The Imperium, a space station orbiting the Earth, is the beacon of mankind’s scientific advancement. Once serving as an advanced research laboratory, it is now being prepared for use as a glamorous hotel in space for the ultra-rich. Dr. Chloe Bonilla, the Imperium’s resident biophysicist, is none too excited to be taken away from her research to babysit an eclectic group of billionaires. However, when she is awoken in the middle of the night by unexpected activity from some of her co-workers, she realizes that not everything is as it seems. Several members of the Imperium’s crew reveal themselves to be armed members of a terrorist organization ominously calling themselves “The Reckoners.” They take the Imperium’s guests hostage, demanding a collective $8 billion ransom payment for their safe return to Earth. With Chloe being the only person on board to evade the Reckoner’s capture and rescue likely days away, she is the only thing standing between the Reckoner’s and their goal. But if she wants to stop them and rescue their hostages in the process, she’s in for the fight of her life.
The simple pitch of “Die Hard in space” was immediately enough to sell me on giving this book a chance. Despite some pacing issues here and there, it largely delivers on this promise. The author excels at his descriptions, giving the reader a clear image of the space station and the many action sequences that take place in its corridors. He does a great job building tension, making the book a real page turner. Some of the book’s humor didn’t quite work for me, but this did not really affect my enjoyment of the book overall. Exit Black makes for a breezy, enjoyable read for Sci-Fi and Thriller fans.
Reviewed by Michael Realmuto
No comments:
Post a Comment