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Dark Runs #1
Running Start
What if you discovered you’d been sold?
For Mason Guthrie, a sudden arrest, railroad trial, and quick conviction for the “vandalism” of fixing things around his tenement building come as a shock.
For Rosa Fuentes, it’s just more confirmation that, to Earth’s rulers, they’re nothing but commodities to be bought and sold.
Together — along with Rosa’s disturbingly capable AI — they break out and make their way off Earth to start a new, free life.
Unfortunately, the folks they stole a billion credits from along the way would like those back.
Content Strong language.
For Mason Guthrie, a sudden arrest, railroad trial, and quick conviction for the “vandalism” of fixing things around his tenement building come as a shock.
For Rosa Fuentes, it’s just more confirmation that, to Earth’s rulers, they’re nothing but commodities to be bought and sold.
Together — along with Rosa’s disturbingly capable AI — they break out and make their way off Earth to start a new, free life.
Unfortunately, the folks they stole a billion credits from along the way would like those back.
Content Strong language.
- GenresScience FictionAudiobook
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 11, 2019
136 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 23, 2025
(4.0 Stars)
ok, disclaimer... This book is a YA Sci-Fi thriller, and rated as such. I was not aware that this book was YA before reading it and it is not listed that way.
The character growth is good, the world building is also good, and the narration is great!
The story is interesting and while there is not a lot of deep thinking needed, it is entertaining and would be a good starting point into sci-fi.
ok, disclaimer... This book is a YA Sci-Fi thriller, and rated as such. I was not aware that this book was YA before reading it and it is not listed that way.
The character growth is good, the world building is also good, and the narration is great!
The story is interesting and while there is not a lot of deep thinking needed, it is entertaining and would be a good starting point into sci-fi.
July 1, 2019
This book is a fun, fast read, but the plot is a bit thin. I feel like the author enjoyed writing this book, but didn't put much effort into making it make sense.
June 9, 2019
3.5 stars
I'm on the fence between giving this an excellent review and a terrible one. The first half was great (close to 5 stars), but then i thought the two main characters were making terrible choices. It all seemed a bit forced to get them to where the author wanted the story to be. This would be fine if the two weren't incredibly intelligent, if they both just sat down and talked things through, maybe involve the butler in some of the thought process they could have come up many much better plans.
Having said that I will read the next one because I do mostly like the characters and I want to see where this goes. If the characters are developed a bit more and the author doesn't have them do anything stupidly out of character just to force the story to where he wants it to be it should be good.
I'm on the fence between giving this an excellent review and a terrible one. The first half was great (close to 5 stars), but then i thought the two main characters were making terrible choices. It all seemed a bit forced to get them to where the author wanted the story to be. This would be fine if the two weren't incredibly intelligent, if they both just sat down and talked things through, maybe involve the butler in some of the thought process they could have come up many much better plans.
Having said that I will read the next one because I do mostly like the characters and I want to see where this goes. If the characters are developed a bit more and the author doesn't have them do anything stupidly out of character just to force the story to where he wants it to be it should be good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2019
generally engrossing read
This book is the start of a series, with a real ending. No cliffhangers.
There’s an unusual setup to start off the book’s plot (though the author does cite a modern case involving the same sort of corruption) and it has two very interesting central characters. Mason is 17, somewhere on the autistic scale and has savant mechanical gifts—he can look at a system and see what’s wrong with it. Rosa is a coder with extreme gifts. Unfortunately they’re both lowlies, the worst social class, so they were born to have no future. When each of them gets arrested (Rosa’s was for reasonable cause, while Mason’s utterly innocent), and a corrupt system sentences them to prison, those futures shift from bleak to completely black. Rosa has a escape plan, though, and Mason is just the sort of help she needs to make it work. They don’t start off as partners—Rosa figures she’s hiring Mason’s skills to help her escape, but after that he’s on his own—but that plan doesn’t last long.
They work surprisingly well together. Rosa is a foulmouthed, hard-edged hardlife, but she lets Mason have the space he needs. Mason doesn’t have a clue how to interact with other people and girls completely confuse him, but he has a feel for Rosa and just lets her be who she is.
The third central character is Rosa’s AI, Seymour, who can do a lot of things he shouldn’t be able to. Rosa doesn’t know why Seymour has these capacities and there’s no chance for her to investigate while they’re running.
I really liked the story, though when they escape to one of the stations, I felt the plot developed some rough edges. Rosa has rented a very expensive hotel suite complete with butler and when she and Mason have trouble, the hotel becomes very very helpful. I had a hard time with that. It was explained that the hotel was enforcing its guest safety guarantee, but the employees behavior still seemed over the top. Then, too, there was something almost parental in the butler’s interactions with them that didn’t feel like it fit in a corporate setting.
I’ve read Sutherland’s Alexis Carew series and some of its characters also have that just-folks, old-time people just looking after one another feel. It’s disarming, but also feels like the “Little House on the Prairie” tv show characters. Real live people are much more complicated than that, and we’re usually darker as well. Sometimes I wonder if creating Michael Landon characters is something some male authors are prone to who started writing when they’re older. (Nathan Lowell is another author whose books have that yesteryear moral feel). Not a bad thing, it just sits oddly with far future writing.
That’s a smaller quibble, though, and doesn’t mar the story’s appeal for me. I read this as KU borrow, but will go back and buy it. I want to reread it and I look forward to the next installment.
This book is the start of a series, with a real ending. No cliffhangers.
There’s an unusual setup to start off the book’s plot (though the author does cite a modern case involving the same sort of corruption) and it has two very interesting central characters. Mason is 17, somewhere on the autistic scale and has savant mechanical gifts—he can look at a system and see what’s wrong with it. Rosa is a coder with extreme gifts. Unfortunately they’re both lowlies, the worst social class, so they were born to have no future. When each of them gets arrested (Rosa’s was for reasonable cause, while Mason’s utterly innocent), and a corrupt system sentences them to prison, those futures shift from bleak to completely black. Rosa has a escape plan, though, and Mason is just the sort of help she needs to make it work. They don’t start off as partners—Rosa figures she’s hiring Mason’s skills to help her escape, but after that he’s on his own—but that plan doesn’t last long.
They work surprisingly well together. Rosa is a foulmouthed, hard-edged hardlife, but she lets Mason have the space he needs. Mason doesn’t have a clue how to interact with other people and girls completely confuse him, but he has a feel for Rosa and just lets her be who she is.
The third central character is Rosa’s AI, Seymour, who can do a lot of things he shouldn’t be able to. Rosa doesn’t know why Seymour has these capacities and there’s no chance for her to investigate while they’re running.
I really liked the story, though when they escape to one of the stations, I felt the plot developed some rough edges. Rosa has rented a very expensive hotel suite complete with butler and when she and Mason have trouble, the hotel becomes very very helpful. I had a hard time with that. It was explained that the hotel was enforcing its guest safety guarantee, but the employees behavior still seemed over the top. Then, too, there was something almost parental in the butler’s interactions with them that didn’t feel like it fit in a corporate setting.
I’ve read Sutherland’s Alexis Carew series and some of its characters also have that just-folks, old-time people just looking after one another feel. It’s disarming, but also feels like the “Little House on the Prairie” tv show characters. Real live people are much more complicated than that, and we’re usually darker as well. Sometimes I wonder if creating Michael Landon characters is something some male authors are prone to who started writing when they’re older. (Nathan Lowell is another author whose books have that yesteryear moral feel). Not a bad thing, it just sits oddly with far future writing.
That’s a smaller quibble, though, and doesn’t mar the story’s appeal for me. I read this as KU borrow, but will go back and buy it. I want to reread it and I look forward to the next installment.
October 24, 2019
Fresh and fun.
A very nice twist on well with tropes! As always Sutherland delivers fine worldbuilding, exquisite timing, and snappy dialogue. Having just recently listened to a story on NPR that laid out an explanation of how the USA Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency had taken a Hmong woman into custody. Under the pretense of her being an unaccompanied minor, when she was traveling to the U.S. with a visa for marriage. She was then given an arbitrary birth date and held in foster care for years to cover-up the error. Such convoluted stories of corruption and abuse in real life makes the fictional future that Sutherland writes altogether believable. But where the author truly excels is in the pacing of the tale.
I want more of this type of story...I need more Alexis Carew, I will be looking into Sutherland's other pen name. I can scarcely give higher praise. Unless it was for a much longer book that left me sated and not scrambling for my next fix. Continuing stories by nature have loose threads, but there isn't truly a cliffhanger involved in this one just a clue towards the next episode.
A very nice twist on well with tropes! As always Sutherland delivers fine worldbuilding, exquisite timing, and snappy dialogue. Having just recently listened to a story on NPR that laid out an explanation of how the USA Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency had taken a Hmong woman into custody. Under the pretense of her being an unaccompanied minor, when she was traveling to the U.S. with a visa for marriage. She was then given an arbitrary birth date and held in foster care for years to cover-up the error. Such convoluted stories of corruption and abuse in real life makes the fictional future that Sutherland writes altogether believable. But where the author truly excels is in the pacing of the tale.
I want more of this type of story...I need more Alexis Carew, I will be looking into Sutherland's other pen name. I can scarcely give higher praise. Unless it was for a much longer book that left me sated and not scrambling for my next fix. Continuing stories by nature have loose threads, but there isn't truly a cliffhanger involved in this one just a clue towards the next episode.
May 16, 2019
Startling
This is a startling start to a new series. The premise os so sad that people would do this to children is incomprehensible but as the author said money was involved and when you get greedy people bad things happen. The book is well written and solid characters and I really like it I’m missing Alexis Carew and this will fill the slot.
This is a startling start to a new series. The premise os so sad that people would do this to children is incomprehensible but as the author said money was involved and when you get greedy people bad things happen. The book is well written and solid characters and I really like it I’m missing Alexis Carew and this will fill the slot.
May 14, 2019
Good intro to new series
While we wait for more on a our favorite girl spacer this a fun quick read with a few neat hooks for the reader, a little bit of a heist and prison break in a bleak future. Sets up a nice intro new series.
While we wait for more on a our favorite girl spacer this a fun quick read with a few neat hooks for the reader, a little bit of a heist and prison break in a bleak future. Sets up a nice intro new series.
May 16, 2019
Really good book
Highly recomend this book. It has a great plot that is highly plausible. I really dont want to give anything away but the plot has many twist and turns. Cannot wait to read the next book
Highly recomend this book. It has a great plot that is highly plausible. I really dont want to give anything away but the plot has many twist and turns. Cannot wait to read the next book
September 20, 2019
Took me a chapter or so to get used to the different style etc.
Really very good, interesting and with main characters I enjoyed finding out about and wanted to succeed.
I will read the next one eagerly.
Really very good, interesting and with main characters I enjoyed finding out about and wanted to succeed.
I will read the next one eagerly.
August 24, 2020
Good start to a series
Looking forward to next in series. Interesting characters and looking forward to see how they develop particularly Seymour as looks to be lots of possibilities there
Looking forward to next in series. Interesting characters and looking forward to see how they develop particularly Seymour as looks to be lots of possibilities there
December 12, 2020
7/10: Good solid read, something to get your teeth into.
“Shut up.” I am not at all active — happy birthday!
Loved the AI, and enjoyed the storyline. But not too sure if I'll read on. We'll see.
“Shut up.” I am not at all active — happy birthday!
Loved the AI, and enjoyed the storyline. But not too sure if I'll read on. We'll see.
January 16, 2021
Different and entertaining
“Heroes” are definitely flawed characters in a gritty future earth that’s not too unfamiliar. Their adventures and escapades are mostly entertaining and a bit tedious. Worth reading if the price is right.
“Heroes” are definitely flawed characters in a gritty future earth that’s not too unfamiliar. Their adventures and escapades are mostly entertaining and a bit tedious. Worth reading if the price is right.
August 2, 2023
I have enjoyed JA Sutherland’s writing, but after reading the plot I started this book with very little expectation. What I discovered was a funny, enthralling, and rollicking good story! I’ve already started the next in the series.
May 19, 2019
5 star
Great new series. I am really enjoying the two MCs and how they interact. I look forward to seeing where this goes.
Great new series. I am really enjoying the two MCs and how they interact. I look forward to seeing where this goes.
May 24, 2019
Great book!
Great start to this new series of Dark Runs! 2 very good and complete characters, great story, cool new world... I need the next one!
Great start to this new series of Dark Runs! 2 very good and complete characters, great story, cool new world... I need the next one!
June 4, 2019
Great start
Another great series, or so I believe. Character development is very well written and believable. The story is very readable and engaging.
Another great series, or so I believe. Character development is very well written and believable. The story is very readable and engaging.
June 15, 2019
Not bad if a.little naive
Good characters and story but in some places a little naive. Liked the progression but I'm some places it.felt underdeveloped. Good start to series.
Good characters and story but in some places a little naive. Liked the progression but I'm some places it.felt underdeveloped. Good start to series.
March 3, 2020
Can't wait for the movie!
Great story! It takes off running from the start and doesn't stop! I'm hoping that this becomes a movie, it'd be a great one!
Great story! It takes off running from the start and doesn't stop! I'm hoping that this becomes a movie, it'd be a great one!
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February 26, 2025Ok read
Good characters. Urban setting. It is just kind of depressing. Story links is interesting. I might read the next one. I like the pirate idea.
Good characters. Urban setting. It is just kind of depressing. Story links is interesting. I might read the next one. I like the pirate idea.
June 19, 2019
Sci Fi Thriller
A nice thriller, mix an over powered AI and add a dash of mechanical magic and you’ve got yourself a story. Although it was good it was on the light side. But the author gave enough to hook me for the next installment which I guess is the ultimate goal.
Favorite Line: Spread your legs so I can see up that skirt, Fuentes — I want to see the size of the balls that came up with that number.
A nice thriller, mix an over powered AI and add a dash of mechanical magic and you’ve got yourself a story. Although it was good it was on the light side. But the author gave enough to hook me for the next installment which I guess is the ultimate goal.
Favorite Line: Spread your legs so I can see up that skirt, Fuentes — I want to see the size of the balls that came up with that number.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews