Rant & Rave- The Darker the Skies by Bryan Prosek

Hi All! It's been a while since my last post. I've had a busy summer and cheer season, but I'm back with an upcoming release from an author that might sound familiar. I've previously covered Bryan Prosek's A Measure of Serenity, and releasing this month is his new book, The Darker the Skies. Since I've read so many books between my last post and this one, I'm going to skip the quick reviews this time and jump right into The Darker the Skies. The Darker the Skies is a high stakes science fiction story that takes place in the early 2200s. The book is a whirlwind of intergalactic travel, war, and politics. Earth is in the midst of a war with space pirates when a much more serious, and powerful, threat emerges. Jake Saunders is called on to save the Earth, once again, by facing this mighty threat. Little does he know, the threat is inextricably linked to those responsible for killing his father many years prior, and he may end up facing a far more personal nemesis. First let's rant: I had mixed feelings about the multiple point of view in this book. It took me a while to really get a grasp on each of the characters and identify who was a consistent narrator or main character. The many names had me doing a little searching as well. That being said, I really liked getting different information and viewpoints. My only true negative of the book was that some of the characters felt one dimensional. This is particularly true of the main antagonist, though there was a little bit of backstory for them. It felt like many of the narrators had similar personalities and motivators as well, which makes sense to an extent since they are nearly all military men and women, but I'd still like to see more variety and more characterization in general. And Let's rave: I think the love story took up an appropriate amount of the book. It was clear they love each other and were constantly on each others' minds, but the fact that Earth needed saving was firmly their first priority- AS IT SHOULD BE! Another positive of the story was the plot- it was dynamic, engaging, and high stakes. I feel like some books tend to throw in extra fight scenes and drama in order to engage readers (especially in htis genre), but The Darker the Skies was engaging in a more understated and subtle way. I absolutely loved the ending. I think it was both fitting and dramatic, and tied the story together nicely. It may have also hinted at a sequel, but no spoilers, so I can't say anything else. Also, the cover is absolutely beautiful. I would never buy a book just for the cover (*nervously glances at The Damned by Renee Ahdieh on my bookshelf*), but if you're into that- it's a starry sky in shades of black and blue. This was my 40th book this year, and I'm so glad it could be such an excellent read! Overall, it was a well written, fast paced, and epic novel that I'd place among my top science fiction reads for this year. I owe a huge thank you to Bryan Prosek and CamCat Publishing for sending me an advanced reader's copy. You can pick up your own copy when it releases on November 8th, 2022. As always, feel free to comment to discuss the book or my review! Until next time! Dana