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Lost Solace #3
Hidden Solace
She survived hell. Now her real problems begin.
Opal Imbiana is many things to many people. Hero. Traitor. Soldier. Deserter. Criminal. Explorer.
Survivor.
She finally achieved her life’s goal: to rescue her little sister from the utterly alien Null zone.
But the world she returns to has changed. Her friends are gone, and her enemies are more powerful than ever.
In the bleakest situations, it takes an exceptional mind to keep hope alive.
Note: this work is 100% human-created, crafted with love by the author. No generative AI has been used in the writing or editing.
Opal Imbiana is many things to many people. Hero. Traitor. Soldier. Deserter. Criminal. Explorer.
Survivor.
She finally achieved her life’s goal: to rescue her little sister from the utterly alien Null zone.
But the world she returns to has changed. Her friends are gone, and her enemies are more powerful than ever.
In the bleakest situations, it takes an exceptional mind to keep hope alive.
Note: this work is 100% human-created, crafted with love by the author. No generative AI has been used in the writing or editing.
- GenresScience Fiction
457 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2022
6 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Karl Drinkwater
28 books127 followersKarl Drinkwater is an author with a silly name and a thousand-mile stare. He writes dystopian space opera, dark suspense and diverse social fiction. If you want compelling stories and characters worth caring about, then you’re in the right place. Welcome!
Karl lives in Scotland and owns two kilts. He has degrees in librarianship, literature and classics, but also studied astronomy and philosophy. Dolly the cat helps him finish books by sleeping on his lap so he can’t leave the desk. When he isn’t writing he loves music, nature, games and vegan cake.
Go to karldrinkwater.uk to view all his books grouped by genre.
As well as crafting his own fictional worlds, Karl has supported other writers for years with his creative writing workshops, editorial services, articles on writing and publishing, and mentoring of new authors. He’s also judged writing competitions such as the international Bram Stoker Awards, which act as a snapshot of quality contemporary fiction.
DON’T MISS OUT!
Enter your email at karldrinkwater.substack.com to be notified about his new books. Fans mean a lot to him, and replies to the newsletter go straight to his inbox, where every email is read. There is also an option for paid subscribers to support his work: in exchange you receive additional posts and complimentary books.
PRAISE FOR KARL’S WORK
“Drinkwater creates fantastically believable characters.” —On The Shelf Reviews
“Each book remains in my mind for a long time after. Anything he writes is a must-read.” —Pink Quill Books
“Karl Drinkwater has the skill of making it near impossible to stop reading. Expect late nights. Simply outstanding.” —Jera’s Jamboree
“An intelligent and empathetic writer who has a clear understanding of the world around him and the truly horrific experiences life can bring. A literary gem.” —Cooking The Books
“Drinkwater is a dab hand at creating an air of dread.” —Altered Instinct
“A gifted writer. Each book brings its own uniqueness to the table, and a table Drinkwater sets is one I will visit every time." —Scintilla
Karl lives in Scotland and owns two kilts. He has degrees in librarianship, literature and classics, but also studied astronomy and philosophy. Dolly the cat helps him finish books by sleeping on his lap so he can’t leave the desk. When he isn’t writing he loves music, nature, games and vegan cake.
Go to karldrinkwater.uk to view all his books grouped by genre.
As well as crafting his own fictional worlds, Karl has supported other writers for years with his creative writing workshops, editorial services, articles on writing and publishing, and mentoring of new authors. He’s also judged writing competitions such as the international Bram Stoker Awards, which act as a snapshot of quality contemporary fiction.
DON’T MISS OUT!
Enter your email at karldrinkwater.substack.com to be notified about his new books. Fans mean a lot to him, and replies to the newsletter go straight to his inbox, where every email is read. There is also an option for paid subscribers to support his work: in exchange you receive additional posts and complimentary books.
PRAISE FOR KARL’S WORK
“Drinkwater creates fantastically believable characters.” —On The Shelf Reviews
“Each book remains in my mind for a long time after. Anything he writes is a must-read.” —Pink Quill Books
“Karl Drinkwater has the skill of making it near impossible to stop reading. Expect late nights. Simply outstanding.” —Jera’s Jamboree
“An intelligent and empathetic writer who has a clear understanding of the world around him and the truly horrific experiences life can bring. A literary gem.” —Cooking The Books
“Drinkwater is a dab hand at creating an air of dread.” —Altered Instinct
“A gifted writer. Each book brings its own uniqueness to the table, and a table Drinkwater sets is one I will visit every time." —Scintilla
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 9, 2022
Karl Drinkwater’s Hidden Solace is the third volume of the projected five-novel space opera Lost Solace series. Like its predecessors, Hidden Solace, transforms a familiar scifi trope (here, the prisoner trying to escape from an impossibly isolated and well-defended structure) into something exciting and new. The writing is riveting and intense and kept me going right up to the point where the story line took an abrupt 90 degree turn and left me hanging about the fate of the central character, Opal. So unfortunately, the novel can’t quite stand alone without moving immediately into the fourth book, Raising Solace. I think books in a series ought to bring a major beat of action to an end, naturally leaving the major arc incomplete, but this ending section just felt frustrating. As big a problem as that may be, I still loved the book and will get into the next novel in the series, Raising Solace, as soon as I can.
