Thousands of years after Ancient Earth, Humanity has forgotten its past, and is doomed to repeat it.
For centuries, the last of humanity traveled the galaxy aboard a fleet of ARK ships searching for a new home. They warred amongst themselves, formed alliances, and eventually split off into factions. The peace-seekers that broke away found a ringed and moonless planet they renamed Gaia in homage to Ancient Earth, orbiting a star they renamed Sol.
They gifted Gaia a moon in the form of a giant space station called The Spark, built by combining their fourteen ARKs, ending their nomadic ways, and committing to their new home. For three centuries, there was peace for the last of mankind. The era of Peace is over.
The age of Shadow has begun.
BOOK ONE: SHADOW OF THE SPARK: Newly-appointed Detective Migdalia Vandersey's first murder case was supposed to be open-and-shut. Wishful thinking. Armed with the latest technology, she unravels the mysteries of the victims, the killer, and The Spark itself.
The complex web of crime and corruption entangles her professionally and romantically, with a bounty hunter seeking redemption (Llyr Varyan) and a witch exploring the depths of her power (Faye Noelani).
At the center of all the sex, drugs, secrets, magic, and violence waits a prolific killer who hunts the streets with impunity. This murderer works to cover his tracks and stay ahead of Detective Vandersey and her partners as they race against the clock to stop him from taking his next victim and tying off his final loose end.
Will the help of Llyr and Faye be enough, or will Migdalia's career end before she even closes her first case?
Like his books, Adrian Santiago is made of a little bit of everything; The spice of the Caribbean Islands (BORICUA!); sharp edges from a childhood on the block in Buffalo, NY; some southern charm and a dose of crazy from the land of “Florida Man”; and a knack for drama born of comics punk rock music, and a love for stories.
Welcome to Books By Adrian. Here you’ll find a mix of sci-fi, fantasy, crime drama, thriller, mystery, romance and spice, with a diverse cast from all walks of life. Embark on his maiden voyage, the MYTHIC series, and discover the magic of Gaia and The Spark.
Not a fan: too many POV's, not enough focus. Half of the world went unexplained, so a lot of the plot points made no sense, and then they all start sleeping with each other for no reason? It just sucked. Plus, the whole thing was meant to be a who done it, solve the mystery type book but it became a political/ conspiracy theory mess with the Freemasons vs a cult... Just odd. Really not my thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I did receive an advanced copy of this novel, though these are my honest opinions about Shadow of the Spark. We enter a human colony in space. It's got the lived in grime of a futuristic city as we hunt a murderer able to slip into the shadows.
Adrian crafts an immersive world filled with drugs and violence. It never strayed into gratuitous. The moments are tensely built as we follow a detective unraveling a murder involving one of the most powerful families in the Spark. She is joined by two other point of view characters who have experienced some of the worst of humanity.
This story digs into what it means to heal from trauma and how to forge ahead to do what is right, despite being the more difficult of two paths.
The intrigue carried me through the book and there is a lot of room to grow out the series. I was interested to learn about the dark side of this seemingly ideal future society, and the murderer who has been shaping this world. Limited hints of magic serve to expand the world into more than a typical science fiction story.
Adrian has shown his talents as an author and how he infuses his own inspirations into his work. Go pick up your copy and enjoy.
Shadow of the Spark was and enticing story. I always worry about getting confused when reading a multi-point-0f-view story but each character has a distinct voice.
Regarding the intimate scenes, there were only three that I can remember. Nothing lasting more than a page (front and back). Yeah, the book could have not had them, but then we'd be unbalanced with the detail of violence. We're talking consenting adults that are single, lets be honest in the time frame of this story more sex most likely would happen in real life.
I enjoyed the witticisms of this story. The in technological advanced world. And the ever elusive but budding magical element. There is so much more that can expand in this world that I am eager to read more about.
Each character is complex and there is growth. I wish I could say more, but I don't want to mark this review with spoilers.
Disclaimer: I read this as a judge for SPSFC#3, as part of the Wayward Stars team. However, the following is my own personal review and does not reflect on the team's score.
Shadow of the Spark feels, to me, like a gritty detective movie with some heavy fantasy elements. While there were some fantastic areas of it that I thought were done very well, there were others that just took a bit of the joy away for me. In general, Migdalia Vandersay has just qualified as a detective. Her first homocide looks like an open and shut case but her life is not that simple. Now, a serial killer is stalking The Spark and Migdalia must find them before they kill again.
Migdalia is our main POV. After a lengthy time trying, she has just qualified as a detective and is determined to be successful at it. She is a great character; sassy but vulnerable and have been written very sympathetically. Her sidekicks are Llyr, a bounty hunter with his own reasons for investigating the murder, and Faye, a witch who is still learning what she can do. These are also well written, although there are moments when they felt a bit conveniently placed for the plot to move forward. The relationships that developes between the three is okay and not terribly written. Warning! It also gets quite spicy at some points and with many references to drugs.
Although I did enjoy the character work in Shadow of the Spark, I found the plot was a bit more of an issue. There are a lot of great work and some fantastic plot points but there is a lot going on here. It does seem a bit too convoluted. I also had an issue with the ending, both in terms of the plot and with Migdalia's development. I just didn't think there was enough consequences of the actions within the plot (trying desperately not to give too much away). I also felt that the big twist could have been developed a lot more and more mileage gotten out of it. I suspect this might come in later books but it left me feeling a little flat here. The worldbuilding also left me feeling a bit flat. The atmosphere was wonderful - I can imagine the whole thing in black and white and trenchcoats. But I never truly gained a feel for The Spark. Which I think is a pity as it's a bloody great big spacestation. I just would have liked a bit more there.
To use the old refrain, I liked Shadow of the Spark but I didn't love it. I love genre-blending, so the science fantasy feel really worked for me. The Character work was well-written and sympathetic to the characters. However, the plot was a bit too convoluted; if just one element had been taken out, the whole would have felt a bit more tighter. I also wasn't a fan of the ending. The whole was intriguing enough to have me curious about where the author is going to take this but not enough to have me rushing out to find out.
Shadow of the Spark is a very expansive novel. It’s got sci-fi with epic technology, fantasy elements with magic and lore, romance, mystery, and action. Migdalia, a newly promoted Detective Inspector on the Spark (the enormous spacecraft humans live on) is given her first case: a murder-suicide. Except that, to her perceptive mind and technology-augmented eyes, none of the clues point to that verdict in the slightest. The two people, one beaten so badly that her face is unrecognizable, have been murdered and the crime scene expertly tampered with. Migdalia chases the bloody trail down the rabbit hole of crime and corruption that’s under the surface of the Spark. She meets Llyr, a charming bounty hunter and repeated thorn in her side. Llyr has made a career of being a good man in bad circumstances. He gets tangled up in the corruption and his limits, physical and moral, are tested. Along the way, both Migdalia and Llyr separately encounter the mysterious Faye. She is a witch of strange and growing power. The three become united in their histories of past trauma, their immediate fight for survival, and their quest for truth. Shadow of the Spark covers a lot of ground. You’ll really feel like you’ve been pulled in, not only into the complex plot, but the very fleshed out world and society of the Spark. Like most good books, though, the allure of this one isn’t in the overarching elements, but actually the small details. Adrian Santiago does a great job of using descriptive language that captures the scenes well. The character development progresses steadily. The plot is a complex mystery as they try to discover who (or what?) the Shadow of the Spark is, but the soul of the book is overcoming trauma and internal limitations. Of course, I’m a fan that there is very positive representation of LGBTQ+ relationships. There’s a lot of action in this book, some of it with car chase scenes. I would have liked some of those scenes to be a little more realistic, though this could just be me being overly analytical. The scenes are certainly exciting, but it does seem like some of the things Llyr does are well outside the realm of human reflexes since they’re in cars that are, presumably, going incredibly fast. Suspending doubt, they read as very exciting, if slightly unrealistic, action scenes. I also wish a little more time had been given to the emotional resolution of their traumas. They’re all touched on, but I kinda wish they had been resolved in a cathartic action sequence as opposed to a more introspective experience. It’s likely more faithful to real life that they get resolved in an introspective healing session, but I think it would have been more exciting if the final touch had occurred in the climax of the book. That said, it all flows together pretty well and nothing feels like it comes out of nowhere.
Content warning: this book is the equivalent of NC-17: there are explicit sex scenes. It’s definitely only for adults. There’s violence, death, drugs, alcohol, strong language, and references to abuse.
Recommendation: Shadow of the Spark is really quite a ride! If you like sci-fi mystery with elements of epic conspiracies then check this book out. It’s important to note: there is magic in this book. It’s a very important part of the book. That’s not so common in sci-fi so if you’re not expecting it, it can be surprising. If you liked the show Altered Carbon, this is pretty much the novel equivalent. Gritty detective (or equivalent) wading through the filth of the corrupt underworld of a futuristic society to uncover a series of murders.
I received a free copy of this book as an advanced reader. This review is 100% my own opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I influenced by the publisher/author in any way.
Shadow of the Spark is Adrian Santiago’s debut novel and the first instalment in the Mythic series. It is a bold and rich blend of science fiction, fantasy, and crime thriller, with a romance subplot.
Set a thousand years post-Earth, the novel introduces readers to a future where after Earth and its moon are destroyed by an asteroid, humanity no longer lives on Earth but on New Gaia, a beautiful, silver-ringed, moonless planet. New Gaia is named in honor of planet Earth, and above it is The Spark, an enormous space station formed from ARK ships.
At the heart of it all is Migdalia Vandersey, fresh in her role as Detective Inspector in the Homicide department, and she’s already in over her head. Her first major case is anything but simple. What begins as a potential murder-suicide quickly unravels into something far bigger, tying together serial killings, corruption, drug use, bloodlust, and political maneuvering. She discovers evidence that proves a serial killer prowls the streets of The Spark, tying up loose ends and “cleaning up” for those who can afford his fee. Vandersey is aided by her tech assistant, Archimedes Aulis, and eventually by Llyr Varyan, a bounty hunter who’s been through too much, and Faye Noelani, a witch who brings some fire into the mix. Together, they fight to unravel the truth and bring the Shadow to justice. Alongside Vandersey’s case, The Erdmanns and their domain (known simply as The Farm) also represent an insidious side of The Spark, as a bunch of wealthy, powerful figures whose influence stretches far beyond their land. The Farm itself is more than just property; it’s a place where the line between civility and brutality blurs, and where the Erdmanns’ grip on power is exercised in ways both subtle and horrifying. I loved how the characters were diverse, flawed, messy, and most importantly, real. The worldbuilding is insane, with magic, tech, crime, and politics all crammed into one place. New Gaia and The Spark are not sterile or idealized visions of the future; they are layered and multicultural. The environments feel lived-in, and these elements all come together to give the story a raw and realistic feel. You can really picture the city and sense that danger is always one step behind (or ahead) the characters. It’s not a clean, shiny world, it feels dirty and alive.
The writing itself is sharp and fast-paced. It’s obvious that the author is not afraid to push boundaries, even though the blend of genres sometimes feels chaotic. The book pulls the reader into a world where every promise of justice and survival often comes at a cost, and I’m excited to see how much wilder things get from here, since this is just book one of the Mythic series.
I would absolutely recommend this book, but not to everyone. If you like your sci-fi clean, sleek, and easy to follow, this probably isn’t your book. But if you love worlds that are messy, diverse, and alive…a world where magic can spark in the middle of a crime scene and justice is a shade of grey, then Santiago’s debut will be right up your alley.
Shadow of the Spark is the first novel in the Mythic series. The nexus of the story is the humans have had to leave earth, after centuries of living in ships, fighting among themselves, setting up rival camps, and warring endlessly, the peacekeepers split off. They found a ringed and moonless planet they renamed Gaia in homage to Ancient Earth, orbiting a star they renamed Sol. They created a moon for Gaia out of a giant space station called The Spark. Spark was built by combining their fourteen ARKs. They had finally ended their wandering days and had decided to dedicate all of their energy to their new home.
For three hundred years they lived in peace. During this time humans forget their past and all that had happened to send them out into space. They began fighting and warring. Their world was once again filled with sex, drugs, secrets, and magic. Living amongst all this violence is a serial killer. This killer hunts the streets. Our protagonist, Detective Vandersey, and her partners, do all they can to stay ahead of this killer and prevent him from taking his next victim. Will they succeed? Will they catch the killer? Or will they be his next prey? Great world building leading into this new series. Can't wait for the second novel. received this book from StoryOrigin. This is my true and honest opinion.
This is a new-to-me author, and a grand romp through mysteries. Set in a world settled by humans, you learn the reason they are there, some of their history, and follow along on a journey of adventure, love, and surprises. There is negative mention of a group that is currently active - which spoiled my enjoyment of it a bit, along with some fairly active sex scenes. There are a couple of jarring cuts made in my ARC, but they didn't throw off the flow that much.
The book flows well, and reads well - there likely is a character you can relate to on some level. This is not a book for young readers, but those that enjoy a mystery featuring adults will find something to like.
Shadow Of The Spark (MYTHIC Book 1), my first read from author Adrian Santiago in I hope will be a fantastic series. A 548-page Crime & Mystery Science Fiction read. “I received a free a free Kindle copy and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it.What do you get when you combine classic detective noir with a science fiction mystery? Read the book and find out. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018). (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
Adrian Santiago does a great job in writing this book, it had everything that I was looking for. It had what I was looking for in the genre and I enjoyed every part of the journey. It left me wanting to read more in this universe and I appreciated getting to read this.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow!! This is the first book I have read by this author and I was absolutely blown away. This is what I hope will be a fantastic series. I was entranced by the reality of Migdalia. The way she talks to herself and others is at times so hilarious! I am totally behind this book. It was totally worth my time and I can't wait for the next book.