Dark Space

Dark Space Series, Book 1

By: Lisa Henry

Narrated by: Chris Chambers

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Brady Garrett needs to go home. He's a conscripted recruit on Defender Three, one of a network of stations designed to protect the Earth from alien attack. He's also angry, homesick, and afraid. If he doesn't get home he'll lose his family, but there's no way back except in a body bag.

Cameron Rushton needs a heartbeat. Four years ago Cam was taken by the Faceless - the alien race that almost destroyed Earth. Now he's back, and when the doctors make a mess of getting him out of stasis, Brady becomes his temporary human pacemaker. Except they're sharing more than a heartbeat: They're sharing thoughts, memories, and some very vivid dreams.

Not that Brady's got time to worry about his growing attraction to another guy, especially the one guy in the universe who can read his mind. It doesn't mean anything. It's just biochemistry and electrical impulses. It doesn't change the truth: Brady's alone in the universe.

Now the Faceless are coming, and there's nothing anyone can do. You can't stop your nightmares. Cam says everyone will live, but Cam's probably a traitor and a liar like the military thinks. But that's okay. Guys like Brady don't expect happy endings.

Contains mature themes.

©2012 Lisa Henry (P)2020 Tantor

It's ok

I didn't hate this book, but I really disliked how scared the main MC was all the time. It got tiresome to listen to how panicked he was in every situation, like irrationally so. He didn't bother to ask questions to relieve his anxiety and he didn't believe the people around him that he otherwise trusted when they gave him valid information or good advice. Instead, he just continued to complain, act scared of everything, panic and be irrational. It would have been nice if at some point he realized how he was acting and grew as a character, but he didn't. He wasn't a terrible person, in fact he was kind and understanding, just really tiresome. Also, this was supposed to be the future when space travel is a thing and humanity is supposed to have advanced technology, yet communication is done through written letters, and logistics are stupid like allowing bigotry and sexism to run rampant. One of the stupid leaps in logic was when they said women weren't allowed in the military because they had to protect them, something about the faceless wanting to kill them or something and having to protect the baby makers or some bullshit that was never really explained, but they allowed droves of people and children to die in poverty because reasons?It made no sense. Anyway, overall the book isn't terrible, but I wouldn't waste a credit on it. Read only if you have an afternoon to kill and are in the mood for sci-fi, telepathic, gay space romance in a shitty military space station setting.

Great audiobook listen

story/plot was excellently woven. performance was outstanding. could hardly put it down. can't wait to listen to more books from this author.

I cried like 17 times.

This book really took me by surprise. It was recommended by someone on Reddit so I took a chance. Wow. I haven't cared for characters like this in a long time. Highly recommend for unusual, but beautiful romance with military sci-fi.

Exciting Story & Very Creative

I knew it was going to be fantastic, and I'm so glad I did it in audio. Chris Chambers does a marvelous job. The voices he uses for Brady and Cam are perfect, and he succeeds in keeping up Lisa Henry's fast and steady pace.

Exciting and very creative - just don't listen to this audiobook and not expect to need the next one ASAP. I had it downloaded before I'd even finished this one.

This time no alien popping out of a guy's chest

Are the aliens really all bad? And is their offer of a peace treaty for real? Who knows guess I'll have grab the next book! I can hardly wait! I loved Brady and Cam I won't spoil the ending for you though I will tell you won't be disappointed. Oh yeah, and Reader be aware, itthis is an m/m romance, (the first SF one I've ever read) so there is going go be some mono on mono action you don't see/ hear in your every day run of the mill SciFi story lol !

Found another Narrator to add to my list of favorites, Chris Chambers does an excellent Narration, I'm looking forward to Lisa's next book with his narration! Gotta go next book's calling!

Everything I ever wanted. Ever.

I have been looking for a romance driven New Adult MM spaceship drama with these EXACT FREAKING TROPES. One bed?!? Forced proximity?!? Omg. It’s exactly for me, this book. I wasn’t bored for a second. I finished it in a day, cleaning my whole house. I’m recommending it on booktok for folks disappointed by Ocean’s Echo.

LOVED THIS. Buying the next one. And the physical copies. Obsessed.

An Intense Sci-Fi Story and Amazing Narrator!

Lisa Henry's Dark Space trilogy is intense and fascinating with a very hot relationship between Brady, a dirt-poor refuge who's trying to survive the military and his fear of the Faceless, and Cam, an officer and the poster boy for the military who was taken by the Faceless and assumed dead. But now he's back, and nothing will be the same for either of them as their lives become entwined by Faceless technology and the Faceless themselves.

Chris Chambers does a great job with all the voices in this story and his voice for the Faceless, Kai-Ren, is so creepy and perfect for the character! My favorite was his voice for Cam, so calm and steady and solid. I highly recommend this and can't wait for book two!

Fascinating mental connection!

This story just kept pulling me in further… there’s a kind of constant tension, and then there’s a breakthrough, and I kept asking myself, "Just where is this going to go?" It’s an extraordinary backdrop, the technology which creates the connection between the two main characters. Their ongoing discovery of each other is fascinating, and then there’s the interactions between them and those around them. The obstacles they face come to a head at one point to such an extent that I began to have doubts about my favorite Goodreads reviewer: “He couldn’t have led me into a book that ends like this, could he?” 😊 No, he didn’t ! My faith in his reviews happily restored, I still wouldn’t call it an HEA, though…more of a HFN. In fact, I was so spellbound by the story, I had to jump into the second book before I could get my thoughts in order enough to write about the first one.

I think what hit me most was the link between Brady and Cam. How cool would it be to have a connection like that!! The story evolves to help show both the pros and cons of such a situation, especially between these two! The development of their physical relationship felt believable, real. A fascinating read!

AUDIOVERSION: I liked the narrator’s voice. The inflections and emotions in his voice could have been a bit better in a few places, in my opinion. In particular, I found Cam’s voice kind of flat, although perhaps that was intentional.

Audible/Reading

My only complaint: you can’t get the recorded addition to your Kindle. They’re separate and don’t link. Great characters, fantastic world building that isn’t too complicated and a HEA ending. I loved it and was pleasantly surprised because I’m usually not one for spaceships and deep space. Just not my trope.

Emotional

Impossibly powerful aliens return a hero who’d gone missing years ago. Only he’s different. It’s up to Brady to figure out what happened to Cam and if everything is going to come crashing down around them.

Circumstance put them together and something was awakened in Brady he didn’t know was there. It’s powerful and incredibly emotional. It really had me wondering how they could possibly stay together. It was very emotional and satisfying. Performance was also great.