJasper Scott is a USA Today bestselling author of more than 20 sci-fi novels. With over a million books sold, Jasper's work has been translated into various languages and published around the world.
Jasper writes fast-paced books with unexpected twists and flawed characters. Join the author's mailing list to get two FREE books: https://files.jaspertscott.com/mailin...
Jasper writes fast-paced books with unexpected twists and flawed characters. Join the author's mailing list to get two FREE books: https://files.jaspertscott.com/mailin...
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 19, 2017
I've been a fan and loyal follower of Jasper Scott and his exceptional skill in telling complex and detailed stories usually in the series format. It's hard for me to imagine how any author can keep the interest and excitement level so intense for so long. I used to think James Mitchener was a master of tracking several diverse families across several millennia. Jasper does this and does this across the known & unknown Universe.
In my review of Book 1, I mentioned that the exploration team of around 300 million traveled out so far beyond the "Edge-of-the-Universe" that they were out where God lives. If you accept the existence of God I believe you must accept the existence of the Devil or at least Evil. This is known as Devlin in the language of the explorers. He has many followers out there.
One of the main problems I perceive in future societies that have and utilize Clones is what can happen when the original and one (or more) copies exist at the same time and place. This is an issue that Scott addresses and like many "solutions", there are often new unanticipated issues that need to be addressed.
I'm glad to see Jasper included a Prologue at the start of Book 2 refreshing those of us who may have read many other books since finishing Book 1. I find myself giving similar suggestions to several authors who produce exceptional Series-length books. One is the need for this Prologue and another is MY need for a "Who's Who" sort of Glossary which is properly called a "Dramatis Personae". Since I make this suggestion often, I've come to believe it's either a Great Idea" or it's just an "Old Guy's" inability to keep track of the many complex characters in these Epic Length stories.
Review by THE HOLEY ONE
In my review of Book 1, I mentioned that the exploration team of around 300 million traveled out so far beyond the "Edge-of-the-Universe" that they were out where God lives. If you accept the existence of God I believe you must accept the existence of the Devil or at least Evil. This is known as Devlin in the language of the explorers. He has many followers out there.
One of the main problems I perceive in future societies that have and utilize Clones is what can happen when the original and one (or more) copies exist at the same time and place. This is an issue that Scott addresses and like many "solutions", there are often new unanticipated issues that need to be addressed.
I'm glad to see Jasper included a Prologue at the start of Book 2 refreshing those of us who may have read many other books since finishing Book 1. I find myself giving similar suggestions to several authors who produce exceptional Series-length books. One is the need for this Prologue and another is MY need for a "Who's Who" sort of Glossary which is properly called a "Dramatis Personae". Since I make this suggestion often, I've come to believe it's either a Great Idea" or it's just an "Old Guy's" inability to keep track of the many complex characters in these Epic Length stories.
Review by THE HOLEY ONE
January 11, 2025
Nooooo! What happened, Jasper T. Scott? The first book wasn’t perfect, but it had a clear focus, great action, and enough intrigue to keep me hooked. This sequel? Well, it pretty much does nothing right, and that is rare level of dislike.
Mind control.
Yep, seems to be a theme I keep running into lately. I won’t dwell on it too much, but I really dislike this plot device. It seldom works, and here, it’s no different. It creates several problems (hello, power vacuum), and drags the world's believability way down.
The clones.
They take center stage, leaving the original characters either dead or sidelined. And since these clones are essentially blank slates with implanted memories, all the character development from book one? Is gone. We’re back to square one, only now with a less intriguing plot, pointless mind control, and way less action.
Speaking of focus...
This book doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. Space exploration? Thriller? Heist story? Relationship drama? It’s all here, but none of it feels fleshed out, well-written or enjoyable in the slightest. The heist, for example, gets a few pages of buildup, is executed in a few more, and then vanishes from relevance. Why was it even there?
Even the mind control subplot, which could have been suspenseful, is ruined by revealing too much to the reader too early. It’s like the misunderstanding trope in a romantic comedy; does it really need to be there, or could it have been written better? Spoiler: it could have been written better. Way better.
No action and the wrong focus.
The first book excelled at creating intense, fast-paced action sequences. This one? Not so much. When it’s not stuck on the clones, it does manage to pick up some speed and deliver decent space exploration. But that’s about 20-30% of the novel. The rest is spent on the Astralis dealing with underdeveloped plot lines and characters I didn’t care about, or wait, the SAME CHARACTERS except without any memories of what happened in the first book...
The biggest crime is the lack of action. For a series that started with such strong space fights and brisk pace, this one just feels... flat, bad, flat out bad. In my opinion, of course.
Book three is coming up, and while it is marginally, marginally better than this one, Scott commits one of the biggest writing crimes you can in part three. More on that later.
Check out my podcast Paperback Friends for an in-depth review.
Mind control.
Yep, seems to be a theme I keep running into lately. I won’t dwell on it too much, but I really dislike this plot device. It seldom works, and here, it’s no different. It creates several problems (hello, power vacuum), and drags the world's believability way down.
The clones.
They take center stage, leaving the original characters either dead or sidelined. And since these clones are essentially blank slates with implanted memories, all the character development from book one? Is gone. We’re back to square one, only now with a less intriguing plot, pointless mind control, and way less action.
Speaking of focus...
This book doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. Space exploration? Thriller? Heist story? Relationship drama? It’s all here, but none of it feels fleshed out, well-written or enjoyable in the slightest. The heist, for example, gets a few pages of buildup, is executed in a few more, and then vanishes from relevance. Why was it even there?
Even the mind control subplot, which could have been suspenseful, is ruined by revealing too much to the reader too early. It’s like the misunderstanding trope in a romantic comedy; does it really need to be there, or could it have been written better? Spoiler: it could have been written better. Way better.
No action and the wrong focus.
The first book excelled at creating intense, fast-paced action sequences. This one? Not so much. When it’s not stuck on the clones, it does manage to pick up some speed and deliver decent space exploration. But that’s about 20-30% of the novel. The rest is spent on the Astralis dealing with underdeveloped plot lines and characters I didn’t care about, or wait, the SAME CHARACTERS except without any memories of what happened in the first book...
The biggest crime is the lack of action. For a series that started with such strong space fights and brisk pace, this one just feels... flat, bad, flat out bad. In my opinion, of course.
Book three is coming up, and while it is marginally, marginally better than this one, Scott commits one of the biggest writing crimes you can in part three. More on that later.
Check out my podcast Paperback Friends for an in-depth review.
November 21, 2017
Another Wild Adventure.
The Enemy Within was a far more serious book than the first one. This was with good reason, the Faros are cunning, powerful and resourceful. Without Etherus’ help, can the millions aboard Astralis hope to accomplish their mission and return home? Or will they all end up as slaves in the Farosien Empire? The Humans (and their various alien allies) struggle throughout book 2 and the tone of the story is set accordingly.
This was another wild adventure and a good sequel.
The Enemy Within was a far more serious book than the first one. This was with good reason, the Faros are cunning, powerful and resourceful. Without Etherus’ help, can the millions aboard Astralis hope to accomplish their mission and return home? Or will they all end up as slaves in the Farosien Empire? The Humans (and their various alien allies) struggle throughout book 2 and the tone of the story is set accordingly.
This was another wild adventure and a good sequel.
August 18, 2017
Jasper T. Scott is an accomplished science fiction author evidenced by the tens of thousands of books he has sold over the last few years. His stories include plenty of action and suspense, but they aren’t dominated by it. Philosophical and spiritual issues are neatly woven into his plots. He doesn’t preach to the reader—far from it. Instead, he creates situations that allow the reader to raise questions in his or her own mind.
I’ve always been impressed by his respect for science in his fiction. For example, in his most recent trilogy, Dark Space Universe, the shape and extent of the universe is a plot point that he develops based on current scientific theories, and in an interesting way.
Perhaps Jasper’s greatest gift is his ability to yank readers out of their stream of thought by introducing a plot twist that leaves them flopping on the river bank saying, “I didn’t see that coming.” Yet, the hints were always there. Chubby Checker has nothing on Scott.
As a structural editor, I had the great pleasure of reading an early draft and will say it’s a great book, six stars, at least, and maybe Scott’s best, yet. I recommend you read book 1 first.
I’ve always been impressed by his respect for science in his fiction. For example, in his most recent trilogy, Dark Space Universe, the shape and extent of the universe is a plot point that he develops based on current scientific theories, and in an interesting way.
Perhaps Jasper’s greatest gift is his ability to yank readers out of their stream of thought by introducing a plot twist that leaves them flopping on the river bank saying, “I didn’t see that coming.” Yet, the hints were always there. Chubby Checker has nothing on Scott.
As a structural editor, I had the great pleasure of reading an early draft and will say it’s a great book, six stars, at least, and maybe Scott’s best, yet. I recommend you read book 1 first.
February 16, 2019
The crew is back led by Tyra and Lucien. They’ve been able to get away from the Faros but not without leading the Faros and Abaddon to Astralis. It is in Astralis that we learn that the whole crew has been resurrected and it is not Addy & Lucien who end up together, its Tyra and Lucien. They fall in love, get married and have two kids, Alara and Theola.
Our explorers are finally able to reach home and make contact with Astralis but it’s just as quick that they are forced to jump away as the Faros had tracked them through space and time and are able to infiltrate Astralis and the married Tyra and Lucien, while the originals are sent off on another mission of their own to save the Astralis.
DU2 has so many twists, turns and over lapping story lines that does confuse you. Jasper organized this tale beautifully and establishes that emotional connection that leaves you on the edge of your seat. By far, this has to be my favorite of his work.
Our explorers are finally able to reach home and make contact with Astralis but it’s just as quick that they are forced to jump away as the Faros had tracked them through space and time and are able to infiltrate Astralis and the married Tyra and Lucien, while the originals are sent off on another mission of their own to save the Astralis.
DU2 has so many twists, turns and over lapping story lines that does confuse you. Jasper organized this tale beautifully and establishes that emotional connection that leaves you on the edge of your seat. By far, this has to be my favorite of his work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2017
Second book in the Dark Space Universe saga, see's the Astralis crew continuing to search the universe outside of the Etherian Empire. It follows two story lines featuring Lucien Organs, the first is on board Astralis were he is happily married with children, before the Faros catch up to them and take over the minds of key personnel. The second follows Lucien and the original survivors from the Inquisitor, as they try to rejoin the Astralis. Good book, can be a bit slow at times, but it builds nicely to the final confrontation on Astralis and sets up the final book.
November 22, 2017
The story splits at this point into 2 arcs one on astralis the other with lucien1 it is kinda confusing as each individual has several names and at least 1 copy's so keeping track is hard but the underlying story is a good one I did find myself caring less about the astralis versions untill late in the book. And I found the cop out of no atheists in fox holes disappointing it's lazy writing and makes me worry about the next book. I can't help thinking that 2 books with each taking an arc would have worked better.
April 18, 2018
Great Story I was totally engrossed with this adventure which spans galaxies and more about Abaddon emerges and what his aims are. There are 2 story lines to follow with both involving Lucien the original and his clone. The search for a lost fleet and the uncovering of the Dark agents on the Astralis. The characters are some well written that you are completely rooting for them to succeed
Read
November 10, 2023Good read
Starts good and ends good .
This is the second book in the series , but unlike most series it continues from the first book with out filling the pages by repeating the first book. Hope the third book continues in the same way.
Story line is good and is one you need to keep reading right to the end.
Starts good and ends good .
This is the second book in the series , but unlike most series it continues from the first book with out filling the pages by repeating the first book. Hope the third book continues in the same way.
Story line is good and is one you need to keep reading right to the end.
August 26, 2017
Good continuation of the story line but confusing at points
I had trouble at first figuring out that there were two intertwined storylines happening in different places. But it's a good continuation of the story of the battle against the amoral & psychotic Faros.
I had trouble at first figuring out that there were two intertwined storylines happening in different places. But it's a good continuation of the story of the battle against the amoral & psychotic Faros.
August 31, 2017
Scott has done it again
Exciting addition ,loaded mightiest and turns to build your interest ! If you read book one ,This is a must read as the excitement has built to a much higher level as the challenges have increased tremendously. Don't miss this book
Exciting addition ,loaded mightiest and turns to build your interest ! If you read book one ,This is a must read as the excitement has built to a much higher level as the challenges have increased tremendously. Don't miss this book
April 11, 2018
Another great story from Jasper T. Scott. The bad guys are brilliant and the good guys are a pretty close second.
I found the story to be full of little twists and turns and was constantly kept engaged with the many characters. I look forward to more gratification as the series progresses.
I found the story to be full of little twists and turns and was constantly kept engaged with the many characters. I look forward to more gratification as the series progresses.
Want to read
September 6, 2017Couldn't put it down!
Good story! Good characters! You've renewed my hope for good sci-fi!
This is an imaginative take on aliens, planets and space travel.
Good story! Good characters! You've renewed my hope for good sci-fi!
This is an imaginative take on aliens, planets and space travel.
November 2, 2017
Better than book 1 which I loved. Looking forward to book 3.
November 13, 2017
Good Reading
This one has a lot more going on and it is good. People aren't who you think they are, or are they?
I recommend it.
This one has a lot more going on and it is good. People aren't who you think they are, or are they?
I recommend it.
November 29, 2017
Good story.
I've enjoyed the continuing story of Dark Space as the Faros and humans get closer to a the final battle. If you enjoy sci-fi you'll enjoy this book.
I've enjoyed the continuing story of Dark Space as the Faros and humans get closer to a the final battle. If you enjoy sci-fi you'll enjoy this book.
March 4, 2018
Book two dark space
Book two getting better cannot wait for next book to appear story is very infection to read you do not want to put gown until you have finished
Book two getting better cannot wait for next book to appear story is very infection to read you do not want to put gown until you have finished
January 27, 2022
Intense
This was much better than the first book and felt more like the original series. This gives me hope for the third book.
This was much better than the first book and felt more like the original series. This gives me hope for the third book.
June 13, 2022
Just Too Confusing
Skipping around to tell the same story from different viewpoints of the same cloned characters has gotten tedious. I only made it 1/3 of the way thru this book.
Skipping around to tell the same story from different viewpoints of the same cloned characters has gotten tedious. I only made it 1/3 of the way thru this book.
June 13, 2025
Great continuation of of a good story
Good reading was hard to put down. Started the read and lost sleep because when I started reading time got away from me.
Good reading was hard to put down. Started the read and lost sleep because when I started reading time got away from me.
October 20, 2017
I thought I was getting a bit bored by that series and somehow the having 2 different clones living their life was getting a bit tedious but eventually I got back into it.
It left me on a cliffhanger and I can't wait to read Book 3
It left me on a cliffhanger and I can't wait to read Book 3
April 30, 2018
Scott never fails to deliver a complex story. A story that you can follow, but can't wait to turn the next page.
This story falls right in place in what is a becomming very large universe.
This story falls right in place in what is a becomming very large universe.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews