What do you think?
Rate this book
The Matrioshka Divide
A signal has been detected on the outer edge of the galaxy, possibly from a colony ship thought lost nearly three thousand years ago. The Free Exchange, the dominant power of the known universe, puts together an unexpected crew to go find it. Only time will tell if this impossible beacon will change the course of human history forever.
451 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2022
2 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 21, 2024
I picked up this volume several months before reading it. Another Catholic author I really enjoy recommended it and I grabbed the book but it slowly slid won my ‘ to be read’ pile. Then on X another author linked to a story called Gigaheroes by Young, I spent a few hours reading it on Substack, and going back and reading it again, and immediately bumped this book to the top of my reading list. I can state as a debut novel it is excellent. It is a space opera or military science fiction story. It hit on all the right notes. While reading I felt Gigaheroes had the feel of George R.R. Martin’s WildCards series that I read many years ago, and this story has more of a feel of Starship Troopers mashed up with Frank Herbert’s The Eye's of Heisenberg or the more recent Orphanage books by Robert Buttner. The description of the story states:
“A signal has been detected on the outer edge of the galaxy, possibly from a colony ship thought lost nearly three thousand years ago. The Free Exchange, the dominant power of the known universe, puts together an unexpected crew to go find it. Only time will tell if this impossible beacon will change the course of human history forever.”
This is a fascinating read. The mix of military, corporate, political and scientific theories is well crafted and masterfully executed. We have a military leader looking to redeem past decisions, we have and idealist sure she can make humanity better, seeking to trigger transhumanism. We have a political agent certain he is helping to keep humans from destruction. And a Transhuman alliances who may or may not be descendent from humans who left the galaxy over 3000 years ago. The military and the scientist start on the mission with a single focus and mission, but a few know from the onset that things are not as they appear. Each is striving to bring about the outcome they desire. Each is willing to make sacrifices and each ultimately believes their plan is the best.
Captain Samir Singh is looking to redeem his past, to see if he can wash some of the blood from his hands. He is looking for a sort of redemption. Erika Terese is second in command, but her past is a fabrication and Singh has doubts. Miles Kieth is the best pilot in the known universe, but his military history is also a fabrication. Glen Tannis is a puppet master working mostly behind the scenes for Exchange guiding and controlling the different protectorates. And sort of off to the side and yet playing a key roles is the chaplain, Father Soren is an intriguing character.
The characters are well written and fleshed out. For a first novel the characters are great. The plot is excellent, the pace is perfect, and the story really sticks with you. I finished it a few days ago and I cannot help but keep thinking about it. It keeps coming to mind.
I would love to see more stories set in this universe, maybe in the past where we see Captain Samir Singh and how he got the title of ‘The Butcher of Three Systems’. Or after these events and what happens next. There are so many ways other stories in this universe could go. Heck I would just love another story with Father Soren.
For a debut novel I have seldom come across one as complete and well written. This is an excellent story. In part it reads like the classic science fiction I cut my teeth on 40 years ago. And in others it reads like a story written just for today. I am certain it would be a hit with fans of Starship Troopers (the book) or Babylon 5. It is great for those who love a great science fiction story. It is an excellent volume and one I can easily recommend!
This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan!
“A signal has been detected on the outer edge of the galaxy, possibly from a colony ship thought lost nearly three thousand years ago. The Free Exchange, the dominant power of the known universe, puts together an unexpected crew to go find it. Only time will tell if this impossible beacon will change the course of human history forever.”
This is a fascinating read. The mix of military, corporate, political and scientific theories is well crafted and masterfully executed. We have a military leader looking to redeem past decisions, we have and idealist sure she can make humanity better, seeking to trigger transhumanism. We have a political agent certain he is helping to keep humans from destruction. And a Transhuman alliances who may or may not be descendent from humans who left the galaxy over 3000 years ago. The military and the scientist start on the mission with a single focus and mission, but a few know from the onset that things are not as they appear. Each is striving to bring about the outcome they desire. Each is willing to make sacrifices and each ultimately believes their plan is the best.
Captain Samir Singh is looking to redeem his past, to see if he can wash some of the blood from his hands. He is looking for a sort of redemption. Erika Terese is second in command, but her past is a fabrication and Singh has doubts. Miles Kieth is the best pilot in the known universe, but his military history is also a fabrication. Glen Tannis is a puppet master working mostly behind the scenes for Exchange guiding and controlling the different protectorates. And sort of off to the side and yet playing a key roles is the chaplain, Father Soren is an intriguing character.
The characters are well written and fleshed out. For a first novel the characters are great. The plot is excellent, the pace is perfect, and the story really sticks with you. I finished it a few days ago and I cannot help but keep thinking about it. It keeps coming to mind.
I would love to see more stories set in this universe, maybe in the past where we see Captain Samir Singh and how he got the title of ‘The Butcher of Three Systems’. Or after these events and what happens next. There are so many ways other stories in this universe could go. Heck I would just love another story with Father Soren.
For a debut novel I have seldom come across one as complete and well written. This is an excellent story. In part it reads like the classic science fiction I cut my teeth on 40 years ago. And in others it reads like a story written just for today. I am certain it would be a hit with fans of Starship Troopers (the book) or Babylon 5. It is great for those who love a great science fiction story. It is an excellent volume and one I can easily recommend!
This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan!
May 29, 2025
An ambitious SF tale with big ideas and a fresh take on First Contact that earns it five stars. I wish this indy pub could have been better copy-edited. I also feel it was marred by too much introspection in the characters. However, since the villain's superpower is in manipulating people through their desires, the strong emphasis on people's intent at all times is more justified than it would be otherwise.
By coincidence, I was reading Inhibitor Phase at the same time. The compare/contrast is fascinating. Reynolds is smart and has a huge imagination, and his book is more polished than this. But there's also a nihilism lurking there; Young's humanity and theological sensitivity win out.
By coincidence, I was reading Inhibitor Phase at the same time. The compare/contrast is fascinating. Reynolds is smart and has a huge imagination, and his book is more polished than this. But there's also a nihilism lurking there; Young's humanity and theological sensitivity win out.
March 26, 2025
Isaac Young's debut novel clocks in at over 400 pages which is an incredible feat for a first novel.
The Good:
The best sci-fi stories discuss very human and philosophical questions. The humanity of such stories is what keeps the reader interested and this story does it well. There is a spectrum of character motivations, some human in scale like wanting to redeem oneself and others progressive, like wanting humanity to progress become "perfect." Several of the action scenes especially the first space battle was suspenseful and entertaining. You can tell the author loves Sci-Fi shows like Star Trek and Stargate. There are heroes and villains in the story and the villains, while being evil still have motivations that are at least understandable, in fact you hope for their redemption. There are aspects of Star Trek Voyager, Battlestar Galactica, and Stargate Universe peppered throughout the story. A crew divided, no help nearby, stranded, having to make difficult decisions, etc. Mr. Young leans closer to BSG and SGU because the problems don't resolve themselves neatly like they do at the end of a ST:VOY episode (which is good!).
Themes of fate and determinism as well as morality (the needs of the abstract many outweigh the needs of the definite few) are discussed quite frequently and the best Sci-fi discusses who we are as humans, where we should go (and where we should not go). This is one of the few sci-fi stories that does not see entropy as progress. Most sci-fi stories mistake the elimination of borders, money, species, languages, struggle as good things so that we become one amorphous blob. This is actually a digression not progression and this story really asks some hard questions in light of that. Transhumanism is bad actually!
Areas for Improvement:
I have read Mr. Young's work after this and know he has already improved on some of my critiques.
There are editing and grammatical issues sprinkled throughout, though I realize it is quite difficult to find a beta reader or editor for a novel of this length. It is also difficult for the same author to identify his own mistakes as a kind of dyslexia strikes them where their brain fills in the correct words and grammar even if it is not on the page. Grammar nazis will find this quite difficult to get past but they should touch grass.
I did find that the author repeated himself too much especially in character internal monologue. It felt like the character has the same conversation multiple times especially for the main protagonist (Samir) and antagonist (Erika). I think part of this was the author wrestling with the questions and fleshing out the character. If that was the case then several portions could have been edited out once he understood his story and characters better. Most novels ought to be shorter but are not because it is quite hard decide what to cut out.
One of my biggest complaints is that the story is a cliffhanger. The way it ended felt more like a prologue to a future story, or the pilot to a TV show. I do not know if Mr. Young intends to return to this universe but it would be good if he did. I recommend that novels especially first novels be self-contained and as such this felt like setup for a series one that I am not sure will even be attempted.
I recommend this book especially to conservative sci-fi lovers (to which there are many). Despite my critiques it is far better than most of the modern drivel you will see on the shelves at Barnes and Noble. Indie authors do not have the benefit of editors or a swath of beta readers. If you like this kind of sci-fi you ought to encourage indie authors, buy their work and submit an honest review.
The Good:
The best sci-fi stories discuss very human and philosophical questions. The humanity of such stories is what keeps the reader interested and this story does it well. There is a spectrum of character motivations, some human in scale like wanting to redeem oneself and others progressive, like wanting humanity to progress become "perfect." Several of the action scenes especially the first space battle was suspenseful and entertaining. You can tell the author loves Sci-Fi shows like Star Trek and Stargate. There are heroes and villains in the story and the villains, while being evil still have motivations that are at least understandable, in fact you hope for their redemption. There are aspects of Star Trek Voyager, Battlestar Galactica, and Stargate Universe peppered throughout the story. A crew divided, no help nearby, stranded, having to make difficult decisions, etc. Mr. Young leans closer to BSG and SGU because the problems don't resolve themselves neatly like they do at the end of a ST:VOY episode (which is good!).
Themes of fate and determinism as well as morality (the needs of the abstract many outweigh the needs of the definite few) are discussed quite frequently and the best Sci-fi discusses who we are as humans, where we should go (and where we should not go). This is one of the few sci-fi stories that does not see entropy as progress. Most sci-fi stories mistake the elimination of borders, money, species, languages, struggle as good things so that we become one amorphous blob. This is actually a digression not progression and this story really asks some hard questions in light of that. Transhumanism is bad actually!
Areas for Improvement:
I have read Mr. Young's work after this and know he has already improved on some of my critiques.
There are editing and grammatical issues sprinkled throughout, though I realize it is quite difficult to find a beta reader or editor for a novel of this length. It is also difficult for the same author to identify his own mistakes as a kind of dyslexia strikes them where their brain fills in the correct words and grammar even if it is not on the page. Grammar nazis will find this quite difficult to get past but they should touch grass.
I did find that the author repeated himself too much especially in character internal monologue. It felt like the character has the same conversation multiple times especially for the main protagonist (Samir) and antagonist (Erika). I think part of this was the author wrestling with the questions and fleshing out the character. If that was the case then several portions could have been edited out once he understood his story and characters better. Most novels ought to be shorter but are not because it is quite hard decide what to cut out.
One of my biggest complaints is that the story is a cliffhanger. The way it ended felt more like a prologue to a future story, or the pilot to a TV show. I do not know if Mr. Young intends to return to this universe but it would be good if he did. I recommend that novels especially first novels be self-contained and as such this felt like setup for a series one that I am not sure will even be attempted.
I recommend this book especially to conservative sci-fi lovers (to which there are many). Despite my critiques it is far better than most of the modern drivel you will see on the shelves at Barnes and Noble. Indie authors do not have the benefit of editors or a swath of beta readers. If you like this kind of sci-fi you ought to encourage indie authors, buy their work and submit an honest review.
February 19, 2023
In the far future, a signal from the neighboring Andromeda galaxy is believed to emanate from a long-lost colony. The signal spurs the Milky Way's ruling bureaucrat overseers, the Free Exchange, to mount a fact-finding expedition. The first dozen chapters or so build up the world and the cast of characters, as the Free exchange must construct a new intergalactic ship and assemble an experienced crew.
Samir Singh is a veteran living a monkish existence to atone for his war crimes. He believes accepting the captaincy of the new ship, the "Hyperion", may be a chance for him to redeem himself while benefitting humanity. Members of his crew include Miles, a hapless tool of the Free Exchange who wants to live on his own terms but can't find the courage, and Erika, the cold-hearted transhumanist scientist.
When the "Hyperion" finally reaches its destination and makes first contact with an entirely new type of life, plans that were laid in place centuries earlier are set in motion and begin a non-stop charge to an action-packed climax.
This book feels like part of a larger series, but the backstories necessary for setting and characters are ample, and help establish a good sense of history and depth. I found some passages of inner conflict to be a bit repetitious, but certainly not enough to detract from the exciting twists and turns of the plot.
There a lot of moving parts to this long novel, but the author does a brilliant job balancing the various elements, crafting a truly entertaining and gripping epic. This is an ambitious work that asks truly deep questions about humanity's purpose in the Universe, and which seamlessly blends political theory and theology, with action, suspense and memorable characters.
Samir Singh is a veteran living a monkish existence to atone for his war crimes. He believes accepting the captaincy of the new ship, the "Hyperion", may be a chance for him to redeem himself while benefitting humanity. Members of his crew include Miles, a hapless tool of the Free Exchange who wants to live on his own terms but can't find the courage, and Erika, the cold-hearted transhumanist scientist.
When the "Hyperion" finally reaches its destination and makes first contact with an entirely new type of life, plans that were laid in place centuries earlier are set in motion and begin a non-stop charge to an action-packed climax.
This book feels like part of a larger series, but the backstories necessary for setting and characters are ample, and help establish a good sense of history and depth. I found some passages of inner conflict to be a bit repetitious, but certainly not enough to detract from the exciting twists and turns of the plot.
There a lot of moving parts to this long novel, but the author does a brilliant job balancing the various elements, crafting a truly entertaining and gripping epic. This is an ambitious work that asks truly deep questions about humanity's purpose in the Universe, and which seamlessly blends political theory and theology, with action, suspense and memorable characters.
November 28, 2023
I really, really, really wanted to give this five stars. It's the kind of novel I wish I found more of, and it actually made me think about things beyond just the words found on the page. But there were some issues throughout that keep it from a 5-star rating.
It's an ambitious novel, full of far-reaching questions on an epic timescale. The reader is thrown immediately into the plot, and the wide cast have vastly different motivations, leading to interesting conflict between the crew of the Hyperion as they answer a distress call from a ship coming from a neighboring galaxy. It has deep philosophical debates, action, and distinct characters that leap off of the page.
However, there's some issues as well. The prose is amateurish at times, with repeated words and phrases that a good editor or beta reader should have caught. The cast is big, almost too big - you never really get beyond surface level like you would in a Reynolds or Tchaikovsky novel. And some of the factions' motivations don't necessarily make sense - they often seem contrived to push the plot forward. Individually, none of them are mortal sins, but together they knock a star off of what would otherwise be an easy 5 stars for me.
But, it's a book that I would highly recommend for fans of science fiction and I look forward to seeing how the author follows it up!
It's an ambitious novel, full of far-reaching questions on an epic timescale. The reader is thrown immediately into the plot, and the wide cast have vastly different motivations, leading to interesting conflict between the crew of the Hyperion as they answer a distress call from a ship coming from a neighboring galaxy. It has deep philosophical debates, action, and distinct characters that leap off of the page.
However, there's some issues as well. The prose is amateurish at times, with repeated words and phrases that a good editor or beta reader should have caught. The cast is big, almost too big - you never really get beyond surface level like you would in a Reynolds or Tchaikovsky novel. And some of the factions' motivations don't necessarily make sense - they often seem contrived to push the plot forward. Individually, none of them are mortal sins, but together they knock a star off of what would otherwise be an easy 5 stars for me.
But, it's a book that I would highly recommend for fans of science fiction and I look forward to seeing how the author follows it up!
October 27, 2023
Ambitious and entertaining. Needs editing.
This is a very ambitious story with a refreshing message about God and the nature of man at it’s core. The concepts are underdeveloped and the story is marred by small editing oversights.
The characters are interesting and the concepts they grapple with are huge. I found myself wanting more time to get to know and understand Amos or Father Soren etc., but they don’t feel fully fleshed out.
Conversations between characters border on profound truths, but are by editing inconsistencies which pull you out of the narrative from time to time. Simple things like no punctuation or the wrong tense of a word. The story do with another round of editing.
Overall, it’s a great read and you want to keep reading, it just needed another coat of wax before the author took it out on the highway.
This is a very ambitious story with a refreshing message about God and the nature of man at it’s core. The concepts are underdeveloped and the story is marred by small editing oversights.
The characters are interesting and the concepts they grapple with are huge. I found myself wanting more time to get to know and understand Amos or Father Soren etc., but they don’t feel fully fleshed out.
Conversations between characters border on profound truths, but are by editing inconsistencies which pull you out of the narrative from time to time. Simple things like no punctuation or the wrong tense of a word. The story do with another round of editing.
Overall, it’s a great read and you want to keep reading, it just needed another coat of wax before the author took it out on the highway.
May 27, 2024
"A signal has been detected on the outer edge of the galaxy, possibly from a colony ship thought lost nearly three thousand years ago. The Free Exchange, the dominant power of the known universe, puts together an unexpected crew to go find it. Only time will tell if this impossible beacon will change the course of human history forever."
The Matrioshka Divide was a riveting read and hard to put down. I'd put it right alongside the sci-fi classics on my bookshelf. At its core is an interaction between humanity and technology that has reached its limits. Science has allowed for the prediction of all human action, trapping all of the book's characters in a cold fatalistic universe. They are slaves in a complex predictive model that frustrates their aims at every turn. The very technology that enabled progress has stalled it. For now.
Captain Singh seeks redemption for his sins, even as he has been set up to repeat his bloody past. The scientist Erika wants to guide the progress of humanity to a utopia without a cycle of endless suffering. The pilot Miles wants nothing more than to be truly free to make his own decisions. The soldier Klyker wants to save his home planet from certain destruction. The engineer Amos wants to clear his family name. Even the Free Exchange, led by the enigmatic bureaucrat Tannis, have noble intentions as their hold on absolute power is a quest to preserve humanity forever. They all work together, and are all pitted against each other, in a grand sci-fi epic adventure across the stars.
Can any of them break free from the mission's predestined outcome? Will humanity cross the Matrioshka Divide? You'll have to read it to find out.
On the whole, the book is fast-paced and well edited. I did spot about a dozen minor errors that I won't fault the book for as it is self-published. You can tell a lot of work went into it. Some of the internal monologues are lengthy and intense, but not distractedly so. One thing that felt lacking is that the cultures of the protectorates are never fleshed out, only referenced in passing. Likewise the only religion (that our main character and a priest belong to) explored is called the Catholic-Orthodox religion, an expression of the author's own beliefs. Every sci-fi author does this in a way, but it felt a little too obvious at times. Expanding on these themes probably would've added another 100 pages to the book, but the author's style is compelling enough to make you wish the book were longer than 450 pages.
Looking forward to the sequel. There will be a sequel, right?
The Matrioshka Divide was a riveting read and hard to put down. I'd put it right alongside the sci-fi classics on my bookshelf. At its core is an interaction between humanity and technology that has reached its limits. Science has allowed for the prediction of all human action, trapping all of the book's characters in a cold fatalistic universe. They are slaves in a complex predictive model that frustrates their aims at every turn. The very technology that enabled progress has stalled it. For now.
Captain Singh seeks redemption for his sins, even as he has been set up to repeat his bloody past. The scientist Erika wants to guide the progress of humanity to a utopia without a cycle of endless suffering. The pilot Miles wants nothing more than to be truly free to make his own decisions. The soldier Klyker wants to save his home planet from certain destruction. The engineer Amos wants to clear his family name. Even the Free Exchange, led by the enigmatic bureaucrat Tannis, have noble intentions as their hold on absolute power is a quest to preserve humanity forever. They all work together, and are all pitted against each other, in a grand sci-fi epic adventure across the stars.
Can any of them break free from the mission's predestined outcome? Will humanity cross the Matrioshka Divide? You'll have to read it to find out.
On the whole, the book is fast-paced and well edited. I did spot about a dozen minor errors that I won't fault the book for as it is self-published. You can tell a lot of work went into it. Some of the internal monologues are lengthy and intense, but not distractedly so. One thing that felt lacking is that the cultures of the protectorates are never fleshed out, only referenced in passing. Likewise the only religion (that our main character and a priest belong to) explored is called the Catholic-Orthodox religion, an expression of the author's own beliefs. Every sci-fi author does this in a way, but it felt a little too obvious at times. Expanding on these themes probably would've added another 100 pages to the book, but the author's style is compelling enough to make you wish the book were longer than 450 pages.
Looking forward to the sequel. There will be a sequel, right?
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews