Artifact Space

I got this book based on a Goodreads review that compared it to the Horatio Hornblower books, among other things. Gotta say, that was pretty much spot on! Marca Nbara comes from a good patrician family, but ended up in a horrible and abusive orphanage. She's only ever wanted to go to space, though, and by hook or by crook, she's going to get there. She ends up on the greatship Athens, a multi-kilometer-long interstellar trading ship, by means that were MAYBE not quite legit. In spite of that, she IS competent - VERY competent. What follows is an excellent adventure story, with space battles, camaraderie that develops in dangerous situations, and mysterious aliens. I loved it. It strikes the same notes for me as Hornblower and Patrick O'Brian, but in SPAAAACE. And it's diverse and open and all that is just no big deal, because it's all just PEOPLE. It's also competence porn, which is a weakness of mine. I love to read about people who do their jobs well. And they're mostly decent people too. I'll definitely look for more books from this author, who is new to me.

This is a new all-time favorite! A wonderfully upbeat military space opera in the tradition of Horatio Hornblower and Honor Harrington, but updated and perfect for modern readers. It's as if someone had looked at my list of favorite things and thought "okay, how about I put ALL of them in a single novel"? What you can expect: - a fantastic lead in Marca Nbaro, starting her first day as a lowly (and fake) Midshipman on a massive ancient space ship - lots of anxiety because you'll be feverishly rooting for this very likable protagonist - eccentric, lovable characters and friendships - very cool aliens and a focus on how to communicate with them - lots of (real) technical, military, and scientific jargon and explanations (which I love because it's all so authentic and immersive, but your mileage may vary) - the somehow sweetest, low-key love story I've read in a long time - Intergalactic Merchant Republic society lead by patrician families (similar to old Venice) - an interesting artificial intelligence - spies and counterintelligence - a strong focus on shuttles, space flight and hangar control, so if you just lurrve that kind of stuff and find it very exciting, which I do, then you'll really love this - gorgeous alien planets - mysterious alien ruins - cyborg enhancements - very diverse cast of characters: all kinds of different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds, orientations, and sexual identities - awesome space battles with interesting tactics - lots of excitement and a complex plot Just... all my favorite things. I realize that this is not going to be everybody's cup of tea - it falls squarely into the sub-genre of military SF (they are not a true military though, but an armed merchant fleet), so expect to learn exactly how everything works (you can skip the explanations and jargon if that's not your thing, but I loved it). Another aspect that may not be for everyone: the book focuses on a group of really good, admirable people who are excellent at their jobs (although everyone still messes up and makes mistakes: they're not Mary Sues). This kind of environment is wonderfully healing for Marca Nbaro - who's grown up in orphanage hell with a very different sort of people - and I loved all the genuine friendship and loving, optimistic atmosphere. But if you're the kind of person who usually hates that and who prefers dark, villainous protagonists: this is not going to be the book for you! But I think if you liked Project Hail Mary, you'll love this one. The author was in the British Navy, I believe, and that kind of experience is just visible on every page, it makes everything feel so much more authentic and real and touchable. It's in the details, you feel as if you're right there in the cockpit. He's also done his homework on what zero-g is like, what space is like, everything. I can't believe this is his first SF novel. So well done! I'll definitely read book 2 the moment it comes out (this will be a series, but it also works well as a standalone).