Dark Space I: Humanity Is Defeated

Dark Space by Jasper T. Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first entry of author Jasper T. Scott’s Dark Space science-fiction series opens with a prologue occurring in medias res, with protagonist Ethan Ortane thinking he and his fellow space pilots won’t be able to get back to the starship cruiser Defiant. Two days before, Ethan and his copilot Alara Vastra are in debt to criminal Alec “Big Brainy” Brondi, with Ethan wanting to join the military to get away whilst separating with Alara. At the Forliss Station, Ethan seeks a recruitment office, although he finds himself ultimately captive and agrees to sabotage mentioned cruiser for his debt to be forgiven.

Brondi keeps Alara as a hostage while Ethan sees through his mission, which involves his impersonation of a Starfleet officer, Lieutenant Adan “Skidmark” Reese, Guardian Five in his respective squadron. Ethan faces several complications during his masquerade, among them being finding his quarters since asking where they were would blow his cover, and he soon receives what seems at first to be the common cold, although it requires time in a recovery capsule. Several twists occur when Ethan emerges from his rest, with a major battle occurring through the latter chapters of the story.

Overall, I found this a fairly enjoyable sci-fi story, with some good action throughout it and some twists towards the end that surprised even me. Similar to the science-fiction show Caprica, moreover, the first Dark Space story uses a less-profane version of the curse word for fornication, which somewhat makes it accessible to a wider audience rather than just adults only. There does seem to be some inspiration from the Star Wars franchise, with Ethan and Brondi seeming similar to Han Solo and Jabba the Hutt, and it’s also uncertain as to whether it’s our universe, but I will continue reading these books.

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