Into the Dark

I don't always know why Amazon recommends the things it does, but I guess such is the mystery of modern algorithms. I picked up Into the Dark alongside the last book while looking for cheaper options of "well, maaaaybe this will be decent." I think I'm glad I did.

Now, there is a very, very large hurdle to overcome with the book. I really had to take a very deep breath and just suspend disbelief over some fundamental setting elements. You see, the setting involves a many-systemed human space society, but it borrows heavily on the Age of Sail for detail - from the provincial feel of frontier worlds to societal culture and more distinctly in space travel itself. Interstellar travel is conducted by transition to "darkspace" where ships use special sails to travel. The altered physics of that realm itself are there basically to justify starships that are largely sailing ships in form, and it's put forth that this is the most efficient way for things to be done. Some people will have an easier or harder time buying into that than I. For me, it was actually fairly difficult.

Once I managed to suspend disbelief, though, I actually got drawn into the story of a bright noble girl joining the navy to get away from likely getting forced into an unpleasant arranged marriage. Alexis borders on being a bit too wise for her age at times, but not so much to take me out of the story. And after getting over that initial bump, I found the naval details to be interesting and entertaining.  It doesn't quite put me in a nautical mindset the way Red Skies Over Red Seas did, but there's a good amount of charm and drama to pull the reader along.

I don't know if the series will maintain momentum, but I think I'm going to find out.