In the first two novels (Lost Solace and Chasing Solace), Opal set off to recover a lost ship that had entered the alien realm of Null-Space. Usually any ship that disappears into that space of unique physics is lost forever, but Opal finds a ship and recovers a sentient AI, a level seven machine, that soon undergoes, with Opal, a disastrous near-death experience. The AI is reborn in the image of Athene and becomes a constant companion and protector of Opal. Athene is also hunted by the dominating power of this universe, known as the UFS.
Opal’s real quest is to find her sister Clarissa, and by the end of the second book, Opal retrieves her sister who has been in an alien-induced stasis for the past fourteen years. The book closes with the sisters awaiting rescue by Athene on the surface of a strange planet. As we find at the beginning of Hidden Solace, however, rescue was not their fate. The third novel throws us into Opal’s prison life of routines governed by the ever-present AI known as Dulcetta. She undergoes a series of tortures devised by the insidiously brilliant Aseides, who is trying to learn the whereabouts of Athene.
As soon as I realized that the story wasn’t going to leave that prison and that scenes of torture would dominate the action, I almost put the novel aside. That just isn’t the sort of book I usually like. But Drinkwater’s eye for detail, the depth of characterization and the fact that much of the torture is psychological kept me going. The chapters from Opal’s point of view are numbered in decreasing order, as if for a countdown, adding to the movement toward a climactic moment. The story builds toward that through a series of attempted escapes, each of which teaches Opal invaluable lessons about the structure of the prison, the limitations of the AI, the stakes of success or failure for Aseides and weaknesses in the prison routines and surveillance that she can use for her next attempt.
These chapters, toward the middle of the novel, alternate with a set capturing Athene’s efforts to make contact with Opal, learn her whereabouts and stage a rescue. Her work is complicated by the interference of another AI of comparable intelligence, the egomaniacal VigMAX. He wants to dominate Athene in his twisted idea of a love relationship, and, while he at first appears as a near comical figure, his push to control threatens all of Athene’s plans.
......
What is so remarkable about Opal is that whatever physical or mental pressure or torture she undergoes, she never loses hope and is constantly planning how to use the information she gleans, even from the pain Aseides inflicts.
Hidden Solace is a powerful story, despite the strange turn the plot takes at the end. Drinkwater likes to leave readers with big questions at the endings of the books in this series, and that is a powerful motivator to dive into the next novel. But this ending didn’t square with me, though to avoid a major spoiler I can’t fully explain why. Despite that, the Lost Solace series, which includes four novellas as well as the four novels published thus far, is excellent science fiction. The first volume was a semi-finalist in the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition, and I hope the series gets a lot more recognition.
Read the full review at SciFi Mind.
In the first two novels (Lost Solace and Chasing Solace), Opal set off to recover a lost ship that had entered the alien realm of Null-Space. Usually any ship that disappears into that space of unique physics is lost forever, but Opal finds a ship and recovers a sentient AI, a level seven machine, that soon undergoes, with Opal, a disastrous near-death experience. The AI is reborn in the image of Athene and becomes a constant companion and protector of Opal. Athene is also hunted by the dominating power of this universe, known as the UFS.
Opal’s real quest is to find her sister Clarissa, and by the end of the second book, Opal retrieves her sister who has been in an alien-induced stasis for the past fourteen years. The book closes with the sisters awaiting rescue by Athene on the surface of a strange planet. As we find at the beginning of Hidden Solace, however, rescue was not their fate. The third novel throws us into Opal’s prison life of routines governed by the ever-present AI known as Dulcetta. She undergoes a series of tortures devised by the insidiously brilliant Aseides, who is trying to learn the whereabouts of Athene.
As soon as I realized that the story wasn’t going to leave that prison and that scenes of torture would dominate the action, I almost put the novel aside. That just isn’t the sort of book I usually like. But Drinkwater’s eye for detail, the depth of characterization and the fact that much of the torture is psychological kept me going. The chapters from Opal’s point of view are numbered in decreasing order, as if for a countdown, adding to the movement toward a climactic moment. The story builds toward that through a series of attempted escapes, each of which teaches Opal invaluable lessons about the structure of the prison, the limitations of the AI, the stakes of success or failure for Aseides and weaknesses in the prison routines and surveillance that she can use for her next attempt.
These chapters, toward the middle of the novel, alternate with a set capturing Athene’s efforts to make contact with Opal, learn her whereabouts and stage a rescue. Her work is complicated by the interference of another AI of comparable intelligence, the egomaniacal VigMAX. He wants to dominate Athene in his twisted idea of a love relationship, and, while he at first appears as a near comical figure, his push to control threatens all of Athene’s plans.
......
What is so remarkable about Opal is that whatever physical or mental pressure or torture she undergoes, she never loses hope and is constantly planning how to use the information she gleans, even from the pain Aseides inflicts.
Hidden Solace is a powerful story, despite the strange turn the plot takes at the end. Drinkwater likes to leave readers with big questions at the endings of the books in this series, and that is a powerful motivator to dive into the next novel. But this ending didn’t square with me, though to avoid a major spoiler I can’t fully explain why. Despite that, the Lost Solace series, which includes four novellas as well as the four novels published thus far, is excellent science fiction. The first volume was a semi-finalist in the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition, and I hope the series gets a lot more recognition.
Read the full review at SciFi Mind.
December 22, 2022
Opal has found her sister, Clarissa. They have escaped from the Null space, a different dimension which can provide a path to travel among the stars. It can also swallow ships unexpectedly, disgorging them years or even centuries later with both humans and technology completely altered and dead. Somehow Clarissa had survived there for fourteen years, but during those fourteen years she did not age. Opal was physically fourteen years older. Clarissa remained physically a child. Her mental and emotional state could not be determined, as she did not talk or seem to recognize her surroundings.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that they emerged from Null space far from Opal’s AI ship/friend, Athene. And the worse news is that they were captured by agents of the NSF, the corporate governance of the inhabited worlds, and definitely the bad guys in our story.
Opal is being held prisoner. Her jailer is determined to break her will. He is assisted by an AI robot who may resemble a human physically. Given her fondness for exquisite torture of her prisoners, she actually resembles some humans mentally and emotionally as well. Clarissa is being held in the same place but Opal does not know where and has not seen her.
And Athene is missing. Opal is told she is dead. She does not believe this. Her jailers lie to her. She still holds out hope, and comes up with a desperate plan to send Athene a message.
Although this is a science fiction novel and is obviously inspired by the “space opera” subgenre, author Karl Drinkwater has actually written more of a psychological thriller. How effective would the physical torture and psychological manipulation be in breaking Opal’s will? What effect would the crushing of hope have? Rewarding good behavior by momentarily reuniting the sisters, then punishing negative behavior by removing Clarissa?
Perhaps most chillingly, what happens when an ally betrays you?
Drinkwater has generated a universe with cruel corporate governance, sentient AI personalities, significant racial discrimination and economic disparity, and a love story between a woman and her sister and a non-human. Not all love is sexual, not all family is biological, and not all perspectives are equally true. At the end of this novel I was left looking back at what I just read and saying to myself, “I’m glad I don’t have to wait for the next book to come out.”
That’s the good news. The bad news is that they emerged from Null space far from Opal’s AI ship/friend, Athene. And the worse news is that they were captured by agents of the NSF, the corporate governance of the inhabited worlds, and definitely the bad guys in our story.
Opal is being held prisoner. Her jailer is determined to break her will. He is assisted by an AI robot who may resemble a human physically. Given her fondness for exquisite torture of her prisoners, she actually resembles some humans mentally and emotionally as well. Clarissa is being held in the same place but Opal does not know where and has not seen her.
And Athene is missing. Opal is told she is dead. She does not believe this. Her jailers lie to her. She still holds out hope, and comes up with a desperate plan to send Athene a message.
Although this is a science fiction novel and is obviously inspired by the “space opera” subgenre, author Karl Drinkwater has actually written more of a psychological thriller. How effective would the physical torture and psychological manipulation be in breaking Opal’s will? What effect would the crushing of hope have? Rewarding good behavior by momentarily reuniting the sisters, then punishing negative behavior by removing Clarissa?
Perhaps most chillingly, what happens when an ally betrays you?
Drinkwater has generated a universe with cruel corporate governance, sentient AI personalities, significant racial discrimination and economic disparity, and a love story between a woman and her sister and a non-human. Not all love is sexual, not all family is biological, and not all perspectives are equally true. At the end of this novel I was left looking back at what I just read and saying to myself, “I’m glad I don’t have to wait for the next book to come out.”
January 11, 2023
I’ve enjoyed every story in the Lost Solace series so far, including the Lost Tales of Solace, so was looking forward to seeing what would come next for Opal and Clarissa.
I’m thinking my words might not make much sense here as I want to be careful not to give anything away!
The beginning had me full of hope, would this be their happy ever after as siblings?
So much blew my mind in Hidden Solace.
Opal is a great ‘player’ for the mind games, psychological tests and physical hardships Aseides implements. However, even though her thought processes and who she is haven’t changed, Clarissa does make her vulnerable.
Maybe Clarissa is a hidden strength for her though. Maybe. The Null zone is still an enigma so who knows what changes might have happened!?!
Opal is always monitoring and looking for weaknesses that she can exploit. This woman is truly a warrior!
I couldn’t believe who was brought to Opal’s room! Karl Drinkwater said before he had plans for this character, but this! Nope, didn’t see that coming.
In this story we get to experience another ship but in a totally different environment and this ship has a totally different purpose. This brings a fresh feel to the series.
I understood Aseides passion for his work and did enjoy the scientific and exploratory aspect, not so much the cold bloodedness of the way he worked though …
The second part of the story takes us away from Opal and Clarissa into Greek mythology. This all blew my mind as well. I can’t wait to find out the truth! I know what I want to happen but Karl Drinkwater is slippery and doesn’t always show me what I want :) One author who keeps me on my toes!
Sometimes it’s hard to stay on track with a series but I can say in all honesty, if you’re a fan of science fiction or dystopia, the Lost Solace series is one that is worth your while to keep tabs on.
https://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/revie...
I’m thinking my words might not make much sense here as I want to be careful not to give anything away!
The beginning had me full of hope, would this be their happy ever after as siblings?
So much blew my mind in Hidden Solace.
Opal is a great ‘player’ for the mind games, psychological tests and physical hardships Aseides implements. However, even though her thought processes and who she is haven’t changed, Clarissa does make her vulnerable.
Maybe Clarissa is a hidden strength for her though. Maybe. The Null zone is still an enigma so who knows what changes might have happened!?!
Opal is always monitoring and looking for weaknesses that she can exploit. This woman is truly a warrior!
I couldn’t believe who was brought to Opal’s room! Karl Drinkwater said before he had plans for this character, but this! Nope, didn’t see that coming.
In this story we get to experience another ship but in a totally different environment and this ship has a totally different purpose. This brings a fresh feel to the series.
I understood Aseides passion for his work and did enjoy the scientific and exploratory aspect, not so much the cold bloodedness of the way he worked though …
The second part of the story takes us away from Opal and Clarissa into Greek mythology. This all blew my mind as well. I can’t wait to find out the truth! I know what I want to happen but Karl Drinkwater is slippery and doesn’t always show me what I want :) One author who keeps me on my toes!
Sometimes it’s hard to stay on track with a series but I can say in all honesty, if you’re a fan of science fiction or dystopia, the Lost Solace series is one that is worth your while to keep tabs on.
https://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/revie...
September 1, 2022
I've loved this series since the first book, and have been (impatiently) waiting for the final book/books to come out. This is book #3 (there'll be six in total), and it didn't disappoint!
Opal and Clarissa have been taken prisoner by Aseides, a sadistic, unpleasant man who uses social niceties as part of his torture. Opal is on form with her sarcastic humour and refusal to be tamed, whatever they do to her.
And boy, do they make her suffer in this book! Just when I think Drinkwater won't take it any further, he does. There are a couple of 'ouch' and 'ew' scenes, and also a 'wow!' moment when an identity is revealed.
I can't say too much as I don't want to add spoilers, but if you loved the other books in the series, you're really going to enjoy this one. And if you haven't read them, give them a try! They're not your typical sci-fi - Drinkwater is a master of getting into the psyche of his characters, and his narrative makes you think more about the world around you.
Highly recommend!
Opal and Clarissa have been taken prisoner by Aseides, a sadistic, unpleasant man who uses social niceties as part of his torture. Opal is on form with her sarcastic humour and refusal to be tamed, whatever they do to her.
And boy, do they make her suffer in this book! Just when I think Drinkwater won't take it any further, he does. There are a couple of 'ouch' and 'ew' scenes, and also a 'wow!' moment when an identity is revealed.
I can't say too much as I don't want to add spoilers, but if you loved the other books in the series, you're really going to enjoy this one. And if you haven't read them, give them a try! They're not your typical sci-fi - Drinkwater is a master of getting into the psyche of his characters, and his narrative makes you think more about the world around you.
Highly recommend!
September 13, 2022
Another epic tale in the solace series. This book helps to continue to expand and enrich the universe we have grown to love in the first two books. Karl doesn't shy away from conflict with his characters and opal is no different. She's finally found her sister and things aren't getting any easier for her. There are some big questions getting explored in this series as we go on and it's feeling like the kind of depth to the story as 2001. Though still bringing the typical dead pan humour that's in the first books. I don't think this will disappoint fans of the series and if you haven't done so read the novellas as they help really round out characters and motivations alongside the geopolitical landscape of the universe.
This book will filter nicely into lost solace 4. One very confident that Karl will be recognised as a superb sci-fi writer who isn't afraid to tackle the big questions. I'm almost gutted there aren't more novellas for context but I'm sure they will be.
This book will filter nicely into lost solace 4. One very confident that Karl will be recognised as a superb sci-fi writer who isn't afraid to tackle the big questions. I'm almost gutted there aren't more novellas for context but I'm sure they will be.
September 11, 2022
While reading Hidden Solace I experienced plenty of "don't go there" moments when I wondered just how far Karl Drinkwater would take the reader as we experience everything Opal experiences. But, fortunately, even though the reader can trust Karl to provide plenty of such moments, they can also trust him to deliver on atmosphere, emotion, plot, and clever narrative. There's action too, of course, and then Karl Drinkwater takes it to the next level with some huge twists that makes writing a spoiler-free review quite challenging.
The answer: just read the damn book! But with one caveat: be sure to read books one and two first.
Hidden Solace is a solid science fiction read with plenty of cerebral candy!
The answer: just read the damn book! But with one caveat: be sure to read books one and two first.
Hidden Solace is a solid science fiction read with plenty of cerebral candy!
partly-read
November 13, 2022Like the rest of the series, this is very well written. It's just too dark for my personal taste; I don't enjoy dystopian or horror, and torture is a big turn-off.
It's not you, Karl, it's me.
It's not you, Karl, it's me.
July 30, 2024
The writing in this series just keeps getting better and better. I don't want to give anything away but I will say that the scope of the story is very large. It continues on with elements from the first 2 books and then adds an operetic AI segment reminiscent of Vinge's books. The pacing and action makes it difficult to put the book down.
November 15, 2022
An action packed addition to this Sci-Fi thriller
Continues the story of Opal and Clarissa
You definitely need to read the earlier books first
As this has revelations and danger at its worst.
Escaping can impossible seem
Especially when voices seem like a dream
But with a powerful AI coming to your aid
A better future could about to be made.
However there's danger on every side
Who can you trust, when should you hide?
What an enthralling fight for freedom and family
And shocking revelations that readers will see.
A brilliant read for all Sci-Fi fans like me
With surprises galore and added mystery.
I can't wait to read more of this series
To see if anything is true in my theories!
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
It's an enthralling read and this is my honest review.
Continues the story of Opal and Clarissa
You definitely need to read the earlier books first
As this has revelations and danger at its worst.
Escaping can impossible seem
Especially when voices seem like a dream
But with a powerful AI coming to your aid
A better future could about to be made.
However there's danger on every side
Who can you trust, when should you hide?
What an enthralling fight for freedom and family
And shocking revelations that readers will see.
A brilliant read for all Sci-Fi fans like me
With surprises galore and added mystery.
I can't wait to read more of this series
To see if anything is true in my theories!
For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
It's an enthralling read and this is my honest review.
March 6, 2023
Between the masochism and the ridiculous AI philosophy, this was just not a good book. Honestly, there is maybe a hundred pages of plot. The rest is either needless, graphic torture or laughable mythology posing as AI 'battles'.
In the first 2 books, there was at least an attempt to have some hard scifi with the gratuitous horror. It mostly walked the fine line between them. In book 3, all bets are off. It has gone full Saw or Hostel.
And then there are the IT chapters where they literally cosplay a toxic masculinity vs a Greek goddess. It's all just awful and quite predictable.
Overall, my recommendation is to skim all of the AI chapters and skim the others. You won't miss much if you're planning to read the 4th book (which is much better than this one).
In the first 2 books, there was at least an attempt to have some hard scifi with the gratuitous horror. It mostly walked the fine line between them. In book 3, all bets are off. It has gone full Saw or Hostel.
And then there are the IT chapters where they literally cosplay a toxic masculinity vs a Greek goddess. It's all just awful and quite predictable.
Overall, my recommendation is to skim all of the AI chapters and skim the others. You won't miss much if you're planning to read the 4th book (which is much better than this one).
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews