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Fractured Orbit #1
Eclipse
Django and Mikka's paths collide as they embark on a journey that will shape the fate of a civilization built on half-truths and the backs of others. Rumors of civil war circulate through the Syndicate's orbital empire, catching both Django and Mikka in the crossfire, where the stakes are far higher than they realize.
300 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2023
36 people are currently reading
2259 people want to read
About the author
Herman Steuernagel
20 books121 followersHerman Steuernagel is a science fiction and fantasy author. His internationally best-selling debut Lies the Guardians Tell reached the top of the science fiction charts in multiple countries.
Herman grew up with a love of story and science fiction, watching Star Trek, The Next Generation with his father. As a teenager he fell in love with The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks, and The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.
His currently published works are dystopian science fiction that highlight the struggle between humanity and the technology we keep, as well as the motivations that keep us fighting with each other.
Herman currently lives in British Columbia, Canada, While he’s not working on a new book he can be found cycling, running and dreaming up new worlds.
You can keep up with Herman on his website:
https://www.hermansteuernagel.com
Herman grew up with a love of story and science fiction, watching Star Trek, The Next Generation with his father. As a teenager he fell in love with The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks, and The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.
His currently published works are dystopian science fiction that highlight the struggle between humanity and the technology we keep, as well as the motivations that keep us fighting with each other.
Herman currently lives in British Columbia, Canada, While he’s not working on a new book he can be found cycling, running and dreaming up new worlds.
You can keep up with Herman on his website:
https://www.hermansteuernagel.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
August 30, 2024
It's clearly a first book in a series so the focus was really on establishing the characters and universe but there was still enough action to make it interesting and engaging. The characters were generally easy to root for. I was just glad to read an easy little sci-fi number, there hasn't been enough sci-fi in my life lately.
January 22, 2023
3.5 Stars
This is a fun and lighthearted space opera. I was immediately pulled into the story with accessible writing and likeable characters. I would recommend this science fiction novel to readers looking for an easy, enjoyable space romp.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This is a fun and lighthearted space opera. I was immediately pulled into the story with accessible writing and likeable characters. I would recommend this science fiction novel to readers looking for an easy, enjoyable space romp.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
January 31, 2023
Spoiler-Free Eclipse Book Review
For fans of Red Rising, here is a science fiction book you can sink your teeth into! By that I mean it has the feel of Red Rising in places, so don’t all you massive fans of that series go nuts or something silly.
I Don’t Read Much Sci-Fi
This is true - I loved Sylvain Neuvel’s Sleeping Gods and his other books, as well as everything written by Andy Weir. I have enjoyed the bits and pieces I have read from classic science fiction, such as Foundation by Isaac Asimov, but I’m picky when I read in the genre and often DNF when I’m not interested - something I rarely do with fantasy.
Eclipse was the perfect science fiction book for me! There were two storylines - one on Eclipse (a space station) and the other on Redemption (a shuttle) - and I loved them both. But, I think the story on Eclipse was my favourite, if I had to choose one.
What You Can Expect
Without spoilers, I can tell you to expect a diverse and interesting cast of characters, all with their own motivations, beliefs and traits to make them unique. I never found myself thinking one sounded a little like the other.
The plot is fantastic, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. I guessed the odd reveal, but for the most part I was kept guessing until the author wanted me to know the answer. This was a nice balance and made for a very enjoyable reading experience.
Final Thoughts
To me, Eclipse is science fiction at its best. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for an easy sci-fi to add to the top of their TBR pile.
Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
For fans of Red Rising, here is a science fiction book you can sink your teeth into! By that I mean it has the feel of Red Rising in places, so don’t all you massive fans of that series go nuts or something silly.
I Don’t Read Much Sci-Fi
This is true - I loved Sylvain Neuvel’s Sleeping Gods and his other books, as well as everything written by Andy Weir. I have enjoyed the bits and pieces I have read from classic science fiction, such as Foundation by Isaac Asimov, but I’m picky when I read in the genre and often DNF when I’m not interested - something I rarely do with fantasy.
Eclipse was the perfect science fiction book for me! There were two storylines - one on Eclipse (a space station) and the other on Redemption (a shuttle) - and I loved them both. But, I think the story on Eclipse was my favourite, if I had to choose one.
What You Can Expect
Without spoilers, I can tell you to expect a diverse and interesting cast of characters, all with their own motivations, beliefs and traits to make them unique. I never found myself thinking one sounded a little like the other.
The plot is fantastic, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. I guessed the odd reveal, but for the most part I was kept guessing until the author wanted me to know the answer. This was a nice balance and made for a very enjoyable reading experience.
Final Thoughts
To me, Eclipse is science fiction at its best. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for an easy sci-fi to add to the top of their TBR pile.
Blog | Patreon | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
December 31, 2022
Eclipse is exactly the sort of sci-fi that I like, a bit of a space opera with the story time here largely split between two locations – the space station Eclipse, and the shuttle Redemption. There are a few other locations in between, but those are the two that we get to actually know.
Both storylines were quite enjoyable, with a good group of characters who were easy to follow. I enjoyed the storyline itself, with some good little twists and a good overall premise. I don’t think there was anything necessarily new, but it just worked very well.
I enjoyed the intrigue of the story, and I felt that the reveals were quite subtle, allowing you to work things out for yourself without feeling like you were being made to work too hard for it, and I definitely appreciated that.
It’s the opening of a series that I’m definitely looking forward to continuing with. I can see some good threads that the characters will take into book two with them, and I’m excited to see how they start weaving them all together.
Both storylines were quite enjoyable, with a good group of characters who were easy to follow. I enjoyed the storyline itself, with some good little twists and a good overall premise. I don’t think there was anything necessarily new, but it just worked very well.
I enjoyed the intrigue of the story, and I felt that the reveals were quite subtle, allowing you to work things out for yourself without feeling like you were being made to work too hard for it, and I definitely appreciated that.
It’s the opening of a series that I’m definitely looking forward to continuing with. I can see some good threads that the characters will take into book two with them, and I’m excited to see how they start weaving them all together.
April 15, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. The author was able to tap into my nostalgia for classic Dr who from the early 80s which I loved.
Themes of corrupt institutions and deceit after an apocalypse following a global climate Crisis are nailed in Eclipse. My biggest drawback to the novel is it felt serialized. This felt like it is the first third of a book instead of the entire novel. I wanted a bit more movement across the novel.
Structure 3/5
Inventiveness 3/5
Pacing 3/5
Story 4/5
Characterization 4/5
Enjoyment 4/5
Overall if you love sci-fi where humanity struggles for survival then Eclipse is for you!
Themes of corrupt institutions and deceit after an apocalypse following a global climate Crisis are nailed in Eclipse. My biggest drawback to the novel is it felt serialized. This felt like it is the first third of a book instead of the entire novel. I wanted a bit more movement across the novel.
Structure 3/5
Inventiveness 3/5
Pacing 3/5
Story 4/5
Characterization 4/5
Enjoyment 4/5
Overall if you love sci-fi where humanity struggles for survival then Eclipse is for you!
March 26, 2023
4.5 rounded up.
Eclipse is a fantastic dystopian sci-fi space opera. It had s much that I enjoy in sci-fi.
The two POVs are great. One is a kind of coming of age journey through revelatory discoveries of the world around them. The second is a character on a journey to redemption, whose past is never far away.
The dystopian aspects of the story - societal, political and prejudicial - are great. The future world-building is also well done and relatable as it takes place in our solar system.
The characters' emotional journeys are what drive the story for me. Fear, grief, anger, desperation - all add the the escalation of the action.
I really enjoyed my time with this book, and will be looking forward to returning to the story in book two.
Eclipse is a fantastic dystopian sci-fi space opera. It had s much that I enjoy in sci-fi.
The two POVs are great. One is a kind of coming of age journey through revelatory discoveries of the world around them. The second is a character on a journey to redemption, whose past is never far away.
The dystopian aspects of the story - societal, political and prejudicial - are great. The future world-building is also well done and relatable as it takes place in our solar system.
The characters' emotional journeys are what drive the story for me. Fear, grief, anger, desperation - all add the the escalation of the action.
I really enjoyed my time with this book, and will be looking forward to returning to the story in book two.
February 6, 2023
First off, this cover is everything. Second, I loved this book. It was such a fun and quick read that sent me thru a whole spectrum of emotions. I did like Django’s character the best but I was rooting for all of them the entire book. I loved the story line and can not wait for the next one. This was an action packed space adventure is perfect for any science fiction lover! Add this to your tbr now!
January 29, 2024
I am one of the judges of the special hybrid team Epic Space Stars for the SPSFC3 contest. This review is my personal opinion. Officially, it is still in the running for the contest, pending any official team announcements.
Status: Pending
Read: 100%
This is the second of the 6 originally selected quarterfinalists of the team. And just like the previous entry, this book is a thumbs up to continue to the next round for me.
I am quite enjoying this story. We have two POVs: a female space pirate that doesn't seem to care that her crew has just been killed by interstellar police forces named Abigail and a young male that has lived a sheltered life as a farmer in a dilapidated space station named Django.
Neither character knows who the other person is, their lives are 100% separate from each other but I felt equally vested in both stories. I liked Django more as a person, but Abigail's desperate situation being trapped in a malfunctional escape pod has higher immediate stakes. So, we have quite a nice balance between good & gullible vs evil and resourceful.
Django's station gets the largest chunk of the early book's worldbuilding. As far as Django knows, the Earth is still uninhabitable from a prior cataclysm around 500 years ago. His station is starting to crumble apart and is overpopulated, but he feels content with his life as a common laborer.
Things start getting weird for him when he and his friend Evergrade make a surprising discovery...
So far, I have zero bad things to say about this book. Colorful prose, fascinating worldbuilding, and mysteries abound. Book is definitely a keeper in my opinion. The story taunts the reader regarding the true identity of Marvin and Abigail. One thing that is tying both stories together is that Abigail has a friend of sorts that is trapped in an unknown space station that she wants to rescue. Could her friend be Marvin?
The story moves at a nice pace, and we get to see the corruption and political dynamics of various stations that might hint a greater conflict in the sequel. While I did feel the ending to be a tad bit anticlimatic, the book was a fun read with plenty of loose ends to entice the reader into reading the sequel.
4 1/2 stars!
Status: Pending
Read: 100%
This is the second of the 6 originally selected quarterfinalists of the team. And just like the previous entry, this book is a thumbs up to continue to the next round for me.
I am quite enjoying this story. We have two POVs: a female space pirate that doesn't seem to care that her crew has just been killed by interstellar police forces named Abigail and a young male that has lived a sheltered life as a farmer in a dilapidated space station named Django.
Neither character knows who the other person is, their lives are 100% separate from each other but I felt equally vested in both stories. I liked Django more as a person, but Abigail's desperate situation being trapped in a malfunctional escape pod has higher immediate stakes. So, we have quite a nice balance between good & gullible vs evil and resourceful.
Django's station gets the largest chunk of the early book's worldbuilding. As far as Django knows, the Earth is still uninhabitable from a prior cataclysm around 500 years ago. His station is starting to crumble apart and is overpopulated, but he feels content with his life as a common laborer.
Things start getting weird for him when he and his friend Evergrade make a surprising discovery...
So far, I have zero bad things to say about this book. Colorful prose, fascinating worldbuilding, and mysteries abound. Book is definitely a keeper in my opinion. The story taunts the reader regarding the true identity of Marvin and Abigail. One thing that is tying both stories together is that Abigail has a friend of sorts that is trapped in an unknown space station that she wants to rescue. Could her friend be Marvin?
The story moves at a nice pace, and we get to see the corruption and political dynamics of various stations that might hint a greater conflict in the sequel. While I did feel the ending to be a tad bit anticlimatic, the book was a fun read with plenty of loose ends to entice the reader into reading the sequel.
4 1/2 stars!
February 2, 2023
First thanks to the author for sending me a copy for review!
Eclipse is the kind of sci-fi book that can get you started on the genre since it's super easy to read and follow.
We have two different stories and mainly follow two different characters Django and Mikka (with a touch of Abigail). Django is a kid struggling with the life in the supposedly only space station left that it's sending all of the resources to Earth’s rebuilding effort. Mikka used to be a smuggler and she is intertwined with the Syndicate.
So not to spoil anything else of the plot, I'll say that quite a slow-paced book that feels like the beginning of a much bigger story that will probably develop on the next books on the series. But this little note aside once you get into the story you'll be sucked in!
due to the story being a little bit slower, you spent a good chunk of time with the characters which is why I think if you like character driven books you'll probably really enjoy Eclipse.
It has fantastic dystopia vibes and I loved that we, the readers, are aware of the situation at all times so as to not to relay in the usual tropes.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Eclipse as an entry to scifi and to those who are more versed on the genre because of the enjoyable factor. I look forward to next books on the series!
More thoughts on my channel
Eclipse is the kind of sci-fi book that can get you started on the genre since it's super easy to read and follow.
We have two different stories and mainly follow two different characters Django and Mikka (with a touch of Abigail). Django is a kid struggling with the life in the supposedly only space station left that it's sending all of the resources to Earth’s rebuilding effort. Mikka used to be a smuggler and she is intertwined with the Syndicate.
So not to spoil anything else of the plot, I'll say that quite a slow-paced book that feels like the beginning of a much bigger story that will probably develop on the next books on the series. But this little note aside once you get into the story you'll be sucked in!
due to the story being a little bit slower, you spent a good chunk of time with the characters which is why I think if you like character driven books you'll probably really enjoy Eclipse.
It has fantastic dystopia vibes and I loved that we, the readers, are aware of the situation at all times so as to not to relay in the usual tropes.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Eclipse as an entry to scifi and to those who are more versed on the genre because of the enjoyable factor. I look forward to next books on the series!
More thoughts on my channel
January 30, 2023
I didn't really enjoy this. I found the pacing to be slow and the characters too slow to develop. I felt very little connection to them. I thought it was good that Django didn't make a move on Eventide. Too often characters are just pushed together and maybe they could just be friends. It would be refreshing to see it be just a really deep friendship.
December 31, 2023
Read for SPSFC3 (Hybrid team)
Whilst we generally read 20-30% I ended up reading this in its entirety in a couple of hours. Enjoyed the characters, the social discourse and other parts of storyline.
Giving this a Y to move onto the next phase.
Whilst we generally read 20-30% I ended up reading this in its entirety in a couple of hours. Enjoyed the characters, the social discourse and other parts of storyline.
Giving this a Y to move onto the next phase.
January 1, 2023
My first finished read of 2023!
Review to come later today when I'm less sleepy.
Review to come later today when I'm less sleepy.
January 27, 2023
Disclaimer: Herman Steuernagel provided me with an ARC, but this does not affect my opinion of this book.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
This book is sci-fi to my taste, you don't need a PhD in rocket science to understand the world and the technologies, but it is sci-fi enough to be completely immersed in it.
We follow the story of two main characters whose lives are at first unconnected, and you wonder where the journey will take them.
There is Django, a boy who lives on the D-ring of the Eclipse (a space station orbiting Earth), his life is regular, and he seems happy despite hard work and a low standard of living. One day, he makes a discovery that completely turns his life upside down and takes away just about everything.
On the other hand, we have Mikka, who has renounced her former life as a space pirate and lives a life as a courier pilot. But her past catches up with her and turns her life upside down.
The book tells the story quickly and became a page-turner after just a few pages. The plot is easy to follow, but still leaves room to think and make up parts of the plot yourself.
The only thing that didn't satisfy me was the ending, but not because it was bad. Not at all, but because it is a cliffhanger, you just want to know how it continues, what awaits us and how are the characters, which we have taken into the heart.
If I may find fault with one thing, it is the choice of the name Django. Maybe you know the movie Django, and that was exactly my problem. The characters couldn't be more different, but still, I always had Django from the movie in the back of my mind while reading, which sometimes made it hard for me to properly place Django from the book. Later on, I just called him Djan, which helped me a lot. But to be fair this is a totally subjective and personal opinion.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is either taking their first steps into the sci-fi genre or to those who are fans of Red Rising, as “Eclipse” gave me Red Rising vibes in places.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
This book is sci-fi to my taste, you don't need a PhD in rocket science to understand the world and the technologies, but it is sci-fi enough to be completely immersed in it.
We follow the story of two main characters whose lives are at first unconnected, and you wonder where the journey will take them.
There is Django, a boy who lives on the D-ring of the Eclipse (a space station orbiting Earth), his life is regular, and he seems happy despite hard work and a low standard of living. One day, he makes a discovery that completely turns his life upside down and takes away just about everything.
On the other hand, we have Mikka, who has renounced her former life as a space pirate and lives a life as a courier pilot. But her past catches up with her and turns her life upside down.
The book tells the story quickly and became a page-turner after just a few pages. The plot is easy to follow, but still leaves room to think and make up parts of the plot yourself.
The only thing that didn't satisfy me was the ending, but not because it was bad. Not at all, but because it is a cliffhanger, you just want to know how it continues, what awaits us and how are the characters, which we have taken into the heart.
If I may find fault with one thing, it is the choice of the name Django. Maybe you know the movie Django, and that was exactly my problem. The characters couldn't be more different, but still, I always had Django from the movie in the back of my mind while reading, which sometimes made it hard for me to properly place Django from the book. Later on, I just called him Djan, which helped me a lot. But to be fair this is a totally subjective and personal opinion.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is either taking their first steps into the sci-fi genre or to those who are fans of Red Rising, as “Eclipse” gave me Red Rising vibes in places.
March 23, 2023
Well that was a thoroughly fun and entertaining story!! Eclipse is fast paced, full of twists, turns and really enjoyable characters and I was immediately hooked. Set on a space station above a dead Earth, it holds the last vestiges of humanity as they work to make the planet habitable again. The story flips between two POV'S, Django and Mikka. Django works the agricultural district and Mikka is an ex-pirate who has been forging a new life for herself. A simple celebration and a rescue in space turn both of their lives upside down and set them on a path toward each other. Django and Mikka are both so easy to like as are the other supporting characters, like Eventide. The unexpected events and reveals keep the story humming along and definitely leaves you wanting more and I am excited for the next book in the series!! Whether you are a science fiction newbie or not, this should be added to your to be read pile!!
July 28, 2024
I really enjoyed this beginning story to the Fractured Orbit series. Eclipse is a great little story leading into bigger and greater adventures! I loved following the two POVs of the characters Mikka and Django.
The world building was great and really set the stage. Herman successfully pulls you into the characters stories and feelings making them believable and rooting for them.
I loved every minute! Can't wait to read the next book!
The world building was great and really set the stage. Herman successfully pulls you into the characters stories and feelings making them believable and rooting for them.
I loved every minute! Can't wait to read the next book!
August 22, 2023
3.5 stars. A lot happens, but it mostly a build up to book #2. Enjoyed the characters though!
January 17, 2023
4.5/5
This was a fantastic beginning to a new sci-fi series with a lot of potential. We get to see two stories play out: One on a space station, and one on a spaceship. The first is more of a dystopian story whereas the second, while still having dystopian undertones, is more of a space opera. The author melds the two POV’s nicely as it goes back and forth. (Personally, I find at times having multiple POVs can be hard to follow and/or lead me wanting to stay on one story at the beginning. However I felt the exact opposite reading this book) It’s a faster pace novel that captured my attention early on and didn’t let it go. As most of the plot took place within a short period of time, and really showcased what was happening throughout the system, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for book 2.
Not only was the plot phenomenal but the characters were relatable. One thing I particularly enjoyed was how it showed that sometimes we are faced with the truth, but instead of acknowledging what is directly in front of us, we hang on to previous beliefs & thoughts because it feels safer. Such a powerful point that is brought up throughout this novel.
A quick thank you to Herman (the author) for sending me a precious advance readers copy. If this book isn’t on your TBR shelf, add it now!
This was a fantastic beginning to a new sci-fi series with a lot of potential. We get to see two stories play out: One on a space station, and one on a spaceship. The first is more of a dystopian story whereas the second, while still having dystopian undertones, is more of a space opera. The author melds the two POV’s nicely as it goes back and forth. (Personally, I find at times having multiple POVs can be hard to follow and/or lead me wanting to stay on one story at the beginning. However I felt the exact opposite reading this book) It’s a faster pace novel that captured my attention early on and didn’t let it go. As most of the plot took place within a short period of time, and really showcased what was happening throughout the system, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for book 2.
Not only was the plot phenomenal but the characters were relatable. One thing I particularly enjoyed was how it showed that sometimes we are faced with the truth, but instead of acknowledging what is directly in front of us, we hang on to previous beliefs & thoughts because it feels safer. Such a powerful point that is brought up throughout this novel.
A quick thank you to Herman (the author) for sending me a precious advance readers copy. If this book isn’t on your TBR shelf, add it now!
April 19, 2023
Eclipse is a solid beginning to a promising new series. It sets the stage for a much larger story, and it’s a very cool stage indeed.
The plot skips between two main branches which grow in parallel to one another. The first is Django’s story. He’s a kid who grows up on Eclipse station, which has 4 rings that separate people into different classes. A-ring holds the elite. Then you get B-ring with its engineers, and C-ring a little lower again. But D-ring holds the lowest level of society, where farmers do the grunt work and lackeys spend their time caring for the menial stuff.
The class system within the station is consistent and intriguing, and provides a pervasive conflict. I found it entertaining to imagine life aboard the station, and the ring-system definitely enhances the setting and the journey Django takes as everything he believes about himself, and about life on the station, is called into question.
Django’s eighteen and he’s in love with Eventide, a girl he grew up with on D-ring. She’s working her way up through the rings to grasp at a better life. The unrequited romance that drives Django is another one of the book’s strengths, and adds some welcome spice to the mix. Think of the dynamic between Peter Parker and MJ pre-spider-bite, and you’ll be in the right ballpark.
The second storyline belongs to Mikka. She’s an ex-space-pirate turned legit pilot. She’s a courier, transporting goods across the stars. But history finds a way of catching up with her, and she’s steadily pulled back into a world that she thought she’d escaped from.
Mikka’s story begins simply enough, but hides some pretty compelling twists and turns. There’s a lot to enjoy as she’s reluctantly embroiled in plots within plots, and it’s all good stuff. The story may be light on space-pirate action, but alludes to it enough to whet the appetite for what lies in store. I hope this aspect of the universe is explored a little more in the sequels.
Mikka’s biggest strength is in her character. She’s strong, resourceful, principled, and easy to root for. And she stands in contrast to the scoundrels she runs into, who all exhibit the dastardly traits you’d expect from typical space-pirates in varying degrees.
Events in the lives of Mikka and Django are happening simultaneously, and the book is patient in the way it lets them unfold. They’re linked in clever ways, but don’t actually come together until really late in the day. It’s interesting how closely related they are, and how certain aspects of the world are woven between them, despite how separate they seem.
Overall, Eclipse feels like Divergent meets Star Trek. It’s got hints of ‘Jack Sparrow in space,’ but not enough to call this a true pirate adventure. Although it’s definitely got the space element in spades. The world is rich in scope, and it feels like we’ve only glimpsed how far it reaches.
As far as series openings go, this is a great one. But it definitely feels like an opening act, and that there’s a lot more to come from this series. If you feel the craving for a space-station mystery with piratical trappings where conspiracies are prevalent and the truth is veiled in holograms, then Eclipse will do nicely. It’s a fun slice of sci-fi that entertains and entices, and I look forward to seeing what lies beyond it.
The plot skips between two main branches which grow in parallel to one another. The first is Django’s story. He’s a kid who grows up on Eclipse station, which has 4 rings that separate people into different classes. A-ring holds the elite. Then you get B-ring with its engineers, and C-ring a little lower again. But D-ring holds the lowest level of society, where farmers do the grunt work and lackeys spend their time caring for the menial stuff.
The class system within the station is consistent and intriguing, and provides a pervasive conflict. I found it entertaining to imagine life aboard the station, and the ring-system definitely enhances the setting and the journey Django takes as everything he believes about himself, and about life on the station, is called into question.
Django’s eighteen and he’s in love with Eventide, a girl he grew up with on D-ring. She’s working her way up through the rings to grasp at a better life. The unrequited romance that drives Django is another one of the book’s strengths, and adds some welcome spice to the mix. Think of the dynamic between Peter Parker and MJ pre-spider-bite, and you’ll be in the right ballpark.
The second storyline belongs to Mikka. She’s an ex-space-pirate turned legit pilot. She’s a courier, transporting goods across the stars. But history finds a way of catching up with her, and she’s steadily pulled back into a world that she thought she’d escaped from.
Mikka’s story begins simply enough, but hides some pretty compelling twists and turns. There’s a lot to enjoy as she’s reluctantly embroiled in plots within plots, and it’s all good stuff. The story may be light on space-pirate action, but alludes to it enough to whet the appetite for what lies in store. I hope this aspect of the universe is explored a little more in the sequels.
Mikka’s biggest strength is in her character. She’s strong, resourceful, principled, and easy to root for. And she stands in contrast to the scoundrels she runs into, who all exhibit the dastardly traits you’d expect from typical space-pirates in varying degrees.
Events in the lives of Mikka and Django are happening simultaneously, and the book is patient in the way it lets them unfold. They’re linked in clever ways, but don’t actually come together until really late in the day. It’s interesting how closely related they are, and how certain aspects of the world are woven between them, despite how separate they seem.
Overall, Eclipse feels like Divergent meets Star Trek. It’s got hints of ‘Jack Sparrow in space,’ but not enough to call this a true pirate adventure. Although it’s definitely got the space element in spades. The world is rich in scope, and it feels like we’ve only glimpsed how far it reaches.
As far as series openings go, this is a great one. But it definitely feels like an opening act, and that there’s a lot more to come from this series. If you feel the craving for a space-station mystery with piratical trappings where conspiracies are prevalent and the truth is veiled in holograms, then Eclipse will do nicely. It’s a fun slice of sci-fi that entertains and entices, and I look forward to seeing what lies beyond it.
September 12, 2023
★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader, along with a Q&A with the author, excerpts, and more.
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WHAT'S ECLIPSE ABOUT?
Django and Mikka are just going about their lives like they have been. They've never met—and likely never will. Their lives couldn't be more different. But because they're the primary characters in this book, we know they will at some point.
How does an agricultural specialist from a space station come across the path of a cargo-hauling ship's captain?
That's where the rakish, brash, legend-in-her-own-mind, Abigail Monroe, space pirate comes in. Abigail just being Abigail starts a ripple effect that will end up disrupting the lives of these two and maybe even change much, much, much more.
That's not much of an answer to the question, let's take a look at it like this...
DJANGO'S STORYLINE
Django has a life he's been contented with. Like his family before him—he works on the agricultural ring of a space station, growing food for his fellow residents and creating the fauna that will help rebuild the ruined Earth below. He likes his work—he's dedicated to his mission (while he knows it will be his descendants who will actually reap the benefits when they can live on Earth again). But his lifelong friend (and he probably would like more than that) Eventide is leaving the agricultural wing. She's worked her way into a more prestigious job and he's feeling left behind as she prepares to fully transfer—including moving to a new ring. I'm not convinced he realizes how much it's bothering him, but we readers can tell.
The day of his sister's wedding things start to go wrong—first of all, now that his sister's wed, the pressure for him to settle down is going to move to him. And Eventide's move is happening, and then...well. Disaster strikes and part of his family dies. At the same time, Django may have seen something that undercuts his entire life's work and beliefs. Like any good human, he convinces himself that everything's actually okay and he misunderstood what he saw. But...his uncle isn't convinced. In fact, his uncle starts to sound like some sort of conspiracy theorist, even talking about getting off the space station. Django didn't even think that was possible.
Django can't wrap his head around it all. Between grief and confusion, he's overwhelmed. Over the next couple of days, things get worse and Django starts to wonder if he should be leaving.
MIKKA'S STORYLINE
Years ago, there was a space pirate named Jax Luana, who enjoyed some renown. Suddenly, she dropped off the map—with a lot of questions and rumors surrounding that. For reasons I won't divulge, she got out of piracy, and changed her name and appearance. After a couple of lucky breaks, Mikka is able to get a small ship and a partner and takes on small cargo jobs and the like—see Mal Reynolds and his crew on a good day. Her mother has a long-term—probably terminal—disease, and Mikka pours all her profits into her mother's care.
After running into Abigail Monroe, the tenous life and reputation she'd built starts to fall apart. That's not true—it crumbles almost instantly. Like Michael Corelone, she'd gotten out and they've pulled her back in. Now Mikka has to become the pirate for her own sake as much as her mother's.
I could be wrong about this, but I think this storyline doesn't get quite the same space as Django's—which I get. But it bugs me, because I really wanted the balance to be different. Honestly, I'd have been fine without him at all, with just a book about a pirate who's gone straight and is having a hard time staying that way.
* Please note that I'm not saying I didn't like Django or his story. I also think in future books I'm going to enjoy having both of those characters and their stories to follow. I'm just saying this is how much I liked Mikka's story.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT ECLIPSE?
This is essentially a "getting the band together" kind of book, we meet all the players for the series (at least many of them), we get an idea of the political/criminal/social forces at work while they near a boiling point, and put our characters in place for the books to come. We don't get much more than that—and I think that was an error on Steuernagel's part. It just felt too much like an introduction without any real payoff. I don't think we needed much more—another chapter or two leading to a cliffhanger of sorts to propel us into the next book would've been enough. The novel's arcs have resolved, we see that longer stories are in the future, and the metaphorical table is set for more to come, but that's all we get.
Instead of an exclamation point, the book closes on ellipses.
Along the same lines, I have a whole bunch of questions about what happened on the Eclipse that have nothing to do with Django, and everything to do with Eventide. I don't know if it'd have helped the novel much for Steuernagel to have taken a moment to fill in some details—but I'd have felt better about it (perhaps the storylines in the future will address it, but I'm not holding my breath).
That said. I did like the book, and will close this post by recommending it. I just wanted to like it more.
Django is a great example of a farm boy being yanked out of his pleasant life to get involved in a struggle involving powers and plots well above him that he's frankly not all that interested in. We know that kind of character so well because they work so well almost every time we see one—Django is going to be great to watch as he grows and is exposed to things he never thought possible. Eventide will be equally great to get to know as a character herself—we essentially know her as Django's friend and not much else (but there's more to her, obviously). The same thought applies to Mikka's partner/navigator Kiara. As I suggested, everything we saw about Mikka was enough to make me want more of her—as she returns to the life of a pirate, but this time with a mission? She's going to be something great.
As for the agent of chaos, the monkey wrench in the works, the black fly in your Chardonnay, Abigail? I cannot wait to see her in action. In our Q&A, Steuernagel says she gets talked about the most—and I understand that. I want to be one of those who talk about her a lot, but I can't figure out how to do that without spoiling a lot. Just know that she's great.
This is a fun novel that really whets the appetite for more—give it a shot, and I think you'll be as eager for Book 2 as I am.
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader, along with a Q&A with the author, excerpts, and more.
---
WHAT'S ECLIPSE ABOUT?
Django and Mikka are just going about their lives like they have been. They've never met—and likely never will. Their lives couldn't be more different. But because they're the primary characters in this book, we know they will at some point.
How does an agricultural specialist from a space station come across the path of a cargo-hauling ship's captain?
That's where the rakish, brash, legend-in-her-own-mind, Abigail Monroe, space pirate comes in. Abigail just being Abigail starts a ripple effect that will end up disrupting the lives of these two and maybe even change much, much, much more.
That's not much of an answer to the question, let's take a look at it like this...
DJANGO'S STORYLINE
Django has a life he's been contented with. Like his family before him—he works on the agricultural ring of a space station, growing food for his fellow residents and creating the fauna that will help rebuild the ruined Earth below. He likes his work—he's dedicated to his mission (while he knows it will be his descendants who will actually reap the benefits when they can live on Earth again). But his lifelong friend (and he probably would like more than that) Eventide is leaving the agricultural wing. She's worked her way into a more prestigious job and he's feeling left behind as she prepares to fully transfer—including moving to a new ring. I'm not convinced he realizes how much it's bothering him, but we readers can tell.
The day of his sister's wedding things start to go wrong—first of all, now that his sister's wed, the pressure for him to settle down is going to move to him. And Eventide's move is happening, and then...well. Disaster strikes and part of his family dies. At the same time, Django may have seen something that undercuts his entire life's work and beliefs. Like any good human, he convinces himself that everything's actually okay and he misunderstood what he saw. But...his uncle isn't convinced. In fact, his uncle starts to sound like some sort of conspiracy theorist, even talking about getting off the space station. Django didn't even think that was possible.
Django can't wrap his head around it all. Between grief and confusion, he's overwhelmed. Over the next couple of days, things get worse and Django starts to wonder if he should be leaving.
MIKKA'S STORYLINE
Years ago, there was a space pirate named Jax Luana, who enjoyed some renown. Suddenly, she dropped off the map—with a lot of questions and rumors surrounding that. For reasons I won't divulge, she got out of piracy, and changed her name and appearance. After a couple of lucky breaks, Mikka is able to get a small ship and a partner and takes on small cargo jobs and the like—see Mal Reynolds and his crew on a good day. Her mother has a long-term—probably terminal—disease, and Mikka pours all her profits into her mother's care.
After running into Abigail Monroe, the tenous life and reputation she'd built starts to fall apart. That's not true—it crumbles almost instantly. Like Michael Corelone, she'd gotten out and they've pulled her back in. Now Mikka has to become the pirate for her own sake as much as her mother's.
I could be wrong about this, but I think this storyline doesn't get quite the same space as Django's—which I get. But it bugs me, because I really wanted the balance to be different. Honestly, I'd have been fine without him at all, with just a book about a pirate who's gone straight and is having a hard time staying that way.
* Please note that I'm not saying I didn't like Django or his story. I also think in future books I'm going to enjoy having both of those characters and their stories to follow. I'm just saying this is how much I liked Mikka's story.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT ECLIPSE?
This is essentially a "getting the band together" kind of book, we meet all the players for the series (at least many of them), we get an idea of the political/criminal/social forces at work while they near a boiling point, and put our characters in place for the books to come. We don't get much more than that—and I think that was an error on Steuernagel's part. It just felt too much like an introduction without any real payoff. I don't think we needed much more—another chapter or two leading to a cliffhanger of sorts to propel us into the next book would've been enough. The novel's arcs have resolved, we see that longer stories are in the future, and the metaphorical table is set for more to come, but that's all we get.
Instead of an exclamation point, the book closes on ellipses.
Along the same lines, I have a whole bunch of questions about what happened on the Eclipse that have nothing to do with Django, and everything to do with Eventide. I don't know if it'd have helped the novel much for Steuernagel to have taken a moment to fill in some details—but I'd have felt better about it (perhaps the storylines in the future will address it, but I'm not holding my breath).
That said. I did like the book, and will close this post by recommending it. I just wanted to like it more.
Django is a great example of a farm boy being yanked out of his pleasant life to get involved in a struggle involving powers and plots well above him that he's frankly not all that interested in. We know that kind of character so well because they work so well almost every time we see one—Django is going to be great to watch as he grows and is exposed to things he never thought possible. Eventide will be equally great to get to know as a character herself—we essentially know her as Django's friend and not much else (but there's more to her, obviously). The same thought applies to Mikka's partner/navigator Kiara. As I suggested, everything we saw about Mikka was enough to make me want more of her—as she returns to the life of a pirate, but this time with a mission? She's going to be something great.
As for the agent of chaos, the monkey wrench in the works, the black fly in your Chardonnay, Abigail? I cannot wait to see her in action. In our Q&A, Steuernagel says she gets talked about the most—and I understand that. I want to be one of those who talk about her a lot, but I can't figure out how to do that without spoiling a lot. Just know that she's great.
This is a fun novel that really whets the appetite for more—give it a shot, and I think you'll be as eager for Book 2 as I am.
January 29, 2024
Here is my full review on Youtube
https://youtu.be/9Fsqr2PtJVE?si=zP9FK...
Eclipse, by Herman Steuernagel, is our ticket to approachable space opera. It's short, sweet, and clocking in around 290 pages. We're following two main characters here, Django and Mikka.
First up, Django, living that calm life, helping rebuild Earth after some apocalyptic mess. Life's not exactly easy for him because there's a whole space station class conflict bubbling beneath the surface. As Django's peace gets stripped away, you'll see him change faster than you can say "plot twist." Relationships, family dynamics, everything takes a U-turn, and the guy's got some major life decisions to make.
Then there's Mikka, former pirate turned captain of a commercial ship. She's got this bitter vibe, thanks to a past that's catching up to her. Forced to respond to a distress call, Mikka makes a questionable call, guided by her morals. It's the kind of decision that's dangerous but makes you respect her more.
Now, what makes this space ride interesting is the stark contrast between Django's naivety and Mikka's matter-of-fact bitterness. Django's innocence lets us dive deep into the world-building, discovering truths alongside him. When the first plot twist hits, it hits us as hard as it hits Django.
Mikka, on the other hand, adds a different flavor. She's all about internal struggle, making decisions based on a past she can't shake off. These two perspectives make the story pop, leading to a seriously painful cliffhanger.
Considering the book's on the shorter side, the character development packs a punch. It's effective, leaves room for growth, and makes you crave more. Under 300 pages, Steuernagel crafts a narrative that balances character development, plot twists, and a decent world-building teaser. It's a great read that'll leave you eager for more. So, why not give it a shot? Happy reading!
https://youtu.be/9Fsqr2PtJVE?si=zP9FK...
Eclipse, by Herman Steuernagel, is our ticket to approachable space opera. It's short, sweet, and clocking in around 290 pages. We're following two main characters here, Django and Mikka.
First up, Django, living that calm life, helping rebuild Earth after some apocalyptic mess. Life's not exactly easy for him because there's a whole space station class conflict bubbling beneath the surface. As Django's peace gets stripped away, you'll see him change faster than you can say "plot twist." Relationships, family dynamics, everything takes a U-turn, and the guy's got some major life decisions to make.
Then there's Mikka, former pirate turned captain of a commercial ship. She's got this bitter vibe, thanks to a past that's catching up to her. Forced to respond to a distress call, Mikka makes a questionable call, guided by her morals. It's the kind of decision that's dangerous but makes you respect her more.
Now, what makes this space ride interesting is the stark contrast between Django's naivety and Mikka's matter-of-fact bitterness. Django's innocence lets us dive deep into the world-building, discovering truths alongside him. When the first plot twist hits, it hits us as hard as it hits Django.
Mikka, on the other hand, adds a different flavor. She's all about internal struggle, making decisions based on a past she can't shake off. These two perspectives make the story pop, leading to a seriously painful cliffhanger.
Considering the book's on the shorter side, the character development packs a punch. It's effective, leaves room for growth, and makes you crave more. Under 300 pages, Steuernagel crafts a narrative that balances character development, plot twists, and a decent world-building teaser. It's a great read that'll leave you eager for more. So, why not give it a shot? Happy reading!
January 14, 2023
I won't lie. Sci-fi isn't really my thing. But Herman's books always entertain me so I couldn't resist getting my hands on a copy of this book.
And I don't regret a thing! Django's story is heart-breaking. His whole world shatters in the blink of an eye and he takes it about the same way I would in his shoes. I found him so relatable!
If you are looking for a great new sci-fi space adventure with a little bit of a Firefly meets The 100 vibe, this book will take you on an engaging ride.
And I don't regret a thing! Django's story is heart-breaking. His whole world shatters in the blink of an eye and he takes it about the same way I would in his shoes. I found him so relatable!
If you are looking for a great new sci-fi space adventure with a little bit of a Firefly meets The 100 vibe, this book will take you on an engaging ride.
Read
November 14, 2023RTC SPSFC Read
February 8, 2023
Eclipse is a story that immediately grabbed my attention with its fast pace, approachable writing style and interesting story plot. I personally feel the writing is very strong in this book, it was so easy to submerge myself into the world that Steuernagel has created. There isn't a lot of heavy focus on the sci-fi jargon, and what was used was very easy to understand and follow along with. If sci-fi is something that frightenings you because of the lingo that can be associated with it, then this is a great book to pick up as it is very easy to follow. The pacing is the next best part, in one day I plowed through 50% of the story, sure after the 50% mark the pacing did feel like it slowed down, but I don't see that as a bad thing, it allowed time for the juice of the story to start to fall into place.
Plot wise Eclipse follows two different storylines through the pov's of Django and Mikka, two completely different types of people in two different places. I loved seeing how Steuernagel weaved these two stories into one. While we don't get the full connection until the very end, it was satisfying to see the small pieces being mentioned in the opposites pov. While I enjoyed both story lines, I will say I flopped back and forth of my enjoyment between them. When Mikka's started out I was very interested in her past Pirate life and her trying to avoid the law while trying to do the right thing, but when she made it to Shackelton City the pacing severely slowed down and a lot of her moments was internal thoughts and became kind of slog for me. While over with Django's story the start of it was slower for me, but over time become more interesting and the mystery around what was happening on the Eclipse became addicting and I wanted all the answers possible.
The overarching story I will say took a while to fully become apparent, and for awhile I wasn't totally positive the two storylines were going to cross paths. It's not until the end of the book that any mention of a civil war is on the rise and even then we didn't get much info on this. This book is definitely the set up. I will say I liked the swap in plot involving the rich and the poor. Most of the time these stories involve the rich getting the use of the space stations and living comfortably in space, and the poor getting stuck on the dead earth. Steuernagel flipped this idea and while we don't interact with any of these rich people we do hear about them and how they get to live on the luxurious rehabilitated Earth while everyone else lives in space being fed lies about what is truly happening around them, the space stations especially are subject to these lies, and ohh boy are those some lies.
Django as a character was a bit frustrating for me. I very quickly become frustrated with him and his feelings toward his friend Eventide. There is only so much internal pining and self deprecating comments I can take. He spends the majority of the book pining for her but also telling himself he is never good enough and can never make a move. Like his entire world is being turned upside down and he is like "man I wish I could tell my best friend of forever how much I like her", like I need bro to get with the picture and pay attention to what is really going on around him,so I'm kind of hoping follow up books will bring this down some. I do have to say though as the story progressed I liked how he started to make rash and stupid choices, that was a smart approach because it finally gave his character a bit more depth. Him making stupid choices like hitting guards, starting fights, using guns, and just all around rash attitude finally made it seem like the events of everything where finally hitting him, and thusly messing with his ability to assess the situations he was involved in.
Mikka is a great contender for a strong female character. I do think she needs a bit more depth added to her though. As of right now, she is pretty much just an ex-pirate with a past that has her set up as the most wanted pirate in space, with a history that even she doesn't want to remember (I want to know what she did). We never get to see her in any action, its mostly confrontations with words, so I'm hoping in future books we will get to see a bit more of the ex-pirate in her come through and see her in some action. She holds her ground around sleazy nasty men and doesn't let them walk over her, but still I would have loved to see a bit from her.
OVerall Eclipse is a solid first book in a series that has so much more room for growth, and I'm invested enough to stick around and find out where its going and how the story and characters evolve.
Thanks to the Author for providing me with an ARC!
Plot wise Eclipse follows two different storylines through the pov's of Django and Mikka, two completely different types of people in two different places. I loved seeing how Steuernagel weaved these two stories into one. While we don't get the full connection until the very end, it was satisfying to see the small pieces being mentioned in the opposites pov. While I enjoyed both story lines, I will say I flopped back and forth of my enjoyment between them. When Mikka's started out I was very interested in her past Pirate life and her trying to avoid the law while trying to do the right thing, but when she made it to Shackelton City the pacing severely slowed down and a lot of her moments was internal thoughts and became kind of slog for me. While over with Django's story the start of it was slower for me, but over time become more interesting and the mystery around what was happening on the Eclipse became addicting and I wanted all the answers possible.
The overarching story I will say took a while to fully become apparent, and for awhile I wasn't totally positive the two storylines were going to cross paths. It's not until the end of the book that any mention of a civil war is on the rise and even then we didn't get much info on this. This book is definitely the set up. I will say I liked the swap in plot involving the rich and the poor. Most of the time these stories involve the rich getting the use of the space stations and living comfortably in space, and the poor getting stuck on the dead earth. Steuernagel flipped this idea and while we don't interact with any of these rich people we do hear about them and how they get to live on the luxurious rehabilitated Earth while everyone else lives in space being fed lies about what is truly happening around them, the space stations especially are subject to these lies, and ohh boy are those some lies.
Django as a character was a bit frustrating for me. I very quickly become frustrated with him and his feelings toward his friend Eventide. There is only so much internal pining and self deprecating comments I can take. He spends the majority of the book pining for her but also telling himself he is never good enough and can never make a move. Like his entire world is being turned upside down and he is like "man I wish I could tell my best friend of forever how much I like her", like I need bro to get with the picture and pay attention to what is really going on around him,so I'm kind of hoping follow up books will bring this down some. I do have to say though as the story progressed I liked how he started to make rash and stupid choices, that was a smart approach because it finally gave his character a bit more depth. Him making stupid choices like hitting guards, starting fights, using guns, and just all around rash attitude finally made it seem like the events of everything where finally hitting him, and thusly messing with his ability to assess the situations he was involved in.
Mikka is a great contender for a strong female character. I do think she needs a bit more depth added to her though. As of right now, she is pretty much just an ex-pirate with a past that has her set up as the most wanted pirate in space, with a history that even she doesn't want to remember (I want to know what she did). We never get to see her in any action, its mostly confrontations with words, so I'm hoping in future books we will get to see a bit more of the ex-pirate in her come through and see her in some action. She holds her ground around sleazy nasty men and doesn't let them walk over her, but still I would have loved to see a bit from her.
OVerall Eclipse is a solid first book in a series that has so much more room for growth, and I'm invested enough to stick around and find out where its going and how the story and characters evolve.
Thanks to the Author for providing me with an ARC!
September 5, 2023
Eclipse
is the first book in a series of sci-fi adventures. You might think from the cover that this will be a typical space opera / military sci fi. Instead, what you get is a thoughtful plot that blends familiar sci-fi elements to come up with something truly unique.
It’s two hundred or more years in the future. Earth is ruined and uninhabitable after the Climate Wars. Above the earth humanity had placed orbiting stations made up of donut shaped torus rings. These stations were designed as rescue vessels for humanity and as much of nature as they could bring with them, in hopes of someday reseeding the earth. But progress has been slow and now only one station - the Eclipse - remains.
Or so it seems to young Django Alexander and his family and friends aboard that one station. But the unexpected revelation of the truth suddenly shatters their reality and leads to the death of almost everyone Django cares about.
Meanwhile the reformed space pirate Mikka Jenax has her world turned upside down when she receives a distress signal aboard her ship the Redemption, and rescues Abigail Monroe, a pirate captain whose own ship has just been destroyed by forces unknown.
Jenax left piracy behind when her mother contracted lunar disease, a malady of unknown origin with no cure. But rescuing Monroe leads to a hefty fine and leaves Jenax with no option but to put one foot closer to piracy and accept a not-quite-legal mission to the Eclipse with Monroe by her side. The mission may also provide Jenax with a supply of the only substance that can relieve her mother’s pain.
This is a dystopian world where the powerful and evil Syndicate controls all, including all Earth-orbiting stations, and colonies on the moon and Mars. As Mikka discovers at one of the moon colonies, forces are preparing to challenge the Syndicate in a coming civil war.
Steuernagel has put together a fast-paced plot that bit by bit reveals the reality of what is going on in this world as the two storylines converge.
While the plot is thoughtful and the pace is good, the characters are a mixed bag. The main characters - Mikka and Django - are fleshed out as the story unfolds and by the end of the book they seem like real people. Some of the other characters however, like Abigail and Django’s lifelong friend and secret crush Eventide, who have fairly large roles, are not as well fleshed out and seem two dimensional.
Those familiar sci-fi elements? Well, the world building is reminiscent of The Expanse, while the social structure Django lives under on the Eclipse, along with the station’s lying captain, seems very much like the social structure surrounding Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, with its evil President Snow. Those are not bad stories for Steuernagel to have taken inspiration from, and if you are a fan of either series I think you’ll find something to like here.
In paperback form the book is around 300 pages long and can easily be read in a day. I read it in one sitting and enjoyed the pacing and the converging storylines.
One other thing I liked about the book is that it is a fully contained story. There is no cliff hanger ending, even though it’s Book 1 of a series. Steuernagel leaves plenty of unanswered questions about the larger story this book will end up being a part of, but reading this one book rewards you with a satisfying conclusion.
RATING: Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating Comments: A great sci fi beach read, or a good story for a chilly fall day by the fire.
NOTE: I read an advanced review copy of the book courtesy of Escapist Book Tours and the author. The book was released February 7, 2023.
It’s two hundred or more years in the future. Earth is ruined and uninhabitable after the Climate Wars. Above the earth humanity had placed orbiting stations made up of donut shaped torus rings. These stations were designed as rescue vessels for humanity and as much of nature as they could bring with them, in hopes of someday reseeding the earth. But progress has been slow and now only one station - the Eclipse - remains.
Or so it seems to young Django Alexander and his family and friends aboard that one station. But the unexpected revelation of the truth suddenly shatters their reality and leads to the death of almost everyone Django cares about.
Meanwhile the reformed space pirate Mikka Jenax has her world turned upside down when she receives a distress signal aboard her ship the Redemption, and rescues Abigail Monroe, a pirate captain whose own ship has just been destroyed by forces unknown.
Jenax left piracy behind when her mother contracted lunar disease, a malady of unknown origin with no cure. But rescuing Monroe leads to a hefty fine and leaves Jenax with no option but to put one foot closer to piracy and accept a not-quite-legal mission to the Eclipse with Monroe by her side. The mission may also provide Jenax with a supply of the only substance that can relieve her mother’s pain.
This is a dystopian world where the powerful and evil Syndicate controls all, including all Earth-orbiting stations, and colonies on the moon and Mars. As Mikka discovers at one of the moon colonies, forces are preparing to challenge the Syndicate in a coming civil war.
Steuernagel has put together a fast-paced plot that bit by bit reveals the reality of what is going on in this world as the two storylines converge.
While the plot is thoughtful and the pace is good, the characters are a mixed bag. The main characters - Mikka and Django - are fleshed out as the story unfolds and by the end of the book they seem like real people. Some of the other characters however, like Abigail and Django’s lifelong friend and secret crush Eventide, who have fairly large roles, are not as well fleshed out and seem two dimensional.
Those familiar sci-fi elements? Well, the world building is reminiscent of The Expanse, while the social structure Django lives under on the Eclipse, along with the station’s lying captain, seems very much like the social structure surrounding Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, with its evil President Snow. Those are not bad stories for Steuernagel to have taken inspiration from, and if you are a fan of either series I think you’ll find something to like here.
In paperback form the book is around 300 pages long and can easily be read in a day. I read it in one sitting and enjoyed the pacing and the converging storylines.
One other thing I liked about the book is that it is a fully contained story. There is no cliff hanger ending, even though it’s Book 1 of a series. Steuernagel leaves plenty of unanswered questions about the larger story this book will end up being a part of, but reading this one book rewards you with a satisfying conclusion.
RATING: Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating Comments: A great sci fi beach read, or a good story for a chilly fall day by the fire.
NOTE: I read an advanced review copy of the book courtesy of Escapist Book Tours and the author. The book was released February 7, 2023.
May 13, 2023
“Eclipse” starts out like a standard Space Opera, in the middle of a thrilling escape from an exploding spaceship. Once the story starts, though, it is light on the science end, with the setting element concentrated on visual descriptions of the vessels, living spaces and clothing styles of this future environment.
The emotional content of the story is powerful, with more serious emphasis on family ties, loyalty and friendship than is usual in this genre, which tends to be more lighthearted.
The first sign that this story is not what it seems is the information dump at the start. Even running a gauntlet through explosions and fire can’t keep us focused through pages of backstory. And this continues throughout the book. Whatever the action, the point-of-view character thinks through it all in great detail, laying out the backstory, the reasons and the possible outcomes.
These inner dialogues are well written and give us the personalities of the characters with great veracity, but they take up too much of the book, and the pace of the action is very slow.
There is little external action in the story because most of the conflict takes place inside the characters’ heads. In the usual Hero’s Journey, the main character makes up his mind in the first few chapters that the life he is living has something wrong with it. He starts his journey, and his struggles to reach a better life provide the conflict for the rest of the book. In this instance, the hero takes the whole book to come to a decision.
The other difficulty is that most effective heroes are action oriented. They make decisions and act on them. Here, the main character is acted on by his society, forcing him to leave at the end. This makes for a less dynamic tale.
This is the first episode in a serial. The main external conflict, which is political in nature, is only alluded to near the finish. The ending is rather unsatisfying, as it only solves the immediate problems. However, it sets up a larger conflict to play out in the next installment.
This novel is presented as Space Opera but is too introspective for that genre. It is much more appropriate for more thoughtful fans of general Sci-Fi.
This review previously published on Reedsy Discovery
The emotional content of the story is powerful, with more serious emphasis on family ties, loyalty and friendship than is usual in this genre, which tends to be more lighthearted.
The first sign that this story is not what it seems is the information dump at the start. Even running a gauntlet through explosions and fire can’t keep us focused through pages of backstory. And this continues throughout the book. Whatever the action, the point-of-view character thinks through it all in great detail, laying out the backstory, the reasons and the possible outcomes.
These inner dialogues are well written and give us the personalities of the characters with great veracity, but they take up too much of the book, and the pace of the action is very slow.
There is little external action in the story because most of the conflict takes place inside the characters’ heads. In the usual Hero’s Journey, the main character makes up his mind in the first few chapters that the life he is living has something wrong with it. He starts his journey, and his struggles to reach a better life provide the conflict for the rest of the book. In this instance, the hero takes the whole book to come to a decision.
The other difficulty is that most effective heroes are action oriented. They make decisions and act on them. Here, the main character is acted on by his society, forcing him to leave at the end. This makes for a less dynamic tale.
This is the first episode in a serial. The main external conflict, which is political in nature, is only alluded to near the finish. The ending is rather unsatisfying, as it only solves the immediate problems. However, it sets up a larger conflict to play out in the next installment.
This novel is presented as Space Opera but is too introspective for that genre. It is much more appropriate for more thoughtful fans of general Sci-Fi.
This review previously published on Reedsy Discovery
November 26, 2024
A Gripping, Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Thriller – A Must-Read
From the first page, Eclipse pulls readers into a high-stakes, adrenaline-fueled journey that is both exciting and emotionally charged. Django's life on the isolated Eclipse space station is one of constant struggle, yet it’s all he knows – until an unexpected glitch shatters his perception of reality. The revelation that everything he believed about his world is a lie sets the stage for a mind-bending adventure that’s full of twists and turns.
What makes this story so compelling is the intricate world-building that makes the space station feel alive and real. The suffocating atmosphere of Eclipse mirrors Django’s growing sense of paranoia and betrayal. As he uncovers the dark secrets of the station’s administrators, the tension ramps up, keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
Django’s relationship with his best friend, Eventide, is one of the story's most poignant elements. Their bond is both heartwarming and powerful, making their shared mission to expose the truth even more impactful. The stakes are high: not only are they racing to uncover the conspiracy that binds them, but they’re also fighting to protect their loved ones from a cruel and faceless system.
The pace of the novel is relentless, and the action scenes are as thrilling as they are thought-provoking. But beyond the high-octane plot, Eclipse delves deep into themes of identity, freedom, and the cost of truth. As Django grapples with the horrifying reality beyond the station’s walls, readers are forced to ask themselves just how far they’d go to uncover the truth – and whether the cost of breaking free from a life of lies is too great.
With its compelling protagonist, high-stakes drama, and a world brimming with intrigue and mystery, Eclipse is a sci-fi thriller that will keep you guessing long after you’ve turned the final page. Fans of psychological thrillers and space adventures alike will find themselves captivated by this unforgettable story
From the first page, Eclipse pulls readers into a high-stakes, adrenaline-fueled journey that is both exciting and emotionally charged. Django's life on the isolated Eclipse space station is one of constant struggle, yet it’s all he knows – until an unexpected glitch shatters his perception of reality. The revelation that everything he believed about his world is a lie sets the stage for a mind-bending adventure that’s full of twists and turns.
What makes this story so compelling is the intricate world-building that makes the space station feel alive and real. The suffocating atmosphere of Eclipse mirrors Django’s growing sense of paranoia and betrayal. As he uncovers the dark secrets of the station’s administrators, the tension ramps up, keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
Django’s relationship with his best friend, Eventide, is one of the story's most poignant elements. Their bond is both heartwarming and powerful, making their shared mission to expose the truth even more impactful. The stakes are high: not only are they racing to uncover the conspiracy that binds them, but they’re also fighting to protect their loved ones from a cruel and faceless system.
The pace of the novel is relentless, and the action scenes are as thrilling as they are thought-provoking. But beyond the high-octane plot, Eclipse delves deep into themes of identity, freedom, and the cost of truth. As Django grapples with the horrifying reality beyond the station’s walls, readers are forced to ask themselves just how far they’d go to uncover the truth – and whether the cost of breaking free from a life of lies is too great.
With its compelling protagonist, high-stakes drama, and a world brimming with intrigue and mystery, Eclipse is a sci-fi thriller that will keep you guessing long after you’ve turned the final page. Fans of psychological thrillers and space adventures alike will find themselves captivated by this unforgettable story
February 13, 2023
Eclipse is pitched as perfect for fans of Firefly and The Expanse, so I was curious and requested and received a free review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I did find this story engaging, and was curious to see where it would go. That kept me reading, which is a good sign for any book.
There's a lot going on in this story, with multiple POV characters. This has good and bad points. Sometimes, our breaks away from certain characters are quite long, and it's possible to lose track of them. Although the story starts with Abigail, she's the minor POV character and doesn't feel like she has much of her own arc; she's a plot device meant to move Mikka/Jax's storyline. While not all characters can be center stage, I'm not sure about the decision to start with her and then have her fade as much as she did.
Django is one of the primary POV characters, and his purpose in the overall story remains unclear.
There was some repetition that could have been reduced. Since the story moves through multiple locations, new settings and characters are introduced until near the end of the book, and we also get a lot of backstory later in the book. Sometimes, this feels like it slows the narrative, but the author certainly did their job of establishing settings and character dynamics.
It did feel a little anticlimactic at the end. This book only resolves some of the plotlines introduced; it's the first in a duology. Readers should be aware of this going in, because those who want a tidy ending with clear resolution may find they end with more questions than answers.
I did enjoy it, and I'd give this 3.5 stars, which rounds up to 4.
I did find this story engaging, and was curious to see where it would go. That kept me reading, which is a good sign for any book.
There's a lot going on in this story, with multiple POV characters. This has good and bad points. Sometimes, our breaks away from certain characters are quite long, and it's possible to lose track of them. Although the story starts with Abigail, she's the minor POV character and doesn't feel like she has much of her own arc; she's a plot device meant to move Mikka/Jax's storyline. While not all characters can be center stage, I'm not sure about the decision to start with her and then have her fade as much as she did.
Django is one of the primary POV characters, and his purpose in the overall story remains unclear.
There was some repetition that could have been reduced. Since the story moves through multiple locations, new settings and characters are introduced until near the end of the book, and we also get a lot of backstory later in the book. Sometimes, this feels like it slows the narrative, but the author certainly did their job of establishing settings and character dynamics.
It did feel a little anticlimactic at the end. This book only resolves some of the plotlines introduced; it's the first in a duology. Readers should be aware of this going in, because those who want a tidy ending with clear resolution may find they end with more questions than answers.
I did enjoy it, and I'd give this 3.5 stars, which rounds up to 4.
January 16, 2023
Django and Abigail both have different agendies but have to face relaity that they have been lied to.AN interesting story involving cover ups at the hihgest levels to keep people on different space stations from knowing that Earth was not as bad off as thought.Django's uncle Marvin tried to convince him to leave and only the death of his family and and run in with station guards gave him to leave. Mikka ,with her own problems did not realize she had stowaways. What kind of future did any of them have. Well worth reading.
January 20, 2023
Eclipse is the opening story in Steuernagel's new sci-fi thriller series. It charts the stories of two main characters, Django and Mikka, and what I liked about the opening chapters is the intrigue of their situations and how this is going to play out in the greater universe of the storyline. The pace is quick, and the story telling keeps you wanting to keep turning the pages. Will definitely be looking forward to future books in this series and would recommend for anyone who enjoys sci-fi, or just a great read!
February 4, 2023
Interesting world building, fun and fast paced, distinct, believably imperfect characters. One man's passive advances toward his love interest feel so awkward, I just wanted him to express his feelings directly or stop trying. Another character is full of witty banter during a crisis and it aches of putting on a brave front.
Firefly meets 3%. Explores classism, conspiracy theorism, and what we are willing to accept for the sake of comfort and familiarity.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher.
Firefly meets 3%. Explores classism, conspiracy theorism, and what we are willing to accept for the sake of comfort and familiarity.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher.
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