Dark Space

Dark Space #1

by Lisa Henry

Brady Garrett needs to go home. He’s a conscripted recruit on Defender Three, one of a network of stations designed to protect the Earth from alien attack. He's also angry, homesick, and afraid. If he doesn’t get home he’ll lose his family, but there’s no way back except in a body bag.


Cameron Rushton needs a heartbeat. Four years ago Cam was taken by the Faceless — the alien race that almost destroyed Earth. Now he’s back, and when the doctors make a mess of getting him out of stasis, Brady becomes his temporary human pacemaker. Except they’re sharing more than a heartbeat: they’re sharing thoughts, memories, and some very vivid dreams.


Not that Brady’s got time to worry about his growing attraction to another guy, especially the one guy in the universe who can read his mind. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just biochemistry and electrical impulses. It doesn’t change the truth: Brady’s alone in the universe.


Now the Faceless are coming and there’s nothing anyone can do. You can’t stop your nightmares. Cam says everyone will live, but Cam’s probably a traitor and a liar like the military thinks. But that’s okay. Guys like Brady don’t expect happy endings.

Genres: Science Fiction, M M Romance, Romance, Aliens, Military Fiction, LGBT, Fantasy

262 pages, ebook

First published December 4, 2012

About the author

I like to tell stories. Mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters. They gotta work for it though. No free lunches on my watch.

Reviews

[Julio Genao · Rating 4 out of 5]

It must remain still—and it puts the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hose again.

What do you get when you take...

- a battered 16yo kid
- draft him into the military
- put him on the interstellar equivalent of the Maginot Line
- rough him up over the next three years
- and then lock him in a room for ten days with the most famous prisoner of war in the galaxy, who may or may not be carrying a weapon of biological warfare intended to exterminate all of humanity, but who also says it won't happen like that and that everything is okay because the baddie is on his way to personally sort them all out, and if you could just be so good as to kindly ignore his throbbing erection, that would be lovely, thanks?

You get a story that is by turns funny, bleak, hopeful, suspenseful, mysterious, terrifying, angry, violent, sexually charged, and horribly, horribly sad.

You get an ungodly fuckton of great writing.

You also get to have your cake and eat it, too. If you read this scandalously good book, you'll see what I mean, but I will decline to explain further—because I'll be damned if I'll let my friends with poor impulse-control ruin what is a fairly excellently deployed head-fake by clicking on a stupid spoiler tag.

Lisa Henry, man... this is my first book of hers, but it won't be my last. Homegirl can friggin' write.

I read this in one sitting and nearly wet myself with dread.

Between the stabs of aching pathos and the surprising laughs, between truly ghastly violence and the sweet bloom of tenderness, I found myself marveling—and shuddering—with the highs and lows of a very, very expertly crafted emotional ride.

Never mind the nauseatingly drawn-out and ruthlessly escalated suspense—ratcheting up and up, over and over—because when the inevitable happens and it turns out even worse than you'd feared, you're already freaking out about the next crisis before you've even managed to mop-up the diarrhea from the first one.

This thing is scary, and dark. It's also tender, and sexy, and funny. It's just... that good. That ghastly.

That fun.

The shit—to quote a pop song of relatively middling antiquity—is bananas.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Price drop to $0.99 at Amazon US, 1/5/21*

Re-read 10/18/15

Interesting reading this book a second time. I still loved it, still stand by my original rating, but I found myself wishing this book was 2x longer. I also didn't mind the ending like I did the first time. The steam was still steamy but less than it was in my memory. Very deserving of my 5 star rating.

*******Original Review********

My first book by Lisa Henry and boooooooyyy can that girl write!!

Can I start by saying that that guy on the cover is exactly how I pictured Brady. Such a delicious mix of innocent and hot! Okay, now onto my actual review...

"Dark Space" has me written all over it. I love a good sci-fi book, emphasis on good. When sci-fi makes sense it takes me into my head like no other genre. So when you combine a fantastic sci-fi concept with smoking hot MM lovin', DAMN do you get a winner! And this book is winner winner chicken dinner.

The telepathy between Brady and Cam was amazing to read about. Lisa Henry did a fabulous job showing the whole range of emotions that Brady had while being forced to share his head-space with Cam. His wavering between frustration, lust, anger... it just felt so real and so on point. I went through the whole gamut of feelings with Brady. I was totally in this story.

This book is also the most realistic gay-for-you book that I have ever read. I have really never believed that true GFY exists, but instead that the person was just "gay" and one particular person made them realize it. However, here, with Cam's lust and emotions fueling Brady's emotions... shaping them, changing them, I felt like Brady could have truly could have become gay for Cam. I also loved how Brady reacted to feeling attracted to a man. He really rolled with the punches, so to speak, and after some internal debate, seemed at peace with his attraction to Cam. There was no self-loathing about his man-loving feelings. It was really well done.

And thank you Lisa Henry for answering my smutty smutty sci-fi prayers!! There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that gets me going like a first-timer! Oh, you did not disappoint me! The way the sex was interwoven into the plot was just genius.

My only complaint is the ending. Lisa, this book was almost on my top faves of all time shelf. However, the ending was just so rushed. After all of that delicious, meticulous build-up, it just seemed like an incredibly fast way to end things. I actually might have preferred a bittersweet ending. This ending just seemed forced.

Despite my problems with the way things closed out, this book was just an astounding work of fiction. I loved it, I loved it, I loved it!

**Find this review and others like it on www.myfictionnook.com :D **

[Wendys Wycked Words · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome re-read 9/10/18

Well, what do you know. I have read my second sci-fi book and again...I loved the hell out of it. I was already in a sci-fi vibe from the last book, so I figured, why not give this one a go. I'm still shocked by how much I enjoyed reading this book. Guess I am more into sci-fi than I thought...

Anyways, I am gonna try and keep this review short (yeah right), because there are plenty of awesome reviews for this book already.

Let's start with Brady....my favorite ;)

Brady is 19 years old and has been working on a militairy Space Station for the last 3 years. The reason they are stationed in space...to protect the earth from aliens....or "faceless" as they are called. Brady is scared to death of space (the big black) and of the "faceless", but since he was drafted at 16...he had no other choice.

He really wants to go home to his sick father and his baby sister, but he still has 7 years to serve. Brady is a bit of an angry dude, so I really connected with him from the start. He is of the opinion that life in general sucks...and his (pessimistic) thoughts throughout this book, made me laugh out loud...

I really understood where he was coming from. Being locked in dark outer space for the last 3 years...the life slowly being sucked out of you... all the while being afraid of freaking aliens coming and destroying you and anything around you. Yeah that's some freaky shit !!!

His fears and his pessimism get even worse, when one day an alien pod arrives. In it is non other than Luitenant Cameron Rushton,  who was kidnapped by "the faceless" 4 years ago.

Brady is called to the medic bay to come help, but when he helps to cut Cameron out of the pod, he gets injured and comes into contact with the strange fluid surrounding Cameron. Apparently this causes a strange "connection" between the two of them, and soon it becomes clear that Cameron can't survive without Brady. He needs Brady's touch and heartbeat to stay alive. Brady sort of functions as his battery. Fucked up...but there you have it. They can also communicate telepathically and hear each other's thoughts.

“You’re my heartbeat, Brady .” 

Cam also has a message for the military....the faceless are coming...Which makes Brady even more neurotic than he already was. He is convinced they are all going to die and this is his motto for most of the book :P



There is also a plus to all this though. Because Cam can't survive without Brady, the two of them are forced to stay close together in their own private little world. They share almost everything...and touching becomes more and more urgent. Which made for some very nice and steamy scenes.... ;)



But "the faceless" are coming....and what will happen when they do...

Huh...guess my review isn't as short as I promised...



I really enjoyed this one...I especially loved Brady and his anger and pessimism...

I can't wait to see what's gonna happen in book 2. I also want to thank my sweet sweet friend Susan, for recommending this one to me...Thanks babe ;)

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This review is posted on Wendy's Wycked Words

[nark · Rating 2 out of 5]

⚡️ 2 stars. ⚡️

this book had potential. it had a pretty cool setting overall, but i desperately wanted to actually see more of it. i needed more world building, more space, more aliens, etc.

i also needed more character development and relationship development. this book was lacking in those aspects for sure.

also, i was hoping this was more of a story of fighting aliens and shit, but there was disappointingly none of that here.😞

instead, we got the mcs - Cameron and Brady - basically just stuck in a room together for the majority of this book. which sucks btw, because i didn’t care about either of them. both mcs were mediocre as hell and i couldn’t get invested into their relationship at all.

the only times i felt something in general, while reading this book, were when Cam would get flashbacks of the alien world and Kai-Ren. i highkey wished i had been reading a romance about Cameron and the alien at those moments, not Cameron and Brady.💀

anywayssss... i expected to be fucking amazed by this book after all the great things i had heard about it. but sadly this book was just disappointing as hell for the most part.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of Brady Garrett. His ten-year mission: to serve on a deep space military station, to protect Earth from new life and new civilizations, to boldly go... Oh fuck that.

Brady hates the vast, endless blackness with a passion. And he doesn't give a shit about protecting Earth. He just wants to care for his little sister.

Alas! Ever since the Faceless, a terrifying race of aliens who have beat the human race in terms of technology and military strength, attacked Earth, boys are to serve in space for ten long years. Brady had to leave behind his ill father and young sister when he turned sixteen. The homesickness, anger and angst have been gnawing at him every day, for the past three years that he spent on space station Defender Three. Angst, because everyone has seen the video material of the handsome pilot Cameron Rushton, propaganda's wet dream. His noble face graced posters on Earth. That is, until his space vessel was captured by the Faceless and everyone on board was murdered except him.

But now Cameron is back. His pale, unconscious body was floating around in outer space, drenched in the milky fluid of a semi-organic pod. Has he been turned into a bioweapon, some terminator, is this just a cruel gift from the faceless to mock the laughably weak humans? The war hero has suddenly become the stuff of nightmares...

Oh man, Dark Space is a knock-you-down cocktail of reluctant and shy, yet passionate GFY love, against the backdrop of a vast darkness in which stars twinkle and a destructive alien race creeps closer.

This book kickstarts in such an exciting and entertaining way. Safely snuggled up in the head of the expressive Brady (a perfectly executed first-person narrative is not something I come across every day, But Henry pulls it off, and how! This is a smartass, adorable and insecure 19 years old kid!), we zoom in on the action... and on the pod. Those Faceless bastards didn't include a manual, so Brady's clueless superiors just cut the darn thing open. BAD IDEA. Suddenly everything is awash in a slimy liquid, people start to panic and Cameron is dying on the floor amidst it all. Brady's desperately trying to keep Cameron alive when he discovers that his body functions as a battery. Before he has a chance to process what's going on, a creepy telepathic connection between the two is a fact and they are, quite literally, stuck together..

Wheww..I know, right!

So I just sat back and let the sliminess and awesomeness wash over me.

Throughout the book there's a delicious dark undercurrent of angsty anticipation. Will the Faceless come back to claim Cameron? And how will the telepathic bond between these two play out? Because Brady not only shares Cam's dark and twisted dreams, he gets a taste of the red, hot erotic ones as well. Are the lusty ideas that start swirling around in Brady's head merely echo's of Cam's own desires or are they -- shocker -- his own? And does it matter?

So maybe there's a little too much repetition in how the romance between these two unfolds. And maybe the actual story is smothered in the aww-material moments these boys share. But then again, the telepathy trope made their romance both intriguing and believable. I devoured their slow burning love, couldn't stop reading...and while doing so may have swooned once or twice.

I wish the same could be said about the ending. Oh dear, what a bummer! After a few zigging and zagging plot twists towards the end, there it was again, my enemy, my foe: a plastered on, contrived HEA. Oh nooo's! What happened here? Why did it happen? This book pretty much started with a BANG. The part in the middle took its sweet, sweet time. And then everything was suddenly wrapped up so sloppily and rushed.

FML.

But! The biggest chunk of Dark Space was good. Really, very, recommendably good. And that cover.. Guys, you have to agree with me that there are so many terrible covers out there for the m/m genre, that praise should be given when praise is due.

That IS Brady Garrett right there! And let me tell you, he's quite something, inside and out.

[Rosa, really · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book is a little bit like this:



And there’s a 19 year old kid, scared and angry with quite a mouth on him.



Why am I using the cover? Cause the kid on the cover actually looks like a KID and not a pretty, muscular model that we’ve seen 1457 times. TAKE NOTE PUBLISHERS .

Anyway, our young hero is stuck in a room with a possible traitor waiting for the big bad to arrive:



But while they’re waiting they’re both dealing with boners so they’re all like this:



And then boners turn into feelings – You’re my heartbeat, Brady. -- and I’m all like:



And then there’s this:

Fuck the universe.

Fuck eternity and creation and a million colors boiling together in the black.

What the hell use was that to me?

My heart broke either way.

So then I was all:



And then the shit really hits the fan and I was like:



And then a lot of other shit happens. But, you know, spoilers.

My favorite part of Dark Space is not all the space stuff or the aliens stuff or the military stuff – that’s just stuff. When you remove the setting, it's a story that could've easily taken place on a ship at sea 500 hundred years ago. The story is timeless. Love is love no matter which time period we're in or which outfit we're wearing (I'm thinking about the skin tight suits you find in Buck Rogers & similar).

Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no; it is an ever-fixèd mark,
That looks on tempests, and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

Henry's use of the above sonnet, or part of a sonnet, is pretty fantastic. It tells us that true love is as constant as the north star. There may be storms, aliens may attack, the entire universe may seem to be against you -- but people who truly love, love even when the shit goes down. It's a lesson Garrett learns, or starts to learn, over the course of the novel.

My only true complaint about this book is the ending. Why did Kai-Ren let Cameron go? Brady I can understand, but Cameron? I don't buy it. Just what did he "understand"? And what about the relationship between Kai-Ren & Cameron? I know there's a sequel coming but when? When? The ending was happy, which I appreciate, but it left me with more questions than answers, which really bothers me. I'm in LIMBO for who knows how long! Gah!

BR with Giulio, Otila, Sofia, & Therese!

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 UNIVERSE-SHATTERING STARS

I never would have read this book had I not seen the multiple glowing reviews come across my feed. I don't usually read sci-fi. I don't do aliens. And it's not because I'm arrogant enough to think we're the only intelligent beings in the universe, but because I generally prefer not to speculate about the vastness of space and time.

But thank the gods for peer pressure. Because this book was BLOODY. BRILLIANT.

Everything in this novel felt real and right: the war with the Faceless; the bleak future filled with destruction and fear; the brutality of conscription; the harshness of life on the edge of death; Cam, Brady, and Cam AND Brady - in every possible way, I believed in THEM, their connection, their soul-searing love.

The only minor niggle (and one that has been mentioned in other reviews) is that the ending felt rushed and slightly incomplete.

There was ONE question in particular that I don't think was resolved. If you've read the book, please read the spoiler and help me understand. I may go out of my mind if left hanging.

If earth signed the treaty with the Faceless and the war is over, why were the stations and men left in space? Brady is released and Cam sent down with him to make sure Brady gets home, but does that mean Cam has to go back into space? Because that sure as hell wouldn't be a HEA.

[Nick Pageant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Marte and DoodlePanda for the BR!

Wow! I am still awake at 2:25am because I could not put this book down.

There are tons of reviews from our little corner of GR and I'm sleepy, so I'm not going to bother other than to say that Lisa Henry has written one hell of a book. Forget sci-fi, forget m/m, this is just a really great book. It's fun, sexy, suspenseful, sad, and all around AMAZING. Recommended to everybody! Loved it, loved it, loved it.

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

re-listen April 2024

Preparing to finally continue with this series. 🤩


4.5***** stars


First: this is not an alien-romance. Yes, it takes place in space and there are aliens but the romance in this series is between two humans.


I usually don’t read sci-fi so this felt particularly refreshing and exciting to me - to be up there - so this was easily a five-star read. If you often read sci-fi you might feel different about it.

I don’t know what got to me more. The romantic description of the starlight or the depressing ones about the dark that constantly surrounded them up there in outer space.

“You’re my heartbeat, Brady.”

I loved the romance between Brady and Cam that was set-off only because of the proximity they were forced into. I loved the relationship angst that came with the appearance of men Cam was with before while Brady was experiencing all of it for the first time. Not only with a man but in general because he had only been 16 when he went out to space as a recruit.


But (I think) not only because of my lack of experience with this genre I found the plot intriguing and the connection/relationship between Brady and Cam had enough twists and turns to keep me interested for the whole ride. —even if I wouldn’t describe it as a wild one but rather a quiet one (please don’t confuse quiet with slow here). Besides the romance between the mcs the plot about the aliens who captured Cam before (for four years he was gone before they returned him with a message) was more anticipation of what’s to come than actual events.

And people, there is telepathy between the two mcs!!

Overall I can totally recommend and I’m looking forward to continuing with the series that follows the same couple through all three books. —even though you can leave the series after the first book and be satisfied with the HFN.

But if one will know more, esp about the Faceless alien Kai-Ren (and I do!), one would have to continue. So I guess, I do.




I listened to the audio and Chris Chambers (never heard of him before) did a fine job with narrating this story. (and f* do I love when the narrators actually moan when reading sex scenes.) And I looove that cover!


***********
Dark Space Series:

Book 1 - Dark Space - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Darker Space - 4.5 stars
Book 3 - Starlight - 4.5 stars

[Sun · Rating 4 out of 5]

REREAD (October 11, 2015)

I decided to read this again in preparation for my reading of book 2, Darker Space. I recall really enjoying this book, but being thrown off by the quick ending. Other than that, I didn't have a lot recollection of the details of the story.

I'm SO GLAD I reread it!

First, the parts I loved about it the first time...Brady, the Faceless storyline, Brady's/Cam's connection...I think I loved even more this time through. I was captivated by every page.

Secondly, the rushed ended I wasn't sure about...well, whattaya know...having a book 2 in my hands ready to go made me a lot more tolerant of missing pieces, missing details, rushed plotlines.

I really really enjoyed this reread. And, unless you've only just recently read it, I'd highly suggest rereading before jumping into book 2!

Original rating: 3.5 stars
Reread rating: 4 stars


********************

ORIGINAL REVIEW (February 12, 2013


3.5 stars…Solid 4+ stars for most the book, but unless there’s a part 2, the rushed ending has me sticking to 3.5…

This book could have been AWESOME! Could have been… It had a GREAT story, a character who, despite his youth, fear, and flaws I loved (loved so much that I hadn’t even NOTICED the book was written in first person POV until about 70% in…I just enjoyed his perspective so much), and was cadenced, for the first 90’ish% in a pace that I was quite enjoying.

And then shit hit the fan.

And what should have been some of the most exciting parts of the story…the GRAND FINALE…was stuffed into a few pages, without details (the glorious details that would have made it EPICLY enjoyable!), without reason (Why did this happen? How did this happen?), without direction. It felt like Ms. Henry suddenly had to reach a deadline, found herself 100 pages behind, and decided to mail in the cliff notes version of the ending.

Don’t get me wrong: even, what I now refer to as the “summarized ending”, was interesting. It was just filled with holes and questions. I was happy how it all tied up, but kind of confused by the whirlwind I had just found myself thrown out of. NOW…if she were to write a follow-up book that explored these details, I would be a very happy camper.

I want MORE of the relationship and romance between Brady and Cam. I want to know more about the Faceless. I want to see Wade PAY in painful ways.

Can I have some more please?

PS, I do so love Brady...and the kid on the cover is PERFECTION.

Random revelation: For some reason, I had it in my head that I didn’t like Sci Fi books. Curious, since I’m obsessed with Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactic, Firefly and a HOST of others. Curious also, because the few Sci Fi books I have read, I’ve actually really enjoyed. Time to reassess what I think I “like”.

[Ingie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written November 9, 2013

5 Stars - stunning in a very tranquil dreamy and beautiful way

I'm actually quite devout and overwhelmed after reading this amazing romance. Dark Space was not at all what I thought and expected. Instead I got something so much better.

So, so good... romantic, poetic, nicely written and with a story that is both surprising, amusing, affectionate and also quite scary at times. Full marks!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dark Space takes place in a rather dark future, a half century after the Earth was attacked by the Faceless. Brady Garett makes his ten-year military service at space station number three. Brady wants nothing more than to go home again, but yet it has only been three years and as an angry and bitter 19 year old, it is now just to survive and endure.

Four years earlier was the now celebrated hero, the fighter pilot Cameron Rushton, captured by these invincible and dangerous aliens. One day he returns and he needs a second heart...

‘Cam lifted his free hand. He ran his fingertips along my jaw. The intensity of his gaze shocked me.

“You're my heartbeat, Brady.”

About a month ago I read another very good M/M novel (The Island) by this author. Even then, I was struck by how good terrible memories and very nasty experiences can be told in the most skilful manner so that the reader knows but doesn't have to experience them all. And I'm so grateful. ~ I know but don't need, or want, to be involved and learn every little cruel detail. Because there is a lot of dark topics in this story too but Dark Space is also so very bright and beautiful. It's about fear... hope and love.

For me is it always wonderful with "manly" men, heroes and other characters who may be "small". Strong men who are allowed to cry, scream and be scared sometimes. Like Brady here. Then it becomes really good and believable stories about "real people" - even here in an quite unreal and fictional sci fi world. Sometimes it can also be too much anxiety and distress but these two MC's felt both credible, interesting, and very worthy of each other. They were just simply two lovely and believable guys and I felt stongly for them.

...Nothing was obvious, and up until the last page, I wondered how it would end. Skillfully done, Miss Henry!

Brady and Cam's inner thoughts, souls, hearts and desire are tied closer and closer to each page. Eventually, it becomes overwhelmingly beautiful and captivating. Two men in a room, an exterior terrible faceless enemy, incomprehension and dark secrets, a dark but fascinating future world and charged with excitement - ...you become "embroiled" in Brady's emotions, fears and thoughts... and get stuck there. A very interesting place to visit.

Sometimes I might need both more action, laughter, nonsense or big grand tears, but after two captivating well written five star's books are now this author, Lisa Henry, a given reading choice for me in the future.

Superb!! ~ better than this can hardly a romantic and atmospheric sci fi book be... for me. Recommended to all romance readers who dare to venture out into the vast darkness in space.

I LIKE - Very much!!

~~~~~~~~~~~

My wise friend Andrea (her review) recommended this lovely novel to me ~ Thank you, Andrea!

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time]

DNF at around 75%

I probably could have finished this one but I just couldn't be bothered. I was pretty bored.



Brady wasn't too likable either.

This was my first sci-fi type read and it was really interesting at first. I kind of dug the whole connection between Brady and Cam, and how Brady was essentially keeping Cam alive. It was kind of sweet and hot.

But then nothing really happened. And Brady just seemed to be on the same continuous loop inside his head. "We're all going to die." "We only have a few days left." "Kai-Ren will kill us."



Apparently things picked up where I left off but I can assure you I would not have been pleased with much that followed.

So yeah, this one wasn't for me!

[Jenni Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a complete and utter mess after reading this book. I don’t even think I can articulate how I feel. My thoughts and emotions are all over the place.

I’m not even sure I could tell you what this book was about. Was it GFY? Yes, but not in any way that I have ever read. It’s almost as though the feelings of being gay were forced upon Brady but then you get the feeling that they were already there, just buried so deep that Brady wasn‘t even aware of them. Maybe. Sorta. I don’t fucking know.

And that, my friends, is the gist of the whole story. It was one big confused cluster fuck. At least from Brady’s point of view. But. It. Was. Amazing!

Brady has had a hard life. A hard life. Everything he’s had and everyone he’s loved has been ripped from his grasp over and over again. Its no wonder that he can’t accept when something good comes along. He’s so depressed and despondent that he’s barely holding his head above water. He’s going through the motions of life, just biding his time in the service until he can get back home to his family. Then, in a chance occurrence he’s somehow bonded to Cameron in a way that’s so intimate, so invasive that he doesn’t know how to deal with it. He’s scared but intrigued.

And he’s confused.

He doesn’t know if the emotions flooding him are Cameron’s or his own. He has these memories and knows that they aren’t his but he can’t help the reactions he has to them. He can’t trust his own feelings because he doesn’t know if they are a biochemical reaction to the bonding or if they are his true feelings. He just. Doesn’t. Know.

Cameron’s an enigma. The only human in the known universe to have been taken by the Faceless and returned alive. And he’s broken. Or is he? Is he a survivor and a hero? Or is he a traitor to the human race? All he will say about his time in captivity is that “the Faceless are coming and they want peace”. But do they really? Again, you just don’t know.

The bond they share, though it may just be a biochemical reaction, is so deep, so totally encompassing that it is almost too much to take. And you can’t quite tell when it turns into something more. It is so in your face but at the same time subtle, if you can make sense of that. I told you, it’s confusing as hell!

And the creep factor, my God the creep factor! I will be sleeping with the lights on tonight for sure. The Faceless are so cold, so impersonal that even though their speech and touch may be gentle you can’t help but shudder and feel the hairs rise on the back of your neck. To them, we are no more than animals to be studied or, in Cameron’s case, be kept as pets. They call humans “it” as though we are nothing more than inanimate objects. It rings of sociopath behavior with a bit of mad scientist thrown in.

“I’m not the same as him!” I said again, my eyes stinging with tears, my nose dripping. “We’re not all the same!”
But who can tell the difference between insects, right?

This story wasn’t a roller coaster ride. It was jumping out of an airplane without a fucking parachute. Just when you come to terms with your imminent death you realize you have wings and you soar. Then you find out the wings are just your imagination and you plummet again. Right as you’re about to hit the ground you are picked up by a mighty gust of wind and brought safely to the earth to land on your knees only to notice a shadow swiftly growing larger around you and see that it is the plane you jumped from hurtling through the air, coming to crash land right on top of you. It’s that intense.

Yet throughout all this turmoil there is a feeling of hope and comfort and happiness. And love. And that’s the kicker right there. That is what made it all worth it.

This is the first solo venture of Lisa Henry’s that I have read but it will certainly not be the last! Lisa, you are awe inspiring. You have blown me away with your words. You, dear lady, can write!

[LenaRibka · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars.

What for a great start into the year 2014!

With the Dark Space I hit a jackpot and I hope that it's a good sign for all my future books for this year!

Normally I'm a bit greedy with my star's rating, but here I didn't hesitate even a minute.

BECAUSE....

♥ I swear by God, I won't start my future reviews for a science fiction book with the sentence "Though I am not a big fan of a science fiction genre...".
At least after reading this book I know it's not true.
I AM. Period.

♥ My first book of Lisa Henry was Falling Away. I fell in love with her writing.
At least after reading this book I know I'm her fan FOREVER.
Lisa, you are GREAT. Period.

Absolutely fantastic thrilling emotional intense read.

Exquisite.

[Marte - Thunderella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read October 2015.
I love this book so much! I'm keeping my review and rating from a year ago. :)


Review August 14, 2014:
Read August 11-14

***** 5 times all the stars in the universe *****


That is all.


*speechless*


BEST.BOOK.EVER.

Cover.
Plot.
Story.
Characters.
Writing.
Feels.



Buddy Read with Nick and Doodlepanda!

[Lisa *-* GiViNg It To YoU * LoCk StOcK & TwO SmOkiNg BaRrELs · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 OuT Of ThiS WoRLD sTaRs

I'm gonna say it, because it was what I was thinking...and this book is all about sharing thoughts...so here it is

If I was a Guy there's a song in there somewhere... I swear I would have been pulling my OL'TODGER ...and this would be me....after the dirty deed... that was so fucking GOOD, so GOOD.


Who knew Space could be so frickin sexy.


This was my first encounter with alien's, and I never thought I would be sucked into dark space....but Lisa Henry proved me wrong.

"You're like starlight," Cam whispered, and his teeth scraped up my jaw. I shivered. "I could lose myself in you."

Well, what can I say, I was totally lost in the romance between Cam and Brady

I Loved, the fantastic, descriptive world building.

The intensity

The characters including the Faceless Kai-Ren
and imagining him....calling he's haunting whispered words!!


The amazing writing



In fact I LOVED it all, I thought it was out of this WORLD!!

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4* of five

Grimdark fantasy only set on a space station where the only thing to do to wile away your mandatory ten-year hitch is wait for the Faceless to decide to kill you and everyone else on every other station then destroy earth's population.

Add in some rape, some torture, oh yeah and the aliens have one of us they've held for four years! But now he's back! Funny thing how he's less popular now than when he was enduring...whatever it was he was enduring at the hands of an enemy so little understood our name for them is "the Faceless".

Humanity is, as always, irredeemable. The Faceless are right to exterminate us.

The TL;DR version is on my blog.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuck the universe.
Fuck eternity and creation and a million colors boiling together in the black. What the hell use was that to me?
My heart broke either way.

The Writing:
I thought the writing in this book was absolutely gorgeous and it painted the most vivid picture in my mind, that I literally felt like I dropped some acid and started reading. If I was even half as beautiful looking as Lisa Henry's writing, I'd be a supermodel, it's that good. When something creepy or scary is happening in the book *a lot*, I'm genuinely weirded out or spooked.

The Characters:
Brady Garrett, what a character. He's so human and so strong, and you can physically feel his pain and sorrow throughout the book. I kept forgetting he was only 19 years old. He's thrown into unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations and struggles with his own self-worth and sexuality.
Doc was an awesome character. You need characters like him in the story who care about the MC without always having to be the annoying friend. Doc was the best. He seemed so understanding and so human.
Cameron Rushton. Wow. One of the first things that left a huge impression on me was his raw sexuality. He was never apologetic about it and never uncomfortable. He asked for the things he wanted in a way that made him wreak of sex. He'd ask Brady if he could just be with him when Brady was getting off, just because he wanted to. He dreamed of sucking dick and those dreams transferred to Brady, almost unapologetically.

But suddenly I was dreaming of cock.
Fisting it, sucking it, riding it, in glorious fucking Technicolor.

The Story:
I love sci-fi. I love it more than fantasy and paranormal (which I also enjoy) so I thought this book would be right up my alley. The world Lisa Henry created was unique. It felt so bleak and pointless and utterly and completely horrifying. And it was. To most of the characters and mankind in general. I like that the story circled around the concept of our existence basically meaning less than nothing. It was refreshing.
Some of the things that happened in this story were heartbreaking, disturbing, and terrifying. Upon Brady learning what happened in the years that Cameron was gone, Brady (and myself) became even more uncontrollably horrified by the Faceless.
The sex in this book was hot. Really hot. Unconventional in some ways, but very steamy nonetheless.
I felt like the romance progressed perfectly, and at a perfect pace. I'm not saying that it happened slowly, but it did. The sexual contact and craving for human contact forced these two men together which created huge, blinding sparks of lust, but the love grew more slowly, like a burning, and it was brilliant because I fell right there with them.

The Faceless:
They pretty much scared the piss out of me. That's all I can say about them. I'd be right there with Brady, accepting that they'd probably kill everyone and everything. I feel like the amazing writing created such a huge fear of the unknown, adding to the horror that was the Faceless.

Final Thoughts:
Well, I cried at the ending, as well as a few other times throughout the book. I felt like Cameron's relationship with Kai-Ren was fucking weird, especially after you see the interaction between the two. The whole 'master' thing made me think the exact same thing Brady did, that it was wrong and weird that a strong man like Cameron would become like a household pet, but I completely understood the situation.
I don't want to say this next part. I'm dreading it but I feel like I have to. Some parts of this book, especially the interaction between the Faceless and Cameron.. reminded me of another book. A book that was *cough* light years and light years away from this book, but if you've read both, you'll know what I'm talking about. This book is called Acquainted with the Night and if you're curious, go read my review to see what I'm talking about. *cough*

Overall this book was beautiful and interesting and fun and disturbing and I loved every second of it. Every single second. It's one of those books that I feel lucky to have read.

He would chase starlight until he caught it.
Until it caught him.

[Kaje Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a twist on GFY - what if a straight guy was bound telepathically to a gay man? What if he was literally the gay man's heartbeat, forced to have skin contact or let that man die. What if they shared dreams? Where would their relationship go? And what if they knew that sometime in the near future they would either die or be unbound and back in their solitary minds?

The answers are of vital importance to Brady, nineteen, straight, and accidentally bound to a man who may be bringing the alien apocalypse down upon the human race. And yet that man - Cam - is, for all his stoic appearance, lonely, kind, vulnerable, and scarred at levels only Brady can see.

This book is not hard Science Fiction, but what I consider space-opera, which is not an insult but a categorization. (Some of my favorite books including The Warrior's Apprentice and My Fair Captain are in this category.) In hard SF, the heart of the story is the projection of technology and human progression forward in time. In space opera, the heart of the story is composed of human relationships and the SF elements provide a backdrop or frame. Sometimes that frame is detailed, rich and imaginative (eg. the Bujold books.) Sometimes it's much thinner.

This book is one with a thin veneer of SF - the same story could basically have been told as an urban fantasy or paranormal, with a these two men brought into their predicament by magic. There is very little backstory to how the human race got where it is, and not much time spent on technology or social changes. It's still a good romance with an intriguing concept and an original plot. I liked the characters of both men, and the depth of anger, confusion, determination and kindness in Brady in particular. Cam was a little more of an enigma, despite Brady being inside his head. The issues I had with this book were a few plot and SF elements that detracted only a little from the story.

If you like romances and enjoy most SF, this is a good read. If you don't like SF, but do like paranormal or fantasy, this might be the SF book to pick for challenges. If you are stickler for the science, and the projection of logic and human culture into the future, then you may find a few nits to pick. I'm betting you'll still like Cam and Brady though.

[Jewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

----------- Original Review May 2015 -----------
4.5 Stars

​Why have I never run across this book before?!? I like this author, I like science fiction - it seems like a no brainer that I would gravitate toward Dark Space. But, nope, I didn't even run across it, until Julie recommended it to me (thanks!!). And then I read all the wonderful reviews of my other friends that have read it. Seriously, what took me so long?

I don't really want to talk about the story too much, because it's one you should really experience for yourself. Dark Space is a bit dark, but not too much. And I really enjoyed the world-building and the idea that one person could feed off another's physical energy. Of course that was only possible because of alien intervention, but still, it was very cool.

Watching Brady come to terms, not only with having to stay within touching distance of Cameron, and being able to read each others though and emotions, but also of an attraction he did not ever expect to feel, was what this journey was all about. Brady isn't educated, he comes from a very poor settlement where factory work was about the best he could hope for. Brady wasn't much for introspection, so he never caught on to the fact that he might be gay or bi. Or, maybe it's just Cam. The connection they have is very intimate and it can be difficult for him to distinguish his feelings from Cam's.

And Cam's memories, dreams and nightmares were rather unsettling, at times, but he has come to terms with his predicament and is resigned to it. I don't think he expected to find love, either, and that made him both happy and sad.

I was sucked into the story so quickly, and thoroughly, I could not put it down and ended up staying up past my bed time to finish it! I really really really want the next novel now, please :-)

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars, but only just.

Really? You all loved this? You know what this means for me now? It means I am doomed! If the name wasn't already claimed I would proclaim myself the Mistress of Mediocrity, because really, that is all I seem to attract just lately.

Yes, the first 25% was good and so was the last 25%. But what lies in the middle is just a repetitive yawn fest. If I wasn't interested in the telepathy between the two MC's I would have ditched this, I'm sure of it.

So, I could claim that it's not the book it's me, but I won't. I'm not hiding behind that. What could have been an intriguing angst fest with creepy alien invasions just wasn't. The action is just about over before it starts and boom-bang-bing it's a happy ever after. Who was Cam beyond the gay hero who enjoys being the bottom? Brady was okay, but damn that boy gets tiresome with his repetitive I'm not worthy speeches. The most interesting person in this novel was the bad alien guy with his sibilant hissing.

So I ended up liking it enough, but with all the hype I really expected a lot more from this. A LOT more. Nevermind, I'll just go suck on another bitter bill and search out my next mediocre read. Yes, I'm feeling sorry for myself.

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5* Loved just as much on a re-read. Such a different experience reading vs listening to the audiobook. I picked up much more this second time around.

*****
"And then I realized that I was wrong…that every mixed up, fucked up, piece of my life that had ever stuck in my memory, my subconscious, or my dreams, was part of his life now as well."

What would you do as an enlisted man, when your superior tells you to step forward, face the giant upside down scarab holding a capsule, and touch it?

This is a sci-fi, MM, futuristic, original and unique, violent-yet-beautiful, an introspective space journey. Character driven, and feels dystopian from the brief descriptions of what's happened to Earth. TW: physical abuse and rape.

At 19, Brady is a bit of an anti-hero. He's not brimming with bravery or confidence, he grew up in extreme poverty, quitting school at the age of 12, to raise his baby sister. He's a scrapper, stealing and fighting for survival. He is conscripted into the military at 16, where he learns he hates outer space, and he hates the military. He is physically assaulted (off-page but describes the damage) yet he's determined to do his best, sending home every paycheck for his sisters care. He is befriended by the doctor on the ship, who sees the 'real him' under all his defenses, and helps him begin training to become a medic.

Cameron is the poster child for the military. No but really, he's actually on all their posters. Good looking, an officer, and from a wealthy family. At the age of 22, he's taken captive by an alien entity known only as the faceless. It's been four years now, and he is assumed dead, when he shows up with a message for humanity.

The relationship between these two men starts off quite unique. As much as I loved their interactions, I didn't really feel a real connection between the two men until the very end. Mostly because they were together for survival reasons. So it felt Stockholm-like with their affection. While there was only a seven year age difference between these two, the age-gap felt larger with Brady's inexperience.

I was his heartbeat. I was his fucking universe. Now I was, but soon I wouldn't be. I would miss that, miss being important. I would miss having someone.

Because this story is character driven, and because of particular circumstances, these men are constantly together. The steam is very steamy, and I appreciated how kind and gentle Cam was around Brady's inexperience.

Kai-Ren is a formidable enemy. He sees humans as insignificant, possibly as we see ants. Somewhat a nuisance, a slight annoyance, and easily wiped out. Huge props to the narrator, Chris Chambers, for making the voice of Kai-Ren chillingly creepy. Cam-rennnnnn *shivers*

The story isn't perfect, and it did leave me with some questions, mostly the enlisted men's violence towards each other (why??). Also, considering the abuse both of these men had survived, I didn't quite understand why there wasn't a ship psychologist heavily invested in helping them to recover. Have they done away with mental health care in the future?

Overall, I loved the intelligence behind this story, and the way it's told. I've already downloaded the second and can't wait to get back into this universe.

[LenaLena · Rating 3 out of 5]

All I want to know is: where did my effing Story go?!?

It starts with a story. Good story. Nice. Good writing.
Then we get the 'magically bonded' trope. Fine. There is some excellent Drarry and Sterek out there that use that trope. No problems with that trope. But then Story gets abandoned just so we can spend a whole lot of time in a room watching the magic bonding. It goes a little like this:

Brady: I am afraid of the black and I miss my family and in a few days we're all gonna die when Kai-Ren gets here and I'm not gay and get out of my head and stop touching me and I need to touch you or you're gonna die but we're all gonna die when Kai-Ren gets here and I wanna touch you but I don't wanna touch you and our dreams are all exact memories and I don't want them but they turn me on and touch me some more because we are all gonna die when Kai-Ren gets here anyway and I miss my family...
Then there is a little break where Brady gets out of the room, with or without Cam, and gets picked on by officers or other recruits or bad news, Cam flatlines, Brady comes running back, and there is crying.
So. Much. Crying. And fucking, of course.
Then go back to Brady's internal monologue and repeat a few more times.

And then Kai-Ren FINALLY arrives, and the story comes running back, waving and shouting: 'Here I am! I got lost! So Sorry! But I'm back now!" And then everything is alright for a bit.

Just in time to get a sloppy romance ending slapped on top. I am all for not tying everything up with a big bow, but this is like they kicked Story in the ass on the way out: Yeah, thanks for coming back, but we decided we don't need you after all. Instead, we're going to do a whole lot of quick handwaving and wahla: family reunion and apartment hunting back on Earth.

The fuck happened with the treaty? How do you get diagnosed as crazy but not get discharged? How..... how..... ?

Ugh! I want my Story back.

So how do you rate that? Awesome beginning, repetitive and emotionally manipulative middle, brief flare up of awesome and then a fudged ending. A three star minus, I guess.

[Lyn Gala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love science fiction…

But there are a lot of science fiction tropes that I am not a fan of.

I am so tired of cat aliens. CJ Cherryh already did it, and I liked hers better than yours (that's a generic "you", not Lisa Henry), so you probably don’t want me to write a review of yours.

I am equally tired of aliens who think like humans, human heroes who single handedly save the universe, and world building that I look at and honestly don’t see how humanity reached that place.

Yep, I’m picky. And that means I don’t review much because my momma taught me if you ain’t got nuthin’ nice to say, don’t say nuthin’. Well, she said that in much more proper tones, anyway.

But this time, I’m saying something. I asked over on Facebook for something dark, something edgy, something GOOD. I got a lot of recommendations, but the one I bought was Lisa Henry’s Dark Space.

I love this universe. It’s dark and edgy, and this feels like a universe humans would create. The soldiers are weary and brutal, one big mass of PTSD locked in a space station. The bad guys are suitably terrifying. Totally terrifying.

Best of all, Brady is the sort of angry, tough, self-sacrificing hero I love stuck in the sort of realistic darkness that lets be believe in his sacrifice. I saw Cam’s secret from a mile out, but that made it even better because I was biting my nails until the moment Brady figured it out.

And the plot. Okay, first time through on the reading, I skimmed the sex a little, not because it wasn’t good but because I wanted to get to the plot!! I read the sex on the second pass, and I enjoyed it, but that first time, I had to know if I was right about Cam’s big secret. I had to know if humans would be smart enough to accept a reality they didn’t like. I had to know how it would all end up.

Now, is the book perfect? Of course not. The end felt a little rushed and I would want to know HOW it all ended up where it did. What were the officers’ reactions to things? However, the pieces that weren’t there didn’t prevent me from enjoying the hell out of the pieces that were.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars**

I have a bit of mix feelings for this one. Still enjoyed though.

The plot for “Dark Space” was refreshing something different from what I’ve been reading. I love the way the connection between the MC’s worked the whole sharing a mind and feelings was crazy good. I was fascinated and kinda of terrified of the faceless they definitely added darkness to the story. I liked the beginning towards the end not so much. For me I felt like one of the characters was more into the connection than the other. Yea, I understood how hard it was for him, he had it though but, he still could of been more understanding. That’s just how I felt though, and another problem I had was that there was a lot of inner thoughts that made it drag a bit. I’m not gonna be too hard with my rating though because know there’s more to come from this series. I don’t think we’ve seen the end of the faceless. Overall it was a good start to this series hoping it gets better though. ❤️

[Meags · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

I discovered Lisa Henry a little over a month ago (don’t look at me like that! I’m slow on the uptake, but I’ve found the error of my ways) and have since decided that she is definitely an author I need to invest a great deal of my time reading.

The woman can spin a tale like the best of them. It makes me insane with jealousy and I don’t even have aspirations of writing. It also makes me swell with Aussie pride for the successes of one of my own! And I’ll be damned if she doesn’t make it all seem effortless. Clearly, a lot of hard work and innate talent go into any piece of writing, but the fact that it appears effortless to the reader emphasises just how good she is at what she does.

So, this story was FAN-FREAKIN’-TASTIC!!!

The world building was solid (or universe building, being set in space and all). It was original as all get-out. And, like I said, the writing was superbly good.

I don’t want to give too much away, in terms of plot, because I went in unknowing and I feel that really impacted my personal reading experience. All you need to know is that it’s set in space, it’s futuristic, and it’s narrated by a 19 year old named Brady. Oh and there's also a race of creepy aliens, freaky telepathy, hot man-on-man action and lots and lots of feels.

I really adored the main characters, Cam and Brady. Cam was enough of a mystery to keep me intrigued, but enough of a sweetheart to make me trust him implicitly. And, Brady—he was one pessimistic dude! But I could not blame him for his negative outlook, considering the massive clusterfuck that had been his life to this point. I’d be swimming in a half empty glass too if I were him, but his whole “I might as well *insert hot man-on-man sexual encounter here* because lord knows I’m gonna kick the bucket any day now” mentality was a real drainer.

But, you know what? I still loved the guy. I felt for him. I needed him to be okay. And I wanted him to catch starlight so, so badly.

The final 15% of this story spun me through a whirlwind of emotions. I freaked out, I cried, I even mourned for a heartbeat, and then I was unexpectedly (and so f*cking happily) thrust into a state of pure bliss. But I was left still wanting more, and rumour has it, I'm getting more!! Phew!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 4.5 Perfectly Synchronized Heartbeats ***

I don't want to go into too much detail in my review (because I think half the allure of this book is discovering this world and these characters for yourself), but I just have to say that this book was frickin' AWESOME!

I thought the whole sci-fi/world-building aspects of this story were extremely well done. Then again, as a newbie to the genre, I can count the number of sci-fi books I’ve read in my lifetime on one hand – my right hand, if I’m being honest. ;)

I also really dug the telepathy angle of the story. Not that I'm above a little bump and grind, but I’ve always found the mental and emotional connections between two main characters WAY sexier than the physical ones, and this book had that in spades. And it was INTENSE. You throw in the fact that Brady’s touch was actually need to keep Cam alive and I was toast. TOAST, I tell you!

That brings me to the Faceless - they were creepy as fuck. Like, right up there with the Dementors from Harry Potter on my metre-o-terror. I was completely terrified of Kai-Ren by the time we got to meet him in the flesh. Or black latex shell. Or whatever the hell it was. And he only got more pee-my-pants-sleep-with-the-lights-on-and-one-eye-open scary from there.

I had only one real criticism of this book: considering how vividly I could hear that clock in the background of the story ticking down to doomsday, I thought that the scene in the Dome with Kai-Ren, Cam, Brady, and the others was a teensy bit underwhelming. I think there was an opportunity in that moment to seriously ratchet up the tension in the story, but it was missed/fell a little flat. That said, the next couple of scenes more than made up for it!

Verdict: Dark Space was damn good. So close to a 5-star rating I could practically taste it (and it tasted more like officer's rations and contraband chocolate bars than that crap they serve the enlisted). I think if the sex had been just a little hotter, or if the heartbreaking moments had had me reaching for a box of tissues rather than leaving me with a temporarily quivering lower lip, it would have been a 5-star novel without question. As it is, there is room for improvement. Which is FABULOUS, since I hear through the grapevine that Lisa Henry has Part 2 coming at us in 2014! :D

PS: I gotta say - and I know this is practically blasphemous to say to a website full of readers, but… - I think that Dark Space would make a fucking WICKED movie. Except… Ugh. Hollywood would probably make it a male/female relationship and I’d want to gouge my own eyes out...

[⋆｡°✮ Lucy InTheSky ✮°｡⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐

I absolutely loved this book. It's a high-suspense sci-fi romance that I've read in one short sitting, no putting down the book, no cooking, not going to the bathroom, not walking the dog, nothing.

An interesting story with well thought-out ideas, characters and a great world building and I didn't know this author was in fact from Australia, when reading the book a lot of terms and Kopa definitely reminded me of Australia.

🔵 Space station, military
🟢 Human/human
🟡 High ranking officer/low ranking recruit
🟣 Gay-awakening
🔵 Telepathy
🟠 Forced proximity
🟢 An alien race hostile to Earth
🌶️ Spice is good; both vers
❗ Some homophobia, physical violence, SA



This intiguing story is happening mostly on a space station Defender Three, where Brady, the 19-year old white trash kid from Kopa has to serve his decade long military service. He's a nobody, an uneducated kid whose life turns completely around when Cameron Rushton, the 26-year old international military hero comes back from Faceless, an alien race that abducted him 4 years ago and they're now returning him in stasis.
Noone knows what happened to him or even if he's alive, but Brady is training to be a medic, so he's there when Cameron is woken from stasis.

In a turn of events Brady serves as Cameron's heartbeat and has to be with him at all times. They have a telepathic connection and internalize all of each other's memories and feelings. With such a forced proximity they eventually get intimate, where Brady has an eye-opening gay-awakening and falls into a secret/hidden romantic relationship with Cameron.

"I was his heartbeat. I was his fucking universe. Now I was, but soon I wouldn’t be. I would miss that, miss being important. I would miss having someone."



The intimacy that develops between them is deeper than usual because of their telepathy - that definitely brings another type of connection, but it's also Brady's first time experiencing consensual sex, since the only thing he's experienced so far was - rape.
It's delicate, it's gentle, it's passionate and creates a bond that is unlike any other.

Most of the people on the station look down on Cameron for being gay, but Brady is the one who carries the consequences of even being associated with Cameron . He's always been treated like scum and he's used to it, but that is even more evident when he's staying with Cameron. Brady is fierce and determined and he can survive the brutal environment he's in, but when even his low-ranking mates turned against him and left him out to die - that was the worst for me, I wanted a revenge of some sort, yet the conclusion to that particular attack never came, that was painfully missing, Brady needed for those people to be severly punished, yet nothing happened.

The story was well paced and kept me on my toes, it was soon obvious that Brady and Cameron will not get your typical happy ending, especially when Kai-ren of the Faceless came back to the space station in order to form a peace treaty and take Cam back. Cam was given to the Faceless in exchange for the station not to be blown into pieces and Brady couldn't fight for him, even if he wanted to. They both knew their relationship had an expiration date.

“It’s more than that,” I said. My heart skipped a beat. “We gonna say it?”
“Yeah.” For a second his hair curtained his face; then he met my gaze again. “I love you, Brady.”
“Love you, Cam.” It made no fucking difference at all, but at least we got to say it once.

At that point I had no idea how this was going to turn out, but it definitely wouldn't be good in the long run for neither of them, because even though they do end up together back on Kopa, it's not even a HFN, I think, the military won't let them go, so won't the Faceless.

Both MMCs are very memorable characters, especially Brady, he's the soul and heart of this story and I can't wait to read more about him getting a new life, a better life with Cam. This love story has yet to develop fully, although love has already been professed, but we're not there yet, there still has to be some life together to be had for them to really cement the connection.

I wondered if maybe Brady would be taken to Faceless' planet with Cameron and be in some sort of a throuple with Kai-ren , I mean that would've been really interesting, but as of right now I have no sense of why Kai-ren decided to let Cam go and why he still has a connection and an investment in both, because I'm sure he does.

I would've rated this book with 5* if Wade and the others that beat Brady up would get their punishment and if Kai-ren wouldn't have sex with Cam now that he's been with Brady and they love each other. I know Cam had to do it, he was negotiating Earth peace after all, but I wonder if it could've been solved some other way. Here's that throuple idea again.



I'm starting with the second installment asap.

[* A Reader Obsessed * · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll keep this brief.

As a fan of sci-fi in general, this appealed to me on a lot of fronts. It was like a cross between Ender's Game and Battlestar Galactica, with the very nice bonus of some darn good romance.

Bound together by alien circumstance, it's not surprising Cam and Brady's psychic and physical connection brings about some heavy, unplanned feels. The fate of human kind hangs in the balance - will things go according to plan like Cam says or will Brady's fatalistic beliefs come true? Despite an ominous feeling, Brady seizes what little happiness he can eke out of their forced intimacy, and Cam willingly reciprocates.

Props to Henry. From the few things I've read of hers, she consistently brings great storytelling, complex feels and emotions, and some very nice UST and smex. There's not much, if anything, to complain about.

[Gigi · Rating 4 out of 5]

For whatever reason, I'm still not a big fan of M/M romance sci-fi. But this one really did it for me and didn't muck my brain up too badly with freakishly spelled "alien" words to throw me out of the story. The MCs were hot, even if MC Garrett was a bit on the young side, and angst was very genuine and actually teetered on too much, hence the 4 stars instead of 5, and the sex was mindbogglingly hot. I enjoyed the story line and the HEA was very satisfying.

Fans of M/M romance, angst and sci-fi, this one is definitely for you! Highly recommended!