Digital Reads Reviews

Many thanks to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for my spot on this Blog Tour.

I am a sucker for action in a sci-fi thriller, and this book had it all. Karl Drinkwater gave me few hours of absolute bliss where my mind could traverse space and spend time with the main character Opal and her stolen spaceship with an intelligent AI, Clarissa.

Traversing in space, they suddenly came upon a ghost ship, ships which suddenly disappeared and sometimes made its appearance. Seeing one in front of them, Opal decided to aboard it. That started the story rolling. There were layers to the story as Opal’s characterization and life history were revealed. Not only had she to deal with the lethal environment of the Ghost Ship, she had to fight the military too. She had stolen/hijacked her own ship, after all.

My first book by author Karl Drinkwater gave me a kickass, bold, intelligent heroine who made me travel along with her to the ghost ship. I could feel her emotions and see her dread as she faced the alien environment. She was strong and yet had her weaknesses. She made the book come alive. There were twists to her story that I didn’t expect. I liked the way she could think on her feet, when given difficult circumstances.

This was a fast paced story where the author did not allow me to breathe. The horror that slowly creeped in too stole my breath. The ghost ship was different. The author’s description and the atmosphere added into its otherworldly aura. Tension stretched like a rubber band across the scenes. Few technological terms made it slightly difficult for me to imagine.

The story had its mystery too regarding Opal and her actions. There were battles to be fought, strengths to be tested. Clarissa and Opal made a brilliant combination. The humor in their dialogues made me smile. I liked the way they worked in tandem. They complemented each other. They became friends who helped each other out of love, friendship, and freedom. I liked how the author understood both the women.

Non stop action, fast pace, travel in outer space, ghost ship, fights with military, new decisions, and 2 kickass heroines made this a great read. It checked all the things I like in my sci-fi thriller.

I received a free ARC from Anne and the author, and this is my journey into its pages, straight from the heart!! STRICTLY HONEST AND UNBIASED.

All my reviews can be read here

Karl Drinkwater is originally from Manchester but lived in Wales for twenty years, and now calls Scotland his home. He’s a full-time author, and was a professional librarian for over twenty-five years. He has degrees in English, Classics, and Information Science. He writes in multiple genres: his aim is always just to tell a good story. Among his books you’ll find elements of literary and contemporary fiction, gritty urban, horror, suspense, paranormal, thriller, sci-fi, romance, social commentary, and more. The end result is interesting and authentic characters, clever and compelling plots, and believable worlds. When he isn’t writing he loves exercise, guitars, computer and board games, the natural environment, animals, social justice, cake, and zombies. Not necessarily in that order.

Sometimes spaceships disappear with everyone on board – the Lost Ships. But sometimes they come back, strangely altered, derelict, and rumoured to be full of horrors.

Opal is on a mission. She’s been seeking something her whole life. Something she is willing to die for. And she thinks it might be on a Lost Ship.

Opal has stolen Clarissa, an experimental AI-controlled spaceship, from the military. Together they have tracked down a Lost Ship, in a lonely nebula far from colonised space.

The Lost Ship is falling into the gravity well of a neutron star, and will soon be truly lost … forever. Legends say the ships harbour death, but there’s no time for indecision.

Opal gears up to board it. She’s just one woman, entering an alien and lethal environment. But perhaps with the aid of Clarissa’s intelligence – and an armoured spacesuit – Opal may stand a chance.

Publication Date: 31st October 2017